Famous First And Last Words

For the next time someone challenges you to add "Four Seasons Total Landscaping" to the first or last line of a DW novelization. Hey, it's happened once, it can happen again...

 

 

Doctor Who And An Unearthly Child by Terrance Dicks

First Line: A foggy winter's night, in a London back street: the little road was empty and silent.

Last Line: Out there on Skaro, the Daleks were waiting for him.

Doctor Who In An Exciting Adventure With The Daleks by David Whittaker

First Line: I stopped the car at last and let the fog close in around me.

Last Line: 'We stay with you,' I said.

Doctor Who: The Edge of Destruction by Nigel Robinson

First Line: It all started, they would say later, in a forgotten London junkyard on a foggy November night in 1963.

Last Line: Who could say where it would end?

Doctor Who: Marco Polo by John Lucarotti

First Line: 'It's freezing cold outside,' Susan said, looking at the external temperature thermometer in the TARDIS, 'minus twenty.'

Last Line: The inscription, in Chinese, dates it from the Yuan dynasty of Kublai Khan and describes it as 'The Key to the World'.

Doctor Who And The Keys of Marinus by Philip Hinchcliffe

First Line: The day — like every day on Marinus — started clear and bright.

Last Line: Then, gradually the rectangle of blue faded away in front of their eyes and they were alone on the empty beach.

Doctor Who: The Aztecs by John Lucarotti

First Line: 'The TARDIS has materialised,' the Doctor announced authoritatively.

Last Line: It came from the tomb therefore it should be left in the tomb, he thought, but then again Cameca had given it to him as a present, so he slipped it back into his pocket, went into the TARDIS and closed the door.

Doctor Who: The Sensorites by Nigel Robinson

First Line: Out in the still and infinite blackness of uncharted space, hundreds of light years from its planet of origin, the spacecraft hung, caught like a fly in a gigantic spider's web.

Last Line: Perhaps this time it would be different.

Doctor Who: The Reign of Terror by Ian Marter

First Line: The twilit forest was hot and muggy.

Last Line: 'Who knows? Because I certainly don't!'

 

Doctor Who And The Masters of Luxor by David Ronayne

First Line: Ian fell.

Last Line: And as the travellers stepped out into a new adventure, out on the screen the startled pigeons rose from the ground and flew away… backwards...

 

Doctor Who: Planet of Giants by Terrance Dicks

First Line: It was a beautiful summer’s day.

Last Line: Outside in the ruins of London the Daleks were waiting...

 

Doctor Who And The Dalek Invasion of Earth by Terrance Dicks

First Line: Through the ruin of a city stalked the ruin of a man.

Last Line: The Doctor still had two faithful companions, and many more adventures lay before them.

 

Doctor Who: The Rescue by Ian Marter

First Line: The huge curved navigation console hummed and its multicoloured displays flashed their tireless sequences of vectors and coordinates, endlessly mottling with garish lights the pale faces which hung disembodied in the semidarkness of the smooth metal.

Last Line: Goodwill to all persons.

Doctor Who: The Romans by Donald Cotton

First Line: Dear Sir, I am in reluctant receipt of your insufferable scroll – written, I must remark, on papyrus of so inferior a quality that I can only suppose it to have been selected especially to suit the style of your grammatical construction and the insolence of your tone.

Last Line: In view of all the circumstances, may I now look forward with confidence to receiving your cheque by return of post? T.

 

Doctor Who And The Zarbi by Bill Strutton

First Line: It was almost quiet inside Tardis.

Last Line: A radiance shone from behind the crags, gilding their outlines and dispelling their shadows, like the rising of a sun.

 

Doctor Who And The Crusaders by David Whittaker

First Line: As swiftly and as silently as a shadow, Doctor Who’s Space and Time ship, Tardis, appeared on a succession of planets each as different as the pebbles on a beach, stayed awhile and then vanished, as mysteriously as it had come.

Last Line: And the Tardis flashed on its way, hurtling through the galaxies of Space, spinning through the barriers of Time, searching for a new resting-place on a fresh horizon.

 

Doctor Who: The Space Museum by Glyn Jones

First Line: Three pairs of eyes gazed at the scanner screen, eyes like those of a sad and lonely person in a strange town desperately seeking the smile of a friendly face.

Last Line: Slowly the sound, and the light, and the police box disappeared to leave Xeros to the Xerons.

 

Doctor Who: The Chase by John Peel

First Line: The room had a background pulse, like an electronic heart slowly beating.

Last Line: He hurried from the room, but not before Vicki had seen the tear on his cheek that matched the one running down her own.

 

Doctor Who: The Time Meddler by Nigel Robinson

First Line: The young man in the astronaut’s uniform fell to the jungle floor with a sickening thud.

Last Line: ‘I’ll repair my time-machine one day, and I swear I’ll make you pay! One day, Doctor, one day!’

 

Doctor Who: Galaxy Four by William Emms

First Line: The Doctor was puzzled.

Last Line: There was a deep bubbling sound, turning into one last bellow, and the planet exploded outward, debris hurling into outer space, and nothingness bursting in to delete existence for all time.

Doctor Who: The Myth Makers by Donald Cotton

First Line: Look over here; here, under the olive-trees – that’s right, by the pile of broken stones and the cracked statues of old gods.

Last Line: And the Doctor brushed the crumbs off his frock-coat, and stumped away to try and remember where he’d parked the TARDIS.

Doctor Who: Mission to the Unknown by John Peel/Rosemary Howe

First Line: Smoke filled the city as the invading Greeks torched every building that they could set alight.

Last Line: They had escaped the Daleks for now... but as long as it existed, there would always be the terrible possibility that one day they would encounter the Daleks again...

First Line (Howe): The TARDIS whirled in the time-space continuum, carrying Dr. Who and his two companions, Vicki and Steven, away from the terrible destruction of the planet with the three suns.

Last Line (Howe): With the Daleks' capabilities of interfering with his course, however, there was a paramount need for the TARDIS not to be deflected on her way to Earth to counter Mavic Chen's treachery.

Doctor Who: The Mutation of Time by John Peel/Rosemary Howe

First Line: Sara Kingdom awoke with a cry, sitting upright in her bed.

Last Line: Shaking his fist at the roof, he vowed: ‘I’ll get you for this, Doctor! Somehow, someday – I’ll get you for this!’

First Line (Howe): On the wall of a suburban Police Station in Liverpool, the calendar showed the date, 25th December, 1965.

Last Line (Howe): The take-off light flashed and for the last time, the roaring sound of dematerialisation echoed in the far mountains of Kembel.

Doctor Who: The Massacre by John Lucarotti

First Line: The Doctor sat in the garden which always reminded him of the Garden of Peace when Steven, no, not Steven, his granddaughter, Susan, and that nice young couple, Barbara and Ian, had their adventure with the Aztec Indians aeons ago.

Last Line: He was back in the tunnels reliving the exhilaration of those helter-skelter dashes through the darkness.

Doctor Who: The Ark by Paul Erickson

First Line: Jungle.

Last Line: ‘... no guaranteed destination!’

Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker by Gerry Davis & Alison Bingeman

First Line: 'Doctor, you've vanished.'

Last Line: 'There will always be a Celestial Toyroom in the universe.'

Doctor Who: The Gunfighters by Donald Cotton

First Line: The Sanatorium at Glenwood Springs, Colorado, was never a place you’d visit for your health: but, at least, the management would usually arrange for you to die there in some sort of comfort; which is better, to my way of thinking, than meeting your Maker in some gun-loud back alley, without the benefit of booze.

Last Line: And I can’t say I’m the least bit surprised.

Doctor Who: The Savages by Ian Stuart-Black

First Line: Long before the estimated time of arrival of the TARDIS, the Doctor was looking particularly pleased with himself.

Last Line: It was a familiar track they took as they headed back towards the TARDIS.

Doctor Who: The War Machines by Ian Stuart-Black

First Line: ‘Right on time!’ called the Doctor.

Last Line: The Police Box was no longer there.

Doctor Who: The Smugglers by Terrance Dicks

First Line: A Police box stood in a London square up against the railings that surrounded the garden in the centre.

Last Line: ‘We seem to be making another landing!’

Doctor Who and the Tenth Planet by Gerry Davis

First Line: The long low room housed three separate rows of control consoles and technicians and resembled Cape Kennedy Tracking Station in miniature.

Last Line: 'Allow me to introduce myself then. I am the new Doctor!'

Doctor Who: The Power of the Daleks by John Peel/Matthew Lee

First Line: The Antarctic winds howled mournfully about the battlefield.

Last Line: Then it inched upwards, as if seeking the warmth and light of Vulcan’s immense sun.

First Line (Lee): Throughout the multitude of galaxies that make up the present Universe, it is of the common belief that no alien species can live forever.

Last Line (Lee): In a nearby valley, a small group of Scottish Highlanders were fleeing from a squad of English Redcoats...

Doctor Who: The Highlanders by Gerry Davis

First Line: The TARDIS was slowly materialising in the middle of a clump of brambles and ferns.

Last Line: The door closed behind him and he saw to his astonishment the large, hexagonal, brightly-lighted interior of the time-machine.

Doctor Who: The Underwater Menace by Nigel Robinson

First Line: It was magic, decided James Robert McCrimmon.

Last Line: Wherever the TARDIS was going it certainly wasn’t Mars...

Doctor Who And The Cybermen by Gerry Davis

First Line: Centuries ago by our Earth time, a race of men on the far-distant planet of Telos sought immortality.

Last Line: ‘The trouble with the Cybermen is that one can never be entirely sure...’

Doctor Who: The Macra Terror by Ian Stuart-Black

First Line: The Doctor had complete and utter faith in the TARDIS, accepting it as almost an extension of his own nervous system.

Last Line: And in the years later when everyone puzzled over the strange disappearance of the four strangers – to whom they owed so much – Medok never breathed a word of what he had witnessed...

Doctor Who: The Faceless Ones by Terrance Dicks

First Line: The jet airliner screamed down out of the sky.

Last Line: The Doctor and Jamie walked away, towards what was to be one of their greatest adventures.

Doctor Who: The Evil of the Daleks by John Peel

First Line: It was almost beyond belief.

