BBC Doctor Who - The Stories BBC
QuickNav to a Season: 
QuickNav to a Story: 
 
The Previous Story
Warriors' Gate
 The Previous Story
The Previous Story
(State of Decay)
 The Next Story
(The Keeper of Traken)
Season
Details
SynopsisGeneral
Information
The
Episodes
Audience
Appreciation
ArchivesNotesFirst and LastThe PlotQuote of
the Story
Release
Information
In PrintPhoto
Gallery
 

Tom Baker
Warriors' Gate
Fourth Doctor Logo


Synopsis


Romana and K9 in E-Space
Romana and K9 in E-Space
 A strange creature forces its way into the TARDIS while The Doctor is still searching for a way out of the alternative universe of E-Space. It steers them to an eerie white void where nothing seems to exist but the ruins of an old building - and a sinister spaceship with a desperate crew.

 The Doctor and his friends discover a gateway to the past and the future, a strange mirror guarded by axe-wielding robots. The being that has brought them here is Biroc, a Tharil, one of a race of time-sensitives doomed to be hunted and enslaved. Biroc seeks freedom for his people, while the captain of the spaceship seeks only a way out - and will kill every Tharil he holds in an attempt to break free.

 Time is running out as the void begins to contract. The Gateway seems to offer the only way out – but even if they find a way through, will The Doctor and his friends ever escape E-Space?

Source: BBC VHS Video


General Information

Season: Eighteen
Production Code: 5S
Story Number: 113
Episode Numbers:542 - 545
Number of Episodes: 4
Percentage of Episodes Held:100%
Working Titles:"The Dream Time", "Dream Time"
Production Dates: September - October 1980
Broadcast Started: 03 January 1981
Broadcast Finished: 24 January 1981
Colour Status: Colour
Studio: BBC Television Centre (TC1 and TC6)
Location: Powis Castle (Welshpool, Powys) - Stills only
Writer:Steve Gallagher
Directors:Paul Joyce and Graeme Harper (Uncredited)
Producer:John Nathan-Turner
Executive Producer:Barry Letts
Script Editor:Christopher H Bidmead
Editor:Rod Waldron
Production Assistant:Graeme Harper
Production Unit Manager:Angela Smith
Assistant Floor Manager:Val McCrimmon
Designer:Graeme Story
Costume Designer:June Hudson
Make-Up Designer:Pauline Cox
Cameraman:Alec Wheal
Lighting:John Dixon
Visual Effects:Mat Irvine
Incidental Music:Peter Howell
Special Sounds (SFX Editor):Dick Mills
Studio Sounds:Alan Fogg
Title Sequence:Sid Sutton
Title Music:Ron Grainer and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Arranged by Peter Howell
Number of Doctors: 1
The Doctor: Tom Baker (The Fourth Doctor)
Number of Companions: 3The Companions: John Leeson (voice only) (K9 Mk II) (Departs), Lalla Ward (Romana 2) (Departs) and Matthew Waterhouse (Adric) Additional Cast: Clifford Rose (Rorvik), Kenneth Cope (Packard), David Kincaid (Lane), Freddie Earlle (Aldo), Harry Waters (Royce), David Weston (Biroc), Vincent Pickering (Sagan), Robert Vowles (Gundan), Jeremy Gittins (Lazlo)Setting: Zero coordinates, The Gateway Villain:Captain Rorvik

The Episodes

No. Episodes Broadcast
(UK)
Duration Viewers
(Millions)
In Archive
542Part 103 January 198122'54"7.1PAL 2" colour videotape
543Part 210 January 198123'47"6.7PAL 2" colour videotape
544Part 317 January 198122'15"8.3PAL 2" colour videotape
545Part 424 January 198124'53"7.8PAL 2" colour videotape

Total Duration 1 Hour 34 Minutes


Audience Appreciation

Average Viewers (Millions) 7.5
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (1998)74.27%  (Position = 42 out of 159)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2003)390 Points (Position = 42 out of 159)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2009)72.10% Lower (Position = 81 out of 200)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2014)71.42% Lower (Position = 115 out of 241)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2023) Position = 16 out of 41


Archives


 All four episodes exist as PAL 2" colour videotapes.



