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| Galaxy 4 | |
| Doctor: | First Doctor |
| Companion(s): | Vicki Pallister |
| Enemy: | Maaga, Drahvins |
| Setting: | Unnamed Planet |
| Production | |
| Written by: | William Emms |
| Directed by | Derek Martinus |
| Produced by: | Verity Lambert |
| Script Editor: | Donald Tosh |
| Average Viewership: | 9.93 |
| Production Code: | T |
| Broadcast Date: | 11 September - 2 October 1965 |
| Format: | 4x25minute episodes |
| Chronology | |
| Doctor's Timeline | |
| Previous Story: | TBA |
| Following Story: | TBA |
| Television Stories | |
| Previous Story: | The Time Meddler |
| Following Story: | Mission to the Unknown |
Galaxy 4 was the first story in Season 2 of the television series, Doctor Who. Written by William Emms, the story featured the First Doctor, Vicki Pallister and Steven Taylor. The episode featured a cameo of Jeff Garvey who would appear in the following story as the main character, Mission to the Unknown. Part of this story is lost and so only the original soundtrack and the film footage of Episode Three survive.
Synopsis[]
When the TARDIS lands on an arid planet, it seems as though the whole place is desolate and lifeless. But then the Doctor, Steven and Vicki discover two crashed spaceships: one contains the Drahvins, a race of stunning beauty, the other contains the hideous Rills. However, as the team soon find out, appearances can be deceptive. It emerges that the beauty of the Drahvins hides a colony of mindless clones who are controlled by a cruel, powerful matriarch Maaga, whereas the ugly Rills are friendly and intelligent explorers.
The Rills tell the Doctor that the dried-up planet is about to die. Back in the control room of the TARDIS, he discovered they are right, but things are worse than they thought. There is only one day of life left - one day to escape.
With the Drahvins' ship damaged beyond repair, can the Rills get off the planet before the evil Maaga hijacks their craft in her own effort to escape.
Plot[]
Four Hundred Dawns[]
The TARDIS crew are surrounded by Chumblies.
The Doctor, Steven and Vicki arrive in the TARDIS on a seemingly deserted planet, except for a small robot that tries to enter the time machine. They are temporarily escorted by this Chumbly, who is soon shot at by mysterious women known as the Drahvins.
The TARDIS crew are taken to the Drahvins' ship where they are briefed about the happenings on the planet and the fact that it will explode within fourteen dawns. They explain that they are stranded along with another ship, who is supposedly a violent race which killed one of the Drahvins upon arrival.
The Doctor, Steven and Vicki agree to help the Drahvin, but are suspicious. Vicki is kept in the ship while the Doctor and Steven return to the TARDIS to understand the race's circumstances much better. However, they discover that the planet has in fact only two dawns to survive.
Trap of Steel[]
The Doctor and Steven return to the Drahvins' ship, where they try to keep the information hidden. The leader, Maaga, senses that they are hiding something and drags the information out. Hoping to find some help, the Doctor decides to speak with one of the Rill people in order to hopefully gain some support in getting off the planet. The Drahvins are unsure of this, but comply, under the circumstances that Steven remains with them.
Maaga talks to her soldiers.
The Doctor and Vicki travel across the planet where they are surrounded by Chumblies, who seem to take them somewhere specific. They arrive outside a modern ship, which is undamaged and probably belongs to the Rills.
Back on the Drahvin spaceship, Steven tries humouring himself by tricking the Drahvin clones. He, however, is confronted by Maaga who stops him immediately. A chumbly outside tries to gain entry, but using their own weapons, the Drahvins destroy it.
In the Rill ship, the Doctor and Vicki travel through advanced corridors, where they finally arrive inside the main control room. There, Vicki sees something quite frightening.
Airlock[]
The Doctor and Vicki meet a Chumbly in the Rill Ship.
In the Drahvin ship, Steven tries to get some sleep in the hope of tricking another Drahvin. The Drahvin clones learn from Maaga, the art of noticing things. Steven steals a gun and tries to threaten his way out, but Maaga manages to overpower him.
