The Creature from the Pit
| 106 - The Creature from the Pit | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cast | |||
| Production | |||
| Directed by | Christopher Barry | ||
| Written by | David Fisher | ||
| Script editor | Douglas Adams | ||
| Produced by | Graham Williams | ||
| Executive producer(s) | None | ||
| Production code | 5G | ||
| Series | Season 17 | ||
| Running time | 4 episodes, 25 mins each | ||
| First broadcast | October 27–November 17, 1979 | ||
| Chronology | |||
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The Creature from the Pit is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from October 27 to November 17 1979.
Synopsis
On the planet Chloris, metal is scarce. Making a forced landing on Chloris, the Doctor, Romana and K-9 soon find themselves caught up in a long and secret enmity between the Lady Adrasta, who rules the planet in fear, and the mysterious Creature she keeps in a Pit...
Plot
Template:Spoiler The use of a MK3 Emergency transceiver on the TARDIS identifies a distress signal and brings the craft to the lush jungle world of Chloris, where metal in all forms is a rare and prized commodity. The Doctor, Romana and K-9 venture out to discover the remains of an enormous egg in the jungle, and when the meet the inhabitants they find a matriarchy ruled through fear by the icy and callous Lady Adrasta. Without metal to make the tools needed to keep the jungle under control, lush plant life dominates. The Lady Adrasta controls the planet's very last metal mine, holding on to power through the Huntsmen and the Wolfweeds. Her throne room contains an array of metal including a shield patterned in the same way as the remnants of the shell. She mentions the Creature which dwells in a deep pit on Chloris.
Romana has meanwhile been captured by a party of scavengers, even keen to find and horde more metal, and they are particularly impressed by the possibilities of K9. The robot enables her escape and she is briefly reunited with the Doctor before he leaps into the Pit himself, determined to get to the bottom of the mystery and the Pit. Within the Pit he encounters Organon, an astrologer thrown there by Adrasta some time earlier, and then comes face to face with the Creature: indeed, the vast shapeless blob rolls over him. The Doctor calculates it is not, however, dangerous, and is fascinated to note the Creature produces metal from within itself. It also forms a tentacle and draws a picture which the Doctor recognises as the shield from Adrasta’s throne room. The Doctor, Organon and Erato now find a way out of the Pit.
The scavengers have meanwhile raided the throne room for booty, including the alien shield. It comes in useful when the Creature is freed from the Pit as the shield is indeed a communication device. Erato, as the Creature is named, is the Tythonian ambassador to Chloris and came to negotiate a treaty exchanging metal for chlorophyll fifteen years earlier. Its craft was the vast egg found in the jungle. However, Adrasta realised her power was dependent on the control of the planet’s metal supply and so imprisoned Erato to maintain her status. It exacts its revenge by crushing her to death. The attempts by Adrasta’s sidekick, Karela, to capitalise on the situation and seize power herself are aborted.
The Doctor has rescued the Tythonian just in time – it seems Tythonus has declared war on Chloris over the missing ambassador, and has despatched a neutron star to collide with Chloris’ star and destroy the system. It is due to collide within the next twenty-four hours. Working against the odds, the Doctor uses the TARDIS are able to stabilise the star while Erato weaves a metal covering around it and the danger is neutralised. The Doctor’s last act on Chloris is to push Organon, now one of the de facto rulers, toward a mutually beneficial trade agreement with Erato and the Tythonians.
Cast
- Doctor Who — Tom Baker
- Romana — Lalla Ward
- Voice of K-9 — David Brierley
- Lady Adrasta — Myra Frances
- Madam Karela — Eileen Way
- Huntsman — David Telfer
- Organon — Geoffrey Bayldon
- Tollund — Morris Barry
- Doran — Terry Walsh
- Torvin — John Bryans
- Edu — Edward Kelsey
- Ainu — Tim Munro
- Guardsmaster — Tommy Wright
- Guards — Philip Denyer, David Redgrave
Notes
- This was actually the first serial of the season to be filmed. As a result, Lalla Ward's performance and manner of dress as Romana is somewhat different than that seen in the previously broadcast serials, since she was still working out her character at the time.
- David Brierley makes his debut as the voice of K-9 in this story, taking over from John Leeson.
- Adrasta's engineer, Tollund, was played by former Doctor Who director, Morris Barry.
- This was the last story to be directed by Christopher Barry, one of Doctor Who's longest-serving contributors.
- A novelisation of this serial, written by David Fisher, was published by Target Books in January 1981.