The Myth Makers
Encyclopedia
The Myth Makers is a serial in the British
science fiction television series Doctor Who
, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 16 October to 6 November 1965. The story is set in Homer
ic Troy
, based on Iliad
by Homer. This serial sees the last appearance of Maureen O'Brien
as Vicki
and the introduction of Adrienne Hill
as the Doctor's
newest companion
, Katarina
.
for 10 years. The war began when Helen of Sparta abandoned her husband Menelaus
for the Trojan Prince Paris
, son of King Priam
. Menelaus’ brother, Agamemnon
, commands the Greek army that surrounds Troy and has besieged it for a decade, seeking to increase his power through a war based on this adulterous liaison.
On the plains just outside Troy
the Greek warrior Achilles
slays the Trojan Hector
, another son of King Priam, when the materialization of the TARDIS
disturbs Hector’s concentration. When the Doctor
emerges from within the TARDIS, Achilles believes him to be the god Zeus
disguised as an old beggar, and insists he accompany him to the Greek encampment. En route they encounter the sailor warrior Odysseus
(from the Odyssey
), who travels with them to the Greek camp. When they arrive, Agamemnon insists the Doctor, being Zeus, help him against the Trojans, and will not let him depart until his aid is forthcoming. Odysseus is more sceptical, disbelieving Achilles, and branding the Doctor a Trojan spy
.
The Doctor’s companions Vicki
and Steven
have watched him being led away. Vicki still has an injured ankle from a previous adventure in Galaxy 4
, so Steven ventures out alone to try and help the Doctor. He is spotted heading for the Trojan camp by Cyclops
, a mute servant of Odysseus, who reports this to his master. Odysseus soon catches Steven and takes him to the Greek camp as well, where the two prisoners must pretend they do not know each other in order to maintain the Doctor's guise as Zeus. The Doctor eventually persuades the Greeks to spare Steven until the next morning when he, as Zeus himself, will strike down "the spy" with a heavenly thunderbolt. Moments later Cyclops returns to the Greek camp, and through sign language communicates that Zeus’ temple (the TARDIS) has disappeared from the plains of Troy.
The next morning, the Doctor and Steven travel with the Greeks to the plains and discover the TARDIS has indeed disappeared. The Doctor confesses that he and Steven are indeed friends and not gods in disguise. Odysseus decides to let them live, but demands that their powers be used to destroy the Trojans within two days, or they will be killed. Steven privately suggests to the Doctor that they use the Trojan Horse
of myth, but the Doctor is reluctant to do so.
The TARDIS has been taken within the walled city of Troy
as a prize and is presented to King Priam by his son Paris, but Priam is unimpressed and more interested in getting revenge for the death of his son Hector. The blue police box
is denounced by Priam’s daughter, the prophetess Cassandra
, as dangerous - she has dreamt that the Greeks will leave a gift on the plain which will contain soldiers to attack the Trojans. She demands that the TARDIS be burnt and a pyre is constructed around it, but before it can be set alight, Vicki emerges from within the TARDIS and this is taken as a sign from the gods. The King and Paris are enchanted by her, dressed as she is in a wonderful gown, and the King renames her Cressida
and makes her a favourite at court. This enrages Cassandra, who believes Vicki to be a rival prophet
.
Priam sends Paris out on to the plains once more to avenge Hector. Paris calls for his rival Achilles to present himself, and Steven manages to persuade the Greeks to send him in Greek armor instead, hoping he can get himself injured and then taken prisoner to Troy to search for Vicki. Adopting the name Diomede
, Steven engages Paris in battle and his ruse works. When he arrives, Vicki greets him with his real name and this is taken by Cassandra as a sign they are both spies. She calls for soldiers to kill them.
