Part Ten: Goodbye Number Six:
Coming into the twenty-second series,
Doctor Who was riding high in a wave of popularity and hype as the Time War arc was set to end. With Jeremy Brett's run as the Doctor coming to an end, rumours were rife among fans of the show and even in some newspapers regarding the end of the series. The long months in between the twenty-first and twenty-second series saw speculation between fans grow along with sales of the fan magazine which reached new heights. Rumours of the Seventh Doctor's actor were also commonplace, names being thrown around frequently and with the only agreement being that whoever followed Brett would have big shoes to fill. On the 10th January 1987, the first episode of the twenty-second series of
Doctor Who began, the fans watching eagerly.
- Extract from '
The Silver Age of Science Fiction: 1983-1993', 2009
The Underground Horror – Four episodes
Viscous Cabaret – Four episodes
Fade Away – Four episodes
The Parting of The Ways – One episode
- The four serials which made up the twenty-second series of
Doctor Who
The Underground Horror:
The first serial of the twenty-second series, 'The Underground Horror' starts with the Doctor and Captain Henderson returning to London in 1881 in search of a supposed Dalek incursion. Disguising themselves to blend in with the populace, the two track down a series of reports on disappearances in the area, meeting Detective-Inspector Richards who is leading the investigation into the disappearances. The Doctor becomes fixated on the idea that the Daleks are behind them for their own reasons. The Doctor becomes obsessed in tracking down the appearance of the Daleks while Henderson spends time with Richards, discovering that he doesn't fit in his old time anymore, his values and beliefs having changed too much to return to his home. As the Doctor continues his search for Daleks, it's Henderson and Richards, the former using the skills he's picked up from his travels, to find the true culprit, who turns out to be an alien, looking to use the humans as fuel in a mind washing weapon that would allow the alien to take over London, and the British Empire by extension. Captured by the alien, it seems as if Henderson and Richards are going to die before they're discovered by the Doctor. Still thinking this is some sort of Dalek plot, the Doctor uses his weapon on the enemy, killing him instantly and rescuing the captives. While the threat is ended, Henderson is worried by the Doctor's growing obsession as they leave London as quickly as they arrived, on the look out for further Dalek attacks.
- Synopsis of '
The Underground Horror', the first serial of the twenty-second series of
Doctor Who
“There were many comparisons, most of them rather uncharitable, to '
Talons of Weng Chiang' after people watched 'Underground Horror'. People seemed to miss the point however, that it was on purpose. We wanted to show the differences between serials before the Time War and those during it. The Doctor's obsession had grown to such a point that he was willing to ignore all other possibilities but that the Daleks were behind every shadow. Davison was superb in letting the Henderson character grow as well, he did an outstanding job with what we wanted to achieve throughout that series. We were reaching the final part of Brett's run as the Doctor and we wanted to build to the climax, something we did by subverting all previous expectations of the show in general.”
- Extract from an interview with Alan Moore, 1998
“I did have a very good time working on Doctor Who, especially in regards to meeting Jeremy. We certainly became fast friends during the short time were worked together and the role of Richards proved to be enjoyable. The friendship I struck up with Jeremy would continue until his sad passing, his encouragement for me to return to the show saw me go back as a companion. I just wish he'd lived long enough to have seen it, I'm sure he would have loved to have seen the heights the show reached.”
- Extract from an interview with Edward Hardwicke, 2004
[Scene: A police station in London where the Doctor and Henderson have gone to search for clues regarding the disappearances. Detective-Inspector Henderson has caught up with them before they can leave.]
RICHARDS:
Now hang on there! I heard the both of you talking then! You say you know who's causing these crimes? Tell me!
DOCTOR:
I would love to but I'm afraid my assistant is much better at dealing with someone at your level. Henderson, tell the man about the time we dealt with the giant rat of Sumatra. Good day.
[The Doctor hastily leaves the building while Henderson is taken aback by this, Richards looking more agitated than ever.]
RICHARDS:
Well?
HENDERSON:
Well... We went to Sumatra once and saw a rat... A giant rat.
RICHARDS:
[Pause] Yes, well. I can see why you're the assistant.
