''The Armageddon Factor'' is the sixth and final serial of the
16th season of the British
science fiction television
Science fiction first appeared in television programming in the late 1930s, during what is called the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary ...
series ''
Doctor Who
''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...
'', which was first broadcast in six weekly parts on
BBC1
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
from 20 January to 24 February 1979. It was the last to feature
Mary Tamm
Mary Tamm (22 March 1950 – 26 July 2012) was a British actress, who appeared in many British TV drama series and serials, and is best known for her role as Romana I in the BBC's science fiction on television, science fiction television s ...
as
Romana.
The serial is set on the planets Atrios and Zeos, and another planet in between them. In the serial, the war between Atrios and Zeos is nearing its end. Mentalis, a commandant computer on Zeos, and the Marshal of Atrios (
John Woodvine
John Woodvine (born 21 July 1929) is an English actor who has appeared in more than 70 theatre productions, as well as a similar number of television and film roles.
Early life
Woodvine was born in Tyne Dock, South Shields, Tyne & Wear, Englan ...
), plot to wipe each other out. At the same time, the Shadow (
William Squire
William Squire (29 April 1917 – 3 May 1989) was a Welsh actor of stage, film and television.
Squire was born in Neath, Glamorgan, the son of William Squire and his wife Martha (née Bridgeman).
Career
As a stage actor, Squire performed at S ...
), a henchman of the
Black Guardian
This is a list of villains from the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. For other, related lists, see below.
See also
* List of ''Doctor Who'' supporting characters
* List of ''Doctor Who'' henchmen
* Lis ...
(
Valentine Dyall
Valentine Dyall (7 May 1908 – 24 June 1985) was an English character actor. He worked regularly as a voice actor, and was known for many years as "The Man in Black", the narrator of the BBC Radio horror series '' Appointment with Fear'' ...
), steals the
time and space vessel the
TARDIS
The TARDIS (; acronym for "Time And Relative Dimension In Space") is a fictional hybrid of the time machine and spacecraft that appears in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and its various spin-offs. Its exterior ap ...
, which contains the first five segments of the powerful Key to Time, and kidnaps Princess Astra of Atrios (
Lalla Ward
Sarah Jill "Lalla" Ward (born 28 June 1951) is an English actress, voice artist and author. She is best known for playing the role of Romana II in the BBC television series ''Doctor Who'' from 1979 to 1981.
Career
Early career
Ward's stage na ...
), who is the sixth and final segment.
Plot
Searching for the final segment of the Key to Time, the
Fourth Doctor
The Fourth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Tom Baker.
Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time Lord from the ...
and
Romana arrive on the planet Atrios, which has endured a recent bombing by their neighbouring planet Zeos, with whom they are at war. The Doctor finds that Zeos is deserted save for the giant computer Mentalis, which is controlling the war. He also discovers that the true opponent is a third planet called the Planet of Evil, ruled by "the Shadow". The Shadow, an agent of the
Black Guardian
This is a list of villains from the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. For other, related lists, see below.
See also
* List of ''Doctor Who'' supporting characters
* List of ''Doctor Who'' henchmen
* Lis ...
, has Princess Astra of Atrios captive, threatening to torture her if she doesn't give him the location of the final segment of the Key to Time.
On the Planet of Evil, the Doctor encounters another Time Lord, Drax, who he last met at the Academy. Drax has been employed under duress by the Shadow but agrees to help the Doctor. The Doctor leads a servant of the Shadow, known as a Mute, to his TARDIS and opens the door, but is suddenly shrunk to tiny size by Drax, who then shrinks himself using the dimensional stabiliser from his own TARDIS. Drax had misinterpreted the Doctor's plan and shrank the Doctor instead of the Mute.
