Inferno (TV story)

Synopsis
The Doctor is an observer and UNIT are providing security cover at an experimental drilling project designed to penetrate the Earth's crust and release a previously-untapped source of energy, named Stahlman's Gas after its discoverer. Professor Stahlman dismisses the concerns of the project's Executive Director Sir Keith Gold and exceeds all safety margins in order to expedite the work.

Soon however the drill head starts to leak an oily green liquid that transforms those who touch it into vicious primeval creatures with a craving for heat. The Doctor is accidentally transported by the partially-repaired TARDIS control console into a parallel universe where England is ruled by a military dictatorship.

The drilling project is at a more advanced stage here and, thwarted by his friends' ruthless alter egos, he is unable to prevent the penetration of the Earth's crust, which ultimately causes the planet's destruction. Escaping back to his own universe, where the drilling is still in progress, the Doctor tries to warn of impending disaster. At first he is disbelieved, but his words are borne out when the power-crazed Stahlman is himself transformed into one of the hideous primordial creatures.

The Doctor, aided by consultant Greg Sutton, kills Stahlman with ice-cold blasts from fire extinguishers. He is finally able to shut down the drilling with only moments to spare.

Plot
to be added

Cast

 * The Doctor — Jon Pertwee
 * Liz Shaw / Section Leader Liz Shaw — Caroline John
 * Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart / Brigade Leader — Nicholas Courtney
 * Sergeant Benton/Platoon Under Leader Benton — John Levene
 * Professor Stahlman/Director Stahlman - Olaf Pooley
 * Sir Keith Gold — Christopher Benjamin
 * Petra Williams/Dr. Petra Williams - Sheila Dunn
 * Greg Sutton - Derek Newark
 * Private Latimer - David Simeon
 * Private Wyatt - Derek Ware
 * Harry Slocum - Walter Randall
 * Bromley - Ian Fairbairn
 * RSF Sentry - Roy Scammell
 * Patterson - Keith James
 * Primords - Dave Carter, Pat Gorman, Walter Henry, Philip Ryan, Peter Thompson

Crew

 * Action / Stuntwork - HAVOC
 * Assistant Floor Manager - Sue Hedden
 * Costumes - Christine Rawlins
 * Designer - Jeremy Davies
 * Film Cameraman - Fred Hamilton
 * Film Editor - Martyn Day
 * Make-Up - Marion Richards
 * Producer - Barry Letts
 * Production Assistant - Chris D'Oyly-John
 * Script Editor - Terrance Dicks
 * Special Sounds - Brian Hodgson
 * Studio Lighting - John Green
 * Studio Sound - John Staple
 * Theme Arrangement - Delia Derbyshire
 * Title Music - Ron Grainer
 * Visual Effects - Len Hutton

Story Notes

 * This is the last appearance of the original TARDIS console which had been used since the first show.
 * Derek Newark played Za in An Unearthly Child, the very first televised Doctor Who story. Christopher Benjamin reappears as Henry Gordon Jago in The Talons of Weng-Chiang.
 * This story had the working titles of; The Mo-Hole Project, Operation: Mole-Bore, The Mole-Bore, Project Inferno.
 * The primordial mutant creatures are named 'Primords' in the closing credits of the episodes in which they appear and in publicity material, but are unnamed in the story's dialogue.

Ratings

 * Episode 1 - 5.7 million viewers
 * Episode 2 - 5.9 million viewers
 * Episode 3 - 4.8 million viewers
 * Episode 4 - 6.0 million viewers
 * Episode 5 - 5.4 million viewers
 * Episode 6 - 5.7 million viewers
 * Episode 7 - 5.5 million viewers

Myths
to be added

Location Filming
to be added

Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors

 * On the Nuclear Output Gauge in the Doctor's workshop, Megavolts is spelled 'Megga Volts'

Continuity

 * PDA: The Face of the Enemy is a sequel to Inferno, revisiting the 'alternate' world.


 * Rise of the Cybermen / The Age of Steel are the only other examples including Inferno of 'alternate universe' stories in televised Doctor Who.
 * In NA: Timewyrm: Revelation it is revealed that the parallel universe version of the Third Doctor was the dictator in the parallel universe.

DVD and Video Releases
to be added

Target Novelisations

 * Novelised as Inferno (novelisation) in 1984 by Terrance Dicks.