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Bloodtide
(Jonathan Morris) |
|
 New writer to
Big Finish Productions, Jonathan Morris, has written this story which is
directed by Gary Russell. "Bloodtide" has Colin Baker, as the Sixth
Doctor, and
Maggie Stables, as
Evelyn
Smythe, meeting the young 19th century naturalist Charles Darwin on the
Galapagos Islands. It was due to be released in June, then May, then June again
but it was finally released in July 2001.
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A
Silurian |
|
This story includes
the long awaited return of the Silurians.
They were created by Malcom Hulk and made their debut
in the Third
Doctor story "Doctor
Who and the Silurians" in 1970.
Their cousins appeared two years later in "The
Sea Devils"
and then, in 1984, both races returned for a final time
in the Fifth Doctor story "Warriors
of the Deep". The
Silurians are different from the many monsters to attempt
to 'invade' the Earth because they are in fact the original
inhabitants long before humans evolved and so are reclaiming
what they see as their home.
Also
starring in "Bloodtide" are: Daniel Hogarth, Helen Goldwyn,
Julian Harries, Jez Fielder, Jane Goddard, Miles Richardson
and George Telfer.
When
Jonathan Morris was asked, by co-producer Gary Russell,
to do an audio with the proviso that it had the Silurians
in it he tried to identify the main principles behind
them, and what made them different as monsters. In an
interview for The Doctor Who Magazine Jonathan Morris
comments:
| "It seemed that they
owned the Earth before Man; were around at the same time as early Man; were
there with the dinosaurs, when the Moon came into orbit… Wherever I
decided to start from, it seemed to be contradicting eight other known fads
about Silurians. So I just chose one of those as a starting point. The other
thing was to see what gaps Malcolm Hulke had skirted around which we could
expand upon. For example, in the original serial, they'd gone into hibernation,
and never woken up. But there's never really been a proper explanation as to
why." |
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| Sixth Doctor |
|
Aeons ago, the prehistoric Earth is dying.
Thunderclouds roll across the skies, cloaking the land in darkness. The seas
crash and boil as the rain turns to acid. With the Earth's surface a poisoned
wasteland, the Earth's current civilisation, the Silurians, are preparing
themselves for survival deep below the surface by placing themselves in
suspended animation. One day they plan to awaken and reclaim their world...
However, before the final Silurians enter their temporary
resting place their leading scientist Tulok finds himself in the Silurian
Justice Chamber and being excluded from the hibernation chambers - but what
crime was so great to cause Tulok to be banished to the surface and to certain
death?
Fortunately for him he is rescued by fellow Silurian, Sh'vak,
but Tulok is determined to seek revenge on those who have destroyed his life's
work. If only Sh'vak knew the price his race would ultimately pay for his
kindness.
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| Maggie Stables |
|
Countless millennia
later the TARDIS
lands on the Galapagos Islands, a desolate outcrop of
rocks shrouded in mist and fear. The Doctor and Evelyn
are not the only new arrivals for the long voyage of HMS
Beagle has reached the newly-established penal colony.
Which means that a very different scientist is on the
Galapagos - a young natural philosopher by the name of
Charles Darwin...
Many dangers
are lying in wait for all those recently arrived by ship
- whether from the Beagle, or the TARDIS. In the settlement
of Baquerizo Moreno, there are rumours that prisoners
have been mysteriously disappearing from the gaol house.
A fisherman has been driven insane by something he saw
in the caves. What terrors lurk beneath the waves? Why
is the gaol house so quiet? Why is the island's Governor
Lawson acting so harshly? Have the local fishermen really
started seeing devils? And what will young Charles Darwin
really discover?
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| The Beagle |
|
When The Doctor learns of the secret of the gaol
house, and also the truth of who the real masters of the colony are, he
realises that the natural course of history is under threat. His concerns
though are nothing compared to those he has when he learns that Tulok's life
work involved genetic modification and that he is responsible for the creation
of the human race. The Doctor also discovers that Tulok was responsible for the
failure of the hibernation units and so the death of the majority of his race -
just for revenge.
