N is for... Nimrod

A member of the Neanderthal race which became extinct around 40,000 years ago when superseded by Homo Sapiens. Nimrod had been captured by an alien entity known as Light, who visited the Earth in prehistoric times as part of an expedition to catalogue all of its lifeforms.

Held in suspended animation as the last example of his kind, he was later woken up by Josiah Samuel Smith in the early 1880's and employed by him as butler. Smith was a member of Light's crew, who had rapidly evolved into a Victorian gentleman. He had taken over the expedition, intent on reaching the ultimate evolutionary goal of becoming head of the British Empire.

Light was left to oversleep within their spacecraft. Nimrod continued to worship the entity. The Doctor befriended him by offering him the gift of a fang from a cave bear, which was a totem for his tribe.

After Smith's scheme had been thwarted, and the awakened Light destroyed, Nimrod elected to travel across the universe in the space ship, accompanied by Victorian explorer Redvers Fenn-Cooper and Control, another of the original crew. 

Played by: Carl Forgione. Appearances: Ghost Light (1989).

• Forgione (1944 - 1998) had previously appeared in the series as Land, one of Lupton's circle in Planet of the Spiders.
• Neanderthals were named after the discovery of remains in the Neander Valley, in what is now Germany, in 1856.
• Smith has named his butler after the biblical figure Nimrod, a great grandson of Noah who was famed as a mighty hunter and King of Shinar.

N is for... Nimons

A race of huge bull-headed bipedal creatures, the Nimons were intergalactic parasites. One of their number would insinuate themselves with a victim planet by offering its people whatever they most wanted - wealth or domination over others. Tributes would be called for as payment - energy crystals composed of radioactive hymetusite and a number of young people upon whom the Nimons fed, draining them of their life-force. 

The crystals would be used to power a transportation system that would be used to allow the rest of their race to invade in force. Artificial black holes would be created which their egg-shaped travel pods could pass through.

Once a planet had been drained of all life and resources the process would begin again as one of their kind would travel on to the next target world. They described this as "The Great Circle Of Life".

The planet Skonnos sought to regain its old military might and its leader Soldeed entered into a bargain with the lone Nimon. Tributes were sought from the planet Aneth, an old enemy of Skonnos which they had previously conquered. The final batch of young people were forced into the Nimon's lair, accompanied by Romana, taking the hymetusite with them. She used one of their travel pods to visit Crinoth - the ravaged planet which the aliens were about to abandon.

More of the Nimons arrived on Skonnos, and Soldeed realised too late that he had been tricked. He triggered a chain reactor in the lair's nuclear reactor as he died. The Doctor was able to trap the main force of Nimons on the dying Crinoth, whilst the creatures already on Skonnos perished as their base exploded.

Played by: Robin Sherringham, Bob Appleby, Trevor St.John Harker. Voiced by: Clifford Norgate. Appearances: The Horns of Nimon (1979/80).

• The Nimons - and the story as a whole - were inspired by the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur.
• Dancers were cast, but found their movements severely limited due to the heavy headpieces and tall platform shoes (mimicking hooves) which they had to wear.
• It was originally intended that the heads were actually helmets, with their real head within. This was cut for budget reasons.
• The Minotaur in The God Complex was said to be a cousin of the Nimons.
• Clifford Norgate also provided vocals on The Leisure Hive.
• The plural is Nimons, as is evident from dialogue. Many fans think it to be simply Nimon, but this is due to there only being a single individual for much of the story - "the Nimon" / "Lord Nimon".

N is for... Nilson

A senior crewmember of Sea Base 4 which, in the year 2084, provided defence for one of the two great power blocs which were in conflict at the time. However, Nilson was actually an agent for the opposing bloc, as was Dr Solow whose responsibilities included the mental conditioning of the base's Synch-Operator. This individual had an electronic implant in their skull, which allowed them to interface directly with the computerised missile launch systems. This was an inexperienced young crewman named Maddox.

Nilson and Solow reprocessed him to sabotage the computers, and kill anyone who tried to stop him. They would then steal the processing software and pass to their own people.

Their actions coincided with an assault on the base by a combined Silurian and Sea Devil force. They planned to use its missiles to trigger a conflict in which both blocs would destroy themselves - allowing them to retake the planet.

Nilson attempted to flee the base, taking Tegan Jovanka with him as hostage. The Doctor used an ultra-violet light emitter to blind him, and he stumbled into the path of a Sea Devil warrior who shot him dead.

Played by: Ian McCulloch. Appearances: Warriors of the Deep (1984).

