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The Savages

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the Story

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Synopsis

The Savages

When the TARDIS materialises on an alien planet, The Doctor insists that he and his companions have arrived in the far future. Steven and Dodo think otherwise, however, after they encounter a band of cave-dwelling primitives who are terrified of strangers. The travellers soon discover that the planet’s population is divided into two castes. and that the professed idyll of the Elders - who inhabit a technologically advanced city - seems oddly dependent upon the unsophisticated Savages.

Whilst the Elders’ leader, Jano, welcomes The Doctor into their society Dodo stumbles upon a dark secret at the heart of the community. The truth behind the Elders great knowledge is eventually revealed, and The Doctor sees it as his duty to end a terrible case of exploitation. Yet Jano has plans of his own for The Doctor…

Source: BBC Audio

General Information

Season:	Three
Production Code:	AA
Story Number:	26
Episode Numbers:	119 - 122
Number of Episodes:	4
Number of Incomplete/Missing Episodes:	4
Percentage of Episodes Held:	0%
Working Titles:	"The White Savages"
Production Dates:	April - May 1966
Broadcast Started:	28 May 1966
Broadcast Finished:	18 June 1966
Colour Status:	B&W
Studio:	Ealing Television Film Studios and Riverside (Studio 1)
Location:	Shire Lane Quarry (Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire) and Callow Hill Sandpit (Virginia Water, Surrey).

Writer:

Ian Stuart Black

Director:

Christopher Barry

Producer:

Innes Lloyd

Story Editor:

Gerry Davis

Production Assistant:

Norman Stewart

Assistant Floor Manager:

Gareth Gwenlan

Designer:

Stuart Walker

Costume Designer:

Daphne Dare

Make-Up Designer:

Sonia Markham

Lighting:

Graham Sothcott

Incidental Music:

Raymond Jones

Special Sounds (SFX Editor):

Brian Hodgson

Studio Sounds:

Norman Greaves

Title Sequence:

Bernard Lodge

Title Music:

Ron Grainer and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Arranged by Delia Derbyshire

Number of Doctors:

The Doctor:

William Hartnell (The First Doctor)

Number of Companions: 2The Companions: Peter Purves (Steven Taylor) (Departs) and Jackie Lane (Dodo) Additional Cast: Ewen Solon (Chal), Patrick Godfrey (Tor), Peter Thomas (Captain Edal), Geoffrey Frederick (Exorse), Frederick Jaeger (Jano), Robert Sidaway (Avon), Kay Patrick (Flower), Clare Jenkins (Nanina), Norman Henry (Senta), Edward Caddick (Wylda), Andrew Lodge (First Assistant), Christopher Denham (Second Assistant), Tony Holland (Third Assistant), John Dillon (Savage), Tim Goodman (Guard)Setting: An unknown planet, far future Villain:The Elders

The Episodes

No.	Episodes	Broadcast (UK)	Duration	Viewers (Millions)	In Archive
119	Episode 1	28 May 1966	23'41"	4.8	Missing
120	Episode 2	04 June 1966	23'57"	5.6	Missing
121	Episode 3	11 June 1966	24'59"	5.0	Missing
122	Episode 4	18 June 1966	24'41"	4.5	Missing

Total Duration

1 Hour 37 Minutes

Audience Appreciation

Average Viewers (Millions)

5.0

Doctor Who Magazine Poll (1998)	56.92% (Position = 137 out of 159)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2009)	58.25% (Position = 162 out of 200)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2014)	59.75% (Position = 197 out of 241)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2023)	Position = 22 out of 29

Archives

All four episodes lost.Clips from episodes 3 and 4 exist in the form of an 8mm home movie reel shot off a television set.

Notes

This story was the first not to retain distinctive titles for each episode; instead, each episode was denoted only with a number. This would remain until the revival of the show in 2005.

This is Peter Purves’ last story as companion Steven Taylor. He was written out at the end of this story. The 3rd June 1966 marked Peter Purves' final work on Doctor Who. He is now more famous for being a presenter on the children's programme Blue Peter, a job he would enjoy for more than a decade. Even though he has not been in any future stories Peter Purves involvement with Doctor Who - he has put his vocal talents to good use as narrator of some of the BBC Audiobooks' releases of incomplete stories - including "The Savages".

Frederick Jaeger (who played the part of Jano – the leader of the Elders) is heard to mimic The First Doctor in the scenes after some of The Doctor's life-force is transferred to Jano – to carry this off he was extensively coached by William Hartnell himself.

The Elders know of The Doctor, calling him 'the Traveller from Beyond Time'. It is revealed that they have been tracking the TARDIS through Time and Space for 'many light years' and have been waiting for his arrival.

