The Leisure Hive

From TARDIS Index File, the free Doctor Who reference.


The Leisure Hive
Series:	Doctor Who - TV Stories
Season Number:	Season 18
Story Number:	110
Doctor:	Fourth Doctor
Companions:	Romana II, K9 Mk2
Enemy:	Pangol The West Lodge
Setting:	Brighton Beach Argolis; circa 2290
Writer:	David Fisher
Director:	Lovett Bickford
Producer:	John Nathan-Turner
Broadcast:	30th August - 20th September 1980
Format:	4 25-minute episodes
Prod. Code:	5N
Previous Story:	Shada
Following Story:	Meglos

The Leisure Hive was the first story of the longer-than-usual Season 18. The story marked the introduction of a new theme arrangement, as well as a modified costume for the Fourth Doctor.

[edit] Synopsis

The TARDIS has arrived on Brighton Beach. The Doctor has taken to sunbathing on a cold windy day. K9 is damaged when he rides into the sea. Bored of sunbathing, Romana convinces the Doctor to go to Argolis, the first of the leisure planets, where is a recreation building called the Leisure Hive. The Argolins have been conducting experiments with a science called Tachyonics. With the help of Hardin, an Earth scientist, they plan to use their Tachyon Recreation Generator to rejuvenate themselves, as they are sterile because of a war with a neighbouring species called the Foamasi.

A group of Foamasi from the criminal association called the West Lodge murder two people and commit acts of sabotage. They masquerade as humans and try to get the Argolins to sell the hive to the West Lodge.

Foamasi officials arrive and arrest the two criminals. The Foamasi, like the Argolins, want to live in peace and so do not harm each other. Pangol, a clone made in the Tachyon Recreation Generator, wants to create an army of Argolins with the generator and conquer the planet for himself. The Doctor trips the machine to clone him instead and gradually the clones fade away.

The two West Lodge criminals are killed; when they try to escape in the Foamasi ship, the Argolins blow them up. Pangol enters the generator and it rejuvenates him into a baby.

The Doctor and Romana remove the randomiser from the TARDIS before setting off again.

[edit] Plot

to be added

[edit] Cast

[edit] Crew

[edit] References

Theron's helmet
The randomiser is left on Argolis.
K9 lists all known recreational planets for Romana, ending with "Yegros Alpha: speciality, atavistic therapy of primitive asteroids. Zaakros: galaxy's largest flora collection... Zeen 4: historical re-enactments.".
In 2250 Argolis (led by Theron) was all but destroyed by 2000 nuclear warheads (in 20 minutes) during a war with the reptilian Foamasi.
The Argolin survivors, made sterile by the radiation, invented the science of tachyonics (this happened '40 years ago') and built the Leisure Hive with its Experiential Grid offering 'variable environments'.
Argolis is the first of the leisure planets.
There are 'lodges' of Formasi, the West Lodge is one such group.
According to EDA: Placebo Effect, Foamasi had hollow bones with double joints every few centimetres, a high liquid content, small organs and a retractable tail. This traits allowed the Foamasi to compress themselves into very small spaces, such as humanoid skin suits.

[edit] Story Notes

This story is the debut of the new opening and closing title sequences, complete with 'neon tube' logo, designed by the BBC's Sid Sutton, accompanied by a new Peter Howell-arranged version of Ron Grainer's theme music.
This is John Nathan-Turner's first story as producer.
The story had a working title of The Argolins.
A new TARDIS exterior prop makes its debut, this time made of fibreglass rather than of wood and, with its stacked roof arrangement, somewhat truer to the design of a genuine police box than the previous version (first seen in The Masque of Mandragora).
The Doctor's new outfit (the burgundy colour) also debuts in this story.
Beginning with this story and continuing for the next several seasons, until The Five Doctors, each serial will be linked in some way, either through some reference, or directly linked.
John Leeson returns portraying the voice of K9 having been persuaded by John Nathan-Turner to reprise the role for this season.
This story features the first use in Doctor Who of the digital Quantel image processing system. Amongst the effects created by the use of this system was a moving shot of the TARDIS materialising on Argolis (whereas the 'roll back and mix' technique by which the materialisation was achieved normally necessitated a completely static shot).

[edit] Ratings

Part One - 5.9 million viewers
Part Two - 5.0 million viewers
Part Three - 5.0 million viewers
Part Four - 4.5 million viewers

[edit] Myths

to be added

[edit] Filming Locations

Brighton Beach, Brighton, East Sussex
BBC Television Centre (TC1 & TC3), Shepherd's Bush, London

[edit] Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors

The wires pulling K9 along the beach are particularly visible in part one.
In episode two the top of the sonic screwdriver is nearly bent off.

[edit] Continuity

The Fomasi reappear in EDA: Placebo Effect.
This is not the only time a story is resolved by de-aging the Doctor's antagonist, as happens to Pangolin DW: Boom Town, the Slitheen Margaret Blaine is regressed back into an egg by the Doctor's TARDIS.
The Doctor is also rapidly aged in DW: The Sound of Drums.

[edit] DVD and Video Releases

DVD Releases

Released as Doctor Who: The Leisure Hive.

Released:

Region 2 5th July 2004

PAL - BBC DVD BBCDVD1351

Region 4 7th October 2004
Region 1 7th June 2005

NTSC - Warner Video E2217

Contents:

A New Beginning Documentary - A look at the radical changes made to Doctor Who by incoming Producer John Nathan-Turner.
From Avalon to Argolis - David Fisher and Christopher H. Bidmead recall the writing of the story.
Leisure Wear - June Hudson talks about the costumes for the story.
Synthesizing Starfields - Peter Howell and Sid Sutton recall the creation of the new titles sequence and theme arrangement.
Blue Peter - A look at the exhibition at Longleat.
5.1 Mix
Music-only Option
Photo Gallery
Production Subtitles
Easter Egg
Commentary: Lalla Ward, Lovett Bickford, and Christopher H. Bidmead