The Monster of Peladon (TV story)

"I assure you, we are an amiable and peace-loving race..."

- Alpha Centauri

Synopsis
The TARDIS returns to Peladon some fifty years after the Doctor's last visit. The planet is now ruled by Queen Thalira - daughter of the late King Peladon - with advice from Chancellor Ortron. The Doctor and Sarah are arrested by Ortron for trespassing on sacred ground but their names are cleared by Alpha Centauri, now Galactic Federation ambassador to Peladon.

Plot
to be added

Cast

 * The Doctor - Jon Pertwee
 * Sarah Jane Smith - Elisabeth Sladen
 * Thalira - Nina Thomas
 * Eckersley - Donald Gee
 * Ortron - Frank Gatliff
 * Gebek - Rex Robinson
 * Azaxyr - Alan Bennion
 * Sskel - Sonny Caldinez
 * Ettis - Ralph Watson
 * Voice of Alpha Centauri - Ysanne Churchman
 * Body of Alpha Centauri - Stuart Fell
 * Vega Nexos - Gerald Taylor
 * Preba - Graeme Eton
 * Blor - Michael Crane
 * Guard Captain - Terry Walsh
 * Aggedor - Nick Hobbs
 * Miners - Roy Evans, Max Faulkner

Crew

 * Assistant Floor Manager - Roselyn Parker
 * Costumes - Barbara Kidd
 * Designer - Gloria Clayton
 * Film Cameraman - Keith Hopper
 * Film Editor - William Symon
 * Incidental Music - Dudley Simpson
 * Make-Up - Elisabeth Moss
 * Producer - Barry Letts
 * Production Assistant - Marcia Wheeler
 * Production Unit Manager - George Gallaccio
 * Script Editor - Terrance Dicks
 * Special Sounds - Dick Mills
 * Studio Lighting - Ralph Walton
 * Studio Sound - Tony Millier
 * Theme Arrangement - Delia Derbyshire
 * Title Music - Ron Grainer
 * Visual Effects - Peter Day

Story Notes

 * This story had the working title Return To Peladon.
 * This is the last on-screen appearance of the Ice Warriors, though they did reappear in various novels (NA: Legacy, Theatre of War, Happy Endings, GodEngine, The Dying Days) and audio dramas (BFA: Red Dawn, Frozen Time, BFBS: The Dance of the Dead) to name a few.
 * In an attempt to recapture the feel of The Curse of Peladon, the same director and designer were assigned to this story and many of the props that still existed (including the Alpha Centauri, Aggedor and Ice Warrior costumes) were reused.

Ratings

 * Part 1 - 9.2 million viewers
 * Part 2 - 6.8 million viewers
 * Part 3 - 7.4 million viewers
 * Part 4 - 7.2 million viewers
 * Part 5 - 7.5 million viewers
 * Part 6 - 8.1 million viewers

Myths

 * Azaxyr is an 'Ice Lord'. (The term is never used)

Filming Locations

 * Five days at the Ealing Television Film Studios from January 14th to 18th 1974 filming footage set in the mines.
 * Two day session in BBC Television Centre Studio 8 from January 28th and Tuesday the 29th 1974 filming footage set in the temple and the pit.

Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors

 * In The Curse of Peladon, the Doctor says that trisilicate can only be found on the planet Mars. The Doctor believed what he said but was wrong
 * Lip reading the Doctor at the end of episode one results in the great line 'What the bloody hell is it?'. Actually, he appears to be saying, 'What the blazes is it?'.
 * In episode four we get a clear look at stunt double Terry Walsh when, as the Doctor, he throws Ettis. This has happened many times throughout Jon Pertwee's tenure as the Doctor.
 * In episode six the hole in the door vanishes along with the Aggedor statue.
 * When Aggedor dies Nick Hobbs's skin shows as the trousers detach from the boots.
 * The mines apparently have central heating. The Galactic Federation had the technology to do so.
 * In episode one the Doctor opens a secret door which nearly knocks him over.  If it's a secret door, he probably can't predict how it'll open.
 * Sarah tries not to burst out laughing.
 * In Seeds of Death the Ice Warriors skin was immune to bullets but now a simple sword can kill them. A recurring element in science fiction is shields that stop fast moving objects, such as bullets, but not slow moving objects, like a sword.  Other instances of this include Joe Haldeman's "The Forever War" and Frank Herbert's "Dune".

Continuity

 * This is a sequel to The Curse of Peladon, NA: Legacy and BFA: The Bride of Peladon are sequels to both this story and The Curse of Peladon.
 * Sarah Jane Smith references bringing freedom to miners on Peladon in SJA: The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith.
 * The Ice Warriors use the same type of weapon as in previous appearances such as DW: The Seeds of Death.

DVD, Video and Other Releases
DVD Release This episode will be released on DVD in January 2010 along with The Curse of Peladon.

Novelisation

 * Main article: Doctor Who and the Monster of Peladon


 * Novelised as Doctor Who and the Monster of Peladon by Terrance Dicks in 1980.