• McCulloch played Greg Preston, one of the regulars on Terry Nation's series Survivors.
• He is also well known for several appearances in Italian horror films, such as Lucio Fulci's Zombie Flesh Eaters (aka Zombi 2) and Zombie Holocaust.
• He had previously been considered for one of the Concorde crew in Time-Flight.
• He is the brother of Andrew McCulloch, who co-wrote Meglos.

N is for... Nightmare Man

A sadistic alien entity which manifested itself as a sinister clown-like, white-faced man. He was really a member of the Vishklar race, who originated in an alternate dimension. He began attacking Sarah Jane Smith's adopted son Luke, who normally did not dream. Through him he intended to escape into this dimension to attack others through their dreams, provoking nightmares.

Luke found himself trapped in a long dark corridor lined with countless doors, within each of which was another nightmare. Clyde and Rani were also attacked. He found himself working in a run-down burger bar, one of whose customers was a bag lady - Sarah. Would-be journalist Rani found herself presenting the TV news, and struggling to do so in front of millions. 

Sarah attempted to trick him into adding her to his nightmares, so that she could help Luke. The Nightmare Man disabled K-9 and Mr Smith to prevent them helping her.

He was defeated when Luke, Clyde and Rani stood up to him, no longer afraid of him. This left him powerless, and he ended up trapped inside a nightmare of his own - being told by Sarah how wonderful Luke was, over and over.

Played by: Julian Bleach. Appearances: SJA 4.1 The Nightmare Man (2010).

• The third of Bleach's Whoniverse roles, after Davros and The Ghostmaker.
• The character has similarities in appearance to Bleach's Shockheaded Peter theatrical performance.
• Deleted dialogue from this story, which was reinstated for the novelisation, revealed that Luke was gay.
• People becoming trapped within nightmares is an old horror trope - the best known example being the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. Doctor Who itself will revisit this idea in Can You Hear Me?

N is for... Nightingale, Larry

Larry was the brother of Kathy Nightingale, who was a close friend of Sally Sparrow. She first met him when he stayed overnight with his sister - going to the toilet in the middle of the night whilst naked.

Larry worked at Banto's video store. He had become obsessed with a number of very strange DVD easter eggs, found on a number of seemingly random discs. These featured a man in a brown suit speaking - but only half of the conversation was recorded. Without the other half, it seemed impossible to work out what was being discussed. Larry was part of an internet group which was dedicated to these extras.

Kathy vanished after a visit to an abandoned house called Wester Drumlins, and Sally discovered that she had been sent back in time to 1920. Investigating, she was able to tell Larry that the 17 discs which contained the mysterious man - the Doctor - were those already owned by her. An encounter with a police officer, who was also sent back through time, revealed that he had arranged for them to be placed on the discs.

It transpired that the missing half of the conversation was actually Sally's responses to the easter eggs, which she and Larry conducted one night at Wester Drumlins. Weeping Angels fed on potential temporal energy by sending their victims back through time. They had captured the TARDIS, leaving the Doctor and Martha stranded in 1969 where they met the police officer. They arranged for Sally in the present day to reunite the Doctor with the TARDIS and defeat the Angels - setting up the whole chain of events.

Larry took over the DVD shop, working alongside Sally.

Played by: Finlay Robertson. Appearances: Blink (2007).

What's Wrong With... Four To Doomsday

If you go back and read the letters pages of Doctor Who Monthly, as it was at the time, then you'll know that problems began with this story's title. Several people wrote in to ask what it referred to. 

Of course, it can be seen in two different ways simultaneously - it's four days until Monarch's ship arrives at Earth, and he plans to wipe out all organic life there; and it can also refer to the fact that there are four occupants in the TARDIS, and they are also headed towards potential doom should Monarch succeed.

Behind the scenes, this was Peter Davison's first production as Doctor - and you can tell he hasn't quite got to grips with how he intends to play the part.

As for the story...

The timescale for Monarch's visits to Earth don't tie up. It's stated that each visit sees his vessel doubling its speed, but the human civilisations represented don't mirror this fact. The key dates - derived from Bigon's dialogue - would be 35500 BC, 15500 BC, 5500 BC, and 500 BC approx. The Aboriginals might fit with the first date, and the Athenians with the last, but the Mayans and Chinese don't fit with either of the middle dates.

One of the reasons for the length of journey is supposed to be down to the Urbankans not yet mastering faster-than-light travel. And yet the series is filled with less technologically advanced races who appear to have such propulsion.

The Doctor claims that the TARDIS has only missed Earth by a short margin, but if Monarch's ship is travelling as fast as claimed then four days out would place it still a very long distance from the planet.

