Inspirations: Night Terrors

Night Terrors is written by Mark Gatiss, but it follows the Steven Moffat rule of twisting and corrupting some aspect of childhood to create a scary story which adults could relate to.

The series had attempted to do a creepy child story in the recent past - and fallen flat on its face over it, so why Moffat and Gatiss thought they could succeed where Fear Her had failed is anyone's guess.

Gatiss' story is pretty much a retread of the earlier story, with a creepy child capable of transporting others into the fantasy domain of their imagination. For Chloe it's into drawings in order to create friends, and for George it's into a dolls house as a way of disposing of the things he is scared of or feels threatened by.

It is a superior story, as it employs some striking imagery like the living peg dolls, and has a lot more atmosphere - but it's common knowledge that children have little interest in watching characters of their own age, and adults aren't bothered about watching dramas featuring children.

The "atmosphere" of this episode actually led to it being shifted in the running order of the sixth series. It was supposed to fall in the first half of the series - so technically this is the Flesh Avatar Amy we're watching. Thinking there were too many "dark" episodes in the Spring, Night Terrors was swapped - with the equally dark pirate story.

Gatiss wanted to do a ghost story for Doctor Who, having written the supernatural series Crooked House. This multi-generational story told of weird happenings at an old house, and one involved a haunting in an ordinary modern house built on the site after it had been demolished.

His initial idea was a story revolving around different phobias. A psychiatrist conference would be held at a remote country hotel, with experts in phobias attending.

However, this was too close to the story which Toby Whithouse was working on - the one that would become The God Complex.

Giving it further thought, Gatiss hit on the idea that the scariest place in the world is a child's bedroom, and the action evolved to a tower block setting - one rarely featuring in the series.

Knowing of some couples who were struggling to start a family, he thought of an alien "cuckoo in the nest" scenario. These birds lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, in the expectation that they will rear their young for them.

The forenames of the family members came from a family Gatiss knew personally, whilst the nasty landlord - Purcell - was named after a hated PE teacher.

The monster of the piece is the aforementioned peg doll, of which we get different types. Gatiss explained that he had always found dolls creepy - especially the more crudely-made ones which only marginally resembled real people.

One assumes that Gatiss was aware of the 'Arthur's Seat Dolls', found by schoolboys in Edinburgh in 1836. A number of tiny, crudely-made dolls were found, stored in miniature coffins were dug up on the distinctive hill overlooking the city - remnant of a volcanic plug. It has been claimed by some that the dolls represent the victims of the notorious West Port murders - better known as the exploits of resurrectionists Burke and Hare.

Creepy dolls had featured in Doctor Who in the past, in stories such as The Celestial Toymaker and Terror of the Autons. With their painted faces they often resemble that other common phobic source - clowns. The "Unhappy Valley" syndrome applies to both - something which looks almost human, but not quite, is found to be disquieting and eerie.

Even supposedly "nice" dolls - like the ones seen in children's series Play School or Bagpuss - can unsettle.

Fans of Forteana will be aware of the number of cursed objects which just happen to be dolls, with portraits ("false" faces, again) coming a close second.

The title comes from Pavor Nocturnas. This is a common sleep disorder in which sufferers can appear to be awake and engaging in odd behaviours including sleep-walking / eating, as well as suffering from sleep paralysis, night sweats and vivid nightmares. It tends to last only 10 minutes or so, but can be longer for small children. It affects 5 - 10% of preschool children.

The Doctor mentions some favourite fairy tales, related to Doctor Who: The Three Little Pigs becomes "The Three Little Sontarans"; The Emperor's New Clothes becomes "The Dalek Emperor's New Clothes"; and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves becomes "Snow White and the Seven Keys to Doomsday" - from the Terrance Dicks Dalek stage play from 1974.

Next time: The Doctor takes a back seat, so we get two Amy's and two Rory's instead. They're visiting a hospital where the staff can kill - but at least they do it with kindness...

