The Caves of Androzani (TV story)

The Caves of Androzani was the penultimate story of season 21 of Doctor Who. It was Peter Davison's final regular appearance as the Doctor. It was Graeme Harper's first credited Doctor Who directorial gig. Widely praised by fans, it was voted the single best televised Doctor Who story in a 2009 poll conducted by Doctor Who Magazine. (DWM 413)

As a regeneration story, it offered many unusual elements. Perhaps the most obvious was that it was written by Robert Holmes. Although the most prolific writer of the 1963 version of the programme, this was his only regeneration story. Caves was also the first regeneration story to allow for a brief scene with the incoming Doctor. Unlike any of his predecessors, the new Doctor was given the final words of the story — something that wouldn't happen again until 2005's The Parting of the Ways. The proximate cause of regeneration was also unusual. It was the first time the Doctor willingly and explicitly underwent a regeneration to save a companion (which would next occur in The Parting of the Ways, and then again in The End of Time). , it was also one of only two stories in which the Doctor regenerated before the end of the then-current series.

From a behind-the-scenes perspective, Harper's direction was hailed by those involved with the production as highly innovative. Particularly noteworthy were Harper's freer use of camera movement than usual at the time and his direction from the studio floor. Harper's energetic directorial style was in marked contrast to most who preceded him. Unlike Harper, most directors of the 1963 version of Doctor Who generally preferred to work in the booth and relay their messages to the actors and crew through the production assistant stationed on the floor. Peter Davison, in particular, found Harper's more direct style much to his liking. He lamented he had waited until his last story to receive this bolder style of direction. (DCOM: The Caves of Androzani)

Another unique aspect of the production was its use of Shakespearian. Morgus, the principal villain of the piece, sometimes turned to camera, broke the fourth wall and revealed his thoughts directly to the audience. Though apparently the result of a mistaken impression about the script by actor John Normington, Harper kept the asides in, feeling they effectively ramped up the dramatic tension. (DCOM: The Caves of Androzani)

Synopsis
After landing on the planet Androzani Minor, the Doctor and Peri develop lethal spectrox toxaemia poisoning. As they search for a cure, they become enmeshed in a decades-old feud between the disfigured roboticist Sharaz Jek and businessman Morgus.

Jek becomes obsessed with Peri and the situation degenerates when the girl ignores his affections. Between threats from magma beasts and gun runners, it quickly becomes apparent that the Doctor will not find a cure in time to save both his companion and himself.

Part one
The TARDIS lands on Androzani Minor, one of twin planets in the Sirius star system. The Doctor and Peri decide to explore a set of tracks that lead into some nearby caves.

The Doctor finds a spaceship has arrived, carrying a strange cargo. Deep in the caves, a soldier is killed by a monster. In another part of the caves, Peri catches her foot in an unknown, sticky substance. The Doctor pulls her free. He gets some on himself. Despite its sting, he is unconcerned. Peri asks why the Doctor wears a stick of celery; it is a safety precaution. He is allergic to certain gases in the praxis range of the spectrum; in their presence, celery turns purple. They discover a hoard of weapons and hear footsteps. Soldiers capture them and take them to their leader, General Chellak. As the two explain their innocence to Chellak and Major Salateen, there is a call from Trau Morgus, a business conglomerate leader on Androzani Major and CEO of the Sirius Conglomerate. Believing the two to be working for gunrunners Stotz and Krelper, he loses all interest in them and orders their deaths after seeing that Chellak's "gunrunners" are not his own men over holographic communication.

Deep in the caves, the masked madman Sharaz Jek has monitored the broadcast between Morgus and Chellak. He is delighted at Peri's beauty. In their cell the Doctor and Peri await their deaths. The Doctor notes Androzani Minor is the only source of a powerful drug called Spectrox, produced by bats in the planet's caves. Spectrox is highly valued by the people of nearby Androzani Major for its ability to extend life.

The spectrox mines are controlled by Morgus, but the operation is threatened by the masked Sharaz Jek and his army of androids, causing public tension on Androzani Major over limited supplies. Morgus has funded a military operation by Androzani Major's government against Jek's androids. He has also secretly backed a gunrunning group to deliver weapons to Jek to profit from the war.

The Doctor and Peri are brought to the execution squad, dressed in red. General Chellak asks if they have any last words. The Doctor tells him the whole thing is a mockery of justice. The soldiers step forward and take aim. On command, they pump bullets into the Doctor and Peri.

Part two
Chellak has the soldiers check their weapons. As the bodies are cut free of the execution posts, Morgus switches off. He tells the President anyone without a valid work permit has been sent to Eastern labour camps to reduce crime. The President realises Morgus has been closing plants in the West and opening them again in the East. If he accepts Morgus' suggestion, the same people will be working for him without pay.

The Doctor and Peri are rescued by Sharaz Jek, who was watching them and has prepared android duplicates. They are taken to his base to become his companions in exile. Chellak and Salateen go to look at the bodies. When they turn out to be androids, Chellak realises his career is at risk. He decides to not let anyone know about it. Jek asks the Doctor and Peri to stay with him so he can look after them. Meanwhile, Stotz is having trouble. Krelper wants to cut his losses and go. He nearly kills Krelper but lets him live for the moment.

At Jek's base, the Doctor and Peri complain of rashes and cramps where they touched the sticky substance in the caves. Jek will not be seriously threatened for years. The people of Androzani Major will rise up. They can have all the Spectrox they want when Jek has the head of Morgus at his feet. Meanwhile at Morgus' headquarters, Morgus is surprised to hear from Timmin the Northcawl copper mine has exploded. This takes care of overproduction and makes the price of copper rise. Morgus wants every soldier to leave his place and stand in silence. Back at Jek's base, the Doctor meets Salateen. He has been a prisoner here, too. Jek captured him months ago and replaced him with an android that looks like him. The real Salateen realises Jek will kill him now he has them for company. He laughs at their dying. They are in the first stage of spectrox toxemia from exposure to unrefined spectrox. While there is an anti-toxin, it requires the milk of the queen bat. Due to the mining activity, all the bats have fled to deeper levels of the caves, where there is no oxygen.

Stotz contacts Jek and tells him his ship is in good shape and it wasn't his fault that the androids didn't show up. Before Jek leaves to meet with Stotz and the gunrunners, Peri asks why he wears a mask. Jek flies into a rage. When one of Androzani Minor's mud bursts erupted, he had no warning and Morgus left him to die. Jek survived, horribly scalded. He leaves them guarded by his androids.

In the lower levels of the caves, Jek agrees to pay half the price for the Spectrox. In Jek's HQ, the Doctor reprograms the android outside the door. Peri, Salateen and he escape. Meanwhile, Stotz realises he and the gun runners can walk past Jek's androids, kill Jek and steal his Spectrox. The Doctor and the two head into the lower levels of the caves to find the queen bat. An android fires at them. One shot hits the Doctor. Salateen fires back and destroys it. The Doctor wakes and discovers Peri has vanished. He goes to find her. Jek returns to his base, but flies into a rage that Peri has gone. The Doctor takes cover behind a rock as Stotz and the gun runners enter. One of the gun runners is attacked by a fierce magma beast. They open fire on the beast and kill another gun runner. It ignores them and approaches the rock where the Doctor is crouching.

Part Three
The beast is distracted by the gun runners. It turns on them again. The Doctor escapes as the gun runners retreat. Meanwhile, Peri is taken with Salateen to General Chellak. She tells him what has happened. Stotz and the gun runners meet Jek. The Doctor meets Jek again. He tortures the Doctor and the Doctor finally tells him that Peri has been taken to Chelllak. Stotz arrives. Jek tells him to take the Doctor to Androzani Major to see if he is a government spy. The Doctor is in the third stage of Spectrox and is feeling unwell, but Stotz doesn't care; the Doctor will live long enough to be questioned. In the army base, Peri also isn't feeling well, but General Chellak doesn't care; the Doctor and she have been working with Jek. Chellak orders an assault on Jek's base. Salateen agrees to tell Morgus about the assault and to throw Jek off guard when he broadcasts a message.

Jek discovers the real Salateen is free to walk around the planet, leaving Peri unguarded. Meanwhile, Stotz chains the Doctor in the bridge of his spaceship and calls Morgus. As Stotz discusses the situation with Morgus, the businessman sees the Doctor still alive. He tells Stotz that Chellak faked the attack on Jek's base. Morgus is worried the President will see his double dealings. He tells Stotz to remain in orbit and Stotz, furious, leaves the Doctor on his own. When Stotz is gone, the Doctor tries to escape. He pulls himself free of the wall and uses the power core in the centre of the ship's bridge to sear the chains from his hands. He is still very weary from the Spectrox but programs the spaceship to land or "crash" on Androzani Minor.

Meanwhile, Morgus, fearing deception, invites the President into his office and opens his private lift so the President can leave. The President doesn't realise it's just an empty shaft. Morgus pushes the President into the lift and he falls to his death. He orders Timmin to have the lift maintenance engineer shot and makes his own plans to travel to Androzani Minor to put the situation right himself. Meanwhile, Jek has kidnapped Peri and taken her back to his HQ, where he finds the Doctor has gone. He is now insane and needs Peri's beauty to forget the trouble that Morgus has put him in. Peri tells him the army will attack soon, but Jek already knows that - he has changed the recognition code for the belt buckle. General Chellak and his men are in for a shock...

The Doctor is in the centre of the ship's bridge. The furious Stotz returns and hears a loud, rumbling noise. He demands the Doctor open the door and regains access to the bridge by burning through the door, but he can't reach the controls. Instead, he points his weapon at the Doctor and orders him to return the ship to Androzani Minor. The Doctor refuses to give up until he rescues Peri, so Stotz gives him until the count of three. The planet looms large on the ship's view screen and the Doctor tells Stotz: "I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU STOP ME NOW!" The Doctor closes his eyes as the ship hurtles towards the surface of Androzani Minor...

Part four
The ship's rocket pods fire at the last moment, throwing Stotz's aim off and letting the Doctor land the ship on the surface of Androzani Minor. Still very weary from the Spectrox poisoning, the Doctor escapes from the spaceship. Krelper and another gun runner chase after him. Meanwhile, General Chellak plans the real assault on Jek's base, making him believe an attack lies elsewhere. As the gun runners prepare for battle, they discover their belt buckles are not working. An android guns down Salateen and the battle kills nearly all of the gunrunners. Meanwhile, Krelper and his friend are still chasing the Doctor. He approaches a cliff and falls. As they are about to kill him, a mudburst begins and they run back to the ship. The Doctor gets to his feet and makes his way into the caves to save Peri. Chellak and the gun runners have no choice but to push against the mudburst. Chellak sees Jek and chases him to his base. Once there, he struggles with Jek until he pulls his mask off. He is so horrified at Jek's scalded face that Jek is able to push him outside into the path of the mudburst. Jek goes to Peri. She screams at the sight of Jek's face and Jek himself lets out a cry of agony. The Doctor arrives, struggling to hold off the regeneration to rid him of the spectrox. Jek provides him with oxygen and directions to the lower parts of the caves, so he can find and milk the queen bat. As the Doctor departs to get the milk, Morgus arrives on the planet. He finds Timmin has betrayed him and taken his dirty dealings to the government, which means he is now deposed from power.

Morgus quickly deals with Stotz to kill Krelper and his friend and plots to secure Jek's private stash of spectrox so they may disappear quietly to another planet. The two make their way to Jek's base, lured by extractor fans that Jek is using to to keep the base temperature cool for Peri. Morgus orders Jek to give him the Spectrox.

Jek sees Morgus and forgets all about Peri and everything else. He pulls off his mask, showing Morgus his scalded face. As Morgus looks at Jek in shock, Jek throttles him. Stotz opens fire on Jek, but the Salateen android returns and kills him. With his last ounce of life, Jek pushes Morgus' head into his extractor fans. Morgus dies in seconds and the extractor fans short circuit and burst into flames. Jek dies in the arms of the Salateen android, giving it his last orders to hold him. The Doctor arrives just after the battle, and escapes, but the Salateen android stays where it is as the fire destroys Jek's base.

The Doctor takes the recovering Peri back to the surface and the TARDIS, but a mud burst is on its way. While he unlocks the TARDIS, the Doctor spills half the bat's milk in the sand. He manages to open the door, get inside the TARDIS and dematerialise as the planet's surface explodes in boiling mud.

Inside the TARDIS, the Doctor feeds Peri all of the remaining bat's milk. She recovers to find the Doctor lying in pain on the floor. The Doctor quickly explains he only got enough bat's milk to cure Peri, but his body will shortly regenerate, though it feels different from his previous regenerations. A bright glow surrounds him as his image distorts; he begins hallucinating his previous companions urging him to live. A vision of the Master laughs at the Doctor and tells him to die. The glow grows brighter and covers the Doctor. It fades to reveal the Doctor's new incarnation, a blonde version of Maxil. The Doctor picks himself up, fully alert, and challenges his now-detoxified assistant with the words, "Change, my dear, and it seems not a moment too soon."

Cast

 * The Doctor - Peter Davison
 * The Doctor- Colin Baker
 * Peri Brown - Nicola Bryant
 * Sharaz Jek - Christopher Gable
 * Morgus - John Normington
 * Salateen - Robert Glenister
 * Stotz - Maurice Roëves
 * Chellak - Martin Cochrane
 * Krelper - Roy Holder
 * Timmin - Barbara Kinghorn
 * The President - David Neal
 * Soldier - Ian Staples
 * The Master - Anthony Ainley
 * Adric - Matthew Waterhouse
 * Nyssa - Sarah Sutton
 * Tegan Jovanka - Janet Fielding
 * Vislor Turlough - Mark Strickson
 * Voice of Kamelion - Gerald Flood

Crew

 * Assistant Floor Manager - Sue Hedden
 * Costumes - Andrew Rose
 * Designer - John Hurst
 * Film Cameraman - John Walker
 * Film Editor - Roger Guertin
 * Incidental Music - Roger Limb
 * Make-Up - John Nethercot, Shirley Stallard
 * Producer - John Nathan-Turner
 * Production Assistant - Juley Harding
 * Production Associate - June Collins
 * Script Editor - Eric Saward
 * Special Sounds - Dick Mills
 * Studio Lighting - Don Babbage
 * Studio Sound - Scott Talbott
 * Theme Arrangement - Peter Howell
 * Title Music - Ron Grainer
 * Visual Effects - Jim Francis, Stuart Brisdon

Story notes

 * Despite the title, the Doctor notes that the caves are in fact blowholes.
 * The maps of the caves shown on screen bear an uncanny resemblance to the video game Dig Dug.
 * This story had the working title of Chain Reaction.
 * This is Peter Davison's final regular television appearance as the Doctor. However, he reprised the role on screen in DW: Dimensions in Time in 1993 and DW: Time Crash in 2007.
 * The regeneration sequence features specially recorded cameos by Matthew Waterhouse, Janet Fielding, Sarah Sutton, Mark Strickson, Gerald Flood and Anthony Ainley.
 * The closing credits to Part Four feature the face of new Doctor Colin Baker and list him before Peter Davison.
 * Christopher Gable was not the first choice to play Sharaz Jek; among the actors offered the role were Tim Curry and David Bowie.
 * Colin Baker previously appeared (as Commander Maxil) in DW: Arc of Infinity.
 * If the pre-companion appearance of Nyssa in DW: The Keeper of Traken is discounted, this story marks the first occasion since DW: Horror of Fang Rock in 1977 that the Doctor has spent a complete adventure with only a single companion.
 * In DWM 400, The Caves of Androzani was voted the readers' favourite televised story.
 * The only characters who do not die during this story are Peri and Timmin, both female. Every male character dies, apart from the Sixth Doctor (the Fifth Doctor, however, does). The Salateen android is not destroyed on-screen, but it is not definitely shown as surviving the story's events (and it's debatable whether an android would count as being "alive" in the first place).
 * This is the first time since Patrick Troughton became the Doctor in DW: The Tenth Planet in 1966 that the regeneration has not occurred in the final episode of a season.
 * Given the departure of Turlough and the destruction of Kamelion in DW: Planet of Fire, this is the only televised Fifth Doctor story not to feature at least one non-human companion.

Influences

 * Frank Herbert's Dune (people being killed over a drug that extends life; the unstable "tripod of power" between the rulers of Androzani; the "mud blows" and Androzani Minor's generally arid climate)
 * The Phantom of the Opera (mentally unbalanced but brilliant recluse wears a mask to conceal facial disfigurement; develops obsessive fascination with an attractive young woman and eventually abducts her)

Ratings

 * Part 1 - 6.9 million viewers
 * Part 2 - 6.6 million viewers
 * Part 3 - 7.8 million viewers
 * Part 4 - 7.8 million viewers

Filming locations

 * Masters Pit, Hansons Aggregates, Stokeford Heath, Dorset
 * BBC Television Centre (TC6), Shepherd's Bush, London

Production errors

 * Nicola Bryant, or her stunt double, bounces after slipping down the cliff-face in episode one, obviously hitting a safety cushion of some kind.
 * When the Fifth Doctor said his last word, his mouth did not seem to move.
 * When Stotz cuts through the door the polystyrene is visible on the fake door.
 * Androzani Major is supposed to be barren, deserted and uninhabited, yet in Part Four, shots of the Doctor being chased by the gunrunners show a house and tree-lined hills.

Continuity

 * This leads straight into DW: The Twin Dilemma.
 * The Doctor's last word before regenerating is: "Adric?"
 * BFA: Winter takes place during the Doctor's regeneration.
 * Following this story, the Sixth Doctor goes through a brief period where he subconsciously blames Peri for his previous self's death. He tries to distance himself from her while telling himself that he is working towards a greater good, until he finally realises this in MA: Burning Heart.
 * In NA: Timewyrm: Revelation, it is revealed that after the Fifth Doctor dies, he becomes the mental personification of the Doctor's conscience but is buried by the Seventh Doctor following his regeneration.
 * In NA: So Vile a Sin, an alternate Doctor who never visited Androzani Minor.
 * In PDA: Matrix, an alternative timeline is referenced where the influence of the Dark Matrix, wielded by the Valeyard, the Doctor's dark future self- provokes the Fifth Doctor to take the bat's milk himself while leaving Peri to die, turning the Fifth Doctor into a wraith loyal to the Valeyard until this is undone by the Seventh Doctor.
 * Trees, technology, and soldiers from Androzani Major all play a major factor in a Christmas adventure for the Eleventh Doctor. (DW: The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe)

Timeline

 * This story occurs immediately after CC: Peri and the Piscon Paradox.
 * BFA: Winter occurs during Part Four of this story.
 * This story occurs immediately before DW: The Twin Dilemma.

DVD releases
Released as Doctor Who: The Caves of Androzani, this release was the third of 2001.

Released:
 * Region 2 18 June 2001


 * PAL - BBC DVD BBCDVD1042


 * Region 4 7 January 2002
 * Region 1 2 April 2002


 * NTSC - Warner Video E1606

Contents:
 * Behind the scenes: The Regeneration - Footage of final studio session, with commentary.
 * Behind the scenes: Creating Sharaz Jek - Interview with Christopher Gable.
 * BBC News - Report of Peter Davison's departure (28 July 1983).
 * South East at Six News - Peter Davison and John Nathan-Turner talk about the future of the series.
 * Extended Scene
 * Music-only Option
 * Trailer
 * Photo Gallery
 * Production Subtitles
 * Commentary: Peter Davison, Nicola Bryant and Graeme Harper

Rear Credits:
 * Starring Peter Davison
 * By Robert Holmes
 * Produced by John Nathan-Turner
 * Directed by Graeme Harper
 * Incidental Music by Roger Limb

Notes:
 * Editing for the DVD release was completed by the Doctor Who Restoration Team.

Special Edition release
This story was released as Doctor Who: The Caves of Androzani: Special Edition.

Released:


 * UK 4 October 2011 Region 2
 * Australia 2 December 2010 Region 4
 * US 14 February 2012 Region 1

Special Features:
 * Chain Reaction - The making of The Caves of Androzani
 * Directing Who, Now and Then - Graeme Harper
 * Russell Harty - chat show excerpt with Peter Davison and Colin Baker
 * New Photo Gallery

Notes:
 * It is only available in the UK and Australia as part of the Revisitations 1 box set, out in Region 2 on 4 October 2010. It was released with special editions of The Talons of Weng-Chiang and Doctor Who.