Paris intervenes to save Steven and Vicki, prompting Priam to ask Vicki to foretell how the war might be ended soon, as he is tired of conflict. Unless she helps him end the war, however, he warns she will die the following day. Steven and Vicki are taken to the cells to prompt her into prophecy. Whilst there Steven tells Vicki that the Doctor has a similar deadline to win the war for the Greeks. Cyclops appears near Steven’s cell and is given a message for the Doctor, asking him to avoid an attack for two days so that they are not killed for failing Troy. The next visitor to the cells is Priam’s youngest son, Troilus
, who has formed a romantic attachment to “Cressida.” Vicki is equally attracted to him, and seems successful in persuading him to try to get them released. Elsewhere, Cyclops is slain before he can pass on his message.
The Doctor has now come under such pressure to help the Greeks he eventually proposes the use of a wooden horse
to Odysseus. The construct will be left on the plains outside Troy and filled with Greeks, who hope the horse will be taken within the city. Agamemnon approves the plan, but it is also decided the Doctor will be among those inside the horse. When day breaks, it is spotted by the Trojans and dragged inside their city.
The Trojans respond to the seeming disappearance of the Greek army by rejoicing, and Priam has Vicki released in thanks for her supposed good work. Steven, however, is kept in prison due to Troilus’ jealousy. The Trojans dismiss Cassandra’s prophecies (in the myths, Cassandra was given the gift of prophecy by Apollo
, but then cursed never to be believed).
In the revelry Vicki slips away and rescues Steven from the dungeons. They then head for the square, where a vast crowd has assembled to greet the giant wooden horse, and worry about what will happen when the Greeks hidden inside disembark. Cassandra’s handmaiden, Katarina
, arrives in the square to find Vicki for her mistress. This prompts Vicki to leave Steven in a hiding place (his escape in Greek armour having now been noticed) while she mingles with the royal party that has just arrived. She then heads off to the palace where she meets Troilus and, aware of the carnage to come, she tries to persuade him to flee with her from the city by telling him Diomede, his rival, is on the plain. He is persuaded to venture outside.
Night falls again, and under the cover of darkness the Greek navy returns to the Trojan coast, while the Doctor, Odysseus and the Greek soldiers exit the horse. The city is soon besieged and the populace butchered by the Greeks. Priam, Paris, and the proven Cassandra are soon the prisoners of Odysseus. The two men are slain and Cassandra is kept alive as a prize for Agamemnon himself. She is taken away in bondage, prophesying Odysseus that he won't see home for another 10 years and death for his people. Out on the plain Troilus finds Achilles and, staggered that the Greek army is back again, engages Achilles and slays him, though he is wounded in the process.
The Doctor finds Vicki in the carnage and they hide in the TARDIS while Katarina, who has been trailing Vicki, obliges the Doctor by searching for Steven. She finds him in battle with a Trojan soldier and he is badly wounded, but she helps him return to the Doctor’s "blue temple". When Katarina and Steven reach it, both the Doctor and Vicki seem very tense. Odysseus arrives and the Doctor takes the opportunity to dematerialise the TARDIS with Steven and Katarina on board. Vicki, however, has slipped away with his blessing. She journeys on to the plains where she finds Troilus and they declare their love. Moments later Troilus’ cousin Aeneas arrives with reinforcements and helps them escape the area.
Aboard the TARDIS, the Doctor is very concerned that Steven’s wound is now infected and is getting worse. Katarina believes they have already died and are now en route to the afterlife. The Doctor knows they need to secure the right medication to save Steven and hopes their next landing will provide it.
in April 1985. There are significant differences between the novel and the televised story; the novel is narrated by Homer, who also plays the part of the mute servant Cyclops from the episode. The cliffhanger ending of Steven being wounded is also gone. An unabridged reading of the novelisation by actor Stephen Thorne
was released on CD in April 2008 by BBC Audiobooks.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
science fiction television series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 16 October to 6 November 1965. The story is set in Homer
Homer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
ic Troy
Troy
Troy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...