Episode 113: The Dancing Floor

NB: This episode no longer exists in the archives, nor is there a full set of telesnaps. Representative images are therefore used to illustrate it.

Synopsis:

Steven and Dodo have been given another riddle to solve:

"Hunt the key that fits the door,

That leads out on the dancing floor,

Then escape the rhythmic beat,

Or you'll forever tap your feet"

The Toymaker is unfazed by the fact that his teams have been beaten twice by the Doctor's companions. From his dolls house he removes another two figures, whom he identifies as Mrs Wiggs and Sergeant Rugg. 

Steven and Dodo pass through the fake TARDIS and down a corridor to emerge in another large chamber, followed by the trio of ballerina dolls.

The room they find themselves in is a huge antique kitchen, cluttered with culinary bric-a-brac. Presiding over this is Mrs Wiggs - a Victorian cook. Her friend, Sergeant Rugg, is a member of the British Army of the Napoleonic era, and claims to have served under Wellington - "the Iron Duke". 

Also present is a kitchen boy named Cyril, who spends all of his time sleeping by the oven.

Dodo asks them about the riddle, and Mrs Wiggs claims that the only dancing floor she knows of lies beyond the next door. They find that it is locked.

It soon becomes clear that their new challenge is to hunt for the key - a version of "Hunt the Thimble".

Wiggs and Rugg claim not to know its location either, so whoever finds the key first is the winner.

Everyone scrambles around searching, but eventually one of the cook's pies is dropped on the floor and Dodo finds the key within. She and Steven unlock the door.

The Toymaker enters the kitchen and berates the cook and soldier, warning them not to fail him any further. He orders them to follow the Doctor's companions.

Beyond the door is a chamber with a raised floor, on which stand the three ballerina dolls. Behind them is the TARDIS. Steven is about to step onto the floor when Dodo urges caution - reminding him of the riddle.

When he moves forward, he finds himself dancing with one of the dolls - unable to resist.

He realises that he must force the dance towards the TARDIS in order to reach it. Dodo joins him, and Mrs Wiggs and the Sergeant follow suit to attempt to get to the TARDIS first.

Rugg is about to touch it when he is swept away by his partner, and the Doctor's companions achieve their goal. They dive inside, only to discover that it is another fake cabinet.

Again, Dodo and Steven argue about the nature of their opponents, having recognised the figures from their previous games. She still sees them as intelligent beings, whilst he thinks of them only as soulless creations of the Toymaker.

Behind them, the cook and the soldier dance off into the distance, like emotionless automatons.

The Toymaker disposes of the lifeless dolls and selects what will be the final opponent. He notes that the Doctor has only another 123 moves to go, before the Trilogic Game is completed.

Steven and Dodo have found their next riddle:

"Lady luck will show the way,

Win the game or here you'll stay"

They then meet their new opponent - Cyril, now in the form of a jovial schoolboy.  It becomes clear that he loves to play mischievous tricks on people, as he uses a concealed electric buzzer when shaking hands with Steven. To Dodo, however, he appears charming - even giving her a bag of his sweets.

He warns them that he is going to be their toughest foe yet...

Next episode: The Final Test

Data:

Written by: Brian Hayles

Recorded: Friday 1st April 1966 - Riverside Studio 1

First broadcast: 5:50pm, Saturday 16th April 1966

Ratings: 9.4 million / AI 44

Designer: John Wood

Director: Bill Sellars

Additional cast: Beryl Braham, Ann Harrison, Delia Lindon (Ballerina Dolls). 

Critique:

The game this week is "Hunt the Thimble", played against characters who are designed to mimic those in the "Happy Families" card game. However, there's no soldier character, so Rugg may be based on a child's lead soldier, whilst the game does feature Mrs Bun, the Baker's wife - the probable inspiration for Mrs Wiggs.

