 This is the final transmitted Doctor Who story of the original run of the show and features The Doctor and Ace visiting Ace’s home town, Perivale. This story also sees the return of The Master played, for the final time, by Anthony Ainley.
This is Anthony Ainley’s first appearance in the show since the 1986 Sixth Doctor story "The Ultimate Foe" - the final two episodes of "The Trial of a Time Lord" season.
Television comedy duo Hale and Pace make a cameo appearance, playing shopkeepers Harvey and Len. Hale and Pace swapped roles shortly before recording - Hale was originally to have played Harvey and Pace was originally to have played Len.
The part of Karra in this story is played by Lisa Bowerman. Lisa Bowerman would later take up the role of Bernice Summerfield (one of the Seventh Doctor’s companions introduced in the Virgin Books’ The New Adventures range of original Doctor Who novels) in a series of audio plays produced by Big Finish Productions, beginning in 1998. Lisa Bowerman is also a director of many Big Finish productions, and also returned to the Doctor Who proper when she provided voice-acting work for the 2009 animated special "Dreamland".
This story also features Adele Silva playing the part of Squeak (aged eight this was one of her earliest television role). Adele Silva is best known for her long running role as Kelly Windsor in the top-rated soap drama Emmerdale between 1993 and 2007.
Rona Munro was invited to submit an idea for a Doctor Who story to the production office when she met Script Editor Andrew Cartmel at a BBC writers’ training course. This resulted in a storyline, entitled "Cat Flap", which involved the Cheetah People, who hunted the humans. Andrew Cartmel and producer John Nathan-Turner liked the concept, but wanted a return appearance by The Master for Season Twenty Six, and so asked Rona Munro to incorporate him into her synopsis.
As had been the case throughout the Seventh Doctor’s era, the final six episodes of Season Twenty Six would comprise two three-part adventures, one made entirely on location and the other just in the studio. The plan was this story would occupy the former slot and would be the season’s third story into production, albeit the fourth and final one broadcast.
Several changes were made to Rona Munro’s storyline. In particular, Andrew Cartmel wanted more clarification of the relationship between the Cheetah People, the Kitlings and their planet. Sergeant Paterson was originally going to be a police officer instead of a retired Army Sergeant, and it was in this capacity that he investigated complaints of The Doctor’s behaviour. His occupation was changed because the production office was concerned about portraying an officer of the law as behaving as violently as Sergeant Paterson in the story’s late stages. Ace was also to burn Karra on a funeral pyre, connecting with her pyromania - as suggested by her general fascination with Nitro-Nine explosives and made explicit in the season’s studio-bound story, "Ghost Light", in which Ace is revealed to have burned down an old mansion. The motorcycle duel between The Doctor and Midge was to have taken place in a disused lot or building site - thus better explaining the seemingly miraculous appearance of the sofa on which The Doctor lands. Also, there was originally a scene in which The Doctor tries to stuff a large gold coin in Ange’s donations tin. He finally gets the coin to drop by tapping it with one finger. This was meant to foreshadow the late scene where The Doctor similarly subdues Sergeant Paterson.
The director assigned to Season Twenty Six’s final six episodes was Alan Wareing, who had last worked on last season’s "The Greatest Show in the Galaxy".
Rona Munro’s original idea of the Cheetah People had been as basically human creatures, albeit with cat-like eyes, very faint pigmentation round of cheetah spots, big canine teeth and a vaguely feline mouth. It has been revealed that she was therefore displeased with the far more literal interpretation of the name by make-up designer Joan Stribling. In a 2007 interview Rona Munro has revealed that: ‘In fact, I think the actors that were cast, from what I was told, were doing all this wonderful expressive facial work, and then these 'Puss In Boots' things were dropped on them – and so then you can't see what they're doing under there. Particularly Karra and Ace, there were whole amazing scenes between them’.
This story was filmed primarily on location, with sequences actually recorded in Perivale, London. The battle at the climax of the story was recorded and is set on the site of the ancient hill fort at Horsenden Hill. Small sections were shot at nearby Ealing, outside and near The Drayton Court pub.
A major change was made to the third episode during recording. Originally, The Doctor was to transport both himself and The Master back to Perivale after their climactic duel on the planet of the Cheetah People. The Master would then confront The Doctor as to his true nature, accusing him of being something other than a Time Lord. The Doctor admits that he has evolved is not ‘just’ a Time Lord, before describing himself as ‘multi-talented’. The Master then uses a Kitling lurking nearby to escape. However, John Nathan-Turner felt that this scene was too explicit in casting doubt on The Doctor’s past, and had it excised, with The Doctor now returning to Earth alone.
