The Tiger Who Came To Tea: Invasion of the Dinosaurs

Season 11, Story 2/5, Serial WWW: 6 x 25min episodes, 12th January to 16th February 1974, Writer: Malcolm Hulke, Director: Paddy Russell, Script Editor: Terrance Dicks, Producer: Barry Letts

I love the 2nd Pertwee title sequence.

It doesn't *quite* work, is better when refined for Tom...

...but it's a shame that Tom's version lost the starburst-looking strips coming towards the screen.

Steve Milroy@SteveMilroy the Dr Who story that still gives me nightmares!50dw50@50dw50 is it true that Letts hated the story so much he tried to get it wiped?

Chris@KosmicKris he was always embarrassed about the effects but I don't think he went that far.

50dw50@50dw50 i remember that it was said that was why it had to be recovered

There was always the excuse that they'd wiped it thinking it was part of "The Invasion".

MAW Holmes@MAW_H Because "The Invasion" had to be obliterated, no matter what the cost...!

Chris@KosmicKris Mac Hulke was furious that they changed the title on broadcast

He *wanted* it as "Invasion" - he was furious the Radio Times printed it as Invasion of the Dinosaurs, spoiling the cliffhanger!

Chris@KosmicKris ah! I knew it was something like that :)

KrynoidPodCast@KrynoidPodCast Good old Radio Times - always there to bugger up a creative decision!

I do think this 1st episode is that little bit creepier in black and white!

I still say Ambassadors of Death is better in B&W.

MAW Holmes@MAW_H Fair point... So irredeemably gritty...!

As our story opens we descend on the eerily deserted streets of London...

Sarah's had a haircut aboard the TARDIS. The Doctor... hasn't.

MAW Holmes@MAW_H "Bouffant" klaxon!!!

50dw50@50dw50 she had a cut and he a Rutherford perm.

Nebogipfel@NebogipfelWho The novel of The Daleks had a hair cutting machine which Ian used. Presumably Sarah found it.

Clever touch, the sound of trees being felled...

As the Doctor and Sarah begin to suspect they've arrived on a Sunday, they find the phones aren't working.

This looter looks a bit like Dan Castellaneta.

MAW Holmes@MAW_H Love 70s "Dodgy geezers" - so many have sports jackets and ties.

Dan's heading into dino-trouble, D'oh!

The wrecked car looks great. Nice little touch.

50dw50@50dw50 blood? a rare sight in Who.

Black and White Brig! UNIT have gone back to school.

MAW Holmes@MAW_H Those coloured pins on the chart... it's just like watching Pot Black.

50dw50@50dw50 UNIT should have had a haircut, not Sarah.

Terry Walsh thumps the Doctor! Now that's biting the hand that feeds you.

The Doctor's being attacked by Emu!

Pertwee puts his foot down and leaves Terry Dactyl for dust.

These UNIT scenes in black and white are reminding me of the chateau scenes in the War Games.

John Bennett as General Finch. One of those wonderful recurring powerhouse actors like Philip Madoc.

Chris@KosmicKris John Bennett works just the right side of OTT - brilliant little character actor.

KrynoidPodCast@KrynoidPodCast Certainly is. Wonderful as Chang in Talons and does a great turn in Blake's 7 ep Weapon.

The Doctor & Sarah are soon in the custody of the army.

"You have had a busy day, haven't you!"

The Doctor and Sarah are brought into a detention centre alongside a looter. Pretty sure that's Steve Marriott from the Small Faces.

"John Smith... no relation. And no, I don't make beer."

Sarah is 23, the Doctor is "You'd never believe me."

Love this bit as the Doctor takes the piss posing for his mugshot.

"How about one of us together?"

Looks like they'll just have to sit tight till someone in authority arrives to explain the plot.

So now that we've built up all this mystery, why not spunk it all away instead of saving it for a cliffhanger?

T-Rex!! Well, it is the 70s, I guess. He's not looking too glam, though.

Mark@OdysseusMW tad cringeworthy! Not a scene you'd show a newcomer!

KrynoidPodCast@KrynoidPodCast Apart from their glacial movement, the other Dinosaurs aren't too bad.

Isaac Dakin ‏@IWhittakerDakin Wonder how long for UNIT this takes place after Time Warrior?

The Doctor says "give or take a few weeks" at the beginning, but that's obviously a guess.

50dw50@50dw50 most of London will only have got home and unpacked after the Web of Fear evacuation.