One short scene was pre-filmed at Ealing on Wednesday 2nd March. This featured Campbell Singer as Sergeant Rugg, and Carmen Silvera as Mrs Wiggs, dancing against black drapes. This would be used to show them vanishing off into a distant black void. Both wore padded costumes.

For both actors, this would be their final episode of the story.

April 1st is known as "April Fool's Day" - appropriate enough for the recording of an instalment of a story which has featured a literal Fool as well as other tricksters.

William Hartnell remained on holiday, the Doctor continuing to be mute and invisible as he played his game.

The episode made use of a choreographer. This was Norwegian dancer and actor Tutte Lemkow, who had appeared in the series three times prior to this story. The first of these had been playing the eye-patched Kuiju in Marco Polo, followed by Ibrahim in The Crusade and then Cyclops in The Myth Makers. This would be his final association with the programme.

Two pieces of music were provided by Dudley Simpson for the dancing - a waltz for the main action and a jauntier piece for when the dolls are first seen, dancing by themselves.

As mentioned last time, Gerry Davis had intended the final iteration of Cyril to be akin to the Artful Dodger, from Oliver Twist. However, a description of the character as looking like Billy Bunter was taken literally by costume designer Daphne Dare.

Bunter was created by Frank Richards - the pen name of writer Charles Hamilton. He is a rotund schoolboy (from Greyfriars School) who wears thick round glasses. He's obsessed with eating and playing jokes - especially where one gains him the other.

He first appeared in boys' paper The Magnet in 1908, drawn by C.H. Chapman. Gerald Champion, who would later appear as the porter in Shada) played the character on BBC TV between 1952 - 1961.

On screen, Peter Stephens actually claims that, despite being named Cyril in more than one form, his friends call him "Billy". 

This line does not feature in the script, so may well have been an ad-lib by the actor - one that would contribute to problems later on... 

Two main sets were required for the episode - the cluttered kitchen, full of antique kitchenalia and nursery room furniture, and the spartan ballroom, which comprised a relatively small triangular raised floor. The TARDIS prop had its lamp missing.

Stephens first appeared in studio as the kitchen boy. The script included Steven commenting on how all the Toyroom characters looked like each other.

With Hartnell absent, Michael Gough's Toymaker got to interact with his playthings for the first time. The script stressed how he should be cruel and menacing towards his creatures, whilst always being charming to his "guests".

As the latter part of the episode involved music and actors moving around, it was decided that they should pre-record some of their lines.

The back of the fake TARDIS fell away to reveal a short passage, at the end of which was Cyril. The actor had slipped away for his costume change during the dancing, but was still seen wearing the white cook's cap. He removed this and replaced it with a school cap - completing the Billy Bunter image.

As was the norm now for this story, the end credits began playing over an image of the Trilogic Game.

Shortly after broadcast, the BBC received a complaint from the Frank Richards estate regarding Cyril's closing appearance. Peter Stephens was dressed like Billy Bunter, acted like Billy Bunter, and even said that he gets called "Billy". This was clearly unauthorised use of the character.

The BBC argued that Cyril was merely impersonating a Bunter-like figure. 

It was agreed that the BBC would broadcast an apology the following week, as Cyril featured prominently throughout The Final Test.

It comes as a shock to listen to this episode for the very first time, as remarkably little happens. Half the running time is taken up with Rugg and Wiggs squabbling with each other, as everyone rifles the contents of the kitchen. There's no threat whatsoever - just people throwing things about. It sounds - and presumably looked - chaotic.

The latter part of the episode at least has the sinister living dolls, but it really does appear that Davis was struggling to fill the four episodes with sufficient incident.