, based on Iliad
Iliad
The Iliad is an epic poem in dactylic hexameters, traditionally attributed to Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles...
by Homer. This serial sees the last appearance of Maureen O'Brien
Maureen O'Brien
Maureen O'Brien is an English actress of Irish descent and author best known for playing the role of Vicki in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, although she has appeared in many other television programmes as well.She played the part of Vicki in 38 episodes of Doctor Who from 2...
as Vicki
Vicki
Vicki is a fictional character played by Maureen O'Brien in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. An orphan from the 25th century, she was a companion of the First Doctor and a regular in the programme in Seasons 2 and 3 in 1965...
and the introduction of Adrienne Hill
Adrienne Hill
Adrienne Hill was an English actress.In 1965, she appeared in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who as Katarina, a companion of the Doctor — who at that time was played by William Hartnell...
as the Doctor's
Doctor (Doctor Who)
The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
newest companion
Companion (Doctor Who)
In the long-running BBC television science fiction programme Doctor Who and related works, the term "companion" refers to a character who travels with, and shares the adventures of the Doctor. In most Doctor Who stories, the primary companion acts as both deuteragonist and audience surrogate...
, Katarina
Katarina (Doctor Who)
Katarina is a fictional character played by Adrienne Hill in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who appearing in the programme from November to December 1965....
.
Plot
The Greek army has besieged the ancient walled city of TroyTroy
Troy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...
for 10 years. The war began when Helen of Sparta abandoned her husband Menelaus
Menelaus
Menelaus may refer to;*Menelaus, one of the two most known Atrides, a king of Sparta and son of Atreus and Aerope*Menelaus on the Moon, named after Menelaus of Alexandria.*Menelaus , brother of Ptolemy I Soter...
for the Trojan Prince Paris
Paris (mythology)
Paris , the son of Priam, king of Troy, appears in a number of Greek legends. Probably the best-known was his elopement with Helen, queen of Sparta, this being one of the immediate causes of the Trojan War...
, son of King Priam
Priam
Priam was the king of Troy during the Trojan War and youngest son of Laomedon. Modern scholars derive his name from the Luwian compound Priimuua, which means "exceptionally courageous".- Marriage and issue :...
. Menelaus’ brother, Agamemnon
Agamemnon
In Greek mythology, Agamemnon was the son of King Atreus and Queen Aerope of Mycenae, the brother of Menelaus, the husband of Clytemnestra, and the father of Electra and Orestes. Mythical legends make him the king of Mycenae or Argos, thought to be different names for the same area...
, commands the Greek army that surrounds Troy and has besieged it for a decade, seeking to increase his power through a war based on this adulterous liaison.
On the plains just outside Troy
Troy
Troy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...
the Greek warrior Achilles
Achilles
In Greek mythology, Achilles was a Greek hero of the Trojan War, the central character and the greatest warrior of Homer's Iliad.Plato named Achilles the handsomest of the heroes assembled against Troy....
slays the Trojan Hector
Hector
In Greek mythology, Hectōr , or Hektōr, is a Trojan prince and the greatest fighter for Troy in the Trojan War. As the first-born son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba, a descendant of Dardanus, who lived under Mount Ida, and of Tros, the founder of Troy, he was a prince of the royal house and the...
, another son of King Priam, when the materialization of the TARDIS
TARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
disturbs Hector’s concentration. When the Doctor
Doctor (Doctor Who)
The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
emerges from within the TARDIS, Achilles believes him to be the god Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
disguised as an old beggar, and insists he accompany him to the Greek encampment. En route they encounter the sailor warrior Odysseus
Odysseus
Odysseus or Ulysses was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. Odysseus also plays a key role in Homer's Iliad and other works in the Epic Cycle....
(from the Odyssey
Odyssey
The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon, and is the second—the Iliad being the first—extant work of Western literature...
), who travels with them to the Greek camp. When they arrive, Agamemnon insists the Doctor, being Zeus, help him against the Trojans, and will not let him depart until his aid is forthcoming. Odysseus is more sceptical, disbelieving Achilles, and branding the Doctor a Trojan spy
SPY
SPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...
