The Man From Gallifrey: A Colin Baker Redux

Philip Hinchcliffe and Barry Letts would co-control the show sharing production and editing duties thus bringing both Letts' political nuances and Hinchcliffe's understanding of darker issies
 
I, Cyberman

Landing on a moon in the future The Doctor and Peri find an Earth Federation combat unit who have been assigned to guard a structure that turns out to be a hatchery of Cybermen. Peri accidentially triggers the waking of one of the Cybermen. It latches on to Peri effectively believing her to be it's mother. The Doctor learns that the combat unit are aware of a cyber-ship in the area and are waiting to ambush them and glean whatever information they can.

Meanwhile Peri and the Cyberman discuss and argue about why species fight. The Cyberman argues that all species aside from the Cybermen are imperfect. Peri counters by saying that imperfections are what makes species special. The Doctor who has been listening to this backs Peri up.

"I'm Gallifreyan, Peri is human. We come from two vastly different worlds with totally opposite ideas. Yet we are friends. Yes we have flaws and yes we have disagreements. But underneath that is something special. Something that perfection as you see it would be lost forever"

The leader of the combat unit interrupts to say that they have been given orders to evacuate the moon as the approaching cyberforce is too big. They have 12 hours to leave.

Peri says she can't leave the Cyberman like this. She is sure that her ideas are having an effect. She begs the Doctor to take him with them. The Doctor refuses saying that every Cyberman in the galaxy would be after them. He does however have an idea....

12 Hours later the combat team depart as well as the TARDIS. The Doctor and Peri watch as the hatchery is retaken by the Cybermen with a little alteration. Before they left the Doctor and Peri created a sub-routine in the Cyberman's memory banks with Peri's voice as well as some copies of files from the TARDIS memory banks about the Galaxy.

The subroutine was transferred to the other cybermen in the hatchery and is now encroaching into the rest of the species. Like a virus...of hope.
 
Notebook

Colin Baker's first series was a huge success for the BBC. Ratings averaged at 8.5 million which vindicated the new direction that the show was taking. Baker garnered praise from the critics for his portrayal of a more socially aware yet demure Doctor. Nicola Bryant recieved considerable plaudits too. Her character development particularly in Moonshot and I, Cyberman showed that the role of the Doctor's companion no longer meant a pretty girl simply screaming.
 
I, Cyberman
Was not a big fan of this story when Star Trek Next Gen did it as I Borg.
I don't think it would work for Doctor Who since the Cyberman removed parts of the Human Brain that created Emotions, so it not just programing that has to be overcome.
 
Was not a big fan of this story when Star Trek Next Gen did it as I Borg.
I don't think it would work for Doctor Who since the Cyberman removed parts of the Human Brain that created Emotions, so it not just programing that has to be overcome.

It's the weakest story of the series. Originally I thought about having no main enemy characters in CB's first series but that might have raised the hackles of many.
 
It's the weakest story of the series. Originally I thought about having no main enemy characters in CB's first series but that might have raised the hackles of many.
I understand that. But just remember that the Cybermen are not the Borg. The irony is that Doctor Who first did a story in that Style back in the 60's with the Evil of the Daleks and the Humanoid Daleks.
 
Does anyone else remember a Radio One comedy show called the Mary Whitehouse Experience?

When Mrs Thatcher resigned they did an ask the audience quiz called, "I think the next Prime Minister should be because..."

This was the winning answer...

I think the next Prime Minister should be Colin Baker. I think he was treated very badly when he got the sack from Doctor Who and being made Prime Minister will in a small way be compensation.

The last sentence isn't a word perfect quote, but it's close enough.
 
Notebook

Colin Baker's first series was a huge success for the BBC. Ratings averaged at 8.5 million which vindicated the new direction that the show was taking. Baker garnered praise from the critics for his portrayal of a more socially aware yet demure Doctor. Nicola Bryant recieved considerable plaudits too. Her character development particularly in Moonshot and I, Cyberman showed that the role of the Doctor's companion no longer meant a pretty girl simply screaming.
On the Nicola Bryant front. Does she still do the bikini scene? IIRC she was rescued by a German nudist.

However, the question I'm posting to ask is, is her post DW career successful enough for her to be able to turn down that health insurance advert?

And while I'm at it Mary Tamm's tenure as Romana Mk I is in the distance past by the events of TTL. However, I hope that she doesn't need to do the Kitty Cat advert ITTL.
 
On the Nicola Bryant front. Does she still do the bikini scene? IIRC she was rescued by a German nudist.

However, the question I'm posting to ask is, is her post DW career successful enough for her to be able to turn down that health insurance advert?

And while I'm at it Mary Tamm's tenure as Romana Mk I is in the distance past by the events of TTL. However, I hope that she doesn't need to do the Kitty Cat advert ITTL.


Ok a bit of retconning. Peri didn't do the bikini. I thought it was Turlough that rescued her.

And Mary won't have to do the kitty kat ad.
 
Colin Baker Interview segment from the BBC's bluray release of his period as DW

"I remember it very clearly. We knew that the new scripts were coming through the post and as an actor you get excited. When the thud came I went to collect it. I was a bit confused. Normally you get two or three scripts but there was just one this time. I thought 'oh the rest must be coming'. So I sat down with the script. The title was "Blood and Fire" by an American writer called David Gerrold"

 
Story from The Sun:

DOCTOR WHO IN AIDS FURY

Dr Who will face the biggest enemy of his many lives. AIDS. The Sun has learnt that he and Peri will face the deadly condition in a special episode of the sci fi hit when it returns this year. The story called "Blood and Fire" by American writer David Gerrold wiill also feature a homosexual couple...
 
