7F. Delta And The Bannermen

Season Twenty Four - 1987

Script Editor: Andrew Cartmel
Produced by: John Nathan-Turner
Writer: Malcolm Kholl
Director: Chris Clough
Designer: John Asbridge
Incidental Music: Keff McCulloch
Stunt Arranger: Roy Scammel (uncredited)

Synopsis

On Chumeria, the Chimerons are being hunted to the point of extinction by the Bannermen. The Queen manages to escape along with a baby Chimeron and finds her way on board a ship heading towards Disneyland in 1959.

The Doctor and Mel land at a tollport, and as the ten billionth customer, win a holiday to Disneyland 1959. Whilst Mel travels on the same ship (disguised as an old 1959 bus) as the Chimeron Queen, the Doctor travels in the TARDIS. The ship strikes an Earth satellite and is knocked off course. The Doctor manages to stabilise the ship, and it lands in the Shangri-La holiday camp in Wales.

Whilst the ship is being repaired the Bannermen arrive to kill the Chimeron Queen. They had been tipped off by a bounty hunter. Instead of receiving his bounty the hunter is killed by the Bannermen.

With the aid of the Doctor, Mel, and some of the locals, the Chimeron baby is protected, allowing it to grow. It then attacks the Bannermen using sonic vibrations. The Bannermen are rounded up, and one of the locals risks his life to transform into a Chimeron and offer a future for the Chimeron species..

Regular Cast

  • Melanie Bush: Bonnie Langford

Guest Cast

  • Gavrok: Don Henderson
  • Delta: Belinda Mayne
  • Weismuller: Stubby Kaye
  • Hawk: Morgan Deare
  • Burton: Richard Davies
  • Billy: David Kinder
  • Ray: Sara Griffiths
  • Murray: Johnhy Dennis (1-2)
  • Bollit: Anita Graham (1-2)
  • Adlon: Leslie Meadows (1-2)
  • Keilor: Brian Hibbard (1-2)
  • Vocalists: Tracy Wilson (1,3), Jody Wilson (1,3)
  • Tollmaster: Ken Dodd (1)
  • Chimeron: Tim Scott (1)
  • The Lorells: (all 1) Robin Aspland, Keff McCulloch, Justin Myres, Ralph Sollmins
  • Garonwy Jones: Hugh Lloyd (2-3)
  • Callon: Clive Condon (2-3)
  • Arrex: Richard Mitchley (2-3)
  • Vinny: Martyn Geraint (2)
  • Chimeron Princess: Jessica McGough (2), Amy Osborn (2), Laura Collins (3), Carley Joseph (3)
Uncredited:
  • Bannermen: Philip Babot, Terry Bennett, Russell Daymond, Patrick Edwards, Ricky Garrett, Derek Hartley, Ian Laurence, Jared Morgan, Ross Murray, Robert Patton, Rob York
  • Navarinos: Susan Baker, Johnny Darrell, Gwyn Davies, Margaret Davies, Debbie Davies, Delyth Evans, Colin Galton, Ross Garratt, Valerie Graham, Philip Hopkins, Michael Kelligan, Ian Killen, Stella King, Sandie Lee, Steve McEachron, Troy Mitchell, Gabriella Nicholson, Andrew O'Leary, Margarite Richards, Philip Samms, Kim Stone, Alan Thomas, Andrea Thompson, Gary Townsend
  • Chimeron: Russell Brook (1), Ian McClaren (1)
  • Waitresses: Jenny Bayliss, Lizane Rees, Helen Wilkes
  • Redcoats: Richard Beavis, Leigh Anne Evan, Danny Glass, Tim James, Debbie Reid, Nicky Thompson
  • Holiday Makers: Elizabeth Baker, Stella Brett, Melanie Brooks, Toni Carroll and two sons, Jenny Downham, Vicki Edmunds, Eric Golding, daughter and niece, Sue Hopkins, Paul Laker, Marie Phillips, Bob Prentiss and daughter, James Rourke, Andy Scourfield

Original broadcast on the BBC

Channel Title Date Viewers Rating
BBC 1 662. Part One Monday, November 2, 1987 7:35 PM - 8:00 PM 5.3M 57%
BBC 1 663. Part Two Monday, November 9, 1987 7:35 PM - 8:00 PM 5.1M 60%
BBC 1 664. Part Three Monday, November 16, 1987 7:35 PM - 8:00 PM 5.4M 60%

Studios

  • Television Centre Studio 1
  • Television Centre Studio 3

Outside Locations

  • Butlin Holiday Camp, Barry Island, S. Wales
  • Hensol Forest, nr. Welsh St. Donate, S. Wales
  • Llamdow Trading Estate, British Tissues Hangar, Nash, S. Wales
  • Springwell Quarry, Gerrards Cross, Bucks
  • Sutton Farm, nr. Penarth, S. Wales
  • Valley nr. Castle Upon Alun, S. Wales

Bloopers

Part 1: When the Doctor and Ray are in the laundry shed a head pops up behind one of the shelves. It freezes, realising that it shouldn't be there. In the next shot it has disappeared.

Part 3: When the Doctor, Mel and Burton are escaping from Gavrok, look closely at the shots of the Doctor driving. You can see that he is wearing glasses, as the light reflects off them every now and then; they disappear the instant he gets off. (Sylvester McCoy is apparently quite nearsighted, and obviously would not want to drive a motorcycle without being able to see where he was going. However, he also refused to have a stand-in. Hence the reason why he's wearing glasses.) This also happens when the Doctor and Ray are looking for Delta.

Working Titles

Flight of the Chimeron

Notes

Pepsi, John Nathan-Turner's dog, makes an appearance in this story.