Arc of Infinity (TV story)

Arc of Infinity was the first story of Season 20. Janet Fielding returned as Tegan Jovanka in this serial, rejoining the Fifth Doctor and Nyssa on their travels. Future Doctor Colin Baker made his Who debut in this story, playing Commander Maxil.

Synopsis
Omega, an ancient Time Lord made of pure anti-matter, once defeated by the Doctor, is plotting to cross over into this dimension by bonding with the Doctor. Fearing total destruction from collision of matter and anti-matter, the Time Lords recall the Doctor to Gallifrey - to execute him!

Part 1
On Gallifrey, a Time Lord is at work stealing the bio-data extract of another Time Lord and killing a technician who stumbles across the crime. The traitor provides the bio-data to a creature composed of anti-matter and uses the bio-data to invade the TARDIS and then the Doctor's metabolism. The Doctor's companion, Nyssa, helps him recover. The creature is shielded in this attempt by the Arc of Infinity, a curious curve between the dimensions containing quad radiation which can shield anti-matter. The Doctor decides to head to Gallifrey to track down the supplier of his bio-data, conscious that unless the creature trying to cross universes is stopped that its incursion could cause a fatal chain reaction to our universe.

Meanwhile, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, backpackers Robin Stuart and Colin Frazer decide to crash at the crypt of the Frankendael mansion. During the night, Robin hears something and investigates; he finds a curious birdlike creature, an Ergon, which hypnotises him. A terrified Colin runs away.

The High Council of the Time Lords is also taking the matter seriously and has decreed that the Doctor’s TARDIS should be recalled. The Chancellery Guard under the over-zealous Commander Maxil seizes the Doctor and Nyssa. When the Doctor resists arrest, Maxil shoots him.

Part 2
The Doctor has been stunned to ensure his delivery to the High Council. When he is brought before the High Council the new Lord President, Borusa, is inscrutable while Chancellor Thalia and Cardinal Zorac are openly hostile; only his old friend Councillor Hedin seems pleased to see him. The President stresses the gravity of the situation since the creature poses such a threat to the Universe, and the High Council has had no alternative but to issue a Warrant of Termination on the Doctor to ensure the creature can no longer bond with him. Fortunately an old friend, Damon, who is another technician in the records section, provides him with the proof he needs that a member of the High Council stole his bio-data extract.

Meanwhile, the Doctor's former companion, Tegan Jovanka, arrives in Amsterdam looking for her cousin Robin. Instead, she is greeted by Colin, who tells her that Robin has disappeared. When neither of them can persuade the police to take an interest they decide to investigate the crypt themselves.

The Doctor is soon taken for execution, despite Nyssa’s attempts to save him, and placed in a dispersal chamber. Sentence is carried out.

Part 3
The supposed death of the Doctor, however, has not solved the situation. Unbeknownst to the High Council, his mind has been taken into the Time Lord living repository of knowledge, the Matrix, while his body is hidden behind a force shield in the termination cubicle. The creature is a renegade Time Lord, who demands an opportunity to return to the Universe it once inhabited. The truth of the aborted execution is discovered by the wily Castellan, who tells first Nyssa and Damon that the Doctor is alive; and then the High Council.

Tegan and Colin are attacked by the Ergon's weapon, a matter-converter/transporter, and transported into a TARDIS hidden at the Frankendael and belonging to the renegade. Their minds are scanned, revealing to the creature that Tegan knows the Doctor. The Renegade uses Tegan as bait to force the Doctor to obey him, also releasing Robin from his slavery as a reward. The Doctor is returned to normal space on Gallifrey where he makes for the High Council Chamber. Lord President Borusa has fallen under suspicion of being a traitor because the Castellan reveals it was his codes that were used to transmit the bio-data. The truth, however, is that Councillor Hedin is the traitor. He is in awe of his master - the mighty Omega, first of the Time Lords and pioneer of time travel (see The Three Doctors). Hedin wishes to release Omega from his exile in a universe of anti-matter, not realising the great Time Lord has been driven mad by his years of solitary confinement. The Castellan kills Hedin, but this does not prevent Omega using the Arc of Infinity to seize total control of the Matrix and, therefore, the organisation of Gallifrey.

Part 4
Fortunately the Doctor and Nyssa manage to slip away and return to the TARDIS. They use scant knowledge provided by Tegan to determine that Omega has established its base in Amsterdam on Earth, and head there immediately, desperately trying to find the Frankendael crypt she described. After a lengthy hunt they find the lair defended by the Ergon, and Nyssa disposes of it with its own matter-converter gun. They reach Omega’s TARDIS at the point at which both the ship is destroyed and Omega makes full transference to Earth using the Arc of Infinity. When he peels his decayed mask away he reveals the features of the Doctor. Omega heads off into Amsterdam with the Doctor and Nyssa in hot pursuit. Within a short time the Doctor’s prediction of an unstable transfer begins to come true: Omega’s flesh decays and it is clear his new body is not permanent. When the Doctor and Nyssa catch up with him it is a painful task for the Doctor to use the Ergon’s anti-matter converter on Omega, expelling him back to his own universe of anti-matter. The Time Lord High Council on Gallifrey detects the end of the threat.

Once Tegan has checked on her cousin’s progress in hospital, she decides to rejoin the TARDIS crew. This time it is as a willing traveller. The Doctor, Tegan and Nyssa depart Amsterdam.