Return to the top of this page
 


Notes


This story is the third and final of three loosely connected stories known as the "E-Space trilogy". This trilogy began in "Full Circle" and continued in "State of Decay".

This story also marked two significant changes to the show: the departure of Romana (as played by Lalla Ward) and the final regular appearance of K9 (voiced by John Leeson).

Romana’s reason for remaining in E-Space was due to her not wishing to return to the Time Lords or Gallifrey. She takes K9 with her, whose memory wafers have been replaced and recovered to function past the mirrors.

Romana was seen again in the Twentieth Anniversary Special, "The Five Doctors", in 1983 (via footage of her and the Fourth Doctor from the unaired 1980 story "Shada"). Lalla Ward also returned briefly for the Thirtieth-Anniversary Children In Need special "Dimensions in Time", in 1993. She also reprised the part of Romana in several instalments of Big Finish Productions Doctor Who audio series: The Main Range stories "The Apocalypse Element", "Neverland", "Zagreus" and "The Chaos Pool" (Simultaneously assuming her original role as Astra from "The Armageddon Factor"); the Companion Chronicles series and the Gallifrey stories. The latter of which has Romana as the newest President of Gallifrey and working with Leela and the Mk 1 version of K9. Lalla Ward also reprises her role as Romana in Big Finish Production’s audio remake of the unfinished story "Shada". She also played a thinly-disguised version of Romana for two audio plays from BBV in 1999. Lalla Ward continued performing in programmes such as Schoolgirl Chums and Riviera, as well as various stage plays, but Lalla Ward’s career as an actress was gradually eclipsed by her work as an illustrator.

Lalla Ward’s incarnation of Romana has also appeared in the Virgin Books’ The New Adventures novels "Blood Harvest" (where Romana is retrieved from E-Space by The Doctor), "Goth Opera", and "Lungbarrow", before regenerating into a new body for the BBC Books’ The Eighth Doctor Stories novel "The Shadows of Avalon". Most of these stories depict her post-E-Space life, back on Gallifrey and serving as the President of the Time Lords.

Lalla Ward married Tom Baker after leaving the show. The two however, were married for only 18 months. Lalla Ward is one of two former companions to ever be married to an actor who played The Doctor. The other was Jean Marsh, who played the First Doctor’s companion, Sara Kingdom, and was married to Jon Pertwee, although this marriage occurred prior to Jon Pertwee landing the role of the Third Doctor.

John Leeson, who had previously left the show at the end of Season Sixteen, returned for Season Eighteen on the understanding that K9 would be written out towards the end of this season. John Leeson went on to appear in programmes such as Sorry!, Bugs and Doctors, while remaining in frequent demand for voice work. He returned, voicing K9 (Mk III and Mk IV), for the 1981 spin off-story "K9 and Company: A Girl's Best Friend" as well as for the Twentieth Anniversary Special, "The Five Doctors", in 1983 and the Thirtieth-Anniversary Children In Need special "Dimensions in Time", in 1993. John Leeson also had a minor role in the 1988 Seventh Doctor story "Remembrance of the Daleks". He also was involved in various audios for Big Finish Productions and BBV. John Leeson finally returned to the televised show when he voiced K9 in 2006 Tenth Doctor story "School Reunion" - a story which also included Elizabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith. John Leeson again provided the voice of K9 in the spin-off series The Sarah Jane Adventures, again starring Elizabeth Sladen, and in the 2008 Tenth Doctor story and Season Thirty (New Series 4) finale "The Stolen Earth/Journey's End".

This story replaced a draft story called "Sealed Orders" by Christopher Priest, which also focused on the Time Lords wanting Romana to return to Gallifrey.

In Christopher Priest’s version of the final chapter of the E-Space trilogy, The Doctor and Romana would have exited E-Space via a political thriller involving Gallifrey and would have dealt more directly with Romana’s failure to return to her home planet following her temporary assignment to find The Key to Time.

