Doctor Who - The Television Stories

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Fury From the Deep

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Synopsis

Mr Quill

The TARDIS brings The Doctor, Jamie and Victoria to the south coast of present-day Earth. Something nasty is lurking in the gas pipelines of the North Sea, and before long the nearby refinery is under attack.

Landing on a foam-covered beach, the travellers are at first mistaken for saboteurs. A number of the refinery personnel have been behaving strangely, and the base chief, Robson, is showing serious signs of stress. Meanwhile Maggie Harris, having been stung by a mysterious frond of sea vegetation, is menaced by the sinister engineers Oak and Quill.

As sentient foam and weed combine to frightening effect, it soon becomes clear that the danger emanates from beneath the sea. Can that really be a heartbeat coming from deep inside die refinery pipes? Will The Doctor and his friends be in time to prevent an entire take-over of Earth - and will they all escape with their lives?

Source: BBC Audio

General Information

Season:	Five
Production Code:	RR
Story Number:	42
Episode Numbers:	198 - 203
Number of Episodes:	6
Number of Incomplete/Missing Episodes:	6
Percentage of Episodes Held:	0%
Production Dates:	February - March 1968
Broadcast Started:	16 March 1968
Broadcast Finished:	20 April 1968
Colour Status:	B&W
Studio:	Ealing Television Film Studios, Lime Grove (Studio D) and BBC Television Centre (TC1)
Location:	Red Sands Sea Fort (Thames Estuary), Botony Bay (Kingsgate, Kent) and Denham Aerodrome (Denham, Buckinghamshire).

Writer:

Victor Pemberton

Director:

Hugh David

Producer:

Peter Bryant

Story Editor:

Derrick Sherwin

Editor:

Colin Hobson

Production Assistant:

Michael Briant

Assistant Floor Manager:

Margot Hayhoe

Designer:

Peter Kindred

Costume Designer:

Martin Baugh

Make-Up Designer:

Sylvia James

Cameraman:

Ken Westbury

Lighting:

Sam Neeter

Visual Effects:

Len Hutton and Peter Day

Incidental Music:

Dudley Simpson

Special Sounds (SFX Editor):

Brian Hodgson

Studio Sounds:

David Hughes

Title Sequence:

Bernard Lodge

Title Music:

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

Number of Doctors:

The Doctor:

Patrick Troughton (The Second Doctor)

Number of Companions: 2The Companions: Frazer Hines (Jamie McCrimmon) and Deborah Watling (Victoria Waterfield) (Departs) Additional Cast: Victor Maddern (Robson), John Abineri (Van Lutyens), Roy Spencer (Harris), June Murphy (Maggie Harris), Graham Leaman (Price), Peter Ducrow (Guard), John Garvin (Carney), Hubert Rees (Chief Engineer), Richard Mayes (Chief Baxter), Bill Burridge (Quill), John Gill (Oak), Margaret John (Megan Jones), Brian Cullingford (Perkins)Setting: England (circa 1968) Villain:Seaweed Creature

The Episodes

No.	Episodes	Broadcast (UK)	Duration	Viewers (Millions)	In Archive
198	Episode 1	16 March 1968	24'54"	8.2	Missing
199	Episode 2	23 March 1968	23'08"	7.9	Missing
200	Episode 3	30 March 1968	20'29"	7.7	Missing
201	Episode 4	06 April 1968	24'17"	6.6	Missing
202	Episode 5	13 April 1968	23'40"	5.9	Missing
203	Episode 6	20 April 1968	24'24"	6.9	Missing

Total Duration

2 Hours 21 Minutes

Audience Appreciation

Average Viewers (Millions)

7.2

Doctor Who Magazine Poll (1998)	78.11% (Position = 28 out of 159)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2003)	415 Points (Position = 38 out of 159)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2009)	79.65% (Position = 41 out of 200)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2014)	76.50% (Position = 69 out of 241)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2023)	Position = 9 out of 21

Archives

All six episodes are missing. Several short clips from episodes 2, 4, 5 and 6 were recovered, in October 1996, from Australian censor cuts. A brief clip from episode 1 also exists, of the TARDIS landing in the water, as reused in "The War Games", along with silent 16mm colour location film. Telesnaps (off-air camera photographs) from this story also exist in the BBC Archives.