It has been revealed that it was almost 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Centigrade) on the shooting days for the scenes on the planet of the Cheetah people and that one of the extras removed her costume (revealing that she was wearing very little underneath) and simply walked off the set, causing delays while a replacement was found.
The location recording also included sequences involving horseback riding and motorcycling.
On the final day of recording Tip Tipping, the show’s regular stunt arranger, had a dispute with famed motorcyclist Eddie Kidd over the motorcycle duel between The Doctor and Midge. Tip Tipping was unhappy as Eddie Kidd was apparently not a member of the actors’ union Equity. Although Tip Tipping completed the scene, he left afterwards and had to be replaced by Paul Heasman. This was Tip Tipping's final Doctor Who contribution.
The Doctor demonstrates that he can stun with one finger, juggle, ride both a horse and a motorbike.
It is revealed that Ace's Mum has reported her as missing. A similar thing would happen to Rose Tyler when she became the Ninth Doctor’s travelling companion (see the 2005 story "Aliens of London/World War Three").
During the scenes in Midge’s flat, Ace grabs ‘War’, an album by rock band U2, and is heard saying ‘are they still going?’. When Ace left Earth in 1987, the group had been active for eleven years.
Ace is seen wearing on her jacket the Red Army pin-on badge given to her by Captain Sorin in "The Curse of Fenric".
Derek can be seen wearing a David Bowie t-shirt.
The Doctor knows of the Cheetah People, but nothing about them.
The Master seems to have been brought to the planet as prey, and hypnotically controls the Cheetah People and, through his connection to the planet, has linked mentally with the Kitlings. His recognises The Doctor despite never having seen this regeneration – Demonstrating again the Time Lords’ ability to be able to do this.
It had been decided that, for the struggle between The Doctor and The Master, Sylvester McCoy would not wear the cat-like contact lenses made for those ‘infected’ by the planet, although a pair had been fashioned for him. At the last minute, though, Sylvester McCoy elected to wear them anyhow.
The Master rids himself of the Cheetah virus and gains a new body in the Virgin Books’ The New Adventures novel "First Frontier". A Kitling also appears in this novel. However at the start of the 1996 Eighth Doctor film "Doctor Who: The Movie", The Master is shown still sporting cat's eyes (and apparently in the same body), indicating he mustn't have completely overcome the virus. By the time of his next appearance after that, in the 2007 Tenth Doctor story "Utopia", there is no longer any visible sign of the affliction.
The opening shot of Gabriel Chase in "Ghost Light" was also filmed during the production of this story.
This story was one of only three Doctor Who stories to be recorded completely on BBC Outside Broadcast (OB) video, instead of the mix of OB and studio video that was more usual during the late 1980’s, and the mix of film and video that was usual before them. This was probably possible because "Ghost Light", the next story in production, was filmed completely in the studio. The other stories to be recorded solely on OB video were the 1975 Fourth Doctor story "The Sontaran Experiment" and the previous story "The Curse of Fenric".
This story contains a number of errors. Namely: The production team’s efforts to use an early audio-animatronic cat was not convincing as there is an extremely obvious variance between shots that use a real black cat, and ones that use a ‘robot double’; Why doesn't The Master, as much a Cheetah Person as Ace and Midge are, just teleport off the planet?
While post-production was ongoing, it became clear to John Nathan-Turner and Andrew Cartmel that the next season that was already being planned was going to be at the very least delayed, and possibly not occur at all. This would make "Survival" potentially the final Doctor Who story to be broadcast, and they felt that a more suitable conclusion should be given to the final episode.
At this point the final episode simply concluded with The Doctor and Ace deciding to go back to the TARDIS. Andrew Cartmel therefore wrote the following short, melancholic closing monologue for actor Sylvester McCoy, which McCoy recorded on 23rd November 1989, the day after the first episode of this story was broadcast, and also by coincidence, the show’s twenty-sixth anniversary:
| ‘There are worlds out there where the sky’s burning. Where the sea’s asleep and the rivers dream. People made of smoke and cities made of song. Somewhere there’s danger. Somewhere there’s injustice. And somewhere else the tea is getting cold. Come on Ace we’ve got work to do!’ |
This was dubbed over the closing scene as The Doctor and Ace walked off into the distance, apparently to further adventures.
