 This story sees the return of The Master as well as introducing The Rani (a villainous female Time Lord) and is the first story written by husband-and-wife team Pip and Jane Baker.
To write this story producer John Nathan-Turner approached Pip and Jane Baker, with whom he was collaborating on an unrelated project. Pip and Jane Baker were a veteran writing team who had worked together on books, word games, low-budget movies and television shows (including Z Cars, Space: 1999 and an unmade script for Blake's 7) since the late Fifties. Pip and Jane Baker however, were not keen on traditional science-fiction, and so it was agreed that their storyline would feature a historical setting.
Despite apparently killing The Master off, at the end of the 1984 Fifth Doctor story "Planet of Fire", it was decided, because of The Master’s continued popularity amongst fans, to bring The Doctor’s arch enemy back. Anthony Ainley’s contract had already expired with his appearance in "Planet of Fire" and so Anthony Ainley was offered and accepted a new contract which would commit him to one story a season. "The Mark of The Rani" being chosen as the story he would appear in for Season Twenty Two.
Pip and Jane Baker devised a storyline titled "Too Clever By Far". This was later renamed to "Enter the Rani" before it eventually become "The Mark of The Rani".
Unfortunately when the scripts were delivered it was discovered that Pip and Jane Baker had misunderstood the circumstances of The Master’s last appearance, believing that he had been abandoned on Sarn in his diminutive state, when in fact that planet’s numismaton flames had restored his height but apparently burned him to death. Script Editor Eric Saward therefore excised the relevant dialogue, but - perhaps because of his apathy towards the character’s resurrection - he neglected to substitute an explanation for The Master’s survival in its place. Therefore no explanation however, is given as to how he managed to escape death at the end of "Planet of Fire".
Further rewrites were necessary when John Nathan-Turner decided to take advantage of a logistical error by the BBC, enabling him to trade one of the two studio blocks allocated to this story for extra location time.
Pip and Jane Baker named the evil female Time Lord as being ‘The Rani’ after the Hindu word for ‘Queen’ or ‘Mistress’.
Actress Kate O'Mara was chosen to play the pivotal role of The Rani. Kate O'Mara would later feature in the popular American soap opera Dynasty.
A myth existed amongst fans that John Nathan-Turner cast Kate O'Mara as The Rani because of her starring role in the popular American soap opera Dynasty. However, Kate O'Mara had yet to begin work on Dynasty when she was cast as The Rani. She was however well known for her appearances in programmes such as The Avengers and Triangle, and had acted alongside Colin Baker in The Brothers. Her appearances on Dynasty were filmed between production of this story and her later return in the 1987 Seventh Doctor story "Time and The Rani".
The director assigned to this story was Sarah Hellings, who had contacted John Nathan-Turner in late 1983 requesting the chance to direct a historical story. This story though would become her only Doctor Who assignment.
Being a historical adventure, set at the time of the Industrial Revolution, the main location chosen was the Ironbridge Gorge Open Air Museum at Blist’s Hill, near Telford in Shropshire. Although this location was generally ideal for this story, some key elements of the Bakers’ storyline - including overhead coal tracks and a switching station on the rails - were not available, necessitating further amendments to the scripts.
For a time, during filming, Nicola Bryant was forced to wear a neck brace between shoots after awakening one morning with sharp pains in her neck. Heavy rain was a constant threat, becoming predominant toward the end of the two scheduled weeks. Despite having one day held in reserve as a contingency, the inclement weather prevented the completion of the necessary shots. Some of this material had to be rewritten for the studio, while other scenes, that could not be accomplished indoors, were filmed during a one-day remount at a new location in the Queen Elizabeth Country Park, West London as the funds available would not permit the cast and crew to travel back to Blist’s Hill.
Because of the extra material having to be carried over from the location shoot, the schedule for the studio recording was very tight resulting in a half-hour overrun on the final day. Because of this lack of time, the first TARDIS scene had to be discarded when a boom mike shadow was noted to be visible onscreen. This consisted of Peri emerging into the Console Room wearing her period costume, only to be mocked by The Doctor.
