EARTHSHOCK

Written by Eric Saward.

Directed by Peter Grimwade.

Transmitted originally: 8 March 1982 to 16 March 1982.

"A Time Lord. But they're forbidden to interfere." - Cyber Lieutenant "This one calls himself the Doctor - and does nothing else but interfere." - Cyber Leader.

THE STORY

The TARDIS arrives on Earth in the 26th Century in a cave system containing numerous dinosaur fossils. The Doctor and his companions come under suspicion from a military force, led by Lieutenant Scott, who are investigating the disappearance of a gropu of palaeontologists and geologists. They are all soon attacked by the real culprits, a a pair of deadly androids, under the control of the Cybermen. The Doctor manages to deactivate a bomb intended by the Cybermen to destroy an imminent peace conference taking place on Earth.

The Doctor, his companions, the surviving troops and Professor Kyle of the scientific expedition follow in the TARDIS, the bomb's activating signal to and approaching space freighter. The ship, commanded by a Captain Briggs has on board a hidden army of Cybermen, ready to attack Earth. An attempt by Adric to thwart the Cybermen's plans result in the freighter being thrown back millions of years into the past, where it explodes and causes the extinction of the dinosaurs - as well as the death of Adric. The Doctor destroys the Cyber Leader by forcing gold fragments from a badge previously worn by Adric into its chest unit.

CAST:

The Doctor (Peter Davison), Tegan (Janet Fielding), Adric (Matthew Waterhouse), Nyssa (Sarah Sutton), Scott (James Warwick), Kyle (Clare Clifford), Walters (Steve Morley), Snyder (Suzi Arden), Mitchell (Ann Holloway), First Trooper (Anne Clements), Second Trooper (Mark Straker), Cyber Leader (David Banks), Briggs (Beryl Reid), Berger (June Bland), Ringway (Alec Sabin), Cyber Lieutenant (Mark Hardy), First Crew Member (Mark Fletcher), Second Crew Member (Christopher Whittingham).

FACTS:

This story sees the return of the Cybermen, not featured since 1975's 'Revenge of the Cybermen'.

A sequence of clips from earlier stories is used as the Cyber Leader discusses some of the Doctor's past encounters with the Cybermen.

OTHER FORMATS:

The Fifth Doctor Novelisations

Fifth Doctor Videos

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