The Time Warrior (TV story)

The Time Warrior was the first story in the eleventh season of Doctor Who. It marked the first appearance of the Sontarans, along with Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith, the Third Doctor's new companion. The story also finally revealed the name of the Doctor's home planet as Gallifrey.

It was script editor Terrance Dicks' choice for the setting of a medieval castle. This was deemed a difficult setting to write for. Robert Holmes reversed the roles in giving Dicks the setting of a lighthouse for TV: Horror of Fang Rock in 1977. (DOC: Beginning the End)

Synopsis
The Doctor is called in by UNIT to investigate when scientists go missing from a top security institute. He follows the kidnappings back in time to the Middle Ages, unaware investigative journalist Sarah Jane Smith has stowed away on the TARDIS. As events unfold, the Doctor discovers a sinister alien intent on altering the future of mankind.

Part 1
In the Middle Ages, the bandit Irongron and his aide Bloodaxe together with their rabble of criminals find the crashed spaceship of a Sontaran warrior named Linx. The alien claims Earth for his Empire then sets about repairing his ship, offering Irongron "magic weapons" that will make him a king in return for shelter. They strike a bargain, though Irongron remains suspicious.

The Third Doctor and Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart are investigating the disappearance of several scientists from a top secret scientific research complex. They do not know Linx has used an osmic projector to send himself forward seven hundred years and has kidnapped the scientists then hypnotised them into making repairs on his ship. The projector only lets him appear in another time for a brief period. While the Doctor investigates he meets an eccentric scientist called Rubeish and a young journalist called Sarah Jane Smith, who has infiltrated the complex by masquerading as her aunt. Later that evening Rubeish disappears and the Doctor uses the data he has gathered to pilot the TARDIS back to the Middle Ages, not realising new companion Sarah has stowed away on board.

Irongron is a robber baron who has stolen his castle from an absent nobleman, and relations with his neighbours are appalling. Indeed, the mild Lord Edward of Wessex has been provoked into building an alliance against him and, when this is slow in developing, sends his archer Hal on an unsuccessful mission to kill Irongron. When Sarah follows the Doctor to Irongron's castle, she is seized by one of his guards, while the Doctor witnesses Linx removing his helmet.

Part 2
Irongron is in a foul mood when a captured Sarah is brought before him. His mood improves when Linx presents him with a robot knight which is then put to the test on a captured Hal. The archer is only saved when the Doctor intervenes from afar, shooting the robot control box from Irongron's hands. The ensuing confusion lets both Hal and Sarah flee, and they head for Wessex Castle. There, Sarah concocts a plan to kidnap the Doctor, who she thinks is working for Irongron rather than against him.

Meanwhile the Doctor has realised that Sarah is in the time period and has been captured. He finds Linx's lab, where the kidnapped scientists have been hypnotised except for Rubeish. He is caught by Linx, who restrains him using a head device, but Rubeish frees him when Linx leaves. The Doctor then leaves to search for Sarah, but is chased by Irongron and his men. When the Doctor stumbles, Irongron raises his axe...

Part 3
Hal shoots the axe out of Irongron's hand, allowing the Doctor to escape. The Doctor is able to convince Sarah and Edward that he was trying to stop Linx, and agrees to help construct a defence against an attack on Wessex Castle by Irongron's men.

The next morning, the robber baron and his troops assault the castle using rifles supplied by Linx, scarcely fooled by dummies the Doctor has made to make it appear as though the castle has more soldiers than they do. As they march forward, the Doctor unleashes smoke bombs, which scare them away. The failure further sours the relationship between Linx and Irongron, which has deteriorated since the robot knight fiasco and the point at which the robber saw the Sontaran's true visage beneath his helmet.

The Doctor now decides to lead an attack on Irongron's castle, and he and Sarah enter dressed as friars. He offers to help Linx if he sends the scientists back home, but Linx refuses and zaps the Doctor.

Part 4
The Doctor isn't harmed, and Linx is rendered immobile when a lucky strike from Rubeish hits his probic vent – a Sontaran refuelling point on the back of their necks which is also their main weakness. Rubeish and the Doctor use the osmic projector to send the scientists back to the twentieth century. Sarah now inveigles herself into Irongron's kitchen, using the opportunity to drug the food, thereby knocking out Irongron's men.

A recovered Linx now determines his ship is repaired enough to effect a departure. Once more he encounters the Doctor, and they wrestle in combat. A crazed and half drugged Irongron arrives and accuses Linx of betraying him; the Sontaran responds by killing him. As Linx enters his spherical vessel Hal arrives and shoots him in the probic vent, and the Sontaran warrior falls dead over his controls, triggering the launch mechanism. Knowing the place is about to explode when the shuttle takes off, the Doctor hurries the last of his allies out of the castle. It explodes moments before the Doctor and Sarah depart in the TARDIS.

Cast

 * The Doctor - Jon Pertwee
 * Sarah Jane Smith - Elisabeth Sladen
 * Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart - Nicholas Courtney
 * Linx - Kevin Lindsay
 * Irongron - David Daker
 * Bloodaxe - John J. Carney
 * Lord Edward of Wessex - Alan Rowe
 * Hal - Jeremy Bulloch
 * Professor Rubeish - Donald Pelmear
 * Eleanor - June Brown
 * Eric - Gordon Pitt
 * Meg - Sheila Fay
 * Sentry - Steve Brunswick

Production Crew

 * Writer - Robert Holmes
 * Assistant Floor Manager - Rosemary Webb
 * Costumes - James Acheson
 * Designer - Keith Cheetham
 * Fight Arranger - Marc Boyle, Terry Walsh
 * Film Cameraman - Max Samett
 * Film Editor - William Symon
 * Incidental Music - Dudley Simpson
 * Make-Up - Sandra Exelby
 * Production Assistant - Marcia Wheeler
 * Script Editor - Terrance Dicks
 * Special Sounds - Dick Mills
 * Studio Lighting - Mike Jefferies
 * Studio Sound - Tony Millier
 * Theme Arrangement - Delia Derbyshire
 * Title Music - Ron Grainer
 * Visual Effects Designer - Jim Ward
 * Producer - Barry Letts
 * Director - Alan Bromly

Businesses

 * The Brigadier mentions the Ritz.

