BBC Doctor Who - The Stories BBC
QuickNav to a Season: 
QuickNav to a Story: 
 
The Previous Story
Paradise Towers
 The Previous Story
The Previous Story
(Time and The Rani)
 The Next Story
(Delta and the Bannermen)
Season
Details
SynopsisGeneral
Information
The
Episodes
Audience
Appreciation
ArchivesNotesFirst and LastThe PlotQuote of
the Story
Release
Information
In PrintPhoto
Gallery
 

Sylvester McCoy
Paradise Towers
Seventh Doctor Logo


Synopsis


A Robot Cleaner
A Robot Cleaner
 Built towards the end of the twenty-first century, Paradise Towers is a massive housing block, stretching up towards the sky. With its beautiful decor, smart apartments, fantastic facilities and high standards of maintenance, it is hardly surprising that the architect, Kroagnon, won many professional awards.

 Mel wants to go swimming and as the TARDIS pool has been jettisoned due to a leak, Paradise Towers seems to fit the bill. However, when she and The Doctor arrive, instead of the bright squares and charming cloisters the brochure promised, they find dark, rat-infested corridors full of uncontrollable cleaning machines, undisciplined street gangs and over-worked and belligerent caretakers, some of whom are disappearing in mysterious circumstances.

 What has caused such terrible decay? How could such perfect accommodation have become so run down and dangerous? And why do the street-wise Kangs, apathetic caretakers, sinister Rezzies and Pex - the self-appointed warrior who puts the world of Paradise Towers to rights - all fear whatever terrible force dwells in the basement? Only the unpredictable Chief Caretaker knows what is down there - and the real secret behind the disappearances...

Source: BBC VHS Video


General Information

Season: Twenty Four
Production Code: 7E
Story Number: 145
Episode Numbers:658 - 661
Number of Episodes: 4
Percentage of Episodes Held:100%
Working Titles:"Paradise Tower" and "The Paradise Tower"
Production Dates: May - June 1987
Broadcast Started: 05 October 1987
Broadcast Finished: 26 October 1987
Colour Status: Colour
Studio: BBC Television Centre (TC1 and TC8)
Location: Elmswell House (Nightingales Lane, Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire)
Writer:Stephen Wyatt
Director:Nicholas Mallett
Producer:John Nathan-Turner
Script Editor:Andrew Cartmel
Production Assistant:Frances Graham
Production Associate:Anne Faggetter
Assistant Floor Manager:Val McCrimmon
Designer:Martin Collins
Costume Designer:Janet Tharby
Make-Up Designer:Shaunna Harrison
Cameramen:Alastair Mitchell and David Hunter
Lighting:Henry Barber
Visual Effects:Simon Taylor
Incidental Music:Keff McCulloch
Special Sounds (SFX Editor):Dick Mills
Studio Sounds:Brian Clark
Title Sequence:Oliver Elmes
Title Music:Ron Grainer and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Arranged by Keff McCulloch
Number of Doctors: 1
The Doctor: Sylvester McCoy (The Seventh Doctor)
Number of Companions: 1The Companion: Bonnie Langford (Melanie Bush) Guest Cast: Richard Briers (Chief Caretaker) Additional Cast: Howard Cooke (Pex), Clive Merrison (Deputy Chief), Brenda Bruce (Tilda), Elizabeth Spriggs (Tabby), Julie Brennon (Fire Escape), Judy Cornwell (Maddy), Annabel Yuresha (Bin Liner), Catherine Cusack (Blue Kang Leader), Joseph Young (Young Caretaker), Astra Sheridan (Yellow Kang), Simon Coady (Video Commentary)Setting: Paradise Towers (21st century) Villains:Chief Caretaker, Kroagnon and Tabby and Tilda

The Episodes

No. Episodes Broadcast
(UK)
Duration Viewers
(Millions)
In Archive
658Part 105 October 198724'33"4.5PAL 1" colour videotape
659Part 212 October 198724'39"5.2PAL 1" colour videotape
660Part 319 October 198724'30"5.0PAL 1" colour videotape
661Part 426 October 198724'21"5.0PAL 1" colour videotape

Total Duration 1 Hour 38 Minutes


Audience Appreciation

Average Viewers (Millions) 4.9
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (1998)49.55%  (Position = 152 out of 159)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2009)47.96% Lower (Position = 193 out of 200)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2014)54.38% Higher (Position = 230 out of 241)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2023) Position = 10 out of 12


Archives


 All four episodes exist as PAL 1" colour videotapes. A 71-edit scratch print of all episodes also exists.



