The Underwater Menace

032 – The Underwater Menace
Doctor Who serial
The Doctor, Jamie and Ben in disguise in the market of the lost city of Atlantis
Cast
Doctor Patrick Troughton (Second Doctor)
Companions Anneke Wills (Polly) Michael Craze (Ben Jackson) Frazer Hines (Jamie McCrimmon)
Others Joseph Furst — Zaroff Colin Jeavons — Damon Noel Johnson — King Thous Tom Watson — Ramo Peter Stephens — Lolem Gerald Taylor — Damon's Assistant Catherine Howe — Ara P.G. Stephens — Sean Paul Anil — Jacko Roma Woodnutt — Nola Graham Ashley — Overseer Tony Handy — Zaroff's Guard
Production
Directed by	Julia Smith
Written by	Geoffrey Orme
Script editor	Gerry Davis
Produced by	Innes Lloyd
Executive producer(s)	None
Incidental music composer	Dudley Simpson
Production code	GG
Series	Season 4
Length	4 episodes, 25 minutes each
Episode(s) missing	2 episodes (1 and 4)
Date started	14 January 1967
Date ended	4 February 1967
Chronology
← Preceded by Followed by → The Highlanders The Moonbase
List of Doctor Who serials

The Underwater Menace

Author	Nigel Robinson
Cover artist	Alister Pearson
Series	Doctor Who book: Target novelisations
Release number	129
Publisher	Target Books
Publication date	21 July 1988
ISBN

The Underwater Menace is the half-missing fifth serial of the fourth season in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 14 January 1967 to 4 February 1967. The story constitutes Jamie McCrimmon's first journey with the Doctor as a travelling companion. Only two of the four episodes are held in the BBC archives; two remain missing. Episode 2 is the earliest surviving episode to feature both Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor and Frazer Hines as companion Jamie McCrimmon.

The Doctor and his companions are captured when they arrive on a deserted volcanic island by the survivors of Atlantis. Their high priest, Lolem decides to sacrifice them to the great god Amdo. The Doctor is given a meal, and realizes that it must have been prepared by Professor Zaroff, a missing scientist who was presumed dead. The Doctor sends Zaroff a note, which results in them being saved just in time by Professor Zaroff, a renegade scientist from the surface world who has devised the technology the Atlanteans use to refine their food. Zaroff has a plan to raise Atlantis from the sea and aims to do it with the help of the Doctor and his companions. Polly is taken by Damon for conversion-surgery into a Fish Person, while Ben and Jamie are taken to work in a mine.

When the Doctor finds out Zaroff's plans for Polly, he cuts off the power, which gives her time to escape from Damon with the help of a servant girl named Ara. Zaroff tells the Doctor that he plans to drain the sea so Atlantis could come back to the surface. The Doctor immediately realizes this will destroy Earth and escapes to find a solution and look for his companions. Meanwhile in the mine, Ben and Jamie leave with two shipwrecked sailors, Sean and Jacko, in search of an escape route. This leads them to Polly's hiding place, the temple of Amdo. The Doctor finds a priest named Ramo along the way and tells him Zaroff's plans. Ramo takes the Doctor to Thous, King of Atlantis, to convince him of the danger they're in. Thous does not believe the Doctor, and takes Zaroff's side.