The Dominators
044 – The Dominators | |||
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Doctor Who serial | |||
Cast | |||
Guest
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Production | |||
Directed by | Season 6 | ||
Running time | 5 episodes, 25 minutes each | ||
First broadcast | 10 August 1968 | ||
Last broadcast | 7 September 1968 | ||
Chronology | |||
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The Dominators is the first serial of the
Plot
An alien craft bearing the ruthless
One of the locals, Cully, along with The Doctor and Jamie, travel to the capital city but has trouble convincing the Council of the Dominators' threat. The Doctor and Jamie take control of a travel pod and return to the Island of Death. Jamie links up with Cully at the museum, while the Doctor is captured by Quarks and taken with the slave force back to the Dominator ship.
The dig proceeds with the Doctor and the other slaves making progress but Jamie and Cully disable another Quark and free their friends. The Doctor has worked out the Dominator scheme, a nuclear fission seed will be dropped down the borehole, converting the planet into a radioactive mass to power the Dominator fleet. They begin digging a tunnel to the central borehole to steal the device before it can detonate. Jamie and Cully help by destroying Quarks with homemade bombs.
The Doctor intercepts the seed during its descent but tells his friends that it cannot be defused. The Doctor runs to the Dominator ship and smuggles the seed on board before the craft lifts off. It departs and the Dominators’ last vision is of the seed device rolling on the floor toward them. The Doctor watches the Dominator ship being destroyed and then heads back to the TARDIS.
Production
Episode 3 had no on-screen episode number caption.[2] This serial was originally composed of six episodes but it was deemed too short of content and reduced to five at the last minute. Producer Peter Bryant ordered Haisman and Lincoln to abandon writing the sixth episode and script editor Derrick Sherwin rewrote the fifth episode to provide a conclusion.[3] Wrotham Quarry in Addington, Kent doubles as the planet surface of Dulkis.[4] Patrick Troughton was absent from all of the location filming sessions. A double plays the role of the Doctor in all the location footage, his face being clearly visible in some shots.[5]
Cast notes
Ronald Allen later played Ralph Cornish in The Ambassadors of Death (1970).[6] Arthur Cox went on to play Mr Henderson in the 2010 episode "The Eleventh Hour". Brian Cant had previously played Kert Gantry in the story The Daleks' Master Plan (1965–66).[7] Malcolm Terris later appeared in The Horns of Nimon (1979–80).[8] Philip Voss had previously played Acomat in Marco Polo (1964).
Broadcast and reception
Episode | Title | Run time | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [9] | Archive [10] |
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1 | "Episode 1" | 24:25 | 10 August 1968 | 6.1 | 16mm t/r |
2 | "Episode 2" | 24:07 | 17 August 1968 | 5.9 | 16mm t/r |
3 | "Episode 3" | 24:06 | 24 August 1968 | 5.4 | 35mm film |
4 | "Episode 4" | 23:54 | 31 August 1968 | 7.5 | 16mm t/r |
5 | "Episode 5" | 24:19 | 7 September 1968 | 5.9 | 16mm t/r |
The BBC Audience Research Report for The Dominators showed that much of the sample dismissed the serial as unsurprising as it followed a known pattern, though a third felt that it was still inventive.[11]
In The Discontinuity Guide (1995),
Commercial releases
In print
ISBN 0-426-19553-1 | |
A novelisation of this serial, written by Ian Marter, was published by Target Books in April 1984.
Home media
The Dominators was released on
Notes
- ^ Also provided the Dulcian Council intercom voice, uncredited.
References
- ISSN 2057-6048.
- ^ "BBC – Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide – The Dominators – Details". bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 3 April 2009.
- ^ "The Dominators ★★". Radio Times.
- ^ "The Dominators Article". Kent Film Office.
- ^ Doctor Who – The Dominators DVD. BBC Time Warner. January 11, 2011. B00447G2X4
- ^ Mulkern, Patrick. "The Ambassadors of Death". Radio Times. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
- ^ [1] Archived December 5, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Mulkern, Patrick. "The Horns of Nimon". Radio Times. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ "Ratings Guide". Doctor Who News. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
- ^ Lyon, Shaun; et al. (31 March 2007). "The Dominators". Outpost Gallifrey. Archived from the original on 18 June 2008. Retrieved 30 August 2008.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-563-40588-7.
- ISBN 0-426-20442-5.
- ^ Braxton, Mark (28 July 2009). "Doctor Who: The Dominators". Radio Times. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
- ^ Berriman, Ian (9 July 2010). "DVD Review Doctor Who: The Dominators". SFX. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
- ^ Sinnott, John (6 January 2011). "Doctor Who: The Dominators". DVD Talk. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
External links
- The Dominators at BBC Online
- Doctor Who Locations – The Dominators
Target novelisation
- The Dominators title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database