 "The Five Doctors" is unique in the history of Doctor Who being the first full-length story containing the return of previous incarnations of The Doctor as well as many former companions including the very first companion Susan. This special story was created to celebrate the show’s twentieth anniversary.
The idea to produce a special story to celebrate this milestone in the show’s history was conceived by Producer John Nathan-Turner and Script Editor Eric Saward as early as 1982 when they approached former Script Editor and writer Robert Holmes to write the script for a story called "The Six Doctors". (Robert Holmes had last written for the show during Season Sixteen, contributing both "The Ribos Operation" and "The Power of Kroll").
The initial plan for "The Six Doctors" was for it to feature the Second through to the Fifth Doctor - alongside a robotic version of the First Doctor (re-cast as William Hartnell had passed away in 1975) and Susan - combating The Master and the Cybermen on the planet Maladoom. In this proposed story each incarnation of The Doctor are lured to the planet Maladoom by The Master and the Cybermen. The Cybermen are trying to determine the element of Time Lord physiology which makes them distinct from all other races, and have selected The Doctor as their guinea pig. To aid them in their ploy, they have created cybernetic versions of the First Doctor and Susan (thereby explaining the recasting of William Hartnell’s role). After defeating the Cybermen, The Doctors must then stop The Master, who has supercharged his TARDIS to create a time paradox which threatens all of time and space.
As a variation on this, Robert Holmes suggested that, instead of drawing all the incarnations to Maladoom, The Master’s time paradox could cause the Fifth Doctor to regress backward through his regenerations. However, this idea would have made the issue of including various companions much trickier. Both ideas though did not progress very far and Robert Holmes dropped out at an early stage and so another former Script Editor, Terrance Dicks (who had last written the 1980 Fourth Doctor story "State of Decay"), was approached to write something from scratch. This resulted in "The Five Doctors". Some elements of Robert Holmes’ original plotline would be reused in "The Two Doctors".
The concept of having a robot with the ability to impersonate others was not new as ironically, the story immediately preceding this one, "The King's Demons", did in fact introduce a robot character, Kamelion, with the ability to impersonate others. However, despite being introduced in that story as a new companion, not only is Kamelion not referenced or seen once in "The Five Doctors", the character disappeared from the show for a full year.
Originally, John Nathan-Turner envisaged celebrating the show’s twentieth anniversary during the programme’s regular season, but was concerned because the revamped schedule (thirteen weeks commencing in January), that was introduced for Season Nineteen, meant that the show would not be on-air during the actually Anniversary week.
Fortunately since John Nathan-Turner became the show’s producer with Season Eighteen, the programme had received a budget sufficient for twenty-eight episodes. For Season Nineteen, two episodes’ worth had been diverted into the 1981 spin-off special "K9 and Company: A Girl's Best Friend", and it was suggested that Season Twenty could similarly run with just twenty-six episodes, with the remaining money held off for the anniversary special which could be shown in November. (In the event, Season Twenty would run only twenty-two episodes when industrial action by the BBC’s electricians union forced the abandonment of its final four-part story).
It was thought that additional funding might come from BBC Enterprises, the commercial wing of the BBC, who reaped considerable benefits from the extremely merchandisable Doctor Who. However, due to tight timescales this proved not to be possible. Luckily it was agreed that the BBC would co-produce this story with the Australian Broadcasting Commission, who had been broadcasting Doctor Who since the Sixties and had already co-produced other science-fiction programmes - like Day of the Triffids and the second season of Tripods - with the BBC. This was the first and only occurrence of this in Doctor Who. Later, the 1996 television movie "Doctor Who: The Movie" and first four seasons, when the show was revived in 2005, would also incorporate non-UK financial support.
As well being co-funded by the Australian Broadcasting Commission funding for this story also came from the cancelled story "The Return" which would have been the original closing four-part story of the Season Twenty ("The Return" was eventually made the following year as "Resurrection of the Daleks").
There was no doubt that following the lead of the tenth anniversary adventure, "The Three Doctors", that "The Five Doctors" should feature a reunion of all the incarnations of The Doctor, along with as many companions as was feasible - and with at least one companion paired up with their original incarnation of The Doctor.
