Search Out Space (TV story)

Search Out Space was a special crossover episode between Search Out Science, a children's education programme, and Doctor Who.

Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred appeared as the Seventh Doctor and Ace. John Leeson provided the voice of K9 for the first time since The Five Doctors. Notably this was the first on screen story since Survival and thus the first on screen story released during the "wilderness years"

Despite an apparently fourth-wall-breaking setup, the story would contextualise this as as an in-universe quiz show. It was further placed in regular Doctor Who continuity by the short story Storm in a Tikka.

Synopsis
The Doctor, Ace, K9 and Cedric are taking part in a game show to see who can win The Ultimate Challenge - the biggest gameshow in the universe.

They will show you the Earth and its Solar System.

Plot
The Seventh Doctor is acting as the host of a game show called The Ultimate Challenge.

The contestants are his companion Ace, former companion K9 and an alien named Cedric.

The contestants are forced to answer fairly basic questions about space, with severe punishments if they get it wrong. K9 fails to answer on time and is transported to outer space, where he almost ends up being pulled into the sun. The Doctor saves him in the TARDIS, but only just manages to dematerialise before the TARDIS is also pulled into the sun.

Eventually, Ace deduces that there is no answer to one of the questions. The Doctor says this is the right answer, and bizarrely produces an ice cream as if by magic.

Cast

 * The Doctor - Sylvester McCoy
 * Ace - Sophie Aldred
 * Cedric - Stephen Johnson
 * K9's voice - John Leeson

Crew

 * Writers - Lambros Atteshlis, Berry-Anne Billingsley
 * Cameraman - Mike Dauncey
 * Assistant Camerman - Paul Cox
 * Sound - Dave Brinnicombe
 * Lights - John Collins
 * Visual Effects - Matt Irvine
 * Videtape Editor - Dave Austin
 * Assistant Floor Manager - Crispin Avon
 * Production Assistant - Eve Lucas
 * Unit Manager - Valerie Booth
 * Researcher - Teresa Griffiths
 * Assistant Producer - Peter Findley
 * Producer - Lambros Atteshlis
 * Series Producer - Robin Mudge
 * Director - Berry-Anne Billingsley

TARDIS

 * The Doctor has a model of the Doctor's TARDIS in the TARDIS computer room.

People

 * Cedric is the most intelligent inhabitant of the planet Quirk.

Culture

 * The Ultimate Challenge is the biggest game show in the universe.

Earth

 * Ace explains that the Earth is shaped like a sphere.

Food and beverages

 * The Doctor refuses to explain the key to the universe and instead shows and ice cream.

K9

 * K9 is renowned for his superior powers of logic.
 * K9 can control the TARDIS from a large computer within a room aboard the Doctor's TARDIS.

Story notes

 * The story uses Delia Derbyshire's second theme as the opening theme, but closes on the Keff McCulloch theme that was used for the entirety of the Seventh Doctor era prior.
 * The K9 and Company theme tune plays within the episode.
 * Search Out Space was included as an extra on the DVD of Survival, but was absent on the blu-ray The Collection boxset of Season 26
 * The Doctor and his companions were invited to appear on a quiz show in the short story Storm in a Tikka, which bridges this story with the events of the Children in Need special Dimensions in Time.
 * Search Out Space is one of many Doctor Who on screen stories from the 1990s with Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor. The others being 3-D Week, Dimensions in Time, The Movie, Destiny of the Doctors, and The Disney Club.

Continuity

 * Cedric would later travel with a moustachioed incarnation of the Doctor. (PROSE: The Blue Angel)