Shada

Shada
Doctor Who Serial
Shada, the prison planetoid of the Time Lords.
Cast
Doctor Tom Baker (Fourth Doctor)
Companions Lalla Ward (Romana) David Brierley (Voice of K9 Mk. II)
Others Christopher Neame — Skagra Denis Carey – Professor Chronotis Daniel Hill – Chris Parsons Victoria Burgoyne – Clare Keightley Gerald Campion – Wilkin Derek Pollitt – Dr Caldera John Hallet – Police Constable David Strong – Passenger Shirley Dixon – Voice of the Ship James Coombes – Voice of the Krargs James Muir, Lionel Sansby, Derek Suthern, Reg Woods – Krargs
Production
Directed by	Pennant Roberts (original)
Written by	Douglas Adams
Script editor	Douglas Adams
Produced by	Graham Williams (original) John Nathan-Turner (video)
Incidental music composer	Dudley Simpson (unused score) Keff McCulloch (video)
Production code	5M
Series	Season 17
Length	Incomplete (original) 6 episodes, 25 minutes each (intended)
Originally broadcast	Unaired (original) 19 January - 23 February 1980 (intended) 6 July 1992 (video release)
Chronology
← Preceded by Followed by → The Horns of Nimon The Leisure Hive

Shada
Big Finish Productions audio drama
Series	Doctor Who
Release no.	II
Featuring	Eighth Doctor Romana II
Written by	Douglas Adams, Gary Russell
Directed by	Gary Russell
Produced by	Gary Russell
Production code	II
Length	150
Release date	December 2003

Doctor Who – Shada

Author	Gareth Roberts
Series	Doctor Who book
Publisher	BBC Books
Publication date	15 March 2012

Shada is an unaired serial of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was intended to be the final serial of the 1979–80 season (season 17), but was never completed due to strike action at the BBC during filming. In 1992, its recorded footage was released on video using linking narration by Tom Baker, who played the Doctor in the serial, to complete the story.

The script, with adaptations, was later produced by Big Finish Productions as an audio play, with animation and was made available on BBCi and the BBC website in 2003. This version saw Paul McGann take on the role of the Doctor, with Lalla Ward reprising her role as Romana, with an otherwise different cast.

A novelisation of the story written by Gareth Roberts, returning the action to the Fourth Doctor and Romana, was released in March 2012.

The story revolves around the planet Shada, on which the Time Lords have constructed a high security prison for some of the Universe's most dangerous criminals. Skagra, a flawed genius from the planet Dronoid, wishes to create a "Universal Mind" in which all the pooled knowledge of the universe's greatest criminals would be placed at his disposal and with which he intends to take control of the Universe. Skagra wants to go to Shada to extract the knowledge of the criminals who have been imprisoned there. Unfortunately for Skagra, knowledge of the location of Shada has been deliberately hidden by the Time Lords, but Skagra discovers that there is a Time Lord living on Earth in the twentieth century who may hold the key to its location. This Time Lord is masquerading as a professor at St. Cedd's College, Cambridge and calling himself Professor Chronotis. Sensing danger, Chronotis calls for the assistance of his old friend and protégé, the Doctor. The story climaxes in a battle for control of the Universal Mind.