"What is the man playing at?"

Oh look. The Doctor's on trial. Again.

Chris@KosmicKris i liked the way this story took the Army - for much of the Pertwee era a crutch and support - and turned them against Dr Who

Having received rough justice, it's time for a great escape, so a diversion is called for.

Pertwee's cockernee is hi-larious. "You're the nark, ain't ya? It woz you wot grahssed on us!"

Mark@OdysseusMW he goes from cockney to Vulcan in the blink of an eye!

MAW Holmes@MAW_H "I may be looking for work soon. I believe that 'The Sweeney' pays well for good villains..."

The guard's sidelined, but there's no honour amongst thieves, and the Doctor has to give their fellow prisoner a dose of the old Venusian Aikido.

The Doctor escapes... into danger! Uncle Terrance would be so proud.

Rarrrrrrgghhhh! Black and white Chewits monster! End of part 1!

MAW Holmes@MAW_H Well, that flew by... (like a pterodactyl on wires)

KKLAK!

Oooh, the full titled revealed as part two starts and now we're all in colour!

The film sequences in this are gorgeous.

Why didn't they use this for The Name of the Doctor?

As UNIT chuck a grenade at T. Rex, forcing the beast to moonwalk away...

...the Doctor and Sarah make it to the safety of a nearby garage.

The Doctor rubbishes Sarah's "egg" theory as unscientific.

They're suddenly attacked by a man from the Dark Ages who thinks the Doctor's an "accursed wizard"!

Is "The Accursed Wizard" episode 3 in series 9?

Mark@OdysseusMW then I believe episode 4 is "The Witches Tit".

The rewind effect of the time-eddy is great.

Yay, Brig!

"What *do* you think you're doing, Doctor?"

Safely back at UNIT HQ, the Doctor has a cup of tea. Will it make a difference if he has any sugar? It will if he shovels 57 spoonfuls in like that.

Benton's colour coded all the different dinosaurs. Nerd.

Those aren't school paintings in the background, Benton did 'em to brighten up the place.

The Doctor is already sure that the Dinosaurs are being physically transported from the past.

Mike Yates arrives to introduce him to General Finch.

"You can ask, but I don't guarantee that you'll get a reply." Oh yeah, dead establishment.

The General isn't too keen on civilian Sarah hanging around either.

Wonderful to see (hear) Pat Gorman in a speaking part by this point.

MAW Holmes@MAW_H "Do I have to die again, sir?" "'Fraud so, Corporal..."

Hmmm, film and video really don't mix *at all*, do they? Especially where CSO'd Dinosaurs are concerned!

Mike tells Sarah that with most of the population of London evacuated there's peace and quiet (apart from the looters).

"After all that business in Wales with the giant maggots..." And the Yeti on the toilet in Tooting Bec?

John Mark Frankland@JMFrankland Is Yates' betrayal the Doctor's fault? Filling up his head with all sorts of ideas about time travel and environmentalism?

You have to wonder if exposure to the Meteblis crystal in the Green Death left him *too* suggestable.

What's Mike on about? Didn't think Londoners were keen on Foxes in the city? Maybe he means the singer.

The Doctor's attempt to tie up a Stegosaurus fails.

God only knows what sort of evening that dinosaur had in store.

MAW Holmes@MAW_H 50 stegs of grey...?

Tyrannosaurs Sex. (Not even sure that qualifies as a single entendre.)

The Doctor's now totally convinced the Dinosaur Invasion is due to someone within London conducting time travel experiments.

General Finch says time travel is impossible, but the Brig's a bit more practical by pointing out that the leccy's been cut off.

Of course, that just means that someone must be making their own power, and sure enough, in an underground bunker Professor Whittaker is hard at work, assisted by Martin Jarvis...

The Doctor is concentrating on a device to stun the next unsuspecting Dinosaur that pops up.

Or trying to, anyway.

"I'll go and chat up that nice Captain Yates!" Good luck with that.

KrynoidPodCast@KrynoidPodCast The real UNIT dating controversy is that Jo Grant would never have dated Mike Yates, and vice versa ;)

Liberty Hall! Mike Yates is in with the wrong'uns!

Chris@KosmicKris this was the first time that the Doctor was actually betrayed by a "companion/regular" I remember being quite shocked by it.

The Doctor is introduced to politician Sir Charles Grover...

...whose environmentalism the Doctor appreciates.

