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The Stranger
"Life isn't black or white you know - you don't EITHER love OR hate! Emotions
aren't that simple - LIFE isn't that straightforward! It's a kind of murky grey
normally. Grey and full of unpleasantly indiscriminate unpredictable little
complicated bits. Suspicions, greed, questionable loyalties. Triviality,
lies..."
A series of standalone dramas starring Colin Baker as 'The Stranger' and Nicola
Bryant as 'Miss Brown'. Initially aided by money and resources from the BBC's
film club and co-owned by co-funder Metro Music International, this range gave
Bill Baggs a 'name' and the funds with which to branch out with the PROBE series
in 1994. The first two stories, written by Christian Darkin and Nigel Fairs
respectively, aimed to capture the essence of Doctor Who, whilst avoiding the
use of copyrighted names (the latter even being based on an identically-named
Doctor Who audio script originally produced by Baggs) - the remaining 4, penned
by Nicholas Briggs, turned the series into an sf creation in its own right. With
guest appearances from Who alumni Michael Wisher, Sophie Aldred, David
Troughton, Louise Jameson, Caroline John and Geoffrey Beevers (not to mention
spinoff regulars such as Nicholas Pegg and Briggs himself), this set the trend
for the BBV releases to come.
In 1994, alternating with the videos of that year, BBV also released 2 60-minute
audio adventures on cassette, again by Nicholas Briggs (the second under his
regular pseudonym of Arther Wallis), entitled The Last Mission and Eye of the
Storm. These were reissued in 1999 as the 8th and 9th of their CD range 'Audio
Adventures in Time and Space', with an additional 5 minutes added back into Eye
of the Storm. Whilst The Last Mission fits neatly in between the 4th and 5th
video releases, Eye of the Storm is essentially retold in the 1995 video release
Eye Of The Beholder.
Accompanying the 2003 DVD releases as bonus features were plans for 3 brand new
audio stories, set before Summoned by Shadows: Coming of Shadows, Force of
Nature and Places Everyone. In the event, Places Everyone was missing from the
disc released...
Synopses
Summoned
by Shadows
A mysterious
ship heads towards a barren planet. On the planet a marketplace bustles with
activity while a strange man (Colin Baker) sits huddled in a makeshift tent, his
companion (Nicola Bryant) tiring of his recent inwardness. She eventually walks
of, ignored by the man.
At the marketplace, a conjuror amazes a group of children and young men and
women with his tricks, the final one involving a computer component - "Who will
find one of these for me?" he asks. One woman in particular seems oddly
mesmerised by him, and follows him away, despite her deaf boyfriend's pleas.
Mournfully, the Stranger's companion makes her way through the desert and
eventually comes across a rather out-of-place country mansion. The mansion is
owned by a man in a white suit (who looks strangely like the conjuror), and is
host to some sort of party. The man invites the companion in as a new guest and
offers to clothe her and put her up.
Meanwhile, Dane (the deaf man) visits a pair of wise men (one of whom again
looks like the conjurer and seems to be receiving orders telepathically from
somewhere) to beg them to help him find his girlfriend. He also wants them to
help him find 'the man who appeared', who lives out in the wilderness. They will
not help him but (at the suggestion of the voice giving orders) they allow him
to go to find the stranger.
The conjurer leads Tanya (Dane's girlfriend) to some sort of work-site, where
many people her age are searching for components for him. He offers her her
freedom if she can find him just one piece. Dane's search, meanwhile, finally
leads him to the stranger. While he tries, unsuccessfully, to enlist the
stranger's help, the conjurer watches proudly as his people get more desperate
and begin to fight amongst each other. One escapes, but the man at the mansion
is warned about this and captures and kills her. The companion is upset, but the
man attempts to explain it to her - "You have to earn privilege" he says.
As the stranger relents to Dane's requests, a shrouded figure piloting the ship
from the start (and with the same voice as the conjurer, the interpreter and the
mansion owner) becomes annoyed at the amount of time being spent. Dane and the
stranger find the conjurer, but before they can act he shoots them. Whilst this
is going on, Tanya finds a component and rushes to take it to the conjurer.