The story that eventually became "Warriors' Gate" was written by Stephen Gallagher, a long time Doctor Who fan who had written science-fiction radio plays such as "The Last Rose of Summer" (which he had also novelised). Stephen Gallagher had come to Script Editor Christopher H Bidmead’s attention when his radio script "An Alternative to Suicide" was forwarded to the Doctor Who production office. Stephen Gallagher had prepared a Doctor Who storyline called "The Dream Time" (or simply "Dream Time"), which was based on unused concepts for a sequel to "The Last Rose of Summer".

The director assigned to this story was Paul Joyce, whose previous credits included a Play For Today (which he had also written). Paul Joyce envisaged making this story in the style of a feature film, and was enthusiastic about pushing the boundaries of what could be accomplished on a Doctor Who production.

However, as preproduction progressed, Paul Joyce became concerned that Stephen Gallagher’s inexperience in writing for television was resulting in scripts that would not translate well to a visual medium. As Stephen Gallagher had to move to duties on other programmes the final script was heavily re-written by Script Editor Christopher H Bidmead and Paul Joyce. However, the writing credit still went to Stephen Gallagher.

Though the basic elements of this story would remain in "Warrior's Gate", Christopher H Bidmead and Paul Joyce’s version of the scripts omitted elements like an opening sequence depicting an attack on the Privateer by an ‘Antonine Killer’ which led to the ship becoming trapped at the Gateway. A crewman named Nestor was excised (his lines being shared between Lane and Packard), while Waldo was rechristened Royce. The Gundans were originally Shoguns, while the Tharils had been Tharks, Thars, and Tharls. The latter was altered at a late stage on the suggestion of fan advisor Ian Levine, who pointed out that long time fans would confuse it with ‘Thals’, aliens who had appeared in the 1963 First Doctor story "The Daleks" and the 1973 Third Doctor story "Planet of the Daleks".

Paul Joyce had little experience directing for television, and had considerable disagreements with John Nathan-Turner and lighting director John Dixon. By the time the second studio session began in October 1980, the strenuous production was visibly taking its toll on Paul Joyce. Also, the production was hit by a strike of the BBC carpenters, which further delayed matters.

This resulted in only about half of the production being directed by Paul Joyce with the remainder directed (without an on-screen credit) by Production Assistant Graeme with assistance from John Nathan-Turner. Graeme Harper would go on to direct several later stories, beginning with the 1984 Fifth Doctor story "The Caves of Androzani".

Paul Joyce did not return to direct any future Doctor Who stories. His subsequent credits include Tickets For The Titanic.

Despite the chaos surrounding the making of "Warriors' Gate", it has been reported that John Nathan-Turner was delighted with the finished story.

Background photographs utilised in many sequences were taken at Powis Castle, Welshpool.

During the summer of 1980 word that both Romana and K9 would be leaving Doctor Who had been leaked to the press. The robot dog’s departure, in particular, incited an outcry from fans, with The Sun newspaper even embarking upon a ‘Save K9’ letter-writing campaign. Despite this K9 would still be written out of the show at the conclusion of this story. K9 therefore only appeared in twenty of this season’s twenty-eight episodes as was originally planned.

This story was actually promoted in Radio Times as the first in a new season of Doctor Who. This was due to the fact that, unusually, Season Eighteen had broken for two Saturdays over the Christmas holiday period.

Kenneth Cope, who plays Rorvik’s second in command Packard, had previously played the ghostly detective Marty Hopkirk in the sixties series Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), amongst many other notable roles.

Lazlo, the Tharil prisoner revived towards the end of the second episode, is never referred to by name in the story’s dialogue; his name is given only in the closing credits.

This story is set at Zero coordinates - a plain surface micro-universe at the boundary of E-Space and N-Space that had been created to serve as a defensive perimeter for the Tharil Empire.

