Inferno

"The Eruption", "Hot Stuff", "Republica"

"The One With The Patch Over the Eye" (USA), "I'm Just a Dedicated Follower of Fascism"

Doctor Who goes to a parallel reality where everyone but Doctor Who is replicated as a baddie. Being baddies, Doctor Who is allowed to let them die as long as he learns something that will help him save goodies

*** - Perfect in every way except (1) the baddie Liz isn't kinky enough and (2) I don't know about you but I wouldn't want a gas to carry my name

"By the order of Frank Muir I'm going to have you shot"

"Nick, luvvie, that's not meant to be Frank Muir" (studio banter)

"Listen to that! It's the sound of the pants screaming out their rage"

We all have mirror universe counter parts who are diametrically opposite to us. Except Jeffrey Archer who is a twat in every conceivable reality.

During shooting of this story, Nicholas Courtney was the victim of a practical joke when he turned round in his chair and all his fellow actors mimicked him by having a non-existent post Dr Who acting career.

The wig budget for this story was eight pounds. The eye patch budget was twelve pounds.

Caroline John left the series after this story as her work permit had run out and she had to return to her homeland.

The ethical dilemmas presented in this story were debated by BBC Radio’s voice of conscience ‘Oooh” Gary Davies. He felt that, on balance, blonde hair was less evil than brunette.

Liz’s lengthy laugh at the end of episode seven was achieved with a combination of gas and feathers. Nothing is recorded officially about the gas but the man operating the feathers paid the BBC an ex gratia payment of two guineas for the opportunity.

On of the Primords was played by Anne “Vitriol” Robinson during her early career as a jobbing actress. She mentioned the gig in her autobiography and said it was ‘the hairiest thing I’ve ever done’ but was, on balance ‘a good way of working with Jon Pertwee’.

...is that the royal family may be shot to death but knighthoods will still be dished out to Civil Servants

Si Hunt

Albanian Video

"One of the few occasions on which I have been publicly embarrassed occurred when I was asked to address the Bendaton Women's Institute. They had heard that I was an extremely witty and interesting man with a large fund of humorous anecdotes and absolutely no tendency towards smut, filth, indecency or innuendo. Unfortunately I had spent that morning doing some fascinating technical research into Story DDD and my mind was elsewhere - much like the "Doctor" was during much of Story DDD <g> I received a gratifying introduction speech from Mrs Frostibox and walked on stage to a warm round of applause. I then burst out laughing when I saw that I had been the victim of a practical pleasantry. The entire fifty strong audience of WI ladies were sporting sensible moustaches in a humorous and apposite conceit. I roared for a good twenty seconds and then thanked them for their witty, convention calibre prank. Unfortunately Mrs Frostibox came over and explained that none of the ladies were wearing false moustaches and that it might be best if I leave before they could reach the stage. I barely made it out of the hall with my life in tact and I've still not received the Victoria sponge I was promised."

The general consensus of opinion is that Inferno is a classic story. But hunting through the archives we find Lee Mole (writing in "Pertwee's Curlers") describing it as "the sort of thing that Star Trek would do except that Star Trek wouldn't take so bloody long about it and Liz would've worn a tight rubber uniform in at least one of the universes. A nite... nice tight rubber uniform. God I wish she had. It would've looked so good with her cascades of golden blonde hair. Yes mistress - you look perfect in your lovely shiny wipe clean rubber outfit. May I polish it for you? On the whole I give the story three out of ten." MCP Grantham, writing in "Horny Nimon", joked that "I have an acquaintance who works for a rival - and amateurishly inferior - publication who may very well have modelled his facial hair on the dictator in Story DDD". Meanwhile Barry Mendel continued his quest by offering "a testicle and your choice of hair" in return for a tape of Inferno.