top of page

106) THE CREATURE FROM THE PIT

27 October - 17 November 1979

Average Viewing Figure: 10M

Plot

On the planet Chloris, Lady Adrasta keeps a terrifying creature inside a pit and throws all those who disobey her into it

Cast

Tom Baker (The Doctor), Lalla Ward (Romana), Myra Frances (Adrasta), Eileen Way (Karela), David Brierley (Voice of K-9)

Geoffrey Bayldon (Organon), Terry Walsh (Doran), Morris Barry (Tollund), John Bryans (Torvin), Edward Kelsey (Edu)

Tim Munro (Ainu), Tommy Wright (Guardmaster), Philip Denyer (Guard), Dave Redgrave (Guard), David Telfer (Huntsman)

​

Uncredied Cast

Bobby James (Engineer), Ian Munroe, Reg Turner, Ron Nunnery, Barry Summerford, Robert Smythe, Roy Brent, Max Faulker

Derek Suthern, John Cannon (Guards), Gail Hunter (Handmaiden), Billy Gray, Douglas Bather, Nick Joseph, George Miller

Laurie Goode, Denny Powell (Bandits), Mike Handley, Ridgewell Hawkes, Jerry Judge, Reg Woods (Bearers)

Crew

David Fisher (Writer), Dudley Simpson (Incidental Music), Dick Mills (Special Sound), Romey Allison (Production Assistant)

John Nathan-Turner (Production Unit Manager), Carol Snook (Director's Assistant), David Tilley (Assistant Floor Manager)

David Feig (Film Camera), Doug Mawson (Film Sound), MAC Adams (Film Editor), Warwick Fielding (Lighting)

Anthony Philpott (Sound), Rodney Taylor (Senior Cameraman), James Gould (Vision Mixer), Mat Irvine (Visual Effects Designer)

Dave Chapman (Electronic Effects), Rod Waldron (VT Editor), June Hudson (Costume Designer), Gillian Thomas (Make-Up Artist)

Douglas Adams (Script Editor), Valerie Warrender (Designer), Graham Williams (Producer), Christopher Barry (Director)

​

Uncredited Crew

Tony Bragg (Film Camera Assistant), Tina Baker, Sally Milligan, Lisa Pickering, Sandra Powell, Jancie Sewell (Make-Up Assistant)

David Laskey (Design Assistant), Stuart Moser (Film Sound Assistant), Mike Chislett (Technical Manager), Eric Baker (Props Buyer)

George Rose (Grips), Kate Osborne (Assistant Floor Manager), Edward Bye (Floor Assistant), Ian Brindle (Film Operations Manager)

Des O'Brien (Film Lighting Gaffer), Chick Hetherington (Show Working Supervisor)​

Broadcast

76) THE ARK IN SPACE

Filming Locations

  • Ealing Film Studios: Stage 3B

  • Television Centre: Studio 6

  • Visual Effects Workshop

Deaths

  • Lady Adrasta [body dissolves after being attacked]

  • Doran [dies of fright]

  • Torvin [stabbed by Karela]

  • Guard [killed by Edu]

Production Days

  • 10 Days between Wednesday 21 March - Tuesday 24 April 1979

Production Errors

  1. The Doctor doesn't need a book on Tibetan since he already knows the language in Planet of the Spiders

  2. A Guard stops and curls up before K9 has even stunned him  

  3. When Torvin is stunned  by K9 he turns around, as if he is looking for somewhere comfortable to land​​​

Working Titles

  • [no known working titles] 

Number of Production Days: 5

Verdict

The Creature from the Pit has good designs all around and some well thought out ideas from Hayes who even manages to throw in some very slight, not so obvious humour which will either make one laugh or not. There is also some very good lighting work for the pit and the even the Creature which is poorly designed and realised. The plotting is generally okay and there are some great plot twists to look forward too but episode four is where a few things start to go wrong. Everything seems to be resolved after Lady Adrasta fantastically played by Myra Frances is killed off. The episode goes off on a tangent to tie up a couple of loose ends which just come out of nowhere. The resolution will be fine for most but may irritate others. David Brierly the new voice for K-9 does a remarkable job and is a fitting temporary replacement for Leeson. The effects are relatively poor but the costumes and sets shine which levels out the lesser than to be desired aspects. ***​

bottom of page