But worse is still to come. While trying to prevent Charles
Darwin from learning to much The Doctor has to prevent Tulok from using a
bacteria he has created to reduce the human race now that he has realised that
his creations have multiplied and now populate his world…
|
|
Notes:
- Featuring the Sixth
Doctor, Evelyn
Smythe and the Silurians.
- Serial Number: 7C/D
- Number of Episodes: 4
- Cover Length: 110 minutes
- Episode Lengths: 1 = 30'35", 2 = 29'26", 3 =
26'47", 4 = 30'53"
- This story takes place between "The
Trial of a Time Lord" and "Time
and the Rani".
- Cover Illustration: Clayton Hickman
- Recorded: 31st March and 1st April 2001.
- Recording Location: The Moat Studios
- Released: July 2001
- ISBN: 1-903654-32-7
|
|
On the
Back Cover:
The prehistoric Earth is dying. Thunderclouds roll
across the skies, cloaking the land in darkness. The seas crash and boil as the
rain turns to acid. The remnants of the Silurian race place themselves in
suspended animation, deep below the surface.
One day they
will awaken and reclaim their world…
The TARDIS has
landed on the Galapagos Islands, a desolate outcrop of rocks shrouded in mist
and fear.
In the settlement of Baquerizo Moreno, there are rumours that
prisoners have been mysteriously disappearing from the gaolhouse. A fisherman
has been driven insane by something he saw in the caves. And The Doctor and
Evelyn are not the only new arrivals; there is also a young natural philosopher
by the name of Charles Darwin… |
| |
|
On the Inside
Cover:
Doctor Who is about the monsters. Take the monsters out of
Doctor Who and all you have is a lot of implausibly-costumed people with
strange names arguing with each other. As a child, the reason I watched Doctor
Who was because of the monsters. And the scarier they were, the better.
But
the Silurians are a bit different. Not only are they scaly green reptiles, but
they are scaly green reptiles who have a greater claim to the planet Earth than
we do. Indeed, the whole premise of the Silurian race raises interesting moral
and ethical questions about mankind's place in nature. And that was,
essentially the starting point of this story.
Before I go, a
quick word about historical accuracy. None of the events depicted in this play
happened, but they are nevertheless portrayed with complete accuracy.
|
Jonathan Morris,
March
2001 |
| |
|
Full Cast
List:
| Part One |
| The Doctor |
Colin Baker |
| Evelyn Smythe |
Maggie Stables |
| Tulok |
Daniel Hogarth |
| Sh'vak |
Helen Goldwyn |
| Governor Lawson |
Julian Harries |
| Emilio |
Jez Fielder |
| Greta |
Jane Goddard |
| Charles Dawson |
Miles Richardson |
| Captain Fitzroy |
George Telfer |
| |
|
| Part Two |
| The Doctor |
Colin Baker |
| Evelyn Smythe |
Maggie Stables |
| Greta |
Jane Goddard |
| Lokan |
Jez Fielder |
| Charles Dawson |
Miles Richardson |
| Sh'vak |
Helen Goldwyn |
| Tulok |
Daniel Hogarth |
| Governor Lawson |
Julian Harries |
| Captain Fitzroy |
George Telfer |
| |
|
| Part Three |
| The Doctor |
Colin Baker |
| Evelyn Smythe |
Maggie Stables |
| Captain Fitzroy |
George Telfer |
| Greta |
Jane Goddard |
| Lokan |
Jez Fielder |
| Sh'vak |
Helen Goldwyn |
| Tulok |
Daniel Hogarth |
| Charles Dawson |
Miles Richardson |
| Governor Lawson |
Julian Harries |
| |
|
| Part Four |
| The Doctor |
Colin Baker |
| Evelyn Smythe |
Maggie Stables |
| Charles Dawson |
Miles Richardson |
| Tulok |
Daniel Hogarth |
| Captain Fitzroy |
George Telfer |
| Sh'vak |
Helen Goldwyn |
| Lokan |
Jez Fielder |
The
Production Team:
| Writer |
Jonathan Morris |
| Director |
Gary Russell |
| Sound/Music |
Alistair Lock |
| Theme Music |
Mark Ayres |
| Producers |
Gary Russell and
Jason
Haigh-Ellery |
| Executive Producer for the BBC
|
Jaqueline Rayner |
|
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