Because William Hartnell, who had played the First Doctor, passed away in 1975, that role would have to be recast. William Hartnell’s widow, Heather was approached and she gave her approval that her husband’s former role being recast for this anniversary special.
The re-casting of the First Doctor went to Richard Hurndall after fan consultant Ian Levine suggested the similarity between him and William Hartnell after seeing Richard Hurndall in the Blake’s 7 story "Assassin". Richard Hurndall was chiefly a radio performer, although he had appeared in numerous plays, films and television shows over the course of his lengthy career, including Whodunnit (with Jon Pertwee) and Bergerac.
As a pre-credits hook a clip, of William Hartnell, was used from his farewell speech to Susan in episode six of the 1964 Story "The Dalek Invasion of Earth". Video Effects Designer Dave Chapman elected to give this clip a rose tint, so that the transition from monochrome to colour would be less jarring.
Originally, Tom Baker and Lalla Ward were approached to be part of this story. But Tom Baker refused to take part in this story as he believed that it had been too short a span of time since he had left Doctor Who to permit a return appearance (a decision. it has since been revealed, that he regretted).
Originally, it was the Fourth Doctor, with Romana, who travelled to the Capitol, while the Fifth Doctor, with Tegan Jovanka, went on to the Dark Tower and the First Doctor remained behind in the TARDIS with Susan and Vislor Turlough. Terrance Dicks had also included a subplot casting suspicion on the Fourth Doctor as the villain of the piece, since he felt Tom Baker’s incarnation was the most likely to ‘go bad’.
To ensure that the Fourth Doctor still had a presence clips, of the Fourth Doctor and Romana, from the un-transmitted Season Seventeen story "Shada" were used. Both Tom Baker and Lalla Ward consented to the use of these segments, and so Terrance Dicks devised the subplot of the two of them being trapped in a time eddy to explain the Fourth Doctor’s absence from the main action.
Ironically, Tom Baker’s decision not to participate in this story resolved another problem facing Terrance Dicks. As it transpired, none of the Second Doctor’s companions were available to play a major role in the production. Michael Craze (who played Ben Jackson) and Anneke Wills (who played Polly Wright) had both retired from acting; Frazer Hines (who played Jamie McCrimmon) was busy with the soap opera Emmerdale Farm; Deborah Watling (who played Victoria Waterfield) was involved in a theatrical production and The Dave Allen Show; and Wendy Padbury (who played Zoe Heriot) was pregnant. With Tom Baker no longer a consideration, this meant that companion Elisabeth Sladen (who played Sarah Jane Smith), could be paired with the Third Doctor while Nicholas Courtney (who played The Brigadier) could partner up with the Second Doctor.
Major guest stars also included Carole Ann Ford (who played Susan) as well as Anthony Ainley’s Master. While also returning to the show were John Leeson (the voice of K9), Frazer Hines (who played Jamie McCrimmon), Wendy Padbury (who played Zoe Heriot), Caroline John who played (who played Liz Shaw) and Richard Franklin (who played Captain Mike Yates) who all returned for cameo appearances.
Former popular companions Katy Manning (who played Jo Grant), John Levene (who played Sergeant Benton), Ian Marter (who played Harry Sullivan) and Louise Jameson (who played Leela) were all originally to take part but couldn’t because of various reasons. Katy Manning was now living in Australia, and the cost to fly her back to England proved prohibitive. John Levene was to appear as Colonel Crichton’s second-in-command, but he had just moved to the United States. While Ian Marter and Louise Jameson were otherwise engaged in other work.
Also starring was Paul Jerricho, as the Castellan (a role he had originated in "Arc of Infinity"). It was hoped that Elspet Grey and Leonard Sachs, who had appeared alongside Paul Jerricho as Thalia and Borusa, would also reprise their roles. But neither performer proved available. The character of Thalia was replaced by the similar Flavia (played by Dinah Sheridan). This character has subsequently been mentioned in spin-off fiction as becoming President of the High Council and then subsequently removed from office due to a scandal (as detailed in Virgin Books’ The New Adventures novel "Happy Endings").