Why does he keep going backwards and forwards anyway? He has no interest in the human race - he's going to wipe it out - and only wants the natural resources. Why not simply take these on an earlier visit when there isn't going to be the technology (weaponry in particular) which might pose a threat to him?

Indeed, the Moon would hold most of what he is after on Earth. He is primarily after silicon, which he should have been able to get elsewhere a lot quicker and easier.

The androids go crazy when they indulge in any sort of organised activity. So how can they dance?

Monarch has no interest in the cultures of Earth, so why have the recreationals in the first place? What is the point of providing entertainment to robots?

(And on screen, these recreationals are boring and repetitive. A nice idea, which then gets used as padding).

Why does the Chinese dragon suit - product of an ancient Imperial era - have the name of a London kung-fu club printed inside it?

How can Tegan possibly know an Aboriginal language that's tens of thousands of years old? It can't be the TARDIS translation system in action - otherwise everyone would be able to understand them.

(So why can't it translate?).

If everyone on board is an android, where did all the food come from? We later discover that Monarch is still partially organic, but surely he doesn't need as much food as this.

Also, why do his ministers and the intelligent android leaders not twig that he can't be fully robotic (there's oxygen as well as food laid on the ship) and so see through his hypocrisy?

And why have these ethnic leaders on board in the first place? All Monarch needs are robotic drones to do the work.

The script has Adric claiming to know things about the Doctor that we haven't ever witnessed - the writer seeming to think they have travelled together a lot more than they actually had. If this really was the case - with various unseen adventures - then surely the boy would have known that the Doctor would oppose Monarch, and that it is wrong to side with him. 

The idiotic, unlikeable Adric really starts here.

Why does Tegan try to pilot the TARDIS? She knows that she will be safe enough inside with the doors locked, and she knows that it rarely goes where it's supposed to go. She's only been in the ship for a matter of hours at this stage, and can't know anything about how it actually works - so what is she doing dematerialising? She must know that she is actually abandoning her friends.

Why does the TARDIS come to a halt in the vicinity of the spaceship, instead of, say, Skaro or in Medieval France? If this is the work of the TARDIS itself, why did it even allow Tegan to operate it in the first place?

Going back to Doctor Who Monthly's letters pages, there was much debate about the space-walk which the Doctor undertakes to retrieve the TARDIS. Most letters pointed out how stupid this was, quoting the science, whilst others took to its defence.

There's an effort to get round the lack of oxygen in space, but nothing is mentioned about the sub-zero temperatures. Even if the Doctor had some hitherto unmentioned ability to generate internal heat, this wouldn't extend to his cricket ball. This would have shattered against the side of the TARDIS, rather than bounce off it.

Episode 125: The War Machines (3)

Synopsis:

Investigating the warehouse at Covent Garden, Ben witnesses the first of the War Machines in operation. He is soon detected, and watches helplessly as it moves towards him...

Ben is surprised to see Polly here - even more so when she locks the doors to prevent him escaping. He notices too late her emotionless expression. 

He is captured by Major Green.

The Doctor argues with Sir Charles about what action should be taken next, the civil servant insisting that C-Day go ahead as planned and anything else should be a matter for the police.

Ben is about to be killed when Polly intervenes, stating that WOTAN has instructed that labour is needed for the completion of the War Machines. Ben is to be put to work.

At the Post Office Tower, Brett and Krimpton finalise WOTAN's plans. The War Machines must be ready to launch a coordinated assault on London at noon the following day. The order for the attack will come from WOTAN itself.

Ben makes an escape attempt whilst everyone is busy. He is spotted by Polly alone, but she is conflicted about what she should do. She fails to stop him, or to alert the others.

He arrives at the home of Sir Charles and tells the Doctor about what he has seen at the warehouse. 

Polly, meanwhile, is questioned by Green, who orders her to report back to WOTAN for punishment.

Sir Charles refuses to believe Ben's story but when the Doctor begins to convince him, he once again decides that the issue should be dealt with by police. He then agrees to telephone his Minister, who elects to call in the army.

The Doctor, Ben and Sir Charles meet an army unit at Covent Garden. They set up a forward base outside the warehouse, and clear the area of civilians. Electronic activity is detected within the building, and Ben warns of a stock of explosives - as well as the War Machine.

Their presence is detected by Green, who puts everyone on alert.

The army move in and attack - only to discover that their weapons are useless. Guns fail to fire, and grenades will not detonate. The Sergeant reports back to his Captain what has happened, and the decision is made to retreat. The War Machine has left the warehouse and moves inexorably towards them.

Everyone dashes for cover - apart from the Doctor.

He stands his ground as the War Machine bears down on him...

