Doctor Who: Shada (1992) (V)

Director:

Pennant Roberts

Writer:

Douglas Adams (written by)

Genre:

Adventure | Sci-Fi

Plot:

This unfinished story from the television series "Doctor Who" (1963) was released on video with linking material from Tom Baker...

Plot Keywords:

Character Name In Title

Cast

Tom Baker	...	The Doctor / Narrator
Lalla Ward	...	Romana
Christopher Neame	...	Skagra
Denis Carey	...	Professor Chronotis
Daniel Hill	...	Chris Parsons
Victoria Burgoyne	...	Clare Keightley
David Brierly	...	K9 (voice)
Gerald Campion	...	Porter (Wilkins)
Shirley Dixon	...	Voice of Skagra's Ship
James Coombes	...	Voice of Krargs
Derek Pollitt	...	Professor Caldera (episode 4)
John Hallet	...	Police Constable (episode 6)

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

UK:U

Filming Locations:

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

In 2003, Shada was remade by Big Finish Productions as an audio book/Flash animation for BBC Interactive. The remade version starred Paul McGann as The Doctor, with Lalla Ward reprising her role as Romana and John Leeson as K-9.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the scene where Skagra attaches the sphere to Professor Chronotis' head, the professor's eyeglasses are off his head during a close-up, then on again after a couple of camera shot changes that return to a close-up, all while his hands are empty and his arms are flailing about.

Quotes:

Romana: I told you you've got the time wrong, Doctor.
The Doctor: Yes, but you're always saying that.
Romana: You're always getting the time wrong.

Movie Connections:

Edited from "Doctor Who" (1963)

Missing Adventure Gets its Day in the Sun

Arguably the most well known actor to ever portray the Doctor in the BBC series, Tom Baker returns to narrate this previously missing adventure from his heyday as the scarf wearing, grinning Fourth Doctor. 'Shada' was originally produced as part of the 1979-1980 season of the scifi programme-and would have been the final story of that year-but was cancelled mid way due to strikes. With Producer Graham Williams' departure and incoming replacement John Nathan-Turner desiring to move the series into a new direction, 'Shada' was consigned to storage and largely forgotten.... until 1992. Sylvester McCoy had been playing the mysterious seventh incarnation of the wandering Time Lord for three full years before the BBC decided to sell the show to an independent company over financial concerns. Spending the next two and a half years searching for someone to do this, the BBC grew despondent finally cancelled the long running programme. So with the sudden demand for Dr Who stories being released on VHS for commercial use, former producer Nathan-Turner, in one of his last acts as 'caretaker' of Doctor Who, authorized the release of the 'Shada' story on VHS with Tom Baker being hired to narrate the missing bits that were not completed in 1979 and presenting this rare gem to a new generation.