4N. The Hand Of Fear

  • Script Editor: Robert Holmes;
  • Writers: Bob Baker and Dave Martin;
  • Produced by: Philip Hinchcliffe;
  • Director: Lennie Mayne;
  • Designer: Christine Ruscoe;
  • Incidental Music: Dudley Simpson;
  • Fight Arranger: Max Faulkner (2);

Programme Description

The TARDIS lands on twentieth century Earth near a quarry. An accident leaves Sarah unconcious in the quarry, and clutching a stone hand. The hand belongs to an executed Kastrian criminal called Eldrad, whose essence lives on inside a blue ring.

The hand possesses Sarah, who takes it to the nearby Nunton Nuclear Research and Development centre where it soaks up the radiation from the reactor core and regenerates into a complete being - Eldrad.

Eldrad persuades the Doctor and Sarah to take him (even though he takes on the appearance of a female) back to Kastria to reclaim his heritage. But 150 million years have passed, and Kastria is now a dead planet.

Eldrad attempts to regenerate his race, but the final King of Kastria destroyed the race banks in case Eldrad should return. The Doctor and Sarah leave a furious Eldrad to his solitary fate. Inside the TARDIS the Doctor receves a summons from Gallifrey - he must return, and he is not allowed to take Sarah with him...

Regular Cast

  • Sarah Jane Smith: Elisabeth Sladen;

Guest Cast

  • Doctor Carter: Rex Robinson (1-2);
  • King Rokon: Roy Skelton (1,4);
  • Intern: Renu Setna (1);
  • Tom Abbott: David Purcell (1);
  • Zazzka: Roy Pattison (1);
  • Guard: Robin Hargrave (1);
  • Professor Owen Watson: Glyn Houston (2-3);
  • Driscoll: Roy Boyd (2-3, uncredited for 3);
  • Miss Jackson: Frances Pidgeon (2-3, uncredited for 3);
  • Elgin: John Cannon (2);
  • Eldrad: Judith Paris (3-4), Stehpen Thorne (4);

  • UNCREDITED CAST:
  • Computer Voice: Roy Skelton;
  • Hospital Nurse: Libby Ritchie (1);
  • Path Lab Technicians: John Delieu (1), Derek Suthern (1);
  • Double for Doctor Carter: Max Faulkner (2);
  • Security Guards: Michael Dewlid (2), Barry Summerford (2);
  • Radiation Suit Men: David Cleeve (2), Keith Simmons (2);
  • Control Room Technicians: (all 2) Julia Burnett, Bruce Guest, Mark Holmes, Rosemary Jollisse, Kenneth Thomas;
  • Nunton Complex personnel: (all 2) Douglas Auchterlonie, Margaret Pilleaud, Roger Salter, Lionel Sansby, Sonia Stratton;
  • Frozen Operator (Technician Obarl): Peter Roy (4);
  • Extras: Peter Bush (1), Carl Edwards (1), Alan Evans (1), Brian Gear (1), Tim Hooper (3), Bruce Hubble (1), David Hyde (1), Colin Jaggard (1), Simon Jones (1), Robert Lee (2), Paul Nicholason (2), Bob Peters (1), Ken Taylor (1), John Telfer (1), Robert Tucker (2), Michael Wadsworth (1), Roy Wadsworth (3);

Transmissions

ChannelEpisodeTitleDateViewersPosition
BBC 1 432 Part One Thu 2 Oct 1975 218:10 - 18:35 10.5M 24th
BBC 1 433 Part Two Thu 9 Oct 1975 917:50 - 18:15 10.2M 29th
BBC 1 434 Part Three Thu 16 Oct 1975 1618:05 - 18:30 11.1M 20th
BBC 1 435 Part Four Thu 23 Oct 1975 2318:00 - 18:25 12.0M 19th

Repeat Transmissions

ChannelTitleDateViewersPosition
BBC 4 Part One Mon 9 May 2011 19:40 - 20:05
BBC 4 Part Two Mon 9 May 2011 20:05 - 20:30
BBC 4 Part Three Tue 10 May 2011 19:40 - 20:05
BBC 4 Part Four Tue 10 May 2011 20:05 - 20:30

Locations

  • Oldbury Nuclear Power Station, Avon;
  • ARC Quarry, Crowhall, Avon;

Studios

  • Television Centre Studio 8;
  • Ealing FIlm Studios;

Bloopers and Mistakes

This programme has no bloopers or mistakes. It's probably not perfect, just that they haven't been found or pointed out yet

Notes and Trivia

Elisabeth Sladen leaves at the end of the story.

Working Titles

The Hand Of Death
The Hand Of Time
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