Philip Latham was brought in as the fourth actor to play Borusa (the other actors previously playing this part being Angus Mackay in the 1976 Fourth Doctor story "The Deadly Assassin", John Arnatt in the subsequent year’s "The Invasion of Time" and Leonard Sachs in "Arc of Infinity").
The character of President Borusa was brought in to replace The Master as the mastermind behind the events, when it became clear that The Master was simply too obvious a culprit to fool viewers.
David Savile, who played the part of Crichton, played Lieutenant Carstairs in the 1969 Second Doctor story "The War Games".
This story contained the first view of Rassilon and his eternal Tomb. In the Death Zone the individual incarnations of The Doctor come across a Yeti (‘probably left over from the games’), a Dalek, the Cybermen and a Raston Warrior Robot (‘the most perfect killing machine ever devised’).
The Quarks (who appeared in the 1968 Second Doctor story "The Dominators") were set to return to the show but were removed from the script at an early stage and replaced by the Raston Warrior Robot. The Raston Warrior Robot costume is actually a silver repaint of one of the Cyberman androids’ costumes from the 1982 story "Earthshock".
The original script also featured an appearance by the Autons, last seen in the 1971 Third Doctor story "Terror of the Autons". After being dropped into the Death Zone, Sarah Jane Smith would have been attacked by a group of them before being rescued by the Third Doctor. However, due to budgetary restrictions, the scene was dropped and replaced by a briefer scene set on a steep hillside. Also dropped at the script stage was a brief sequence on Gallifrey with Leela.
The creature encountered by the Second Doctor and The Brigadier in the caves was not originally going to a Yeti, but simply an unspecified monster. The Yeti costume used in this story was last used in "The Web of Fear" in 1968. As it had decayed badly in storage dim lighting and selective camera angles had to be used during filming.
It was decided early on that the Daleks would not form the main part of the action due to difficulties involved in operating them during location filming, which would form a substantial part of this special.
Omega, contrary to popular belief, was never included in a story draft.
The Director that was assigned to this story was Peter Moffatt, who had recently completed work on "Mawdryn Undead" - which ironically included the brief return of former companion, The Brigadier. John Nathan-Turner’s first choice of director for this story was Waris Hussein, who had directed the first ever Doctor Who story, "An Unearthly Child", in 1963. However, Waris Hussein was in America at the time and was unable to accept the offer. Veteran director Douglas Camfield was also contacted but had to decline the offer due to ill health.
The increased budget for this story allowed Peter Moffatt to go farther afield, for location filming, than would normally be the case, and after briefly contemplating shooting in Scotland, the director settled on locations in Wales, principally around Gwynedd and Ffestiniog. Buckinghamshire was also used for some material.
John Nathan-Turner also directed some scenes (for the first time in his career), performing some second unit work with the Cybermen while Peter Moffatt directed elsewhere.
During location filming various publicity photos of all five Doctors from this story were taken. It had been hoped that Tom Baker might attend. When this did not transpire John Nathan-Turner produced a wax replica of Tom Baker, that he had acquired from the 1980 Doctor Who Exhibition in Madame Tussauds, as he suspected that he might not turn up. The use of the dummy was a source of much merriment for the cast.
During studio recording some aspects of Terrance Dicks’ script were still being refined. The final change of all involved the scene featuring the phantom Jamie and Zoe. Wendy Padbury’s pregnancy prevented her from taking a larger role in the special, but she was happy to accept this brief appearance. This sequence was originally due to feature Victoria and Zoe instead of Jamie, with The Doctor realising the pair are fakes when Victoria refers to Lethbridge-Stewart as ‘Brigadier’ (she had encountered him prior to his promotion from Colonel). Deborah Watling had to drop out at the last minute because of a change in the shooting schedule of The Dave Allen Show, but fortunately Frazer Hines was able to take time out from Emmerdale Farm for his cameo appearance.
