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79) REVENGE OF THE CYBERMEN

19 April - 10 May 1975

Average Viewing Figure: 9M

Plot

Returning to Space Station Nerva, The Doctor, Sarah, and Harry discover Cybermen plan to destroy Voga the planet of Gold

76) THE ARK IN SPACE

Cast

Tom Baker (The Doctor), Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith), Ian Marter (Harry Sullivan), Jeremy Wilkin (Kellman)

Ronald Leigh-Hunt (Commander Stevenson), William Marlowe (Lester), Alec Wallis (Warner), Kevin Stoney (Tyrum), David Collings (Vorus)

Michael Wisher (Magrik), Brian Grellis (Sheprah), Christopher Robbie (Cyberleader), Melville Jones (First Cyberman)

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Uncredited Cast

Tony Lord, Pat Gorman (Bodies), Tony Lord, Pat Gorman (Cybermen), Cy Town, Leslie Weekes, David Billa, David Sulkin, Terry Walsh

Alan Chuntz, Harry Fielder, Barry Summerford, Roy Caesar (Vogan Hawks/Doves), Michael E Briant (Monitor Voice)

Crew

Gerry Davis (Writer), George Gallaccio (Production Unit Manager), John Bradburn (Production Assistant), Ron Grainer (Title Music)

Bernard Lodge (Title Sequence), Carey Blyton (Incidental Music), Dick Mills (Special Sound), James Ward (Visual Effects Designer)

Prue Handley (Costume Designer), Cecile Hay-Arthur (Make-Up), Derek Slee (Studio Lighting), Norman Bennett (Studio Sound)

Elmer Cossey (Film Cameraman), John Gatland (Film Sound), Sheila A Tomlinson (Film Editor), Robert Holmes (Script Editor)

Roger Murray-Leach (Designer), Philip Hinchcliffe (Producer), Michael E Briant (Director)

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Uncredited Cast

Steve Haggard (Floor Assistant), Jane Boak, Martha Fisher, Martha Livesey, Kerin Carswell, Vanessa Poulton (Make-Up Assistants)

Peter Granger (Senior Cameraman), Jan Spoczynski (Design Assistant), Bruce Galloway (Assistant Film Sound Recordist)

John Harper, Ian Milton, Mike Spooner (Assistant Film Cameramen), Sid Morris (Film Lighting), John Farr (Technical Manager)

Paul Graydon (Grams Operator), Stan Cresswell, Don Mattinson (Film Operatives), Nick Lake (Vision Mixer), Dave Jervis (Inlay Operator)

Jack Wells (Armourer)

Broadcast

Number of Production Days: 5

Filming Locations

  • Television Centre: Puppet Theatre

  • Wookey Holes Caves, Wells, Somerset

  • Television Centre: Studio 1

  • Television Centre: Studio 3

  • Television Centre: Studio 8

Deaths

  • Kellman [killed during a rock fall]

  • Lester [disintegrated during an explosion]

  • Warner [dies due to the Cybermen's plaque]

  • Vorus [shot dead by Tyrum]

  • Magrik [shot dead by Tyrum]

  • Cyberlader [killed during the destruction of their ship]

  • First Cyberman [killed during the destruction of their ship]

  • Cybermen [killed when a cyberbomb explodes]

  • Cybermen [killed during the destruction of their ship]

Production Days

  • 8 Days between Tueday 12 November 1974 - Monday 1- February 1975

Production Errors

  1. At the end of Genesis of the Daleks, The Doctor was wearing a long brown coat and hat, when he arrives at the start of the serial, they have both vanished 

  2. Lesters wears his interplanetary Space command insignia upside down 

  3. When Kellman pulls the tape from the reel in part one, the squealing sound of the fast-winding tape can be heard. However, the tape is not in contact with the playback heads 

  4. Whilst Harry examines Kellman's corpse, Kellman is still breathing 

  5. Some CSO shots cause the Cybermats to appear to be melded with the background 

  6. The Vogan's head noticeably wobble about during the serial, especially when they run about 

  7. On the planet Voga, everything is made out of gold, EVERYTHING! So when the Cybermen arrive on Voga, why don't the Vogans hit the Cybermen with their guns to kill them. The slightest bit of gold is deadly to a Cybermen

  8. During many of the shots where Cybermats attacks humans, it is obvious that the actors hug the Cybermats to give the illusion that they are being attacked 

  9. The transmat only works on human tissue. Why doesn't it leave humans naked, why doesn't it wreck and destroy the Cybermen?

Working Titles

  • Doctor Who and the Return of the Cybermen

  • The Battle for the Nerva - (episode title)

  • The Beacon in Space - (episode title)

  • The Gold Miner - (episode title)

  • The Plague  Carriers - (episode title)

Verdict

Revenge of the Cybermen much like Day of the Daleks re-introduces the Cybermen after a very long absence. The Cybermen, particularly the Cyber Leader (Christopher Robbie) seem to be quite emotional and expressive when they are supposed to be emotionless menaces. The Cybermen do not seem to fit the story at all who do nothing for the most part of the first two episodes and only leap into action in the last. They are used effectively on location, but it would have been more interesting to see the Vogans act as the villains instead. The Cybermen’s plan does not seem that logical. They plan to destroy Voga the planet of Gold since gold is lethal to them but Voga will not be the only planet to possess the deadly element. Earth has gold so why not destroy Earth as well? There is bound to be millions of other planets with gold right? There is a strong script here which manages to build up the suspense. Episode one is well directed with The Doctor, Harry and Sarah finding Nerva filled with corpses and a crew who is barely surviving. There is an obvious villain amongst the survivors who is so desperate to be noticed, he gives himself away within a few minutes. The Vogans are intriguing aliens but their society is not that interesting and everything they are involved is quite dull. The script also seems to enjoy taking the mick out of Harry, making him out to be a fool. Yet he continually tries to save others, puts his neck on the line and does his best to prove himself worthy of The Doctor’s company. Sarah moans, groans and whines and does nothing, this is easily her worst performance. Revenge of the Cybermen is impressive in its own right and may not be the most talked about serial but it certainly tries its best whenever the opportunity comes along. ***​

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