.
The Doctor’s companions Vicki
Vicki
Vicki is a fictional character played by Maureen O'Brien in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. An orphan from the 25th century, she was a companion of the First Doctor and a regular in the programme in Seasons 2 and 3 in 1965...
and Steven
Steven Taylor (Doctor Who)
Steven Taylor is a fictional character played by Peter Purves in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A space pilot from Earth in the future, he was a companion of the First Doctor and a regular in the programme from 1965 to 1966.-Character history:Steven first...
have watched him being led away. Vicki still has an injured ankle from a previous adventure in Galaxy 4
Galaxy 4
Galaxy 4 is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 11 September to 2 October 1965.-Plot:...
, so Steven ventures out alone to try and help the Doctor. He is spotted heading for the Trojan camp by Cyclops
Cyclops
A cyclops , in Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, was a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his forehead...
, a mute servant of Odysseus, who reports this to his master. Odysseus soon catches Steven and takes him to the Greek camp as well, where the two prisoners must pretend they do not know each other in order to maintain the Doctor's guise as Zeus. The Doctor eventually persuades the Greeks to spare Steven until the next morning when he, as Zeus himself, will strike down "the spy" with a heavenly thunderbolt. Moments later Cyclops returns to the Greek camp, and through sign language communicates that Zeus’ temple (the TARDIS) has disappeared from the plains of Troy.
The next morning, the Doctor and Steven travel with the Greeks to the plains and discover the TARDIS has indeed disappeared. The Doctor confesses that he and Steven are indeed friends and not gods in disguise. Odysseus decides to let them live, but demands that their powers be used to destroy the Trojans within two days, or they will be killed. Steven privately suggests to the Doctor that they use the Trojan Horse
Trojan Horse
The Trojan Horse is a tale from the Trojan War about the stratagem that allowed the Greeks finally to enter the city of Troy and end the conflict. In the canonical version, after a fruitless 10-year siege, the Greeks constructed a huge wooden horse, and hid a select force of men inside...
of myth, but the Doctor is reluctant to do so.
The TARDIS has been taken within the walled city of Troy
Troy
Troy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...
as a prize and is presented to King Priam by his son Paris, but Priam is unimpressed and more interested in getting revenge for the death of his son Hector. The blue police box
Police box
A police box is a British telephone kiosk or callbox located in a public place for the use of members of the police, or for members of the public to contact the police...
is denounced by Priam’s daughter, the prophetess Cassandra
Cassandra
In Greek mythology, Cassandra was the daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy. Her beauty caused Apollo to grant her the gift of prophecy...
, as dangerous - she has dreamt that the Greeks will leave a gift on the plain which will contain soldiers to attack the Trojans. She demands that the TARDIS be burnt and a pyre is constructed around it, but before it can be set alight, Vicki emerges from within the TARDIS and this is taken as a sign from the gods. The King and Paris are enchanted by her, dressed as she is in a wonderful gown, and the King renames her Cressida
Cressida
Cressida is a character who appears in many Medieval and Renaissance retellings of the story of the Trojan War. She is a Trojan woman, the daughter of Calchas a priestly defector to the Greeks...
and makes her a favourite at court. This enrages Cassandra, who believes Vicki to be a rival prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
.
Priam sends Paris out on to the plains once more to avenge Hector. Paris calls for his rival Achilles to present himself, and Steven manages to persuade the Greeks to send him in Greek armor instead, hoping he can get himself injured and then taken prisoner to Troy to search for Vicki. Adopting the name Diomede
Diomede
Diomede is the name of four women in Greek mythology.- Diomede of Lesbos :As written in Homer's Iliad, Diomede was a mistress of Achilles, taken up after the seizure of Briseis by King Agamemnon. Her father was Phorbas of Lesbos.- Diomede the Lapith :Diomede was a Lapith, and daughter of Lapithes...