The stranger and Dane find themselves with the shrouded figure on the
spacecraft, who explains that the men on the planet are aspects of his
personality, and demands that they help him or the companion will die. For her
services, Tanya is granted a place at the mansion as part of the party, but
there she meets the companion who convinces her to try and escape.
The stranger completes the equipment, but unbeknownst to anyone Dane has
sabotaged it, killing the controller. The two couples are reunited and the
stranger lifts his self-imposed exile.
More
Than a Messiah
(Based on the Audio Visuals fan-audio, also by Nigel Fairs, below-right)
A middle-aged couple go mermaid-spotting while two young men pollute a lake
from their speedboat. One of the men vanishes, taken by hand that appears from
the water... upon investigating, the other is dragged under.
On the beach, Miss Brown complains that the Stranger lied to her when he
promised a lack of sulking. The Stranger argues that he isn't sulking, he's
snoozing, and suggests his companion joins him - she trudges off.
At their chalet, the couple (Charlotte and Bernard Darton) "relax". Charlotte
waters her plants and Bernard makes plans to relandscape the surroundings - he
tries to convince himself that his talents in this area are why he's been sent
there. A strange ape-man watches them from a distance, as does a girl.
Miss Brown discovers the body of of the second young man on the beach - he's
alive, but terrified. Back at their chalet, Bernard prepares to go hunting and
Charlotte tries to talk him into relaxing instead. He storms out, ready to kill
some apes - the girl continues to watch him.
At the young man's (Nic) chalet tells Miss Brown about the planet - his friend
Marc had written the publicity brochure describing Majus XVII as 'paradise', and
now he's dead. Meanwhile, Bernard is about to shoot a deer, but the girl gets in
the way. Nic tries to find out when the next flight out is, but can't find any -
as we soon see, the spaceport is under some kind of emergency, and is destroyed.
Back at the beach, the girl approaches the Stranger, and later Nic and Miss
Brown make their way towards the spaceport, but are attacked by an ape. Bernard
shoots from behind a tree, but catches Nic by mistake.
The Stranger finds himself in a cave, where the girl tends to him, giving him "a
natural remedy... to calm the flames in your eyes", while everyone else convenes
at Bernard's chalet. Bernard blames the students, while Charlotte looks after
the semi-concious Nic. Meanwhile, the Stranger and the girl enjoy a shower
together.
Bernard and Charlotte explain more about the "back to basics" concept of the
planet to Miss Brown, while the Stranger asks the girl about her scars - she
avoids the question, and the Stranger returns to sleep - she begins to express
her feelings for him.
Miss Brown tries to get Charlotte to help her take Nic past Bernard to the
Stranger - Charlotte explains that the QuickHome Corporation had sent Bernard
there as a remedy for his stress, but that until then he'd been a successful
designer of planets - she gives Miss Brown a couple of MediTabs that she'd
smuggled in, which might help. Bernard takes her to one side to explain his
theory that the "students" are actually spies sent my QuickHome's rivals.
The Stranger and the girl discuss love and his need for peace. She tries to
convince him to stay with her - he seems almost tempted. Bernard destroys
Charlotte's plants as he prepares for war, which tips Charlotte over the edge -
she gets Miss Brown out so she can get to the forcefield generator. Bernard is
not impressed.
The Stranger refuses to leave, citing his duties to the Universe as a reason -
the girl becomes angry and blocks off the cave entrance. Meanwhile, Bernard goes
out shooting wildlife, causing the girl great pain - the cave entrance
reappears, but the Stranger stays to talk to her. She dashes out into the water
to have "communion", and shares what she sees with the Stranger: a beautiful
world taken over by construction... in return she is able to see the love he has
for Miss Brown. In a misguided attempt to gain his affections, the girl
transforms into Miss Brown. She threatens to kill the real Miss Brown, but the
Stranger demands that she stops - saying that this isn't the way to win
his affections. Bernard takes Miss Brown's moment of vulnerability to kidnap
her.
Back at the chalet, Nic is conscious again, but the forcefield around the chalet
goes down. Meanwhile Miss Brown complains about the fakeness of a supposedly
natural resort... They reach the site of the spaceport, and its absence prompts
Bernard into believing the apes have destroyed it to stop him reporting back to
the QuickHome corporation.
