CCC. The Ambassadors Of Death

  • Script Editor: Terrance Dicks;
  • Writers: David Whitaker and Malcolm Hulke (uncredited rewrites);
  • Produced by: Barry Letts;
  • Director: Michael Fergusson;
  • Designer: David Myerscough-Jones;
  • Incidental Music: Dudley Simpson;
  • Action: Havoc (1-5,7);

Programme Description

U.N.I.T., along with the Doctor, have been called into to investigate the mystery of the Mars Probe 7. Space Control has heard nothing from the probe since it left Mars seven months ago. A rescue mission has been started in Recovery 7, but that has also run into difficulties.

When Recovery 7 does land on Earth the occupants are kidnapped. Liz Shaw notices that a Gieger counter is registering maximum. That amount of radiation would have killed any human, and the Doctor begins to think that whatever arrived on Earth was not human.

The Doctor travels solo into orbit where he finds the Mars 7 probe. Whilst he is there the probe is taken on board a larger ship. The Doctoor finds the original astronauts are all okay, but the ship's Captain threatens to destroy Earth if his ambassadors are not returned.

Investigations on Earth lead to General Carrington, an ex-astronaut. He planned to discredit the aliens and provoke a war against them. The three aliens are successfully exchanged for the human astronauts.

Regular Cast

  • Brigadier Lethridge-Stewart: Nicholas Courtney;
  • Liz Shaw: Caroline John;
  • Sergeant Benton: John Levene;

Guest Cast

  • Professor Ralph Cornish: Ronald Allen;
  • General Carrington: John Abineri;
  • Charles Van Lyden: Ric Felgate (1,2,reprise 3,6);
  • Doctor Bruno Taltalian: Robert Cawdron (1-2,4);
  • John Wakefield: Michael Wisher (1-2,7);
  • Grey: Ray Armstrong (1-2);
  • Miss Rutherford: Cheryl Molineaux (1-2);
  • Collinson: Robert Robertson (1-2);
  • Sir James Quilan: Dallas Cavell (2-4,reprise 5);
  • Control Room Assistants: Bernard Martin (2), Joanna Ross (5-7), Carl Conway (5-6);;
  • Dobson: Juan Moren (2);
  • Corporal Champion: James Haswell (2);
  • UNIT Sergeant: Derek Ware (2);
  • Reegan: William Dysart (3-7);
  • Doctor Lennox: Cyril Shaps (3-5);
  • Alien Astronauts: (all 3-7 - uncredited 6) Ric Felgate, Steve Peters, Neville Simons;
  • Professor Heldorf: Gordon Sterne (3);
  • Masters: John Lord (4);
  • UNIT Soldier on Main Gate: Max Faulkner (3-7 - uncredited for 6);
  • Johnny Flynn: Tony Harwood (5);
  • Private Parker: James Clayton (5);
  • Technician (Peterson): Roy Scammel (5);
  • Alien Space Captain: Peter Noel Cook (6-7);
  • Aliens' Voices: Peter Haliday (6-7);
  • Joe Lefee: Steve Peters (6);
  • Frank Michaels: Neville Simons (6);
  • Private Johnson: Geoffrey Beevers (5,7 - uncredited 5);

  • UNCREDITED CAST:
  • Assistant: Sue Borne (3,5);
  • Military Policemen: Royston Farrell (7), Tom O'Leary (7);
  • Cameramen: Roy Reeves (7), Les Shannon (7);
  • Heavies: Alf Joint, Barry Kennington, Dinny Powell, Gordon Stothard;
  • Control Room Assistants: Roy Brent, Derek Chafer, Les Conrad,Stella Conway, Barbara Faye, Paul Gilman, David J Graham, Dennis Haywood, Dianna Holt, Tony Laing, Roger Minnis, Caroline Mylon, Wilma Oswald, Rod Peers, Clive Rogers, Lindsey Scott, Keith Simon, Sheila Vivian;
  • Soldiers: David Aldridge, Roy Brent, Geoff Brighty, Derek Chafer, Alan Chuntz, Les Conrad, Ron Conrad, Ron Gregory, Steve Kelly, Tom Laird, Stewart Myers, Rod Peers, David Pike, Doug Rae, Clive Rogers, Jo Sentos, Keith Simons, Steve Smart, Terry Walsh;
  • Technicians: Max Diamond, Pat Gorman, Nick Hobbs, David Joyce;

Transmissions

ChannelEpisodeTitleDateViewersPosition
BBC 1 265 Episode One Sat 21 Mar 1970 2117:15 - 17:40 7.1M 60th
BBC 1 266 Episode Two Sun 29 Mar 1970 2917:15 - 17:40 7.6M 59th
BBC 1 267 Episode Three Sat 4 Apr 1970 417:20 - 17:45 8.0M 60th
BBC 1 268 Episode Four1 Sat 11 Apr 1970 1117:45 - 18:10 9.3M 46th
BBC 1 269 Episode Five Sat 18 Apr 1970 1817:15 - 17:40 7.1M 57th
BBC 1 270 Episode Six Sat 25 Apr 1970 2517:15 - 17:40 6.9M 70th
BBC 1 271 Episode Seven Sat 2 May 1970 217:15 - 17:40 5.4M 80th

1: Originally scheduled for 17:15

Repeat Transmissions

This programme has not been repeated.

Locations

  • Wycombe RDC Sewage Purification Works, Little Marlow, Bucks;
  • Spade Oak Quarries, nr. Little Marlow, Bucks;
  • North Thomas Gas Works, Southall;
  • Marlow Wier, Mill Road, Marlow;

Studios

  • Television Centre Studio 1;
  • Television Centre Studio 3;
  • Television Centre Studio 4;

Bloopers and Mistakes

When the Doctor goes up in the rocket to dock with the Mars probe, he tells the space station controller that he can withstand more G force than normal people, so they can use more M3 fuel to make the trip faster. The controller declines saying the risk of the rocket exploding is too great. However, later when the aliens are working with the Doctor and he is sending them back to their ship on board a rocket, the Doctor suggests using pure M3 fuel as the Ambassadors will not be affected by G force. Why was there no concern any more about the second rocket exploding?

When Lennox is being chased up the stairs by the Alien, Reegan is knocked away. The Alien starts to collapse and Reegan jumps to get out of his way, hitting a "brick" wall that shakes quite a bit.

In the scene where Van Lyden is sitting in the spaceship, as viewed on the monitor screen at space control, Van Lyden says something like "Beginning rotation now," and the image on the screen rotates. Assuming this image comes from a camera inside the shuttle, surely this would mean the ship rotated but the camera didn't, unless the camera was outside in space (not a very satisfactory explanation!).

In episode 1, we see a shot of the launch control room, which has a high ceiling. At the very end of episode 7, we see another such shot, only they used the wrong backdrop this time. Suddenly the room has the same roof as the rocket launch site seen in episode 5.

When Reegan goes into the cell to help the dying Ambassador, one of them touches him and he flies against the wall. But when the Ambassadors touch anyone else, they are killed!

Listen out for Taltalian's amazing changing accent in his car when he confronts Liz!

The same guard (stuntman Max Faulkner) who is killed by the Ambassador whilst at the main gate in episode 4 is alive and well in episode 6.

Notes and Trivia

This story has a unique way of handling the titles; the story title, writer credit and episode number come up in a separate title sequence after the recap.

Episodes Two to Seven are held only as film prints and NTSC recordings (a fault on the colour copy has prevented successful restoration as with Doctor Who and The Silurians)

Working Titles

The Invaders from Mars
Carriers of Death
The Ambassadors
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