Medieval Hijinks with a Sontaran, Robot and a Baron: THE TIME WARRIOR

When several scientists disappear from a 20th Century research facility, The Doctor soon discovers who is responsible. The Sontaran, Linx has brought the scientists to the middle-ages to repair his ship. Linx has promised to bestow weapons to the power hungry Irongron; if successful, Earth’s entire technological evolution will be disrupted.

The Third Doctor and Linx fight in Irongron's Castle. .

Cast

Jon Pertwee (Doctor Who), Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith)

Nicholas Courtney (Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart), Kevin Lindsay (Linx), David Daker (Irongron)

John J Carney (Bloodaxe), Jeremy Bulloch (Hal), June Brown (Eleanor), Alan Rowe (Edward of Wessex)

Donald Pelmear (Professor Rubeish), Sheila Fay (Meg), Gordon Pitt (Eric), Steve Brunswick (Sentry)

UNCREDITED CAST: Keith Norrish, Alan Thomas, Alan Lenoir, Jimmy Lyon, Bill Herbert, Emmett Hennessy

Tom Atkins, Dick Weable, Michael Ralph, Ray Dundobbin, Brian Bowles, David Buswell, Michael Boone

Howard Williamson, Malcolm Stevens, David Carruthers, Jim Whelan, Sidney Tomas, Jon James, Andrew Greenwood, Alan Luxton, Bill Lodge (Irongron's Soldiers), Andrew Abrahmas (Irongron's Sentry)

David Cleeve, Steve Ismay (UNIT Soldiers), Douglas Domingo, Robert Peters (Irongron's Men in Workshop)

Roger Marston, George Ballantine, David Enyon, Eden Fox, Paul Phillips (Scientists), Jacqueline Stansbury (Mary) John Hughman (Robot), Dudley Long (Robot With Head), Bill Monks (Robot without Head)

Ronald Nunnery (Wessex's Men), Allan Deutrom, Clifford Kershaw (Wessex's Bowmen)

Bella Emberg, Mary Rennie (Kitchen Hags), Terry Walsh (Double for Doctor Who)

Terry Walsh, Marc Boyle (Stuntmen)

Crew

Robert Holmes (Writer), Marc Boyle, Terry Walsh (Stunt Arrangers)

Title Music by Ron Grainer and BBC Radiophonic Workshop, Bernard Lodge (Title Sequence)

Dudley Simpson (Incidental Music), Dick Mills (Special Sound), James Acheson (Costume Designer)

Sandra Exelby (Make-Up), Max Samett (Film Cameraman), John Gatland (Film Sound)

William Symon (Film Editor), Mike Jefferies (Studio Lighting), Tony Millier (Studio Sound)

Jim Ward (Visual Effects Designer), Terrance Dicks (Script Editor), Keith Cheetham (Designer)

Barry Letts (Producer), Alan Bromly (Director)

UNCREDITED CREW: Peter Pegrum (Visual Effects Designer)

Broadcast

EPISODE	DATE	TIME	VIEWING FIGURE	CHART POSITION	APPRECIATION INDEX
1	15/12/1973	5:10-5:35pm	8.7M	34th	59
2	22/12/1973	5:45-6:10pm	7.0M	75th	-
3	29/12/1973	5:10-5:35pm	6.6M	89th	-
4	05/01/1974	5:30-5:55pm	10.6M	22nd	60

Connections in the Who-Niverse

Sarah Jane runs away from Linx. Why was this not in the finished program? Why?

David Daker later played Captain Rigg in Nightmare of Eden and was voiced Gilbrook for AUDIO: Creatures of Beauty. Jeremy Bulloch was Tor for The Space Museum (and apparently could have been the next companion). Gordon Pitt can be seen as an uncredited crewmember working on the WC3 during The Wheel in Space. Kevin Lindsay return to the show as Cho-Je for Planet of the Spiders and he played two more Sontarans for The Sontaran Experiment - Styre and The Marshal. Alan Rowe was a four time DW veteran appearing in The Moonbase as Dr. Evans, Horror of Fang Rock as James Skinsale and Full Circle as Garif. Uncredited Bella Emberg can be seen as an uncredited Nurse in Doctor Who and the Silurians and some 36 years later as Mrs Croot for Love & Monsters and The Runaway Bride; although her appearance ended up on the cutting room floor. Long-srtanding extras David Cleeve and Steve Ismay appeared in many other DW serial. Uncredited Edex Fox can be seen in the background during The Highlanders as a Highlander, The Claws of Axos as an Axon Glob and The Monster of Peladon as a Miner. Many of the other extras were one-time artists, the regular extras were not used.

