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80) TERROR OF THE ZYGONS

30 August - 20 September 1975

Average Viewing Figure: 7.5M

Plot

The Doctor investigates a series of Oil Rig destructions and discovers a group of aliens called, The Zygons are responsible

Cast

Tom Baker (The Doctor), Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith), Ian Marter (Harry Sullivan), Nicholas Courtney (Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart)

John Woodnutt (Duke of Forgill/Broton), John Levene (RSM Benton), Lillias Walker (Sister Lamont), Robert Russell (The Caber)

Angus Lennie (Angus), Tony Sibbald (Huckle), Hugh Martin (Munro), Bruce Wightman (Radio Operator), Bernard G. High (Corporal)

Peter Symonds (Soldier), Keith Ashley, Ronald Gough, David Selby (Zygons)

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Uncredited Cast

James Muir (Private Jackson), Barry Summerford, Patrick Ginter (UNIT Soldiers), Rowland Geall (UNIT Corporal)

Robert Russell, Lillas Walker (Zygon Voices), Barry Summerford (Thurston), Alan Clements (Morton)

76) THE ARK IN SPACE

Crew

Robert Banks Stewart (Writer), George Gallaccio (Production Unit Manager), Edwina Craze (Production Assistant)

Ron Grainer (Title Music), Bernard Lodge (Title Sequence), Geoffrey Burgon (Incidental Music), Dick Mills (Special Sound)

James Acheson (Costume Designer), Sylvia James (Make-Up), John Horton (Visual Effects Designer), John Dixon (Studio Lighting)

Michael McCarthy (Studio Sound), Peter Hall (Film Cameraman), John Tellick (Film Sound), Ian McKendrick (Film Editor)

Robert Holmes (Script Editor), Nigel Curzon (Designer), Philip Hinchcliffe (Producer), Douglas Camfield (Director)

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Uncredited Cast

Rosemary Webb (Assistant Floor Manager), Gordon Phillipson (Grams Operator), Suzanne Jansen, Martha Livesey (Make-Up Assistants)

Roger Barham, Len Hutton, Charlie Lumm, Colin Mapson, Steve Bowman, Steve Drewett, Richard Conway (Visual Effects Assistants)

Alec Curtis (Film Camera Assistant), Clive Derbyshire (Film Sound Assistant), Roy Monks, Dennis Rogers (Grips)

Eric Barker, Robert Sutton (Props Buyer), Henry Barber (Technical Manager), Joy Sinclair (Director's Assistant), Carol Scott (Floor Assistant)

Elizabeth Lincott, Michael Purcell, Jack Rowe (Dressers), Dave Jervis (Inlay Operative), Nick Lake (Vision Mixer)

Leslie Baker, Spike Hughes, Dick Norwood, Brian West (Film Operatives), Ian Brindle (Film Ops Manager)

Jennie Betts, Carol Vigurs (Facilities Assistants), Paul Kay (Senior Cameraman)

Broadcast

Number of Production Days: 5

Filming Locations

  • Climping Beach, Climping, W Sussex

  • Ambersham Common, South Ambersham, W Sussex

  • Hall Aggregates Quarry, Storrington, W Sussex

  • The Fox Inn Public House, Charlton, W Sussex

  • Farm Building, Charlton, W Sussex

  • Furnace Pond, Crabtree, W Sussex

  • Millbank Tower, London-[location filming unconfirmed]

  • Television Centre: Studio 3

  • Television Centre: Studio 4

Deaths

  • Broton [shot and killed by the Brigadier and Private Thurston]

  • Angus [killed by a Zygon]

  • Munro [killed by a Zygon]

  • Radio Operator [killed when The Skarasen destroys the oil rig he works on]​

  • Morton [strangled by Broton]

  • Zygons [killed when their spaceship is destroyed]

Production Days

  • 12 Days between Monday 17 March - Wednesday 23 April 1975

Production Errors

  1. When The Doctor runs away from the Skarasen he leaves the driver door to the Land Rover he was driving open. When The Brigadier and Sarah-Jane drive-by, the driver door is closed  ​​

  2. When The Doctor and the Zygons' captives run away from the Zygon spaceship, the ship's shadow moves

  3. The Doctor tells the Brigadier that he has come 270,000,000 miles. This is incorrect the distance from Jupiter's furthermost satellite to Earth is 370,000,000 miles 

  4. The control the Zygons have over the Skarasen is very inconsistent throughout the serial

  5. When The Doctor and Brigadier examine the dead soldier's body in part two, some of the soldier's fingers move

  6. The Zygon remove their surveillance equipment because they are afraid it will be found. However, doing this leave a gaping hole, therefore giving UNIT a clue as to their whereabouts 

  7. ​When Sarah types on the typewriter, the text is already printed, she is clearly typing over the already typed text​

Working Titles

  • Doctor Who and the Zygons

  • Loch Ness

  • The Loch Ness Monster

Verdict

Terror of the Zygons seems to be more interested in looking nice rather than telling a cohesive story. The plot seems to go nowhere, where a strange creature (the Skarasen) destroys Oil Rigs, and the Zygons duplicate themselves as members of a Scottish Village, Sarah accidently stumbles upon the Zygon spaceship which causes them to head to London (for some reason) only to be blown up (apart from Broton) and the Skarasen follows pursuit (only to head back to Loch Ness) after The Doctor throw a homing device into the Thames. As you can tell the story is all shambles and never comes together but the mysterious atmospheres are held right throughout. The Zygons are marvellous monsters and their spaceship is one of the best the series has ever seen. The body copying aspect of the story is handled quite well although you can easily tell who is a Zygon and who is not. Excellent design is persistent throughout and there is some nice model work as well. Terror of the Zygons finally provides a villain who the Brigadier can kill with a round of bullets. Hooray for The Brigadier. ***​

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