The girl tries to understand the Stranger's complicated human nature, but fails.
The Stranger wonders if the girl is a Messiah - but she is more than a
part of the world... she is the world.
Bernard and Miss Brown arrive back at the chalet and are attacked by an ape -
Bernard shoots him and forces Nic to carry the ape to the girl's cave. The girl
is in great pain for the ape, and the Stranger tries to help - she returns to
her original form and tries to kill herself, but the Stranger stops her. Miss
Brown and the others arrive, and Bernard holds them all hostage. A struggle
ensues, and the girl is shot. As she dies, the planet begins to break up around
them. Bernard is killed and Charlotte stays with him while the others escape.
The Stranger and Miss Brown take Nic home, and leave for more adventures...
In
Memory Alone
(DVD features new effects sequences overseen by Alistair Lock - primarily
the crash sequence and the robot POV shots, noted throughout the synopsis with
asterisks).
A spaceship crash-lands at Rothley train-station - from the inhabitants view we
see it attempt to find a new power-source.*
A flying robot floats around the platform and examines the objects it finds
there. One, a mannequin, turns into the image of Miss Brown. She explores her
surrounds, confused...
Meanwhile, another mannequin sits on board a steam train, reading a newspaper -
after the flying robot passes it and demands a ticket, it turns into the
Stranger, equally confused...
At the station, Miss Brown continues to explore, and hears a voice telling her
that the latest train has been delayed. A man in a suit, a cardboard tie, and
lensless glasses appears, complaining about the late train. We see through his
eyes, as a system message appears in-vision launching a 'combat sequence' of
some sort.* Miss Brown finds nothing, but notices steam gathering on the
traintracks. On the train, the Stranger examines some wiring* and the train
dematerialises*. After a moment, it reappears* back on the tracks, and the
floating robot approaches - another robots-eye view* sees a combat sequence
launch. Back at the platform, we see the train appearing through the eyes of the
suited man*. The Stranger gets off, and the suited man sees himself as being
under attack*. The floating robot acknowledges this* and the train vanishes*.
The Stranger and Miss Brown try and work out who they are - they both have total
amnesia. Miss Brown begins to dematerialise* but the Stranger grabs her, keeping
her there. The suited man describes this as "typical!" and Miss Brown introduces
the two. The Stranger attempts, and fails, to talk to him. The man watches them*
as they look around the station. They find a dark cellar and try and piece
together their memories, and how the train appearing and disappearing figures
into things. The Stranger begins to tamper with things, to Miss Brown's concern
- she believes the station might disappear the way the train did...
Miss Brown goes off to explore further while the suited man watches, and a
message reading "Home is Warm" appears in his vision*. The floating robot
follows Miss Brown, watching her* and considering her a threat. The suited man
watches* as the Stranger tries to open a panel and attacks him as he gets too
close, accusing him of not obeying the rules. When asked what the rules are,
the man 'shuts down'. Meanwhile, Miss Brown attacks and defeats the floating
robot. The suited man phases in and out of reality* but appears for long enough
to punch the Stranger - the robot recovers, shoots Miss Brown* and receives a
message in-vision saying "Behaviour must be corrected"* - she manages to defeat
it again, however.
The robot asks Miss Brown if she is a threat - she realises that it too has no
memory, and fools it into believing she can command it. The robot stops her
leaving with a beam of light* and demands to follow her.
The Stranger wakes up and discusses "the rules" further - the suited man tries
to remember how long he's been there for, but begins to malfunction. After a
"reboot" he regains composure and explains that he came here on holiday, to wait
for "a train that's quite late".
Miss Brown arrives with the robot and catches up with the Stranger - he explains
that this is a very unusual holiday resort and asks her to command the robot to
blast the door open that he's been trying to open with little success. The
robot, however, begins to regain its memories, but Miss Brown is able to
convince it to break the door down. Behind it is another robot, who has the same
in-vision controls as the others*. The suited man recognises it as a Mark VII
Cledestron Survival Combat Suit, Model Upgrade X09, and tries to command it to
destroy the Stranger and Miss Brown, while the Stranger argues that "predictable
daily routine" would be the better option.