Last Line: All would be revealed in time.

Doctor Who And The Tomb of the Cybermen by Gerry Davis

First Line: The Doctor and Jamie were standing with one eye on the TARDIS screen and the other on the door of the TARDIS equipment room.

Last Line: 'I know.'

Doctor Who And The Abominable Snowmen by Terrance Dicks

First Line: High on the Himalayan mountainside the little camp fire was burning low.

Last Line: The Doctor and his friends were off on their next adventure.

Doctor Who And The Ice Warriors by Brian Hayles

First Line: ‘Stand by all personnel!’

Last Line: But the box itself had long since gone...

Doctor Who And The Enemy of the World by Ian Marter

First Line: The hot January sun beat out of the cloudless blue sky and a warm northeast wind blew the Coral Sea into a roaring froth over the Great Barrier Reef.

Last Line: And in the end, that was all that really mattered...

Doctor Who And The Web of Fear by Terrance Dicks

First Line: The huge, furry monster reared up, as if to strike.

Last Line: The Doctor and his two companions were ready to begin their next adventure.

Doctor Who: Fury From The Deep by Victor Pemberton

First Line: The sky had never looked more menacing.

Last Line: All that remained were the small blobs of bubbling white foam and straggling clumps of seaweed that rolled gently over the waves of the incoming tide.

Doctor Who: The Wheel in Space by Terrance Dicks

First Line: Victoria was waving goodbye.

Last Line: Because now, like it or not, she was on her way.

Doctor Who: The Dominators by Ian Marter

First Line: A huge crescent of brilliant pinpoints of light sliced through the unimaginable emptiness of space near the edge of a remote spiral galaxy.

Last Line: ‘Oh my goodness me... out of the frying pan and into the fire...’

Doctor Who: The Mind Robber by Peter Ling

First Line: It all began with a bang.

Last Line: And as he switched on the powerful drive-motor that would take the TARDIS off on yet another journey, he
spelled it out for them: Finis – or, if you prefer it – THE END.

Doctor Who: The Invasion by Ian Marter

First Line: The Doctor sat hunched in his rickety chair, biting his nails anxiously and staring grimly around him in the crackling air as everything swam sickeningly back into focus.

Last Line: 'It's a moot point, Jimmy,' he said and marched briskly back to the jeep.

Doctor Who: The Krotons by Terrance Dicks

First Line: In the gloomy, cavernous underground Hall of Learning, the assembled Gonds were waiting.

Last Line: In the Wasteland only the dying echoes of a faint wheezing, groaning sound remained to show that the Doctor and his companions were on their way to new adventures.

Doctor Who: The Seeds of Death by Terrance Dicks

First Line: There were voices in the air.

Last Line: Professor Eldred’s space museum had lost its most unusual exhibit...

Doctor Who: The Space Pirates by Terrance Dicks

First Line: Beacon Alpha One hung silently in the blackness of space, its complex shape recalling the technology of distant Earth.

Last Line: As Major Warne said later, it sounded very like an old-fashioned raspberry...

Doctor Who And The War Games by Malcolm Hulke

First Line: ‘What a sad, terrible place.’

Last Line: ‘He would have brightened the place up no end.’

Doctor Who And The Auton Invasion by Terrance Dicks

First Line: In the High Court of the Time Lords a trial was coming to its end.

Last Line: ‘Doctor John Smith!’

Doctor Who And The Cave Monsters by Malcolm Hulke

First Line: Okdel stood watching as the last of the young reptile men and women took their turn to go down to safety in the lift.

Last Line: The Doctor started up the car again and continued along the main road in silence.

Doctor Who: The Ambassadors of Death by Terrance Dicks

First Line: Far above the Earth, in the infinite blackness of space, two metal capsules were converging.

Last Line: Giving the three alien ambassadors a friendly nod, the Doctor went on his way.

Doctor Who: Inferno by Terrance Dicks

First Line: It was the greatest scientific project that England had ever known.

Last Line: It was nice having the Doctor back.

Doctor Who And The Terror of the Autons by Terrance Dicks

First Line: Luigi Rossini came down the steps of his caravan and looked about him with satisfaction.

Last Line: With renewed determination he returned to his work.

Doctor Who: The Mind of Evil by Terrance Dicks

First Line: The prisoners always knew when sentence was to be carried out.

Last Line: ‘With you, Brigadier!’

Doctor Who And The Claws of Axos by Terrance Dicks

First Line: It moved through the silent blackness of deep space like a giant jellyfish through the depths of the sea.

Last Line: It was nice to see things back to normal...

Doctor Who And The Doomsday Weapon by Malcolm Hulke

First Line: The young Time Lord sat at the side of the old Keeper of the Time Lords’ Files at the control console.

Last Line: ‘I think I’m just beginning to gain it.’

Doctor Who And The Dæmons by Barry Letts

First Line: Thunder rumbled ominously; fitful lightning mocked the darkness of the green with a sudden day; a few threatening drops of rain splashed heavily on the cobbled road...

Last Line: The Morrismen began their intricate figures, while around the Maypole the people of Devil’s End danced a dance of thanksgiving, a dance of liberation, a dance of joy.

Doctor Who And The Day of the Daleks by Terrance Dicks

First Line: Moni sat up and looked around cautiously.

Last Line: With that he disappeared inside the TARDIS and closed the door.

Doctor Who And The Curse of Peladon by Brian Hayles

First Line: The electric storm clawed and tore its way across the night sky like a wild animal, flaring suddenly into ripples of lightning more eerie and majestic than the three moons of Peladon.

Last Line: The blue box had vanished completely.

Doctor Who And The Sea-Devils by Malcolm Hulke

First Line: ‘Abandon ship!’

Last Line: ‘Something tells me we are not going to see the Master again — at least, not until he wants us to.’

Dr Who And The Mutants by Terrance Dicks

First Line: It was a planet of jungles.

Last Line: But by the time they arrived, Jo and the Doctor were far, far away...

Doctor Who: The Time Monster by Terrance Dicks

First Line: The tall, thin man with the young-old face and the mane of prematurely white hair was sleeping uneasily.

Last Line: And that too, thought the Doctor, was a very good question!

Doctor Who And The Three Doctors by Terrance Dicks

First Line: For an adventure that was to be one of the most astonishing of the Doctor's very long life, it all began very quietly.

Last Line: They went inside the cottage and the door closed behind them.

Doctor Who And The Carnival of Monsters by Terrance Dicks

First Line: With a strange groaning sound, the blue police box appeared from nowhere.

Last Line: He was trying to work out how he’d managed to pick the wrong magum pod yet again...

Doctor Who And The Space War by Malcolm Hulke

First Line: Earth Cargo Ship C-982 slid silently through Space on its way back to Earth.

Last Line: ‘Oh well,’ he said to himself, ‘there’s always tomorrow.’

Doctor Who And The Planet of the Daleks by Terrance Dicks

First Line: The tall white-haired man lay still as death.

Last Line: He leaned over the control console and set the coordinates for Earth.

Doctor Who And The Green Death by Malcolm Hulke

First Line: In his forty years as a coal miner Ted Hughes had never seen anything like it.

Last Line: Slowly he went down the stairs, got into his car Bessie, and drove away.

Doctor Who And The Time Warrior by Terrance Dicks

First Line: Linx was his name.

Last Line: Hal turned away and began his journey home.

Doctor Who And The Dinosaur Invasion by Malcolm Hulke

First Line: Shughie McPherson woke up that morning with a pounding headache.

Last Line: ‘The important thing is to keep an open mind.’

Doctor Who: The Paradise of Death by Barry Letts

First Line: A well-rounded hand daintily selected a violet-flavoured chocolate cream as smooth and as plump as itself and conveyed it carefully to a pair of voluptuously cushioned lips.

Last Line: ‘I could murder a cup of tea.’

 

Doctor Who: Death to the Daleks by Terrance Dicks

First Line: He was a dead man running.

Last Line: 'Just you concentrate on getting me home!'

Doctor Who: The Ghosts of N-Space by Barry Letts

First Line: Don Fabrizzio had great hopes that it would not be necessary to kill Max Vilmio.

Last Line: Had she got a story this time!

Doctor Who And The Monster of Peladon by Terrance Dicks

First Line: On the remote edges of the galaxy was a planet called Peladon.

Last Line: The Doctor and Sarah were on their way.

Doctor Who And The Planet of the Spiders by Terrance Dicks

First Line: Night falls suddenly in the rain forests of the upper Amazon.

Last Line: ‘Here we go again!’

Doctor Who And The Giant Robot by Terrance Dicks

First Line: It moved through the darkness, swift and silent despite its enormous bulk.

Last Line: And so he was.

First Line (Junior Ed.): A giant metal figure marched through the night, sweeping aside tree-branches and bushes, crushing everything in its path.

Last Line (Junior Ed.): Perhaps he could persuade Sarah to come for a little trip in the TARDIS...

Doctor Who And The Ark in Space by Ian Marter

First Line: Out among the remotest planets, in faithful orbit through the Solar System, the great Satellite revolved slowly in the glimmer of a billion distant suns, reflecting their faint light from its cold and silent surfaces.

Last Line: At last her task had begun...

Doctor Who And The Sontaran Experiment by Ian Marter

First Line: A huge red sun hung in the sulphurous yellow sky, its angry light filtering through thin clouds of whitish mist which swirled over the deserted, wasted landscape.

Last Line: But the circle remained empty in the gathering darkness...

Doctor Who And The Genesis of the Daleks by Terrance Dicks

First Line: It was a battlefield.

Last Line: 'You see, although I know that Daleks will create havoc and destruction for untold thousands of years... I also know that out of their great evil... some... great... good... must come.'

Doctor Who And The Revenge of the Cybermen by Terrance Dicks

First Line: In the silent blackness of deep space, the gleaming metal shape of Space Beacon Nerva hung like a giant gyroscope.

Last Line: ‘I wonder why the Brigadier’s calling us from somewhere near Loch Ness?’

Doctor Who And The Loch Ness Monster by Terrance Dicks

First Line: The oil-rig called ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’ towered high above the moonlit sea.