The Doctor, believing the Rills to be the enemies tries to demolish the flight controls outside, in order to restrain them from wrecking the rest of the galaxy and universe. Meanwhile, Vicki is confronted by a voice, who is supposedly one of the species. They explain the full extent of their problems and how the Drahvins have caused deception amongst them. They have apparently offered to take the Drahvins with them when they take off. Vicki, realising hers and the Doctor's mistake, explains that he is here and now demolishing their controls.
Back in the Drahvin ship, Maaga decides to punish Steven for his ways and places him inside an airlock where he can either go outside to face a Chumbly, or can offer to take the Drahvins off the planet using the TARDIS.
The Doctor is stopped from furthering the inevitable and they rush back to save Steven from hurt.
In the airlock, Steven is placed in hellish conditions as the air is pulled from within and he begins to stop breathing.
The Exploding Planet[]
Now in control, the Doctor and Vicki free Steven with the help of the Chumblies, who listen to their orders. They restrain Maaga and place her and her accomplices in a secure room and they are left with two Chumbly guards.
The Doctor, Vicki and Steven return to the Rill ship to help with refuelling as the Rills couldn't make preparations themselves. Steven realised that the Chumblies could talk, speaking the Rills' thoughts.
Outside, the Doctor is connecting the TARDIS with the Rill ship's main refuelling dock, allowing a lot of power and energy to pass through, enough to make a whole trip across space.
The Drahvins, however, manage to escape, by blowing up both Chumblies and escape their own craft, travelling towards the Rill ship where they hope to takeover.
The Doctor and Vicki speak to a Rill.
The Rills begin to countdown the hours to doomsday. The Chumblies help the Doctor and Vicki before they finally complete the procedure. The Rills thank the Doctor and his friends for their work, but realises that the Drahvins are nearby.
On a nearby hill, the Chumblies try to protect themselves as Drahvins launch an attack. It is futile, however, as the Rill ship begins to take off.
The Doctor, Steven and Vicki race to the TARDIS before the Drahvins can reach them and make it, escaping the planet as it suddenly explodes.
On a distant planet, Jeff Garvey makes his way across some woodland. He is tired and frightened as he realises that something is coming.
Characters[]
- The Doctor - William Hartnell
- Vicki Pallister - Maureen O' Brien
- Steven Taylor - Peter Purves
- Maaga - Stephanie Bidmead
- Drahvin One - Marina Martin
- Drahvin Two - Susanna Caroll
- Drahvin Three - Lyn Ashley
- Voice of the Rill - Robert Cartland
- Chumblies - Jimmy Kaye, Angelo Muscat, William Shearer, Pepi Poupee & Tommy Reynolds
- Garvey - Barry Jackson
Crew[]
- Writer - William Emms
- Director - Derek Martinus
- Producer - Verity Lambert
- Script Editor - Donald Tosh
- Designer - Richard Hunt
- Assistant Floor Managers - Marjorie Yorke, Sue Willis
- Costumes - Daphne Dare
- Make-Up - Sonia Markham
- Production Assistant - Angela Gordon
- Special Sounds - Brian Hodgson
- Studio Lighting - Derek Hobday, Ralph Walton
- Studio Sound - George Prince
- Theme Arrangement - Delia Derbyshire
- Title Music - Ron Grainer
Continuity[]
- The TARDIS provides a source of energy for the Rill's ship.
- The Drahvins were created as clones.
- The Rills are an intelligent race who have developed technology and are interested in investigating the universe.
- Vicki can cut hair.
- Vicki refers to Xeros, which was a planet she visited during a previous adventure with the Doctor. (The Space Museum)
Famous Quotes[]
Rill voice: "It is easy to help others when they are so willing to help you. Though we are beings of separate planets, you from the solar system and we from another space, our ways of thought, at times, do not seem all that different. It has been an honour to know you and serve you."
Personal Analysis[]
Very thoroughly imagined and quite accurate in astra-physical aspects. This is one of the reasons why Doctor Who is considered a science-fiction, this is where other planets become reality and the inside plot with the separation of two species is poignant of our race. A totally believable story and absolutely emotional. A triumph, and William Emms only story, unfortunately. He could have created another masterpiece too.
Gallery[]