Phantom images of Captain Mike Yates and Liz Shaw are also seen within the Dark Tower. Along with the phantoms of Jamie and Zoe they are trying to dissuade the Second and Third Doctors from progressing through the Dark Tower in scenes highly reminiscent of a scene in Season Nineteen’s "Time-Flight" with a ghost of "Adric" - who had died in the previous story "Earthshock".
This story featured the debut of the new TARDIS console and room, the first redesign since 1977. This console would remain until the end of shows original run in 1989.
Bessie, the Third Doctor’s car, made her return to the show for the first time since the 1975 Fourth Doctor story "Robot". It has been revealed that John Nathan-Turner even managed to convince BBC Exhibitions to help pay for the automobile’s refurbishment, with the understanding that BBC Exhibitions would be allowed to use Bessie after filming was completed.
At the start of the story, Sarah Jane Smith is seen with K9, a direct reference to the 1981 spin-off special "K9 and Company: A Girl's Best Friend". Interestingly Sarah Jane Smith shows no concern about K9 being visible to passers-by in her driveway, and her gate bears the sign, beware of the dog. In The Sarah Jane Adventures story "The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith", however, she hides K9 and panics when he rushes past her fiancé, quickly making up a cover story. Parts of the footage with K9 from "The Five Doctors" was also used in The Sarah Jane Adventures story "The Mad Woman in the Attic". Both Sarah Jane Smith and K9 later returned in the 2006 Tenth Doctor story "School Reunion".
During the scene where the Second Doctor ‘bends the laws of time’ to attend a reunion with The Brigadier he discovers that UNIT is now headed by Colonel Charles Crichton. The Brigadier and The Doctor then reminisce about the Yeti ("The Web of Fear"), Cybermen ("The Invasion") and Omega ("The Three Doctors"). The Doctor also tells The Brigadier about ‘the terrible Zodin’ (see also the 1985 Sixth Doctor story "Attack of the Cybermen").
Whilst punting down the river the Fourth Doctor rambles to Romana mentioning; Isaac Newton, Andrew Marvell, Christopher Smart, Ernest Rutherford, Chadwick, William Wordsworth and Judge Jeffries.
When President Borusa attempts to kidnap the Fourth Doctor and Romana, they become trapped in a time eddy. A similar problem occurred to the First Doctor in the 1973 Tenth Anniversary story "The Three Doctors" - so underlining the difficulty (even for Time Lords) in deliberately attempting to cross time streams.
It also explicitly indicated in dialogue that the Peter Davison’s incarnation of The Doctor is in fact the fifth, officially contradicting the Morbius/Doctors speculation that had circulated, since the 1976 Fourth Doctor story "The Brain of Morbius", that there had been additional incarnations of The Doctor prior to William Hartnell.
Trying to determine when exactly this story takes place in each of The Doctor’s timelines is very difficult. Evidence suggests that this story takes place after "The Dalek Invasion of Earth" from the point of view of the First Doctor and Susan, given Susan’s mature appearance and the implication that they have been separated for some time.
Although it is never made clear exactly where this story takes place within the Second and Third Doctors’ chronology, it is made clear that it takes place after the events of "The Three Doctors". The Second Doctor mentions Omega while reminiscing with The Brigadier, and also makes a comment about his own replacement being ‘unpromising’ when he is in UNIT headquarters and meets The Brigadier’s successor. The Third Doctor also refers to ‘that fellow in the check trousers and black frock-coat’ when he meets the phantoms of Captain Mike Yates and Liz Shaw. The story also appears to take place after the events of "The Three Doctors" from the First Doctor’s point of view as well, as the First Doctor asks the Third Doctor, ‘What's happened to the little fellow?’. Also after learning who the Fifth Doctor was the First Doctor exclaimed ‘so there are five of me now’.
The Second Doctor’s method of determining that Jamie and Zoe are phantoms, which references the events of "The War Games", is, seemingly, a continuity error. The memories of Jamie and Zoe’s travels with The Doctor, as opposed to their respective initial adventures with him in their own home eras (the 1966/67 story "The Highlanders" and 1968 story "The Wheel in Space") were wiped in the last episode of "The War Games" when they were returned to their own times at a moment just before they would have left in the TARDIS. However, a possible explanation amongst fans for this is that "The Five Doctors" takes place a season of adventures post "The War Games" but before "Spearhead From Space" (referred to by fans as Season 6B). Indeed it is suggested that it is during this season that the Second Doctor has the adventure with the Sixth Doctor in the 1985 story "The Two Doctors".