Last Line: For all the Doctor’s protestations — it wasn’t likely to be anywhere as ordinary as London!

Doctor Who And The Planet of Evil by Terrance Dicks

First Line: The planet was alive.

Last Line: And the Doctor and Sarah went off to begin their next adventure.

Doctor Who: The Pescatons by Victor Pemberton

First Line: The surface of the long, dark river was dancing with tiny lights.

Last Line: He lit his pipe and smiled to himself, lost in thoughts of time and space.

Doctor Who: The Time Machine by David Agnew

First Line: Through the depths of space and time, a blue box twirled and swooped as if on a string.

Last Line: But, of course, isn’t that half the fun?

Doctor Who And The Pyramids of Mars by Terrance Dicks

First Line: In a galaxy unimaginably distant from ours, on a planet called Phaester Osiris, there arose a race so powerful that they became like gods.

Last Line: Sarah closed the heavy old volume and went into the summer sunshine of her own, unchanged, twentieth century.

Doctor Who And The Android Invasion by Terrance Dicks

First Line: A soldier was marching through the forest.

Last Line: The android invasion was over.

Doctor Who And The Brain of Morbius by Terrance Dicks

First Line: Kriz was dying.

Last Line: The doors closed, there was a wheezing groaning sound, and the TARDIS faded away.

First Line (Junior Ed): A wheezing groaning sound filled the night air of the bleak and rocky planet Karn, merging with the occasional rumblings of thunder.

Last Line (Junior Ed): The doors closed, there was a wheezing groaning sound, and the TARDIS faded away.

Doctor Who And The Seeds of Doom by Philip Hinchcliffe

First Line: Everywhere, as far as the eye could see, was a gleaming expanse of white.

Last Line: Sir Colin blinked, shook his head as if he had seen a ghost, and decided he was in need of a good, long sleep.

Doctor Who And The Masque of Mandragora by Philip Hinchcliffe

First Line: The year was 1492, the place—a remote principality in Northern Italy.

Last Line: ‘One day science will explain it all.’

Doctor Who And The Hand of Fear by Terrance Dicks

First Line: The planet was dying.

Last Line: Whistling to keep up her spirits, Sarah set off to catch the bus home.

Doctor Who And The Deadly Assassin by Terrance Dicks

First Line: The telescopic-sight moved slowly across the crowded hall.

Last Line: 'And you know — I've a feeling it isn't big enough for both of them!'

Doctor Who And The Face of Evil by Terrance Dicks

First Line: The Sevateem were holding a trial.

Last Line: The Doctor was off on a new adventure — with a new companion!

Doctor Who And The Robots of Death by Terrance Dicks

First Line: Like a city on the move, the Sandminer glided across the desert sands.

Last Line: The Doctor and Leela were on their way to new adventures.

Doctor Who And The Talons of Weng-Chiang by Terrance Dicks

First Line: They were having a good night at the Palace.

Last Line: Chang’s face stared out from the poster as their footsteps faded away into the fog.

Doctor Who And The Horror of Fang Rock by Terrance Dicks

First Line: Fang Rock lighthouse, centre of a series of mysterious and terrifying events at the turn of the century, is built on a rocky island a few miles off the Channel coast.

Last Line: No one was left alive to hear them.

Doctor Who And The Invisible Enemy by Terrance Dicks

First Line: Something was waiting out in space.

Last Line: It was nice to think that his old friend was in such good hands...

Doctor Who And The Image of the Fendahl by Terrance Dicks

First Line: A man was hurrying through the woods.

Last Line: Leela smiled, the Doctor laughed, and the TARDIS sped on its way to new adventures.

Doctor Who And The Sunmakers by Terrance Dicks

First Line: In a drab and featureless corridor, a drab and featureless man stood waiting before a shuttered hatch.

Last Line: ‘I’m sure we’ll get round to it – one of these days...’

Doctor Who And The Underworld by Terrance Dicks

First Line: Once there were the Minyans.

Last Line: Leela knelt down and kissed K9 on the end of his nose.

Doctor Who And The Invasion of Time by Terrance Dicks

First Line: The space ship was enormous, terrifying, a long, sleek killer whale of space.

Last Line: Happily, the Doctor opened the box and set to work.

Doctor Who And The Ribos Operation by Ian Marter

First Line: The tall loose-limbed figure, clad in voluminous shirt-sleeves and baggy tweed trousers tucked into creaking leather boots, strode around the faintly humming chamber.

Last Line: ‘What about some tea?’

Doctor Who And The Pirate Planet by David Bishop/Matthew Lee/James Goss

First Line: The boy was running for his life.

Last Line: The Doctor had good cause to smile - they were headed for one of his favourite planets, which they had actually just saved from destruction - Earth!

First Line (Lee): Interplanetary Real Estate is a vicious market.

Last Line (Lee): And above the stone circle hovered a theoretical absurdity.

First Line (Goss): It rained diamonds that day, but no one cared.

Last Line (Goss): And the TARDIS flew on to further adventures.

Doctor Who And The Stones of Blood by Terrance Dicks/David Fisher

First Line: It might have been Stonehenge in the days of the Druids.

Last Line: The TARDIS sped on its way, taking the Doctor, Romana and K9 to new adventures, in their quest to save the cosmos from the power of chaos.

First Line (Fisher): In the beginning – that is to say, about 4000 years ago – there was nothing remarkable about the place.

Last Line (Fisher): And then, reaching for the chess board he kept in a nearby locker, he enquired, ‘Black or white, old chap?’

Doctor Who And The Androids of Tara by Terrance Dicks/David Fisher

First Line: The Doctor was playing chess with K9.

Last Line: The Doctor and his friends were on their way.

First Line (Fisher): The huge room lay in darkness, except for a single brief light which illuminated a dark-haired woman clad in a white surgical smock.

Last Line (Fisher): But this time he had a license.

Doctor Who And The Power of Kroll by Terrance Dicks

First Line: Deep beneath the waters of the immense lagoon, Kroll slept.

Last Line: It was to be the most astonishing quest of all...

Doctor Who And The Armageddon Factor by Terrance Dicks

First Line: 'Atrios!' said the Doctor.

Last Line: 'Now no-one knows where we're going—not even us!'

Doctor Who And The Destiny of the Daleks by Terrance Dicks

First Line: Through the vortex, that mysterious region where time and space are one, sped a police box that was not a police box at all.

Last Line: The Doctor and Romana were on their way to new adventures.

Doctor Who: City of Death by David Lawrence/James Goss

First Line: Once upon a time, high in the southern mountains of Gallifrey during a season in which no snowflakes fell nor owls watched, a young boy evaded his tutors for what seemed like the thousandth time and escaped out into the wilderness.

Last Line: Duggan looked at the postcard with the picture of the Mona Lisa on it once more; then he put it inside his trenchcoat and walked away into the evening of a Paris Spring.

First Line (Goss): It was Tuesday and life didn’t happen.

Last Line (Goss): Roaring at eternity, the small blue box was off to new adventures…

Doctor Who And The Creature From The Pit by David Fisher

First Line: It was a beautiful day, thought the Lady Adrasta.

Last Line: ‘74,384,338 just happens to be my lucky number,’ said the Doctor.

Doctor Who And The Nightmare of Eden by Terrance Dicks

First Line: It should have been impossible – but it happened.

Last Line: The TARDIS was on its way to new adventures.

Doctor Who And The Horns of Nimon by Terrance Dicks

First Line: Next to the crumbling Palace of the Emperor, on the edge of the sprawling ruins that were the capital of Skonnos, there rose the Power Complex.

Last Line: The Doctor smiled, patted K9 on the nose, and got on with his work.

Doctor Who: Shada by Paul Scoones/Gareth Roberts

First Line: The space station revolved slowly in orbit around a large red sun in a system devoid of planetary bodies.

Last Line: ‘He seems such a nice old man.’

First Line (Roberts): At the age of five, Skagra decided emphatically that God did not exist.

Last Line (Roberts): Which was just how the Doctor liked it.

Doctor Who And The Liesure Hive by David Fisher

First Line: The deckchair attendant shivered in the cold wind off the sea, and cursed for the thousandth time yet another chilly English June.

Last Line: It had after all been one of those days.

Doctor Who: Meglos by Terrance Dicks

First Line: People disappear.

Last Line: 'What’s for supper?'

Doctor Who: Full Circle by Andrew Smith

First Line: Twisting, burning metal screamed at a pitch which challenged the death-yells of the passengers and crew members throughout the massive structure of the starliner as the great space vessel hurtled, out of control, towards the shifting grey mists that enshrouded the surface of the terror planet Alzarius.

Last Line: Whatever lay ahead for the Doctor, Romana and K9, in E-Space or beyond, Adric was now very much a part of it.

Doctor Who And The State of Decay by Terrance Dicks

First Line: Looming above the Village was the dark Tower.

Last Line: Kalmar returned to work.

Doctor Who And Warriors' Gate by John Lydecker

First Line: It was a mess of a planet, too big and too far out from its sun.

Last Line: But after a while he wheeled around, and started down the path behind the Tharil and his mistress.

Doctor Who And The Keeper of Traken by Terrance Dicks

First Line: The Doctor had escaped.

Last Line: She seemed to hear the distant echo of mocking laughter.

Doctor Who: Logopolis by Christopher H. Bidmead

First Line: Events cast shadows before them, but the huger shadows creep over us unseen.

Last Line: 'But it's probably the beginning of something completely different.'

First Line (Anghelides): The rain was just beginning to drizzle down on George Potter as he pedalled slowly away from the busy by-pass and into the lay-by.

Last Line (Anghelides): And the blue eyes twinkled mischievously as the new Doctor surveyed his surroundings.

Doctor Who: Castrovalva by Christopher H. Bidmead

First Line: ‘He’s changing,’ said Adric.

Last Line: The mound of grass where it had stood was left with only the faintest impression of its shape, and as the chuffing died away into the cosmic distance the first birds began to sing once more.

Doctor Who: Four to Doomsday by Terrance Dicks

First Line: The ship was like a city.

Last Line: They were on their way.

Doctor Who: Kinda by Terrance Dicks

First Line: Deva Loka was a Paradise.

