Earthshock
| 121 – Earthshock | |||||
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| Doctor Who serial | |||||
The Cybermen discover that an old foe is interfering with their plans
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| Cast | |||||
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Others
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| Production | |||||
| Directed by | Peter Grimwade | ||||
| Written by | Eric Saward | ||||
| Script editor |
Antony Root Eric Saward (uncredited) |
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| Produced by | John Nathan-Turner | ||||
| Executive producer(s) | None | ||||
| Incidental music composer | Malcolm Clarke | ||||
| Production code | 6B | ||||
| Series | Season 19 | ||||
| Length | 4 episodes, 25 minutes each | ||||
| Originally broadcast | 8 March–16 March 1982 | ||||
| Chronology | |||||
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| Author | Ian Marter |
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| Series |
Doctor Who book: Target novelisations |
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Release number
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78 |
| Publisher | Target Books |
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Publication date
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18 August 1983 |
| ISBN | |
Earthshock is the sixth serial of the 19th season in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four twice-weekly parts from 8 March to 16 March 1982. This serial marks the final regular appearance of Matthew Waterhouse as the Doctor's companion Adric and his climactic death, with the final episode featuring unique silent credits in memory of the character. It is also the first to feature the Cybermen since Revenge of the Cybermen, in 1975.
As the TARDIS arrives on Earth in its future, Adric argues with the Doctor about the lack of attention and respect he receives compared to Nyssa or Tegan, and wishes to return to his home planet Alzarius, a feat the Doctor claims is impossible. As the group explores a series of caves, they are caught by Lieutenant Scott and his men who detected their arrival. Scott accuses the group of killing the rest of Professor Kyle's exploration team as they were searching the caves for fossils. The Doctor convinces Scott to let them help and points them to a debris of rock, where they find the bodies of Kyle's team, along with an odd metal hatch. As the Doctor examines the hatch, other men in Scott's force are killed by androids, undetectable by the humans' equipment. The Doctor is able to stop them, but the androids are able to send images back to their masters, the Cybermen, who recognize their foe. The Doctor is able to open the panel, revealing a powerful bomb that could destroy the planet, and orders Nyssa and Tegan to return everyone to the TARDIS while he and Adric deactivate it.
In the TARDIS the Doctor traces the signal sent to the androids and the bomb back to its source, a freighter spaceship outside the Solar system awaiting clearance to proceed to Earth after its cargo is inspected. The Doctor instructs everyone else to stay in the TARDIS while he and Adric explore it; the two are soon captured by the freighter's security forces when they happen upon the bodies of dead crew members, and are taken to meet Captain Briggs. The Cybermen, hiding in one of the freighter's containers, decide it is time to take control of the ship, and begin an assault towards the bridge. Though the freighter crew, along with Tegan, Kyle, Scott, and his men, try to set up barricades, their defences are foiled by Ringway, Briggs' security officer who has been working as a double agent for the Cybermen. Kyle is killed and Tegan is captured. The bridge is soon taken. The Cyber-Leader reveals that the Doctor had foiled their initial plan—to wipe out much of the planet while several visiting dignitaries are present for an interstellar alliance conference—but has a backup plan of crashing the freighter into the Earth, its anti-matter engines providing a similar devastating force. The Cybermen set the freighter on a high-speed collision course with Earth, and then affix a lock on the freighter's navigation controls to prevent the humans from tampering with it. The Cyber-Leader, holding Tegan hostage, forces the Doctor to take them to the TARDIS to escape the doomed ship, leaving Adric, Briggs, and other crewmen behind; learning the Cybermen are allergic to gold, Adric passes the Doctor his gold Badge for Mathematical Excellence.
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