DOCTOR WHO

Written by Matthew Jacobs.

Directed by Geoffrey Sachs.

Transmitted originally: 27 May 1996.

"Grace, I came back to life before your eyes. I held back death. Look, I can't make your dream come true forever, but I can make it come true today." 'The Doctor'

THE STORY

The Master is apparently exterminated by the Daleks on Skaro, and the Doctor agrees to take his remains back to Gallifrey in the TARDIS. The Master is not truly dead, however, and has transformed into a shapeless morphant creature. He causes the TARDIS to make an emergency landing on Earth, in San Francisco in the year 1999. The Doctor emerges from the ship to find himself in the midst of a gun battle between rival gangs. He is wounded and accompanied by a young gang member called Chang Lee, is taken to hospital for emergency treatment. Surgeon Dr Grace Holloway attempts to save his life but failing to understand his alien physiology, actually causes his death. The Doctor later regenerates into his eighth body.

The Master has meanwhile taken over the body of Bruce, the ambulance driver who took the Doctor to hospital. This is merely a temporary measure until he can achieve his ultimate goal, to inhabit the Doctor's body. He gains access to the TARDIS and with the promise of wealth, wins Chang Lee over to his side. The Doctor manages to convince Grace that he is the same man who died on the operating table and that he is an alien Time Lord - although human on his mother's side. Together they race against time to prevent the Master's scheme to bring about the Earth's destruction at midnight on 31 December by using the power source of the TARDIS, the Eye of Harmony. They eventually succeed, and the Master is sucked into the Eye. The Doctor says goodbye to Grace and Chang Lee - who eventually saw the error of his ways - and departs in the TARDIS.

CAST:

The Doctor (Paul McGann), The Master/Bruce (Eric Roberts), Dr Grace Holloway (Daphne Ashbrook), The Doctor (Sylvester McCoy), Chang Lee (Yee Jee Tso), Salinger (John Novak), Doctor Swift (Michael David Simms), Wheeler (Catherine Lough), Curtis (Dolores Drake), Pete (William Sasko), Gareth (Jeremy Radick), Miranda (Eliza Roberts), Motorcycle Policeman (Bill Croft), Professor Wagg (Dave Hurtubise), Ted (Joel Wirkkunen), Security Man (Dee Jay Jackson), The Old Master (Gordon Tipple), News Anchor (Mi-Jung Lee), News Anchor (Joanna Piros).

FACTS:

The sonic screwdriver makes a reappearance. It was last seen in the 1982 story 'The Visitation'.

The movie begins with precredits sequence featuring a voiceover by Paul McGann as the Doctor and showing the Master's execution by the Daleks (who appear to have gained the Smurf's voices).

There is a great scene in which Chang Lee first enters the TARDIS, and when seeing the massive interior, seemingly inside a police telephone box, walks straight out again and circles the box, before re-entering.

OTHER FORMATS:

The Seventh/Eighth Doctor Novelisations

Seventh/Eighth Doctor Videos

Audio Adaptions

Script book released in 1996, by Matthew Jacobs

Back to the Eighth Doctor Programme Guide Back to 'Survival'.