Last Line: The TARDIS door closed behind him.

Doctor Who: The Visitation by Eric Saward

First Line: It was a warm summer evening.

Last Line: On the wall behind the fading time machine was a plate bearing the name of the road: Pudding Lane.

Doctor Who: Black Orchid by Terence Dudley

First Line: The young man in the white jacket was a professional and knew he had very little time left.

Last Line: And he doffed his hat and followed his companions into the TARDIS.

Doctor Who: Earthshock

First Line: The towering cliff side resembled a gigantic human skull with the dark openings of caves gaping like empty eye sockets and nostrils.

Last Line: With a sad smile he dropped it into his pocket and turned resignedly towards the console...

Doctor Who: Time-Flight by Peter Grimwade

First Line: At 57,000 feet the air over the Atlantic was cold and clear.

Last Line: 'So did I,' said Tegan.

Doctor Who: Arc of Infinity by Terrance Dicks

First Line: They met in a hidden chamber, deep beneath the Capitol: the being from another dimension, and the Time Lord who was betraying not only his people but his Universe.

Last Line: Curiously enough, he found he didn’t mind at all.

Doctor Who: Snakedance by Terrance Dicks

First Line: On a rocky hillside between two great jagged stones sat Dojjen the Snakedancer.

Last Line: The old man turned and waved in farewell.

Doctor Who: Mawdryn Undead by Peter Grimwade

First Line: Turlough hated it all: the routine, the discipline, the invented traditions and petty snobbery of a minor English public school.

Last Line: And far away, in the unhearing silence of space, the great red ship exploded into a million fragments.

Doctor Who: Terminus by John Lydecker

First Line: Tegan was sure that there must be something to like about Turlough, but she couldn’t think what.

Last Line: It seemed he wasn’t to be allowed to fail twice.

Doctor Who: Enlightenment by Barbara Clegg

First Line: ‘Check!’

Last Line: ‘The TARDIS is waiting.’

Doctor Who: The King's Demons by Terence Dudley

First Line: The King tore the meat from the bone with his teeth and grunted his way through the mouthful of food with satisfaction.

Last Line: ‘London Airport.’

Doctor Who: The Five Doctors by Terrance Dicks

First Line: It was a place of ancient evil.

Last Line: ‘After all – that’s how it all started!’

Doctor Who: Warriors of the Deep by Terrance Dicks

First Line: The Base might have been in space.

Last Line: He led the way from the Bridge.

Doctor Who: The Awakening by Eric Pringle

First Line: Somewhere, horses’ hooves were drumming the ground.

Last Line: And with that he flicked the last switch which would bring the TARDIS and its passengers back to the village of Little Hodcombe, and a holiday deep in the peaceful English countryside, where nothing out of the ordinary ever happens.

Doctor Who: Frontios by Christopher H. Bidmead

First Line: At a sign from Captain Revere the diggers put up their picks and stood as still as the shadows on the chill rock walls.

Last Line: But that was only to be expected.

Doctor Who: Resurrection of the Daleks by Paul Scoones/Ian Leonard/Eric Saward

First Line: The battered wreck of the colony ship was nestled in a shallow valley, with a meagre huddle of crudely-constructed buildings clustered along its flanks.

Last Line: Tegan turned away and walked into the gathering darkness.

First Line (Leonard): It finally looked like the rain was stopping.

Last Line (Leonard): She stood there for a moment, tears glistening on her cheeks, before she sombrely turned and walked slowly out of the warehouse.

First Line (Saward): The TARDIS rolled and tumbled helplessly in the bleakness of space.

Last Line (Saward): But first it was time to tell Mr Lytton…

Doctor Who: Planet of Fire by Peter Grimwade

First Line: The full fury of the storm hit the ship as it rounded the headland.

Last Line: Then, without a wave, he strode up the ramp and was gone.

Doctor Who: The Caves of Androzani by Terrance Dicks

First Line: Twin planets orbiting each other in space – one large, one relatively small – Androzani Major and Androzani Minor were two of the five planets that made up the Sirius system.

Last Line: ‘And, it seems, not a moment too soon!’

Doctor Who: The Twin Dilemma by Eric Saward

First Line: The house stood on Lydall Street.

Last Line: If she hadn’t, this particular incarnation of the Time Lord would prove to be a very difficult person indeed.

Doctor Who: Attack of the Cybermen by Eric Saward

First Line: Outside, the rain rained.

Last Line: Whether she could live as happily with the other aspects of his new personality, only time would tell...

Doctor Who: Vengeance on Varos by Phillip Martin

First Line: The Random Laser Beam Emitter turned ominously on its axis, clicked, as if in irritation, then spat a searing beam of force at the lean young man chained to a wall in a corridor deep within the main Punishment Dome of the former prison planet of Varos.

Last Line: In the old prison control centre the Governor, flanked by his new ministers and advisors watched, amazed, as the old-fashioned police box shimmered, faded then roared a final farewell to Varos and a people about to enjoy a new dawn.

Doctor Who: The Mark of the Rani by Pip & Jane Baker

First Line: Evil cannot be tasted, seen, or touched.

Last Line: But they couldn’t have... Could they?

Doctor Who: The Two Doctors by Robert Holmes

First Line: Space Station J7 defied all sense of what was structurally possible.

Last Line: Meanwhile, the Doctor and Peri...

Doctor Who: Timelash by Glen McCoy

First Line: A purple haze glistened upon the conglomeration of pyramids that made up the planet Karfel’s principal city.

Last Line: She looked at it again: HERBERT GEORGE WELLS.

Doctor Who: Revelation of the Daleks by Jon Preddle/Ian Leonard/Eric Saward

First Line: The ancient Egyptians considered the pyramid to be the symbol of rebirth and resurrection.

Last Line: ‘I’ll take you to Blackpool!’

First Line (Leonard): Necros – an insignificant little planet in the Darwas sector of space, where the rich and famous came from all over the Galaxy to be interred.

Last Line (Leonard): ‘I’ll take you to Blackpool!’

First Line (Saward): It was Wednesday morning.

Last Line (Saward): But that would remain a secret for quite some time.

Doctor Who: The Nightmare Fair by Graham Williams

First Line: The scream was choked off halfway through, to be followed by hoarse, panting gasps.

Last Line: Peri hesitated for only a moment and then, with a grin, hurried after him.

Doctor Who: Mission to Magnus by Phillip Martin

First Line: ‘Can’t you stop it, Doctor?’ Peri asked for the umpteenth time.

Last Line: In the cave of the Magnii, unobserved by anyone, the old police box faded into the darkness.

Doctor Who: The Ultimate Evil by Wally K. Daly

First Line: There is no total darkness in the universe.

Last Line: Abatan and the guards simply watched with pleasure as the children fell into each other’s arms, and embraced for the whole world to see.

Doctor Who: SlipBack by Eric Saward

First Line: The galaxy of Setna Streen was not unlike our own so-called Milky Way.

Last Line: And Peri wondered what mischief it would lead him into, for it certainly would.

Doctor Who: The Mysterious Planet by Terrance Dicks

First Line: It was a graveyard in space.

Last Line: He was quite looking forward to it.

Doctor Who: Mindwarp by Phillip Martin

First Line: The softly lit oval courtroom was in recess; empty except for the Doctor and a guard.

Last Line: Sitting in the crowd, Peri sometimes wondered what had befallen the Doctor; fortunately, her memories of Thoros-Beta were now mercifully vague and her future with Yrcanos, in her own time and country, made her quite content with the destiny the Time Lords had decreed for her.

Doctor Who: Terror of the Vervoids by Pip & Jane Baker

First Line: At the apex of the cosmic evolutionary scale is the ultimate refinement of creation – a society comprised of Time Lords: beings whose intellectual prowess and agility surpass that of every other creature in the Universe.

Last Line: ‘The charge must now be genocide...’

Doctor Who: The Ultimate Foe by Pip & Jane Baker

First Line: ‘The charge must now be genocide...’

Last Line: After which, this Doctor would never be the same again...

Doctor Who: Time And The Rani by Pip & Jane Baker

First Line: 'Fifty-two . . . fifty-three . . . fifty-'

Last Line: 'Oh, I'll grow on you, Mel. I'll grow on you!'

Doctor Who: Paradise Towers by Stephen Wyatt

First Line: It was Mel who first of all wanted to visit Paradise Towers.

Last Line: And underneath the two words: PEX LIVES.

Doctor Who: Delta and The Bannermen by Malcolm Kholl

First Line: The time traveller known as the Doctor chuckled to himself.

Last Line: And above it all, Mel’s high-pitched laughter.

Doctor Who: Dragonfire by Ian Briggs

First Line: Sergeant Kracauer's words hung mockingly in the frosty air of the Cryogenics Chamber.

Last Line: On a distant planet, the sun was rising on a new day.

Doctor Who: Remembrance of the Daleks by Ben Aaronovitch

First Line: The old man had a shock of white hair pulled back from a broad forehead; startling eyes glittered in a severe high-cheekboned face.

Last Line: ‘Time will tell – it always does.’

Doctor Who: The Happiness Patrol by Graeme Curry

First Line: The woman wanted to die.

Last Line: ‘Happiness will prevail,’ said the Doctor, gently guiding her through the open door of the TARDIS.

Doctor Who: Silver Nemesis by Kevin Clarke

First Line: The closer one travels towards it from the cold silent darkness of infinite space, the more the planet Earth
appears as a backcloth to some small theatrical performance taking place on a limited budget.

Last Line: Then he winked and smiled as, in perfect time, the band began to play.

Doctor Who: The Greatest Show In The Galaxy by Stephen Wyatt

First Line: It had an atmosphere all of its own.

Last Line: ‘I’m afraid,’ he announced, turning back to the others, ‘like Ace here, I have always found circuses a little sinister...’

Doctor Who: Battlefield by Marc Platt

First Line: Three sisters bore him down to the boat.

Last Line: 'You see I’ve just had a job offer it would be hard to turn down...'

Doctor Who: Ghost Light by Marc Platt

First Line: It was hot, the dog days of August.

Last Line: That’s my girl! thought the Doctor proudly, but he said, ‘Wicked!’