Return to the top of this page
 


Notes


This story was the second to feature Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor and features many special guest appearances, including famed actor Richard Briers and actresses Brenda Bruce, Elizabeth Spriggs and Judy Cornwell.

As well as playing the part of the Chief Caretaker Richard Briers provided the voice of Kroagnon. He though was not credited for this. Richard Briers is more famous for playing the part of Tom Good in the classic comedy The Good Life. He later appeared, as Henry Parker, in the Torchwood episode "A Day in the Death".

Brenda Bruce (who played the part of Tilda), Elizabeth Spriggs (who played the part of Tabby) and Judy Cornwell (who played the part of Maddy) have all appeared in a large number of television shows, before and after appearing in this story, playing many different characters. Elizabeth Spriggs later appeared as the Fat Lady in the film Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone while Judy Cornwell went on to play the part of Daisy in the classic comedy Keeping up Appearances.

Clive Merrison, who played the part of the Deputy Chief, previously played Jim Callum in the 1967 Second Doctor story "The Tomb of the Cybermen".

Julie Brennon, who played Fire Escape, was at the time married to Mark Strickson, who played the Fifth Doctor’s companion Vislor Turlough.

Nisha Nayar, an un-credited extra playing one of the Red Kangs, later appeared in a more substantial speaking part as the Female Programmer in the 2005 Ninth Doctor story "Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways". This made her the second performer to appear in both the original run and the revived series of Doctor Who.

The writer chosen for this story was a young writer called Stephen Wyatt - whose work to date had mainly been in the theatre, but had recently been commissioned to write a dark comedy entitled Claws for BBC Radio. This was Stephen Wyatt’s first of two Doctor stories. His second being "The Greatest Show in the Galaxy" in 1987.

By the time Stephen Wyatt had submitted a storyline Andrew Cartmel had joined the production office as the new Script Editor (after Eric Saward had left halfway through the previous season leaving Producer John Nathan-Turner to carry out these additional duties until a replacement Script Editor could be found). Andrew Cartmel however, was unimpressed by Stephen Wyatt’s offering. Andrew Cartmel was familiar with Claws, however, and suggested that Stephen Wyatt develop something more along those lines.

With the assistance of Andrew Cartmel, Stephen Wyatt based his revised storyline on the JG Ballard novel "High-Rise" - which is a parable on middle-class existence about a skyscraper whose tenants descend into pseudo-tribal warfare - as inspiration.

Like Pip and Jane Baker, who wrote the preceding story "Time and The Rani", Stephen Wyatt was, at first, burdened by the fact that Sylvester McCoy had not yet been cast as the Seventh Doctor. Fortunately, when this announcement finally did come, Stephen Wyatt had already seen some of Sylvester McCoy’s theatrical performances, which aided him in writing for the new Doctor.

The director assigned to this story was Nicholas Mallett, who had previously handled "The Mysterious Planet" - the title that has been given to the first four episodes of The Trial of a Time Lord, the season-long storyline that constituted Season Twenty Three.

The role of Pex, originally envisioned by Stephen Wyatt, was as a muscle-bound moron to parody the popular American hero of Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo. However, when it proved difficult to locate a British actor, of the appropriate age and build, John Nathan-Turner suggested that this concept should completely be turned on its head, by casting a small, slender actor who was clearly not the physical specimen Pex made himself out to be. With this in mind, the part of Pex went to actor Howard Cooke.

Because Andrew Cartmel was uncertain about the absence of a traditional Doctor Who ‘monster’ in Stephen Wyatt’s scripts the role of the cleaning robots was added along with a mutated creature living in the swimming pool. Due to concerns as to how effectively this could be accomplished, the mutated creature was changed to an aquatic version of the cleaners.

The pool scenes were filmed at Elmswell House in Buckinghamshire and Bonnie Langford was stunt doubled in the pool by Ellie Bertram.

By the time this story was recorded John Nathan-Turner had essentially abandoned his 1980 decree that all incidental music was to be composed in-house by the BBC’s Radiophonic Workshop. Therefore freelance musician David Snell was commissioned to provide the score for this story. David Snell’s composition however, was deemed to be too dull and repetitive and so was rejected. Instead Keff McCullough, who had provided the score for "Time and The Rani", was hired at the last minute to put together a replacement score.

