Logopolis: Part One 

Preparing to overhaul his TARDIS, the Doctor goes to Earth to take fresh measurements of a police box. A figure in white observes, as the Master lies in wait with a puzzling predicament for his rival Time Lord.

Director:

Peter Grimwade

Writer:

Christopher H. Bidmead (by)

Stars:

Tom Baker, Matthew Waterhouse, Janet Fielding

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Tom Baker	...	Doctor Who
Matthew Waterhouse	...	Adric
Janet Fielding	...	Tegan
Delore Whiteman	...	Aunt Vanessa (as Dolore Whiteman)
Tom Georgeson	...	Detective Inspector
Anthony Ainley	...	The Master (voice)

Storyline

The Doctor needs to return to Gallifrey but, because of Romana's action in the previous adventure, he is dreading the paperwork and official inquiry. Instead he convinces Adric they should stop by Earth to take some measurements of a police box before heading to Logopolis to have repairs completed to the Chameleon Circuit. Arriving on Earth the Doctor senses something wrong. A time bubble has formed, causing a TARDIS to appear within a TARDIS. The Doctor fears it's an infinite regression. If so, he and Adric will be trapped forever. Meanwhile Tegan, an Australian airline hostess, enters the Doctor's TARDIS after her car breaks down.

---

Plot Keywords:

master | fourth doctor | police | measurement | australian | 

---

Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Family | Sci-Fi

---

Did You Know?

Trivia

In an earlier plan for this story, Sarah Jane Smith was making a return. The idea was scrapped, because John Nathan-Turner decided that an Australian companion should be introduced instead. The character idea eventually evolved into Tegan Jovanka.

---

Quotes

The Doctor: I sometimes think I should be running a tighter ship.
Adric: A tighter ship?
The Doctor: Yes. The second law of thermodynamics is taking its toll on the old thing. Entropy increases.

---

Connections

Referenced in The Watch-A-Thon of Rassilon: Logopolis (The Master of Dad Jokes) (2019)

User Reviews

The Sombre Final Adventure for the 4th Doctor

This is story is pervaded by feelings of dread and decay. It's very well written, yet unavoidably sullen. The Fourth Doctor is not long for this world, and the presence of a shadowy phantom confirms this.

The Doctor quickly finds himself coming to terms with feelings loss and even death. For the audience, this almost seems like a countdown to the unavoidable end of of a character that a generation had grown up watching (1974-1981).

The Newly regenerated Master lures the Doctor into a trap that will ultimately put the entire universe in danger and force the Doctor to make the ultimate sacrifice to stop him.

So many things ended with this story- season 18, the Tom Baker era, and- some might say- classic Doctor Who. For better or worse, things would NEVER be the same after this.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 February 1981 (UK)

Filming Locations:

Denham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Box Office

Gross USA:

$28,650

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$28,650

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

25 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1