Trivia:

• The ratings see a huge rise of nearly 1.5 million this week. The appreciation figure, on the other hand, drops to its lowest since the ill-advised Christmas Day episode, The Feast of Steven. It's little wonder when you listen to the episode now.
• The trio of actors playing the ballerinas had featured in the previous episode, but were only credited on this one.
• "Happy Families" was created by the games-maker John Jaques Jr, and made its debut at the Great Exhibition in 1851. It features 11 families, representing different trades and occupations, along with their wives, sons and daughters. Players have to collect sets of all four family members.
• "Hunt the Thimble" is also known as "Hide the Thimble".  It is recorded in 1830 in the US, when it was known as "Hot Buttered Beans". The seeker for the hidden item can be told if they are getting closer to their goal, or further away, by the other players saying "hot" or "cold".
• On the day of broadcast, a concerned viewer from London - B Williams - wrote to the Daily Mirror: "The atmosphere of terror, sadism and wickedness of Dr. Who makes it the most psychologically mixed-up show on TV. I shudder to think what its effect is on sensitive children. It should be screened at 10:50pm, not 5:50pm". Definitely written before they had seen this episode, then.
• A few days later, on Thursday 21st April, a young reader sent a letter to Radio Times telling of how they had made their own copy of the Trilogic Game.

The Art of... The Celestial Toymaker

The Celestial Toymaker was novelised by Gerry Davis, who had been Story Editor as well as writer of the final script as televised. Joining him is Alison Bingeman, who was his partner and protégé at the time.

The book was first published in November 1986, with cover art by Graham Potts - his only contribution to the range, though he also produced the cover for Peter Haining's 20th Anniversary book - Doctor Who: A Celebration. 

The books were avoiding the likenesses of the Doctors on their covers at this time (including that of the present TARDIS incumbent, thanks to issues with Colin Baker's agent).

The likeness to Michael Gough might never be described as "strong", but it's there, whilst the clowns are very well realised. This cover was actually voted best of the year by Doctor Who Monthly readers.

Response to the novel by fans was negative, and it is widely believed that Davis secured the commission purely so that Bingeman could write the book. She subsequently went on to become a writer on a number of big US TV shows.

A  reprint with new cover art by Alister Pearson followed in 1992, by which time it was acceptable to feature the relevant Doctor on the covers - now that the series was off the air. The Doctor ponders the Trilogic Game from a publicity shot from the opening episode, whilst the Toymaker derives from a profile portrait photograph of Gough.

The soundtrack - narrated by Peter Purves - was released in April 2001 with the usual photomontage cover. There's an eclectic mix of characters on display between the Doctor and the Toymaker. Whilst Joey and Clara might be expected, having featured prominently in publicity, the choice of the Joker, Knave and one of the ballerinas is a trifle odd.

In advance of the character's return in The Giggle as part of the 60th Anniversary celebrations, The Celestial Toymaker saw its soundtrack reissued on vinyl, courtesy of Demon Records, on 30th September 2022. It's a striking cover. The Toymaker presides over primary colourful building block / playing card imagery, with a number of Toyroom characters making an appearance.

The Giggle was also responsible for the story being selected as the latest missing adventure to get the animated treatment. The DVD / Blu-ray (above) and Steelbook (below) are due to be released in mid-June 2024. 

The animation style selected is that used for the third instalment of The Web of Fear, which met with almost universal derision. Reaction by those who saw the story previewed at the BFI in February 2024 is mixed. Some would prefer animation which honours the original story as broadcast, whilst others claim that this animation is appropriate to the surreal nature of the story, and the release is meant to attract a new audience anyway. Expect a review when it finally comes out.

If the vinyl cover is striking in a good way, the same could never be said of the DVD / Blu-ray cover. It's possibly the worst ever, with little or no effort gone into the design, when you consider the range of visual material which the story affords.

What's Wrong With... Meglos

Just four weeks after the great stylistic overhaul of the series, and we're offered a cheap-looking story that wouldn't have felt out of place in Season 17.

Mostly questions this time - questions which Christopher H Bidmead really should have been asking the writers...

Zolfa-Thurans are supposed to be able to manipulate certain wavelengths of light, suggesting that they can actually take on any form.

So why does Meglos look like a potted plant for much of the time? Of all the forms available, why go for something which is stationery and lacking limbs? If it's simply the natural form, how did they ever develop their awesome technology?

