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Tom Baker
Season Thirteen

Tom Baker

4K. The Brain of Morbius

Writer: Robin Bland (alias Terrance Dicks with rewrites by Robert Holmes)
Director: Christopher Barry
Designer: Barry Newbery
Incidental Music: Dudley Simpson
Movement by: Geraldine Stephenson

TRANSMISSION DETAILS:

418. Part One                      03.01.76   5.55pm - 6.20pm   9.5M/30th/---
419. Part Two                      10.01.76   5.45pm - 6.10pm   9.3M/32nd/---
420. Part Three                    17.01.76   5.45pm - 6.10pm  10.1M/23rd/57%
421. Part Four                     24.01.76   5.55pm - 6.20pm  10.2M/28th/---
REPEAT DETAILS:
     Edited Compilation      Sat   04.12.76   5.50pm - 6.50pm  10.9M/17th
CAST:

DR MEHENDRI SOLON: Philip Madoc; MAREN: Cynthia Grenville; OHICA: Gilly Brown; CONDO: Colin Fay; SISTERS: Sue Bishop, Janie Kells, Gabrella Mowbray, Veronica Ridge; KRIZ: John Scott Martin (1); VOICE OF MORBIUS: Michael Spice (2-4); MORBIUS MONSTER: Stuart Fell (3-4). UNCREDITED: HEADLESS MONSTER: Alan Crisp (1-2); DOUBLE FOR SARAH: Jennie Le Fre

STORY:

The TARDIS lands on the planet Karn amidst the wreckages of other spacecraft. The planet is bleak, and the weather conditions are turbulent.

The sisterhood is the main occupant of the planet Karn, in the same constellation as Gallifrey. There is also a scientist, Doctor Solon, and his assistamt, working on an horrendous experiment. Solon aims to take the brain of an executed Time Lord criminal, Morbius, and transplant it into another body, returning to him the gift of life.

The Sisterhood believe the Doctor has been sent by the Time Lords to steal their Elixir of Life. They kidnap him and attempt to burn him at the stake until he is rescued by Sarah.

The Doctor asks the Sisterhood for help, and in return restores their dying Elixir flame. The Doctor and Sarah return to Solon's citadel where he releases cyanide gas, killing Solon. The experiment is already complete, and the Doctor challenges Morbius to a mind-bending contests, which mentally drains both Time Lords. The Sisterhood use their mentl capabilities and force Morbius over the edge of a cliff.

STUDIOS: Television Centre Studio 1, Television Centre Studio 3

NOTES: This story has no writer credit in the end titles, although the next one does
The faces seen in the mind battle in Part Four are Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton, William Hartnell, Philip Hinchcliffe, Robert Holmes, Douglas Camfield, Graeme Harper, Robert Banks Stewart, Christopher Baker, George Gallacio and Christopher Barry

NOVELISATION: The Brain of Morbius Terrance Dicks
Also "Junior Doctor Who - The Brain of Morbius" by the same author (1980)

VIDEO: The Brain of Morbius


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