Tharils are not affected by the Time winds and can walk the timelines. It is also revealed that Humans use enslaved Tharils to navigate hyperspace, effectively travelling in time. A Tharil can walk the wind unharmed. The Tharil Empire used to exist in E-Space, raiding N-Space for human slaves, but the humans created the Gundans, who breached the Gate and then destroyed their Empire.

Rorvik’s spaceship is made of Dwarf star alloy, the only material that can hold time sensitives such as the Tharils.

Look out for the scene in the TARDIS as The Doctor’s multi-coloured scarf can be seen on the hatstand.

This story contains a number of errors: In episode two, a Gundan’s axe falls onto The Doctor’s back, apparently without harming him; Adric is seen taking one of K9’s ears, but when the dog arrives at The Doctor, he’s got both; When Packard swings K9 overhead, its hollow interior is visible, it is also visible momentarily before the time winds damage him.

A novelisation of this story was written by Stephen Gallagher under the pseudonym "John Lydecker". It was published by Target Books in April 1982. The novelisation contains many elements abandoned during the stories production, including the slaver’s opening pursuit and damage at the paws of an Antonine Killer craft. This release, along with novelisation of the 1983 Fifth Doctor story "Terminus" (also written under the pseudonym "John Lydecker") are the only novelisations without chapters.



First and Last

The Firsts:

 The first Doctor Who story to be written by Steve Gallagher.

 The first Doctor Who story to be directed by Paul Joyce.

 The first use of feline aliens.


The Lasts (Subject to Future Stories):

 Lalla Ward's last story as the second incarnation of Romana.

 John Leeson’s last regular story as the voice of K9.

 The last of three loosely connected stories known as the E-Space Trilogy.

 The last Doctor Who story to be directed by Paul Joyce.


Return to the top of this page
 


The Plot

WARNING: May Contain SpoilersHide Text
The Doctor and Romana
The Doctor and Romana

Travelling through E-Space, the TARDIS is hijacked by a time sensitive Tharil named Biroc. Biroc phases into the TARDIS, which has become trapped in a time rift, and operates the controls. The TARDIS then materialises in a white void at the centre of the Time Lines.

Biroc is the imprisoned navigator of a ship, The Privateer, that is captained by Rorvik, and which is also trapped in the void. The Privateer is carrying many of his Tharil brothers into slavery as time-sensitive navigators and he has brought the TARDIS to the void so that his race can be rescued.

On arriving in the void Biroc warns The Doctor, Romana, Adric and K9 that he is a shadow of his own past - and of their future - and that the others that are following him should not be trusted.

Biroc and The Doctor
Biroc and The Doctor

Leaving Romana and Adric worried about K9, whose memory wafers have been shredded by the time winds, the Tharil disappears with The Doctor in pursuit. The Doctor follows the image of Biroc through the void to a strange stone gateway, which leads to a decrepit, dusty and deserted banqueting hall which is still laid for a meal.

Biroc disappears into a mirror as The Doctor watches and time begins to jump about as The Doctor finds himself back in a period when the hall was occupied. This is the domain of the Tharils, who in a previous time were cruel masters to their human slaves but have now repented.

Rorvik
Rorvik

Biroc explains about his mission to free the Tharils, but then their meal is interrupted by Gundan robots, creations of the Tharils’ humanoid slaves, who in turn enslaved the Tharils and so led to their downfall. The Tharils though have realised the error of their formerly dictatorial ways and are now intent on escaping to continue their lives in peace.

But the void is shrinking and The Doctor deduces correctly that the The Privateer, which is made of Dwarf star alloy, is the cause of the problem and - more worryingly - there is not much time before the void retracts into nothing.

Rorvik, though is trying to break through the Gateway, and thereby gain access to N-Space. The insane commander intends to use a vast portable cannon on the Gateway and the mirrors in an effort to escape the void. Adric, who has hidden himself inside the cannon uses it to free The Doctor and Romana from the Gateway where they have become trapped by the slavers.

Romana and Adric
Romana and Adric

When the slavers set out in pursuit of The Doctor and Romana they find The Privateer is now much closer to the Gateway so proving that the void is shrinking and therefore doomed.

