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William Hartnell
Galaxy 4
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Synopsis


Tarpped by the Chumblies
Tarpped by the Chumblies
 The Rills tell the Doctor that the dried-up planet is about to die. Back in the control room of the TARDIS, he discovers they are right, but things are worse than they thought. There is only one day of life left - one day to escape.

 When the TARDIS lands on an arid planet, it seems as though the whole place is desolate and lifeless. But then the Doctor, Steven and Vicki discover two crashed spaceships: one contains the Drahyins, a race of stunning beauty, the other contains the hideous Rills. However, as the team soon find out, appearances can be deceptive. It emerges that the beauty of the Drahvins hides a colony of mindless clones who are controlled by the cruel, powerful matriarch Maaga, whereas the ugly Rills are friendly and intelligent explorers.

 With the Drahvins’ ship damaged beyond repair, can the Rills get off the planet before the evil Maaga hijacks their craft in her own effort to escape?

Source: BBC Audio


General Information

Season: 3
Production Code: T
Story Number:18
Episode Numbers:82 - 85
Number of Episodes: 4
Number of Missing Episodes:4
Percentage of Episodes Held:0%
Alternative Titles:"Galaxy Four"
Working Titles:"The Chumblies"
Production Dates: June - July 1965
Broadcast Started: 11 September 1965
Broadcast Finished: 02 October 1965
Colour Status: B&W
Studio: Ealing Television Film Studios and BBC Television Centre (TC3 & TC4)
Location: None
Writer:William Emms
Director:Derek Martinus
Producer:Verity Lambert
Story Editor:Donald Tosh
Production Assistant:Angela Gordon
Assistant Floor Managers:Marjorie Yorke and Sue Willis
Designer:Richard Hunt
Costume Designer:Daphne Dare
Make-Up Designer:Sonia Markham
Incidental Music:From Stock
Special Sounds:Brian Hodgson
Studio Sounds:George Prince
Lighting:Derek Hobday and Ralph Walton
Title Music:Ron Grainer and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Arranged by Delia Derbyshire
Number of Doctors: 1
The Doctor:William Hartnell (The First Doctor)
Number of Companions: 2
The Companions:Maureen O'Brien (Vicki) and Peter Purves (Steven Taylor)
Additional Cast: Stephanie Bidmead (Maaga), Marina Martin (Drahvin One), Susanna Carroll (Drahvin Two), Lyn Ashley (Drahvin Three), Jimmy Kaye (Chumblie), William Shearer (Chumblie), Angelo Muscat (Chumblie), Pepi Poupée (Chumblie), Tommy Reynolds (Chumblie), Robert Cartland (Rill Voice), Barry Jackson (Garvey)
Setting:An unknown planet
Villain:Drahvins


The Episodes

No. Episodes Broadcast
(UK)
Duration Viewers
(Millions)
In Archive
82Four Hundred Dawns11 September 196522'21"BBC One: 9.0Missing
83Trap of Steel18 September 196524'51"BBC One: 9.5Missing
84Air Lock25 September 196524'19"BBC One: 11.3Missing
85The Exploding Planet02 October 196524'47"BBC One: 9.9Missing

Total Duration 1 Hour 36 Minutes


Audience Appreciation

Average Viewers (Millions) 9.9
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (1998)58.16%  (Position = 130 out of 159)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2009)55.51% Lower (Position = 172 out of 200)


Archives


 All four episodes lost. Only a very limited number of photographic images exist. About 6 minutes of footage exists from "Four Hundred Dawns". Including a clip used on the BBC program The Lively Arts, a film print of a telerecording held by a fan and portions of an 8mm home movie reel.shot off a television set.


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Notes


Different versions of this story have used an alternative spelling of the title: "Galaxy Four", and this is the title that was used for the Target book release for this story.

Former series producer Mervyn Pinfield was originally planned to direct the story, and he was indeed involved in casting and initial film work until he fell ill and so was replaced by Derek Martinus.

The Chumblies - as they were named by Vicki - were designed by Richard Hunt. Four were made, each about a metre tall - just large enough for one of the small actors to fit inside. Like the Daleks a light, fitted to the top of the dome, was illuminated to indicate which robot was communicating with its Rill masters.

The Rill voices were originally to be provided by Anthony Paul. The change in casting was to late for the listing in the Radio Times, for the third episode, to be chaged.

The story's central twist, that the beautiful Drahvins are actually the villains of the piece, was partially ruined by the fact that newspapers gave away the twist before the story was broadcast.

This story was originally filmed as part of the second season bloc. Along with "Mission to the Unknown", these stories were held over to Season Three.

This story was sadly lost in the purges of the BBC archives in the 1970's. However, some footage (about 6 minutes) does exist from episode 1 ("Four Hundred Dawns").



First and Last

The Firsts:

 The first story of Season Three (even though it was recorded as part of Season Two but held back).

 The first Doctor Who story to be written by William Emms.

 The first Doctor Who story to be directed by Derek Martinus.

 Richard Hunt's first involvement in the show as Designer.

 The first Doctor Who story to be recorded at Ealing Television Film Studios.


