The Seeds of Death was the fifth story in season 6 of Doctor Who. It was the second appearance of the Ice Warriors. They had been chosen for a reappearance shortly after broadcast of The Ice Warriors. The monsters had been popular and it was hoped this would justify the high costs of their costumes. Of visual interest was director Michael Ferguson's use of point-of-view and angled shots.

At the time it was written, Frazer Hines was considering leaving the show. He finally signed on for the season, apparently at Patrick Troughton's request. This meant Brian Hayles had trouble writing the script, a problem made worse when he was asked to leave the Doctor out of part four. He failed to complete the script and Terrance Dicks rewrote much of the story. He brought in the Martian fleet and removed a sub-plot in which Gia Kelly was hypnotised.

Contents 1 Synopsis 2 Plot 2.1 Episode 1 2.2 Episode 2 2.3 Episode 3 2.4 Episode 4 2.5 Episode 5 2.6 Episode 6 3 Cast 4 Crew 4.1 Credited 4.2 Uncredited 5 References 6 Story notes 6.1 Ratings 6.2 Myths 6.3 Filming locations 6.4 Production errors 7 Continuity 8 Behind the scenes 9 Home video and audio releases 9.1 DVD releases 9.2 Special Edition release 9.3 VHS releases 10 External links

Synopsis Edit

The TARDIS lands in a space museum on Earth in the late 21st century, where the Second Doctor, Jamie and Zoe learn that contact has been lost between Earth and the Moon. In this era, instant travel -- T-Mat -- has revolutionised the Earth. Its people have lost interest in space travel. The Doctor and his companions travel to the Moon in an old-style rocket and reach the Moonbase, control centre for T-Mat, only to find a squad of Ice Warriors have commandeered the base and plan to use the T-Mat network to their advantage.

Plot Edit

Episode 1 Edit

It's business as usual at the Moonbase, operations centre for the Earth's T-Mat travel system, until an undetected ship docks. A party of Ice Warriors, a reptilian race from Mars, enter the control room and demand the staff operate the T-Mat as they say. Osgood, the base's controller, sabotages the T-Mat to prevent the Ice Warriors from transporting to Earth.

This also prevents Earth Control in London from contacting the Moonbase or rendering aid to the staff. The Ice Warrior, Slaar, turns to the base's second-in-command, Fewsham, to repair the T-Mat system for them. Terrified, Fewsham immediately starts work. On Earth, Commander Radnor and his assistant Controller Gia Kelly try to get to the bottom of the malfunctions, lamenting that since the trouble is coming from the Moon, it will have to be fixed there.

Meanwhile, the TARDIS lands, and the Second Doctor deduces that they are inside a space museum. He is enthusiastic about exploring. The Doctor, Jamie McCrimmon and Zoe Heriot watch a video explaining T-Mat, a system used to instantly travel about the Earth. They are soon caught by the museum's owner, Professor Eldred. He is puzzled by the Doctor's interest in manned space travel. Since the advent of T-Mat the human race has lost interest in exploring the cosmos. Radnor and Miss Kelly turn up at the museum to persuade Eldred to launch a rocket he has been working on. One of the surviving Moonbase staff, Locke, repairs the communication system and tries to tell Earth of the situation. He is caught and killed by an Ice Warrior.

Episode 2 Edit

With a little persuading, Eldred agrees to launch the rocket. The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe agree to crew it, as there are no trained astronauts available. The situation is beginning to affect the Earth's cities. Shipments of medical supplies aren't getting where they're needed.

At the Moonbase, after the rocket is launched, Fewsham repairs the T-Mat as per Slaar's orders. When the repair is detected on Earth, Miss Kelly T-Mats up with technicians and finds Fewsham alone. To hide the Ice Warriors, he concocts a lie about Osgood going crazy and damaging the equipment. Elsewhere in the base, Phipps has escaped from the control room. He radios Earth for help.

When they have fixed the T-Mat, the Ice Warriors return and take control again. The rocket carrying the Doctor and his companions runs into trouble when the homing beacon required to make a safe landing is cut off; they will either crash onto the lunar surface or drift on endlessly through space...