The suited man gives the command... and the Combat Suit destroys the floating
robot.
The Stranger approaches the Suit to see who's inside. It attacks him. Miss Brown
tries to convince the suited man to command it to stop, and he begins to relive
a battle of some sort. "Formation broken..."
The
Stranger escapes the grip of the Suit, and the visor lifts - to reveal the
suited man. The man seems to be a holographic projection of the dead man within.
The hologram disappears* and then reappears as a backup program to fix the
primary, who explains that the world was built around the dreams of a man who
died in battle.
The Suit begins to walk around, destroying the backup hologram* - we see its POV*
as it chases the Stranger and Miss Brown. The Stranger puts himself into the
controls that the Suit has left - he submits himself to a process that will put
him and Miss Brown back in their proper times and places... They both
disappear to be replaced by mannequins, but where have they gone..?
The
Terror Game
(DVD features new effects sequences overseen by Alistair Lock - primarily
the dematerialisation effects and gun lasers, noted throughout the synopsis with
asterisks).
The Stranger appears* in a stairwell, clearly in pain and wearing the
clothes we last saw him in.
A man in a leather jacket approaches a buiding and feels a wall, sensing
something. An employee interrupts him - he asks if the employee is Mr Raven -
Raven is management, but the employee is just a student.
The Stranger passes out while the student (Norman) attends to the needs of his
boss, a Miss Henessy and the jacketed man drives off. He enters a delapidated
flat where he is greeted as Saul by his partner, Egan. Saul gives him the
information - that Raven is the manager of a nightclub. Egan taps this into a
high-tec computer device and receives confirmation that something is due to
happen the following night at 10.
Later, the Stranger awakens and enters the club, much to Norman's surprise. He
feels he is "supposed" to be there, but is highly disorientated and passes out
again.
At the flat, Egan warns Saul their mission won't be as easy as he expects - he
has a bad feeling about it. Saul claims not to be scared, but as Egan tells him
"if you're not scared, you're dangerous". The Stranger awakens again, and
wanders around the club - he has visions of walking through a corridor, dressed
in a tuxedo, and approaching a door with a gun... Miss Henessy and Norman bring
him back to reality - the former assumes his memory lapses are drink-related and
walks away. The visions continue, as the Stranger prepares to open the door,
and... He passes out again.
Saul and Egan discuss their mission, and Egan's cell leader, who is now gone.
They leave for the nightclub.
Back at the club, Miss Henessy fixes the Stranger a coffee. He asks her if
there's anyone else around - she tells him about Mr Raven, "a kid - we're
testing his management potential". She offers him the chance to get freshened up
in the company-owned flat abover the club.
Outside, Egan and Saul sit in a car. Saul exits to check possible escape routes
at the club.
Henessy and Norman watch the Stranger through CCTV - he wanders further into the
depths of the club and sees the corridor from his visions... He approaches the
door as he had done before... And finds it locked. Behind the door there are the
sounds of something in pain - he looks through the keyhole and can see a figure
wrapped in bloody bandages.
Dashing out the back of the club, he runs into Saul, who takes him to the car,
and Egan. They take him away.
In the club, Henessy goes through the locked door...
At the flat, Egan, Saul and the Stranger talk. Saul wonders if the Stranger will
take command "again", and Egan asks what had happened. The Stranger admits he
remembers nothing.
Henessy logs into a computer terminal and reports on the progress of the
bandaged Raven. Meanwhile Egan proposes patience to Saul, but Saul is concerned
that the Stranger has been planted there. At the club, Henessy taunts Raven.
The following morning, Egan wakes the Stranger and allows Saul to beat him and
tie him up. He checks his computer, and discovers there is "a gap" on the way.
He returns to the Stranger and explains that what's about to happen will hurt
him, but it's necessary: he was meant to be there, but he disappeared and has
since been returned - he wonders if the Protectorate have sent him back as a
spy. Saul places the computer terminal in front of him, and it sends a green
energy beam into his head, causing him pain.
