The Invasion of Time

] [cite web
url= http://www.shannonsullivan.com/drwho/serials/5z.html
title= The Invasion of Time
publisher = A Brief History of Time Travel
last = Sullivan
first = Shannon
date = 2007-08-07
accessdate = 2008-08-30]
*The script is credited to David Agnew, a pseudonym often used by the BBC for work produced "in house" by contracted production team members. On this occasion it masks the authors Anthony Read (the series' script editor) and Graham Williams (series producer).
*This story was written as a replacement for another story, "The Killers of the Dark" by David Weir, which was considered too expensive and complex to shoot. The script was written in just two weeks, with four days for rewrites. Additionally, when asked about the unused script at a convention, Graham Williams, having forgotten the exact title, made up the name "Gin Sengh", as in "The Killer Cats of Geng Singh" (or "Geng Singh" — the spelling being indeterminate), resulting in the fan myth that this was the original title.cite video|title=The Invasion of Time DVD Information Text|people=Martin Wiggins|publisher=2entertain|date=2008]
*An industrial strike, which was eventually resolved before production, forced the studio sets to be constructed within St Anne's Hospital as BBC's Christmas holiday specials were given priority in the regular studios.
*As a result of the industrial strike, Graham Williams was given the option of not producing the final six episodes of the season and have the money rollover into the next season. Williams rejected this because of the additional problem of inflation that year and didn't want the budgeted money to depreciate even further.
*Louise Jameson, who had already announced her departure from the show, reportedly wished for her character, Leela, to be killed at the end of the series, and was disappointed that Leela instead opted to stay behind on Gallifrey with Andred, even though nothing in the script suggests a romance between the two characters. The producers decided that killing off her character would be too traumatic for younger viewers.
*The Sontaran costumes were cumbersome and limited the field of vision of the actors wearing them, so much so that they are often seen tripping through and over props. At one point, a Sontaran (ironically played by the actor Stuart Fell) nearly takes a fall after missing a short jump and landing on a pool chair. As the aliens originate on a planet of notably high gravity, however, their clumsiness is easily explained
*It was Robert Holmes who suggested to Graham Williams that this story be split into two segments, the first four episodes being based around the Vardans and the final two episodes being based around the Sontarans who come into the story at the end of episode 4.

In print

Doctorwhobook
title=Doctor Who and the Invasion of Time
series=Target novelisations
number=35
featuring=


writer=Terrance Dicks
publisher=Target Books
coverartist=Andrew Skilleter
isbn=0 426 20093 4
set_between=
pages=
date=21 February 1980
preceding=Doctor Who and the Underworld
following=Doctor Who and the Stones of Blood|A novelisation of this serial, written by Terrance Dicks, was published by Target Books in February 1980.

Broadcast, VHS and DVD release

*This story was released on a two tape VHS set in March 2000.
*It was released onto DVD on May 5th 2008 with special features: "The Rise & Fall of Gallifrey"; "The Elusive David Agnew"; "Out of Time"; a making of mini documentary; a photo gallery; "Trails and Continuity"; new CGI effects; and a "Coming Soon to DVD" trailer of the K9 boxset featuring "The Invisible Enemy" and "K9 and Company". The NTSC Region 1 version was released September 3, 2008.
*It has also has been released in a DVD boxset titled "Bred for War (The Sontaran Collection)", along with "The Time Warrior", "The Sontaran Experiment" and "The Two Doctors".

Analysis

Writer and journalist Matthew Sweet has compared the Doctor's strategy of feigning madness in this story to "Hamlet".cite news |first=Matthew |last=Sweet |authorlink=Matthew Sweet (writer) |title=Who is Hamlet: Playing the Time Lord is perfect preparation for David Tennant's new role |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-and-tv/features/who-is-hamlet-playing-the-time-lord-is-perfect-preparation-for-david-tennants-new-role-870518.html |work=The Independent |date=2008-07-20 |accessdate=2008-07-20 ]

References

External links

*BBCCDW|id=invasiontime|title=The Invasion of Time
*Brief |id=4z | title=The Invasion of Time
*Doctor Who RG | id=who_4z | title=The Invasion of Time

Reviews

*OG review | id=4z | title=The Invasion of Time
*DWRG | id=invasionoft | title=The Invasion of Time

Target novelisation

*DWRG | id=invasionoftnov | title=Doctor Who and the Invasion of Time
* [http://www.personal.leeds.ac.uk/~ecl6nb/OnTarget/1980/invasion/80invasi.htm On Target — "Doctor Who and the Invasion of Time"]