In frustration Rorvik fires the cannon at the mirrors, but succeeds only in destroying the weapon. This only enrages him further and the crazed and infuriated slaver now decides to use The Privateer’s engines to blast through the mirrors and escape the void. Instead, the mirrors reflect the blast back, and The Privateer is destroyed. Rorvik and all his crew are killed but the enslaved Tharils are freed and so are able to travel back through the Gateway.

Romana, who has formed an empathy with the Tharil race, elects to travel through the Gateway with them and help liberate the remainder of their race. The Doctor gives her K9, who will be restored beyond the Gateway, though he can never return.

After Romana and K9 depart, The Doctor uses the knowledge he has gained from the Tharils to successfully pilot the TARDIS - now occupied only by himself and Adric - through the Gateway and back into N-Space.

 
Biroc Running in the Void
Biroc Running in the Void
Biroc
Biroc
The Doctor and Romana with Biroc
The Doctor and Romana with Biroc
The Doctor with Rorvik's Crew
The Doctor with Rorvik's Crew
 
The Gate
The Gate
The Burned-out Privateer Ship and The Gate
The Burned-out Privateer Ship and The Gate
Romana and K9 Stay in E-Space
Romana and K9 Stay in E-Space
Adric and The Doctor
Adric and The Doctor




Quote of the Story


 'Unless we work very closely together, we could be here until the crack of doom.'

The Doctor



Return to the top of this page
 


Release Information

FormatTitleRelease Date (UK)Code NumberCover ArtRemarks
Audio
LP
Science-Fiction Sound Effects No. 261981REC 420Sound Effects
Audio
Tape
Science-Fiction Sound Effects No. 261981ZCM 420Sound Effects
Audio
LP
Doctor Who: The Music1983REC 462Music score
Audio
Tape
Doctor Who: The Music1983Music score
Audio
CD
Doctor Who - Earthshock - Classic Music From The BBC Radiophonic Workshop Volume 11992FLMCD 709Alister PearsonMusic score
Video
VHS
The Tom Baker YearsSeptember 1992BBCV 4839PhotoClip only Introduced and commented on by Tom Baker Double cassette release
Audio
CD
30 Years at the Radiophonic Workshop1993BBC CD 871Photo-montageSound effects
Video
VHS
Warriors' GateOctober 1997BBCV 6232Photo-montagePart of the "The E-Space Trilogy Boxed Set" box set (BBCV 6229) along with "Full Circle" and "State of Decay"
Video
DVD
Warriors' GateJanuary 2009BBCDVD 1835Photo-montagePart of the "The E-Space Trilogy Boxed Set" box set along with "Full Circle" and "State of Decay"
Audio
CD
sci-fi Sound EffectsApril 2013CD release of the Science-Fiction Sound Effects No 26 LP
Video
Blu-Ray
Doctor Who: The Collection - Season 18 (Limited Edition)Mar 2019BBCBD 0462Photo-montageBlu-Ray Limited Edition boxed set containing 7 specially restored stories
Video
Blu-Ray
Doctor Who: The Collection - Season 18 (Standard Edition)July 2021BBCBD 0529Photo-montageBlu-Ray Standard Edition boxed set containing 7 specially restored stories


