The
energy of the Time Lords is being drained by a black hole. A Cosmic Ray
Research Balloon brings back a blob of animated energy which dematerializes
things on contact. It expands and besieges the Doctor and Jo in the TARDIS.
The only way the Time Lords can help is by sending the Doctor's previous
selves. The three Doctors discover the incidents are caused by Omega,
a bitter Solar engineer trapped behind the black hole in a universe of
anti-matter for thousands of years while the rest of his race went on
to become Time Lords. Omega wants the Doctor to take his place in the
universe so that he can return to ours. But it is to late - anti-matter
radiation has already destroyed the body of Omega, only his will remains
and controls his world. Omega wants to destroy the Universe, but the Doctors
offer him a positive-matter artifact, thus turning him into a supernova,
whose energy will replenish the Time Lords' reserves. The three Doctors
return to their rightful places. The time lords lift their exile
sentence. The Doctor is now free to roam Time and Space.
.
.
The Doctor: Jon
Pertwee
1st Doctor: William
Hartnell
2nd Doctor: Patrick
Troughton
Jo Grant: Katy
Manning
Brig. Lethbridge-Stewart: Nicholas
Courtney
Sergeant Benton: John
Levene
Guest Appearances:
Omega: Stephen Thorne
Time Lords: Graham
Leaman, Tony Lang, Lincoln Wright, Richard Orme, Peter
Evans
Chancellor: Clyde
Pollitt
President Roy
Purcell
Mrs. Ollis: Laurie
Webb
Dr. Tyler: Rex
Robinson
Palmer: Dennis
Palmer
Omega's Champion: Alan
Chuntz
Gell Guards: Cy
Town, Ricky Newby, John Scott Martin, Murphy Grumbar
.
.
Producer: Barry
Letts.
Script Editor: Terrence
Dicks.
Writer: Bob
Baker, Dave Martin.
Director: Lennie
Mayne.
Designer: Roger
Liminton.
Costume: James
Acheson.
Make up: Ann Rayment.
Visual Effects: Michaeljohn
Harris, Len Hutton
Music : Dudley
Simpson.
.
.
Novelised
as "Doctor Who - The Three Doctors" by Terrence
Dicks (0 426 11578 3) first published by Tandem in 1975 with cover
by Chris Achilleos. New edition by W. H. Allen (now Virgin Publishing
Ltd.) in 1978 as Doctor Who and The Three Doctors. New edition in 1991
with cover by Alister Pearson. Target library number 64.
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.
.
a
Released
as "The Three Doctors" in the UK August 1991 and in Australia
& New Zealand (BBC catalogue #4650). Released in US & Canada 1992.
(CBS/FOX catalogue #3405, reclassified as WHV #E1100). Cover art by Alister
Pearson
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William
Hartnell was ill during filming, and therefore the first Doctor only appears
as an image on video screens. This was William
Hartnell's last television performance before his death in 1975.
All
four episodes exist in color on PAL 2" color videotape, as held by
the Film & Videotape Library when audited in 1978.
Ealing
filming on Stage 3A. (6
November 1972)
Studio recording in TC1. (27-28 November 1972)
Studio
recording in TC6. (11-12 December 1972)
Summerfield
Bungalow, Springwell Lane, Rickmansworth,
Herts. (7,
9November 1972)
Springwell
Quarry, Springwell Lane, Rickmansworth,
Herts. (8-9
November 1972)
Springwell
Reservoir, Springwell Lane, Rickmansworth,
Herts. (7
November 1972)
Haylings House, Haylings
Lane, off Tilehouse Lane, Denham Green,
Herts. (10
November 1972)
Episode
1 - Dr.
Tyler starts to unscrew the top of his instrument package, and before
he can finish undoing a single screw, he gets zapped by the anti-matter
blob. Immediately after he vanishes, though, we see the lid of the package
completely off and lying loose on top of the box, so that the anti-matter
blob can emerge.
Episode
1 - Despite
the Brigadier claiming that UNIT HQ is a "top-secret establishment",
it boasts a large sign outside telling the world not only the function
of the building, but the name of the commanding officer!
Episode
1, 2 - The
Doctor drives Bessie into the UNIT garage, with Jo holding a large umbrella
over them. She folds it up and puts it on the floor in the back of the
car. Bessie then gets zapped by the anti-matter and disappears. But in
episode 2 when they find Bessie in anti-land and drive off, the umbrella
is nowhere to be seen.
Episode
1, 4 - Whenever
the scanner is used, it shows a picture of the lab with the TARDIS in
one corner. But if the scanner is mounted on the TARDIS, how can the TARDIS
be in the picture?
Episode
1, 4 - Several
scenes take place in the Doctor's lab with the big chunk hewn out of it.
Toward the end of episode 4 it is especially clear that the jagged wall
is styrofoam.
Episode
1 - The
Second Doctor's recorder can be seen sitting on the console before it
supposedly "materialises" and is noticed by the Third Doctor.
Episode
2 - Bessie
was supposedly transported into anti-land, but when you first see it sitting
there, it has dust all over the tyres as if it had just been driven to
its destination.
Episode
2, 4 - You
can see the reflections of some camera crew in the monitor used to display
the First Doctor.
Episode
2, 4 - When
Omega is looking at his "magic screen", you can see the outline
of the actual television set at the edge of the image.
Episode
2 - Dr.
Tyler tries to escape from Omega's palace, and runs into a Gell Guard
that turns to face him, then comes after him. In his haste to get away,
he grabs the wall, causing it to wobble noticeably. After he's gone, the
Gell Guard then walks straight into the wall!
Episode
2 -
After UNIT HQ disappears, you can see grass where it used to be. But how
can grass grow underneath a building?
Episode
3, 4 - When
UNIT HQ lands on the antimatter planet, the Brig opens the door to see
a still photo of a desert CSOed into the scene. Later, when the Doctors
and co are trying to get out of Omega's stronghold through the big doors,
you can see the exact same CSO shot of the desert outside.
Episode
3 - When
the second Doctor, the Brigadier and Benton emerge from the TARDIS, the
doors are left completely open with the camera looking straight into them
for ages, revealing not only the emptiness of the police box shell, but
also that there's a pair of secret doors on the opposite side!
Episode
3, 4 - At
various times, you can see actor Stephen Thorne's lips through Omega's
mask (and in one profile shot you can also see his jaw), yet when his
mask is removed, we find that Omega has been dissipated and has no face.
Episode
3 - The
Time Lord President asks the first Doctor to go into the black hole, saying
"All three are needed to defeat Omega." Considering that earlier
the Time Lords had no idea who or what was attacking them, how did the
President learn the identity of the enemy?
Episode
2, 4 - When
the Brigadier and co. arrive back at UNIT HQ in episode 4, the TARDIS
doors that were left gaping open in the previous episode are now closed
and locked!
Episode
4 - As
the doors of Omega's stronghold are being pulled open, you can see that
the exterior of the doors is smooth and gold-coloured. All of the exterior
shots show the doors as being gold, but covered with a rocky texture!
Episode
4
-When
the companions are returning to Earth via the pillar of smoke, you can
see and hear each person walk up the stairs and then supposedly disappear.
Unfortunately, you can then clearly hear them walk down the other side!
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