The Mute returns to the Shadow with the Key, and the Doctor realises why the Shadow has requested it: Astra is the final segment, and is transformed in front of everyone. Using their diminished size, the Doctor and Drax smuggle themselves into the Shadow's lair inside of K9, who pretends to still be under the Shadow's power. Drax again uses the stabiliser, this time to return them to their normal size. The Doctor snatches the partially assembled Key and the final segment, and disappears with Romana and K9 in the
TARDIS
The TARDIS (; acronym for "Time And Relative Dimension In Space") is a fictional hybrid of the time machine and spacecraft that appears in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and its various spin-offs. Its exterior ap ...
, assembling the Key after setting up a shield around Zeos to deflect the Marshal's missiles towards the Shadow's base, destroying it.
The
White Guardian
The White Guardian is a character in the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He was played by Cyril Luckham, with the exception of a vocal message in ''The Stones of Blood'' which was performed by Gerald Cross ...
appears to congratulate the Doctor on finding and assembling the Key to Time, and requests that it be sent to him. However, the Doctor, realising that it is actually the
Black Guardian
This is a list of villains from the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. For other, related lists, see below.
See also
* List of ''Doctor Who'' supporting characters
* List of ''Doctor Who'' henchmen
* Lis ...
in disguise, orders the Key to re-disperse. Enraged, the Black Guardian threatens to kill him. In an attempt to evade him, the Doctor fits a randomiser into the TARDIS guidance system, sending it to an unknown location in time and space, leaving the Doctor with no idea of where they are headed, and the Guardian being unable to follow.
Broadcast and reception
Paul Cornell
Paul Douglas Cornell (born 18 July 1967) is a British writer best known for his work in television drama as well as ''Doctor Who'' fiction, and as the creator of one of the Doctor's spin-off companions, Bernice Summerfield.
As well as ''Docto ...
,
Martin Day, and
Keith Topping
Keith Andrew Topping (born 26 October 1963 in Walker, Tyneside) is an author, journalist and broadcaster. He is most well known for his work relating to the BBC Television series ''Doctor Who'' and for writing numerous official and unofficial g ...
gave the serial an unfavourable review in ''The Discontinuity Guide'' (1995), describing it as "a dreary end-of-season Oh-my-God-the-money's-run-out 'spectacular'" without subtle acting.
In ''The Television Companion'' (1998),
David J. Howe
David J. Howe is a British writer, journalist, publisher, and media historian.
Biography
David Howe was born 24 August 1961 and established himself (in the early 1980s) as an authoritative media historian through writing articles for fanzin ...
and
Stephen James Walker wrote that ''The Armageddon Factor'' was "entertaining enough in itself, with some good direction by Michael Hayes and generally fine production values, but ultimately fails to tie up all the loose ends and leaves the over-arching plot strangely unresolved". They praised the Shadow but felt that the other characters were one-dimensional, and called the ending a "cop-out".
In 2011, Patrick Mulkern of ''
Radio Times
''Radio Times'' (currently styled as ''RadioTimes'') is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in May 1923 by J ...
'' stated that the serial "hugely disappoints, yet it's not an unmitigated disaster". He criticised the characterisation and much of the plot, but praised the direction and the Shadow.
On the other hand,
DVD Talk
DVD Talk is a home video news and review website launched in 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman.
History
Kleinman founded the site in January 1999 in Beaverton, Oregon. Besides news and reviews, it features information on hidden DVD features known as ...
's Justin Felix gave the serial four out of five stars, saying that it "packs more of a wallop than the previous two stories" and had everything typical of ''Doctor Who''. Felix also called it Mary Tamm's best performance.
Home media
Along with the rest of season sixteen, it was released on
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...
in North America as part of the ''Key to Time'' box set in 2002, only available in Region 1. A remastered limited edition ''Key to Time'' box set was released in Region 2 in the United Kingdom on 24 September 2007.
It contains more extras than the previously released US set. This remastered set was released in Region 1 on March 3, 2009.
References
External links
*
Target novelisation
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Armageddon Factor
Fourth Doctor serials
Doctor Who serials novelised by Terrance Dicks
1979 British television episodes
Television episodes written by Bob Baker (scriptwriter)