The Power of Kroll
Encyclopedia
- When script editor Anthony ReadAnthony ReadAnthony "Tony" Read is a British script editor, television writer and author. He was principally active in British television from the 1960s to the mid-1980s, although he occasionally contributed to televised productions until 1999. Starting in the 1980s, he launched a second career as a print...
asked Robert HolmesRobert Holmes (scriptwriter)This entry is about the television scriptwriter. For other people with the same name, see Robert Holmes .Robert Colin Holmes was an English television scriptwriter, who for over twenty-five years contributed to some of the most popular programmes screened in the UK...
to write the story, there were two requirements: that it include the largest monster in series history and that Holmes minimise the humour that many scripts from the era were known for. This second requirement was a request from higher up at the BBC. Holmes' early titles for the story were Moon of Death and Horror of the Swamp. He has said that he considered the idea of a large monster a mistake given the budgetary constraints at the BBC and names The Power of Kroll as his least favourite Doctor Who story. - Extensive location filming took place in Snape, SuffolkSnape, SuffolkSnape is a small village in the English county of Suffolk, on the River Alde close to Aldeburgh. It has about 600 inhabitants. Snape is now best known for Snape Maltings, no longer in commercial use, but converted into a tourist centre together with a concert hall that hosts the major part of the...
around the River AldeRiver AldeThe River Alde is a river in Suffolk, England, with a source near Laxfield in the same area as the River Blyth. Initially a stream, it becomes tidal and widens considerably when it reaches Snape. It meanders east past Aldeburgh, after which this part of the river was named...
from Monday 18 September 1978 to represent the marshes featured in the script. Nine days of location filming were afforded to the serial, including two night shoots, more than is usual for a Doctor Who story. Studio sequences were taped during October 1978. The serial was directed by Norman Stewart, who had directed the UnderworldUnderworld (Doctor Who)Underworld is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 7 January - 28 January 1978.-Synopsis:...
story a year previously. This was his final assignment on the programme. The actors playing Swampies were coloured green with a special water-resistant dye ordered from Germany. Unfortunately, the make-up artist failed to order the special dye remover, with the result that many of the actors had to take chemical baths to get the green dye off, and many had a green tint for a long period after production was finished. Costume designer Colin Lavers re-used the Doctor's grey coat, last seen in The Sunmakers and added four flying ducks to the lapels. Around this time, producer Graham WilliamsGraham WilliamsGraham Williams was a British television producer and script editor, whose best known work was on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who....
fell ill and his duties were taken on by Anthony Read and production manager John Nathan Turner, assisted by Blake's 7Blake's 7Blake's 7 is a British science fiction television series produced by the BBC for its BBC1 channel. The series was created by Terry Nation, a prolific television writer and creator of the Daleks for the television series Doctor Who. Four series of Blake's 7 were produced and broadcast between 1978...
producer David MaloneyDavid MaloneyDavid John Lee Maloney was a British television director and producer. He was born in Alvechurch, Worcestershire, was educated at King Edward VI Five Ways and served in the Royal Air Force before becoming an actor in the theatre...
.
Cast notes
- Philip Madoc had previously appeared in The KrotonsThe KrotonsThe Krotons is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from December 28, 1968 to January 18, 1969...
, The War GamesThe War GamesThe War Games is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which originally aired in ten weekly parts from 19 April to 21 June 1969. It was the last regular appearance of Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor, and of Wendy Padbury and Frazer Hines as companions Zoe...
and The Brain of MorbiusThe Brain of MorbiusThe Brain of Morbius is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 3 January to 24 January 1976...
. He had initially been invited to play Thawn, but after he arrived for filming, he learned that the part had been given to another actor. He agreed to play the part of Fenner when Alan BrowningAlan BrowningAlan Browning was an English film and television actor, born in Sunderland. He is best remembered as the character Alan Howard in the television series Coronation Street, a role he played from 1969 until 1973...
, who was slated to play Fenner, fell ill before the start of production, but was dissatisfied with the role. - John Leeson, who voiced K-9K-9 (Doctor Who)K-9, or K9, is the name of several fictional robotic canines in the long-running British science fiction television series, Doctor Who, first appearing in 1977...
, appears in this story as Dugeen. This is his only on-screen appearance in Doctor Who and was given the role because K-9 doesn't appear in this story. - Neil McCarthy previously played Barnham in The Mind of EvilThe Mind of EvilThe Mind of Evil is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 30 January to 6 March 1971.-Plot:...
. - John Abineri previously played Van Lutyens in Fury from the DeepFury from the DeepFury from the Deep is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which originally aired in six weekly parts from 16 March to 20 April 1968...
, General Carrington in The Ambassadors of DeathThe Ambassadors of DeathThe Ambassadors of Death is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in seven weekly parts from March 21 to May 2, 1970.-Plot:...
and Richard Railton in Death to the DaleksDeath to the DaleksDeath to the Daleks is a four-part serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. First broadcast from February 23 to March 16, 1974, it comprises four 25-minute episodes. The narrative begins as the TARDIS suffers an energy drain and crash-lands on the planet Exxilon...
.
Broadcast and reception
The story was transmitted over the Christmas and New Year period 1978/1979, leading to higher than normal viewing figures for episode two, transmitted on 30 December. The Power of Kroll is generally regarded as one of the weaker Doctor Who stories and the poorest of the show's 16th season. Criticisms aimed at the serial include poor split-screen effects to depict the presence of the monster, and flat direction. It was voted at #174 by readers of Doctor Who MagazineDoctor Who Magazine
Doctor Who Magazine is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
in a 2009 poll of the top 200 stories - the fifth lowest of any Tom Baker story.
In print
A novelisation of this serial, written by Terrance DicksTerrance Dicks
Terrance Dicks is an English writer, best known for his work in television and for writing a large number of popular children's books during the 1970s and 80s.- Early career :...
, was published by Target Books
Target 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 May 1980.
VHS and DVD releases
- This story was released on VHSVHSThe Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
in June 1995. - This serial, along with the rest of season sixteen, was released as part of the Key to Time box set on region 2 DVD on 24 September 2007, it was released in region 1 on 3 March 2009.
External links
Fan reviewsTarget novelisation