Although "Survival" was the last Doctor Who story of the original run of the show to be transmitted, it was not the last to have been produced. That accolade went to "Ghost Light", which had been broadcast some weeks earlier.
When Doctor Who eventually returned in 2005, with the Ninth Doctor story "Rose", it was produced as 45-minute episodes – thus making "Survival" the final story to date to be produced in 25-minute instalments, which had been the standard for the show (except for the Twentieth Anniversary special "The Five Doctors, the 1984 Fifth Doctor story "Resurrection of the Daleks" and all the stories of Season Twenty Three) since 1963. The spinoff series, The Sarah Jane Adventures, which debuted in 2007, was produced in the 25-minute episode format.
This story was the last to feature the face of the current Doctor in the title sequence, a tradition dating back to the 1967 Second Doctor story "The Macra Terror". Both the 1996 Eighth Doctor film "Doctor Who: The Movie" and the stories in the revived series have title sequences featuring a time tunnel effect without The Doctor’s face (the 1996 Eighth Doctor film "Doctor Who: The Movie" did, however, include an extreme close-up of The Master’s cat’s eyes in the opening sequence).
This story is the last Doctor Who story in which the lead actors are not credited at the opening, a practice started in "Doctor Who: The Movie" and later used when the show was revived in 2005.
This story became Rona Munro’s only Doctor Who story. It was also the last to entirely feature Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor. Sylvester McCoy returned briefly to the role at the beginning of the 1996 Eighth Doctor film "Doctor Who: The Movie" so as to regenerate into the Eighth Doctor (played by Paul McGann).
This story also marked Sophie Aldred’s and Anthony Ainley’s final appearance in the show.
It has been revealed that Sophie Aldred would have continued in her role had the show been renewed for Season Twenty Seven. However, Sophie Aldred’s contract was set to expire at the middle part of that season. As a result it had been planned the character of Ace was set to be written out of the show in an Ice Warrior story called "Ice Time" by Marc Platt.
Both Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred would play their characters on screen for the BBC on two occasions after "Survival" was broadcast. First in a 1990 episode of the schools and colleges series "Search Out Science" and once more in 1993, along with many other former Doctor Who actors, in the Children in Need special story "Dimensions in Time". The two actors also reprised their roles in the Big Finish Productions audio stories - commencing in the 2000 story "The Fearmonger". They also can be heard in the 2001 BBC webcast production "Death Comes to Time".
Anthony Ainley returned to play The Master for the Doctor Who: "Destiny of The Doctors" CD-ROM video game, released in 1998, and he continued to be active in Doctor Who, attending conventions and recording a commentary track for the DVD of the 1981 Fourth Doctor story "The Keeper of Traken". Anthony Ainley, unfortunately passed away, following an illness, in May 2004. A sound-clip of his voice was later used (along with one of Roger Delgado) in "Utopia".
The Master would return (played by different actors). First in the 1996 Eighth Doctor film "Doctor Who: The Movie", by Eric Roberts, and then in the revived series by Sir Derek Jacobi ("Utopia") and John Simm ("Utopia", "The Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords" and "The End of Time"). Geoffrey Beevers can also be heard playing The Master in two Big Finish Productions audio stories, "Dust Breeding" and "Master", which take place after "Survival" but before the "Doctor Who: The Movie".
A novelisation of this story, written by Rona Munro, was published by Target Books in October 1990, making Munro the third woman to write a Doctor Who novelisation.
In this novelisation, Derek escapes the planet but is later killed by Midge in Cheetah form, and Len and Harvey are both transported to the Cheetah Planet.
The Doctor also meets cat-like aliens in the Tenth Doctor stories "New Earth" (2006) and "Gridlock" (2007) and in Virgin Books’ The Missing Adventures novel "Invasion of the Cat-People".
Shreela Govindia (one of Ace's friends) appears in Virgin Books’ The New Adventures novel "Cat's Cradle: Warhead".
The final episode of "Survival" was broadcast on the 6th December 1989. There was no direct indication given to the public that this was to be the final regular instalment of Doctor Who. However, unlike previous season’s final episode, the final episode of Season Twenty Six featured no announcement in the closing credits that the show would return the following year. Not only did this mark the end of Doctor Who in the Eighties, but it also brought its time as an ongoing show to a close. For the time being at least…
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The Firsts:
Anthony Ainley’s first appearance in the show since the 1986 Sixth Doctor story "The Ultimate Foe".
The first Doctor Who story to be written by Rona Munro.
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(Position = 54 out of 159)
(Position = 80 out of 200)