- Extract from a scene from '
The Underground Horror', the first serial of the twenty-second series of
Doctor Who
Viscous Cabaret:
Appearing on a world of Sanor, the Doctor and Henderson touch down on an advanced society that has the ability to see through time, but not directly travel through it. As a result, entertainment is defined by watching historical events and various TV shows focus on them, the most popular being one which focuses on the Time War. Henderson and the Doctor are beset by fans who gush over them, much to the Doctor's disgust and Henderson's bemusement. Trying to get away on the TARDIS proves impossible though as something is preventing them from leaving, causing the two to investigate. They soon find a trail of bodies through the people involved with the making of the Time War programme, leading to a shadowy figure whose focus turns on the Doctor and Henderson themselves. Turning the planet against them as criminals, it becomes a mad rush as the figure tries to kill Henderson and the Doctor before they can find the machine blocking the TARDIS and escaping. In this, they fail, the two managing to get away by the skin of their teeth, Henderson distracting several guards by claiming he was the Doctor and that show was a poor representation of his adventures. The TV stations around Sandor break down completely as the distraction allowed a series of attacks that destroyed Sandor's ability to see through time. With the Doctor gone and Sandor in chaos, Silence had fallen.
- Synopsis of '
Viscous Cabaret, the second serial of the twenty-second series of
Doctor Who
[Scene: Henderson and the Doctor are sneaking through an alley, noticing a group of guards heading through the street, heading towards the direction of the TARDIS. Exchanging a glance, Henderson moves towards them, the Doctor hiding in the shadows.]
HENDERSON:
Oi! You lot there! Are you in a position of authority?
[The guards all stop and look at Henderson in shock.]
GUARD ONE:
It's him! It's that Henderson!
GUARD TWO:
What's he doing? He knows we're after him!
HENDERSON:
I want to lodge a complaint regarding the programming you've been showing about me! It's completely at odds with what I'm really like! The editing is horrendous, you've got everyone thinking that that rubber faced simpleton is the Doctor!
[The Doctor, in the middle of sneaking past the guards, stops short and glares at Henderson at that comment before making his way on further.]
GUARD THREE:
Wait, you're the Doctor? I thought...
HENDERSON:
Obviously you didn't otherwise you could have seen that I'm truly the Doctor! I'm the one who leaps into the situation and allows my assistant to clear up the mess, for all the good he can do. And now, thanks to his bumbling, I've been put down as a murderer! I want to talk to the highest authority I can to sort out this mess.
GUARD TWO:
But... I watch that show and you're...
HENDERSON:
Oh for pity's sake, how stupid are you? I'm the Doctor, the one, the only! Now get your superiors here, right now!
[The guards hesitate before Guard One pulls out a radio, looking to the others uncertainly as he gets into contact with his superior. Off around a corner, the Doctor appears and fires his weapon towards the guards, causing a distraction long enough for Henderson to escape, the guards soon pursuing in the direction the blast came from].
- Extract from a scene from '
Viscous Cabaret' the second serial of the twenty-second series of
Doctor Who
“I rather liked the thought of being the Doctor I must admit. I'm not sure how I would have pulled it off in terms of giving the character my own tweaks and little mannerisms but I would have liked to have given it a go. At least I got thirty seconds of pretending.”
- Extract from an interview with Peter Davison, 2001
“Despite the success of
Doctor Who during my time on it, there were worries throughout the first two years or so that Michael Grade would try to sabotage it in some manner. It was almost like an obsession in how he'd want to bring us down. When he put his foot in his mouth like he did with the Queen and had to go over to ITV, we knew that we were in the clear so plans for what we could do with
Doctor Who afterwards became more important. I was happy to leave the show after five years, the last just being to set up what was to come, although we'd given hints throughout the last two years of Brett's run as the Doctor. The idea of the Silence came from Hammond I believe, as a group of villains for the Doctor to face after the Daleks and Cybermen were put on the shelf. We didn't really have much idea how popular they'd become at the time of course.”
- Extract from an interview with David Maloney, 2005
“Where there was madness, there shall be sanity. Where there was suffering, there shall be comfort. Where there was war, there shall be peace. Reality must be protected. The path must be straight. Let the Silence reign.”
- One of the oaths of the Silence cult
Fade Away:
The serial opens amid a battle between the Daleks and Time Lords, the Doctor and Henderson in the middle of it all. Boarding the Dalek flagship, the Doctor attempts to destroy by infiltrating the engines and trying to blow it up. So determined to do this, the Doctor leaves Henderson to fend on his own as he looks to kill as many Daleks as possible. Rather than remain a sitting duck in the TARDIS, Henderson goes to infiltrate the Dalek ship in order to learn about their plans. Due to the Doctor's attack though, the Daleks are on high alert and, after a high tension chase, manage to capture Henderson. Realising his mistake, the Doctor breaks off from his mission as he tries to rescue his companion but to no avail as he has to retreat with more Daleks being brought onto the ship. As the Doctor is on the TARDIS, trying desperately to come up with a plan to rescue Henderson, the soldier is brought before the Daleks for interrogation. Rather than giving them anything they can work with though, Henderson insults and mocks the Daleks, goading them until one finally kills him on the spot. The Dalek is then killed in turn for losing such a valuable asset before the fleet is forced to retreat due to an onslaught of the Time Lords. As the battle continues to rage, the Doctor is left alone on the TARDIS, the victory increasingly hollow as he casts aside his weapon in fury and guilt.
