Scream of the Shalka
Scream of the Shalka | |||
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Cast | |||
Doctor
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Companion
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Guest
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Production | |||
Directed by | Wilson Milam | ||
Written by | Paul Cornell | ||
Script editor | None | ||
Produced by | Muirinn Lane Kelly | ||
Executive producer(s) | Martin Trickey James Goss Mario Dubois | ||
Production code | None | ||
Series | None | ||
Running time | 6 episodes, 15 minutes each | ||
First broadcast | 13 November 2003 | ||
Last broadcast | 18 December 2003 | ||
Chronology | |||
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Scream of the Shalka is a
Although Scream of the Shalka continues the narrative of the original 1963–89 programme and the
Grant subsequently went on to appear in the revival of Doctor Who as Walter Simeon in "
Plot
The
The Doctor contacts
As UNIT evacuates Lannet, the Doctor learns that one of the Shalka has been captured and that they have a vulnerability to raw oxygen. He also finds that the villagers have gotten mind-controlled by the invaders, who make them emit subsonic screams. The Earth's ozone layer is being stripped away as the Shalka's enslaved humans make their move all over Earth. The Doctor takes Alison and the Master back to the Shalka underground lair. Prime tells them that the Shalka inhabit 80% of the worlds in the universe. They live underground off of volcanic energy. When a species is on the edge of ecological destruction, the Shalka finish the job, with the rest of the universe none the wiser.
The Doctor swallows a small piece of Shalka he removed from Alison's forehead. He bonds with it, reprograms it, and uses its knowledge to plug himself into their sonic network and understand the shrieks. He engages Prime in a "sonic duel", which he purposely throws but only to get Prime to move him toward the black hole controls, so that he could send Prime to her death. The Doctor coughs up the piece of Shalka. He puts it back in Alison's head, where she fights off the remaining Shalka and shuts down the screams. The Doctor unplugs her a few moments before she can reprogram the scream to heal the atmosphere.
Back onboard the TARDIS, the Master reveals that it has been a long time since the Doctor had a living companion. His last companion was killed in the events that also led to the Master choosing to have his consciousness transferred into the android, and to the Doctor's exile. Without being specific, the Master tells her that they are being controlled by an unknown force. The Doctor wants Alison to stay as his companion but refuses to admit to it directly. She decides to leave Earth with the Doctor and see the universe.
Production
Doctor Who had suspended production in 1989, and aside from charity specials had only resurfaced as an American-funded
In September
After the webcast, in February 2004, plans for sequels were indefinitely shelved. For a period, it was unclear if the new television Doctor would be the Ninth or Tenth Doctor, but this was ultimately settled in April 2004 when in an interview with Doctor Who Magazine, Davies announced that the new television Doctor (played by Christopher Eccleston), would be the Ninth Doctor, relegating Grant's Doctor to an alternate Doctor. Davies later commented that Grant had never been considered for the role in the television series, telling Doctor Who Magazine: "I thought he was terrible. I thought he took the money and ran, to be honest. It was a lazy performance. He was never on our list to play the Doctor."[3] Grant's likeness later appeared alongside incarnations of the Doctor in the series 14 episode "Rogue".[4][5]
The working title for this production was Servants of the Shalakor. This original story outline is included in the BBC Books novelization (see below).
In print
Empire of Death |
The novelization of Shalka was written by Paul Cornell. The book also includes a feature on the making of the webcast, as well as the original Servants of the Shalakor story outline.
Critical analysis
A book length study of the serial, written by Jon Arnold, was published as part of The Black Archive series from Obverse Books in 2017.[6] This detailed the story's key points and the production process, and featured an in depth look at the unmade sequel story Blood of the Robots. This book also revealed that the Big Finish audio drama Immortal Beloved was originally intended as a Shalka sequel before being adapted to feature the Eighth Doctor.[7]
DVD release
The British Board of Film Classification cleared all six episodes of the series for release on DVD. In March 2007, clips from the series were released to DVD, as part of Flash Frames, a documentary on the DVD release of the restored The Invasion. The story was released on DVD in Region 2 on 16 September 2013.[8][9]
References
- ^ "BBC - Doctor Who - Classic Series - Webcasts - Scream of the Shalka".
- ^ Bahn, Christopher (21 December 2013). "Doctor Who (Classic): "Scream Of The Shalka"". AVClub. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
- ^ Cook, Benjamin (14 September 2005). "Tooth and Claw". Doctor Who Magazine (360). Panini Comics: 17.
- ComicBook.com. Archivedfrom the original on 8 June 2024. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
- ^ Britt, Ryan (7 June 2024). "57 Years Later, The Oldest Sci-Fi Show's Biggest Mystery Just Got Even More Confusing". Inverse. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
- ^ "Scream of the Shalka (The Black Archive, #10)". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- OCLC 969371363.
- ^ "Animation Plans for The Tenth Planet Episode 4". Doctor Who Magazine (458). Panini Comics: 9. April 2013.
- ^ Paul_Cornell [@Paul_Cornell] (7 February 2013). "16th September: Scream of the Shalka on DVD! #fb" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
External links
Webcast
- Scream of the Shalka, on the BBC website
- Doctor Who: Scream of the Shalka at IMDb
- Scream of the Shalka theme music
Novelization
Reviews
- Scream of the Shalka title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- "The Whoniverse's review on the Scream of the Shalka novelization". Archived from the original on 25 November 2010. Retrieved 2006-05-28.
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