Episode 3 Edit

Phipps makes contact with the rocket, allowing it to home in on the radio signal and land. The Doctor leaves the rocket to find him and help him destroy T-Mat, but they are separated and the Doctor is caught by the Ice Warriors. Jamie and Zoe learn that the rocket cannot take off, so they enter the base to stop the Doctor from destroying the T-Mat, now their only way back to Earth. The Doctor tries to find out the Ice Warriors' plan, telling them that they are too few to invade the Earth themselves. They intend to T-Mat seeds down to Earth, one of which knocks out the Doctor when he examines it. Jamie and Zoe meet up with Phipps and Miss Kelly and begin work on turning up the heating, which will be harmful to the Ice Warriors. Fewsham continues to comply with Slaar's orders and T-Mats one of the seeds down to Earth Control in London.

Episode 4 Edit

The seed unleashes fumes which kill Brent in Earth Control. The Ice Warriors continue sending the seeds to different cities, where they have similar effects to those who come into close proximity with them. Radnor learns that the cause of death was oxygen starvation. The seeds grow fungus, which multiplies and depletes the oxygen from Earth's atmosphere. Fewsham is now ordered to T-Mat the Doctor into space, although he is sent to another area of the base instead without Slaar's knowledge. An Ice Warrior is transported to London, where it goes on a rampage in the control centre and beyond, eventually reaching and taking control of London's weather bureau, altering the controls to make the planet as dry as possible. The T-Mat is soon broken down again. At Moonbase, Jamie and Miss Kelly use a solar energy weapon against any advancing Ice Warriors, while Zoe and Phipps sneak into the control room, where the heating controls are, but just after Zoe turns up the heat, an Ice Warrior sees them and kills Phipps. As it turns on Zoe, Zoe begs Fewsham for help.

Episode 5 Edit

Fewsham grapples with the Ice Warrior long enough for it to fall to the ground, the heat level unbearable. Soon after, the Doctor wakes up, and Fewsham gets the T-Mat working again. The Doctor, Jamie, Zoe, and Miss Kelly transport back to London, but Fewsham remains, fearing the consequences of his earlier actions if he returns to Earth. Sir James Gregson from the United Nations arrives at Earth Control for the latest concerning the T-Mat crisis, but his presence does little to help the situation. While the Ice Warrior at the weather station alters the controls to make the planet as dry as possible, Slaar turns the heating back down on the Moonbase. He informs Fewsham that a fleet of invading ships from Mars will soon arrive on the Moon, so his next task is to connect a homing device for the incoming ships. In an act of redemption, Fewsham activates the video link so that the Ice Warrior's homing signal can be overheard on Earth, but although he is successful, the Ice Warriors kill him when they find out. The Doctor examines a seed pod under laboratory conditions, and learns that they are reconfiguring the atmosphere of Earth to match that of Mars. Fortunately, he also finds out that the fungus can be destroyed by water. Jamie and Zoe go to the weather control bureau to tell them to make it rain, but there they encounter the Ice Warrior. The Doctor later dashes there to help them, but is overwhelmed by fungus before he can enter.

Episode 6 Edit

Jamie and Zoe let the Doctor into the weather control bureau just in time, and the Doctor uses a solar device similar to Phipps' on the Moon to kill the Ice Warrior. Radnor, Miss Kelly, and Eldred work on a satellite which duplicates the Ice Warriors homing signal, which is to be used to draw the ships off course, sending them spiralling towards the Sun. After the Doctor repairs the weather controls to cause heavy rainfall to extinguish the fungus, he T-Mats up to the Moonbase with his solar weapon to destroy Slaar's homing device, so that the Martian ships follow only the wrong signal. He is caught before he can disable the signal, but is able to limit its range enough for it to be rendered useless, sending the Ice Warriors' invasion fleet to its doom. The invaders defeated, the Doctor and his companions return to the TARDIS and depart for their next adventure.