This story takes place some time between the 1974 stories "Invasion of the Dinosaurs" and "Planet of the Spiders" from the Third Doctor’s point of view, as he is driving Bessie when he encounters and recognises Sarah Jane Smith, for whom events take place after the 1981 spin-off special "K9 and Company: A Girl's Best Friend". It is unknown what year it is for Sarah Jane Smith or if Brendan is staying with her, or if her Aunt Lavinia is deceased yet.
The Third Doctor’s reaction to Sarah Jane Smith’s mimed description of the Fourth Doctor by saying, ‘Teeth and curls?’ and telling her the change has not happened yet for him, has though resulted in an anomaly. It could be that the Third Doctor is just interpreting her gestures. His accuracy has however, led some fans to infer from this an unseen encounter with the Fourth Doctor. In the short story, "The Touch of the Nurazh" (published in the Big Finish Productions book "Short Trips 9: Monsters "), an injury makes the Third Doctor begin to regenerate into the Fourth but the process is reversed. This is witnessed by Jo Grant, and the theory is that she subsequently describes the Fourth Doctor’s appearance to the Third Doctor. According to Elizabeth Sladen and Terrance Dicks, on the Twenty Fifth Anniversary DVD commentary for this story, the line was supposed to be Elizabeth Sladen’s, but Jon Pertwee negotiated with her for him to say this line instead, leading to this anomaly.
The time-placement for the Fourth Doctor depends upon which version of this story is viewed, and whether "Shada", despite being un-broadcast and incomplete, is considered canonical (which in turn relates to whether the webcast version is considered canonical). In any event, Romana is in her second incarnation, placing this between "Destiny of the Daleks" and "Full Circle" (when the TARDIS enters E-Space and events unfold that lead to her leaving The Doctor). "Shada" was placed between "The Horns of Nimon" and "The Leisure Hive". Therefore according to the original broadcast version of "The Five Doctors", it may be reasonably inferred that the events of "Shada" were disrupted due to both Romana and the Fourth Doctor being Timescooped. The 1995 ‘Special Edition’, however, only has The Doctor Timescooped, and after the defeat of President Borusa, Rassilon returns The Doctor to just before the Timescoop took him away, which would then allow the events of "Shada" to unfold.
This story occurs after "Mawdryn Undead" from The Brigadier’s point of view, given that he recognises both Tegan and the Fifth Doctor.
It is implied that the past Doctors do not retain memories of being involved in events where they meet their future selves. Otherwise, each of the later Doctors, starting with the Second Doctor, would have had foreknowledge of the outcome of events having participated as their earlier selves. Furthermore, earlier Doctors would also have direct assurance that they survive beyond their current incarnation.
This is the first time it is suggested that a new cycle of regenerations can be bestowed on a person (in this case The Master), implying that it could be possible to circumvent the twelve-regeneration limit established in the 1976 Fourth Doctor story "The Deadly Assassin". However, The Master is occupying a non-Time Lord body, so whether this can be applied to a Time Lord who has already reached his thirteenth incarnation is unclear. However, the 2007 Tenth Doctor story "Utopia" shows The Master regenerating and in the following story "The Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords" indicates that he had been ‘resurrected’ (The Master’s own word which is left unexplained) by the Time Lords to fight in the Time War, suggesting a new regeneration cycle was indeed bestowed upon him.
The Third Doctor recognises The Master though it seems not as easily as usual. When asked by the Third Doctor as to whether he has regenerated again, The Master replies, ‘Not exactly’, referencing his stealing of Tremas’ body the 1981 Fourth Doctor story "The Keeper of Traken".