Death the Constant Companion

Ouch that's gotta hurt. The Robot takes an arrow for the team. What a guy ---- ?

Linx is killed by Hal after an arrow is fired into his provic vent. The bloodthirsty, power hungry baron Irongron is killed by Linx towards the end of part four. No one else is killed; but no one told the Kitchen Hags to evacuate Irongron's Castle before it explodes - so maybe they were left behind? Also the poor Robot Linx built for Irongron - it has arrows shot in its chest and has his head hacked off - do robots have souls?

Episode Cliffhangers

(1) The Doctor has traced where the missing scientists have been brought to. He arrives back in the middle ages, little realising Sarah Jane has also travelled in the Tardis. As Sarah Jane is taken prisoner inside Irongron’s castle, The Doctor hides himself as Linx enters the Castle courtyard. He removes his helmet, revealing what he truly looks like

Linx, the Sontaran lands on Earth.

(2) The Doctor valiantly fights off Irongron and his Soldiers in the countryside. Soon The Doctor trip over and falls to the ground, as Irongron towers over him. Irongron lifts an axe ready to strike The Doctor dead

(3) The Doctor offers to help Linx repair his ship, in return for sending the missing scientists back to the 20th Century. Linx makes his decision; he raises his weapon at The Doctor and fires

(4) Linx has been defeated, and Irongron’s castle is no more. The Doctor and Sarah depart in the Tardis as Hal watches on.

Fun Facts

(1) Elisabeth Sladen was not the first actress cast as Sarah Jane; April Walker was. Jon Pertwee returned from location filming for The Green Death to find out the new companion had been cast - without his input. April walker was released from her contract, but still paid for her contracted 26 episodes; (2) Director Barry Letts originally wanted to direct the serial, but due to his commitments to Moonbase 3 he was unable to do so; (3) The chosen filming location, Peckferton Castle was actually occupied by a family. The family asked for the production crew to stay within certain areas, as another production crew who had used their home were overtly friendly; (4) Despite

Eric is captured by Irongron. He would have been better off staying on the W3 with the Cybermen.

being a medieval castle, Peckferton Castle was built in the Victorian Era by John Tollemache, member of Parliament from Cheshire between 1844-1850/51; (5) In total three actors played Linx's Robot: John Hughman (for the studio scenes), Dudley Long (location scenes (with head)) and then Bill Monks (location scenes (without head)); (6) A couple of agencies provided the artistes for the serial: Zena Sharpe Management for the location scenes, and A.P.P. London for the studio scenes; (7) The horses seen in part one were provided by Glebe Farm in Ruislip. Extras David Buswell, Tom Atkins and Dick Weable were all experienced horse riders are were hired for the show; (8) A short scene was cut from the finished programme which saw Mary and Hal flitting with each other. Eleanor disrupted the pair. Mary had several scripted lines but ended p being cut. As a result actress Jacqueline Stanbury went uncredited and became an extra for the serial; (9) Produciton for the serial was slightly delayed when the TARDIS prop had been left behind in London. The location shoot had to be rescheduled as a result.

Recording Days

Hal takes aim and fires

Production was complete over 8 days between May and June 1973. The team spent four days at the 'medieval castle' Peckforton Castle which was built during the Victorian Era. The team captured all scenes requiring the forest, battlement and courtyard over 4 days: 7 - 11 May 1973. The rest of production was complete at Television Centre Studios 1 and 6 over 4 days: 28 - 29 May and 11 - 12 June 1973. Peckforton Castle was used to represent both Irongron and Edward of Wessex's Castles. Recording was conducted on Monday and Tuesday evenings over two consecutive weeks.

Verdict

Both entertaining and straight forward which proves that science-fiction does not need to be particularly sophisticated or dynamic to be realistic. There is a likeable simplicity to Linx’s time on Earth which simply involves him mending his crashed ship and unknowingly(?) changing the course of human industrial evolution. The plot is nothing special and doesn’t always takes itself seriously with several moments of pure silliness bringing a lightness to the serial: the Robot getting its head knocked off and walking around to The Doctor and Sarah posing as Monks, and the fight sequence which ends with The Doctor tripping over literally nothing. It’s nice to see a Doctor Who bring comedy into the show, without it being total slapstick. Linx is a brilliantly realised original monster for The Doctor to face, and it’s no surprise the Sontaran made multiple appearances over the years. Kevin Lindsay’s performance is also top notch. The rest of the aesthetics and production values are great and excellently recreate thirteenth-century England, and Alan Bromley’s direction is commendable and helps create a first-class product. The introduction of Sarah Jane is a breath of fresh air, and is a perfect antidote to the glamour girl template of several previous Doctor Who companions.*****

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