Hand of Fear

"George and Eldrad", "Kastriaway", "Doctor Who in Croydon"

"The One with the Hand of Terror", "Eldrad Must - Live!" (stage adaptation)

Doctor Who and Sarah Jane visit a quarry and an alien world and, for once, they aren't the same thing.

*** - It gets rid of the best female companion Tom Baker had ever had and does so with no apology.

Sarah Jane Smith: I must be mad.

Doctor: Bye.

Sarah Jane Smith: I'm sick of being cold and wet and hypnotised left, right and centre.

Doctor: Bye.

Sarah Jane Smith: I'm sick of being shot at, savaged by bug eyed monsters, never knowing if I'm coming or going...

Doctor: Bye.

Sarah Jane Smith: ...or been.

Doctor: Bye.

Sarah Jane Smith: I want a bath.

Doctor: Bye.

Sarah Jane Smith: I want my hair washed.

Doctor: Bye.

Sarah Jane Smith: I just want to feel human again...

Doctor: Bye.

Sarah Jane Smith: ...and, boy, am I sick of that sonic screwdriver.

Doctor: Bye.

Sarah Jane Smith: I'm going to pack my goodies and I'm going home.

Doctor: You still here?

"Strange pants or not... Eldrad lives and shall again rule Kastria!"

The nuclear physics used during the story had to be written by a stunt physicist due to the dangers involved.

Bob Baker and Dave Martin are known as the "Bristol Boys" because lots of people think they're Welsh but they aren't.

The Tomorrow's World team visited the location work and conducted an experiment which proved that Tom Baker's voice was not only louder than a quarry siren but actually louder than dynamite.

The Eccleston Echo described Sarah's leaving scene as "emotional chess" while the Hanging Langford Harp said it "shows emotional depth normally too broad and deep for the small screen." Only the Croydon Spleen disagreed and called the scene "mentally retarded".

Sarah Jane's costume was a last attempt to "sex up" the character. Sadly, Elisabeth Sladen had had her erotic gland removed in 1966 after it started behaving peculiarly and she ended up in alone and naked in Slough.

Sladen's reasons for leaving the series have been the subject of much speculation over the years. It is now almost universally agreed that she was asked to leave after she shed her skin in the BBC bar and Thora Hird sprained her ankle tripping over the husk.

...is that you shouldn't worry about radiation if you have something to hide behind.

Si Hunt

“I don't mind telling you that I felt the hand of fear the first time I had an intimate examination from Doctor Flapjack. He asked me to remove my trousers, my sensible thermals, my prescription underpants (imbued with special lotion recommended by my former specialist, Doctor Crippler) and my money belt which some mistake for a girdle but I can't help the cynical myopia of those cursed by a childish mind. He rubbed his hands together to warm them up - I pay an extra premium for special service - and told me to relax myself. I'm not a man accustomed to relaxing and he said I was very tense. The more he urged me to relax, the more strained I became. He stuck a hypodermic needle into my posterior and I felt a wave of calm come over me. With my b-u-t-t-o-c-k-s now completely numb I was ready for his inspection. An hour later I chanced my hand and opened my eyes. There were several pairs of discarded rubber gloves on the surgery floor, two empty tubs of Vaseline in the waste paper basket, a catatonic canary in a cage and a soiled needle and thread on his desk.

"Whhl mhhhr brhhht" he appeared to say. I suggested he remove the gas mask and he complied once he'd reached my end of the table.

"Well, Mr Brent" he repeated, "I think we can safely conclude that you've definitely got inflamed tonsils. I'll book you in for a tonsillectomy next week."

I was so relived that my lecturing career was not in any long term danger that it didn't occur to me until some time later that he hadn't made an appointment to remove whatever stitches he had inserted. He's a marvellous doctor but a tad forgetful.”

One of the few continental Doctor Who fanzines - the Greek bi-monthly "Sarah Jane Aphrodite" - still refers to Hand of Fear as "The last of the Doctor Who stories to be made by the BBC." A recent issue gave directions to Croydon so readers could undertake the annual outing to try and find her. The society calls this "The Pilgrimage" while Croydon City Council calls it "our tourism industry". The club have Elisabeth Sladen as their honorary president and describe her as "a wise old Sarah Jane Smith expert who looks as we imagine Sarah Jane Smith's grandmother would look."