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77) THE SONTARAN EXPERIMENT

22 February - 1 March 1975

Average Viewing Figure: 10.8M

Plot

Arriving on Earth in the far future, The Doctor, Sarah and Harry discover that a Sontaran is conducting experiments on humans

76) THE ARK IN SPACE

Cast

Tom Baker (The Doctor), Ian Marter (Harry Sullivan), Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith), Peter Walshe (Erak), Terry Walsh (Zake)

Glyn Jones (Krans), Peter Rutherford (Roth), Donald Douglas (Vural), Kevin Lindsay (Styre/The Marshall), Brian Ellis (Prisoner)

Crew

Bob Baker, Dave Martin (Writers), Terry Walsh (Fight Arranger), Marion McDougall (Production Assistant)

George Gallaccio (Production Unit Manager), Ron Grainer (Title Music), Bernard Lodge (Title Sequence), Dudley Simpson (Incidental Music)

Dick Mills (Special Sound), John Friedlander, Tony Oxley (Visual Effects Designer), Barbara Kidd (Costume Designer), Sylvia James (Make-Up)

Tommy Thomas (Lighting), Vic Godrich (Sound), Robert Holmes (Script Editor), Roger Murray-Leach (Designer), Philip Hinchcliffe (Producer)

Rodney Bennett (Director)

​

Uncredited Crew

Russ Karel (Assistant Floor Manager), Mary Kellehar (Vision Mixer), Peter Pegrum (Visual Effects Assistant), Martha Livesey (Make-Up Assistant)

George Jakins (Engineering Manager), Harry Randall (Props Supervisor), Sheelagh Lawson (Design Assistant)

Jenny Betts (Location Faciliites Assistant), Dick Carey (Props), Richard Winter (Costumes Assistant), Ivan Rodgers (Props Buyer)

David Privett (Scenic Props Buyer)​

Broadcast

Filming Locations

  • nr Warren House, Postbridge, Devon

  • Hound Tor, Manaton, Devon

Deaths

  • Zake [slips and breaks his neck]

  • Roth [shot dead by Styre]

  • Vural [killed by Styre]

  • Styre [drained of his own energy]

  • Prisoner [dies due to a lack of fluids]

Production Days

  • 7 Days between Thursday 26 September - Wednesday 2 October 1974

Number of Production Days: 5

Production Errors

  1. During the fight, Styre's head is knocked sideways, and when he touches his suit, his head wobbles 

  2. During part one, crewmembers are reflected on the Robot's shiny metal

  3. Sarah says that Styre and Linx are identical - despite the fact that they both have different designs 

Working Titles

  • The Destructors

Verdict

The Sontaran Experiment is a down-to-Earth adventure where a group of humans struggle for survival as a monster hunts them down one-by-one. Entirely shot on location makes for an effectively realised story without the worry of limited and restricted studio space and time. The bleak Dartmoor makes for a perfect ravaged Earth and a dark glimpse into the future of mankind. There are good moments, visual effects and a cast who bring something new to the plot making for 45 minutes of slick and constructed entertainment. ****​

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