Year: 1985

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Classic Season 22 Doctor Who

Attack Of The Cybermen

Doctor WhoThe Doctor wanders right into a Cyberman scheme to alter their own history. When he first encountered them, the Doctor engineered the destruction of the Cybermen’s home planet in order to save Earth. Now, the Cybermen – operating from their base on Telos – plan to divert the course of Halley’s Comet circa 1985, so Earth won’t be there to interfere in Cyber-history. Left behind after the attempted Dalek invasion, Lytton is up to no good on Earth, but his attempt to curry favor with the Cybermen in exchange for a ticket off of Earth turns into a deal with the devil that he can’t survive. And on Telos itself, a pair of renegade slave laborers tries to steal a Cyberman timeship, and the original inhabitants of Telos, who cannot survive in anything but sub-zero temperatures, enlist help in their own fight against the Cybermen.

Order the DVDwritten by Paula Moore
directed by Matthew Robinson
music by Malcolm Clarke

Cast: Colin Baker (The Doctor), Nicola Bryant (Peri), Maurice Colbourne (Lytton), Brian Glover (Griffiths), Terry Molloy (Russell), James Beckett (Payne), Jonathan David (Stratton), Michael Attwell (Bates), Sarah Berger (Rost), Esther Freud (Threst), Faith Brown (Flast), Sarah Greene (Varne), Stephen Churchett (Bill), Stephen Wale (David), Michael Kilgarriff (CyberController), David Banks (CyberLeader), Brian Orrell (Cyber Lieutenant), John Ainley, Roger Pope, Thomas Lucy, Ian Marshall-Fisher, Pat Gorman (Cybermen)

Broadcast from January 5 through 12, 1985

LogBook entry & review by Earl Green

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Chocky Season 2: Chocky's Children

Episode 2.1

Chocky's ChildrenA year after his last encounter with Chocky, Matthew Gore is a budding artist whose work is on public display. When Max Landis, the psychologist who spoke at length to Matthew during Chocky’s visit, appears at one of Matthew’s exhibit, Matthew’s father displays extreme suspicion, believing Landis was involved in Matthew’s kidnapping. With an upcoming business trip taking David and Mary Gore to Hong Kong, Matthew is taken to stay with his aunt while his younger sister stays with neighbors…but his progress is still being monitored from afar.

written by Anthony Read
based on characters created by John Wyndham
directed by Peter Duguid
music not credited

ChockyCast: James Hazeldine (David), Carol Drinkwater (Mary), Andrew Ellams (Matthew), Zoe Hart (Polly), Ed Bishop (Deacon), Michael Crampton (Luke), Jeremy Bulloch (Landis), Angela Galbreath (Cissie)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Chocky Season 2: Chocky's Children

Episode 2.2

Chocky's ChildrenNear his aunt’s home in the country, Matthew finds a windmill – the same one that has kept cropping up in his sketches and artwork. He meets a 12-year-old girl named Albertine, who lives with her father near the windmill; oddly, the two children already know each other’s names. Albertine’s father, who is homeschooling her, explains to Matthew’s aunt that the girl recently suffered some kind of brain trauma. Albertine is invited to take pottery lessons with Matthew, and he’s stunned when his new friend scuplts an abstract shape that he recognizes as Chocky’s physical form.

written by Anthony Read
based on characters created by John Wyndham
directed by Vic Hughes
Chockymusic not credited

Cast: Andrew Ellams (Matthew), Anabel Worrell (Albertine), Angela Galbreath (Cissie), Prentis Hancock (Meyer), Michael Crampton (Luke)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Classic Season 22 Doctor Who

Vengeance On Varos

Doctor WhoThe TARDIS stalls in deep space, drained of one of its power sources. The Doctor is able to nudge the TARDIS toward the planet Varos, the galaxy’s only known natural deposit of zeiton-7 ore. But the rightful governor of Varos is under the thumb of Sil, a sinister profitmongering alien who plans to take over Varos and strip-mine it dry with no regard for the natives of the planet. Life on Varos is so bleak that executions and elections are both broadcast publicly, and they’re not exactly two different things – anytime one of the governor’s referendums fails to meet with the approval of the public, the governor himself suffers at the mercy of a disintegration beam, and naturally it’s on the air. The Doctor and Peri arrive right in the middle of just such an execution, setting a condemned prisoner free and setting in motion a chain of events that could free Varos from Sil’s murderous business dealings.