The Second Doctor also appears to recognise The Master without hesitation, as does The Brigadier. The First Doctor however, fails to recognise The Master - and has to be reminded that they went to the Academy together, ‘Believe it or not we were at the academy together’. This is the first direct reference to the fact the two knew each other in their youth, a theme later picked up in the 2009/2010 Tenth Doctor story "The End of Time", among other stories. Susan also does not recognise The Master, although the Dark Tower is familiar to her.
Excluding The Brigadier this story has the distinction of marking the first time companions from different eras have met and interacted. This would occur only once more in the original run of the show, in the 1985 story "The Two Doctors" when Peri and Jamie meet, and has occurred several times since the show was revived in 2005.
The Brigadier’s line ‘Wonderful chap, all of them’ Is a slightly edited version of a line, ‘Wonderful chap, both of him’, he said in Tenth Anniversary special story "The Three Doctors".
This story contains a number of errors. Namely: Despite joining the TARDIS in the previous story no explanation is given for companion Kamelion’s absence from this story; When the Second Doctor and The Brigadier are in the caves a boom microphone is visible above their heads (and it stays there for around 3 seconds); If Borusa wants The Doctors to get to the Dark Tower, why put Cybermen in their way? The Cybermen following The Master must be blind not to see The Doctor; How can the Time Lords offer The Master a new lifespan? (If they can offer The Master a new life, why is President Borusa so worried about his own mortality?); During a long shot of the Third Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith sliding to the top of the Dark Tower reveals a physical impossibility as their slide rope does not go from a high location to a lower one, or from two positions along a straight line. Rather, the tower is actually above the position from which they start; When frozen The Brigadier is seen moving his head to watch President Borusa go.
Many fans have questioned why Sarah Jane Smith gets into trouble rolling down a very gentle slope. In the Target novelisation of this story, Sarah Jane Smith actually steps off a cliff. This was what was originally intended in the script, but for budgetary reasons this sequence was changed.
It is revealed that the Dark Tower is accessible from three points. One of these entrances leads to a room containing a red and white checked electrified floor pattern. This defence mechanism is similar to one the one that appeared in the Exxilon city in the 1974 Third Doctor story "Death to the Daleks", the only difference being the shapes of the coloured patches. In that story, the Third Doctor used a coin to test the floor with Belal as an onlooker, just as in this story the First Doctor used several coins to test the floor with Tegan as an onlooker. (However, the Third Doctor also used the sonic screwdriver for his analysis.) Further, just as the electricity attacked the Daleks in "Death to the Daleks", in this story the Cybermen were fatally electrified.
Rassilon later returns in the Big Finish Productions audio stories "Neverland" and "Zagreus", where he exists in some form in the Matrix as he attempts to turn the Eighth Doctor into his assassin to eliminate a race that he perceives as a threat. In the 2009/2010 Tenth Doctor story "The End of Time", it is revealed that Rassilon was restored to mastery over the Time Lords - becoming the Lord President of Gallifrey - during the Time War and would embark on an elaborate plan to save his race from destruction. How Rassilon came to be a living Time Lord again during the conflict has yet to be revealed.
It is revealed that President Borusa is at least the fourth Time Lord to play The Game of Rassilon in search of immortality. His prize is to be encased in stone.
One of the jewels from the Coronet of Rassilon would later play an important part in the Big Finish Productions Bernice Summerfield audio story "The Crystal of Cantus".
Just as The Doctor is almost never referred to as ‘Doctor Who’, so too are the terms ‘First Doctor’, ‘Second Doctor’, etc. are never actually spoken on screen. This story however, comes closest to breaking that precedent when the First Doctor asks the Fifth Doctor, ‘Regeneration? and the Fifth Doctor replies ‘Fourth’.
The Doctor is made Lord President of Gallifrey at the climax of this story but chooses to go on the run (‘After all, that's how it all started!). This is not the first time that The Doctor has been made the President of Gallifrey. He was made President in the 1978 Fourth Doctor story "The Invasion of Time". He was also offered the presidency in Season Twenty Three (aka The Trial of a Time Lord season), though he declined. And in the 1988 Seventh Doctor story "Remembrance of the Daleks" he calls himself President, suggesting that he was made President again, or that the events of "Remembrance of the Daleks" occur after "The Invasion of Time" or "The Five Doctors" in Gallifrey’s own timeline.