Cast Edit

• The Doctor - Patrick Troughton
• Jamie McCrimmon - Frazer Hines
• Zoe Heriot - Wendy Padbury
• Slaar - Alan Bennion
• Gia Kelly - Louise Pajo
• Computer Voice - John Witty
• Brent - Ric Felgate
• Osgood - Harry Towb
• Commander Radnor - Ronald Leigh-Hunt
• Fewsham - Terry Scully
• Phipps - Christopher Coll
• Locke - Martin Cort
• Professor Eldred - Philip Ray
• Ice Warriors - Steve Peters, Tony Harwood, Sonny Caldinez
• Security Guard - Derrick Slater
• Sir James Gregson - Hugh Morton
• Grand Marshall - Graham Leaman

Crew Edit

Credited Edit

• Title Music - Ron Grainer and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop
• Special Sound - Brian Hodgson
• Incidental Music - Dudley Simpson
• Visual Effects Designed by - Bill King (Trading Post)
• Costumes - Bobi Bartlett
• Make-Up - Sylvia James
• Lighting - Fred Wright
• Sound - Bryan Forgham
• Film Cameraman - Peter Hall
• Film Editor - Martyn Day
• Script Editor - Terrance Dicks
• Designer - Paul Allen
• Producer - Peter Bryant
• Director - Michael Ferguson

Uncredited Edit

• Assistant Floor Manager - Trina Cornwell
• Production Assistant - Fiona Cumming

References Edit

• Ice Warriors are vulnerable to heat.
• The term T-Mat (later, Transmat) is introduced here for the first time.

Story notes Edit

• The working title for this story was The Lords of the Red Planet.
• The opening titles are backdropped with a scene of the Earth and Moon. The camera pans across the foreground object then zooms into the background object - Earth or Moon - on which the episode begins. The exception is in Episode 3 where the panning stops between the Earth and the Moon, as this episode begins in cislunar space.
• This is the only story to feature the Ice Warriors in a location setting.
• To keep the return of the Ice Warriors a surprise, Steve Peters was credited as 'Alien' in Radio Times for Episode 1.

Ratings Edit

• Episode 1 - 6.6 million viewers
• Episode 2 - 6.8 million viewers
• Episode 3 - 7.5 million viewers
• Episode 4 - 7.1 million viewers
• Episode 5 - 7.6 million viewers
• Episode 6 - 7.7 million viewers

Myths Edit

• Slaar is an Ice Lord. (He is never referred to as an 'Ice Lord' or even as a 'Lord', but is presented simply as the commander of the Martian forces. His superior is however identified as a Grand Marshal - misspelt 'Grand Marshall' - on the closing credits.)

Filming locations Edit

• Hampstead Heath, London
• Ealing Television Film Studios (Stage 2), Ealing Green, Ealing
• Lime Grove Studios (Studio D), Lime Grove, London

Production errors Edit

• When Zoe turns up the heating, an Ice Warrior falls down dead right in front of her. When it does this, the front and rear sections of the shell costume just slightly break apart.
• Zoe calls Slaar by his name, despite no one else but the Grand Marshall calling Slaar that (she says it first, as well).
• As Zoe opens the door to the Solar Energy Storeroom to glance around for Ice Warriors, one can be seen right outside, the actor obviously waiting for his cue. The cut to the exterior view shows Zoe seeing a Warrior far down the corridor.
• When the rocket lands on the moon, the smoke from the rockets goes upward -- something smoke only does in an atmosphere.
• Eldred points to the Weather Control station on the map, but it is clearly marked in the opposite corner.
• When the Ice Warrior T-matted down, it smashed the doors off the T-mat cubicle. When the Doctor and his companions T-mat down not much later, the cubicle is intact.
• There are boom mike shadows several times in the museum in the first two episodes.
• Patrick Troughton's sideburns appear and disappear depending on whether he is seen in a pre-filmed sequence or a studio scene.
• When the TARDIS dematerialises at the end of episode 6, several small changes occur to the set.
• In episode 1 the Doctor leaves the TARDIS with his braces unclipped.
• When Brent dies at the beginning of Part 4 his body moves, and when he is taken away for an autopsy, his arm moves up of his own free will, rather than a guard picking it up.