At the club, Henessy gives Raven food and then notices on her screen that her
enemies are using their technology. Egan explains to the Stranger that they are
using a HunterPulse - a "searchlight into the mind". It shows flashbacks to In
Memory Alone and they recognise Miss Brown as a Custodian for the Protectorate.
It seems the Protectorate have erased his memory and sent him on a "wild goose
chase" with Miss Brown to keep an eye on him - the Estrangement Program, which
he has accidentally broken free from and been returned to the Transverse point
he was originally heading to - here and now. The terminal begins showing his
visions of the club - Egan recongises it as their last target - behind the door
is a woman who the Stranger shoots*.
The Stranger attacks Egan and escapes, heading towards the club. He pauses on a
bridge to contemplate, while Henessy reports back in*. Egan catches up with the
Stranger, who has remembered his past. The two argue: The Stranger refuses to
continue being a terrorist, but Egan points out that he is a Preceptor, sworn to
fight against the Protectorate, who had enforced rules and regulations over the
them - the creators of the dimensional web. Raven is an innocent, but the
Stranger dashes off to kill him...
At the club, Raven sobs for freedom.
Saul catches up with Egan and is glad that the Stranger has gone to carry out
his mission, but Egan explains that it's not safe yet, and he should have
waited. They agree they may have to kill him first.
Henessy tends to Raven, while Saul and Egan approach the club. The Stranger
bursts in, but refuses to kill Raven, and instead passes out. He wakes up in
Henessy's flat and the two talk - he realises she is is enemy. Saul and Egan
find Raven and mock him while they wait for 10pm.
Saul finds Henessy and the Stranger, and between them they hold the latter
hostage. Egan realises Henessy is a part of the Protectorate and dashes in,
killing Norman*. The Stranger finally manages to convince Egan that he is not a
Protectorate spy, and Egan convinces him to kill Raven while the other two
escape. The argue over the morality of killing individuals just to break the
rules. Egan and Saul escape*, and the Stranger shoots Henessy's gun*. Raven
walks in on them, and the Stranger must make a choice...
'Raven' begs the Stranger to kill him - he's a creation of the Protectorate,
placed there as bait for the Stranger, a replacement for the real Raven. In the
event, Henessy "uploads" him to her her computer, leaving him free of physical
corruption. Henessy tries to dematerialise with the Stranger, but he escapes
without her*. Finally, she leaves too...*
Breach of the Peace and Eye of the Beholder
Synopses to follow...Releases
Year |
Title |
Release code |
Certification details (length, submission date, cert)* |
1991 |
Summoned
by Shadows |
BBV1 |
34'18" - 27/01/1994 -
PG |
1992 |
More
Than a Messiah |
BBV2 |
43'36" - 26/05/1995 -
PG [missing cover] |
1993 |
In
Memory Alone |
BBV3 |
38'02" - 27/01/1994 -
PG (also Making Of: 10'05" - 13/08/1993/PG) |
1994 |
The
Terror Game |
BBV6 |
47'00" - 06/07/1995 -
12 |
1994 |
Breach
of the Peace |
BBV7 |
45'33" - 06/07/1995 -
15 |
1995 |
Eye of the Beholder |
BBV10 |
83'52" - 19/06/1997 -
15 |
*Note that the BBV releases of the first five stories were uncertified, but
Pickwick/Carlton submitted all the tapes to the BBFC in 1994 and 1995.
Carlton released Summoned by Shadows/More Than a Messiah and In Memory Alone/The
Making of In Memory Alone (PV2229, 1993) under their Pickwick label. They
released The Terror Game (PV2316, 1995) and Breach of the Peace (PV2317, 1995)
alongside PV2318, The Zero Imperative, under their own label. They did not
release the final Stranger adventure.
Reeltime reissued Eye Of The Beholder (RTP0169) in 1997. They then issued a run
of BBV rereleases (RTP0209-12 and RTP0225) in 2000, with the first 5 Stranger
videos backed with BBV documentaries, and Eye of the Beholder sporting a new
cover to match the range. The documentaries were: The Doctors (split across 1
and 2), Bidding Adieu, Stranger Than Fiction 1 and Stranger Than Fiction 2.