Doctor Who: The Curse of Fenric by Ian Briggs

First Line: Every story must have a beginning, a middle and an end.

Last Line: And what happened after that, we shall never know, because every story must have a beginning, middle, and [END].

Doctor Who: Survival by Rona Munro

First Line: It was an ordinary Sunday in Perivale.

Last Line: Arm in arm they walked away.

Doctor Who: Lost in the Dark Dimension by David Agnew

First Line: In the dying hours of that terrible day, the blood-hued sun sank into the bleak horizon like a bursting boil.

Last Line: It was the face of Professor Oliver Hawkspur.

Doctor Who: The Enemy Within by Gary Russell

First Line: The Doctor was lonely.

Last Line: ‘Or at least, somewhere that does a decent pot of tea.’

Doctor Who: Rose by Russell T Davies/Christopher Stilson

First Line: Bernie Wilson was a guilty man.

Last Line: Then she ran towards the rest of her life.

First Line (Stilson): There are worlds out there where the sky is burning, and the sea's asleep, and the rivers dream.

Last Line (Stilson): As Mickey stood watching, frozen with shock, the blue box vanished, taking Rose with it.

Doctor Who: The Christmas Invasion by Jenny T. Colgan

First Line: There is a moment: a terrible moment, when you wake up, and you suddenly realise, to your panic, that you’ve missed something.

Last Line: And as the old year turned and a new year began, the Earth would hold its breath.

Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor by Steven Moffat

First Line: Oh, sorry, I’m early. You can skip this bit.

Last Line: So it was me who set off across the muddy battlefield towards the TARDIS, but it was the Doctor who opened the door, stepped inside, and slammed it shut behind her.

Doctor Who: Twice Upon A Time by Paul Cornell

First Line: It was hopeless, to begin with.

Last Line: Towards her future.

The New Doctor pt 2

After the disastrous press launch came close to making The New Doctor the most hated programme on television before a second had screened, it was widely-assumed that the show would sink without trace before its nine-week slot was up. On the contrary, ratings were immediately acceptable and rapidly improved thanks to the praise of Vienna, 1913. Were most of the viewers actually outraged fans watching the bastardization of their precious Doctor Who with a morbid sadistic desire to see it fail? Quite probably, but the fact was people were watching The New Doctor and talking about it. In fact, the audience share hadn't been beaten by Doctor Who since the first episode of Attack of the Cybermen some eight years previously - a fact that the production team wisely refused to allow Ian Levine to comment about in public.

While hardly a ratings smash, The New Doctor fulfilled all the BBC's requirements. It was widely-viewed and known, cost the corporation virtually nothing, shut up whining voices from the public and gave BBC Enterprises an excuse to charge gullible fans for merchandise featuring David Burton's character. That last fact was the turning point and, since more episodes meant more merchandise, the series was renewed.

The exact details of the nightmare of production weren't clearly known at the time, but everyone whispered that Barry Letts had been driven to a near nervous breakdown by the incompetence and inefficiency of Millennium Films. Aware of how lucky they'd been to get any actual episodes from this satanic mill, the BBC decided to play it safe for once. Making seven new episodes had almost destroyed the production team, but maybe six could be achieved with slightly less suffering and human misery?

With part two of Volcano already in the can to launch season two, Barry Letts wished everyone luck and immediately abandoned the project. He parted on good terms with all and might have been persuaded to stay longer, but Terrance Dicks insisted his friend leave for health reasons. Another year of The New Doctor could kill him. Dicks offered to take over script editor roles and become a production advisor to the show, easing their burden while they tried to find another producer.

Levine, still determined that The New Doctor be produced by the cream of 1970s Doctor Who production team sought out a replacement in Philip Hinchcliffe and also David Maloney. In order to prevent the chaotic overload that had almost destroyed Letts, it was decided Hinchcliffe and Maloney would produce two stories apiece and no more - a two-part story and a one-part story. The production team (and Levine in particular) also agreed to follow Letts' advice about less last-minute-changes and spontaneous inspiration for the second season.

Jenny and Judy Lannister were keen to leave the series, finding the pace of production and indeed acting in general not to their taste. Burton was eager for them to stay for the whole season, killed off one by one for dramatic reasons, but Bernard and Maloney (who would be overseeing the first three episodes) decided to make a clean break and have them leave together in a single episode. Levine argued they should have a two-part story featuring the twins between the end of Volcano and their departure to give it more impact, ideally explaining who the twins were and how they met the Doctor. The abandoned fifth story of the previous season, The Pirates of Penance, had been developed enough that it would be easier to complete it rather than go for something entirely new.

The pirate story originally focused on some 23rd Century space pirates ending up in the Caribbean of the 17th Century and resuming their raids. Maloney disliked that idea, as stranded time travelers causing trouble on Earth had already been seen in The Monsters of Ness, Vienna, 1913 and Volcano. While Levine insisted the precedent of the 'base-under-siege' era of the Troughton years, he was overruled. It was decided that a split narrative, similar to the different time zones of 1983's Mawdryn Undead, be deployed - The Pirates of Penance would thus end up being its own sequel, with flashbacks to show the space pirates in space and also the Doctor meeting the twins for the first time. Burton suggested the idea of this being his "first" story and he should wear a different outfit, and also show the TARDIS assuming the shape of a red phone box for the first time.

Aware of how the Sontarans had improved the production and reception of Murder in Space, Maloney and Bernard suggested another distinctive monster be added to the script. They had made contact with the estates of Robert Holmes and Malcolm Hulke, as well as Terrance Dicks himself, so bringing back their creations was possible. After much discussion, it was agreed the Autons would be the best bet. They would require limited make-up or alteration to the pirate angle, while also giving an interesting angle to the twins - their somewhat stilted acting could now be explained by their being advanced Nestene duplicates who, like the twins in real life with Burton, had learned to be more convincing during their travels with the Doctor.

With Autons only requiring an energy sphere prop and some arm cannons, there was some extra money going around. Dicks suggested they use this to create a spaceship set for the space pirate section of the story, but it would be a standing set that could be customized to any spaceship in future stories - and such a development would be bound to occur, especially if there was another Time Parasite style bottle episode.

The rewrites on The Pirates of Penance were carried out by Dicks and staff writer Evan Wales, with a naval historical reenactment group providing them with the galleon and trade vessels to film upon and some eager re-enactors to play pirates and crew. To keep costs down, only two speaking parts would be involved - Club the pirate leader and the captain of the trade ship. Unfortunately the actor playing the captain was unable to attend the first day's recording and so a hasty rewrite had the scene where he first meets the TARDIS crew changed to the Doctor and the twins discussing it after the fact. Another change was to disguise Club until the cliffhanger, thus allowing a trained stunt performer to do the swashbuckling fight scenes.

All in all, the first production block on location went surprisingly smoothly with no required remounts and few retakes required. Many joked at the irony Barry Letts had gone just as they'd worked out how to do this sort of thing properly, and all the changes carried out seemed to have worked out for the best. Maloney admitted keeping Burton's ad-libs under control was just as difficult as he had been warned, but all in all the filming had been a fun and professional venture.

But this was to change, suddenly and terribly, when they returned to their offices to film in studio for the flashback-space-pirate sequences that made the other half of the story. Although the material with the twins meeting the Doctor and their Auton nature was more-or-less intact in the script, Levine had decided to grant Maloney a bombshell similar to suddenly bringing back the Sontarans and the Draconians last year (said bombshell being the one that triggered Letts' horrific breakdown). It seemed that Levine considered these fait accomplis generous presents, because otherwise even he would have baulked at this sudden, unexpected change of plans.

Rather than the group of generic space pirates the script called for, Levine had managed to contact and secure the services of the actors Paul Darrow, Michael Keating and Glynis Barber to reprise their roles from Blake's 7 a decade earlier. Not only would this be a crossover between Doctor Who and Blake's 7, it would also resolve the infamous cliffhanger ending of the latter show and possibly be a back-door pilot to bring back Blake's 7 as part of Levine's overall desire to restore the golden age of British science fiction as he had promised at the press conference last year.

Maloney, who had worked on and enjoyed Blake's 7, was nonetheless dumbstruck at the idea of restructuring the plot so three generic space thugs with minimal dialogue could be parts worthy of the time and effort of his stars. Everyone agreed this sort of abrupt idea was precisely the chaos Levine was supposed to have given up, and he had almost derailed Pirates in the middle of actually making it, even worse than his similar antics in Vienna, 1913. Thankfully, Maloney and the cast knew their characters and the basics of space opera well-enough to help improvise this new plot so it would not be a total disaster, though a lot of the twins' background scenes would have to be brutally edited to give the ex-Scorpio crew a chance to be established.

Everyone was so overwhelmed dealing with Levine's gratuitous change to the story that they didn't actually check with him that this was legal. Unlike the Autons or the deal they'd had with the BBC to use the Doctor, there was absolutely no discussion with Terry Nation or Chris Boucher about using characters and situations from Blake's 7. None of the lawyer-friendly ambiguity of Volcano was called-upon, meaning they were begging to be sued for infringing copyright.

Ian Levine had learned nothing from the previous year. He'd overturned a story in the middle of production, demanded huge script rewrites and introduced characters, and gone out of his way to put The New Doctor in the cross-hairs of litigation.

And this time, Barry Letts wasn't around to save them.

Suffice it to say, it took a surprisingly long time for the penny to drop. No one working at Millennium Films actually thought Ian Levine was stupid, and the idea he'd be dumb enough to demand a Blake's 7 crossover without squaring it with Terry Nation first simply didn't occur to anyone. They just assumed he'd misspoken and any relevant paperwork had been lost; a problem, yes, but hardly the cataclysm it could be.

It was only as work began on the next story, Heartbreak, that the penny struck and the truth was realized. Given it was so late in the day to deal with the crisis that the "right royal bollocking" lined up for Levine was put on the back burner as the production team for the first and second parts of the season united to deal with the crisis.

There were several options, quickly outlined.

Firstly, they'd just not screen The Pirates of Penance at all. While this was the safest bet to avoid litigation, it would also prove to be a gigantic waste of resources and also leave the season two episodes short at next to no notice.

