Planet of Evil

“Zeta : Warrior Planet”, “Prentis Hancock’s Half Hours”, “Auntie’s Matters”

“The One With the Bleeding Heart Message that Stealing Natural Resources Might Somehow be Wrong” (USA)

Doctor Who and his friend visit an evil planet which isn’t actually evil since it’s the humans who are doing evil things. But it’s hard to debate ends vs means with a giant ball of rock.

*** - It held the title of most evil planet until Unicron appeared in “Transformers The Movie” and kicked some backsides.

"I met Christopher Marlow once, charming fellow, dreadful actor."

(Louis Marks overheard Tom Baker telling this anecdote to Michael Wisher and snuck it into the script of episode one with only minor alterations)

"You and I are scientists, Professor. We buy our pants to experiment at the cost of total responsibility"

The Ready Brek Corporation successfully sued the BBC over what they called “a right kafuffle” caused by the explicit use of a “trademarked, patented and entirely non-copyable” orange outline.

The jungle scenes were shot on location at the BBC’s “Television Studio Sets” exhibition in Luton.

A camera operators strike meant that the cast had to double up as camera persons. This is why you never see Tom Baker and Lis Sladen in the same shot. Where a two-shot was considered “vital or above” a stuffed Sladen replica was used.

Contrary to popular myth, no real anti-matter was used during the making of “Planet of Evil” due to the BBC’s anti-matter licence having lapsed the year before.

Future computational billionaire Bill Gates can be spotted as an unspeaking extra in episode one. Gates, on a gap year at the time and visiting London to pick up tips on how to build an empire, described the experience as “evocatively surreal”.
 

...is never expect anything good to happen when the TARDIS lands and you meet Prentis Hancock.

Si Hunt

"I remember an occasion when Bendaton's first Italian restaurant opened and Ian Devine and I were invited as guests of honour. Due to an unfortunate mix-up, they informed us that they were fully booked and we would have to have a "taking away" meal instead. We duly took samples of the main dishes and loaded them into my sensible Volvo Block and motored back to Brent Towers. I helped Ian Devine carry what was left of the food into the kitchen whereupon I was handed a note by a small child I keep on payroll to scour local charity shops. He informed me that there was an item (the specifics of which I am not at liberty to divulge) in the books section of the "Tipples for Cripples" shop. T4C (as they call themselves) is a respected institution which helps the disabled forget about their infirmity through the use of liquor but not one I would ordinarily patronise so I was pleased at the tip given to me by the boy. I rushed out to my car and tried to make a swift getaway. But, no matter how hard I pumped the accelerator I couldn't move. The car simply would not move. I looked into my rear view mirrors and saw Ian Devine holding on to the bumper and preventing my escape. I reasoned he had also received word about the rare item and was trying to sabotage my bid. I revved and revved and revved but could not break either the strength of his grip nor the mass of his body. In the end I switched the engine off (well aware of the cost of petroleum) and went to ask Ian Devine what the heck he thought he was doing. He pointed to a tupperware tub on the back seat. "I couldn't let you leave with the antipasto" he beamed, shortly before pouring the contents of the container into his mouth. "You may go now". Sadly, I never did get my rare item as Ian Devine bribed my small boy to buy it for him. I confronted the little fellow in a furious rage and tears followed. Well, what can you expect when they are too young to fight fair?"

The rabidly left wing Doctor Who fanzine "The Red Planet" commented that this story "proved beyond a doubt that the Doctor Who production team are institutionally sphereist with their fascist claims that the planet must be evil simply because it is different from those planets which don't kill people."