Ah, doesn't Martin Jarvis look young. Ish.

The Doctor may be a fan of Charles Grover's environmentalism...

...but the politician dismisses Sarah's theory that someone could have their own hidden generator to power time travel experiments.

Mike is given a buzzer to knacker the Doctor's stun gun - purely to give the dopey Dinosaurs time to fade away, he's assured. Yeah, right.

"The bigger the better, Brigadier!" No comment.

Mike volunteers to fetch the stun gun, so that he can plant Whittaker's device.

The Brig has his boys on standby just in case.

Lo and behold, the Doctor's stun gun's on the blink...

...and the Brontosaurus (which is large and placid) fades away...

...just as T.Rex shows up for his once-every-25-minutes appearance!

"Give us a kiss!"

With the Doctor in a bit of a pickle...

...Mike has to undo his own sabotage to save the day.

That T. Rex was a bit of a flop!

It's that shifty Mike Yates again, none too happy with Whittaker's little trick.

Will those chains really hold him?

Sarah has cracked the case already; she's straight on to Professor Whittaker - but obviously he's "vanished".

Mike knackers the Doctor's Dino-recorder wotsit.

Grover tells Sarah Whittaker was a harmless crackpot.

General Finch is interested but can he be trusted? He seems to do more listening than talking...

Finch offers to fix her up with a special pass and gives her a note to take to his driver.

T. Rex is getting some well earned kip. That's two cliffhangers under his belt, and more to come.

Needs to rest up so he's fresh for his next big "ROOOAAAARRRR!"

Simon Threadgold@dimwittedly He's sulking. "They told me I was a starring role. I'm just window dressing."

MAW Holmes@MAW_H In the BBC bar later: "You see, Jeremy, they only bring me in for the big shock moments. I don't get to do any real acting..."

"She went off in the General's car." "OH!!!!!!!"

James Gent@jamesgent76 Forgot how sexy SJS was with the short hair and leather jacket. Lesbian chic!

Simon Threadgold@dimwittedly Oh, CSO fringing. I can't quit you.

"RRRROOOOOAAAARRRRR!!! I'M UP NOW - WHERE'S MY CHEWITS???!!!!"

Sarah is briefly knocked unconscious by a falling beam...

...but the Doctor arrives in the nick of time.

T. Rex seems reluctant to let them go without a wave goodbye.

The chains were cut through and the Doctor's machine was sabotaged.

It's a conspiracy, I tells ya!

MAW Holmes@MAW_H So... we need to ask ourselves... who benefits?

More dinosaurs = more coloured pins for Benton. Just sayin'.

MAW Holmes@MAW_H Well, precisely... Now to find a patsy...

"Oh, I see what you're getting at!" Grover's so helpful you just know he has to be in on it.

Sarah finds what she's looking for.

In your face, Bono!

No, not the hypno-chair!

When she wakes up, she's welcomed aboard a space craft by 'Mark'.

"We left Earth three months ago!"

WHAT. THE. ACTUAL...?

That can't be the cliffhanger, surely? Where's T. Rex? Seriously, though, that is a BRILLIANT cliffhanger!

General Finch angrily dismisses the Doctor's conspiracy theories. Funny that.

Mike makes his feelings about the sawn chains clear to the General. Er, wasn't that *his* handiwork?

The Brig can't quite believe his eyes. Don't blame him.

It's the Whomobile! Who thought that was a good idea? Well, Pertwee, obviously.

Simon Threadgold@dimwittedly "What on Earth's that, Doctor?" "That's my fee, Brigadier. You don't think I work for nothing, do you?"

Sarah meets the inhabitants of the B Ark, who've all re-branded themselves: Lady Cullingham (Ruth), novelist Nigel Castle (Adam) and Olympic athlete John Crighton (Mark).

"Wait a minute! I know you! Weren't you in 'Allo 'Allo?"

Before JJ Abrams, there were *actual flares* in space.

The Doctor tracks the energy emissions to a tube station.

The Doctor follows Martin Jarvis into the closet.

"Now which way to Duty Free? Need me some more hairspray."

The Doctor tries to get to Whittaker & Butler's hideaway, but gets purged.

Terry Dactyl's back! Pertwee mops the floor with him!

Sarah tries convince the others that there's something fishy about the whole setup...

...and is threatened with "re-education".

The Doctor tries to show the Brig Jarvis' magic cupboard but finds himself going nowhere fast.

