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130) WARRIORS OF THE DEEP

5 - 13 January 1984

Average Viewing Figure: 7.3M

Plot

On Sea Base 4 at the bottom of the ocean in the year 2084, The Silurians and Sea Devils plan to wipe out humanity. Can The Doctor finally create an truce between the pre-historic creatures and humanity?

Cast

Peter Davison (The Doctor), Tom Adams (Vorshak), Nigel Humphreys (Bulic), Ian McCulloch (Nilson), Tara Ward (Preston)

Martin Neil (Maddox), Nitza Saul (Karina), Norman Comer (Ichtar), Stuart Blake (Scibus), Vincent Brimble (Tarpok)

Mark Strickson (Turlough), Janet Fielding (Tegan), Ingrid Pitt (Solow), James Coombes (Paroli), Christopher Farries (Sauvix)

​

Uncredited Cast

Julian Hudson, Barney Lawrence, Peter Caton, Dana Miche, Julian Larousse, Rose Pridmore, Dorothy Ottey, Ridgewell Hawkes

Trevor Steedman (Marine Guards),  Joanna Garcia, Ling Tai, Joycea Gobom, Arnold Lee, Russell Brook (Sea Base 4 Personnel), Steve Kelly

Chris Wolff, Jules Walter, Mike Brayburn, Dave Ould (Sea Devils), William Perrie, John Asquith (Myrka)

Gareth Milne (Stunt Double for The Doctor)

Crew

Johnny Byrne (Writer), Jonathan Gibbs (Incidental Music), Dick Mills (Special Sound), Michael Darbon (Production Manager)

June Collins (Production Associate), Norma Flint (Production Assistant), Adrian Hayward (Assistant Floor Manager)

Alan Woolford (Engineering Manager), Alastair Mitchell (O.B. Camera Supervisor), Chris Holcombe (O.B. Sound)

Tony Burrough (Set Designer), Mat Irvine (Visual Effects Designer), Dave Chapman, John Mitchell (Video Effects)

Nigel Finnis (Vision Mixer), Alan Arbuthnott (Technical Manager), Bob Baxter, Alec Wheal (Camera Supervisors)

Hugh Parson (Videotape Editor), Peter Smee (Studio Lighting), Martin Ridout (Studio Sound), Judy Pepperdine (Costume Designer)

Jennifer Hughes (Make-Up Artist), Eric Saward (Script Editor), Sid Sutton (Title Sequence), John Nathan-Turner (Producer)

Pennant Roberts (Director)

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Uncredited Crew

Ray Davis (OB Supervisor), Fergie Stewart (OB Chargehand), Alan Bennett, Derek lee, Jim MacCormack (OB Ops)

Ron Goodman, Terry Housego (OB Workload Ops), Richard Bateman, Alan Brewer, Camilla Gavin, Stephen George

Ron Simpson, Neil Sweetmore (Dressers), Michael Taylor (Design Assistant), Robert Ashburn (Location Facilities Manager)

Helene Grygar (Location Contracts Assistant), Roger Wood (Props Buyer), Sarah Woodside (Floor Assistant)

Stuart Murdoch (Visual Effects Assistant), Les Runham, Jay Stinton (Show Working Supervisors)

Ron Frith, Ian McLeod (Senior Studio Engineers), Geoff Allen, Dennis Leach (Lighting Chargehand)

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Broadcast

Filming Locations

  • Television Centre: Studio 6

  • Royal Engineers Diving Establishment, Marchwood, Hants

  • Shepperton Studios: Stage 3A

  • Visual Effects Workshop

Deaths

  • Vorshak [shot dead by Icthar]

  • Solow [killed when she touches the Myrka]

  • Nilson [shot dead by the Sea Devils]

  • Maddox [dies when his mind is burned out]

  • Preston [shot dead by Sauvix]

  • Icthar [shot and killed by Turlough with his own weapon]

  • Karina [strangled by Maddox]

  • Scibus [dies after being exposed to hexachromite gas]

  • Tarpok [dies after being exposed to hexachromite gas]

  • Sauvix [killed when Bulic sprays hexachromite gas]

  • Paroli [killed by the Sea Devils]

  • Myrka [killed when hit by a UV ray]

  • Sea Devils [killed by hexachromite gas]

  • Marine Guards [killed by Sea Devils/Myrka/Silurians]

  • Sea Base 4 Personnel [killed by Sea Devils/Myrka/Silurians]

Production Days

  • 12 Days between Thursday 23 June - Friday 15 July 1983

Production Errors

  1. During episode one you can see Norman Comer's eyes (Ichtar) blinking behind his costume's head

  2. Why does The Doctor want to go to Sea Base 4's control centre when there is nothing wrong at the moment. The Doctor could have just gotten in The Tardis and left.

  3. The left airlock doors clearly states: "TO OPEN: Open other door first", whilst the right door states the EXACT same thing. So which door do you open first?​

  4. In episode three, the 'Silurians' are clearly wearing T-shirts under their neck sections

  5. When the Silurians die from Hexachromite gas, a zip can be seen on one of the costumes

  6. Somehow Vorshak knows the name of the 'Sea Devils' without having heard their name prio

  7. Tegan somehow acquires a bra between episode one and two

  8. Tegan's leg injury healed rather quickly throughout the serial, and she stops limping in episode four​​​

Working Titles

  • [no known working titles]

Verdict

Warriors of the Deep is frustrating because it combines many original elements but fails to live up to its full potential. A Sea Base under siege, the crew member who is a secret villain, monsters from the deep who want global control what could go wrong? The plot seems so desperate to get going that it literally throws the Silurians and Sea Devils into the mix straight away. The return of the classic pre-historic villains is overdue, and their new designs broadens their universe rather than repeats it. The lighting of the Sea Base sets are far too brightly lit and would have benefitted with a darker atmosphere. The sets are clearly pushing the boundaries whilst the direction is a bit sloppy at times but does disguise the reused corridors sets over and over again. The Myrka is bad! Really bad. It lumbers about killing people with no effort and looks like it is just going for a stroll. The continuation of human ignorance against the Silurians is well performed with ideas such as mistrust, prejudice and worry thrown about. The ending is strong where The Doctor realising that a peaceful treaty is not possible who must resort to harsh options to save the day but even te brave act can save this desperate adventure from survival. Disappointing tale which can be summed with up The Doctor saying ‘There should have been another way’. ***

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