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97) THE INVASION OF TIME

4 February - 11 March 1978

Average Viewing Figure: 10.5M

Plot

When The Doctor returns to Gallifrey he assumes the position of Lord President and then allows the Vardans to invade

76) THE ARK IN SPACE

Cast

Tom Baker (The Doctor), Louise Jameson (Leela), Stan McGowan (Vardan), Chris Tranchell (Andred), Milton Johns (Kelner)

Tom Kelly (Vardan), John Arnatt (Borusa), Dennis Edwards (Lord Gomer), Reginald Jessup (Lord Savar), Charles Morgan (Gold Usher)

Christopher Christou (Guard), Hilary Ryan (Rodan), Michael Harley (Bodyguard), Max Faulkner (Nesbin), Ray Callaghan (Ablif)

Gai Smith (Presta), Michael Mundell (Jasko), Eric Danot (Castellan Guard), Derek Deadman (Stor), Stuart Fell (Sontaran)

John Leeson (Voice of K-9)

​

Uncredited Cast

Christopher Christou, Michael Harley, Eric Danot, Peter Roy, Mort Jackson, Tony Snell, Buddy Prince, Robert Smythe (Guards)

Giles Melville, Martin Grant, Michael Silwoski, John Tucker, James O'Neill, Laurie Goode (Time Lords)

David Melbourne, Alan Forbes, Mike Mungarvan, Bobby James (Outer Gallifreyans), Mark Holmes, Derek Hunt (Expelled Time Lords)

Julian Hudson (Vardan), Martyn Richards, Norman Rochester (Sontarans)

Crew

David Agnew (Writer), Ron Grainer (Title Music), Bernard Lodge (Title Sequence), Dudley Simpson (Incidental Music)

Colin Dudley (Production Assistant), John Nathan-Turner (Production Unit Manager), Mike Jefferies (Studio Lighting)

Anthony Philpot (Studio Sound), John Sterling (O.B. Lighting), Ian Leiper (O.B. Sound), Ken Westbury (Film Camerman)

Graeme Hare (Film Recordist), Chris Wimble (Film Editor), Richard Conway, Colin Mapson (Visual Effects Designers)

Dick Mills (Special Sound), Dee Kelly (Costume Designer), Maureen Winslade (Make-Up Artist), Anthony Read (Script Editor)

Barbara Gosnold (Designer), Graham Williams (Producer), Gerald Blake (Director)

​

Uncredited Crew

Dennis Brack, Terrance Parker, Richard Winter (Costume Assistants), Elizabeth Freeman (Graphics), Bob Steer (Design Assistant)

Sheila Parkinson, Mervin Bezar, Michael Chard, Steve Cornish, Mark Creed, Tony Mannings (Dressers), Jerry Burrows (Grams Operator)

Renny Tasker, Sue Williams (Floor Assistants), Errol Ryan (Technical Manager), Tommy Thomas (O.B. Lighting)

John Sennett (Film Camera Assistant), Dave Chapman (Electronic Effects), Shirley Coward (Vision Mixer), Brenda Barker (Props Buyer)

Ian Brindle (Film Operations Manager), John Francis, Alan Twine (Film Operatives), Roy Caney (Grips)

Trevor Gibbs, Bob Newton (Engineering Co-ordinators), Bob Wade (OB Engineering Manager)

Norma Hill, Vicky Pocock, Vanessa Poulton, Karen Sherrie-Morton (Make-Up Assistants), Chris Lawson (Effects Assistant)

Jim Atkinson (Senior Cameraman), Davidd Goutier, Alan Hayward (OB Cameramen), Partick Quirke (Film Sound Assistant)

Joy Sinclair (Director's Assistant)

​​

Broadcast

Filming Locations

  • Bray Studios

  • Television Centre: Studio 6

  • Beachfields Quarry, Redhill, Surrey

  • St Anne's Hospital, Redhill, Surrey

  • British Oxygen Building Basement, Black Roads, Hammersmith Broadway, London

  • St Anne's Mental Workshop/Basement Corridor, Redhill, Surrey

  • St Anne's D14a, C12, D8, D11 Redhill, Surrey

  • St Anne's, D Corridor, Redhill, Surrey

Number of Production Days: 5

Death the Constant Companion

  • Guard [killed by K-9]

    • death unconfirmed

  • Bodyguard [shot and killed by Andred]

  • Ablif [shot and killed by a Sontaran]

  • Jasko [shot and killed by a Sontaran]

  • Stor [taken out of time and space]​

  • Sontarans [taken out of time and space]​​

Production Days

  • 20 Days between Tuesday 1 November - Friday 16 December 1977

Production Errors

  1. The Doctor knocks into a camera as he hops down a corridor in part two

  2. When The Doctor enters the Vardan spaceship at the beginning of the story, he is wearing his hat and scarf. When he enters the Tardis, his hat and scarf are on the hatstand 

  3. The Doctor at one point has a dirt mark on the side of his face, the mark switches side in the next scene 

  4. At the end of part four, Commander Stor holds his gun between his finger. During the reprise of part five, Stor holds his gun completely differently 

  5. What happened to the rest of the Sontaran fleet once Commander Stor is defeated 

  6. When K9 blasts a guard protecting the transduction barrier equipment, the guard drops his staser as he falls. The gun then breaks apart when it hits the floor 

  7. Why is Leela allowed to stay on Gallifrey when Sarah Jane couldn't? Perhaps the Time Lords have taken a shining to humans just like The Doctor​

Working Titles

  • The Invaders of Time

Verdict

The Invasion of Time delves deeper into Time Lord society and Gallifrey itself and provides six episodes of captivating action. Baker must be admired for his performance here, switching between emotions in every scene to keep the viewers guessing if he has indeed gone over to the bad side. The story feel rushed in places but this is forgivable due to the rushed nature of the writing process when another serial feel through. Louise Jameson perhaps gives her best performance leading a group of outcast Time Lords to take their rightful place in society and even encourages them to take up her savage ways. The Vardans are weaker in the nature but their glistening appearances are much better than their militaristic ones. The Sontarans feel sort of squeezed in at the end but Derek Deadman proves to be very capable of playing a ruthless Commander. Stor's appearance though is less than to be desired. There are other good moments – K-9’s increased importance to the plot, the Doctor offering Andred jelly babies which is beyond hilarious and exploration of the Tardis which has never really been done before. There are missed opportunities and chances to make this epic, but admiration is due because its pulls off and goes beyond expectations. ****​

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