Continuity Edit

• Ice Warriors first appeared in TV: The Ice Warriors.
• In PROSE: Eternity Weeps, T-Mat is used to get to the moon.
• PROSE: Transit mentions T-Mat in reference to the Stunnel project.
• When waking dazedly, the Doctor mentions Victoria Waterfield.
• By the 23rd century, humanity believed that the last of the Ice Warriors were killed when their invasion fleet spiralled into the Sun. A documentary on the incident was produced and broadcast on the History Channel. (AUDIO: Deimos)

Behind the scenes Edit

• In The Brilliant Book 2012, the Doctor says that the T-Mat caused the end of "the First Great and Bountiful Space Race".

Home video and audio releases Edit

DVD releases Edit

This story was released as Doctor Who: The Seeds of Death in a two disc set.

Released:

• Region 2 17 February 2003

PAL - BBC DVD BBCDVD1151

• Region 4 5 May 2003
• Region 1 2 March 2004

NTSC - Warner Video E1924

Contents:

• Commentary by actors Frazer Hines and Wendy Padbury, director Michael Ferguson and script editor Terrance Dicks
• Sssowing the Ssseedsss - Featurette on the Ice Warriors, featuring Alan Bennion, Sonny Caldinez, Bernard Bresslaw, and Sylvia James.
• The Last Daleks - Original 8mm footage of the filming of the lost classic The Evil of the Daleks, with commentary by Michaeljohn Harris and Peter Day
• New Zealand Censor Clips - Newly discovered footage from the missing episodes of The Web of Fear and The Wheel in Space
• TARDIS-Cam #6
• Photo Gallery
• Production Subtitles
• Easter Egg (Footage from commentary)

Notes: Editing for the DVD release was completed by the Doctor Who Restoration Team. On this release the VidFIRE effect was mistakenly applied to the entire story rather than just the sequences recorded in-studio. This was corrected in the subsequent Special Edition release.

Special Edition release Edit

It was also released as Doctor Who: The Seeds of Death: Special Edition.

Released:

• UK 28 March 2011 Region 2
• Australia 5 May 2011 Region 4
• TBA - Region 1

Special Features:

• Lords of the Red Planet documentary
• Monster Masterclass featurette
• Monsters Who Came Back For More documentary
• Off-air audio recording of BBC trailer for serial
• All previous bonus features (with the exception of the New Zealand clips, which were featured on Lost in Time, and The Last Dalek, which was moved to the special edition of Resurrection of the Daleks).

Notes:

• This edition is only available in the UK and Australia as part of the Revisitations 2 box set.

VHS releases Edit

This story was released as Doctor Who: The Seeds of Death.

Released:

• First Release (VHS / Betamax):

• UK July 1985

PAL - BBC Video BBCV2019

• Second Release (VHS only):

• UK July 1987

PAL - BBC Video BBCV4072

• US March 1990

NTSC - Warner Video E1112

Note: All versions were edited into movie-format. The video cover of the first release in 1985 had made no indication that the story was not colour, and so a small sticker was hastily added to the rear sleeve reading THE ORIGINAL BLACK AND WHITE RECORDING.

External links Edit

• The Seeds of Death at the BBC's official site
• The Seeds of Death at BroaDWcast
• The Seeds of Death at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
• The Seeds of Death at Shannon Sullivan's A Brief History of Time (Travel)
• The Seeds of Death at The Locations Guide

