THE RESCUE

Written by David Whitaker.

Directed by Christopher Barry.

Transmitted originally: 2 January 1965 to 9 January 1965.

Episode 1: The Powerful Enemy

Episode 2: Desperate Measures

"We can travel anywhere and everywhere in that old box as you call it. Regardless of space and time... and if you like adventure, my dear, I can promise you an abundance of it." 'The Doctor'

THE STORY

Arriving on the planet Dido in the late 25th Century, the time travellers discover a crashed spaceship from earth. its two occupants - a paralysed man named Bennett and a young girl, Vicki - are living in fear of a creature called Koquillion, a native whose people apparently killed the other members of the Earth expedition. However, the Doctor quickly deduces that Koquillion is Bennett in disguise; it was he who killed the rest of the crew, to conceal the fact that he had committed an earlier murder on board the ship. Confronted by two humanoid Dido natives whom he thought completly wiped out, Bennett falls to his death from a cliff. As Vicki's father was amongst the murdered crewmen, she is alone. The Doctor offers her a place aboard the TARDIS.

CAST:

The Doctor (William Hartnell), Ian Chesterton (William Russell), Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill), Vicki (Maureen O'Brien), Bennett (Ray Barrett), Space Captain (Tom Sheridan), Koquillon (Sydney Wilson/ Ray Barrett), Dido natives (John Stuart, Colin Hughes).

FACTS:

'Sydney Wilson' was a name invented for the first episode to hide Koquillion's true identity. The name was taken from Sydney Newman and Donald Wilson, the BBC's Head of Drama and Head of Serials respectively.

Tom Sheridan, who played the Space captain was also inside the Sand Monster costume.

This story introduced Vicki, played by Maureen O'Brien as the first regular in the programme after the original quartet of the Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbara.

OTHER FORMATS:

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