Survival
Joe Siegler
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Survival
This Story: Season 26, Story 4. Production Code 7P
Overall: Story 156, Episode 699-701
Airdates: 22 Nov 1989 – 6 Dec 1989
Written by Rona Munro
Directed by Alan Wareing
Notes
- This was the final story in the original 26 year run of Doctor Who. It didn’t come back as a proper television show for another 16 years after this, although there was an attempt in 1996, and a few other small anniversary/charity pieces produced in the meantime (collectively called “The Wilderness Years”).
- The writer (Rona Munro) was, as of this writing, the only author to write for both classic & modern Who (The Eaters of Light with Peter Capaldi’s Doctor).
- The final regular series appearance of Sophie Aldred as Ace, although she did make appearances in a few non canonical wilderness years specials (Search Out Space & Dimensions in Time). She came back to the show proper in 2022’s “The Power of the Doctor” (along with Sylvester McCoy) where they shared a scene to properly close out their time on the show after a few decades left hanging due to the cancellation.
Links
[ Wikipedia | Tardis Data Core | SPS Historium | Amazon US DVD | Amazon UK DVD ]#DoctorWhoMarathon Ep 699 - Survival 1/3 (Serial 7P Story 156) - 22 Nov 1989 #DoctorWho 1/2
— jᎾᎬ sᎥᎬᎶᏞᎬᏒ (@JoeSiegler) May 29, 2023
The last classic era story starts. The Doctor brings Ace back home to Perivale to meet her friends, & they're all gone. A lot of this ep is exploring, one of my fav ep1 tropes. There's a pic.twitter.com/gcU5KYvYPE
#DoctorWhoMarathon Ep 699 - Survival 1/3 (Serial 7P Story 156) - 22 Nov 1989 #DoctorWho 2/2
— jᎾᎬ sᎥᎬᎶᏞᎬᏒ (@JoeSiegler) May 29, 2023
cat theme that doesn't have an apparent reason here - in fact, the story was originally titled Catflap. Ace ends up disappearing like everyone else. The Master appears at the end. pic.twitter.com/LGw8BXYvbJ
#DoctorWhoMarathon Ep 700 - Survival 2/3 (Serial 7P Story 156) - 29 Nov 1989 #DoctorWho 1/2
— jᎾᎬ sᎥᎬᎶᏞᎬᏒ (@JoeSiegler) May 30, 2023
Everyone was transported to the "Planet of the Cheetah People" which is controlled by the Master - who is also under the influence of the place. I love they reference this in the McGann pic.twitter.com/WfcD617f5V
#DoctorWhoMarathon Ep 700 - Survival 2/3 (Serial 7P Story 156) - 29 Nov 1989 #DoctorWho 2/2
— jᎾᎬ sᎥᎬᎶᏞᎬᏒ (@JoeSiegler) May 30, 2023
movie when his eyes are still green. Vibe of this ep is way different from ep1. Most of this ep is well, survival. Animals are tied to planet, which will explode due to their fighting. pic.twitter.com/Af4INRv2cQ
#DoctorWhoMarathon Ep 701 - Survival 3/3 (Serial 7P Story 156) - 6 Dec 1989 #DoctorWho 1/3
— jᎾᎬ sᎥᎬᎶᏞᎬᏒ (@JoeSiegler) May 31, 2023
This is it. The final ep in "Classic Who". So many things end here, but I'm not. Later today & tomorrow I'll do what's known as "The Wilderness Years". Survival ends w/The Doctor figuring pic.twitter.com/KNA21Fu9MX
#DoctorWhoMarathon Ep 701 - Survival 3/3 (Serial 7P Story 156) - 6 Dec 1989 #DoctorWho 2/3
— jᎾᎬ sᎥᎬᎶᏞᎬᏒ (@JoeSiegler) May 31, 2023
out that they can escape the Cheetah People planet before it explodes if they can convince one of the converted people to not fight & want to go home of their own accord. The end of this pic.twitter.com/8eeDkqZKTP
#DoctorWhoMarathon Ep 701 - Survival 3/3 (Serial 7P Story 156) - 6 Dec 1989 #DoctorWho 3/3
— jᎾᎬ sᎥᎬᎶᏞᎬᏒ (@JoeSiegler) May 31, 2023
was written when it was realized that this was probably the end. It works well, but I wish we didn't have to wait till 2022 for an end for 7 & Ace.
Somewhere the tea's getting cold. pic.twitter.com/jZJdlUxrva
Imagine if #DoctorWho had actually ended like this in 1989 pic.twitter.com/a30zbTGMje
— Pip (@pipmadeley) May 15, 2023
… and some fun fan art I saw for this story in November 2023..
Celebrated #DoctorWho month by making this up for one of my favourites! Happy 60th! 🐯 🐈⬛ #DoctorWho60 pic.twitter.com/tx77P59coN
— Tom Webster (@tomwebsta) November 22, 2023
