Shakedown: Return of the Sontarans (home video)

Shakedown: Return of the Sontarans was an independently produced spin-off from Doctor Who featuring the Sontarans and the Rutans, which directly tied into a Virgin New Adventures novel published at the time. Produced by Dreamwatch Media and released by Reeltime Pictures it featured (like many spin-offs of the era) several Doctor Who actors and also former Blake's 7 actor Jan Chappell in feature roles. It is also notable the altered appearance of the Sontarans, this was due to licensing arrangements meaning they had to be redesigned for the production.

Synopsis
The solar yacht Tiger Moth has a stowaway on board!

On the run from its mortal enemy, the Sontarans, it will do anything to survive...

Unfortunately, the Sontarans will do anything to destroy it...

Captain Lisa Deranne and her crew of rich misfits must band together or die as the clone warriors move in for the kill!

Plot
to be added

Cast

 * Captain Lisa Deranne - Jan Chappell
 * Kurt - Brian Croucher
 * Zorelle - Carole Ann Ford
 * Mari - Sophie Aldred
 * Nikos - Rory O'Donnell
 * Robar - Michael Wisher
 * Commander Steg - Toby Aspin
 * Lieutenant Vorn - Tom Finnis
 * First Sontaran Trooper - Jonathon Saville
 * Other Sontaran Troopers - Keith Dunne, Derek Handley, Julian Jones, Stephen Mansfield

Production crew

 * Stunts - Jason Haigh-Ellery, Jonathon Saville

Story notes

 * A number of the the actors in Shakedown had previously appeared in Doctor Who or Blake's 7. As well as playing Borg in the Doctor Who story The Robots of Death, Brian Croucher had appeared on Blake's 7 as the recurring villain Travis, while Jan Chappel had played the character of Cally. Carole Ann Ford had appeared on Doctor Who as Susan Foreman, Sophie Aldred as Ace and Michael Wisher had played several guest roles, most notably Davros in the character's debut story, Genesis of the Daleks.
 * Shakedown was novelised as part of the Virgin New Adventures series, fleshing out the story with a backstory and a resolution involving the Seventh Doctor and his companions.
 * The unlicensed nature of the Dreamwatch production meant that they could not even refer to the character of the Doctor by name, hence Kurt's recollection of a man who "Called himself the Professor, or the Dentist, or something..." For the same reason, in BBV Productions' video spin-off drama Auton (1997), Lockwood is heard to refer to the Doctor as "Dr. John Smith".
 * Similarly, the copyright to the Sontarans was acquired, but not the specific rights to their appearance, and so they have been redesigned for this story.
 * Although the longstanding war between the Sontarans and the Rutan Host was frequently mentioned in Doctor Who, this video marks the only occasion in which the two opposing species appear on-screen together.
 * Mark Ayres who had previously worked on Doctor Who as a composer was co-producer and post-production sound designer.
 * The shoot and production of this story took four months to complete a final product.
 * At the end of the credits there is a dedication to the memory of Robert Holmes and Kevin Lindsay (who played the first Sontaran Linx).

Myths
to be added

Filming Locations
The video was shot entirely on location aboard the Second World War-era Royal Navy light cruiser HMS Belfast, permanently moored at Symon's Wharf on the River Thames since 1971.

Production Errors
to be added

Continuity

 * PROSE: Shakedown contains the 'full version' of this story. This video element takes up the 'middle' of the novel.

DVD, video, and Other releases
to be added