Instead he goes to hold a publicly elected official to account, and is fobbed off with lies. Plus ca change...

Sarah is bored shitless by Mark's dull documentary channel marathon.

The Conspirators discuss ways to stall the Doctor until their plan can come to fruition.

The Brig's not being much help.

"Can you come alone, Doctor? It's definitely not a trap or anything, promise!"

50dw50@50dw50 "i can but it is more fun with two"

"Caught in the act!" That's two cliffhangers in a row where poor old T. Rex hasn't had a look in.

Sarah gives Mark the slip...

...and finds that not only are all the controls fake, her cut hasn't had time to heal, and the airlock leads... to a corridor outside!

It's a cold, cold moment when the Doctor realizes that Mike is a traitor.

Lovely bit of hurt from Benton too.

There's some really lovely stuff for Benton in this episode. "You'd better start overpowering me."

Why does the Doctor let Benton fall flat on his face though!

Every pub could do with one of these reverse-broken-glass deelies.

Simon Threadgold@dimwittedly He must be the most apathetic man ever to demonstrate a time machine.

With that power I could be up above the gods! Or mend broken crockery, at any rate!

"Well, don't just stand there, Benton, go and put yourself under arrest..."

Now on the loose, the Doctor gives UNIT the slip.

See, now why weren't *these* film sequences used for The Name of the Doctor?

Could've cut *anything* else in instead of the 'copter for JP's reactions: CGI monster, a Dalek saucer...

Even got fairly steady shots, in great colour, great resolution, of him out of the jeep, in the woods.

Pertwee puts on one of his radio voices to call UNIT off.

Sarah stops to write a note for the Doctor. "Off out with the General. Get milk."

Guess what? Finch is in on it, too.

Sarah was unusually slow, there.

Grover's plan is have Prof. Whittaker reverse time over the whole Earth...

...then repopulate with his chosen few.

50dw50@50dw50 wont the Silurians be rather surprised if a load of hippies suddenly turn up?

"Dr. Lawrence? Thought we polished you off with Geoffrey Palmer!"

"He's back, and it's about time!" T. Rex cliffhanger! Boom!

When T. Rex & Brontosaurus have a barney, there's no blood...

...but it does look like T. Rex has slobbered on B.

It's the battle of the military moustaches, as the Brig and General Finch both lay claim to the captured Doctor.

Butler shoves Sarah in a store room at the behest of Grover. Big mistake.

The UNIT family draw their plans against the conspirators...

...only for the treacherous Yates to pull a gun on them.

"You've got no right to take away the existence of generations of people..." The Doctor condemns the DWP, telling Mike "there never was a golden age."

When Bryson reappears with the brews, the distraction is enough for Benton to get the drop on Yates.

Sarah finds her way back to the "ship" and proceeds to burst Mark's bubble.

The Doctor & the Brig prepare to bring the house down at Chez Grover.

Sarah brings the golden agers back down to Earth. "That can't be true!" "I sold my house!" Plonker.

Jez decides it's time to call Charles Grover on the "A" Ark.

The Doctor & the Brig take the Dino Highway.

"I better dress for the occasion." Grover thinks he's Eric Roberts.

There's a Stegosaurus in the way when they get there so the Brig lobs a grenade at it. A simple "Shoo!" would have done.

Grover moonwalks into the "ship".

The Doctor's determined to take the Brig down this time.

When Adam overhears Grover's admission, it seems the tide will turn in Sarah's favour.

"Good grief. a triceratops. Brigadier, try & keep it occupied while I'm finishing this off, will you?"

BRIGADIER SMASH!

When the Brig radios Benton for reinforcements, the Sergeant finds himself at gunpoint.

But Benton's had enough of Finch.

"You'll be court-martialled for this Sergeant!"

"Yes, sir, very sorry, sir!"

Mark@OdysseusMW love that, apologising as he's smashing his face in!

For all accusations of padding Mac Hulke's stories are plotted up to the last minute of the last episode.

Jez demands explanations from those running the show.

"Let Professor Whitaker pull that lever and you shall have the golden age that I promised you."

Whitaker only succeeds in sending himself and Grover back to Jurassic Park.

"He's reversed the polarity!" Just for a change ;-P

With Operation: Golden Age a thing of the past, the Brig's managed to wangle "Extended sick leave and a chance to resign quietly." for Mike Yates. "Best I could do."