This story marks the end of a long series of linked storylines that began with the 1980 Fourth Doctor story "The Leisure Hive". Each story had been linked in some way, either as direct continuations, or in more subtle ways such as dialogue references to previous events. In this case, "The Five Doctors" is linked to "The King's Demons" and earlier stories by the fact it resolves the subplot of The Doctor finally arriving at the Eye of Orion.
This was the first Doctor Who story transmitted overseas before airing in the UK. It was broadcast in the United States on the 23rd November 1983 in Chicago as a special for the Spirit of Light convention. However, this version contained a number of small edits. The UK broadcast occurred two days later on the 25th November 1983. UK viewers saw the unedited version during the Children in Need broadcast as well as a short pre-recorded interview with Peter Davison and Terry Wogan shown directly after.
This is only the second time in the show’s history that there was a pre-credits sequence. The 1982 story "Castrovalva" was the first such story. Subsequently, the Seventh Doctor stories "Time and The Rani" (1987) and "Remembrance of the Daleks" (1988) also featured pre-credits teasers. The pre-credits sequence became a regular occurrence starting with the 2005 Ninth Doctor story "The End of the World".
The sound for this story was recorded in 4 channel stereo, but broadcast in mono. The later DVD releases had a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack.
The end credits featured a specially mixed version of the theme music, which began with Delia Derbyshire’s original 1960s arrangement which then merged into the Peter Howell arrangement being used by the programme at the time (the former being played at a slightly higher speed to match the tempo of the latter). This arrangement, created by Peter Howell, was only used on this one occasion and was the last time that the Derbyshire version was heard during the show’s original run. A unique arrangement of the opening credits music was also used, which ended in a brief coda phrase that has never used in any other story.
Two versions of this story were created - the ninety-minute version that was broadcast and a version edited into four instalments which could be used for both international distribution and later potential re-broadcasting. The episode endings used were Sarah falling down the slope; Susan and Turlough discovering the Cybermen are attacking the TARDIS; and The Master appearing in the Dark Tower behind the First Doctor and Tegan.
The BBC’s television listings magazine, Radio Times, honoured the release of this story with a Doctor Who cover, the first time this had happened since the Third Doctor’s era and the lone such occurrence of the Eighties.
A four-part version of this story was shown on BBC One, in August 1984.
This story marked the only time that a Target novelisation appeared on bookshelves before a story’s actual broadcast. The book was actually due to be released during the last week of November, but a distribution error resulted in its early availability, much to John Nathan-Turner’s dismay. This novelisation, written by Terrance Dicks, features numerous deleted scenes that subsequently turned up in the ‘Special Edition’ version of this story.
The Target novelisation was re-released by Virgin Books’ in 1991. This version had Alister Pearson’s cover which is the same artwork as the BBC Video release. This artwork was used again by Silva Screen for the cover of the 1992 audio CD "Doctor Who - The Five Doctors - Classic Music from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop Volume 2".
This story was first released on VHS and Betamax in September 1985. The BBC accidentally used the slightly shorter version that had been sold to the USA. This error was rectified in 1990 when this story was re-released, on VHS only, using the original UK broadcast edit.
This is the only story from the original run of the show for which all recorded and filmed material, including alternate, unused takes and fluffed scenes, still exists in broadcast-quality format. This allowed for the creation of the ‘Special Edition’ version of this story. This 102 minute Special Edition of the story was released on VHS in 1995 in a box set along with "The King's Demons" and a limited edition postcard album.