Order the DVDDownload this episodewritten by Philip Martin
directed by Ron Jones
music by Malcolm Clarke

Cast: Colin Baker (The Doctor), Nicola Bryant (Peri), Martin Jarvis (Governor), Nabil Shaban (Sil), Jason Connery (Jondar), Forbes Collins (Chief Officer), Stephen Yardley (Arak), Sheila Reid (Etta), Geraldine Alexander (Areta), Owen Teale (Maldak), Graham Cull (Bax), Nicholas Chagrin (Quillam), Hugh Martin (Priest), Keith Skinner (Rondel), Bob Tarff (Executioner), Jack McGuire, Alan Troy (Madmen)

Broadcast from January 19 through 26, 1985

LogBook entry & review by Earl Green

Categories
Chocky Season 2: Chocky's Children

Episode 2.3

Chocky's ChildrenMatthew asks Albertine if she has been in contact with Chocky, and she has no idea what he’s talking about. Albertine continues to show skills and intelligence beyond her years, and while playing chess with Matthew, their combined concentration on the board allows them to move the pieces without touching them. Matthew suggests that Albertine’s skills and intelligence are actually the result of contact with Chocky, but hat only offends her. Then Matthew is warned of great danger – to himself and to Albertine – by Chocky herself.

written by Anthony Read
based on characters created by John Wyndham
directed by Vic Hughes
Chockymusic not credited

Cast: Andrew Ellams (Matthew), Anabel Worrell (Albertine), Angela Galbreath (Cissie), Prentis Hancock (Meyer), Ed Bishop (Deacon), Michael Crampton (Luke), Glynis Brooks (Chocky’s voice)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Otherworld

Rules Of Attraction

OtherworldHal Sterling’s latest job overseeing hydroelectric power plant construction has brought him, and his reluctant family, to Egypt. They’re so ready to return to California that even a newspaper headline about a once-in-10,000-years alignment of the planets doesn’t excite anyone. As their time abroad is drawing to a close, they take a local up on an offer of a guided tour of the pyramids…only to be abandoned when they don’t fork over his asking fee a second time. They stumble into what seems like an endless drop, and emerge from a lake in unfamiliar surroundings. A chance encounter with a futuristic vehicle piloted by some kind of soldier proves that they’re no longer in Egypt, and possibly not even on Earth. They make their way to an equally futuristic city called Sarlex, and Hal bluffs his way through an indoctrination session for new residents to secure a home for them, at least for now. The Sterlings are assigned to unfamiliar jobs and schools, and their oldest son, Trace, falls for a local girl, only to discover that the locals are all androids. Commander Kroll, the soldier whose vehicle the Sterlings “borrowed” to reach Sarlex, comes to town, determined to find the “dangerous terrorists” who attacked him. Upon learning from their neighbors that Sarlex is innundated with radiation that is harmful to humans, the Sterlings get ready to go on the run, having worn out their welcome in this other world.

written by Roderick Taylor
directed by William A. Graham
music by Sylvester LeVay

OtherworldCast: Sam Groom (Hal Sterling), Gretchen Corbett (June Sterling), Tony O’Dell (Trace Sterling), Jonna Lee (Gina Sterling), Brandon Crane (Smith Sterling), Jonathan Banks (Kroll), Amanda Wyss (Nova), Peter Bromilow (Praetor), Gokul (Ahmed), James Costy (Professor Kroyd), Conrad Bachmann (Litten), Michael Rider (Officer), James Hampton (Fred Roach), Barbara Stuart (Mrs. Roach), Ray Walston (Bureaucrat), Michael Sharrett (Stock Clerk), Wayne Alexander (Lieutenant), Gary Pagett (Monitor), Barbara Beckley (Mr. Mob), Anita Jesse (Miss Wanda), Dan Lewk (Fabrique), Rodger LaRue (Corporal), Janet Rasak (Woman), Robert Vinson (Student), Zachary Baker (Bo)

Notes: Otherworld was scheduled immediately before Airwolf on CBS’ Saturday prime time schedule, meaning that audiences who stuck with the network throughout the night got a double-shot of Sylvester LeVay theme music.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Chocky Season 2: Chocky's Children

Episode 2.4

Chocky's ChildrenMatthew is alarmed when an American scientist visits Albertine and her father, and tells them he’s studying the nature of genius and wants to conduct a few unintrusive tests on Albertine. Matthew warns Albertine about what happened to him a year before, and introduces her to Chocky. This convinces her to run away and hide, which upsets her father. Matthew knows where she’s hiding – a hiding place she had shown him while playing – but even there she isn’t safe.

written by Anthony Read
based on characters created by John Wyndham
directed by Vic Hughes
Chockymusic not credited

Cast: Andrew Ellams (Matthew), Anabel Worrell (Albertine), Angela Galbreath (Cissie), Prentis Hancock (Meyer), Ed Bishop (Deacon), Michael Crampton (Luke), Glynis Brooks (Chocky’s voice)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Classic Season 22 Doctor Who

The Mark Of The Rani

Doctor WhoThe TARDIS is diverted to England at the dawn of the industrial revolution, a particularly sensitive point in human history that could be derailed by one careless time traveler – but in this case, there are no fewer than three careless time travelers. The Master is hatching a plot – yet again – to do away with the Doctor and destroy the Earth, while the Rani, a female Time Lord with a talent for sinister biochemical experiments, uses humans as her guinea pigs. This puts the Doctor and Peri in double jeopardy as the Master and the Rani interfere with each other’s plans, and both of the evil Time Lords couldn’t be less concerned about their effects on Earth’s development.

Order the DVDwritten by Pip Baker & Jane Baker
directed by Sarah Hellings
music by Jonathan Gibbs

Cast: Colin Baker (The Doctor), Nicola Bryant (Peri), Anthony Ainley (The Master), Kate O’Mara (The Rani), Terence Alexander (Lord Ravensworth), Gawn Grainger (George Stephenson), Peter Childs (Jack Ward), Gary Cady (Luke Ward), Richard Steele (Guard), William Ilkley (Tim Bass), Hus Levant (Edwin Green), Kevin White (Sam Rudge), Martyn Whitby (Drayman), Cordelia Ditton (Older Woman), Sarah James (Young Woman), Nigel Johnson (Josh), Alan Talbot (Tom)

Broadcast from February 2 through 9, 1985

LogBook entry & review by Earl Green

Categories
Otherworld

The Zone Troopers Build Men

OtherworldThe “Hardins” have fled to the agricultural town of Tarka, trying to shake off Kroll’s pursuit. But with his life as he knew it a relic of the past, Trace finds it difficult to concentrate on school. His grades continue falling until he is drafted into the uniformed Zone Troopers at nearby Camp Triangula. The merciless 13-week program promises to turn Trace and his fellow trainees into ruthless killing machines serving the state. Trace realizes that the only way he can survive this boot camp is to angle for an officer commission, otherwise he’ll be a Zone Trooper until the day he dies. He works hard to reach officer rank, but on graduation day, he learns that his final test will be to hunt down and kill fugitives like his own family.

teleplay by Coleman Luck
story by Roderick Taylor & Bruce A. Taylor
directed by Richard Compton
music by Sylvester LeVay

OtherworldCast: Sam Groom (Hal Sterling), Gretchen Corbett (June Sterling), Tony O’Dell (Trace Sterling), Jonna Lee (Gina Sterling), Chris Hebert (Smith Sterling), Jonathan Banks (Kroll), Mark Lenard (Commander Perel Sightings), Dominick Brascia (Hobert Racks), Robert O’Reilly (Drill Instructor), Kevin Scott Allen (Brindle), Bryan McGuire (Sergeant), Wayne Alexander (Aid), Nadine van der Velde (Girl), Michael McGrady (Zone Trooper), Robert L. Gibson (Teacher), Greg Elliot (Christopher), Kay Tornborg (Map Instructor), Bill Covert (Brax), Dale Butcher (Instructor), Brian Thompson (D.I. #2), Steven Whiteford (Flight Instructor)

OtherworldNotes: The Sterlings are now the Hardins (presumably the Sterlings are having to adopt aliases as they travel). It’s all-star Major Recurring Star Trek Actors week at Otherworld: Mark Lenard played Spock’s father Sarek in the classic Star Trek series (both live-action and animated) and movies, while Robert O’Reilly played Klingon Chancellor Gorwon in numerous episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine from 1990 through 1999. Brian Thompson also played numerous alien characters in various Trek episodes, and Otherworld’s unit production manager (in its post-pilot weekly series format) is one David Livingston, who served as a line producer on Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise, as well as directing several episodes of each.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Chocky Season 2: Chocky's Children

Episode 2.5

Chocky's ChildrenWith Albertine missing, Matthew confides to her father that Chocky is real and has been enhancing Albertine’s intelligence. Albertine’s father, convinced that Matthew has a hand in her disappearance, calls the police. Deacon returns to question Matthew’s aunt about his whereabouts, and leaves with an unexpected passenger, because rather than hiding from Deacon, Matthew wants to get inside and save Albertine.

written by Anthony Read
based on characters created by John Wyndham
directed by Peter Duguid
music not credited

ChockyCast: Andrew Ellams (Matthew), Anabel Worrell (Albertine), Angela Galbreath (Cissie), Prentis Hancock (Meyer), Ed Bishop (Deacon), Michael Crampton (Luke), Sidney Livingstone (Police Sergeant), Brian de Salvo (Doctor) Glynis Brooks (Chocky’s voice)

Notes: Even if Deacon doesn’t look familiar, he probably sounds familiar – actor Ed Bishop (1932-2005) was a favorite of producer Gerry Anderson, and voiced characters in many of Anderson’s Chockypuppet-based series, as well as playing a starring on-screen role as Ed Straker in Anderson’s 1970 live-action series UFO. He also appeared in 2001: a space odyssey, Saturn 3, as well as uncredited roles in numerous James Bond films, along with guest shots on such TV series as Out Of The Unknown, 1990, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, and Highlander: The Series.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Chocky Season 2: Chocky's Children

Episode 2.6

Chocky's ChildrenAs sneaky as Matthew has tried to be, Deacon has anticipated his arrival at the clinic where Albertine is being held; both children are now under lock and key. But with the help of Chocky, guiding them to join their minds as a gestalt entity, they are able to escape. Just as Deacon tries to block their way out, they call upon another power to repel him, joining minds with children the world over who have encountered Chocky.

written by Anthony Read
based on characters created by John Wyndham
directed by Peter Duguid
music not credited

ChockyCast: Andrew Ellams (Matthew), Anabel Worrell (Albertine), James Hazeldine (David), Angela Galbreath (Cissie), Prentis Hancock (Meyer), Ed Bishop (Deacon), Michael Crampton (Luke), Jeremy Bulloch (Landis), Brian de Salvo (Doctor), Glynis Brooks (Chocky’s voice)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Classic Season 22 Doctor Who

The Two Doctors

Doctor WhoThe second Doctor and Jamie are sent on a mission by the Time Lords to ask a team of scientists, as diplomatically as possible, to bring their time travel experiments to an end. The Doctor is unable to convince the head scientist, Dastari, to heed the Time Lords’ warnings; Dastari is far too busy admiring his own work, including his genetic “improvement” of Chessene, a savage Androgum. But Chessene’s augmentations have simply given her the ability to apply her violent primitive impulses on a grander scale – such as a collusion with the Sontarans to use the new time travel device as a weapon of conquest. The Doctor is captured by the Sontarans and taken to their secret base of operations on Earth – and his sixth incarnation will have to find him to avoid the corruption of his entire timeline.

Order the DVDwritten by Robert Holmes
directed by Peter Moffatt
music by Peter Howell

Cast: Colin Baker (The Doctor), Nicola Bryant (Peri), Patrick Troughton (The Second Doctor), Frazer Hines (Jamie McCrimmon), John Stratton (Shockeye), Jacqueline Pearce (Chessene), Laurence Payne (Dastari), James Saxon (Oscar), Carmen Gomez (Anita), Clinton Greyn (Stike), Tim Raynham (Varl), Aimee Delamain (Dona Arana), Nicholas Farcett (Technician), Laurence Payne (Computer voice), Fernando Monast (Scientist)

Broadcast from February 16 through March 2, 1985

LogBook entry & review by Earl Green

Categories
Classic Season 22 Doctor Who

Timelash

Doctor WhoRebellion is in the air on Karfel, a planet whose native population is enslaved by the Borad – a being which used to be one of them, but has now become a horrible genetic mutant. Tyranny is not the Borad’s only gift to Karfel – he has also brought the Timelash, a device that allows political prisoners to be “executed” by dumping them into a time corridor. The Borad has also brought Karfel to the brink of war with the Bandrils, a race of peaceful hand puppets. In the midst of this bleak landscape, the Doctor and Peri arrive, and find themselves racing against time to save the Karfelons from their own esteemed leader.

