Shakedown: Return of the Sontarans (home video)

Synopsis
''Shakedown: Return of the Sontarans is a spin-off of the long-running television series Doctor Who. ''

It was released direct-to-video in 1995 and was produced by the independent production company Dreamwatch Media, a division of Dreamwatch magazine. Initially available only through mail order and specialty shops, it was subsequently released to retail by Reeltime Pictures in 1997. It features two races of aliens, the Sontarans (first introduced in the Third Doctor serial The Time Warrior, and appearing in several subsequent stories) and the Rutans (who were first mentioned in The Time Warrior, and appeared in the Fourth Doctor serial Horror of Fang Rock). The Sontarans and Rutans were licensed from the estate of their creator Robert Holmes, although the appearance of the Sontarans had to be modified to avoid legal complications with the BBC, which owned the design of the creatures.

Due to licensing restrictions, the character of the Doctor does not actually appear, nor do any other characters from the series. However several actors from the Doctor Who series do appear in different roles, including Carole Ann Ford, Sophie Aldred and Michael Wisher. Also starring in this production are Blake's 7 alumni Jan Chappell and Brian Croucher.

Plot
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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 had a novelisation as part of the Virgin New Adventures series, fleshing out the story with both 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 one character's remembrance of a man who "Called himself the Professor, or the Dentist, or something..."


 * 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.

Myths
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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
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Continuity

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

DVD, video, and Other releases
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Novelisation

 * Main article: Shakedown


 * A novelisation of the film, written by Terrance Dicks, was published in 1995. As the Target Books line had been retired by this point, it was published as part of the Virgin New Adventures line. It is one of only two independent (non-BBC) productions to be so adapted (the other being Downtime). The novel greatly expands the film's story to include the Doctor. It also includes a photo section.