 This story introduces the Yeti – the first of two stories for the robotic creatures who are under the control of the sinister Great Intelligence.
Jack Watling, who portrayed Professor Travers, is the father of Deborah Watling, who plays companion Victoria Waterfield.
This story had the longest location shoot ever allocated to the show. Covering six consecutive days, beginning on 4th September 1967, it took place at Nant Ffrancon Pass and Ogwen Lake, Snowdonia, Gwynedd, Wales. Unfortunately, the lack of snow - compounded by several days of rain - meant that the footage recorded failed to convey the wintry setting suggested in the script.
Of particular interest is that silent, colour 8mm film of work on location exists from the making of this story.
Throughout the second half of the previous season Doctor Who had been recorded only a week ahead of transmission, a perilous situation which Producer Innes Lloyd was not keen to repeat. To prevent this from happening it was decided to record the first two episodes of this story on consecutive days - Friday 15th and Saturday 16th September 1967 – thus providing a three-week gap between production and transmission. The remaining four episodes of this story were then recoded as usual.
Like the Cybermen, in Season Four, the Yeti proved a big hit with Producer Innes Lloyd and Script Editor Peter Bryant who saw in them the potential for another popular success - especially, for the time being at least, Doctor Who had lost it’s most potent villains, the Daleks. At the time of production, Dalek creator Terry Nation was trying to create an American television show based around the Daleks, and as a result refused to grant the show permission to use the Daleks during this period. Consequently, before the fourth episode was recorded, Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln were commissioned to write a Yeti sequel. This would become "The Web of Fear".
As well as returning in "The Web of Fear", the Great Intelligence, the Yeti and Professor Travers would all appear in the 1995 spin-off video "Downtime". Professor Travers is also referenced by name in the 1968 story "The Invasion" (a direct follow-up to "The Web of Fear"). "The Invasion" was intended to include Professor Travers, but due to the unavailability of actor Jack Watling, a new character, Professor Watkins, was created instead.
This story appears to be set around the mid 1930’s. In the sequel "The Web of Fear" it is revealed that the Ghanta was lost in 1630 and in "The Abominable Snowmen" it is revealed that it had been lost for ‘200 years or more’.
It is revealed that The Doctor had previously visited the Detsen monastery in Tibet, in an earlier untelevised adventure. Although a few earlier stories contain passing references to The Doctor's unseen exploits (for example, "The Celestial Toymaker"), this is the first story where The Doctor's previous unseen knowledge of the setting and its characters are crucial to the story's development.
The Yeti, in this story, are portrayed as simple but strong robots controlled by the Great Intelligence. Real Yeti, if they in fact exist, are thought to be slimmer and are very nervous of humans.
The names of a number of the Tibetan characters were appropriated by Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln from real historical figures. The real Padmasambhava, for instance, lived in the eighth century and founded the Tibetan branch of Buddhism.
Unfortunately only the second episode currently exists in the BBC Archives. All six episodes were lost in the BBC's stock clearance of the 1970s and so all were reported missing from the BBC Film and Videotape Library following an audit in 1978. However, the second episode was returned by a private film collector in February 1982.
When Terrance Dicks novelised this story in 1974 he made slight changes to the names of these characters – for example Padmasambhava became Padmasambvha, Songsten became Songtsen and Thonmi became Thomni. This was done apparently on the advice of Doctor Who's then producer Barry Letts who, as a follower of Buddhism, considered that what Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln had done was unnecessary and also risked causing offence.
The Target novelisation was also the first of the Second Doctor's era to be adapted (it would take another twenty years before all serials from Patrick Troughton's tenure were novelised). Interestingly when Target Books began numbering its releases in the late 1970s, it chose, for the previous releases to do so alphabetically rather than based upon publication or broadcast order. As a result, the novelisation of this story became to be identified as book number 1.
An un-abridged reading of the Target novel was also released by BBC audio on CD in February 2009. Interestingly it is read by David Troughton, the son of Patrick Troughton who played The Doctor in this story.
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The Firsts:
The first appearance of The Yeti.
The first story where The Doctor's previous unseen knowledge of the setting and its characters are crucial to the story's development.
The first story of the Second Doctor's era to have a Target novelisation.
The first Doctor Who story to be written by Henry Lincoln and Mervyn Haisman.
The first Doctor Who story to be directed by Gerald Blake.
Sylvia James' first involvement in the show as Makeup Artist.
Martin Baugh's first involvement in the show as Costume Designer.
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(Position = 30 out of 159)
(Position = 59 out of 200)