Data:

Written by Ian Stuart Black

Recorded: Friday 24th June 1966 - Riverside Studio 1

First broadcast: 5:35pm, Saturday 9th July 1966

Ratings: 5.3 million / AI 44

Designer: Raymond London

Director: Michael Ferguson

Additional cast: John Rolfe (Captain), John Boyd-Brent (Sergeant), Frank Jarvis (Corporal), Robin Dawson (Soldier)

Critique:

Fans always talk about the Quatermass serials when discussing the changes brought in by Derrick Sherwin in the late 1960's. This mainly concerned the contemporary setting, and the Doctor's interactions with the military.

Seen as a new direction for the series, it had actually been pioneered here in the third and fourth episodes of The War Machines.

Nigel Kneale's serials - The Quatermass Experiment (1953), Quatermass II (1955) and Quatermass and the Pit (1958) - saw the scientist hero contest alien threats, joining forces with the army at some point in each. Other British sci-fi movies had seen a similar set-up - even if the threat wasn't necessarily from outer space. These included The Giant Behemoth, X the Unknown, and The Strange World of Planet X. 

American films of the genre had almost always combined scientist and military in neutralising the enemy. (Generally, in British films there is some conflict between the scientist hero and the military. Quatermass especially butts heads with authority figures. This is less so in US movies).

It was therefore inevitable that Doctor Who would tackle a story in a similar vein - especially as Innes Lloyd and Gerry Davis wanted to modernise the series with contemporary companions and more realistic science.

The original storyline for this episode had a somewhat different ending. Instead of the hero shot of the Doctor standing up to the War Machine, he actually told the army that they were helpless against it and should retreat.

Earlier, Rich - as Ben was then named - was put on trial by WOTAN itself, but saved by the hypnotised Dodo. 

Sir Charles telephoning his Minister was a late addition, and the battle sequence was expanded.

The filming for Episode 3 took place at Ealing through the week commencing 23rd May, covering the main warehouse set, with sunken area, and its exterior. The outdoor scenes featuring the soldiers and the War Machine were filmed on the studio backlot.

Film trims exist of these scenes - overhead shots showing Gerald Taylor and his fellow operator hurriedly exiting the War Machine prop from the rear due to the proximity of fire effects.

Michael Craze and Anneke Wills took time out of rehearsals on Thursday 23rd June to pose for publicity shots around Riverside Studios. They were pictured in costume, and efforts were made to make the height difference between the pair less noticeable (Wills was five inches taller than her co-star).

The previous Sunday had seen the three regulars filming location work on The Smugglers in Cornwall.

A small section of the warehouse set was erected at Riverside, and the War Machine prop featured in the TV studio for the first time. The battle sequence had several film inserts which had to be edited in.

One recording break allowed Craze to move from the warehouse set to Sir Charles' study, and another allowed everyone to move to the warehouse exterior set.

The episode closed with the camera moving in for a close-up on Hartnell, with a spotlight trained on him - as it had done with Craze at the cliff-hanger to the previous instalment.

Having spent some time filming with Hartnell, Craze and Wills had come to realise that the star held political views and social attitudes which were quite incompatible with their own. He was also becoming increasingly dispirited by the frequent changes in companion co-stars, nostalgic for the early days when he had a stable group of fellow performers - as well as a stable production team.

Craze and Wills had hoped to develop their characters through discussion between themselves and with Hartnell, but he was uncomfortable with this style of acting - used to simply going off and learning his part in isolation and sticking rigidly to this. Craze in particular found Hartnell difficult to warm to.

Neither co-star was aware of Hartnell's worsening health issues.

Trivia:

• After a noticeable dip last week, the ratings bounce back to the same level as the first episode. The appreciation figure fails to mirror this rise, however, and will drop even further next week.
• This episode had an amended title sequence, with the text flashing up as white on a black background, instead of black on white.
• John Rolfe made a further two appearances in Doctor Who. In The Moonbase he was crewmember Sam Beckett, and he played Fell in The Green Death. He had acted opposite Hartnell on stage in the 1950's, and featured with Patrick Troughton in a BBC adaptation of The Old Curiosity Shop in 1962.
• Future light entertainment star Mike Yarwood, whose comedy impressions became a fixture of the BBC's Saturday evening schedules in the 1970's, was due to feature in this episode as a soldier. However, he was taken ill during the morning of studio recording and a taxi had to be booked to get him to hospital.
• William Hartnell's First Doctor is often depicted wearing his black Astrakhan hat. In reality, he only ever wore this on three occasions, this being one of them. (He wears a white version in The Web Planet due to the visual effects being used). The other two stories to feature this particular headgear just happen to be his very first story, and his last.
• Oliver Arkinstall-Jones' alternative retro movie-style poster for the story: