The Caves of Androzani

] [cite web
url= http://www.shannonsullivan.com/drwho/serials/6r.html
title= The Caves of Androzani
publisher = A Brief History of Time Travel
last = Sullivan
first = Shannon
date = 2007-08-07
accessdate = 2008-08-30]

*The working title of this story was "Chain Reaction". Producer John Nathan-Turner changed the title to "The Doctor's Wife" on his planning board, as he suspected that information was leaking from his office to the fans. The fan press began to report the fake title, confirming his suspicions.

*This story was the first time former script editor Robert Holmes had written for the series since "The Power of Kroll" (1978), as Nathan-Turner had been keen to use writers new to the show instead.

*Recording was interrupted by industrial action which caused a serious delay in the filming of the serial. As a result, two sequences had to be cut. The first scene would have featured the Doctor and Peri at the opening of the story in the TARDIS. The Doctor was to explain to Peri the reason for their visit to Androzani Minor. Apparently, as a boy, the Doctor had started a "blown glass bottle collection," which was made from the sand of different planets. He had lost his Androzani bottle and decided to return there to retrieve some more sand. It was in this scene Peri was to say "You're such a pain, Doctor." However, when the final cut of the serial was made, it had been discovered that certain lines of dialogue (like the Doctor professing that "I am not a pain." and Peri's comments about needing sand to "make some glass") alluded to the cut sequence. To rectify this, Davison and Bryant voiced over part of their conversation while the TARDIS materializes from outer space to the planet. The second scene to be cut would have featured the Doctor battling with the magma beast in episode four. Other "Doctor Who" stories adversely affected by the industrial actions of the late 1970s and the 1980s were "Resurrection of the Daleks" (1984), which was delayed by a year, and "Shada" (1980), which was not completed.

*While he is in his office, the character of Morgus frequently breaks the fourth wall by talking directly to camera. This arose through actor John Normington misunderstanding a stage direction. [Doctor Who Magazine #279, 30th June 1999, Archive: The Caves Of Androzani by Andrew Pixley, Marvel Comics UK Ltd.]

*The Fifth Doctor's regeneration, like the Fourth Doctor's, features a flashback of that incarnation's companions. However, for this regeneration, it was decided that special recordings of the Davison-era companions would be used instead of stock footage. This required Matthew Waterhouse, Sarah Sutton, Janet Fielding, Mark Strickson, Gerald Flood and Anthony Ainley to return in cameos for the regeneration sequence. Fielding, Strickson, Flood and Ainley were already under contract to appear in the stories of Season 21. However, special contracts had to be made for Waterhouse, who left the series in Season 19, and Sutton, who left in Season 20. Johnny Byrne, who created the character of Nyssa (in his 1981 story "The Keeper of Traken") had to be paid royalties for the use of the character in the regeneration scene.

*Davison has joked on several occasions of how he was "upstaged" by Nicola Bryant (Peri) in his last major scene as the Doctor. Before the regeneration hallucination occurs, Davison is lying on the floor and his head is resting by Bryant, who is kneeling beside him. As he is delivering his last few lines, Bryant's loose fitting outfit prominently displays her cleavage.

*The closing title sequence for episode four featured the face of Sixth Doctor Colin Baker instead of Peter Davison, and credits Baker as the Doctor before Davison's own credit. This was the first and, to date, only time that the new lead received top billing in the final story of an outgoing Doctor.

Outside references

*Morgus' asides to the camera are in the style of Restoration theatre.
*Gable explains on the DVD for this story that the patterns on Jek's mask are derived from African tribal markings.

In print

Doctorwhobook
title=The Caves of Androzani
series=Target novelisations
number=92
featuring=


writer=Terrance Dicks
publisher=Target Books
coverartist=Andrew Skilleter
isbn=0 426 19959 6
set_between=
pages=
date=14 February 1985
preceding=Planet of Fire
following=Marco Polo|A novelisation of this serial, written by Terrance Dicks, was published by Target Books in November 1984.

Broadcast VHS and DVD releases

*This story was released on VHS in January 1992.
*This story was released on DVD in the United Kingdom on June 18 2001.
*The DVD contains commentary by director Graeme Harper and actors Peter Davison and Nicola Bryant.

Awards

*In 2003's 40th Anniversary "Doctor Who Magazine" poll, "The Caves of Androzani" was voted the best serial of all time.

References

External links

*BBCCDW|id=cavesandrozani|title=The Caves of Androzani
*Brief | id=6r | title=The Caves of Androzani
*Doctor Who RG | id=who_6r | title=The Caves of Androzani

Reviews

*OG review | id=6r | title=The Caves of Androzani
*DWRG | id=cave | title=The Caves of Androzani

Target novelisation

*DWRG | id=cavenov | title=The Caves of Androzani
* [http://www.personal.leeds.ac.uk/~ecl6nb/OnTarget/1985/caves/85caves.htm On Target — "The Caves of Androzani"]