There are also American releases, of which we have little information. The first
two stories were released on one tape by an unknown company. In Memory Alone,
The Terror Game, Breach of the Peace and Eye of the Beholder were all released
by AD Vision (the latter on two tapes as in the UK).
In Australia, the OFLC classified "Summoned by Shadows/More Than a Messiah (Said
To Be The Stranger)" as a PG for Low Level Violence on 17/05/93 with a runtime
of 79 minutes for Midland Enterprise Centre. They then classified "In Memory
Alone/The Making Of In Memory Alone (Said To Be The Stranger)" on 22/09/93 with
a runtime of 48 minutes for Pickwick. Presumably, then, the first 3 Stranger
releases occurred in Australia in 1993, although we have no further information
on them or whether or not the other 3 ever received release, without
classification. The Midland Enterprise Centre is a local government agency,
who's 4th 'objective' (at least according to their current publicity) is to
"provide special opportunities and assistance to arts enterprise activities" -
it is therefore entirely possible that they submitted the work to the censors on
behalf of a small local video distributor, hence the entry in the OFLC database.
Pickwick was releasing The Stranger in the UK at the time.
In 1994/5 BBV also released 2 40-minute documentaries under the name Stranger
Than Fiction (BBV5/9). The first looked at the early Stranger releases and The
Airzone Solution. The second looked at The Terror Game, Breach of the Peace and
The Zero Imperative (the first PROBE story). They were presented first by Gary Russell and then by Mark Gatiss. The first of these ended up on the In Memory Alone DVD as a bonus.
The Stranger DVDs have been being released in the UK since 2003, beginning with
Summoned by Shadows, which was first released at the Gallifrey 2003 convention
on February 14th in NTSC format only. Besides this exclusive, all other discs
have been in Region 0 dual-sided format, with PAL on one side and NTSC on the
other.
As the master tapes for In Memory Alone were lost, it was decided to skip
straight to The Terror Game, labelled disc 5 (The
Doctors and The Airzone Solution had been 1
and 2, the previous two Strangers had been 3 and 4) however at the last minute a
suitable quality release was created, which was made available at the same time,
also numbered as disc 5.
All artwork was by Steve Johnson, except In Memory Alone, by Stuart Manning
and Breach of the Peace by Luke Hamblin. DVD
Authoring/Mastering was by Ian Edmond for the first two and Alistair Lock for
the remainder - a mixup in communications during the crossover period also meant
that subtitles Matt Dale had created for The Terror Game went unused (Lock had
made some himself) despite receiving a credit in the sleeve - Dale also received
a "Thanks To" on the first release for subtitling the bonus features,
working under the banner ComputerAid, and
one on the second for 
subtitling the entire disc. Sleeve notes and inlays were
all by Stuart Robinson (except Breach of the Peace, by Luke Hamblin), and Alistair Lock specially remixed the soundtrack and
recreated visual effects for In Memory Alone, The Terror Game and Breach of the
Peace. In Memory Alone is referred to as
"More Than a Messiah" in big letters in the inlay.
Alistair Lock remixed and recreated the music for all the releases except the
first (including In Memory Alone and The Terror Game, which were not his original
recordings) and added a short CG intro sequence to the third, fourth and fifth
stories (see right).