- Synopsis of '
Fade Away', the third serial of the twenty-second series of
Doctor Who
[Scene: On the bridge of the Dalek flagship, the Daleks have brought Henderson before the leader of the fleet for interrogation. Surrounded by Daleks, Henderson nevertheless retains his cool.]
LEADER DALEK:
Now Human, you shall tell us of the Time Lord attack plans.
HENDERSON:
I'd rather die!
LEADER DALEK:
You feel as if you shall, several times. We have studied the limits of Human endurance. We can take you to the brink of death and revive you as many times as needed in order to extract the information we require.
DALEK CARR:
You shall talk! You shall know to fear the Daleks!
HENDERSON:
Fear you? Good God, why should I have any reason to fear you? Don't you know what you are?
DALEK CARR:
We are Daleks! We know exactly what we are!
HENDERSON:
Then you know you're freaks, abominations. Born of hate and loathing towards everything, including yourselves.
DALEK JANN:
We are Daleks! We are perfection! We only hate non-Dalek lifeforms!
HENDERSON:
I've been through this entire ship, and there's not a reflective surface to be seen. It's because you can't stand the sight of yourselves, isn't it?
DALEK CARR:
SILENCE!
HENDERSON:
Not that I can blame you. My God, look at you! Born as a result of some experiment, your entire life spent in some tin pot, never feeling the air or sunlight. No wonder you always scream.
DALEK JANN:
THE HUMAN WILL BE SILENT!
HENDERSON:
How do you manage it anyway? Day after day, never knowing anything but hatred and fear. Oh yes, fear, don't even bother denying it. Why else would you attack every thing you see? You're terrified that you aren't the figures of perfection you claim to be. You're scared of the truth!
DALEK CARR:
SILENCE! SILENCE! SILENCE!
HENDERSON:
So the fact of the matter is, I'm not scared of any of you. You're trapped in your own personal Hell, having to endure a cold, metal prison and believing everything is an enemy. I don't fear you Daleks, not anymore. I can only pity you.
DALEK CARR:
YOU SHALL NOT DEFY US! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!
[Dalek Carr shoots Henderson with his beam, killing the soldier on the spot. As he falls, the camera slows down and focuses on his face, where a faint smile can be seen.]
- Extract from a scene from '
Fade Away', the third serial of the twenty-second series of
Doctor Who
“That's the most common question I've been asked, the smile. Why did Henderson smile in his final moments? I've been bombarded with suggestions from fans, the most common ones are the idea that he either had one last victory over the Daleks by not telling them anything, or that he was at peace having escaped from the Time War. Hearing the thoughts and reactions people had from his death was something of a compliment, speaking as an actor and all these theories that came out made me feel as if I did a really good job in making a connection with fans. As for the answer... Some things are best left a secret I find.”
- Extract from an interview with Peter Davison, 2001
The Parting of The Ways:
A visibly aged and tired Doctor is seen defending Gallifrey itself as the Daleks penetrate the last defences of the Time Lords. With the war all but lost, the Doctor takes it upon himself to go on a suicide mission, taking the TARDIS to blast through Dalek lines and engage the flagship itself. Amid this, a plan hatched by Romana and Ranos sees them create the largest Time Vortex ever seen, designed to trap the Daleks, at the cost of taking Gallifrey in them, forever lost in a single moment in time. With the Gallifrey High Council instead looking to destroy the Universe and become Gods by feeding off the energy of the destruction, Romana, Ranos and their followers put their plan into action as the Doctor distracts the Daleks. The Doctor fights hard, but the TARDIS is severely damaged and left immobile as the Daleks head towards Gallifrey, forcing him to watch the destruction of his home. Before that can happen though, Romana's plan goes into action, sucking everyone around Gallifrey but the Doctor, who's just out of its pull, into the Time Vortex. The Doctor gains one last communication with Romana and her followers to say goodbye, when he sees a child among them he recognises. Refusing to allow it to happen, the Doctor manages to power up the TARDIS to try and stop them but an energy blast sent from Gallifrey injures him fatally, stopping him from saving the planet and sending the TARDIS spiralling through space. Due to his injuries, the Doctor is forced to regenerate, his newest incarnation only managing to realise he can't remember anything as the TARDIS hurtles towards Earth.