, Steven engages Paris in battle and his ruse works. When he arrives, Vicki greets him with his real name and this is taken by Cassandra as a sign they are both spies. She calls for soldiers to kill them.
Paris intervenes to save Steven and Vicki, prompting Priam to ask Vicki to foretell how the war might be ended soon, as he is tired of conflict. Unless she helps him end the war, however, he warns she will die the following day. Steven and Vicki are taken to the cells to prompt her into prophecy. Whilst there Steven tells Vicki that the Doctor has a similar deadline to win the war for the Greeks. Cyclops appears near Steven’s cell and is given a message for the Doctor, asking him to avoid an attack for two days so that they are not killed for failing Troy. The next visitor to the cells is Priam’s youngest son, Troilus
Troilus
Troilus is a legendary character associated with the story of the Trojan War...
, who has formed a romantic attachment to “Cressida.” Vicki is equally attracted to him, and seems successful in persuading him to try to get them released. Elsewhere, Cyclops is slain before he can pass on his message.
The Doctor has now come under such pressure to help the Greeks he eventually proposes the use of a wooden horse
Trojan Horse
The Trojan Horse is a tale from the Trojan War about the stratagem that allowed the Greeks finally to enter the city of Troy and end the conflict. In the canonical version, after a fruitless 10-year siege, the Greeks constructed a huge wooden horse, and hid a select force of men inside...
to Odysseus. The construct will be left on the plains outside Troy and filled with Greeks, who hope the horse will be taken within the city. Agamemnon approves the plan, but it is also decided the Doctor will be among those inside the horse. When day breaks, it is spotted by the Trojans and dragged inside their city.
The Trojans respond to the seeming disappearance of the Greek army by rejoicing, and Priam has Vicki released in thanks for her supposed good work. Steven, however, is kept in prison due to Troilus’ jealousy. The Trojans dismiss Cassandra’s prophecies (in the myths, Cassandra was given the gift of prophecy by Apollo
Apollo
Apollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...
, but then cursed never to be believed).
In the revelry Vicki slips away and rescues Steven from the dungeons. They then head for the square, where a vast crowd has assembled to greet the giant wooden horse, and worry about what will happen when the Greeks hidden inside disembark. Cassandra’s handmaiden, Katarina
Katarina (Doctor Who)
Katarina is a fictional character played by Adrienne Hill in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who appearing in the programme from November to December 1965....
, arrives in the square to find Vicki for her mistress. This prompts Vicki to leave Steven in a hiding place (his escape in Greek armour having now been noticed) while she mingles with the royal party that has just arrived. She then heads off to the palace where she meets Troilus and, aware of the carnage to come, she tries to persuade him to flee with her from the city by telling him Diomede, his rival, is on the plain. He is persuaded to venture outside.
Night falls again, and under the cover of darkness the Greek navy returns to the Trojan coast, while the Doctor, Odysseus and the Greek soldiers exit the horse. The city is soon besieged and the populace butchered by the Greeks. Priam, Paris, and the proven Cassandra are soon the prisoners of Odysseus. The two men are slain and Cassandra is kept alive as a prize for Agamemnon himself. She is taken away in bondage, prophesying Odysseus that he won't see home for another 10 years and death for his people. Out on the plain Troilus finds Achilles and, staggered that the Greek army is back again, engages Achilles and slays him, though he is wounded in the process.
The Doctor finds Vicki in the carnage and they hide in the TARDIS while Katarina, who has been trailing Vicki, obliges the Doctor by searching for Steven. She finds him in battle with a Trojan soldier and he is badly wounded, but she helps him return to the Doctor’s "blue temple". When Katarina and Steven reach it, both the Doctor and Vicki seem very tense. Odysseus arrives and the Doctor takes the opportunity to dematerialise the TARDIS with Steven and Katarina on board. Vicki, however, has slipped away with his blessing. She journeys on to the plains where she finds Troilus and they declare their love. Moments later Troilus’ cousin Aeneas arrives with reinforcements and helps them escape the area.
