5B. The Pirate Planet

  • Script Editor: Anthony Read;
  • Writer: Douglas Adams;
  • Produced by: Graham Williams;
  • Director: Pennant Roberts;
  • Designer: Jon Pusey;
  • Incidental Music: Dudley Simpson;

Programme Description

The tracer shows that the second segment of the Key to Time lies somewhere on Calufrax. Romana and the Doctor are arguing about the Doctor's piloting. When the Doctor attempts to land there is severe disturbance, and the TARDIS will not materialise. When Romana tries moments later the TARDIS lands smoothly.

But the TARDIS has not materialised on Calufrax, despite the co-ordinates being the same. And the tracer suggests that the segment is close by.

The Doctor finds that the centre of the planet they are on, Zanak, is empty, and that the planet can fly through space under the supposed control of the Captain. The Captain announces to his people that they are enterting a new age of prosperity, and all the stars in the sky change.

The Captain has been materialising Zanak - the Pirate Planet - round other planets and sucking the life force out of them, which was the cause of the disturbance in the beginning. The Doctor finds a compressed form of Calufrax, and transforms it into the second segment of the Key to Time, but not before destroying the trans-mat machinery, and the control centre.

Regular Cast

  • Voice of K-9: John Leeson;
  • Romana: Mary Tamm;

Guest Cast

  • Captain: Bruce Purchase;
  • Mr. Fibuli: Andrew Robertson;
  • Kimus: David Warwick;
  • Mula: Primi Townsend;
  • Mentiad: Bernard Finch;
  • Parlin: David Sibley (1,3,4);
  • Guard: Adam Kurakin (1-3);
  • Balaton: Ralph Michael (1-2);
  • Citizen: Clive Bennett (1);
  • Nurse (Queen Xanxia): Rosalind Lloyd (2-4);

  • UNCREDITED CAST:
  • Mentiads: James Charlton, Tony Hayes (2-4), Ray Knight, Brychan Powell, Clive Rogers, Derek Suthern, Colin Thomas, Jeff Wayne (3-4), Peter Whitaker (2-4);
  • Guards: Garry Dean (3-4), Barry Hayes (1,3), Billy Hughes;
  • Queen Xanxia: Vi Delmar (3-4);
  • Technicians: John Cannon (1,2,4), John Moore, Clinton Morris, Gus Roy (1,3,4), Reg Turner (3-4);
  • Extras: Franklyn Arbisman, Bud Brecon, Michael Britton-Jones, John Cadwallader, Les Conrad, Jeff Cryer, Johnny Daulton, Barbara Hampshire, Derek Hunt, Dennis Johns, Michael Kelligan, Kenny Kordell, Julia La Rousse, Ralph Lincoln, Stuart McNeil, Roger Middleton, James Muir, Annette Peters, Bernard Planet, Douglas Roe, Malcolm Ross, Jack Sholomire, Terence Ward, Edward Wyman;

Transmissions

ChannelEpisodeTitleDateViewersPosition
BBC 1 484 Part One Sat 30 Sep 1978 3018:20 - 18:45 9.2M 30th
BBC 1 485 Part Two Sat 7 Oct 1978 718:20 - 18:45 7.4M 52nd
BBC 1 486 Part Three Sat 14 Oct 1978 1418:20 - 18:45 8.2M 44th
BBC 1 487 Part Four Sat 21 Oct 1978 2118:20 - 18:45 8.4M 46th

Repeat Transmissions

ChannelTitleDateViewersPosition
BBC 1 Part One Thu 12 Jul 1979 18:55 - 19:20 2.8M 123rd
BBC 1 Part Two Thu 19 Jul 1979 18:55 - 19:20 4.0M 91st
BBC 1 Part Three Thu 26 Jul 1979 18:55 - 19:20 3.3M 104th
BBC 1 Part Four Thu 2 Aug 1979 18:55 - 19:20 3.9M 103rd

Locations

  • Berkley Power Station, Gloucestershire;
  • Abercrave Caves, Dan-yr-Ogof, Powys, Wales;

Studios

  • Television Centre Studio 6;

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

There is no novelisation of this programme.

Working Titles

This programme has not working titles
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