Secondly, they could use the standing set of the Penance spaceship and refilm the scenes with the Doctor, Serge and the Quartet with none of the B7 characters. In this, the Doctor would be the one to open and then close the box. This was the more attractive option but it came with a problem of the story now under-running by at least fifteen minutes, so the only option was to film new scenes and then re-edit Pirates into a single episode, cutting out a lot of material the cast and crew were pleased with (in particular the cheerful hanged Auton pirate). Again, The New Doctor would now be an episode short.

The third, riskiest option, was to perform a brisk ADR edit of the story. Due to the nature of the plot, the characters of Avon, Vila et all had been careful not to mention their names out aloud and risk being recognized. Indeed, there was a scene where Soolin refused to give her name to the Doctor. With some careful cuts, none of the B7 characters would identity themselves on screen. References to Blake himself were cut and as many references to the Federation were changed to "empire". With all prepublicity referring to Blake's 7 dropped from previews and trailers, it might just be possible to smuggle Pirates out as they had Volcano, with no official use of other's intellectual property but easily-enjoyed by the audience.

Ironically, they might well have got away with it if it weren't for Paul Darrow.

Darrow had thoroughly-enjoyed filming The Pirates of Penance and liked the idea of this being a backdoor pilot to a Blake's 7 revival. As such, he rang his close friend Terry Nation to get his thoughts on the matter. Nation, like many others, assumed that some communication breakdown had occurred because no one would be stupid enough to film a B7 story without getting his permission. Likewise assuming this was a simple misunderstanding, Darrow direction Nation to Millennium Films.

Nation had worked closely with Hinchcliffe, Maloney and Dicks before, which meant that the inevitable discussions was reasonably cordial. Nation was understandably astonished at this theft of his work; it was reasonable for some newbie on Doctor Who to assume they could use Daleks freely, but to copy another TV series? (Nation, for his part, believed that Doctor Who and Blake's 7 occurred in the same "universe", as did Chris Boucher, star Gareth Thomas and even Tom Baker so he was not against the idea of a crossover per se). After lengthy discussions, it eventually boiled down to admitting Ian Levine had caused the entire problem.

Nation was a reasonable man and, learning the awkward situation The New Doctor was in, was disposed to be generous. In return for a nominal fee and an on-screen credit, the edited version of Pirates could be screened as was. However, for any future repeats or VHS sales they would have to either remove any B7 material or provide Nation with double his fee. This would deeply cut into Millennium Films' meager profits but given Nation was well within his rights to destroy them in court, everyone agreed this was was the best possible outcome and sincerely thanked Nation for his kindness.

Everyone, that is, except Ian Levine.

Terry Nation was well known for his easy-going charm and good humor (which many remarked was how he was able to recycle his scripts without comment) and generally quite popular with his co-workers. This amiability had made the whole confrontation halfway bearable and it's fair to say even if he had refused to aid them, there would have been no hard feelings from Hinchcliffe et all.

So when Levine started spewing hatred and vitriol for Nation the moment he left, it was a shock to all. A lovely generous man had given them a second chance they didn't deserve and now Levine was bad-mouthing him? Did he not realize just how close his own recklessness had come to destroying The New Doctor?

Levine revealed to the astonished production crew it was no absent-minded mistake to use Blake's 7 without permission. He had done it deliberately. He was of the firm belief that cameoing in The New Doctor would kick-start a new series of Blake's 7, part of the overall "new golden age" Levine saw for the BBC in the 1990s. The revenue of such a series would mach the already-wealthy Nation richer still, and for him to come demanding money for them doing him a favor was the height of selfishness! Had they not done more to bring back Avon and his crew in a single month's production than Nation had managed in over a decade? As far as Levine was concerned, Nation had abdicated any responsibility for the franchise and should be grateful The New Doctor was willing to have anything to do with him!

David Burton found himself acting as peacemaker once again, trying to explain to Levine that he couldn't make such risky decisions without informing the rest of them, but Levine stubbornly insisted there was no point having this argument before filming as that would have meant they'd never had filmed it in the first place. This was a fait accompli, and if he let anyone else have a say he might very well not have his own way.

Until now, Levine's endearing enthusiasm had easily balanced out how much of a burden he was on production but to Maloney and Hinchcliffe this enfant terrible was on the verge of ruining everything. Already with a dim view following Letts' breakdown and Paul Bernard's eagerness to quit, they began to seriously discuss quitting on the spot before they had to deal with any more problems. Maloney, half-way through his final episode, decided to finish the course but Hinchcliffe was wary of even starting work on his own stories knowing that Levine might start ambushing them.

An air of distrust and paranoia had settled over the Millennium Films studio office, one that after a few days seemed unwarranted. Work progressed on Heartbreak without incident and Levine's suggestions were minor and, if not accepted, at least considered reasonable enough to consider. Maybe Levine had got whatever it was out of his system? Even Hinchcliffe began to relax and set up work for his Sontaran episode.

And then Levine suggested the new ending to Heartbreak.

And nothing would ever be the same.

Jenny and Judy Lannister were telegenic, photogenic and popular with cast and crew but alas this did not make them good actresses. After their poor, stilted and wooden performance in The Monsters of Ness the twins were almost abandoned right away when Barry Letts took over, only for David Burton to insist his companions continue to be used. In a compromise, they were deliberately sidelined or left in the TARDIS in the rest of the series. The Lannister twins made an effort at acting lessons with Burton during production and improved to the point Letts agreed to bring them to the forefront in his epic Volcano. Judy Lannister was judged to be the better of the pair, and worked best with the deadpan sarcasm of Diamond, so she was generally given the most material.

That said, the twins were not keen to do a second series and requested to leave. Burton himself wanted to stagger their departures, so one twin would be the sole companion (and, Heart or Diamond, would be played by the twin who could act), but they requested to leave together in the same story. Thus, after completing their origin tale The Pirates of Penance, they would depart in a one episode story. The production team were keen to bring back the evil Doctor character of Mr. V, and Burton thought his return could establish him as a dangerous ongoing enemy by killing the twins.

Terrance Dicks and Paul Bernard objected to this idea; for all their faults the twins were a huge part of The New Doctor's family appeal and killing them both off would alienate their child audience, as well as provoke a darker and nihilistic attitude to the show. By making the companions victims and the Doctor unable to protect his charges, why would anyone want to keep watching? Levine protested, insisting that sparing the twins would undermine the drama, citing the death and revival of Peri in The Trial of a Time Lord as a cheap ploy - but, having just caused all sorts of trouble undoing the "kill them all" ending to Blake's 7, had no real credibility left.

After discussions with Burton and the twins, Dicks suggested the story have Mr. V kill one of the twins and the other choosing to leave the TARDIS. Depending on the public reaction, there could be a sequel where the surviving twin returned and used Mr. V's resurrection casket to bring her dead sister back to life. Current producer David Maloney believed the best choice would be Mr. V killing Heart to punish Diamond for her earlier betrayal, as Judy would be the better actress to portray the grief.

Moving on to the issue of Mr. V, Dicks noted they could not do the character justice in a single-episode story and thus the best use of the villain would be to reintroduce him as someone dangerous without acting as a criminal mastermind. As the original Citizen Vise was a dark version of the Third Doctor, a charming but desperate man eager to escape the Earth at any cost, this new Mr. V would reflect the Fourth Doctor - a mercurial bohemian eager to explore the universe. Inspired by stories like City of Death and The Leisure Hive, Dicks proposed they would find Mr. V on a tourist group on an alien planet with no ulterior motive, but his character providing plenty of comic material as he researched local culture better than any professionals. His likable behavior would make his abrupt murder of Heart all the more shocking.

Casting Mr. V was initially difficult until writer Alex Sorne suggested Stephen Fry based on recently seeing him as Mr. Poofarty in a repeat of episode two of Filthy, Rich & Catflap, an eccentric artist in a long coat, hat, scarf and curly hair. Fry, a fan of science fiction and good friends with Douglas Adams, was flattered to be asked but initially uncomfortable at being "asked to play Tom Baker". However, he was intrigued by the idea of a villain not being villainous and the scene with the death of the tour guide persuaded him. He agreed to play the part for one episode, understanding he would be killed off at the end like Ian McKellan's Vise in Volcano. Fry also did some research and ad-libbed some quoted lines from Baker episodes he thought would be appropriate (his mocking "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" to the twins was from The Android Invasion, for example). Fry also suggested that Mr. V carry one-sided conversations with the primords as the Fourth Doctor would with K9.

For once, filming went off without incident. 90 per cent of the story was recorded on location requiring nothing more than a few glass-painted mattes and model shots for the temple and Mr. V's mausoleum. To suggest the alien space setting, one of the tourists was made a Draconian (reusing the mask from Secret of the Sontarans) and the two primord actors doubled up as the medics summoned by the tour guide at the climax. The standing set for the mausoleum and the Victoria android were still around following Volcano (footage of which was reused to show the "sleeping" primords without rehiring any actors). A new set was constructed for the temple itself, which was put alongside the Penance spaceship flats as something to be reused in future stories.

Levine himself kept generally out of the way during production and his last-minute demand was simply to record an extra scene as a climax to the story - this would see the Doctor land the TARDIS in the mausoleum to check Mr. V had perished. Mr. V would open his eyes and attack the Doctor, and in the fight the doors would open and both would be sucked out into the time vortex in a cliffhanger ending.

As the remaining three episodes had yet to be finalized, and with Philip Hinchcliffe as producer, the assumption was this change was help synch up with the next story along and, given the request was relatively reasonable, work began on the climax. However, Dicks turned up during rehearsal and demanded everything stop as Levine was following his own secret - and deranged - agenda.

Levine's opinion on David Burton had been see-sawing ever since 1991, swinging between total support and admiration to distaste for the actor's vaudeville acting style and arrogance on set. Throughout the last series, Levine had commented that Burton was wrong for the part and should be replaced. This time round he had likewise complained to Maloney and Hinchcliffe, wanting their support in replacing Burton for a new actor who "would have talent that matched his ego". Levine had also come to the conclusion that Burton was actually damaging The New Doctor with his public feud with Sylvester McCoy, and insisted it was Burton rather than his own comments at the press launch that had turned Who fandom against the show.

