THE STORY
UNIT is called in when a miner from the Welsh village of Llanfairfach is found dead, his skin glowing bright green. Jo joins forces with a local environmental group, led by Professor Clifford Jones in opposing the activities of a company called Global Chemicals, who have just gained a grant to develop a full-scale refinery in the area. The Doctor, after a brief visit to the planet of Metebelis 3, investigates the mine workings and discovers they are full of a green slime and giant maggots, both fatal to touch. The deadly situation has been produced by chemical waste from the Global plant. The director of the chemical plant, Stevens has been taken over by BOSS - Biomorphic Organisational Systems Supervisor - a computer with a mind of its own. BOSS plans to seize power by linking itself to every other major computer in the world.The Doctor manages to create a cure to the deadly contagion and saves Professor Jones, who had been attacked by a maggot. UNIT manages to destroy the creatures before they mature into gigantic winged versions. The Doctor uses a blue crystal, brought back from Metebelis 3 to break BOSS's control over Stevens, who then programs the computer to self-destruct. Jo has fallen in love with Professor Jones and decides to leave UNIT to marry him. The Doctor gives her the blue crystal as a wedding present.
CAST:
The Doctor (Jon Pertwee), Jo Grant (Katy Manning), Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney), Stevens (Jerome Willis), Professor Clifford Jones (Stewart Bevan), Elgin (Tony Adams), Hinks (Ben Howard), Dai Evans (Mostyn Evans), Dave (Talfyn Thomas), Bert (Roy Evans), Nancy (Mitzi McKenzie), Milkman (Ray Handy), Hughes (John Scott Martin), Fell (John Rolfe), BOSS's voice (John Dearth), Minister of Ecology (Richard Beale), Captain Yates (Richard Franklin), Sergeant Benton (John Levene), Cleaner (Jean Burgess), Yates' Guard (Brian Justice), Guards (Terry Walsh, Billie Horrigan, Alan Chuntz), James (Roy Skelton)
FACTS:
The Doctor disguises himself as both a milkman and a cleaner.
The planet Metebelis 3 and the blue crystal the Doctor brings back from there feature in the following seasons' 'Planet of the Spiders'.
OTHER FORMATS:
The Third Doctor Novelisations
Back to the Third Doctor Programme Guide
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