v • e Doctor Who television stories   Seasons 1-4: First Doctor Season 1 1963 1964 An Unearthly Child • The Daleks • The Edge of Destruction • Marco Polo • The Keys of Marinus • The Aztecs • The Sensorites • The Reign of Terror Season 2 1964 1965 Planet of the Giants • The Dalek Invasion of Earth • The Rescue • The Romans • The Web Planet • The Crusade • The Space Museum • The Chase • The Time Meddler Season 3 1965 1966 Galaxy 4 • Mission to the Unknown • The Myth Makers • The Daleks' Master Plan • The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve • The Ark • The Celestial Toymaker • The Gunfighters • The Savages • The War Machines Season 4 1966 The Smugglers • The Tenth Planet   Seasons 4-6: Second Doctor Season 4 1966 1967 The Power of the Daleks • The Highlanders • The Underwater Menace • The Moonbase • The Macra Terror • The Faceless Ones • The Evil of the Daleks Season 5 1967 1968 The Tomb of the Cybermen • The Abominable Snowmen • The Ice Warriors • The Enemy of the World • The Web of Fear • Fury from the Deep • The Wheel in Space Season 6 1968 1969 The Dominators • The Mind Robber • The Invasion • The Krotons • The Seeds of Death • The Space Pirates • The War Games   Seasons 7-11: Third Doctor Season 7 1970 Spearhead from Space • Doctor Who and the Silurians • The Ambassadors of Death • Inferno Season 8 1971 Terror of the Autons • The Mind of Evil • The Claws of Axos • Colony in Space • The Dæmons Season 9 1972 Day of the Daleks • The Curse of Peladon • The Sea Devils • The Mutants • The Time Monster Season 10 1972 1973 The Three Doctors • Carnival of Monsters • Frontier in Space • Planet of the Daleks • The Green Death Season 11 1973 1974 The Time Warrior • Invasion of the Dinosaurs • Death to the Daleks • The Monster of Peladon • Planet of the Spiders   Seasons 12-18: Fourth Doctor Season 12 1974 1975 Robot • The Ark in Space • The Sontaran Experiment • Genesis of the Daleks • Revenge of the Cybermen Season 13 1975 1976 Terror of the Zygons • Planet of Evil • Pyramids of Mars • The Android Invasion • The Brain of Morbius • The Seeds of Doom Season 14 1976 1977 The Masque of Mandragora • The Hand of Fear • The Deadly Assassin • The Face of Evil • The Robots of Death • The Talons of Weng-Chiang Season 15 1977 1978 Horror of Fang Rock • The Invisible Enemy • Image of the Fendahl • The Sun Makers • Underworld • The Invasion of Time Season 16 1978 1979 The Key to Time: The Ribos Operation • The Pirate Planet • The Stones of Blood • The Androids of Tara • The Power of Kroll • The Armageddon Factor Season 17 1979 1980 Destiny of the Daleks • City of Death • The Creature from the Pit • Nightmare of Eden • The Horns of Nimon • Shada (unbroadcast) Season 18 1980 1981 The Leisure Hive • Meglos • Full Circle • State of Decay • Warriors' Gate • The Keeper of Traken • Logopolis   Seasons 19-21: Fifth Doctor Season 19 1982 Castrovalva • Four to Doomsday • Kinda • The Visitation • Black Orchid • Earthshock • Time-Flight Season 20 1983 Arc of Infinity • Snakedance • Mawdryn Undead • Terminus • Enlightenment • The King's Demons Children in Need 1983 The Five Doctors Season 21 1984 Warriors of the Deep • The Awakening • Frontios • Resurrection of the Daleks • Planet of Fire • The Caves of Androzani   Seasons 21-23: Sixth Doctor Season 21 1984 The Twin Dilemma Season 22 1985 Attack of the Cybermen • Vengeance on Varos • The Mark of the Rani • The Two Doctors • Timelash • Revelation of the Daleks Season 23 1986 The Trial of a Time Lord: The Mysterious Planet • Mindwarp • Terror of the Vervoids • The Ultimate Foe   Seasons 24-26: Seventh Doctor Season 24 1987 Time and the Rani • Paradise Towers • Delta and the Bannermen • Dragonfire Season 25 1988 1989 Remembrance of the Daleks • The Happiness Patrol • Silver Nemesis • The Greatest Show in the Galaxy Season 26 1989 Battlefield • Ghost Light • The Curse of Fenric • Survival   TV Movie: Eighth Doctor TV Movie 1996 Doctor Who   Series 1: Ninth Doctor Series 1 2005 Rose • The End of the World • The Unquiet Dead • Aliens of London / World War