It is revealed that the TARDIS swimming pool was leaking and had been jettisoned. It was last seen in the 1978 Fourth Doctor story "The Invasion of Time".

As well as the supposedly fantastic swimming pool in Paradise Towers there is, according to The Doctor, also a spectacular pool on the planet Griophos, although it is for the exclusive use of the Gulmeri, flesh eating octopi.

The Doctor informs Melanie that Paradise Towers was designed by Kroagnon, otherwise known as the Great Architect, who won many awards in the 21st century. Kroagnon was also responsible for Golden Dream Park, The Bridge of Perpetual Motion and Miracle City.

The caretakers’ unusual salute is formed by raising the horizontal palms of their hands to rest on their top lips.

The Doctor is heard describing an antique phone as a splendid piece of ‘audioarchitectonicalmetrasynchosity’.

The Doctor is once again called an ‘Old One’ by locals, as he was in the 1986 Sixth Doctor story "The Mysterious Planet".

The TARDIS is seen covered in graffiti again in the 2005 Ninth Doctor story "Aliens of London/World War Three".

Unusually this story suffered one edit after its original BBC transmission. BBC1 Controller Michael Grade decided afterwards that a scene in episode three, which a thrown knife becomes embedded into the wall of Tilda and Tabby’s apartment, was too violent, despite the absence of any complaints from the public. Therefore this episode was re-edited to remove the ‘offending’ sequence for the purpose of repeats and international sales.

A novelisation of this story, written by Stephen Wyatt, was published by Target Books in December 1988. This novelisation reveals that the Blue Kang Leader is named Drinking Fountain.



First and Last

The Firsts:

 The first Doctor Who story to be written by Stephen Wyatt.


Return to the top of this page
 


The Plot

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

The Doctor’s travelling companion Melanie Bush wants to go swimming so he decides to take her to a huge tower block called Paradise Towers where there is reputed to be a fantastic swimming pool. But when they arrive, in the TARDIS, they discover that Paradise Towers is far from the superb leisure resort they had expected - the building is instead run down and defaced with graffiti.

The hallways are also roamed by gangs of young girls, known as Kangs, who are grouped together in colour themes (Yellow, Red and Blue). But, just before The Doctor and Melanie arrive, the last surviving member of the Yellow Kangs is killed in the corridors.

As they explore The Doctor and Melanie are captured by the Red Kangs and The Doctor makes friends with their leaders, Bin Liner and Fire Escape. The Red Kangs decide to take the two travellers to their ‘hide-in’, but they are attacked by a group of dictatorial Caretakers and The Doctor is arrested. Melanie though manages to escape and she meets two old ladies, Tilda and Tabby, known as ‘Rezzies. The old ladies invite Melanie into their apartment and they seem to be friendly, offering her tea and cakes. But her stay at their apartment is soon interrupted by a young man named Pex who breaks down the door in order to ‘save’ her. She leaves, and Pex insists on accompanying her so that he can protect and guide her. Reluctantly Melanie allows Pex to accompany her and she discovers that he is the only young man left in Paradise Towers when all the others left to fight a war. However, soon after leaving Tilda and Tabby’s apartment Melanie and Pex are captured by the Blue Kangs.

The Doctor and the Red Kangs
The Doctor and the Red Kangs

The Doctor has been taken to meet the Chief Caretaker, who believes him to be the Great Architect responsible for creating Paradise Towers and orders a ‘327 Appendix 3 Subsection 9 death’ for him. The Doctor though escapes by tricking his guards into following non-existent rules. The Doctor then finds his way back to the Red Kang ‘brain-quarters’, where he is recaptured by the Caretakers and in turn is rescued by Bin Liner and Fire Escape.

Meanwhile the Chief Caretaker visits a mist-shrouded area in the basement of the building and speaks with something that proclaims it is hungry. The Chief Caretaker calls it his ‘pet’ and refers to himself as its ‘daddy’.

Captured by the Caretakers
Captured by the Caretakers

Melanie manages to talk her way out of the clutches of the Blue Kangs. She then encounters Tabby and Tilda again, but their friendly façade quickly vanishes as they wrap her in a shawl and threaten her with a toasting fork, apparently intent on eating her. She escapes when first Tabby and then Tilda are dragged into their apartment’s waste disposal outlet by a robot arm that emerges from within it. A large robot cleaner then transports the bodies of the two old ladies to the ‘thing’ in the basement.

