 The first two Cybermen stories - "The Tenth Planet" and "The Moonbase" - had proved popular with viewers and so as production wrapped on the latter, plans were already afoot for a third story involving the silver giants. Story editor Gerry Davis, who had devised the Cybermen along with Kit Pedler, decided to use this opportunity to explore the background of the Cybermen.
Martin Johnson's set designs have been described as truly excellent, and include some striking bas-relief Cyberman images on the walls of the tomb complex.
As well as featuring the recurring villains the Cybermen - who are seen to be bullet proof, can fire sparks from their fingers, and can control cybernised humans remotely - this story introduces the Cybercontroller and the Cybermats.
Even though The Doctor has a diary with a picture of a Cybermat in it he still seems to be unfamiliar with them.
The Cybermats were controlled by various means - some by wires, some by wind-up clockwork, some by radio control, and some by simply being pushed into the shot. They were also smaller than those seen in subsequent stories.
Shirley Cooklin's character in this story, Kaftan, was written especially for her by Gerry Davis. She was married to Producer Peter Bryant at the time.
Klieg was originally to have been played by Vladek Sheybal and the Cybercontroller by John Wills (who had appeared as a Cyberman in "The Moonbase").
Toberman was originally intended to be deaf and in the original scripts he was to wear a hearing aid (tying in with the fact that he was virtually mute and perhaps with the story's theme of cybernisation), but this idea was dropped at the request of director Morris Barry.
The scene of the Cybermen breaking out of their tombs was filmed entirely in one take. Interestingly the scene where The Cybermen retreat back into their tombs was the same footage used when they came out of their tombs - the film having been reversed.
The Doctor is heard to say that he has 'perfected' the TARDIS, which appears to land like a spaceship.
The Doctor is seen to use an electricity detector. He uses it again in "The Web of Fear".
Klieg mentions 'Whitehead logic' in the first episode - probably referring to Alfred North Whitehead, co-author of 'Principia Mathematica' and one of the fathers of mathematical and computer logic, and maybe a bit of a nod to the actor Reg Whitehead, who had played a Cyberman in all their stories to date.
This story is notable for a very rare reference to The Doctor's family. Being the first story for new companion Victoria Waterfield there is a wonderfully moving scene in which The Doctor comforts her as a means to help her to come to terms with the death of her father by telling her that he can recall his own family, but only when he chooses to.
The iconography of this story, in particular the image of Cybermen breaking through plastic sheeting to escape their tombs, has had an influence on nearly all subsequent Cyberman stories. Likewise, the idea of Cybermen being kept in cold storage has since been a continuing theme.
Episode four's transmission on September 23rd, incited considerable controversy for its violent and disturbing content, particularly the scene in which fluid spurts forth from a Cyberman's innards after it has been attacked by Toberman.
The planet Telos was later revisited in the Sixth Doctor story "Attack of the Cybermen" where he also encounters the Cryons, the original inhabitants of the planet.
Peter Bryant, who had previously been an assistant to Gerry Davis and been newly promoted to Story Editor on the preceding story, was allowed to produce this story in order to prove that he could take over from Innes Lloyd as Producer later on in the season. While Peter Bryant's own assistant, Victor Pemberton acted as Story Editor.
This would be the only story that Victor Pemberton served as Story Editor.
However, on completion of the recording of this story, on the 22nd July 1967 - which brought to an end Doctor Who's fourth recording block. This story was then held over to open Season Five - Innes Lloyd returned to the producer's chair, while Peter Bryant reverted back to the role of Story Editor.
Victor Pemberton’s association with the programme would continue with the television story "Fury From the Deep" a few months later and later "Doctor Who and The Pescatons", which was released as an LP record in 1976. He also novelised both stories for Target Books. Victor Pemberton continued to contribute to various television series, such as Ace of Wands and Timeslip before moving behind the camera, producing Fraggle Rock.
This story was one of many believed to have been lost when all four episodes were lost in the BBC's stock clearance of the 1970s and so all four episodes were reported missing from the BBC Film and Videotape Library following an audit in 1978.
However, film telerecordings of the full story were returned, in January 1992, from RTV in Hong Kong. At the time the discovery of this ‘lost’ classic was considered to be one of the greatest Doctor Who finds of the past 15 years. Until then, only pieces of Patrick Troughton's first two seasons, including precious little of the work of Deborah Watling (who played Victoria), existed at all. Sadly, this story was located mere months after the passing of Cybermen co-creator and author Gerry Davis, who died in late 1991.
To capitalise on this shock discovery the BBC rushed through its release on VHS. Much to fan excitement it was released in May 1992 and included a special introduction from director Morris Barry. This VHS release topped the sales charts in the UK.
This story is currently the earliest complete Second Doctor story, and the only story featuring Deborah Watling, to exist in its entirety.
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The Firsts:
The first story of Season Five (even though it was recorded as part of Season Four but held back).
The first trip in the TARDIS for new companion Victoria played by Deborah Watling.
The first appearance of the Cybercontroller.
The first appearance of the Cybermats.
The first mention in the show that The Doctor has a family.
Peter Bryant's first involvement in the show as Producer.
Victor Pemberton's first involvement in the show as Story Editor.
The first complete Second Doctor story that is currently held in the BBC archives.
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(Position = 8 out of 159)
(Position = 25 out of 200)
(Position = 23 out of 241)
