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102) THE POWER OF KROLL

23 December 1978 - 13 January 1979

Average Viewing Figure: 9.4M

Plot

The Doctor and Romana land onthe third Moon of Delta Magna where something gigantic is stirring in the swamps

Cast

Tom Baker (The Doctor), Mary Tamm (Romana), Neil McCarthy (Thawn), John Abineri (Ranquin), Philip Madoc (Fenner)

Glyn Owen (Rohm-Dutt), Carl Rigg (Varlik), Frank Jarvis (Skart), John Leeson (Dugeen), Grahame Mallard (Harg), Terry Walsh (Mensch)

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Uncredited Cast

Philip Bird, Richard Edmunds, Mark Hardy, Barry Stearn, Norman Clive-Fisher, Curtis Dabek, Steve Palmer, Steve Sandis, David Babin

Graham Baker, Paul Mann, Steve Vickers, Steven Pleasance, Peter Crutchley, Paul Smith, John Hodges, Julian Mark, David Sinclair

Mike Wilson, Michael Archer (Swampies)

76) THE ARK IN SPACE

Crew

Robert Holmes (Writer), Kate Nemet (Production Assistant), John Nathan-Turner (Production Unit Manager)

Dudley Simpson (Incidental Music), Dick Mills (Special Sound), Martin Patmore (Film Cameraman), Stan Nightingale (Film Sound)

Michael Goldsmith (Film Editor), Warwick Fielding (Studio Lighting), Richard Chubb (Studio Sound), Tony Harding (Visual Effects Designer)

Dave Jervis (Electronic Effects), Rod Waldron (Videotape Editor), Colin Lavers (Costume Designer), Kezia Dewinne (Make-Up Artist)

Anthony Read (Script Editor), Don Giles (Designer), Graham Williams (Producer), Norman Stewart (Director)

Broadcast

Filming Locations

  • The Maltings, Snape, Suffolk

  • Iken Cliff, Iken, Suffolk

  • Television Centre: Studio 6

  • Bray Studios

Deaths

  • Thawn [killed by a Swampie]

  • Ranquin [killed by Kroll]

  • Rohm-Dutt [killed by Kroll]

  • Dugeen [killed by Thawn]

  • Harg [killed by Kroll]

  • Mensch [killed by Kroll]

  • Swampie [killed by Kroll] 

Production Days

  • 15 Days between Mondayu 18 September - Friday 20 October 1978

Number of Production Days: 5

Production Errors

  1. The Doctor's finger movements whilst playing the reed pipe do not match the music which is heart

  2. The wall of the rocket silo is very flimsy, is moves with the tap of a hammer 

  3. Throughout the serial, The Doctor whips his galoshes on and off 

  4. Dugeen body moves just for a second during part four, even the character had been killed just prior 

  5. The Doctor, Romana, and Rohm-Dutt fail to get wet after rain pours through the broken window 

  6. A boom microphone enters the frame at the 1:13:12 mark

Working Titles

  • Moon of Death

Verdict

The Power of Kroll has a lot of admiration – the extensive marshland filming locations, hovercrafts, boats, and the biggest monster the show has ever seen. There are elements of slavery and power and even genocide aswell which have been seen many, many times before and they are a bit dull here. Thawn is the typical big bad guy bully and the rest of the refinery workers are not that interesting although it’s nice to John Leeson on-screen due to the absence of K-9. Kroll is fine and serves his purpose well, but the models shots are undoubtedly poor as are the models of the refinery. There are longs scenes of rituals, chanting and torture which are not that attractive and seem overall long than what they should be. The torture scene is very bizarre The Doctor jabbers on until he grows tired of his own voice and decides to escape. It works fine and is pleasurably enjoyable and is far from being a disaster. ***​

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