Confronted by Dicks on the studio floor, Levine calmly confessed that the new scene for Heartbreak was indeed an attempt to get rid of Burton without him noticing, "for the good of the series". Levine intended the next episode to begin with Fry arriving at the setting of the new story with it initially unclear if he was Mr. V or a regenerated Ninth Doctor, a gimmick that would leave audiences guessing for the rest of the season. Heartbreak would thus clear all the regulars and set up from the previous year, much as The War Games had cleared the decks in 1969.

However, Levine hadn't actually bothered to tell anyone of this plan. Fry himself was annoyed Levine had assumed he would automatically drop everything at a moment's notice to become the new lead, or that he would want to take part in such an unstable and back-stabbing work environment. Hincliffe, Dicks and Bernard were furious Levine was trying to tear the show apart worse than he'd ever done before, getting rid of the main star without their knowledge, consent or even replacement. Coupled with the lawsuit over Blake's 7 and two years of building resentment and dislike, Levine had burnt his last bridge and was ordered off-set. His insistence that The New Doctor was dependent on his finance was ignored and Hinchcliffe went to the BBC to demand they do something about this catastrophe.

While production on Heartbreak was completed in a timely in sombre fashion, the rest of the season - and any future seasons - were now entirely up in the air. Everyone agreed that the Lannister twins had wisely got out of The New Doctor while the going was good and the rest waited to learn what, if anything, would happen next...

Despite having arguably the smoothest production process of the series, the last studio recording of Heartbreak had been without doubt the worst Millennium Films had ever seen. David Burton and Stephen Fry were on set to film a cliffhanger ending to the story when script-production supervisor Terrance Dicks burst in to reveal this final scene was a spontaneous invention of Ian Levine to get rid of Burton and make Fry the replacement.

No one else in the production team had okayed or even discussed this crucial decision, certainly not Hinchcliffe who would thus be in charge of the next Doctor's first story. Burton was astonished at Levine's betrayal, especially the idea of the executive producer thinking he could fire the lead man without lead man noticing. Levine was utterly unrepentant, insisting all Doctors must relinquish the role for the good of the show and Burton's theatrical vaudevillian style was doing The New Doctor more harm than good. Levine even said that Burton should never have been the Doctor and if he'd had his way would replaced him after The Monsters of Ness.

Burton wasn't the only one shocked at this admission. After working together for three years, no one suspected Levine wanted rid of his leading man. Either Levine had been lying to them all since the beginning or he was lying now. More immediate in his outrage was Stephen Fry. Levine had assumed he'd take over the show without even being asked, and seemed to think Fry would want to work for the unprofessional backstabber wrecking filming before his very eyes. Levine waspishly retorted that Fry would never get a better offer; he was, in Levine's opinion, a charisma-free pretentious straight man riding on Ben Elton's coat tails and would never amount to anything on his own merits.

Fry left the studio without bothering to reply and did not return. Though it seemed he didn't give Levine a second thought, his comedy partner Hugh Laurie later revealed Fry was very upset by the experience and was left very depressed. There had been a plan to do numerous skits in the current series of A Bit of Fry and Laurie referring to Fry's role in The New Doctor, hopefully to be shown the same week as Heartbreak, but Fry asked not to perform them. For the record, these "lost sketches" are

- one of the secret service skits with Fry as Control and Laurie as Tony Murchison, in which Control's evil identical brother briefly swapped careers, with Control now engaged in intergalactic conquest while the scarf-and-hat-wearing Control (the twins had the same name because no one could tell them apart) redecorated the secret service and painted an erotic mural in oils

- a skit where Fry answers the door to find Laurie has discovered "a translocation podule" that allows him to travel in time to the giddying regions of up to six minutes in the past and future, with a future-Laurie in a space suit, a past-Laurie in a tricorn hat and a current-Laurie clueless as to what's going on pester Fry about borrowing his script for The New Doctor

- a 'hard man' skit about reluctant secret agent Major Alan Tarrant (Laurie) meeting his superior, the Admiral (Fry) to discuss internal corruption of their Department in a red phone box on a street corner which was clearly the TARDIS. Tarrant's attempts to discover why the box is bigger on the inside is continually sidetracked by the Admiral's tailor trying to make increasingly personal questions about the Admiral's inside leg measurement

- a skit where Laurie makes a big deal about The New Doctor and brings on set a bottle of washing up liquid he initially assumes is one of Fry's co-stars, then a prop, before finally guessing it's the executive producer.

Back at Millennium Films, things were going from bad to worse. Levine declared that it was inefficient for the rest of the production to waste time arguing with him when his decisions would always ultimately be taken and also inevitably were incredibly successful. Levine, after all, had set up Millennium Films. His unorthodox decision to film a whole story had got the BBC interested; his determination to put a robot in Vienna, 1913 made it a success; his decision to put the Sontarans in Murder in Space got a bigger audience; he'd singlehandedly helped write Time Parasite and his determination to explore the concept of the Valeyard led directly to Volcano. Levine believed he had a one hundred per cent success rate in wild ideas that had made The New Doctor far more popular than Doctor Who had been in more than a decade. Why, therefore, should they pretend otherwise?

Maloney was utterly disgusted by this arrogance and reaffirmed his decision to leave and never come back as soon as work on his episode was over. He was not the only ones to make that decision, most notably the Lannister twins. This was quite a red flag to all present - the Lannister twins and Levine often chatted about music between takes and it was joked they kept each other busy allowing the professionals to get work done. But after Levine's new world order speech, they specifically requested to Burton that they not be left alone with him as he had "gone creepy". It was probably this rather than anything else that started rumors Levine had actually gone insane.

Hinchcliffe made only a token attempt to reason with Levine, pointing out that it was not only impractical but disrespectful to play games with the production team and work behind their backs in secret. All Levine had achieved was to alienate Burton when they had no one else to play the Doctor and lose the trust of the cast and crew. Hinchcliffe compared Levine's success to the anecdote about Clive of India's failed suicide attempt. Some saw the convenient failures of Clive's pistol a sign of divine intervention, Hinchcliffe saw it as someone trying to kill themselves. In short, Levine hadn't made The New Doctor a success, he'd just failed to destroy it yet.

Dicks decided to halt the day's production and send everyone home in the hope things would calm down. Hinchcliffe instead went to the BBC directly to speak with Jonathan Powell in brutally frank terms. The BBC wanted money from Doctor Who's revenue and to get that, The New Doctor needed to be broadcast on cue. To do that, they needed to get Ian Levine under control. Hinchcliffe revealed that, unlike the first season, the contracts for the second season of The New Doctor gave the production team a "suicide clause" - they could prevent the BBC from showing any of their episodes. True, this would effectively destroy Millennium Films under breach of contract, but the cost to the BBC and in particular their Doctor Who marketing during 1993 would be worse.

So, either the BBC would step in to deal with Levine or else they would take a hit right where it hurt... in the wallet. Powell pointed out that Millennium Films was an independent company and the BBC had no authority over it; Hinchcliffe could force their hand, but what were they supposed to do?

Hinchcliffe outlined his plans. The Coast-to-Coast de Laurentis film had been stuck in development hell since the late 1980s and no actual movie was coming. If they hadn't started filming in six months, the BBC would withdraw the rights to Doctor Who... and transfer them over to The New Doctor. It would be too late for the rest of this season, but any third one would truly be Doctor Who, free to use the name, the theme tune, the police box and everything else. This so-called spin off would finally be the real thing.

On condition that Ian Levine stopped trying to ruin everything in the meantime.

Powell agreed it was a gambit that would cost the BBC little and boost merchandise sales for Doctor Who's thirtieth anniversary but it all depended on Ian Levine putting his beloved show before his own ego. While Hinchcliffe got the go ahead to make the offer to Levine, there was no guarantee he'd accept it.

And if he didn't?

Thus it was decided that unless Levine could control himself, The New Doctor would be axed. The three new episodes would be shown along with repeats of Time Parasite and all of Volcano to fit the time slots agreed. The BBC, it seemed, would win either way.

Hinchcliffe returned to the production office to give Levine the ultimatum...

The atmosphere at Millennium Films was usually an exhausted, adrenaline-fueled enthusiasm but today the air was full of bitterness and resentment. While opinion on Levine had seesawed over the years, generally around 'endearing idiot', but the discovery he had hated all their work and was secretly plotting behind their backs had soured the experience forever. Had this revelation occurred in the previous season, there was a high chance everyone would have downed tools, walked out and never come back... but that was when The New Doctor was an uncertain, confused mess. Now it was a (mildly) respected part of the BBC schedule with some (contested) credibility. No longer the nice idea to put aside the weekend for, the crew had invested themselves in the new series which meant most of them had no choice but to stay around.

Phillip Hinchcliffe did not, however. This luxury allowed him to hold a production meeting where he confront Levine about his behavior and the damage it was doing to the show. In short, Hinchcliffe refused to work on a single scene unless Levine guaranteed not to meddle, alter, adjust, improvise or otherwise sabotage production. The fact Levine was going behind everyone's backs showed he knew he had neither the moral high ground nor the majority view of his decisions, and certainly he was lacking any of the Plan Bs necessary - there was no point getting rid of Burton without a replacement, after all. Whatever divine insight Levine had about how to guide the show, he needed others to actually make it happen and be broadcast.

Hinchcliffe noted that while he could leave today, there was no other producer in the pipeline to replace him. There were no scripts written, actors cast. Levine simply couldn't afford to keep causing trouble; right now, it would be as easy for the BBC to axe the show and go for repeats as it was to wait for another three episodes. In short, Levine was going to destroy the series before he got it the way he wanted it.

Finally, the offer was to made to make Levine's "exile" worth it - to legally and morally turn The New Doctor into Doctor Who. The legitimization that everyone involved in the show, not just Levine, had craved since day one. Levine quietly asked some sensible questions to clarify the situation and clear up some points.

And then he said no. Directly and clearly and emphatically, no.