Cast

 * The Doctor - Peter Davison
 * Tegan - Janet Fielding
 * Nyssa - Sarah Sutton
 * President Borusa — Leonard Sachs
 * Chancellor Thalia — Elspet Gray
 * Councillor Hedin — Michael Gough
 * The Castellan — Paul Jerricho
 * Cardinal Zorac — Max Harvey
 * Commander Maxil — Colin Baker
 * Omega/The Renegade — Ian Collier/Peter Davison
 * Damon — Neil Daglish
 * Talor — John D. Collins
 * Colin Frazer — Alastair Cumming
 * Robin Stuart — Andrew Boxer
 * Hotel Receptionists — Maya Woolfe, Guy Groen
 * The Ergon — Malcolm Harvey
 * Walk-ons - Terry Phillips, Kevin O'Brien, Barbie Denham, Glenn Bexfield, Charis Andrews

Cast notes

 * Features a guest appearance by Michael Gough (who had previously played the malevolent Celestial Toymaker in the story of the same name)..
 * Colin Baker (who would later succeed Peter Davison as the Sixth Doctor) appeared in the serial as Commander Maxil. It was his performance in this role (which, according to Baker, producer John Nathan-Turner repeatedly told him to "tone down") that first brought him to the attention of the production office. Baker reprised the role of Maxil as an uncredited cameo in the 2006 Big Finish Productions audio play "Gallifrey: Appropriation."
 * John Horsley was a contender for the role of President Borusa.

Crew

 * Assistant Floor Manager - Lynn Richards
 * Costumes - Dee Robson
 * Designer - Marjorie Pratt
 * Film Cameraman - Fintan Sheehan
 * Film Editor - Bernard Ashby
 * Incidental Music - Roger Limb
 * Make-Up - Frances Needham
 * Production Assistant - Diana Brookes
 * Production Associate - June Collins
 * Special Sounds - Dick Mills
 * Studio Lighting - Don Babbage
 * Studio Sound - Trevor Webster
 * Title Music - Ron Grainer and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, arranged by Peter Howell
 * Visual Effects - Chris Lawson
 * Writer - Johnny Byrne
 * Script Editor - Eric Saward
 * Director - Ron Jones
 * Producer - John Nathan-Turner

Story Notes

 * The working titles for this story were The Time Of Neman and The Time Of Omega.
 * For Parts One and Two, the character of Omega was credited as "The Renegade" on the end credits.

Ratings

 * Episode 1 -	7.2 million
 * Episode 2 -	7.3 million
 * Episode 3 -	6.9 million
 * Episode 4 -	7.2 million

Myths

 * Pierce Brosnan auditioned for the role of Maxil. This is reported at A Brief History of Time (Travel). Filming for this story began in May of 1982, very close to when Remington Steele first began production, - close enough to make the truth of this rumor somewhat doubtful.

Location Filming

 * Location shooting was done in Amsterdam in May of 1982.

Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors

 * "The Invasion of Time" indicated that the Fourth Doctor's memory of his tenure as President was wiped after he used the Demat Gun to defeat the Sontarans. Yet in this and later stories, the Doctor has full memory of these events. Perhaps the Fourth Doctor was faking amnesia to escape having to stay on Gallifrey and fulfill his presidential duties?


 * The Doctor knows and uses the President's special security clearance code, obviously entrusted to him during his brief term in office. Wouldn't this code be changed each time a new president is inaugurated?

Continuity

 * Every story during Season 20 featured an adversary from the past. For this serial, it was Omega, who last faced the first three incarnations of the Doctor in the 10th anniversary story The Three Doctors (1973).
 * It is not explained how Omega survived the events of The Three Doctors, beyond Hedin's unhelpfully dogmatic statement - 'No, he exists'. He has acquired a TARDIS [from Hedin]. It sounds different from the Doctor's when materialising (as does the Master's). In order to remain in our Universe Omega needs to bond with a Time Lord, thus reversing his polarity, and to that end Hedin steals and transmits the Doctor's bio-data extract.
 * Tegan is the first companion to have rejoined the Doctor on his travels, after having departed.
 * This episode's Castellan, played by Paul Jerrico, would return in "The Five Doctors" (1983).
 * The Matrix was first introduced in "The Deadly Assassin."

DVD and Video Releases
DVD Releases



Released in a double-pack with Time-Flight in Region 2. Released separately in Region 1.


 * Region 2 6th August 2007
 * PAL - BBCDVD2327


 * Region 1 6th November 2007

Contents:
 * Commentary by Peter Davison, Janet Fielding, Sarah Sutton and Colin Baker
 * Anti-Matter from Amsterdam - Presented by Sophie Aldred, this new documentary examines the making of Arc of Infinity. Featuring actors Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sarah Sutton.
 * The Omega Factor - Writers and actors look at the character and motivation of the renegade Time Lord, Omega. Featuring co-creator Bob Baker, actors Stephen Thorne and Ian Collier.
 * Deleted Scenes - Deleted scenes taken from time-coded viewing copies of the studio recordings and early edits.
 * Under Arc Lights - Behind-the-scenes action from the studio recording sessions.
 * CGI Effects - Viewers have the option to watch the story with eighteen of the original video effects replaced by brand new CGI versions.
 * Continuities - Original BBC ONE continuity announcements for the story.
 * Photo Gallery - A selection of rare and previously unpublished photographs from the recording of this story.
 * Isolated Music - The option to watch the story with the original synchronous music only.
 * Radio Times Billings (PDF DVD-ROM)
 * 1983 Doctor Who Annual (PDF DVD-ROM)
 * Production Subtitles
 * Coming Soon Trailer
 * Easter Egg

VHS Releases

This story was first released in VHS episodic format in March 1994, with a cover design by Pete Wallbank.

Target Novelisations
A novelisation of this serial, written by Terrance Dicks, was published by Target Books in October 1983, ISBN 0426193423. It was number 80 in the series of Doctor Who novelisations from Target.