Cast & Crew
Summoned by Shadows
Miss Brown: Nicola Bryant
The Stranger: Colin Baker
Tanya: Heather Barker
Dane: John Wadmore
The Controller: Michael Wisher
Interpreter: Jon Sayers
Escaping Woman: Helen Hewlett
Stage Managers: Claire Sairfield, Jill Hallowell
Costume: Paul Lunn, Evelyn Prior
Grips: Steve Mezulianik, Julian Boot, David Lines
Special Effects: Derek Handley, Mike Tucker, Crawford Wilson, Bryan Sharpe, Mark
Readman
Production Manager: Tess Weightman
Make-Up: Penny Bowers
Sound And Incidental Music: Duncan Chave
Lighting Cameraman: Dick Kursa
Director: Bill Baggs
(C) BBC Film Club 1991
More Than a Messiah
The Stranger: Colin Baker
Miss Brown: Nicola Bryant
The Girl: Sophie Aldred, Nicola Bryant
Charlotte: Barbara Shelley
Bernard: Peter Miles
Nic: Nigel Fairs
Mark: Mark Trotman
Assistant Director: Julian Boote
Production Assistants: David Miller, Derek Handley, Roger Clark
Special Effects: Susan Moore
Incidental Music: Alistair Lock
Make-Up Designer: Penny Bowers
Costume Designer: Gary Penman
Gaffer: Robin Johnson
Speedboat Sequences: Phil Baxter
Lighting Cameraman: Dick Kursa
Sound Recordist: Robert Hill
Director: Bill Baggs
(C) BBC Film Club 1992
In Memory Alone
Stranger: Colin Baker
Miss Brown: Nicola Bryant
Minor: Nicholas Briggs
Model Work: Derek Handley, David Miller
Opening Sequence: Chris Cassell, Alistair Lock [DVD only - Ray Moore
Animations were credited originally]
Special Effects: Crawford Wilson
Assistant Director: Julian Boote
Camera Assistant: Ben Smithard
Gaffer: Robin Johnson
Sound Recordist: Robert Hill
Composer: Harvey Summers
Clarinetist: Mary Ewen
Make-Up: Penny Bowers
Lighting Cameraman: Dick Kursa
Director: Bill Baggs
(C) BBV 1993 [or 2005 on DVD]
Special thanks to Great Central Railway
(End credits entirely recreated for the DVD)
The Terror Game
Soloman: Colin Baker
Tamora: Louise Jameson
Egan: David Troughton
Saul: John Wadmore
Norman: Nicholas Pegg
Raven: Nicholas Briggs
Woman: Helen Hewlett
Assistant Director: Paul Silver
Second Assistant: Paul Silver [sic]
Lighting Cameraman: Dick Kursa
Electrician: Jonathan Head
Sound Recordist: Bob Hill
Composer: Nick Briggs
Make-up: Debra Hawkins
Editor: Michael Duxbury
Enhanced sound and Video effects: Alistair Lock [only on DVD release]
Director: Bill Baggs
Copyright 1994 [or 2005 on DVD]
(Only final two captions created/recreated for the DVD)
Breach of the Peace
Stranger: Colin Baker
Egan: David Troughton
Saul: John Wadmore
Sellers: Caroline John
Evans: Nicholas Briggs
Rose: Holly King
Reporter: Emma Hill
PC Payne: Ian Marr
P.C.s: David Rowston, Robin Pritchard
Assistant Director: David Rowston
Second Assistant Director: Mike Lockwood
Make-up: Paige Bell
Electrician: Phil Preson
Sound Recordist: Robert Hill
Music & Special FC: Alistair Lock
Editor: Muchael Duxbury
Lighting Cameraman: Dick Kursa
Director: Bill Baggs (C) bbv 2006
(End credits entirely recreated for the DVD)Bonus Features
Summoned by Shadows
The Making of Summoned by Shadows (12'06")
Bill Baggs talks through his memories of the production, showing us footage of
the rehearsals, archive interview material with Colin Baker, outtakes from the
filming and the reactions of fans including Rupert Booth and Gary Russell.
Interview - Colin, Pip and Jane Baker (18'59")
In unused footage recorded for The Doctors,
Jane Baker talks about her joy at working with Colin; Colin on some writers
ignoring the regular characters; the Rani being reincarnated as a fly; how the
Bakers didn't ignore the Doctor in Mark of the Rani, because the Rani was
similar to the Doctor (eh?); Anthony Ainley; Pip waffles about how wonderful
Vervoids was; writing the final episode of Trial in two days; Colin not being
able to do Time and the Rani; the surprise at the Pip & Jane involvement in
Trial: 14; Saward's attempt at Trial: 14; the way JN-T told them about the
Trial: 14 commission; how they came up with the idea of the
trial-within-a-trial; Colin talks about Sapphire and Steel; the high spirits
during production of Trial 13-14; Ainley and Selby complaining about the cuts in
the final episode; Colin's memories of Camber Sands; Colin's legs; Colin
speaking backwards; the catharsis of spurious morality
Coming of Shadows (Audio Play)
More Than a Messiah
The Making Of More Than A Messiah (12'34")
Writer/actor Nigel Fairs shares his memories, interspersed with clips from the
making of the production.