Talking of which, he's based in a high-tech control room, which is full of fiddly buttons and switches...

Why does he need an Earthling in order to impersonate the Doctor, if he can manipulate light to alter form? Can't he just cut out the middle man, literally?

We later see Meglos revert to something like his natural form when he escapes the Gaztak ship. Why did he not do this sooner to flee? Why is he even retaining the Doctor's form, now that it's served its purpose?

How did the Dodecahedron get to Tigella? 

It's obviously been there for a very long time, for it to have gained mythical status with the Deons, yet Tigella is only a few hours away from Zolfa-Thura - so why hasn't Meglos sought it out sooner?

Wouldn't blowing Tigella up, when it's right on your doorstep, have a nasty effect on your own planet?

How does Meglos know all about the Doctor - to the extent that he can trap the TARDIS mid-journey - when the Doctor doesn't seem to know anything about him. The story is written as though they were old enemies, when they aren't.

It's a bit of a coincidence that Meglos just happens to use the costume which the Doctor has only just started wearing.

The Chronic Hysteresis time-loop makes no sense. Anyone caught in a time-loop should be unaware of the fact. Every time it goes back to the start, it's as if everything that occurs for the duration of the loop never happened. There shouldn't be pauses between the loops.

Even if we allow for the fact that the Doctor and Romana, as Time Lords, have a special relationship with Time (viz Invasion of the Dinosaurs, City of Death), they should only be aware of the loop. They should not have been able to influence it, let alone extricate themselves from it. 

The method they use seems to be to trick it in some way, as though it were some sentient event.

As time-loops go, it's pretty pathetic.

And how does Meglos deploy the thing anyway? How does he know that the Doctor is about to visit Tigella when Zastor has only just been in touch? Is it deployed like a weapon, or is it hanging around in space like a trap? 

This is the programme which Bidmead claimed had been taken over by "magic" in recent years, and he was determined to replace this fantasy rubbish with good solid science. Clearly hasn't started yet, then...

Perhaps if it had been better explained, we might have accepted its bizarre nature.

One of the Gaztaks almost falls flat on his face as they leave their spaceship - one of the hazards of all-blue CSO studios.

Are the mercenaries really so thick that they'd believe the stuff about anti-clockwise planetary rotation, when they are a seasoned space-going group?

Bill Fraser marks the first instance of JNT's wholly inappropriate stunt-castings. He simply doesn't convince as a murderous space pirate. The whole outfit is a bit Dad's Army.

Tigella appears to hang majestically in the skies over Zolfa-Thura - by wires.

Episodes are running so short that we get what feels like half the previous episode as a reprise. Really, is no-one script editing this thing? 

And to think JNT was actually keen to have these writers pen the crucial introductory story for his new Doctor. Thanks be to Ti it never happened.

M is for... Mutants

Every 500 years, the humanoid inhabitants of the planet Solos underwent a strange metamorphosis. This was a natural mutation, triggered by seasonal changes. Hard, black, scaly skin developed, and the Solonians became more violent and aggressive in the initial stages. They then transformed into bipedal insectoid creatures.

At this point, they were compelled by instinct to seek out radiation-rich caverns. Their ancestors had placed a special crystal here, which aided the mutation process through to its final form - when the Solonians became ethereal super-beings.

Around the 25th Century, Solos fell under the domination of the Earth Empire, and exploited for it radioactive minerals. Efforts by its governor - the Marshal - and an incompetent scientist to change Solos' atmosphere to make it breathable to humans inadvertently triggered the process prematurely. Thinking of them as nothing more than animals, and believing the mutation to be a communicable disease, the Mutants were hunted and killed. The rest took shelter in the cavern near the cave of the crystal.

Another human scientist named Sondergaard attempted to show that the creatures were intelligent and harmless, but his efforts failed. The young rebel leader Ky underwent the transformation, rapidly passing through the Mutant phase to emerge as a super-being. He killed the Marshal, freeing his people. Sondergaard would then help other Mutants transform fully.

When a Mutant landed on the storm-lashed planet of Karn in an escape pod, it was quickly attacked and killed by Condo - servant of the surgeon Mehendri Solon. He sought out survivors of the frequent spaceship crashes for body parts which could use in his master's medical experiments. The Doctor described the corpse as a Mutt - member of a mutant insect species from the Cyclops Nebula.

Played by: John Scott Martin, Laurie Goode, Mike Mungarvan, Eddie Sommer, Nick Thompson Hill, Ricky Newby, Bill Gosling, Mike Torres. 

Appearances: The Mutants (1972), The Brain of Morbius (1976).

• John Scott Martin played the lone Mutant in the Tom Baker story, as well as lead creature in the Pertwee one.
• It is simply the case of a reused costume for The Brain of Morbius (helmed by the same director, Chris Barry), as the Doctor's description does not really match with the Solonians.
• The costume designer is future Oscar-winner James Acheson.

M is for... Muss, Nicholas

A young French Protestant who worked as secretary to Admiral de Coligny, the senior-most Huguenot leader in Paris in 1572.

Nicholas befriended the Doctor's companion Steven when he found himself stranded in the city, the Doctor having gone off to meet a noted scientist of the day. 

He was devoted to the Admiral, and to his faith, but was far more tolerant than some of his hot-headed friends.

The group encountered a young servant girl named Anne, who had fled from the household of the Catholic Abbot of Amboise. She had overheard talk of a notorious mass slaughter of a decade ago, suggesting that a similar atrocity was being planned. The city was full of Huguenots, come to celebrate the wedding of their royal figurehead, Henry of Navarre, to the Catholic King's sister.

Nicholas' friendship with Steven became strained when he identified the Abbot as his friend - as he was identical in appearance to the Doctor.

He later tried to warn his employer of a possible plot against him. de Coligny had the ear of the King, and failed to take the threat seriously.

Not long after an assassination attempt on him, the Admiral was killed in the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre, in which Nicholas and most of his friends also perished.

Played by: David Weston. Appearances: The Massacre (1966).

• Weston returned to the series in 1981, playing the Tharil Biroc in Warriors' Gate.
• Noted for Shakespearean roles, he has also featured in horror movies with both Lon Chaney Jnr (Witchcraft), and Vincent Price (The Masque of the Red Death) - both 1964. 

M is for... Murray

Murray was the name used by a member of the fun-loving Navarino race when taking on human form. They disguised themselves in order to visit other planets incognito. Murray was the pilot of their spaceship, which was disguised as a vehicle from the planet / era they were to visit.

The Doctor and Mel Bush won a trip on their Nostalgia Tours trip to 1950's Disneyland. Aware of the company's dubious reputation, the Doctor opted to travel by TARDIS whilst Mel accompanied the Navarino. The ship collided with a satellite in orbit above Earth, causing it to go off course. With the Doctor's help, Murray landed it in South Wales. Luckily there was a holiday camp on their doorstep where the party could stay whilst the ship was being fixed. Unfortunately the hapless Murray broke the only spare energy crystal needed to power the engines, but the Doctor was able to grow a replacement overnight.

One of the tour group was the last surviving adult member of the Chimeron race, fleeing genocide at the hands of the Bannermen, led by the ruthless Gavrok.

They arrived outside the camp just as the repaired Navarino ship was about to lift off, destroying it and killing all on board.

Played by: Johnny Dennis. Appearances: Delta and the Bannermen (1987).

• Dennis, who passed away in 2016, was a champion of Victorian / Edwardian Music Hall traditions (a passion he shared with Michael Kilgarriff). He is interviewed about the subject on one of the extras which accompanied the DVD and Blu-ray releases of The Talons of Weng-Chiang.
• Another passion was for cricket. The "Voice of the MCC", he was the senior announcer at Lords for nearly 20 years.