 This story was written by Robert Holmes, from an original script written by John Lucarotti, which was rewritten because it was considered unusable. Robert Holmes rewrote "The Ark in Space" as a four part story as a lead in to the two part "The Sontaran Experiment". Due to the extensive rewrite John Lucarotti did not receive any on-screen credit.
John Lucarotti's originally story line included an ark, an uninhabitable Earth, humans who had 'over-slept' and aliens who had entered the ark in the meantime. Noticeable differences include the race of the aliens and that The Doctor went to the ark intentionally and with purpose. John Lucarotti's aliens, named the Delk, had the ability to replicate instantly. This would have been Lucarotti's fourth contribution to the show and his first since the First Doctor's era.
Producer Philip Hinchcliffe believed that in order to expand the show's core audience, it was necessary to broaden the show's appeal to adults, and "Ark in Space" demonstrates this with its use of horror, particularly the inexorable transformation of Noah into an alien creature. A scene in which the half-transformed Noah begs Vira to kill him was deemed too scary for children and had to be cut.
This story and the following story, "The Sontaran Experiment", were sent to production together. Although this story was recorded after "The Sontaran Experiment", it was planned all along to exchange the two stories in the transmission order. "The Ark in Space" therefore became the second story for Season Twelve – following "Robot" which had been held over from the end of the previous recording block.
Since both "The Ark in Space" and "The Sontaran Experiment" were effectively being made as one large production, they shared the same director: Rodney Bennett.
Along with the two-part "The Sontaran Experiment", this story was a replacement for a six-part story called "Space Station" by Trevor Langley that was cancelled.
The sets for this story were re-used for "Revenge of the Cybermen" as a cost-cutting exercise. This latter story is partially set on Space Station Nerva but at an earlier time.
"The Ark in Space" shares a number of ideas with the 1966 First Doctor story "The Ark" and also bears a resemblance to the Ridley Scott’s film Alien released in 1979.
Peter Tuddenham, who provided some of the voices in this story, is more famous for providing the voices of Orac, Zen and Slave in the BBC SCI-FI series Blake's 7. He also provided voices in "The Masque of Mandragora" and the 1987 Seventh Doctor story "Time and The Rani".
The Wirrn are natives of the Andromeda galaxy, who lived on herbivores until the humans arrived and fought them for 1000 years, driving them out. When they take over a person, they absorb their memories into the group mind.
The Wirrn grubs were constructed by designer John Friedlander out of plastic bubble-wrap packaging, painted with latex and sprayed green.
It is revealed that Solar flares wiped out all life on Earth.
It is only mentioned once, by Vira, but Noah's name is Lazer, Noah being a joke due to his role on Nerva.
As well as being the first story to feature The Doctor's yo-yo, which he uses to take a gravity reading, The Doctor is also seen using a cricket ball to try to hit the switch controlling the Ark's defence systems.
The music played to Sarah Jane Smith while she is being processed is Handel's Largo.
This story forms part of a continuous series of televised adventures for the TARDIS crew, beginning from the end of "Robot" and continuing through to "Terror of the Zygons".
The title sequence for Part One was tinted pink and green as an experiment, but was not repeated for the subsequent episodes. The title sequence would stay constant for the next six years.
This story set the tone for the early Tom Baker years after the flippancy of the Fourth Doctor's opening story, and is considered a classic by my fans.
Episode two was watched by 13.6 million viewers resulting in it being the fifth most watched programme for the week. This was the highest chart position ever achieved for an episode, of the original run of the show, and for the whole of Doctor Who until the 2007 Tenth Doctor story "Voyage of the Damned" which was placed second for both the week it was originally broadcast in and for the entire year. The highest rated episode (in terms of viewing audience) is the fourth and final episode of the 1979 story "City of Death" (with 16.1 million viewers).
This story was repeated on BBC One as a 70 minute omnibus in August 1975.
This story first came out on VHS, in an omnibus format, in June 1989. It was then re-released in February 1994 in episodic format. This story was also released on Laserdisc by Encore Entertainment in 1996. The DVD release, in April 2002, includes new CGI footage replacing the models of the Ark and the transport ship as an option.
A novelisation of this story, written by Ian Marter, was published by Target Books in May 1977. This was Ian Marter's first novelisation for Target Books (he would write several more before his death in 1986). Ian Marter played Harry Sullivan in this story, making him the only writer (to date) to have ever written a novelisation based upon a story in which he appeared. Interestingly Ian Marter alters the ending so that the travellers leave in the TARDIS. Also in the original script, Wirrn is spelled with only two 'r's. In the Target Books novelisation, Wirrrn is spelled with three 'r's.
The Wirrn also appear in the BBV audio play "Wirrn: Race Memory". The Eighth Doctor encounters the Wirrrn in the BBC The Eighth Doctor Stories novel "Placebo Effect", by Gary Russell, which delves further into their history and psychology. They also appear in the Big Finish Productions audio story "Wirrn Dawn", by Nicholas Briggs, which is set during the war between the Humans and the Wirrn.
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The Firsts:
The first trip in the TARDIS for new companion Harry Sullivan played by Ian Marter.
The first episode contains the first instance where no one but the regulars take part since the the 1963 First Doctor two-part story "The Edge of Destruction".
The first story to feature The Doctor's yo-yo.
Philip Hinchcliffe's first involvement in the show as Producer.
The first Doctor Who story to be directed by Rodney Bennett.
Roger Murray-Leach's first involvement in the show as Designer.
The first Doctor Who story to be watched by more than 13 million viewers.
The first Doctor Who story, released by Target Books, written by Ian Marter.
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(Position = 20 out of 159)
(Position = 28 out of 200)
