ATTACK OF THE CYBERMEN

Written by Paula Moore (Pseudonym for Paula Woolsey, with Eric Saward).

Directed by Matthew Robinson.

Transmitted originally: 5 January 1985 to 12 January 1985.

"The TARDIS, when working properly, is capable of many amazing things. Not unlike myself" - The Doctor.

THE STORY

The Doctor is lured to Earth in 1985 by a distress call sent by Lytton (See 'Resurrection of the Daleks'), who has made contact with a group of Cybermen based in London's sewers. When the Doctor arrives, he and Peri are captured and forced to take Lytton and the Cybermen to Telos. The Cybermen have stolen a time vessel from another race and plan to change history by crashing Halley's Comet into Earth before the destruction of Mondas, their original homeworld, in 1986.

Lytton turns out to be in the employ of the Cryons, the native inhabitants of Telos, who are at war with the Cybermen. With the aid of Griffiths, one of his gang from Earth and two escaped prisoners, Stratton and Bates he attempts to steal the time vessel, but fails and is partially converted into a Cyberman. The Doctor is unable to save him, but manages to destroy the Cyber Controller. The Cryon, Flast sacrifices herself to destroy the Cyber base with a huge explosion.

CAST:

The Doctor (Colin Baker), Peri (Nicola Bryant), Lytton (Maurice Colbourne), Griffiths (Brian Glover), Russell (Terry Molloy), Payne (James Beckett), Cyber Leader (David Banks), Cyber Controller (Michael Kilgarriff), Bates (Michael Attwell), Stratton (Jonathan David), Cyber Lieutenant (Brian Orell), Cybermen (John Ainley, Roger Pope, Thomas Lucy, Ian Marshall-Fisher, Pat Gorman), Bill (Stephen Churchett), David (Stephen Wale), Rost (Sarah Berger), Threst (Esther Freud), Flast (Faith Brown), Varne (Sarah Greene), Cryons (Trisha Clarke, Irela Williams, Maggie Lynton).

FACTS:

This story features an number of continuity references to earlier stories: 76 Totter's Lane, where the TARDIS was originally seen in '100,000 BC', Gustave Lytton from 'Resurrection of the Daleks', the destruction of Mondas from 'The Tenth Planet', the tombs of Telos and the Cyber Controller from 'The Tomb of the Cybermen' and the Cybermen in the sewers of London as in 'The Invasion'.

The TARDIS changes its outward appearance for the first time in the series' history, due to the 'repair work'on the chameleon circuit by the Doctor. It first takes on the form of a cupboard, then a pipe organ, an ornamental gateway and finally back to the well-known police box exterior.

OTHER FORMATS:

The Sixth Doctor Novelisations

Audio Adaptions

Back to the Sixth Doctor Programme Guide Forward to 'Vengeance on Varos'.