- A synopsis of '
The Parting of The Ways', the final serial of the twenty-second series of
Doctor Who
“My time on the show is something I will always regard fondly. It was a challenge to take on such a role as the Doctor, especially in regards to the demands of what people wanted from the changes in the character. It was an immense honour to hear people's positive reaction to my efforts and I still receive letters from fans listing their favourite episode or even scene. I regard the series as the highlight of my career and I'm always humbled to come across people who regard it in a similar manner.”
- Extract from an interview with Jeremy Brett, 1993
[Scene: The TARDIS is ill lit and various panels are giving out smoke while the lights are hanging from the ceiling. It's battered and bruised with only the communication screen seemingly in full working order as Romana is on it, having only just finished explaining the plan to send Gallifrey and the Daleks into the Time Vortex.]
DOCTOR:
You... You can't be serious! There must be another way!
ROMANA:
Not with the time we have Doctor. The High Council have their own plans in place that mean our victory would be the same for the Universe as our defeat. When this is done, we shall be frozen in time, the rest of creation will at least be free of our madness.
DOCTOR:
Romana please, listen to reason! Let me think of something!
ROMANA:
I'm sorry Doctor, but there's no time for that. You'll be free of this at least, you're too far away to be pulled into the vortex, you'll at least be free to travel, as you've always wanted.
DOCTOR:
Not without a home to return to! Romana, there must be something...
ROMANA:
I'm sorry Doctor, there isn't. Gallifrey is a necessary sacrifice. But I can at least offer you this, I'm going to send you all the information of Gallifrey. All our history, our culture, our triumphs and tragedies. At least then, we'll survive through your journies.
[The screen shifts as a rapid amount of images and text is seen passing through, all records of Gallifrey's past. The Doctor watches, his body slumped as he is utterly defeated from the realisation of the truth of Romana's words. This stops when the image of a small girl passes through, which the Doctor focuses on.]
DOCTOR:
Andorra...
[The Doctor suddenly leaps up, the images vanishing as the focus returns to him.]
DOCTOR:
No! I won't allow it!
[The feed ends as the Doctor rushes towards the console, pressing various buttons as it manages to partly light up. Romana once more appears on the communication screen.]
ROMANA:
Doctor, what're you doing?!
DOCTOR:
Stopping this insanity! I won't allow Gallifrey to simply vanish! I will save everyone! I... Must save everyone!
[As the Doctor pounds on the console, the camera cuts to the Time Lord's location where Romana, Ranos and their followers are working on consoles to bring their plan to fruition. Ranos hurries over to Romana as she watches the screen.]
RANOS:
The calculations we're making are being interrupted! At this rate, we won't be able to complete our task! What's causing this?
ROMANA:
It's the Doctor. He's managed to lock onto us, using his TARDIS to disrupt our attempts. He's even more brilliant than I imagined...
RONAS:
Enough of that! We must stop him!
ROMANA:
There is one way, if I force the signal backwards, causing the feedback to hit him hard... But...
RANOS:
No buts! Just do it!
ROMANA:
… Very well. Goodbye Doctor. Please, forgive me.
[Romana starts working on her own console before the camera cuts back to the TARDIS where the Doctor is working feverishly. The lights on the console dim suddenly before brightening as energy is shot through the console and into the Doctor. He screams in agony before dropping down to the floor. The TARDIS goes dark except for the communication screen as it shows Gallifrey and the Dalek fleet surrounding it. The Planet suddenly darkens as Romana's plan come to fruition, a shadow spreading over Gallifrey that soon spreads towards the fleet, enveloping it within seconds. Once that is done, Gallifrey vanishes in a point of light before sending out a wave of energy that crashes into the TARDIS and sends it careening through space. Throughout this, the Doctor lies on the floor, unable to do anything but watch due to the damage done to his body.]
DOCTOR:
No... I-I failed. Henderson, Devisingh... Andorra. Oh, forgive me. I failed. I failed you all...
[Slumping back down, the Doctor closes his eyes as the regeneration process begins. He glows momentarily before the new incarnation comes into focus, much younger than the last and with unkempt blonde hair. He opens his eyes and blinks, looking around slowly as he sees the communication screen as it shows that the TARDIS is approaching Earth at an uncontrollable speed. Seeing that, the Doctor looks around him before speaking.]
DOCTOR:
How the bloody Hell do I drive this thing?!
- Final scene from '
The Parting of The Ways', the final serial of the twenty-second series of
Doctor Who