The location and name of the planet the TARDIS materialises on is never named.

The Elders' 'light guns' were realised on screen simply by means of a powerful light positioned at the end of the prop. The guns also emitted 'dry ice' smoke.

First and Last

The Firsts:

The first story to no longer feature individual episode titles (until the revival of the show in 2005).

The first story to be written by Ian Stuart Black.

The Lasts (Subject to Future Stories):

Peter Purves' last story as companion Steven Taylor.

Story Images

Show Text

The Savages

The Doctor with a City Guard

Steven and Dodo with a City Guard

The Elders

The Doctor and Jano

Dodo is Lost

Being Gassed

Jano

The Doctor Comforts Dodo

The Doctor with a Shocked Dodo

The Doctor and Jano

Steven

Quote of the Story

'Oppose you! Indeed I am going to oppose you - just as in the same way that I oppose the Daleks, or any other menace to common humanity!'

The Doctor

Release Information

Format	Title	Release Date (UK)	Code Number	Cover Art	Remarks
CD	Doctor Who at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop Volume One - The Early Years 1963-1969	June 2000	WMSF 6023-2		Music and sound effects
CD	The Savages	November 2002		Photo-montage	Narrated by Peter Purves (Steven Taylor) Double CD Release
DVD	Doctor Who: Lost in Time	November 2004	BBCDVD 1353	Photo-montage	Includes only 8mm off-air home movie clips from episodes 3 and 4
CD	The Savages	February 2011			Part of the "Doctor Who: The Lost TV Episodes: Collection Two 1965-1966" Box Set Narrated by Peter Purves (Steven Taylor) Also includes "Archive on 4: Doctor Who - The Lost Episodes" documentary
DVD	The Savages	March 2025	BBCDVD 4601	Photo-montage	DVD containing black & white and colour animated versions of the whole story.
Blu-Ray	The Savages	March 2025	BBCBD 0607	Photo-montage	Blu-Ray containing black & white and colour animated versions of the whole story.
Blu-Ray	The Savages	March 2025	BBCBD 0606	Photo-montage	Limited Edition Blu-Ray Steelbook boxed set containing black & white and colour animated versions of the whole story.

In Print

Format	Title	Release Date (UK)	Publisher	Author	Cover Art	Remarks
Novel	The Savages	September 1986	Target No. 109	Ian Stuart Black	David McAllister	ISBN: 0-426-20230-9
Novel	The Savages	November 1992	Target No. 109	Ian Stuart Black	Alister Pearson	Virgin new cover reprint. ISBN: 0-426-20230-9
CD	The Savages	February 2021	Target No. 109	Ian Stuart Black	David McAllister	Audio version of the Target Novel read by Peter Purves (Steven Taylor).

Doctor Who CMS Magazine (An Adventure in Space and Time)	Issue 26
Doctor Who Monthly - Archive	Issue 80 (Released: September 1983)
Doctor Who Magazine - Archive	Issue 295 (Released: September 2000)
Doctor Who Magazine - Time Team	Issue 295 (Released: September 2000)
Doctor Who Magazine - Time Team	Issue 296 (Released: October 2000)
Doctor Who Magazine - The Fact of Fiction	Issue 505 (Released: December 2016)
Doctor Who Magazine - Article	Issue 541 (Released: September 2019)
Doctor Who Magazine - Article	Issue 568 (Released: October 2021)
Doctor Who Magazine - Missing In Action	Issue 613 (Released: February 2025)

Photo Gallery

The Doctor and Companions

The First Doctor

Steven Taylor

Dodo

On Release

Audio - Volume 1: The Early Years

AUDIO

Soundtrack CD Cover

AUDIO

Lost In Time DVD Cover

VIDEO

The Lost TV Episodes: Collection Two CD Cover

AUDIO

DVD Cover

VIDEO

Blu-Ray Cover

VIDEO

Blu-Ray Steelbook Cover

VIDEO

In Print

Original Target Book Cover

NOVEL

Reprinted Virgin Book Cover

NOVEL

Target Audio CD Cover

Magazines

Doctor Who CMS Magazine (An Adventure in Space and Time): Issue 26

Doctor Who Monthly - Archive: Issue 80

Doctor Who Magazine - Archive: Issue 295

Doctor Who Magazine - Time Team: Issue 295

Doctor Who Magazine - Time Team: Issue 296

Doctor Who Magazine - The Fact of Fiction: Issue 505

Doctor Who Magazine - Article: Issue 541

Doctor Who Magazine - Article: Issue 568

Doctor Who Magazine - Missing In Action: Issue 613

Who's Who

Who Me

Episodes of the
First Doctor

Season 3

References

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