Dragonfire (Doctor Who)

147 – Dragonfire
Doctor Who serial
The Doctor bids Mel good-bye before inviting Ace to join him.
Cast
Doctor Sylvester McCoy (Seventh Doctor)
Companions Bonnie Langford (Mel Bush) Sophie Aldred (Ace)
Others Tony Selby — Sabalom Glitz Edward Peel — Kane Patricia Quinn — Belazs Tony Osoba — Kracauer Stephanie Fayerman — McLuhan Stuart Organ — Bazin Chris MacDonnell — Arnheim Nigel Miles-Thomas — Pudovkin Sean Blowers — Zed Ian MacKenzie — Anderson Shirin Taylor — Customer Miranda Borman — Stellar Leslie Meadows — The Creature Daphne Oxenford — Archivist Lynn Gardner — Announcer
Production
Directed by	Chris Clough
Written by	Ian Briggs
Script editor	Andrew Cartmel
Produced by	John Nathan-Turner
Executive producer(s)	None
Incidental music composer	Dominic Glynn
Production code	7G
Series	Season 24
Length	3 episodes, 25 minutes each
Originally broadcast	23 November–7 December 1987
Chronology
← Preceded by Followed by → Delta and the Bannermen Remembrance of the Daleks

Dragonfire

Author	Ian Briggs
Cover artist	Alister Pearson
Series	Doctor Who book: Target novelisations
Release number	137
Publisher	Target Books
Publication date	16 March 1989
ISBN

Dragonfire is the fourth and final serial of the 24th season in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in three weekly parts from 23 November (the 24th anniversary) to 7 December 1987. This serial marked the departure of Bonnie Langford as Mel Bush and the introduction of Sophie Aldred as the Doctor's new companion, Ace.

Iceworld is a space-trading colony on the dark side of the planet Svartos. It is a mysterious place of terror and rumour ruled by the callous and vindictive Kane, who buys supporters and employees and makes them wear his mark iced in to their flesh. Kane's body temperature is so cold that one touch from him can kill. In Kane's lair is a vast cryogenic section where mercenaries and others are being frozen and stored, with their memories wiped for future unquestioning use as part of an army; including a freezer cabinet into which Kane deposits himself when he needs to cool down. There is also, most peculiarly, an aged sculptor who is carving a statue from the ice.

The TARDIS materialises in a refrigeration sales section on Iceworld and the Seventh Doctor and Mel Bush venture outside. They soon meet up with their roguish old acquaintance, Sabalom Glitz, who owes Kane a substantial amount of money. Glitz has come to Svartos to search for a supposed treasure guarded by a dragon. It is located in the icy caverns beyond Iceworld and by chance Glitz has a map, which he won from Kane in a gamble—in fact, Kane wanted him to have the map because he wishes to use Glitz as a pawn in his own search for the treasure. Thus the map contains a tracking device in its seal. Kane in return has Glitz's ship, the Nosferatu, which he orders destroyed. Without realising he is being used, Glitz heads off on the search with the Doctor in tow—though women are not allowed on the expedition so Mel stays with a young, rebellious waitress they have met called Ace. It is only a matter of time before Ace behaves appallingly to customers and is fired. Mel is stunned to hear that Ace is a human from late twentieth century Earth who only arrived on Iceworld after a bizarre chemistry experiment caused a time-storm in her bedroom.