In Print

FormatTitleRelease Date (UK)PublisherAuthorCover ArtRemarks
Novel
Novel
Doctor Who and the Warriors' GateApril 1982Target No. 71Steve Gallagher (under the pseudonym "John Lydecker")Andrew SkilleterISBN: 0-426-20146-9
Novel
Novel
Doctor Who and the Warriors' Gate1982Target No. 71Steve Gallagher (under the pseudonym "John Lydecker")Book: Andrew Skilleter
Box: Bill Donohoe
Re-released as part of The First Dr Who Gift Set
ISBN: 0-426-19270-2
Novel
Novel
Doctor Who and the Warriors' Gate1982Target No. 71Steve Gallagher (under the pseudonym "John Lydecker")Book: Andrew Skilleter
Box: Bill Donohoe
Re-released as part of The Second Dr Who Gift Set
ISBN: 0-426-19289-3
CD
CD
Warriors' GateApril 2019Target No. 71Steve Gallagher (under the pseudonym "John Lydecker")Andrew SkilleterAudio version of the Target Novel read by Jon Culshaw.
Novel
Novel
Warriors' GateJuly 2023BBC BooksSteve GallagherTarget Collection. ISBN: 978-1-78594-851-0
Doctor Who CMS Magazine (In Vision)Issue 50 (Released: April 1994)
Doctor Who Magazine - ArchiveIssue 139 (Released: August 1988)
Doctor Who Magazine - ArchiveIssue 315 (Released: April 2002)
Doctor Who Magazine - Time TeamIssue 371 (Released: July 2006)
Doctor Who Magazine - The Fact of FictionIssue 499 (Released: June 2016)
Doctor Who DVD FilesVolume 87 (Released: May 2012)

Return to the top of this page
 


Photo Gallery


The Doctor and Companions

 
Tom Baker
The Fourth Doctor

   

John Leeson (voice only)
K9 Mk II
Lalla Ward
Romana 2
Matthew Waterhouse
Adric
   




On Release

Audio LP - Sound Effects No. 26
Audio LP - Sound Effects No. 26

BBC
AUDIO
Audio Tape - Sound Effects No. 26
Audio Tape - Sound Effects No. 26

BBC
AUDIO
Audio LP - Doctor Who: The Music
Audio LP - Doctor Who: The Music

BBC
AUDIO
Audio Tape - Doctor Who: The Music
Audio Tape - Doctor Who: The Music

BBC
AUDIO
   
Doctor Who - Earthshock CD Cover
Doctor Who - Earthshock CD Cover

Silva Screen
AUDIO
Tom Baker Years VHS Video Cover
Tom Baker Years VHS Video Cover

BBC
VIDEO
Sound Effects CD Cover
Sound Effects CD Cover

BBC
AUDIO
VHS Video Cover
VHS Video Cover

BBC
VIDEO
   
DVD Cover
DVD Cover

BBC
VIDEO
sci-fi Sound Effects
sci-fi Sound Effects

BBC
AUDIO
The Collection Season 18 Limited Edition Blu-Ray Cover
The Collection Season 18 Limited Edition Blu-Ray Cover

BBC
VIDEO
The Collection Season 18 Standard Edition Blu-Ray Cover
The Collection Season 18 Standard Edition Blu-Ray Cover

BBC
VIDEO
   



In Print

Target Book Cover
Target Book Cover

Target
NOVEL
The First Dr Who Gift Set
The First Dr Who Gift Set

Target
NOVEL
The Second Dr Who Gift Set
The Second Dr Who Gift Set

Target
NOVEL
Target Audio CD Cover
Target Audio CD Cover

BBC
CD
   
BBC Books Target Collection Cover
BBC Books Target Collection Cover

BBC
NOVEL



Magazines

Doctor Who CMS Magazine (In Vision): Issue 50
Doctor Who CMS Magazine (In Vision): Issue 50

CMS
Doctor Who Magazine - Archive: Issue 139
Doctor Who Magazine - Archive: Issue 139

Marvel Comics
Doctor Who Magazine - Archive: Issue 315
Doctor Who Magazine - Archive: Issue 315

Marvel Comics
   
Doctor Who Magazine - Time Team: Issue 371
Doctor Who Magazine - Time Team: Issue 371

Marvel Comics
Doctor Who Magazine - The Fact of Fiction: Issue 499
Doctor Who Magazine - The Fact of Fiction: Issue 499

Marvel Comics
Doctor Who DVD Files: Volume 87
Doctor Who DVD Files: Volume 87

GE Fabbri
   

Return to the top of this page
 
 
Who's Who
KJ Software
Who Me
Episodes of the
Fourth Doctor


Season 18 Press to go back to the previous visited page References
 
 
Doctor Who is the copyright of the British Broadcasting Corporation. No infringements intended. This site is not endorsed by the BBC or any representatives thereof.