This Special Edition contains extended scenes, updated visual effects, surround-sound compatibility and with dialogue added or deleted. In this version the Time Scoops’s black triangles have been replaced with a new effect, resembling an upside-down whirlwind; Thunder sound-effects have been added to the scenes of the First Doctor trapped in the mirror-maze as well as to the scene of him outside the front gate; Whilst the Fifth Doctor and The Master are talking (having just met), the cyberman who catches sight of them no longer says ‘Ah!’ to himself; All the beam effects including the booby-trapped checkerboard floor have been redone; The effect of the Fifth Doctor and the phantoms fading away have been altered to look less similar; The image and visual-effect of the Fourth Doctor stuck in the time-vortex has been changed - and it no longer features Romana; Rassilon’s voice has been altered to sound more dramatic; The last scene of the Fourth Doctor returned to his proper place in space and time has been changed to a different clip from "Shada"; The scene at the end in which the various Doctors depart in their TARDISes has been replaced with Time Scoops departing instead. This Special Edition however, continues to receive mixed reactions from fans.
This Special Edition was the first Doctor Who story to be released on DVD, in November 1999. The Region 1 version has a commentary track by Peter Davison and writer Terrance Dicks. This would later be carried over to the 2008 Twenty-Fifth Anniversary edition re-release in Region 2. The 2008 release contains both the original broadcast version and the Special Edition.
The Fifth Doctor’s sequence in the BBC Books’ The Eighth Doctor Stories novel "The Eight Doctors" (written by Terrance Dicks) features the Eighth Doctor going through his own past to meet and assist his other selves. This takes pace after "The Five Doctors" and includes the Fifth Doctor travelling to the Eye of Orion to continue their earlier holiday only to be attacked by a renegade Time Lord from the Eighth Doctor's era using the Timescoop, forcing the two Doctors to defeat a Raston Warrior Robot and a squadron of Sontarans. A Raston Warrior Robot also appears in the BBC Books’ The Past Doctors Stories novel "World Game" - also written by Terrance Dicks.
Peter Davison would later parody the Fifth Doctor’s ‘I am being diminished’ speech in the second episode of the second series of, Rigor Mortis. In this black comedy Peter Davison’s character, a workaholic pathologist, does not respond well to a sudden drought of deaths. Undergoing a form of withdrawal, he is heard saying: ‘I am being diminished, whittled away, piece by piece. A doctor is the sum of his contributions to humanity, you know; a pathologist even more so’.
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The Firsts:
The first full-length Doctor Who story.
The first re-appearance of the First Doctor (played by William Hartnell) since the 1973 Tenth Anniversary story "The Three Doctors".
The first re-appearance of the Second Doctor (played by Patrick Troughton) since the 1973 Tenth Anniversary story "The Three Doctors".
The first re-appearance of the Third Doctor (played by Jon Pertwee) since the 1974 story "Planet of the Spiders".
The first re-appearance of the Fourth Doctor (played by Tom Baker) since the 1981 story "Logopolis".
The first, and only, appearance of Richard Hurndall as the First Doctor.
The first re-appearance of companion Susan (played by Carole Ann Ford) since the 1964 First Doctor story "The Dalek Invasion of Earth".
The first re-appearance of companion Jamie McCrimmon (played by Frazer Hines) since the 1969 Second Doctor story "The War Games".
The first re-appearance of companion Zoe Heriot (played by Wendy Padbury) since the 1969 Second Doctor story "The War Games".
The first re-appearance of companion Liz Shaw (played by Caroline John) since the 1970 Third Doctor story "Inferno".
The first re-appearance of companion Captain Mike Yates (played by Richard Franklin) since the 1974 Third Doctor story "Planet of the Spiders".
The first re-appearance of companion Sarah Jane Smith (played by Elisabeth Sladen ) since the 1976 Fourth Doctor story "The Hand of Fear".
The first re-appearance of companion K9 (voiced by John Leeson) since the 1981 Fourth Doctor story "Warriors' Gate".
The first re-appearance of companion Romana (played by Lalla Ward) since the 1981 Fourth Doctor story "Warriors' Gate".
The first appearance of Bessie - the Third Doctor’s car - since the 1975 Fourth Doctor story "Robot".
The first, and only, appearance of the Raston Warrior Robot.
The first Doctor Who story to include non-UK financial support.
The first, and only, use of clips from the un-transmitted Season Seventeen story "Shada"
The first view of Rassilon.
The first time it is suggested that a new cycle of regenerations can be bestowed on a Time Lord.
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(Position = 23 out of 159)
(Position = 38 out of 200)
