Warriors' Gate (TV story)

"You were the noblest Romana of them all..."

- The Doctor

Warriors' Gate was the fifth story of the 18th season of Doctor Who. It saw the departure of Romana II and K9 from the regular cast, and concluded the so-called "E-Space trilogy".

From a production standpoint, it marked Graeme Harper's directorial debut on the programme, although he wasn't credited in that capacity for his work. His promotion to the director's chair followed one of the rare instances that a director was fired during production of a Doctor Who story — although credited director, Paul Joyce, was quickly re-hired.

Synopsis
The TARDIS is hijacked in the vortex by a time sensitive Tharil named Biroc, and brought to a strange white void. Biroc wants to free the others of his race who are being transported in a slave ship, captained by Rorvik, which is also trapped in the Void. The only other thing present in the void is an ancient gateway leading to a decrepit banqueting hall.

This is the domain of the Tharils, who in a previous time were cruel masters to their human slaves but have now repented. The Humans built the Gundan robots to kill the Tharils, and this led to the latter race's downfall.

Rorvik tries to break through the gateway, and thereby gain access to N-Space, by blasting it with his engines. The blast is simply reflected back, however, destroying the ship and freeing its prisoners.

Romana and K9 elect to remain in E-Space to help liberate the remainder of the Tharil race, while the TARDIS - now occupied only by the Doctor and Adric - is able to return to N-Space.

Plot
to be added

Cast

 * The Doctor - Tom Baker
 * Romana II - Lalla Ward
 * Adric - Matthew Waterhouse
 * K-9 - John Leeson
 * Rorvik - Clifford Rose
 * Packard - Kenneth Cope
 * Lane - David Kincaid
 * Aldo - Freddie Earlle
 * Royce - Harry Waters
 * Biroc - David Weston
 * Sagan - Vincent Pickering
 * Gundan - Robert Vowles
 * Lazlo - Jeremy Gittins

Crew

 * Assistant Floor Manager - Val McCrimmon
 * Costumes - June Hudson
 * Designer - Graeme Story
 * Executive Producer - Barry Letts
 * Incidental Music - Peter Howell
 * Make-Up - Pauline Cox
 * Producer - John Nathan-Turner
 * Production Assistant - Graeme Harper
 * Production Unit Manager - Angela Smith
 * Script Editor - Christopher H. Bidmead
 * Special Sounds - Dick Mills
 * Studio Lighting - John Dixon
 * Studio Sound - Alan Fogg
 * Theme Arrangement - Peter Howell
 * Title Music - Ron Grainer
 * Visual Effects - Mat Irvine

Story Notes

 * This is the final story in the 'E-Space Trilogy'.
 * The script development for this serial went through two distinct phases. Initially, the project was tackled by Christopher Priest.  In Priest's version of the final chapter of the E-Space trilogy, the Doctor and Romana would have exited E-Space via a political thriller involving Gallifrey.   This script was called Sealed Orders, and presumably would have dealt more directly with Romana's failure to return to her home planet following her temporary assignment to find the Key to Time.   After considerable time massaging this treatment, it was abandoned, to be replaced by a Steve Gallagher-penned effort called "Dream Time".  Though the basic elements of this story would remain in Warrior's Gate, the final script was heavily re-written by script editor Christopher H. Bidmead and director Paul Joyce.  Joyce would later claim that in fact the scripts were so much a product of his efforts that he, in fact, deserved the writing credit.
 * In addition to the difficulties surrounding the writing of this story, virtually every phase of the production of this serial was problematic. Tom Baker was particularly tetchy due both to his ongoing illness during the seasons and the departure of his then-lover, Lalla Ward, from the series.  Both he and Ward were deeply displeased with their characterizations in the initial script — which was one of the reasons Paul Joyce became so heavily involved in the re-write.  He couldn't get his stars to perform unless their script concerns were directly addressed.  Meanwhile, Paul Joyce had little experience directing for television, and had considerable disagreements with John Nathan-Turner and lighting director John Dixon.  Ultimately, only about half of the production was directed by Joyce, with most of the final half being tackled by credited production assistant, Graeme Harper.  Also, the production was hit by a strike of the BBC carpenters, which further delayed matters.

Ratings

 * Part 1 - 7.1 million viewers
 * Part 2 - 6.7 million viewers
 * Part 3 - 8.3 million viewers
 * Part 4 - 7.8 million viewers

Myths
to be added

Filming Locations

 * Powis Castle, Welshpool, Powys (Stills used in the story)
 * BBC Television Centre (TC6 & TC1), Shepherd's Bush, London

Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors

 * In part two, a Gundan's axe falls onto the Doctor's back, without harm.
 * In part three, a boom mike pokes out from behind the MZ.
 * Adric takes K9's ear, but when the computer arrives at the Doctor, he's got both.
 * When Packard swings K9 overhead, its hollow interior is visible, it is also visible momentairily before the time winds damage him.
 * When the Doctor says his farewells to Romana he gives her K9 without strain. In A Girls Best Friend Sarah Jane found it hard to lift K9 as he was very very heavey but Romana manages to carry his weight like a toy

Continuity

 * DW: The Keeper of Traken follows straight on from this story.
 * In NA: Blood Harvest Romana is retrieved from E-Space by the Doctor.

DVD and Video Releases

 * Warriors' Gate was released on video in 1997 by BBC Worldwide as part of a boxed set containing: Full Circle, State of Decay and Warriors' Gate.
 * Warriors' Gate has been released in a box set alongside Full Circle and State of Decay. The box set in titled The E-Space Trilogy.
 * Editing for DVD release completed by Doctor Who Restoration Team.

Novelisation

 * Main article: Doctor Who and Warriors' Gate


 * Novelised as Doctor Who and Warriors' Gate in 1982 by John Lydecker.