Pyramids of Mars: Part One 

The Doctor and Sarah are drawn off course and, instead of UNIT HQ, they arrive on the same site in 1911.

Director:

Paddy Russell

Writers:

Lewis Greifer (by) (as Stephen Harris), Robert Holmes (by) (as Stephen Harris)

Stars:

Tom Baker, Elisabeth Sladen, Bernard Archard

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Tom Baker	...	Doctor Who
Elisabeth Sladen	...	Sarah Jane Smith
Bernard Archard	...	Marcus Scarman
Michael Sheard	...	Laurence Scarman
Peter Copley	...	Dr. Warlock
Peter Mayock	...	Namin
Michael Bilton	...	Collins
Vic Tablian	...	Ahmed (as Vik Tablian)
Nick Burnell	...	Mummy
Melvyn Bedford	...	Mummy
Kevin Selway	...	Mummy

Storyline

Returning to Earth after their latest adventure, the Doctor and Sarah Jane arrive at the site of UNIT headquarters, but in 1911 long before its existence. They find themselves in a room filled with Egyptian artifacts in a house owned by Egyptologist Marcus Scarman. They rescue Marcus' colleague, Dr. Warlock, who was shot by Marcus' servant Ibrahim Namin, a fanatical believer in the impending return of the his god, Lord Sutekh. When Sutekh's essence arrives through a space-time portal, he takes control of Marcus Scarman.

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Plot Keywords:

doctor who | edwardian era | fourth doctor | egyptian god | egyptian | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Family | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

TV-Y

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 October 1975 (UK)

Filming Locations:

Stargroves, East Woodhay, Hampshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

25 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The original script was by Lewis Greifer, who submitted a first draft which producer Philip Hinchcliffe and script editor Robert Holmes deemed couldn't be made to work within the format of the show. When Greifer proved unavailable to rewrite it himself, Holmes rewrote the script from page one. Greifer was paid in full for his first draft and retained copyright for the story, which is why the pseudonym of Stephen Harris was invented as author.

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Goofs

As Sutekh stands from his chair, a crew member's hand can be seen holding the cushion in place and then disappearing.

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Quotes

Laurence Scarman: I bring Sutekh's gift of death to all humanity.

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Connections

Featured in The Lively Arts: Whose Dr. Who (1977)

User Reviews

But mummies do walk

From the moment Marcus Scarman (Bernard Archard) steps into the inner chamber to his doom, to the moment where the Doctor send the chillingly smooth-talking Sutekh (Gabriel Woolf) off to his, we're treated to a tightly scripted, marvelously acted episode with great atmospherics, and Sarah Jane in a gorgeous Edwardian gown. It doesn't get much better than this.

The Tardis, having been thrown off course by the time tunnel of Sutekh, the Egyptian god of evil, turns up in the right place -- UNIT HQ -- but about sixty years too soon. Trapped by his brother Osiris, Sutekh avails himself of Marcus to try to build a missile to destroy the power source built by his brother to keep him imprisoned. Once freed, his intentions are to destroy not only the Earth, but countless other worlds. His revenge would be massive.

The story itself is not deep. Sutekh's riposte to the Doctor that your evil is my good is about as philosophical as this episode gets. It doesn't much matter. When even the smallest part, the poacher played by George Tovey, is as sharply-acted as Tom Baker's lead, you know you've got a good one on your hands.