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The Plot

WARNING: May Contain SpoilersHide Text
The Doctor with the Drahvins
The Doctor with the Drahvins
The Doctor, Vicki and Steven Taylor arrive on an eerily silent and arid planet in Galaxy 4, where they meet the occupants of two crashed spaceships: the beautiful Drahvins and the hideous, reptilian Rills. They also encounter curious small robots, which Vicki names Chumblies. It is unclear, at first, whether the robots are hostile and so the time travellers are wary of them.

After being captured by Drahvins, The Doctor and his companions soon realise that the Drahvins are mindless, female cloned soldiers terrorised by a warlike matriarch, Maaga - who treats her other warriors with bullying contempt. Confounding expectations, the Rills, who the Drahvins are at war with, prove to be friendly, compassionate explorers.

Both spaceships were damaged when the Drahvins precipitated a confrontation in space, but whereas the Rills' is almost ready to take off again - having been repaired by their robot drones, the Chumblies - the Drahvins' spaceship is irreparable.

The Drahvins
The Drahvins
Then it is discovered that the planet is on the point of disintegration and that Maaga and her warriors are keen to capture the Rill ship so that she and the rest of the Drahvins can escape. But instead of the 14 days the Drahvins think the planet has left before it is destroyed The Doctor calculates that they only have two days before they all have to leave.

With Steven held as hostage to ensure their co-operation, The Doctor and Vicki are sent by the Drahvins to try to seize control of the Rill spaceship. However, while in the Rills' spaceship, The Doctor discovers that the Rills are in fact a very advanced species.

A Chumbley
A Chumbley
The ugly, horned, ammonia-breathing Rill explains that they have offered to take the Drahvins away with them but Maaga has refused, preferring to maintain the state of war she began when the Drahvins shot down the Rill’s craft. The Doctor tells the Rills of the true life remaining in the planet and promises to help them escape, by allowing them to draw power from the TARDIS in order to refuel and escape.

The Doctor and Vicki then return to the Drahvin ship but find Steven unconscious after Maaga had tried to kill him. They manage to rescue him just in time and, with the aid of a Chumbley, they manage to return to the TARDIS.

Learning that the Rill’s are about to escape Maaga leads the Drahvins in a final assault on the Rill craft. But the Chumblies defend the Rill’s ship long enough for it to power up and leave the planet leaving the Drahvins behind to perish on the dying world.

The Doctor and Vicki
The Doctor and Vicki
The Drahvin's ship
The Drahvin's ship
Steven and Vicki
Steven and Vicki
A Rill
A Rill
 
Maaga
Maaga
Tarpped by the Chumblies
Tarpped by the Chumblies
The Doctor and Steven
The Doctor and Steven
The Doctor, Steven and Vicki
The Doctor, Steven and Vicki



Quote of the Story


 'It is easy to help others when they are so willing to help you.'

A Rill


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Release Information

FormatTitleRelease Date (UK)Code NumberCover ArtRemarks
Audio
CD
30 Years at the Radiophonic Workshop1993BBC CD 871Photo-montageSound effects.
Video
VHS
The Missing YearsNovember 1998BBCV 6766Photo-montageA 56 minute documentary presented by Frazer Hines (Jamie) and Deborah Watling (Victoria). Includes 6 minutes of existing footage of episode 1 "Four Hundred Dawns". Released as part of The Ice Warriors Collection (BBCV 6387).
Audio
CD
Galaxy 4June 2000Photo-montageNarrated by Peter Purves (Steven Taylor). Double CD Release.
Audio
CD
Doctor Who at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop Volume One - The Early Years 1963-1969June 2000WMSF 6023-2Music and sound effects.
Video
DVD
Doctor Who: Lost in TimeNovember 2004BBCDVD 1353Photo-montageIncludes missing footage from episode 1 "Four Hundred Dawns".
Audio
CD
Galaxy 4Due: August 2010Photo-montageNarrated by Peter Purves (Steven Taylor). Part of the "Doctor Who: The Lost TV Episodes: Collection One 1964-1965" Box Set.


In Print

FormatTitleRelease Date (UK)PublisherAuthorCover ArtRemarks
Novel
Novel
Galaxy FourJanuary 1985Target No. 104William EmmsAndrew SkilleterISBN: 0-426-20203-3
Script
Script
Galaxy 4July 1994Titan BooksWilliam EmmsAlister PearsonEdited by John McElroy.
ISBN: 1-85286-566-0
Doctor Who CMS Magazine (An Adventure in Space and Time)Issue 18
Doctor Who Magazine ArchiveIssue 299

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Photo Gallery


The Regular Cast

 
William Hartnell
The First Doctor
 
   

Maureen O'Brien
Vicki
 
Peter Purves
Steven Taylor
   



On Release

Sound Effects CD Cover
Sound Effects CD Cover

BBC
AUDIO
Missing Years VHS Video Cover
Missing Years VHS Video Cover

BBC
VIDEO
Soundtrack CD Cover
Soundtrack CD Cover

BBC
AUDIO
   
Audio - Volume 1: The Early Years
Audio - Volume 1: The Early Years

BBC
AUDIO
Lost In Time DVD Cover
Lost In Time DVD Cover

BBC
VIDEO
The Lost TV Episodes: Collection One CD Cover
The Lost TV Episodes: Collection One CD Cover

BBC
AUDIO
   


In Print

Target Book Cover
Target Book Cover

Target
NOVEL
 
Titan Script Book Cover
Titan Script Book Cover

Titan
SCRIPT
   

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