The Pirate Planet (TV story)

The Pirate Planet was the second story of Season 16 of Doctor Who. It was the first contribution to the series of writer Douglas Adams.

Synopsis
The Doctor and Romana find that the second segment to the Key to Time is on the planet Calufrax. Yet they arrive on a planet called Zanak, which has been hollowed out and fitted with hyperspace engines, allowing its insane half-robot Captain to materialise it around other smaller planets and plunder their resources.

Part 1
On a mountain base, the nervous Mr. Fibuli informs the impatient Captain that a new source has been found for Vasilium. Immediate orders to mine it follow. Speaking to the people of the planet, the Captain declares a new golden age. As the people celebrate, a different group, dressed in yellow robes, mentally watch Pralix, who doesn't appear as thrilled with the Captain's announcement as everybody else.

In the TARDIS, the Key to Time tracer points the Doctor and Romana to the cold and boring planet of Calufrax. The TARDIS makes a bumpy landing, and the pair soon discover that they are not in Calufrax at all. The area they land in is deserted until they meet a local who tells them that the people of his planet are going to be rich because of the Captain. He gives Romana some diamonds, saying they can be found everywhere, and warns her and the Doctor about the Mentiads, though he leaves before he can elaborate. The Doctor finds more precious stones all around, including the extremely rare Oolion. The Doctor continues roaming, but Romana finds herself arrested by one of the Captain's guards.

Meanwhile, Pralix is now delirious, watched over by Balaton, Mula and Kimus. Balaton thinks more should be done to protect him from the Mentiads, the yellow-robed people who are trying to make telepathic contact with him. On the mountain base, the Captain is also keen to find the "rogue telepath". The Doctor appears on the scene, keen to investigate why this is not Calufrax. A group of Mentiads soon follow, but when the Doctor tries to address them, they attack him with their thoughts.

Part 2
When the Doctor wakes up, Pralix and the Mentiads are gone. K9 tells the Doctor about Romana's arrest, giving him an incentive to try to get the Bridge atop the mountain, where she has been taken by the guard. Kimus accompanies him, hoping to find a way to rescue Pralix from the Mentiads. They get up to the mountain using an air car, which moves upwards to its destination.

On the Bridge, Fibuli breaks the news to the Captain that the macromat field integrator has burnt out, and they cannot replace it themselves. He suggests one more jump to find mineral PJX 1-8, which would do the same job as the integrator. Romana is brought up to the Bridge, and the Doctor also finds his way up. The Captain isn't taking any chances, and has guns trained on them as he encourages them to lend technical assistance. Romana is confused that the tracer gives out a continuous signal wherever they go. This makes the Doctor realise what's going on. After they escape with Kimus and make their way underground, they find the ground beneath them is frozen. The Doctor explains the planet they are on, Zanak, has been hollowed out and fitted with engines so that it can transmat through space and materialise around others - such as Calufrax - to plunder their mineral wealth.

They have no time to pause however as the Captain's guards give chase from behind, but as they run, they face a group of Mentiads in front.

Part 3
The Doctor finds he has misunderstood the Mentiads - they are here to save them from the guards. Pralix is now one of the Mentiads. They create a force field using their telepathic abilities. They claim that they have not removed the Captain from power because they do not understand him. They are running out of time, however, because the crystals on Calufrax can be used to block the Mentiads telepathic abilities, ending the thread posed by them.

Cast

 * The Doctor - Tom Baker
 * Romana I - Mary Tamm
 * Voice of K9 - John Leeson
 * Balaton - Ralph Michael
 * The Captain - Bruce Purchase
 * Citizen - Clive Bennett
 * Guard - Adam Kurakin
 * Kimus - David Warwick
 * Mentiad - Bernard Finch
 * Mr. Fibuli - Andrew Robertson
 * Mula - Primi Townsend
 * Nurse - Rosalind Lloyd
 * Pralix - David Sibley
 * Queen Xanxia - Vi Delmar

Production Crew

 * Writer - Douglas Adams
 * Assistant Floor Manager - Ruth Mayorcas
 * Costumes - L Rowland Warne
 * Designer - Jon Pusey
 * Film Cameraman - Elmer Cossey
 * Film Editor - John Dunstan
 * Incidental Music - Dudley Simpson
 * Make-Up - Janis Gould
 * Production Assistant - Michael Owen Morris
 * Production Unit Manager - John Nathan-Turner
 * Script Editor - Anthony Read
 * Special Sounds - Dick Mills
 * Studio Lighting - Mike Jefferies
 * Studio Sound - Mike Jones
 * Theme Arrangement - Delia Derbyshire
 * Title Music - Ron Grainer
 * Visual Effects - Colin Mapson
 * Producer - Graham Williams
 * Director - Pennant Roberts

Planets

 * Bandranginus Five
 * Calufrax was rich in voolium and madranite one-five.
 * Collactin
 * Granados
 * Qualactin
 * Zanak

Story Notes

 * This is Douglas Adams' first contribution to Doctor Who.
 * Vi Delmar (who played the aged Queen Xanxia) demanded an extra fee before she would remove her false teeth for filming.

Ratings

 * Part 1 - 9.1m viewers.
 * Part 2 - 7.4m viewers.
 * Part 3 - 8.2m viewers.
 * Part 4 - 8.4m viewers.

Myths
to be added

Location Filming

 * Dan-yr-Ogof caves in Powys, Wales.

Discontinuity
to be added

Continuity
to be added

DVD, Video and Other Releases
DVD Releases




 * Released along with The Ribos Operation, The Stones of Blood, The Androids of Tara, The Power of Kroll and The Armageddon Factor as Doctor Who: The Key to Time. This October 2002 release was only in Region 1. Extras in include commentary by Tom Baker, Mary Tamm and Pennant Roberts, a photo gallery and production information subtitles.


 * Also released with same stories as Doctor Who: The Key to Time, an extras-laden box set limited to 15,000 copies in its initial UK release on 24th September 2007.

Contents:
 * Commentary by Tom Baker, Mary Tamm and Pennant Roberts (carried over from the 2002 set).
 * Commentary by Bruce Purchase and Pennant Roberts.
 * Parrot Fashion - A 30-minute documentary featuring an archive interview with writer Douglas Adams, plus cast and crew including Mary Tamm, John Leeson, Bruce Purchase and Rosalind Lloyd.
 * Film Inserts, Deleted Scenes & Outtakes - A collection of extra material from the story's production.
 * Weird Science - This spoof 1970s schools programme looks at some of the science seen in the Key to Time season.
 * Continuities - Off-air continuity links from the story's original transmissions.
 * Radio Times Billings - Listings from Radio Times (DVD-ROM PC/Mac).
 * Coming Soon Trailer - Planet of Evil.
 * Photo Gallery
 * Production Subtitles

Target Novelisations
to be added