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Jon Pertwee
Season Ten

Jon Pertwee

RRR. The Three Doctors

Writers: Bob Baker and Dave Martin
Director: Lennie Mayne
Designer: Roger Limiston
Incidental Music: Dudley Simpson

TRANSMISSION DETAILS:

330. Episode One                   30.12.1972   5.50pm - 6.15pm   9.6M/41st
331. Episode Two                   06.01.1973   5.50pm - 6.15pm  10.8M/22nd
332. Episode Three                 13.01.1973   5.50pm - 6.15pm   8.8M/44th
333. Episode Four                  20.01.1973   5.50pm - 6.15pm  11.9M/17th

REPEAT DETAILS:

(All as part of the BBC2 "Five Faces of Doctor Who" season - positions just for that channel)
     Episode One             Mon   23.11.1981   5.40pm - 6.05pm   5.0M/12th
     Episode Two             Tue   24.11.1981   5.40pm - 6.05pm   4.5M/16th
     Episode Three           Wed   25.11.1981   5.40pm - 6.05pm   5.7M/ 9th
     Episode Four            Thu   26.11.1981   5.40pm - 6.05pm   5.8M/ 8th

CAST:

THE DOCTOR: William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton; DR TYLER: Rex Robinson; ARTHUR OLLIS: Laurie Webb; PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL: Roy Purcell; TIME LORD: Graham Leaman; CHANCELLOR: Clyde Pollitt (1-2); CORPORAL PALMER: Denys Palmer (1-2); MAR OLLIS: Patricia Prior (1,4); OMEGA: Stephen Thorne (2-4). UNCREDITED: OMEGA'S CHAMPION: Alan Chuntz (3-4); GELL GUARDS: Murphy Grumbar, John Scott Martin, Rick Newby, Cy Town; TIME LORDS: Peter Evans, Tony Lang, Richard Orme, Lincoln Wright

STORY:

A weather balloon, with equipment, returns to Earth. Doctor Tyler is called, and the local warden goes to fetch it, but disappears. When Doctor Tyler starts to examine the equipment he gets some strange results, and he takes his findings to U.N.I.T. The Doctor examines the slides, and finds a strange effect.

Later the Doctor and Jo are besieged by a strange entity, and they manage to escape to the safety of the TARDIS, along with the Brigadier who has never been inside. Fearing that it may be too much for him the Doctor signals Gallifrey for help, but they are suffering from a power drain and are unable to help.

They do manage to obtain enough energy to break the first law of time and send the Doctor's 2nd incarnation to help, but the two only argue. Using the last remaining energy the Time Lords send the Doctor's 1st incarnation, although he is trapped in a limbo and can only advise from the scanner.

Together the Doctor's realise that the entity is from an anti-universe, and the third Doctor and Jo, and later the second Doctor with U.N.I.T. HQ cross over to a black hole where they find a legend of the Time Lords - Omega. Omega is unable to escape from the black hole, and hopes to use the Doctors. However, together they manage to defeat Omega, and return everyone before the black hole is destroyed, restoring power to the Time Lords.

BLOOPERS:

Episode 1-4: Whenever the scanner is used it shows a picture of the lab with the TARDIS in one corner. If the scanner is mounted on the TARDIS then how can it be in the picture?

Episode 1: How about the scene where JP hears the materialisation of PT's recorder? He looks down and picks up the recorder, and mentions something about how he has seen it before and asks if anyone owns it. Well, we all saw it before we heard it materialise sitting on the console.

Episode 1 & 3: Katy Manning does it again. First, when the Gell Guards come out of the drain, the Doctor tells her to back slowly behind the car. Instead she jumps over the seat. When she is doing it, the back of her mini-skirt lifts up. You can see her light blue knickers clearly. And secondly, when they escape from Omega's castle, she comes down a hill a bit too quickly.

Episode 2: When Bessie is seen for the first time in anti-land, look at the tyres. You can see the dust from the ground all over them as if the car had been driven. But in the story it was supposed to have been teleported.

Episodes 2 & 4: You can see the reflections of some camera crew in the monitor used to display the First Doctor.

Episodes 2-4; When Omega is looking at his magic screen, you can see the outline of the actual television set at the edge of the image.

Episodes 3 & 4: At varous times throughout the story Stephen Thorne's (Omega) lips are visible, and in one profile shot so is his jaw, yet when the mask is removed, we find that Omega has been dissipated.

Episode 4: During the scene when all the companions are returning to Earth via the pillar of smoke, you can see and hear each person walk up the stairs to the pillar of smoke. Although they disappear, you can clearly hear them walk down the other side!

STUDIOS:

Television Centre Studio 1, Television Centre Studio 8, Ealing Film Studios

LOCATIONS:

YMCA/Minstry of Defence Hotel, Hayling Rd; Springwell Reservoir, Rickmansworth; Summerfield Bungalow, Springwell Lane, Rickmansworth; Denham, Bucks

WORKING TITLE:

The Black Hole

NOTES:

This was a 10th anniversary story, although it was shown some ten months early
This is the first story to have a copyright date, for 1973 even though Episode One was transmitted during 1972

NOVELISATION:

The Three Doctors Terrance Dicks

VIDEO:

The Three Doctors


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