The Ambassadors of Death: Episode 1 (21 Mar. 1970)

While the Brigadier investigates a loss of contact with Mars Probe 7, the Doctor realises signals coming from the probe are of extra-terrestrial origin.

Director:

Michael Ferguson

Writer:

David Whitaker (by)

Stars:

Jon Pertwee, Caroline John, Nicholas Courtney

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Jon Pertwee	...	Doctor Who
Caroline John	...	Liz Shaw
Nicholas Courtney	...	Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart
Ronald Allen	...	Ralph Cornish
Robert Cawdron	...	Taltalian
John Abineri	...	Carrington
Ric Felgate	...	Van Lyden / Alien
Michael Wisher	...	John Wakefield
Cheryl Molineaux	...	Miss Rutherford
Ray Armstrong	...	Grey
Robert Robertson	...	Collinson

Storyline

While the Brigadier investigates a loss of contact with Mars Probe 7, the Doctor realises signals coming from the probe are of extra-terrestrial origin.

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Plot Keywords:

england | dandy | military officer | babe scientist

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 March 1970 (UK)

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

25 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This episode is the only from this story to survive in its original color form in the BBC archives.

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Goofs

In "The Ambassadors of Death": Episode 4, a UNIT soldier is killed when he touches the same barrier as the alien. In Episode 6, he's alive and well and back at work.

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Quotes

The Doctor: [about Taltalian] Let's see what he's got to say for himself.

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Crazy Credits

The opening credit sequence for all episodes of the story is split into two parts and the episode title is presented in two separate lines, the second "OF DEATH" part being larger and accompanied by a dramatic audio sting.

User Reviews

Pertwee's first season summed up

WOW! A brilliant story... I only saw this complete story recently on BBC DVD, and boy, I was impressed! Jon Pertwee, in his third story as the Doctor, is marvellous. To me it shows him setting the foundations for the rest of his WHO career. The plot is also brilliant, given it is the eventual work of FOUR script writers: David Whitaker, Terrance Dicks, Trevor Ray and Malcolm Hulke. The conspiracy plot and mystery of the ambassadors creates an eerie setting, sending the Doctor into deep space and Liz Shaw into trouble. What interested me when I first saw Part One was the opening titles. The splitting of the titles (music, graphics and text: DOCTOR WHO; and electronic sting, graphics and text: THE AMBASSADORS... OF DEATH, BY David WHITAKER, PART ONE) helps generate a sense that this is something big. The scene slotted between the DOCTOR WHO and THE AMBASSADORS OF DEATH allows the cliffhanger from the previous episode to be replayed, creating an even bigger sense of evil. Overall, THE AMBASSADORS... OF DEATH is a brilliant, 1970s example of "Who", full of death, action fight, conspiracy and mystery. If you have not yet seen it, go and buy the DVD and enjoy. You will not be disappointed.