Aboard the TARDIS, the Doctor is very concerned that Steven’s wound is now infected and is getting worse. Katarina believes they have already died and are now en route to the afterlife. The Doctor knows they need to secure the right medication to save Steven and hopes their next landing will provide it.
Production
- Originally, the titles of all the episodes were intended by Dennis SpoonerDennis SpoonerDennis Spooner was an English television screenwriter and story editor, known primarily for his programmes about fictional spies and his work in children's television in the 1960s...
to be punPunThe pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
s (as was that of Episode 2), including: "Deus Ex Machina" and "Is There A Doctor In The Horse?". These titles were vetoed by the BBC, but the title of Episode 2 was allowed to remain only at script editor Donald ToshDonald ToshDonald Tosh was a BBC screenwriter during the 1960s who contributed to the Doctor Who programme in 1965.Before working on Doctor Who Tosh was briefly script editor on the series Compact, and had helped to develop the show that eventually became Coronation Street.Tosh was the story editor for the...
's insistence. - Donald Cotton pulled material for his scripts from his extensive knowledge of classical and medieval literatureMedieval literatureMedieval literature is a broad subject, encompassing essentially all written works available in Europe and beyond during the Middle Ages . The literature of this time was composed of religious writings as well as secular works...
, including the epicsEpic poetryAn epic is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. Oral poetry may qualify as an epic, and Albert Lord and Milman Parry have argued that classical epics were fundamentally an oral poetic form...
of HomerHomerIn the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
, the playsPlay (theatre)A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
of AeschylusAeschylusAeschylus was the first of the three ancient Greek tragedians whose work has survived, the others being Sophocles and Euripides, and is often described as the father of tragedy. His name derives from the Greek word aiskhos , meaning "shame"...
and EuripidesEuripidesEuripides was one of the three great tragedians of classical Athens, the other two being Aeschylus and Sophocles. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to him but according to the Suda it was ninety-two at most...
, VirgilVirgilPublius Vergilius Maro, usually called Virgil or Vergil in English , was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He is known for three major works of Latin literature, the Eclogues , the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid...
's AeneidAeneidThe Aeneid is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans. It is composed of roughly 10,000 lines in dactylic hexameter...
, and Geoffrey ChaucerGeoffrey ChaucerGeoffrey Chaucer , known as the Father of English literature, is widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages and was the first poet to have been buried in Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey...
's Troilus and CriseydeTroilus and CriseydeTroilus and Criseyde is a poem by Geoffrey Chaucer which re-tells in Middle English the tragic story of the lovers Troilus and Criseyde set against a backdrop of war in the Siege of Troy. It was composed using rime royale and probably completed during the mid 1380s. Many Chaucer scholars regard it...
. - William Hartnell suffered a bereavement while working on the story: the death of his Aunt Bessie, who had looked after him during his troubled childhood. Unfortunately, the tight recording schedules prevented Hartnell from taking time off to attend her funeral.
- This was the first story produced by new series producer John WilesJohn WilesJohn Wiles was a television writer and producer, now best known for being the second producer of the popular science fiction serial Doctor Who, succeeding Verity Lambert...
, replacing the original producer, Verity LambertVerity LambertVerity Ann Lambert, OBE was an English television and film producer. She is best known as the founding producer of the science-fiction series Doctor Who, a programme which has become a part of British popular culture, and for her association with Thames Television...
, in the role.
Cast notes
- Barrie Ingham also played Alydon in the film Dr. Who and the DaleksDr. Who and the DaleksDr. Who and the Daleks was the first of two Doctor Who films made in the 1960s. It was followed by Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D....
. - Francis de Wolff had previously played Vasor in The Keys of MarinusThe Keys of MarinusThe Keys of Marinus is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in 6 weekly parts from April 11 to May 16, 1964...