The Doctor

 * The Doctor uses his Venusian aikido on Irongron and Bloodaxe when he escapes Linx's lab.

Foods and beverages

 * Irongron has only sour wine in his castle.

Individuals

 * Lavinia Smith is in America at the moment.

Planets

 * The Doctor (for the first time) mentions his home planet by name: Gallifrey.

Species

 * The Doctor refers to the Time Lords as "galactic ticket inspectors".

Sontarans

 * The Sontarans feed on raw energy via an energy exchanger.
 * The Sontarans obtain this energy through their probic vent, which is also their weak spot.


 * Linx is a Commander of the Fifth Army Space Fleet of the Sontaran Army Space Corps.

Science

 * Rubeish writes in chalk on the Doctor's TARDIS.

Technology

 * The Doctor uses his newly-constructed rhondium sensor as both practical scientific apparatus and a kind of alarm clock. Actually, the Doctor's comment on it being an "alarm clock" seems to be his way of sidestepping questions from Sarah Jane; it appears its real purpose is to scan for possible causes of the scientists' disappearances.
 * Linx builds a robot knight for Irongron.

Weapons

 * Linx builds firearms for Irongron.
 * Irongron and his men use swords, spears, axes and crossbows.

Story notes

 * Working titles for this story included The Fugitive, The Time Fugitive and The Time Survivor.
 * This story features the debut of a new opening and closing title sequence designed by Bernard Lodge and realised using a process known as 'slit scan'. The opening title sequence features for the first time the distinctive diamond-shaped logo for the series.
 * Beginning with this story, individual episodes are listed as Part One, Two, etc. This replaced the previous system of calling them Episode One, Two and so forth, established in 1966 with TV: The Savages. The naming structure introduced in this serial would be used through TV: Survival in 1989, with the exception of Destiny of the Daleks.
 * Elisabeth Sladen is credited as 'Sarah Jane' in Radio Times for parts one to three.
 * Bob Hoskins was offered the role of Irongron but did not accept. However, he recommended David Daker for the role.
 * Gallifrey was originally scripted as Galfrey.
 * This episode is set shortly after Jo has left, as in Death of the Doctor (TV story) Sarah Jane states that she arrives "Just after" Jo left.

Ratings

 * Part 1 - 8.7 million viewers
 * Part 2 - 7.0 million viewers
 * Part 3 - 6.6 million viewers
 * Part 4 - 10.6 million viewers

Myths

 * Potatoes were unknown in England until Sir Francis Drake brought them back from the Americas in the 16th century, but they are referred to in this story. (This is a common misconception - no potatoes featured in this story, but they are referenced in the novelisation of this story).

Filming locations

 * Location shooting of Wessex castle and Irongron's castle was done at Peckforton Castle.
 * BBC Television Centre (TC1 and TC6), Shepherd's Bush, London

Production errors

 * Irongron's gun goes off before he fires it.
 * Wessex after the Norman conquest is an anachronism.

Continuity

 * Sontarans next appear in TV: The Sontaran Experiment (TV story).

DVD releases
This story was released as Doctor Who: The Time Warrior.

Released: Region 2 3 September 2007, Region 4 3 October 2007 and Region 1 April 2008.

Contents: Also,go to page two and press left from the back button to see Terrance Dicks talking about his relationship with Barry Letts.
 * Commentary by Elisabeth Sladen, Barry Letts and Terrance Dicks
 * Beginning the End - The cast and crew of The Time Warrior look back on the making of this story, in this newly produced documentary. Featuring Elisabeth Sladen, Donald Pelmear, Jeremy Bulloch, Barry Letts, Terrance Dicks and Keith Cheatham.
 * CGI effects - Choose to watch the story with some of the original effects replaced by 16 new CGI sequences.
 * Continuity compilation - A selection of off-air continuity announcements for the original BBC transmissions of The Time Warrior.
 * Doctor Who annual 1974 (DVD-ROM PC/Mac)
 * Radio Times billings - Original listings from Radio Times (DVD-ROM PC/Mac)
 * Photo gallery
 * Production subtitles
 * Easter Eggs - Short featurette detailing various "firsts" introduced by this serial, including the first appearance of Sarah Jane, first appearance of a Sontaran, first use of the slit-scan title sequence, and others. To access this hidden feature, select the Doctor Who logo in the upper left corner of the main menu.

Notes:

Box set release: This story was released in the Bred for War DVD box set on 5 May 2008 along with the other classic series Sontaran stories. The DVD is the same as the one sold separately. It was later released in Australia on 8 July.
 * Editing for DVD release was completed by the Doctor Who Restoration Team. Unfortunately, during re-mastering, credits for David Daker (Irongron) and John J. Carney (Bloodaxe) were omitted from the closing titles of Part One by mistake.
 * The DVD Release was also the first time the serial was available complete and uncut.

VHS releases
This story was released as The Time Warrior in 1989 in the PAL format.