Notes

This story was based in part upon an earlier radio story, by author Victor Pemberton, called "The Slide" and entered production as "The Colony of Devils". After being renamed to "Fury From the Deep" it became The only Second Doctor story, not to have "The" as the starting word.

Location filming was carried out on two disused oil platforms in the Thames Estuary Permission was only granted after a great deal of work on securing the location.

This story marks the end of Deborah Watling's regular involvement in Doctor Who, as companion Victoria Waterfield. Although Victoria would reappear in the first part of the next story, "The Wheel in Space" (in material filmed as part of "Fury From the Deep"), this would later reprise her role as Victoria in the Thirtieth-Anniversary Children In Need special "Dimensions in Time", in 1993 and the video production "Downtime". Deborah Watling also played the part of Auntie in the Big Finish Productions Doctor Who audio drama "Three's a Crowd".

The first episode marks the debut of the long-used sonic screwdriver which The Doctor uses to open a release valve on an outlet pipe. Its initial design is a simple penlight.

The scene of the weed-infected technicians Quill and Oak attacking Maggie Harris in her cabin is considered to be one of the most terrifying scenes in the show's history.

The Doctor finds a reference to the weed creatures in a book of 18th Century marine legends.

Victoria is heard to say that they are always landing on Earth, Jamie McCrimmon adds that it's always England!

In an emotive speech Victoria mentions the Daleks, the Cybermen and the Yeti where she is heard to state 'Every time we go anywhere something awful happens'.

This story is considered to be one of the finest, well-produced serials of Doctor Who in the 1960's. "Fury From the Deep" is regrettably lost in its entirety, save for a few clips most of which were recovered, in October 1996, from Australian censor cuts. The master videotapes for the story were the final 1960s Doctor Who episodes to be junked; they were authorised for wiping in late 1974.

A fan-produced documentary, "The Making of Fury From the Deep" includes rare footage and excerpts from "The Slide". It lasts fifty minutes and includes interviews with key members of the production team.

This story was novelised as for Target, by Victor Pemberton, in 1986. The editors decided not to cut Pemberton's lengthy manuscript, which was far longer than the normal word limit. It was released as a "special bumper volume" with the entire manuscript.

First and Last

The Firsts:

The first appearance of The Doctor's sonic screwdriver.

The first Doctor Who story to be written by Victor Pemberton.

The Lasts (Subject to Future Stories):

Deborah Watling's last story as companion Victoria.

The final 1960s Doctor Who story to be junked.

Story Images

Show Text

Arriving on the Beach

Inspecting the Pipeline

Frank Harris with The Doctor and Victoria

Robson

Maggie Harris

Mr Quill and Mr Oak

Mr Quill

The Doctor

Robson Kidnaps Victoria

The Control Room is Swamped

Victoria's Amplified Screams

Victoria Waves Goodbye

Quote of the Story

'Why can't we go somewhere pleasant? Where there's no fighting, just peace and happiness?'

Victoria (to Jamie)

Release Information

Format	Title	Release Date (UK)	Code Number	Cover Art	Remarks
Tape	The Missing Stories - Fury From the Deep	1993	ZBBC 1434	Photo-montage	Narrated by Tom Baker Edited Version Double Cassette
VHS	The Missing Years	November 1998	BBCV 6766	Photo-montage	A 56 minute documentary presented by Frazer Hines (Jamie McCrimmon) and Deborah Watling (Victoria Waterfield) Includes existing footage from episode 2 and behind the scenes footage Released as part of The Ice Warriors Collection (BBCV 6387)
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	Fury From the Deep	February 2004		Photo-montage	Narrated by Frazer Hines (Jamie McCrimmon) Triple CD Release
DVD	Doctor Who: Lost in Time	November 2004	BBCDVD 1353	Photo-montage	Includes the Australian censor clips (from episodes 2, 4, 5 and 6), a short clip from episode 1 and silent 16mm colour location film
CD	Fury From the Deep	August 2012		Photo-montage	Part of the "Doctor Who: The Lost TV Episodes: Collection Five 1967 - 1969" Box Set Narrated by Frazer Hines (Jamie McCrimmon)
CD	The 50th Anniversary Collection	December 2013		Photo-montage	Original Television Soundtracks
DVD	Fury From the Deep	September 2020	BBCDVD 4428	Photo-montage	Animated Version with Original Soundtrack
Blu-Ray	Fury From the Deep	September 2020	BBCBD 0499	Photo-montage	Blu-Ray containing black & white and colour versions of the animated episodes.
Blu-Ray	Fury From the Deep	September 2020	BBCBD 0500	Photo-montage	Limited Edition Blu-Ray Steelbook boxed set containing black & white and colour versions of the animated episodes.

