Tardis

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Tardis
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Tardis

Chief Science Officer Range was a colonist on Frontios.

Biography[]

Range had a daughter called Norna who was born on Frontios. As a doctor, Range began gathering information on the instances of unaccountable deaths. He never made this work public, even to his superiors.

When the Fifth Doctor visited Frontios, Range helped him with the wounded. He told the Doctor of the situation on Frontios and that they were at war. Range vouched for the Doctor when the Plantagenet cast doubt on his trustworthiness. Range accompanied the Doctor into the caverns beneath Frontios and looked after Vislor Turlough when he went into shock. After returning to the surface, Range volunteered to return below to find the Doctor.

However, Turlough followed him. Worried about his daughter's safety, Range returned to the surface. On the way, he was attacked by a Tractator but it freed him when it was called back to fend off an attack on Gravis.

After the Doctor defeated the Tractators, Range and the other colonists bade their farewells to him and the Doctor told them not to tell anyone of his interference as it broke the Time Lord non-interference policy. (TV: Frontios)

Behind the scenes[]

  • The role of Range was originally supposed to be played by Peter Arne, a character actor perhaps best known for his roles in the films Victor/Victoria and Return of the Pink Panther, as well as several guest roles on The Avengers. Following a wardrobe test for the part, Arne returned to his flat where he was bludgeoned to death. The role was rapidly recast with William Lucas.[1]

Footnotes[]

  1. Howe, David J., Stammers, Mark, Walker, Stephen James, 1997, Doctor Who: The Eighties, Doctor Who Books, an imprint of Virgin Books, London, p.56
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