Why, Levine asked, should he be bribed with something he didn't want? The New Doctor showed that the true power of Doctor Who did not exist in logos, theme music, police boxes or old monsters. It had forced them to throw aside these crutches and stand on their own two feet, and tower over the last decade or so of Doctor Who while at it. Levine insisted that they did not need to go backwards, crawling back to a failed franchise that did not appreciate them.

Having worked with Levine for several years, pretty much everyone present declared he was talking crap. He had gone on at length about his fan theories and his desires to animate lost episodes, complete Shada, adapt a script by Robert Holmes that no one could prove ever existed. This was a man who would one day hire Sylvester McCoy at great expense to film a single scene he could put in front of a fan film about the Yeti. For Levine to not want the full rights to Doctor Who either was proof he had lost his mind or proof he thought everyone present was a moron who wouldn't notice this huge out-of-character moment. Then again, they would have said the same at claims he hated Burton and all the episodes they'd released so far.

Hinchcliffe, having confirmed the situation was irretrievable, invited to take everyone for a pint to commiserate the show's doom. Hinchcliffe and several others had loopholes in their contract so they could leave with some of their pay, but not everyone was fortunate. While everyone bar Levine went to the pub with Hinchcliffe, a lot of them were forced to return.

Among them, David Burton and Terrance Dicks. Burton was still under contract, and also dreaded the idea of being a Doctor cut short at thirteen episodes, less than a single McCoy season. If The New Doctor was axed, Burton would be blamed in the eyes of the public and he was desperate to avoid that. Dicks, meanwhile, could leave but chose not to. He felt a level of responsibility for the show, which his friend Barry Letts had put so much work into. The ship was sinking, they might as well at least try to bail it out before it went under.

Despite his dismissive claims, Hinchcliffe had actually done a fair bit of work on his episodes with several script outlines, tentative casting and proposed budgets. It was thus possible to at least complete the fourth episode of the series, pitting Burton's Doctor once more against the Sontarans. But it would be very difficult, and they would be at the constant whim of Ian Levine who remained in his office, smiling serenely.

After getting the rights to Robert Holmes' popular monsters and creating the costumes and props to explore their home world in The Secret of the Sontarans, it was inevitable The New Doctor would bring the potato-headed aliens back for its sophomore year. Terrance Dicks had been impressed with Secret's portrayal of the clone race and its culture, and wanted to do another story exploring the complexities of the Sontaran/Rutan War. This would see the Doctor apparently aiding the Rutans but actually ensuring the war remained in a stalemate with neither side gaining the advantage - in this case, a wormhole portal to the Rutan home world hidden on a primitive planet that worshiped Rutans as their gods.

This story, The Shining Ones, was pencilled in when there was a potential for a thirteen-episode season with longer stories. When the BBC okayed six episodes only, with three of those to be dedicated to Mister V, The Shining Ones was dropped. Dicks worked on a two-part story, The Return of the Sontarans, which would be a reworking of his own Horror of Fang Rock - a claustrophobic mystery with a group of characters of different social classes and agendas with a Rutan hiding among them. This time they would trapped aboard a spaceship rather than an Edwardian lighthouse and a Sontaran taskforce would be on hand to find the Rutan, echoing the "police procedural" of The Secret of the Sontarans.

Again, the idea had to be abandoned. The structure of the season allowed only one episode for the Sontaran story, hardly enough room to develop the characters, mystery or tension of the plot. Also, the 'space piracy' theme was too similar in setting and characters to the B7 sequences in The Pirates of Penance. Dicks would later use the ideas for both The Return of the Sontarans and The Shining Ones in Shakedown, the direct-to-video fan film and subsequent New Adventures novelization. Right here and now, though, the situation was in deadly earnest.

Working with the remaining production team, Dicks tried to work out just what they were capable of making at all. Though Ian Levine seemed to be leaving them alone, this would by no means be an easy task to make a one episode story with no script, no confirmed budget, no producer and a quarter of the crew having quit. Thus it was decided to work the Sontaran episode over what resources and strengths Millennium Films still possessed.

Without proper sets or designers, the best bet was to do another story on location. The quiet village in the Lake District they had used for Monsters of Ness was suggested - the locals had welcomed them last time and been pleased for their TV exposure. The cast and crew would know their way around and possibly get some discounts for a film shoot there. Dicks thought about getting the locals to actually be in the story for some dialogue-free sequences, and from this came up with a B-Movie slasher type idea of two teens making out in a car only be attacked by a Sontaran. While not high art, it was a novel and unique angle to base a single-episode story on.

The decision soon followed to make the plot revolve around a single Sontaran - this meant they could film multiple scenes with different Sontaran costumes in different locations, and also they would not be required to use the distinctive choreography of their previous appearance. This would also re-establish the threat of a single Sontaran, as per their first appearances in The Time Warrior and The Sontaran Experiment.

It was thus agreed that the episode would now focus on a lone Sontaran warrior terrorizing a small town with lots of scenes and set-pieces requiring minimal improvised dialogue. The B-plot would effectively be the Doctor and a few actual actors discussing the plot and working a way to restore it. Dicks had often compared the Sontarans to mythical trolls in his Target novelizations, and he liked the idea that the Sontaran had entered local folklore. Deciding that the Sontaran had, for whatever reason, chose to defend the village from enemies, Dicks reasoned that over the centuries townsfolk had summoned the troll to smite down their enemies. But the drama would be this time the Sontaran could no longer distinguish the natives from intruders and go on a killing spree.

An abandoned idea was to introduce a new companion to replace Heart and Diamond, but with The New Doctor in such an unstable state no long-term contracts would be viable and it was decided the Doctor would remain alone for this adventure, using one-off characters as a companion as he had previously. Burton was thus eager they should focus on the Doctor's loneliness and sadness over the twins, and suggested that similar heartache lead to the Sontaran being summoned. Dicks liked this idea and overnight had written that plot thread into the script.

Though straightforward, filming was not easy and halfway through filming many of the townsfolk changed their minds and decided not to continue. A new sequence was thus filmed to show the locals hiding indoors from the Sontaran and refusing to give sanctuary to the other characters. A last minute addition (for once, nothing to do with Ian Levine) was when a local historical reenactment society was discovered filming near a local aqueduct and the opening sequence where the "Battle Toad" is summoned to smite down the Norman invaders was added.

Battle Toad, as the episode was ultimately titled, was completed on time and only slightly over-budget. It was a brutal and exhausting experience, but at least there were now four episodes in the can instead of just three. No real preparation had been done for the season finale, but that problem was put on the backburner as Dicks, Burton and the remaining crew discovered that Levine had disappeared without trace.

The disappearance - some might say abduction - of Ian Levine at the start of 1993 is a matter of public record. There has been much debate and discussion on the matter, including some very entertaining but obviously false claims that he was abducted by aliens mistaking him for their own kind.

What is known is that Levine had fallen into a near catatonic state. He remained in his office at Millennium Films, staring blankly ahead as though lost in thought and making little to no attempts to talk with the rest of the production team. After his dismissal of Philip Hinchcliffe and his offer, Levine was not in anyone's good books and was generally avoided while work continued on Battle Toad. Frankly, if anyone noticed his absence, they were probably thankful for small mercies.

While filming for the Sontaran episode was underway, the team members left at the office found Levine's silent contemplation was both distracting and unnerving. It was suggested that someone 'take Levine for a walk' which became the idea of sending him to the Doctor Who exhibition at Blackpool. While it is unclear whether Levine accepted this invitation (assuming he was aware of it) or not, he left the office with three of the junior staff members on a trip to Blackpool with no resistance.

After this things became sketchy. They definitely arrived at the exhibition but after this Levine was separated from the others. It's possible he wandered off on his own, or that he proved to be such unpleasant company they abandoned him. Whatever the cause, Levine ended up handcuffed to the laughing sailor statue without his wallet - which the staffers deny doing, but consider "effing hilarious" and wish they had thought of themselves. The staffers, apparently unable to locate Levine, returned to the office on the assumption the uberfan could get himself home. Again, his absence was more of a boon than a problem and it was not unheard of for even Levine to take days off.

However, he didn't return and when Dicks, Burton and the film crew returned he was missing. A brief investigation was carried out, admittedly not with much enthusiasm, but the Blackpool police soon were able to provide some more news.

Levine's plight had been quickly spotted and he was released from the handcuffs. In his dazed fugue state, it was assumed he didn't speak English and was assumed to be part of a holiday tour group from France. As Levine didn't deny this, he was put with the party who went on the tour bus with the others and returned to Nice. After that, however, was unknown.

It transpires that whatever the intention of the staffers to get him out of their hair, the trip to the seaside seemed to have improved Levine's mental state. He became more lucid and talkative, but unfortunately not before the tour group were back across the Channel and in France. Levine was now aware he should be back in London working on a TV but his attempts to convey this were somewhat lacking as by this time the tour guide had been replaced by one who didn't speak much English.

As a result, Levine was let off in a small coastal town of Mangez Merveillac where an exploitation cannibal movie (Les Cannibales De Calais or Freaky French Flesh-Eaters to give it its US title) was currently underway in production. Levine wandered around the film-site for a while and eventually left, either realizing he was in the wrong place or else being told to sod off for being more creepy and unsettling that the serial-killer man-eating gendarmes on set.

A week later, Levine turned up at the British Embassy in Paris, healthy, apparently with all his faculties returned and eager to get back to Blighty. Due to delays in airflights and some paperwork, he arrived back in England almost two months after he'd first "disappeared". He returned to the offices of Millennium Films to discover them closed for business, with work having wrapped up on series two of The New Doctor. Cast and crew had left in the firm belief the show would not be renewed for a third series, either through the BBC's actions or Levine's. Though there was widespread good cheer that Levine was safe and sound, no one particularly wanted to work with him ever again.

Ian Levine was left shocked at how morale had deteriorated since his breakdown and unwitting sabbatical. Although he had been aware of all the complaints and protests from the production team, they really didn't have faith in his decisions and had called it quits as soon as possible. Levine had burnt all his bridges and now had to choose between trying to make amends with his coworkers, starting from scratch or giving up on his dream of producing Doctor Who altogether.

In the meantime, for better or for worse, season two of The New Doctor was now complete...