Three • Dalek • The Long Game • Father's Day • The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances • Boom Town • Bad Wolf / The Parting of the Ways   Series 2-4: Tenth Doctor Series 2 2005 2006 Mini-episode Children in Need Special Christmas special The Christmas Invasion Regular episodes New Earth • Tooth and Claw • School Reunion • The Girl in the Fireplace • Rise of the Cybermen / The Age of Steel • The Idiot's Lantern • The Impossible Planet / The Satan Pit • Love & Monsters • Fear Her • Army of Ghosts / Doomsday Series 3 2006 2007 Christmas special The Runaway Bride Regular episodes Smith and Jones • The Shakespeare Code • Gridlock • Daleks in Manhatten / Evolution of the Daleks • The Lazarus Experiment • 42 • Human Nature / The Family of Blood • Blink • Utopia / The Sound of Drums / Last of the Time Lords Animation The Infinite Quest Series 4 2007 2008 2009 2010 Mini-episode Time Crash Christmas special Voyage of the Damned Regular episodes Partners in Crime • The Fires of Pompeii • Planet of the Ood • The Sontaran Stratagem / The Poison Sky • The Doctor's Daughter • The Unicorn and the Wasp • Silence in the Library / Forest of the Dead • Midnight • Turn Left • The Stolen Earth / Journey's End • The Next Doctor • Planet of the Dead • The Waters of Mars • The End of Time Mini-episode Music of the Spheres Animation Dreamland For the purposes of this list, "series 4" is considered to be the production series 4, which ran all the way from Time Crash to The End of Time.   Series 5-present: Eleventh Doctor Series 5 2010 Regular episodes The Eleventh Hour • The Beast Below • Victory of the Daleks • The Time of Angels / Flesh and Stone • The Vampires of Venice • Amy's Choice • The Hungry Earth / Cold Blood • Vincent and the Doctor • The Lodger • The Pandorica Opens / The Big Bang Series 6 2010 2011 Christmas special A Christmas Carol Mini-episodes Space / Time Regular episodes Spring Half: The Impossible Astronaut / Day of the Moon • The Curse of the Black Spot • The Doctor's Wife • The Rebel Flesh / The Almost People • A Good Man Goes to War Autumn Half: Let's Kill Hitler • Night Terrors • The Girl Who Waited • The God Complex • Closing Time • The Wedding of River Song Mini-episodes Death Is the Only Answer Series 7 2011 2012 2013 Christmas special The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe Mini-episode Good as Gold Regular episodes Autumn Half: Asylum of the Daleks • Dinosaurs on a Spaceship • A Town Called Mercy • The Power of Three • The Angels Take Manhattan Mini-episode The Great Detective Christmas special The Snowmen Regular episodes Spring Half: The Bells of Saint John • The Rings of Ahkaten • Cold War • Hide • Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS • The Crimson Horror • Nightmare in Silver • The Name of the Doctor Despite marketing language by the BBC, The Adventure Games are not televised episodes, and therefore are not included on this list. Deliberately not included are some stories which this wiki does not consider valid — such as the so-called "Pilot Episode", Dimensions in Time, A Fix with Sontarans, Search Out Space, The Curse of Fatal Death and the National Television Awards Sketch 2011.

v • e Ice Warrior stories Television The Ice Warriors • The Seeds of Death • The Curse of Peladon • The Monster of Peladon • Cold War Video Games Destiny of the Doctors Prose Transit • Legacy • Happy Endings • GodEngine • So Vile a Sin • The Dying Days • Beige Planet Mars • Placebo Effect • Fear Itself • The Silent Stars Go By • Mission to Magnus • Cold Audio Red Dawn • Bang-Bang-A-Boom! • Frozen Time • The Bride of Peladon • The Judgement of Isskar • Mission to Magnus • Deimos • The Resurrection of Mars • Thin Ice • The Dance of the Dead • The Prisoner of Peladon Comics Deathworld • Star Tigers • 4-Dimensional Vistas • A Cold Day in Hell! • Nemesis of the Daleks • Emperor of the Daleks! • Time & Time Again • The Glorious Dead • Descendance • Ascendance • Perceptions • Coda • Cold Blooded War!

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