Interview - Peter Davison & Mark Strickson (13'59")
In more offcuts from The Doctors, Strickson
remembers being cast (and the Black Guardian's hat) and the development of
Turlough; Davison jokes about not having influence over the stories; they
discuss Janet Fielding's attitude towards the scripts; political correctness in
Doctor Who (would a 21st century version survive?); the concept of a female
Doctor and JN-T's publicity stunts; NYPD Blue's filming style; Davison initially
turning down the option to be cast; Davison and Strickson's reputations as
actors following Doctor Who; the differences between Davison and his
predecessor; the character of the fifth Doctor; the limitations of the companion
character and the characterisation in Doctor Who in general; the quality of the
special effects; Kamelion; Davison finishes by summing up the Fifth Doctor and
Strickson sums up Turlough.
Audio Story - Force of Nature (10'13")
Music From More Than A Messiah (32'30")
The soundtrack, played over an image of Sophie Aldred.
In Memory Alone
Making Memory (7'11")
A featurette produced at the time, originally released on the Carlton label,
produced and narrated by Quentin Rayner. Behind-the-scenes footage is mixed in
with comments from the cast and crew giving their thoughts on the proceedings.
Stranger Than Fiction (37'29")
See 'releases' above.
Corrupt Memory [Gag Reel] (2'49")
Mistakes and hilarity from the filming.
Easter Egg (move right from the Home option on the Extra Memory screen)
(2'27")
A short featurette on the replaced visual effects. We see the original crash
sequence from the start by Ray Moore Animation, then the updated sequence by
Chris Cassell, the meteor crash by Alistair Lock, the crash with added glow and
lighting effects, and then with added platform mask and other elements.
The Terror Game
Making Terror Game (26'44")
A video diary made at the time by Nick Briggs but never previously released.
Behind the scenes footage edited in with comments from the cast and crew.
The Last 28 (14'12")
A monologue created for screening at film festivals, and previously unreleased
on home video, in which a middle-aged woman waits for a man to visit.
May: Louise Jameson; Written by Pip & Jane Baker; Director of Photography:
Peter Edwards; Sound: Ray Turner; First Assistant Director: Shan Davis; Second
Assistant: Blaine Coughlan; Electrician: Colin McCarthy; Make Up: Sheila Werrey;
Music Composed by Alistair Lock*; Produced & Directed by Bill Baggs (C) BBV
1999.
*This credit seems to have been dropped in later, suggesting the music was
created especially for the DVD release.
Terror Game Music
Alistair Lock's music, in six chapters over a static screen
Breach of the Peace
Cast Interviews (3'20")
On set, Baggs asks Caroline John about dealing with props, David Troughton
about Egan and Saul's relationship, Nicholas Briggs about John dealing with
props, Briggs about working with Troughton, John Wadmore about Egan and Saul's
relationship, John about the length of the shoot and working with Troughton,
Troughton about the quality of the stories, John about working with Colin Baker,
Wadmore on the realism of the story, and Troughton about working with Colin.
An Interview with Caroline John and Nick Courtney (13'01")
From the BAFTA interview conducted in 1995 for the
Doctors video. The two actors discuss their first meeting in Spearhead from
Space, hats, Courtney's false moustache, the reason for creating Liz Shaw, first
night nerves for Courtney, John finding people were nervous around her, Liz's
opinions of UNIT (and John's of the army), the Brigadier's reaction to
regeneration and aliens, the atmosphere of season seven, memories of Pertwee and
how welcoming he was to the guest stars, John's memories of each story and the
directors, glamour, Courtney on the different Doctors, UNIT being phased out and
Courtney's repeated surprise at returning, The Five Doctors and whether the Brig
or Liz should ever return (John plugs PROBE).
Carrie and Nick were talking to Bill Baggs; Edited by Alistair Lock; (C) BBV
2006
Extended Scenes (6'34")
Four extended scenes, a deleted scene and the uncut portal sequence.
Outtakes (7'31")
Fluffs and cockups from the making of the story.