The Three Doctors (TV story)

The Time Lords find themselves beseiged by a mysterious enemy inhabiting the antimatter universe on the other side of the black hole from which they draw their power. They enlist the Doctor in his first three incarnations to battle this foe, who turns out to be a legend from the Time Lords's remote past.

Summary
To be added.

Cast & Characters

 * The Doctor - Jon Pertwee
 * Second Doctor - Patrick Troughton
 * First Doctor - William Hartnell
 * Jo Grant - Katy Manning
 * Omega - Stephen Thorne
 * Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart - Nicholas Courtney
 * Sergeant Benton - John Levene
 * Dr. Tyler - Rex Robinson
 * President of the Council - Roy Purcell
 * Mr. Ollis - Laurie Webb
 * Chancellor - Clyde Pollitt
 * Time Lord - Graham Leaman
 * Mrs. Ollis - Patricia Prior
 * Corporal Palmer - Denys Palmer

Crew

 * Writer - Bob Baker and Dave Martin
 * Producer - Barry Letts
 * Director - Lennie Mayne
 * Title Music - Ron Grainer and BBC Radiophonic Workshop
 * Incidental Music - Dudley Simpson
 * Special Sound - Dick Mills
 * Film Cameraman - John Baker
 * Film Sound - Bob Roberts
 * Film Editor - Jim Walker
 * Visual Effects Designer - Michaeljohn Harris
 * Costume Designer - Jim Acheson
 * Make-up - Ann Rayment
 * Lighting - Clive Thomas
 * Sound - Derek Miller-Timmins
 * Script Editor - Terrance Dicks
 * Designer - Roger Liminton

Influences
To be added.

Ratings

 * Episode 1 - 9.6m viewers
 * Episode 2 - 10.8m viewers
 * Episode 3 - 8.8m viewers
 * Episode 4 - 11.9m viewers

Statistics on Repeat and non UK Broadcasts

Myths

 * William Hartnell's scenes were filmed in the garage of his home against a black backdrop. (His scenes were actually filmed at Ealing Television Film Studios.)

Location Filming

 * Summerfield Bungalow in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire served as the Ollis's cottage. The bird sanctuary was actually Springwell Reservoir, also in Rickmansworth. Exterior scenes set in Omega's universe were filmed at Springwell Quarry. Halings House in Denham Green, Buckinghamshire, served as the exterior of UNIT HQ. The fight between the Third Doctor and Omega's dark side, as well as the First Doctor's scenes, were filmed at Ealing Television Film Studios. Model shots were filmed at the BBC Television Centre Puppet Theatre, with all other scenes filmed at BBC Television Centre Studio 1.

Continuity

 * The Second Doctor addresses Benton as Corporal, the rank he held in "The Invasion." He also refers to UNIT's battle with the Cybermen in that story. The Brigadier also mentions that adventure, as well as his first meeting with the Doctor during the Yeti attack in "The Web of Fear." Mention is also made of the two occassions the Doctor "changed his appearance," - the process was not yet called "regeneration," - which occurred respectively at the conclusions of "The Tenth Planet" and "The War Games."


 * Omega returns again in "Arc of Infinity" and appears in the spin-off adventures "The Infinity Doctors" and "Omega."

Quotes

 * The First Doctor assessing his successors: "Oh, so you're my replacements, - a dandy and a clown."


 * The Second Doctor: "We have to keep it confused, feed it useless information, - I wonder if I have a television set handy."


 * The Second Doctor summarizing Omega's use of the singularity: "I see, so you just think of a thing, rub your magic lamp over there and shali-kamali-ka-zoob, there it is! That's clever, I say that's jolly clever!"


 * Omega's reaction (addressed to the Third Doctor): "Are you certain you two are of the same intelligence?"

Story Arcs

 * UNIT
 * Gallifrey
 * The Time Lords

Discontinuity

 * The fact that he has been brought into his own future and telepathicly linked with the Third Doctor leads to questions of the Second Doctor learning of his eventual capture, trial, and exile by the Time Lords. Season 6B is an attempt to reconcile the issues arising from this plot hole.

More Info

 * Story Synopsis
 * Story Transcript
 * Story Novelization
 * Story Statistics
 * Story in the Media

Public Releases

 * DVD Release - Released on DVD as "Doctor Who: The Three Doctors" in 2003.


 * UK Release: November 2003 / US Release: March 2004
 * PAL Region 2 - BBCDVD1144
 * NTSC Region 1 - Warner DVD E1925


 * DVD Features
 * Commentary by Nicholas Courtney, Katy Manning and Barry Letts
 * Pebble Mill at One - Bernard Wilkie and Patrick Troughton interviews from Christmas 1973.
 * Blue Peter - Jon Pertwee and the Whomobile in the studio.
 * BSB Highlights - Excerpts from BSB '31 Who' weekend.
 * Five Faces of Doctor Who trailer.
 * Original 1972 BBC1 trailer.
 * PanoptiCon '93 - Jon Pertwee on stage at PanoptiCon '93
 * TARDIS-Cam footage.
 * Photo Gallery.
 * Production Information Subtitles.
 * Who's Who (Region 1 only).


 * Also released in the UK in a limited edition boxset, including a miniature Bessie model car.


 * Video Release - Released as "Doctor Who: The Three Doctors".


 * UK Release: August 1991 / US Release: January 1992
 * PAL - BBC Video BBCV4650
 * NTSC - CBS/FOX Video 3405
 * NTSC - Warner Video E1100