In Print

Format	Title	Release Date (UK)	Publisher	Author	Cover Art	Remarks
Novel	Fury From the Deep	October 1986	Target No. 110	Victor Pemberton	David McAllister	ISBN: 0-426-20259-7
CD	Fury From the Deep	July 2011	Target No. 110	Victor Pemberton	David McAllister	Audio version of the Target novel read by David Troughton.

Doctor Who CMS Magazine (An Adventure in Space and Time)	Issue 42
Doctor Who Magazine - Archive	Issue 145 (Released: February 1989)
Doctor Who Magazine - Archive	Issue 146 (Released: March 1989)
Doctor Who Magazine - Telesnap Archive	Issue 208 (Released: January 1994)
Doctor Who Magazine - Telesnap Archive	Issue 209 (Released: February 1994)
Doctor Who Magazine - Telesnap Archive	Issue 210 (Released: March 1994)
Doctor Who Magazine - Archive	Issue 277 (Released: May 1999)
Doctor Who Magazine - Time Team	Issue 306 (Released: July 2001)
Doctor Who Magazine - Time Team	Issue 308 (Released: September 2001)
Doctor Who Magazine - Missing In Action	Issue 506 (Released: Winter 2016/17)
Doctor Who Magazine - The Fact of Fiction	Issue 517 (Released: November 2017)
Doctor Who Magazine - Article	Issue 569 (Released: November 2021)
Doctor Who Classic Comics - Telesnap Archive	Issue 15 (Released: January 1994)
Doctor Who Classic Comics - Telesnap Archive	Issue 16 (Released: February 1994)
Doctor Who Classic Comics - Telesnap Archive	Issue 17 (Released: March 1994)

Photo Gallery

The Doctor and Companions

The Second Doctor

Jamie McCrimmon

Victoria Waterfield

On Release

The Missing Stories Tape Cover

AUDIO

Missing Years VHS Video Cover

VIDEO

Audio - Volume 1: The Early Years

AUDIO

Soundtrack CD Cover

AUDIO

Lost In Time DVD Cover

VIDEO

The Lost TV Episodes: Collection Five CD Cover

AUDIO

The 50th Anniversary Collection Cover

AUDIO

DVD Cover

VIDEO

Blu-Ray Cover

VIDEO

Blu-Ray Steelbook Cover

VIDEO

In Print

Target Book Cover

NOVEL

Target Audio CD Cover

Magazines

Doctor Who CMS Magazine (An Adventure in Space and Time): Issue 42

Doctor Who Magazine - Archive: Issue 145

Doctor Who Magazine - Archive: Issue 146

Doctor Who Magazine - Telesnap Archive: Issue 208

Doctor Who Magazine - Telesnap Archive: Issue 209

Doctor Who Magazine - Telesnap Archive: Issue 210

Doctor Who Magazine - Archive: Issue 277

Doctor Who Magazine - Time Team: Issue 306

Doctor Who Magazine - Time Team: Issue 308

Doctor Who Magazine - Missing In Action: Issue 506

Doctor Who Magazine - The Fact of Fiction: Issue 517

Doctor Who Magazine - Article: Issue 569

Doctor Who Classic Comics - Telesnap Archive: Issue 15

Doctor Who Classic Comics - Telesnap Archive: Issue 16

Doctor Who Classic Comics - Telesnap Archive: Issue 17

Who's Who

Who Me

Episodes of the
Second Doctor

Season 5

References

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