First Transmitted
1 - 08/03/1982 18:55
2 - 09/03/1982 19:05
3 - 15/03/1982 18:55
4 - 16/03/1982 19:05
Plot
The TARDIS arrives on Earth in the 26th Century in a cave system containing numerous dinosaur fossils. The Doctor's party comes under suspicion from a military force, led by Lieutenant Scott, who are investigating the disappearance of a group of palaeontologists and geologists. They are all then attacked by androids - the true culprits - under the control of the Cybermen.
The Doctor manages to deactivate a bomb intended by the Cybermen to destroy an imminent peace conference. He then follows the bomb's activating signal to an approaching space freighter, commanded by Captain Briggs, on board which it transpires that an army of Cybermen are concealed.
An attempt by Adric to thwart the Cybermen's plans result in the freighter being inadvertently sent millions of years into the past, where it explodes and causes the extinction of the dinosaurs - and also the death of Adric. The Doctor destroys the Cyber Leader by forcing into its chest unit some gold fragments from a badge previously worn by Adric.
Episode Endings
The Doctor, Tegan and Nyssa have been taken prisoner in the caves by Lieutenant Scott and his troops. They start to investigate a mysterious metal hatch but are forced to take cover when two black-clad androids suddenly appear and start firing bolts of energy at them from their hands. One of the androids scans the scene and relays the image to a group of Cybermen. The Cyber Leader gives the order: 'Destroy them! Destroy them at once!'
The Doctor and Adric are exploring the hold of the freighter when screams ring out. They hurry to the source and find the bodies of two slaughtered crewmen. The freighter's security officer, Ringway, steps up behind them. He states that they have been caught red handed, and that on this ship murderers are executed.
The Cybermen storm the bridge of the freighter and take control, completing the reactivation of their troops. The Cyber Leader proudly points out to the Doctor a view screen image of columns of marching Cybermen in the hold.
The Doctor, Tegan and Nyssa watch helplessly from the TARDIS as the freighter hurtles toward Earth. On board, a dying Cyberman damages the controls and Adric realises that he cannot prevent the impact. The boy stands solemnly, holding his dead brother's Outler belt. The freighter hits the Earth's atmosphere and there is a massive explosion. Tegan and Nyssa break down in tears, and the Doctor stands silently.
Roots
Alien.
The Buck Rogers movie (impenetrable defence shield).
Coronation Street (silent credits).
Dialogue Triumphs
The Doctor : "Brave heart, Tegan"
Cyber Lieutenant : "A Time Lord. But they're forbidden to interfere."
Cyber Leader : "This one calls himself the Doctor - and does nothing else but interfere."
Tegan : "I'm just a mouth on legs."
The Doctor : "Emotions have their uses"
Cyber Leader : "They restrict and curtail the intellect, and logic of the mind."
The Doctor : "They also enhance life. When did you last have the pleasure of smelling a flower, watching a sunset, eating a well-prepared meal?"
Cyber Leader : "These things are irrelevant."
The Doctor : "For some people, small, beautiful events is what life is all about!"
Dialogue Disasters
Scott : "No... It could be... rough"
Scott : "The hold is crawling with robots."
The Cyberleader : "So, we meet again, Doctor."
Double Entendre
Scott : "I realise going down again must be hard."
The Cybermen : "We must act... quickly!"
Nyssa : "Oh dear, it's all getting rather silly, isn't it?"
Continuity
The Cybermen are aware of TARDISes (and that a single person can pilot one [unlike the three person craft in Attack of the Cybermen]), regeneration, and, significantly, that Time Lords are arrogant but forbidden to interfere. They know of the Doctor's fondness for Earth. The Cybermen refer to Cybercontrol. ['We meet again' implies that the Cyberleader is always the same program in different bodies.] They carry hand held weapons and use a thermal lance. They don't need air, and are invulnerable to blasters unless they are concentrated on them. Their own weapons kill them.
A reactivating Cyberman gives off a powerful electromagnetic field. They have bombs that can devastate a planet with one blast, and deep space probes that can detect the TARDIS while it travels [they are able to monitor the vortex]. Their androids fire beams from their palms that dissolve tissue. The Cyberleader has a personal guard.