Ohh that was a real mess. I read the article and was amazed. They had got so many things wrong. The script says nothing about AIDS and there wasn't a homosexual couple. There was no way in 1985 that the BBC could have a Dr Who AIDS story or a Dr Who story featuring a gay character.

I got so many phone calls asking my opinion or how I could do such a story. I called Philip Hinchcliffe and said 'this needs to be sorted out now'

Colin Baker 2019
 
BBC Statement:

Following the incorrect story in yesterday's edition of The Sun we feel its necessary to provide a synopsis of the upcoming Dr Who story "Blood and Fire"

The crew of the TARDIS recieve a distress call from a damaged spaceship whose crew has been decimated by Thulisian bloodworms. Since these creatures are highly dangerous and can kill within hours, any ship or space station found to be infested with bloodworms must be sterilized and/or destroyed, per orders.

The Doctor and Peri uncover a sinister plot about the worms and face a terrifing challegnge. There will be a sub-plot regarding two close male friends who are caught up in the chaos but there is no homosexual inference.

The concept of bloodworms was intended to be a metaphor for the public's fear of AIDS. The writer David Gerrold has said that he intends the episode to specifically address the public's fear of donating blood.
 
While there were four further stories in the next series (B.O.F was a one off special) the furore over the Gerrold story overshadowed the entire season which was unfortunate as the remaining stories were highly regarded. As transmission of B.O.F. neared the BBC felt it necessary to increase security not just around itself but also around Baker and Bryant.
 
Story from The Sun:

DOCTOR WHO IN AIDS FURY

Dr Who will face the biggest enemy of his many lives. AIDS. The Sun has learnt that he and Peri will face the deadly condition in a special episode of the sci fi hit when it returns this year. The story called "Blood and Fire" by American writer David Gerrold wiill also feature a homosexual couple...
Some Background for those who do not know the Story about Blood and Fire.
David Gerrold summited the Story to Star Trek the Next Generation during the production of the first season, The Story was bought, Then either Roddenberry or his Lawyer canceled the story since it dealt with Aids symbolically. Another writer rewrote the story as a Zombie Story. It was never film.
Gerrlod turned the Script into a Novel set in his Star Wolf Universe .
Gerrlod latter rewrote the story as a Star Trek TOS story so it could be filmed by the Fan Film Production Star Trek New Voyages.
The Film that was made based on that Script
 
I have seen the movie and there is realistically no way that the above film could have been shown on British tv primarily of the love scene between two male characters and the attitude of Dr McCoy.

ITTL the Dr Who version would not have a love scene.
 
I have seen the movie and there is realistically no way that the above film could have been shown on British tv primarily of the love scene between two male characters and the attitude of Dr McCoy.

ITTL the Dr Who version would not have a love scene.
Yes you mention that there is no Gay characters. I still love to see your Timeline version of the story.
I had thought that the BBC did some Series with Gay Characters in the 90's and 2000's.
Or did they stick with the every one know the character is Gay but no one talks about it like Mr. Humphry in "Are you being Served?"
 
Here we go then.

Blood and Fire

The TARDIS answers a distress call from a medical craft that has been damaged. The Doctor and Peri meet Dr Passim (Judi Dench) the head of the research unit. They explain that they are experimenting with new techniques to heal wounds faster. She states that the ship has been damaged in a meteor storm. The Doctor is intrigued by the experiments.

Elsewhere on the ship a pair of technician roommates Jax and Darnold are discussing their duties and their looking forward to returning to Earth for a trip.

The Doctor and Passim are in the medical bay where she explains that they are creating a new form of blood-based medicine. The "cleansing" technique as it was known would be injected into the bloodstream and would effectively clean the body of any viruses.

Peri is in the canteen where she meets a harsh engineer called Cartho (Ken Campbell) who is very scathing of the experiments. He believes that some things should not be messed about with.

Later on The Doctor and Peri are discussing their encounters. The Doctor is concerned about the damage to the ship. Meteors don't cause that kind of damage. Peri expresses her worries about Cartho. They're interrupted by Jax and Darrold who are enquiring about whether they can help with solving the problems with the experiments.

When the Doctor asks about the experiments Jax and Darrold get concerned. They've said too much. The Doctor says that if there's a problem he may be able to help.

The four go to Jax and Darrold's quarters where they explain that the experiments have led to a lot of talk amongst the crew. Rumours about people suddenly getting seriously ill.

The Doctor decides to find out. He sneaks into the medical bay and uses the sonic screwdriver to copy files from the ship's computer. Returning to the TARDIS he runs tests and is horrified. He tells Peri that the "cleansing" is manipulating the DNA of a race called Thulusian Bloodworms. A parastic deadly species who quite literally enter the body and drain the blood from the victim.

Meanwhile Darrold is assigned to try and repair a hatch in the damaged part of the ship. The Doctor and Peri race to the bridge and meet Jax who tells them that Darrold is trying to repair a biostorage unit.

The three enter the bridge where a video feed is monitoring Darrold manually opening a door. The Doctor tries to get Darrold to stop. The door opens and Darrold is attacked by a phalanx of bloodworms...


 
Top