. - Tutte Lemkow had previously played Kuiju in Marco PoloMarco Polo (Doctor Who)-CD and DVD releases:*In 2003, a three-CD set of the audio soundtrack was released, as part of Doctor Who's 40th anniversary. This CD set is unique in containing a map of Cathay as represented during the period of the Doctor's visit to China, and also explaining historical inaccuracies...
and Ibrahim in The CrusadeThe Crusade (Doctor Who)The Crusade is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from March 27 to April 17, 1965. The story is set in Palestine, near Jerusalem, during the Third Crusade.-Plot:...
. - Ivor Salter had previously played the Morok Commander in The Space MuseumThe Space Museum-VHS, CD and DVD releases:*This story was released alongside the surviving episodes of The Crusade on VHS in 1999.*The audio soundtrack was released with narration from Maureen O'Brien on CD in 2009....
and would appear again as Sergeant Markham in Black OrchidBlack Orchid (Doctor Who)Black Orchid is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in two parts on 1 March and 2 March 1982...
.
In print
A novelisation of this serial, written by Donald Cotton, was published by Target BooksTarget Books
Target Books was a British publishing imprint, established in 1973 by Universal-Tandem Publishing Co Ltd, a paperback publishing company. The imprint was established as a children's imprint to complement the adult Tandem imprint, and became well known for their highly successful range of...
in April 1985. There are significant differences between the novel and the televised story; the novel is narrated by Homer, who also plays the part of the mute servant Cyclops from the episode. The cliffhanger ending of Steven being wounded is also gone. An unabridged reading of the novelisation by actor Stephen Thorne
Stephen Thorne
Stephen Thorne is a British actor of radio, film, stage and television.He trained at the and after a time in weekly rep. he played several seasons with the Old Vic Company and the RSC in Stratford and London including a tour to Russia...
was released on CD in April 2008 by BBC Audiobooks.
CD and DVD releases
- The soundtracks to these episodes exist and have been released on CD with linking narration provided by Peter Purves.
- The only extant clips – eleven 8mm film recordings made by fans off-air - were made available on the Lost in Time DVDDVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
boxset release. - In the 1980s, Reeltime PicturesReeltime PicturesReeltime Pictures is a British multimedia film and video production company founded in 1984 by Keith Barnfather.It is known for its many documentaries about the long-running television series Doctor Who and in particular for The Myth Makers, a series of interviews with people associated with the...
launched a series of home videoHome videoHome video is a blanket term used for pre-recorded media that is either sold or rented/hired for home cinema entertainment. The term originates from the VHS/Betamax era but has carried over into current optical disc formats like DVD and Blu-ray Disc and, to a lesser extent, into methods of digital...
releases featuring interviews with the cast and crew of Doctor Who. This long-running series of tapes (which later included the first independently-produced Doctor Who spin-offs) was entitled Myth Makers after this story.
External links
- Doctor Who Locations - The Myth Makers
Reviews
- The Myth Makers reviews at Outpost GallifreyOutpost GallifreyOutpost Gallifrey was a fan website for the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was active as a complete fan site from 1995 until 2007, then existing solely as a portal to the still-active parts of the site, including its news page and forums Outpost Gallifrey was a fan website...
Target novelisation
- The Myth Makers novelisation reviews at Outpost GallifreyOutpost GallifreyOutpost Gallifrey was a fan website for the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was active as a complete fan site from 1995 until 2007, then existing solely as a portal to the still-active parts of the site, including its news page and forums Outpost Gallifrey was a fan website...
- On Target — The Myth Makers
Audio Adaptation
- The Myth Makers audio reviews at Outpost GallifreyOutpost GallifreyOutpost Gallifrey was a fan website for the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was active as a complete fan site from 1995 until 2007, then existing solely as a portal to the still-active parts of the site, including its news page and forums Outpost Gallifrey was a fan website...