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141) TIMELASH

9 - 16 March 1985

Average Viewing Figure: 7M

Plot

On the planet Karfel anyone who turns against the mysterious Borad is thrown into the timelash

Cast

Colin Baker (The Doctor), Nicola Bryant (Peri), Paul Darrow (Tekker), Eric Deacon (Mykros), Jeananne Crowley (Vena)

Neil Hallett (Maylin Renis), Robert Ashby (The Borad), David Ashton (Kendron), David Chandler (Herbert), Peter Robert Scott (Brunner)

Dicken Ashworth (Sezon), Tracy Louise Ward (Katz), Martin Gower (Tyheer), Christine Kavanagh (Aram), Steven Mackintosh (Gazak)

Denis Carey (Old Man), Dean Hollingsworth (Android), James Richardson (Guardolier), Martin Gower (Bandril Ambassador)

​

Uncredited Cast

Peter Gates Fleming, Kevin O'Brien, Richard Bonehill (Guardoliers), Chris Bradshaw (Young Karfelon), Mike Nagel, Brian Melloy (Rebels)

Crew

Glen McCoy (Writer), Ron Grainer (Title Music), Liz Parker (Incidental Music), Dick Mills (Special Sound)

Alan Wareing (Production Manager), Sue Anstruther (Production Associate), Jane Whittaker (Production Assistant)

Abigail Sharp (Assistant Floor Manager), Kevin Molloy (Visual Effects Designer), Dave Chapman (Video Effects)

Alan Arbuthnott (Technical Co-ordinator), Alec Wheal (Camera Supervisor), Jayne Beckett (Vision Mixer)

Hugh Parson (Videotape Editor), Henry Barber (Lighting Director), Andy Stacey (Sound Supervisor), Alun Hughes (Costume Designer)

Vanessa Poulton (Make-Up Designer), Eric Saward (Script Editor), Sid Sutton (Title Sequence), Bob Cove (Designer)

John Nathan-Turner (Producer), Pennant Roberts (Director)

​

Uncredited Crew

Ken Rock, Len Wilson (Lighting Chargehands), Gordon Ashford, Ian McLeod, Chas Seamons (Senior Studio Engineers), Sarah Bird (Booker)

Helen Greaves (Floor Assistant), Paul Mann (Visual Effects Assistant), Al Huxley (Props Buyer)

Ray Davis, George Griffith (Production Operative Supervisors), Harry Geek, Brian Green, John Greenham (Production Operatives)

Liz Dawson (Costume Assistant), Wendy Harrison (Make-Up Assistant), Francis Boyle (Design Assistant), Sarah Lee (Production Secretary)

Ian Hewitt (Graphic Designer), Lesley Bingham, Liz Dixon, Alan Hatchman, Stephen Smith (Dressers)​

Broadcast

Filming Locations

  • Television Centre: Studio 4

  • Television Centre: Studio 8

Deaths

  • Tekker [aged to death by The Borad]

  • Renis [aged to death by The Borad]

  • Kendron [aged to death by The Borad]

  • Brunner [dies in the past after being pushed into the Timelash]

  • Gazak [dies in the past after being pushed into the Timelash]

  • Aram [aged to death by The Borad]

  • Tyheer [dies in the past after being pushed into the Timelash]

  • Borad [dies in the past after falling into the Timelash - death uncertain]

Production Days

  • 7 days between Tuesday 4 December 1984 - Wednesday 30 January 1985

Production Errors

  1. During a scene in the power room, Maylin accidentally pulls a control dial off, and quickly replaces it.

Working Titles

  • Conquest of the Daleks (this was originally planned as a Dalek story)

Verdict

A poorly designed and executed production with some of the worst production values ever seen on the show. The plot is full of time corridors, a mutant creature who lurks in his lair, a society who lives in fear, the list painfully goes on. The timelash is a great idea but its design is naff and looks like a child’s arts and crafts project. Terribly blocked action sequences, annoying high-pitched voiced characters, silly childish moments, way too many disposable characters, painfully dull costumes, awful acting at the best times – Robert Ashby and Paul Darrow are stars and the puppets best suited for the likes of Red Dwarf. The Borad’s lair is fine even with its sickly green lighting design and nicely edited death sequences. The cave scenes however with the stupid alien with the long neck and Peri’s screaming are pretty unwatchable. The less said about Herbert the better. A right mess which strangely turns into a guilty pleasure when there is nothing better to watch. **

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