Reunited with Pex, Melanie makes her way to a lift and, after many failed attempts, they finally arrive at floor 304 where the swimming pool is situated. Melanie intends to go swimming but she fails to notice that there is a bright yellow cleaning robot in the water which attacks her. Pex though is too scared to help her, but she grabs his gun and is able to destroy the cleaning robot.

The Doctor postulates that the Kangs’ parents trapped the Great Architect, Kroagnon, in the building to stop him from completing it. The Kangs reveal that there is a ‘door with smoke’ in the basement. The Doctor, Fire Escape, Bin Liner and Air Duct prepare to go and investigate but before they can do so the Blue Kangs attack, their Leader, claiming that they have won the game. The Doctor intercedes and gets the two groups of Kangs to work together.

The Chief Caretaker
The Chief Caretaker

Meanwhile the Chief Caretaker is escorted to the basement by a robot cleaner and again talks with the mysterious creature. The Doctor, Fire Escape, Bin Liner, Air Duct and the Blue Kang Leader arrive. They watch as the Chief Caretaker is forced to stand under a tube and is processed by Kroagnon. They are then attacked by the robot cleaners and one of them grabs The Doctor by his throat and starts to throttle him. Luckily The Doctor manages to escape. But when they have gone, the tube retracts to reveal that the Chief Caretaker has now been taken over by Kroagnon.

Kroagnon then systematically ‘cleanses’ each floor of Paradise Towers in turn by having the cleaning robots kill all the inhabitants as he considers that they are spoiling his creation by living there. The Doctor gathers all the Kangs together and takes them up to the swimming pool, where he is reunited with Melanie. The remaining Rezzies, including Maddy, the caretakers, including the Deputy Chief Caretaker, also arrive.

The Doctor attempts to get everyone to work together to try to defeat Kroagnon. The Deputy Chief Caretaker explains that on floor 245, Sodium Street, corridor 75, there is a store of explosives that they can use to destroy the robot cleaners. The Doctor plans to set a trap for Kroagnon and Pex volunteers to lure him there. When they arrive, The Doctor tries to topple Kroagnon into the mined store but is unable to do so. Pex plucks up courage and sacrifices himself and drags Kroagnon into the trap. As the store explodes they are both killed, but the terror is over.

The Kangs hold a ceremony to celebrate Pex’s life and The Doctor is made an honorary Kang - Red and Blue. The Doctor and Melanie then say their goodbyes and leave in the TARDIS - trusting that the remaining Kangs, Rezzies, and Caretakers will build a better society. As the TARDIS dematerialises, a new piece of Kang graffiti is revealed on a nearby wall with the slogan ‘Pex Lives’.

 
Meeting Bin Liner
Meeting Bin Liner
Melanie Taking Tea
Melanie Taking Tea
Maddy with The Chief Caretaker
Maddy with The Chief Caretaker
A Robot Cleaner
A Robot Cleaner
 
The Doctor and The Chief Caretaker
The Doctor and The Chief Caretaker
Melanie in Trouble in the Pool
Melanie in Trouble in the Pool
The Doctor is Caught
The Doctor is Caught
Pex and Melanie
Pex and Melanie




Quote of the Story


 'No need to tell me, I know who you are. We have been waiting for this momentous visit for so many years. You were the man who brought Paradise Towers to life, the visionary who dreamed up its pools and lifts and squares, and now you have returned to your creation. You will make all those dilapidated lifts rise and fall as they have never done before! All signs of wall-scrawl will disappear from the corridors of Paradise Towers! The floors will gleam, the windows will shine and all will be made as new! Fellow caretakers, you know who this is? This is the great architect, returned to Paradise Towers! Bid him welcome! All hail the great architect, all hail!'

