Friday 30 September 2022

L is for... Lawrence, Dr.


Scientist and administrator who was placed in charge of the Wenley Moor cyclotron energy production project. This experimental device was built under the Derbyshire moors, next to an extensive cave system.
When the project ran into trouble - with high rates of staff illness, unexplained power losses and then a death in the caves of an off-duty scientist, Lawrence found himself having to deal with UNIT, who were called in by the Government to investigate. The Brigadier in turn brought in the Doctor and Liz Shaw.
The cause of the incidents proved to be the Silurians, original reptile masters of Earth who had a hibernation chamber in the caves. They were drawing away power to resurrect more of their kind. 
Lawrence was an overly bureaucratic and unimaginative man, who could not accept what was happening. The senior civil servant who oversaw the project - Masters - was an old friend of Lawrence, but he sided with UNIT and the Doctor, suggesting the project be closed down. The Silurians attempted to spread a lethal plague. Lawrence refused to believe this as well, and declined antibiotics. He caught the plague and died.

Played by: Peter Miles. Appearances: The Silurians (1970).
  • The first of three appearances by Miles in the series. He returned to play Prof. Whitaker in Invasion of the Dinosaurs, and his best known role was as Nyder in Genesis of the Daleks.
  • He also performed opposite Jon Pertwee, Nicholas Courtney and Lis Sladen in the audio adventure The Paradise of Death, which was written by Barry Letts.

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