The Doctor is ectopic [has a heart (and perhaps other organs) in the wrong place]. He doesn't know what killed the dinosaurs, and always wanted to find out (see Doctor Who and the Silurians). The TARDIS can jam a signal. Adric considers returning to Terradon, in E-Space, and can do quick square roots mentally. Nyssa can operate some systems, but can't really fly the TARDIS. Both she and Tegan can use guns.
QV
Location
Earth, and a freighter en route to it, in 2526.
Future History
An interplanetary peace conference is taking place [involving the Draconians: see Frontier in Space], with the aim of allying against the Cybermen. The Cybermen, who are aware of events in 2875, talk of uniting with another force [in the ensuing Cyber wars].
Links
The Cybermen have recorded some of the events of The Tenth Planet, The Wheel in Space (which they talk over with an account of The Tomb of the Cybermen) and Revenge of the Cybermen.
Trivia
The Cybermen make their shock reappearance at the end of Part One. Producer John Nathan-Turner went to great lengths - including turning down the offer of a Radio Times cover feature on the story and crediting the Cyber Leader as simply 'Leader' and the Cyber Lieutenant as simply 'Lieutenant' in the Radio Times cast listing for the second episode (as Doctor Who was now being transmitted twice-weekly, only two episodes of each story featured a cast list along with the billing) - to try to ensure that the Cybermen's appearance in this story remained a total surprise to viewers.
A sequence of clips from earlier stories is used as the Cyber Leader discusses some of the Doctor's past encounters with the Cybermen.
Technobabble
How can an alien computer make your freighter go back in time?
Goofs
In episode one, a trooper turns around and clearly must see the shadow of one of the androids, but he moves on anyway.
In episode two, the Cyberleader misses a button on his console, but we still hear a beep.
The dead crewmembers at the end of episode two can be seen breathing.
When Ringway is running down a corridor, supposedly in a tearing hurry, he visibly pulls up just before going out of shot.
Just before Tegan and the soldiers find the bodies in episode three a white baton appears behind them.
When they climb the stairs a woman can be seen reading the script in the top right corner.
A few minutes later the two Cyberguards are chatting away with some great gossipy hand gestures.
In episode four, as they approach the TARDIS, the female of the remaining troopers is grabbed and doesn't make it inside. Except when they do get inside, it's a man that's missing.
The woman vanishes again, once more replaced by the man, in the next exterior scene.
Adric handles his keyboard gingerly, as if he knows it's about to explode, and the continents of 65 million years ago look strangely familiar.
Why is Ringway (the traitor) so obviously worried about the power drains?
Where do the Cybermen evacuate to?
What'll happen when 15,000 Cybermen land on Earth?
If they could arrive in secret to plant a bomb, why are they going to such trouble now?
Why choose those particular caves?
Why cause a power failure on the ship which threatens to prevent it from getting to Earth (which is where they want to go)?
Why not kill the freighter crew, who are bound to have a go at the controls?
Why leave several Cybermen behind on the freighter, some of them still dormant? (They're revived by accident, it appears.)
If the Doctor wants to convince the crew of his credentials, why not introduce them to the high ranking military officer he's brought with him?
Emotional concepts expressed by Cybermen include betrayal, vengeance and cruelty.
Fashion Victim
Beryl Reid in leather. (Cult Editor's Note - Oh, come on boys! How fantastic!)
Cast & Crew
Cast
The Doctor - Peter Davison
Adric - Matthew Waterhouse
Nyssa - Sarah Sutton
Tegan - Janet Fielding
Berger - June Bland
Briggs - Beryl Reid
Cyber Leader - David Banks
Cyber Lieutenant - Mark Hardy
First Crew Member - Mark Fletcher
First Trooper - Anne Clements
Kyle - Clare Clifford
Mitchell - Ann Holloway
Ringway - Alec Sabin
Scott - James Warwick
Second Crew Member - Christopher Whittingham
Second Trooper - Mark Straker
Snyder - Suzi Arden
Walters - Steve Morley
Crew
Director - Peter Grimwade
Earthshock