The Horns of Nimon

108 – The Horns of Nimon
Doctor Who serial
The Nimon uses its horns to kill the Co-Pilot.
Cast
Doctor Tom Baker (Fourth Doctor)
Companions Lalla Ward (Romana) David Brierley (Voice of K-9 Mk. II)
Others Graham Crowden — Soldeed Michael Osborne — Sorak Malcolm Terris — Co-Pilot Bob Hornery — Pilot Simon Gipps-Kent — Seth Janet Ellis — Teka John Bailey — Sezom Robin Sherringham, Bob Appleby, Trevor St John Hacker — Nimons Clifford Norgate — Voice of the Nimon
Production
Directed by	Kenny McBain
Written by	Anthony Read
Script editor	Douglas Adams
Produced by	Graham Williams
Executive producer(s)	None
Incidental music composer	Dudley Simpson
Production code	5L
Series	Season 17
Length	4 episodes, 25 minutes each
Originally broadcast	22 December 1979 – 12 January 1980
Chronology
← Preceded by Followed by → Nightmare of Eden Shada (unbroadcast) The Leisure Hive (broadcast)
List of Doctor Who serials

Doctor Who and the Horns of Nimon

Author	Terrance Dicks
Cover artist	Steve Kyte
Series	Doctor Who book: Target novelisations
Release number	31
Publisher	Target Books
Publication date	16 October 1980
ISBN

The Horns of Nimon is the fifth and final broadcast serial of the 17th season in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 22 December 1979 to 12 January 1980. It is the last broadcast of David Brierley's voice as K-9 (as John Leeson returned in the next season).

The glory days of the Skonnan Empire are long since past, but many of its citizens and soldiers yearn for conquest. The arrival of the mysterious horned Nimon on Skonnos brought hope of imperial restoration. The fearsome creature from within its labyrinth has promised to rebuild the Empire providing it receives a series of tributes from the Skonnans and their fawning, arrogant leader Soldeed. This tribute is to comprise groups of youthful sacrifices from the nearby planet Aneth, as well as a supply of hymetusite crystals. Young people have thus been abducted and transferred to the labyrinth. On the final collection, however, the interstellar craft bearing the sacrifices breaks down in space. The ancient war craft has worn out, and when the co-pilot over extends the engines, the Pilot is killed when a control panel explodes.

The Doctor, Romana and K-9 are in the TARDIS console room where he is making modifications to the ship. Various controls are disconnected, but unfortunately the area of space he has chosen to materialise the ship in is close to a manufactured Black Hole and they are in danger of being drawn in. He extends the TARDIS door force field to a nearby spaceship – the Skonnan battle cruiser – and he and Romana board the warship. Once aboard the Doctor notices an abundance of radioactive hymetusite crystals, and soon finds a hold full of young prisoners. They are from Aneth, and one, Teka, has a seemingly misplaced faith in another prisoner, Seth, to free them from their incarceration. The Co-Pilot investigates the hold and discovers the Doctor and Romana. He takes them to the bridge at gunpoint and forces them to fix the ship. Romana suggests adapting the ship to use a hymetusite crystal power source, and one is brought to her while the Doctor returns to the TARDIS to gather supplies. Aboard the TARDIS the Doctor learns from K-9 of the collapse of the Skonnan Empire in civil war.