Chief Caretaker



Return to the top of this page
 


Release Information

FormatTitleRelease Date (UK)Code NumberCover ArtRemarks
Audio
LP
The Doctor Who 25th Anniversary Album1988REC 707Music score
Audio
Tape
The Doctor Who 25th Anniversary Album1988ZCF 707Music score
Audio
CD
The Doctor Who 25th Anniversary Album1988Music score
Audio
CD
Music From Doctor Who1988CD 579Music score
Audio
CD
30 Years at the Radiophonic Workshop1993BBC CD 871Photo-montageSound effects
Video
VHS
Paradise TowersOctober 1995BBCV 5686Colin Howard
Audio
CD
Evolution - The Music From Dr WhoDecember 2001Music score
Video
DVD
Paradise TowersJuly 2011BBCDVD 3002
Video
Blu-Ray
Doctor Who: The Collection - Season 24 (Limited Edition)June 2021BBCBD 0520Photo-montageBlu-Ray Limited Edition boxed set containing 4 specially restored stories
Video
Blu-Ray
Doctor Who: The Collection - Season 24 (Standard Edition)Febuary 2023BBCBD 0565Photo-montageBlu-Ray Standard Edition boxed set containing 4 specially restored stories


In Print

FormatTitleRelease Date (UK)PublisherAuthorCover ArtRemarks
Novel
Novel
Paradise TowersDecember 1988Target No. 134Stephen WyattAlister PearsonISBN: 0-426-20330-5
Novel
Novel
Paradise TowersOctober 1991Target No. 134Stephen WyattAlister PearsonVirgin new cover reprint.
ISBN: 0-426-20330-5
CD
CD
Paradise TowersApril 2012Target No. 134Stephen WyattAlister PearsonAudio version of the Target Novel read by Bonnie Langford (Melanie Bush).
Doctor Who CMS Magazine (In Vision)Issue 92 (Released: October 2000)
Doctor Who Magazine - PreviewIssue 129 (Released: October 1987)
Doctor Who Magazine - After ImageIssue 133 (Released: February 1988)
Doctor Who Magazine - ArchiveIssue 326 (Released: February 2003)
Doctor Who Magazine - Time TeamIssue 402 (Released: December 2008)
Doctor Who Magazine - The Fact of FictionIssue 431 (Released: March 2011)
Doctor Who DVD FilesVolume 106 (Released: January 2013)

Return to the top of this page
 


Photo Gallery


The Doctor and Companion

 
Sylvester McCoy
The Seventh Doctor

   

 
Bonnie Langford
Melanie Bush
 
   




On Release

Audio LP - Doctor Who the 25th Anniversary Album
Audio LP - Doctor Who the 25th Anniversary Album

BBC
AUDIO
Audio Tape - Doctor Who the 25th Anniversary Album
Audio Tape - Doctor Who the 25th Anniversary Album

BBC
AUDIO
Doctor Who the 25th Anniversary Album CD Cover
Doctor Who the 25th Anniversary Album CD Cover

BBC
AUDIO
Music From Doctor Who CD Cover
Music From Doctor Who CD Cover

Sanctury Records
AUDIO
   
Sound Effects CD Cover
Sound Effects CD Cover

BBC
AUDIO
VHS Video Cover
VHS Video Cover

BBC
VIDEO
Evolution CD Cover
Evolution CD Cover

Prestige Records
AUDIO
DVD Cover
DVD Cover

BBC
VIDEO
   
The Collection Season 24 Limited Edition Blu-Ray Cover
The Collection Season 24 Limited Edition Blu-Ray Cover

BBC
VIDEO
The Collection Season 24 Standard Edition Blu-Ray Cover
The Collection Season 24 Standard Edition Blu-Ray Cover

BBC
VIDEO



In Print

Target Book Cover
Target Book Cover

Target
NOVEL
Reprinted Virgin Book Cover
Reprinted Virgin Book Cover

Virgin
NOVEL
Target Audio CD Cover
Target Audio CD Cover

BBC
CD
   


Magazines

Doctor Who CMS Magazine (In Vision): Issue 92
Doctor Who CMS Magazine (In Vision): Issue 92

CMS
Doctor Who Magazine - Preview: Issue 129
Doctor Who Magazine - Preview: Issue 129

Marvel Comics
Doctor Who Magazine - After Image: Issue 133
Doctor Who Magazine - After Image: Issue 133

Marvel Comics
Doctor Who Magazine - Archive: Issue 326
Doctor Who Magazine - Archive: Issue 326

Marvel Comics
   
Doctor Who Magazine - Time Team: Issue 402
Doctor Who Magazine - Time Team: Issue 402

Marvel Comics
Doctor Who Magazine - The Fact of Fiction: Issue 431
Doctor Who Magazine - The Fact of Fiction: Issue 431

Marvel Comics
Doctor Who DVD Files: Volume 106
Doctor Who DVD Files: Volume 106

GE Fabbri


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


Season 24 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.