"Doctor Who"
Earthshock: Part 1 (1982)

Director:

Peter Grimwade

Writer:

Eric Saward (writer)

TV Series:

"Doctor Who" (1963)

Original Air Date:

8 March 1982 (Season 19, Episode 19)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Arriving in an underground cave system on Earth in the 26th century, the Doctor, Adric, Tegan and Nyssa...

Plot Keywords:

Australian | Man With No Name | Extraterrestrial | Famous Opening Theme | Space Hero

Cast

Peter Davison	...	The Doctor
James Warwick	...	Scott
Clare Clifford	...	Kyle
Janet Fielding	...	Tegan
Sarah Sutton	...	Nyssa
Matthew Waterhouse	...	Adric
Steve Morley	...	Walters
Suzi Arden	...	Snyder
Ann Holloway	...	Mitchell
Anne Clements	...	First Trooper
Mark Straker	...	Second Trooper
David Banks	...	Cyber Leader

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:PG

Trivia:

The Troopers' laser beams were digitally altered in the DVD release to look more effective.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When the troopers are in the caves, the two dark figures in background walk past (to the right) and one of the troopers stops and turns around. As he does this the shadow of a crewmember can be briefly seen on the left wall. This is not the dark figure's shadow because they have already walked past.

Quotes:

The Doctor: [preparing to leave the TARDIS] Adric wants to use the computer, I want to go for a walk.

The Most Controversial Doctor Who Episode?

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

The Doctor, Tegan, Nyssa and Adric encounter the Cybermen in a rather vicious encounter which results in the death of young Adric.

Adric, who had been the teen-aged stowaway with the previous Doctor (Tom Baker), suddenly seemed out of place when #5 Peter Davison took over the main role.

What should have been a worthwhile, almost nuclear family quartet, suddenly gave way to strange rumors.

Did Peter Davison want Adric & Tegan removed from the show, feeling only he and Nyssa were worthwhile? Or did Matthew Waterhouse (Adric) behave too irresponsibly and cause his own departure? The truth may never be known by the masses, but as Peter Davison says with his three co-stars on this story's DVD audio commentary, "Earthshock" is now rather discussed by fans because of Adric's death.

Was it a good story or was it behind-the-scenes shenanigans that brought about Adric's death? Looking back now, I didn't like Adric's death then, and I still don't like it. I would have much rather preferred he left in "Terminus" with Nyssa.

However, to hear the commentary of the four cast regulars shows that there was clearly no animosity amongst them, thank goodness.

No harm done.

But still, I didn't think Adric should have died.