Order the DVDwritten by Glen McCoy
directed by Pennant Roberts
music by Elizabeth Parker

Cast: Colin Baker (The Doctor), Nicola Bryant (Peri), JeanAnne Crowley (Vena), Eric Deacon (Mykros), Robert Ashby (The Borad), Paul Darrow (Tekker), David Chandler (Herbert), Denis Carey (Old Man), David Ashton (Kendron), Peter Robert Scott (Brunner), Dicken Ashworth (Sezom), Tracy Louise Ward (Katz), Christine Kavanaugh (Aram), Steven Mackintosh (Gazak), Dean Hollingsworth (Android), James Richardson (Guardolier), Martin Gower (Tyheer/Bandril Ambassador)

Broadcast from March 9 through 16, 1985

LogBook entry & review by Earl Green

Categories
1980s Series V

The Return

V (1980s series)Donovan and Julie’s resistance cell is cornered, outgunned, and outnumbered: escape is unlikely, if not impossible. But salvation comes from an unlikely source: all of the Visitors on Earth are recalled to their motherships immediately, and hostilities are called off. Philip announces that the Visitors’ Supreme Leader has arrived, and desires a truce and a meeting with Elizabeth. The sudden cease-fire only reinforces Diana’s distaste for peace. Philip and Donovan agree to a demonstration of fencing – Visitor-style – but they also agree to disarm the swords’ supercharged blades. Diana tries to sabotage the truce by arming the swords by remote control, but the first time one of the swords slices into part of the training area, the two swordsmen put down their weapons. She hasn’t done away with either of her enemies, and worse yet, Diana now has to plan to assassinate not just Philip, but her race’s supreme leader.

telelplay by David Abramowitz & Donald R. Boyle
story by David Braff & Colley Cibber
directed by John Florea
music by Dennis McCarthy

Guest Cast: Judson Scott (James), Frank Ashmore (Philip), Marilyn Jones (Thelma), Ashton Wise (V Lieutenant), Tawny Schneider (herself)

VNotes: The Leader’s ability to communicate to and through Elizabeth may be the inspiration for the “bliss” effect used by Visitor leader Anna in ABC’s 21st century remake of V – a slight irony, since this was the final episode of the original V. This episode was written with a cliffhanger that has never been resolved on television or in other media.

During the scene of the arrival of the Leader’s shuttle, series composer Dennis McCarthy uses a musical theme that’s almost identical to the one he later employed for the arrival of “Judge” Q in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes Encounter At Farpoint and All Good Things…

Categories
Classic Season 22 Doctor Who

Revelation of the Daleks

Doctor WhoThe Doctor arrives on the planet Necros, whose chief industry is funeral services, to pay his final respects to an old friend. But Necros isn’t what it used to be. It’s now run by The Great Healer – in reality, Davros, creator of the malevolent Daleks – who is using Necros as cover for his experiments to convert human beings into mindless Dalek operators. The head of the funeral industry, Kara, has hired an assassin to dispose of Davros, but her hired gun quickly realizes that he’s being paid to act as cannon fodder. The Doctor discovers that his arrival has been anticipated, but he doesn’t suspect that the Daleks are involved until he falls into their clutches.

Order the DVDwritten by Eric Saward
directed by Graeme Harper
music by Roger Limb

Cast: Colin Baker (The Doctor), Nicola Bryant (Peri), Terry Molloy (Davros), Eleanor Bron (Kara), Clive Swift (Jobel), Alexei Sayle (DJ), Jenny Tomasin (Tasambeker), William Gaunt (Orcini), John Ogwen (Bostock), Stephen Flynn (Grigory), Bridget Lynch-Blosse (Natasha), Trevor Cooper (Takis), Colin Spaull (Lilt), Hugh Walters (Vogel), Alec Linstead (head of Stengos), Ken Barker (Mutant), Royce Mills, Roy Skelton (Dalek voices), Penelope Lee (Computer voice), John Scott Martin, Cy Town, Tony Starr, Toby Byrne (Daleks)

Broadcast from March 23 through 30, 1985

LogBook entry & review by Earl Green