7M. The Curse Of Fenric

  • Script Editor: Andrew Cartmel;
  • Produced by: John Nathan-Turner;
  • Writer: Ian Briggs;
  • Director: Nicholas Mallett;
  • Incidental Music: David Laskey;
  • Stunt Arranger: Tip Tipping (2-4);

Programme Description

The TARDIS lands at a Northumberland secret naval base near the end of the Second World War. Doctor Judson has invented a computer that can crack any code. The base Commander, Commander Millington, has booby-trapped the machine and is waiting for the Russians to steal it. After the war, when the Russians were no longer allies, Commander Millington would send a word for the Russians to crack, which would cause the machine to emit a deadly toxin.

However, Dr. Judson has used the machine to crack ancient Viking carvings, and released Fenric, and evil entity from the dawn of time trapped seventeen centuries earlier by the Doctor. Fenric unleashes the haemovores, and sets in motion a plan to summon the Great One and destroy all life on Earth.

The Doctor convinces the Great One that Fenric's plan is wrong, while setting a similar trap to the one he had set seventeen centuries earlier, although Ace unwittingly gives Fenric the answer to the trap. Fenric orders the Great One to destroy the Doctor, but it turns on Fenric, takes him into a cubicle and releases a sample of the deadly toxin.

Regular Cast

  • Ace: Sophie Aldred;

Guest Cast

  • Dr. Judson: Dinsdale Landen;
  • Commander Millington: Alfred Lynch;
  • Captain Sorin: Tomek Bork;
  • Vershinin: Marek Anton;
  • Jean: Joanne Kenney;
  • Phyllis: Joanne Bell;
  • Nurse Crane: Anne Reid;
  • Kathleen Dudman: Cory Pulman;
  • Captain Bates: Stevan Rimkus;
  • Sergeant Leigh: Marcus Hutton;
  • Reverend Wainright: Nicholas Parsons;
  • Sergeant Prozorov: Peter Czajkowski (1-3);
  • Baby (Audrey Dudman): Aaron Handley (1,3-4);
  • Miss Hardaker: Janet Henfrey (1-2);
  • Private Perkins: Christien Anholt (1,3);
  • Petrossian: Mark Conrad (1);
  • Ancient Haemovore: Raymon Trickett (4);
  • Double for Ace: Tracy Ebdon;

  • UNCREDITED CAST:
  • Parishoners: (all 1) Nina Downey, Danny Fitzgerald, Robin Yarnton;
  • Marines: Christian Barr, Paul Betts, Russell Cleed, Stephen Cookson, Mark Coxon, Martin David, Ray Davies, Dickie Dean, Nick Dwyer, Mark Fairweather, Peter Gandy, Jock Gardyne, Mark Goddard, Joe Hobbs, Ron Keyes, Ben Losh, Patrick Lynch, Jack Power, Andrew Rose, Terry Russelton, Andy Lees Small, Stephen Sparshatt, Jonathon Truss, Ian White, Gordon Wray;
  • Haemovores: ennifer Crome, Ian Collins, Ian Elliott, Perry Evans, Ann Graham, Raymond Martin, Jacqui Nolan, Tony Ryan, Graham Stagg, Cy Town;
  • WRENS: Marianne Bergin, Mandy Demetrious, Sheryl Leigh Fraser, Claudia Lyster, Nicola Maddock, Suzi Mollett, Jane Perry, Roslyn Riley, Kate Shury, Wendy Spear;
  • Technicians: Robert Frank, Kevin Horan, JJ Walker, Joe Wenbourne;
  • Russian Commandos: Andy Combs, Nigel Parkes Davies, Ken Dee, Martin Dew, Stephen Fitzalan, david Foster, Damon Jeffrey, Mark Ponsford, Vince Sears, Derek Van Weenan;

Transmissions

ChannelEpisodeTitleDateViewersPosition
BBC 1 689 Part One1 Wed 25 Oct 1989 2519:35 - 20:00 4.3M
BBC 1 690 Part Two1 Wed 1 Nov 1989 119:35 - 20:00 4.0M
BBC 1 691 Part Three1 Wed 8 Nov 1989 819:35 - 20:00 4.0M
BBC 1 692 Part Four1 Wed 15 Nov 1989 1519:35 - 20:00 4.2M

1: Position is outside the top 100

Repeat Transmissions

This programme has not been repeated.

Locations

  • Crowborough Training Camp, Crowborough, E. Sussex;
  • St. Lawrence Parish Church, The Moor, Hawkhurst, Kent;
  • Cellar of Bedgebury School, Lower Scholl, Lillesden, Hawkhurst;
  • Cottage, Slip Way Hill, Hawkhurst;
  • Tunnel at Yew Tree Farm, Slip Way Hill, Hawkhurst;
  • Lulworth Cove, Weld Estate, Dorset;

Studios

This programme has not been filmed in a studio or the studios are not known

Bloopers and Mistakes

The roadside signposts visible throughout should have been removed at that point in history as part of the defence preparations against possible invasion.

When Kathleen's baby Audrey is revealed for the first time she has a teddy bear, which disappears almost immediately. This is not surprising, since it is actually a Superted, originating circa 1984.

As Jean and Phyllis jump into the water to go swimming, they're fully clothed and wearing skirts. As they swim, the tell-tale fog rises around them, and they get turned into Haemovores. When they're done transforming, they come out of the water with big hairdos, long claws - and pants.

When Ace is climbing down her rope ladder, a Haemovore grabs her around the waist. She jumps off, and his fingernails get caught on her skirt, revealing her underwear, stocking tops and suspender belt.

When Ace is being attacked by the Haemovores she hits one of them on the head, causing its mask to go up and reveal part of the actor's neck.

When Ace is at the top of the ladder her underwear is black. By the time she gets down, its changed to white.

When the Russian soldiers are running to save Ace from the Haemovores the shadow of somebody can be seen casually walking in the opposite direction.

At the end, when Ace and the Doctor run out of the exploding bunker, the Doctor stumbles in the mud and puts his hand out to stop himself falling, getting mud all over it, which he even stops to look at in an almost symbolic gesture. Then they go in for the close-ups with him and Ace and when he puts his hand up to rub her nose (same hand) it's perfectly clean.

Notes and Trivia

There is nothing to add about this programme

Working Titles

Wolf Time
The Wolves of Fenric
Web Hosting by Pipe Ten Contact Nigel Ellis

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