Unusually, the original commission for providing the incidental music for this story went outside the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, to John Lewis. Unfortunately, John Lewis, died during the production of this story. His estate was paid but none of his work was used although he had composed thirty-two minutes of music. Radiophonic Workshop employee Jonathan Gibbs was therefore tasked with putting together a new score for this story. John Lewis’ score for the first episode was included on the DVD of this story that was released in September 2006.
Although being the fourth story to be filmed this story was the third story to be broadcast for Season Twenty Two as it swapped places with "The Two Doctors".
The credits for both episodes of this story include the acknowledgement: ‘The BBC wish to acknowledge the cooperation of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum’.
This story was shown in four 25 minute episodes in the USA, Australia and New Zealand.
This was the last story of the original run of the show to be directed by a woman. The next such occasion would be the 2007 Tenth Doctor story "Blink" (which was directed by Hettie MacDonald).
This was the first story since the 1966 First Doctor story "The Gunfighters" to feature a specific historical character (in this case George Stephenson).
There is a reference to the Daleks at the onset, as The Doctor mentions the time distortion could be a result of their handiwork.
The Master’s Tissue Compression Eliminator now makes people vanish totally (this was what he was working on prior to "Planet of Fire").
It is revealed that both The Rani and The Master were exiled from Gallifrey and that The Rani has extracted brain fluid from people from the Trojan war, the Dark Ages and the American war of Independence. The Rani was also aware of The Master’s failed plan on Sarn and had thought he was dead.
It is revealed that The Rani has her TARDIS connected to a Stattenheim remote control.
The Doctor claims he is ‘expressly forbidden’ to change the course of history.
The Doctor repeats that he has met William Shakespeare (see the Fourth Doctor stories "Planet of Evil" and "City of Death").
Once again Peri is seen to show some botanical knowledge.
Real maggots were used except when the actors had to eat them, in which they were substituted with marzipan.
This story contains a number of errors. Namely: The Doctor is seen gurning above the pit while Peri throws small lumps of coal at the Luddites; The influence of the production team upon the trolley to which The Doctor has been secured at the end of the first episode is a bit too obvious as it unaccountably manages to steer itself when careering down the hill; Lord Ravensworth’s amateur botany is the source of the drugs required but was there no local medic?; Strange that three Time Lords turn up in the same place for entirely different reasons; No Luddites ever attacked pit machinery, which didn’t threaten their livelihoods; Kew Gardens was not open in the 1820’s and Thomas Edison was not born until 1847 which was well after the Luddite riots.
Despite John Nathan-Turner hoping that The Rani might become a new recurring enemy for The Doctor this story was the first of only two television appearances for this character (she later returned in "Time and The Rani").
Kate O'Mara also returned to reprise her role as The Rani again in the Thirtieth-Anniversary Children In Need special "Dimensions in Time", in 1993, and later for the BBV audio adventure "The Rani Reaps the Whirlwind".
The Rani was later named Ushas (her true Gallifreyan name) by author Gary Russell in the BBC Books’ The Past Doctors Stories novel "Divided Loyalties". The Rani also appears in Virgin Books’ The Missing Adventures story "State of Change" written by Christopher Bulis.
The possibility of The Rani returning to the revived show has been a source of fan speculation since 2005, with virtually every female character from Rose Tyler to Donna Noble to Lucy Saxon being considered possible Rani’s-in-disguise.
A character called Rani (played by Anjli Mohindra) can also be seen in the spin-off series The Sarah Jane Adventures. This though is a completely different character.
The Target novelisation of this story, published in June 1986, appears to assume that the reason why The Master did not die in "Planet of Fire", and so is able to return for this story, was because he had actually been shrinking out of existence. It also gives the explanation that the flames generated gases that saved him.
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The Firsts:
The first appearance in the show of The Rani played by Kate O'Mara.
The first story to feature a specific historical character (in this case George Stephenson) - since the 1966 First Doctor story "The Gunfighters".
The first Doctor Who story to be written by Pip and Jane Baker.
The first Doctor Who story to be directed by Sarah Hellings.
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(Position = 107 out of 159)
(Position = 148 out of 200)
