The Green Death

.

.

l
RRR
65
30 Dec 72 - 20 Jan 73
4
PPP
66
27 Jan 73 - 17 Feb 73
4
QQQ
67
24 Feb 73 - 31 Mar 73
6
SSS
68
07 Apr 73 - 12 May 73
6
TTT
69
19 May 73 - 23 Jun 73
6
.

l.
l

Episode 1.
19th May 1973
5:51 p.m.
25.55
9.2
18
Episode 2.
26th May 1973
5:51 p.m.
25.56
7.2
38
Episode 3.
2nd June 1973
5:51 p.m.
25.12
7.8
29
Episode 4.
9th June 1973
5:50 p.m.
25.47
6.8
32
Episode 5.
16th June 1973
5:50 p.m.
25.20
8.3
15
Episode 6.
23th June 1973
5:51 p.m.
26.06
7.0
30
.
.

The villagers of Llanfairfach in Wales are delighted when the local Global Chemicals unit gets a Government grant to build a full-scale refinery. But the project is fiercely opposed by ecologist Professor Clifford Jones. He has set up a commune in the valley dubbed Nuthutch by the locals. Professor Jones feels that the refinery is a threat to the environment. A strange death in some disused mines brings UNIT to the scene. The Doctor, who has managed to get to Metebelis 3 and has found it very hostile, discovers a swarm of giant green maggots and green slime - both fatal to touch - which have come from waste pumped from the refinery. The director, Stevens, refuses to discuss this with UNIT because he has been taken over by BOSS, the giant computer behind Global Chemicals that has a will of its own. The Doctor uses the only souvenir he brought back from Metebelis 3 - a Blue Crystal to successfully counteract the hypnotic powers of BOSS. He finally succeeds in stopping both the maggots and the maniac computer. Jo Grant falls in love with Professor Jones and leaves UNIT to marry him. The Doctor gives her the Blue Crystal.
.
.


The Doctor:  Jon Pertwee
Jo Grant: Katy Manning
Brig. Lethbridge-Stewart:
Nicholas Courtney
Sergeant Benton
: John Levene
Captain Yates
: Richard Franklin

Guest Appearances:
Professor Clifford Jones: Stewart Bevan
Stevens: Jerome Willis
Hughes: John Scott Martin
Rinks: Ben Howard
Elgin: Tony Adams
Dai Evens: Mostyn Evens
Milkman: Ray Handy
Dave: Talfryn Thomas
Bert: Roy Evens
Voice of ROSS: John Dearth
Fell: John Rolfe
Guards: Terry Welsh, Billie Horrigan, Brian Justice, Alan Chuntz
Nancy: Mitzi McKenzie
Cleaner: Jean Burgess
James: Roy Skelton
Minister of Ecology: Richard Beale

.
.

Producer: Barry Letts.
Script Editor: Terrence Dicks.
Writer: Robert Sloman (with Barry Leas, uncredited).
Director: Michael Briant.
Designer: John Burrowes. 
Costume: Barbara Kidd.
Make up: 
Ann Rayment.
Visual Effects: Ron Oates, Colin Mapson (episodes 1-6), Richard Conway (episodes 3-6).
Music : Dudley Simpson.
.
.


1979 Target edition with cover art by Alun Hood1975 Target Edition Book Cover with cover by Peter Brookes

Novelised as "Doctor Who and the Green Death" by Malcolm Hulke (0 42611543 0) first published by Tandem in 1975 with cover by Peter Brookes. New edition in 1979 by W H Allen (now Virgin Publishing Ltd) with cover by Alun Hood. Target library number 29. Reissued in 1980 with cover art by Alun Hood as ahardback release. This was the last book issued to feature interior illustrations.

Image of Jo & Professor Clifford Jones (Stewart Bevan)
Image of Minister of Ecology (Richard Beale)
Image of Green Maggots
Image of The Doctor disguised as a cleaning woman
Image of Dave (Talfryn Thomas), the Brigadier, and the Doctor
Image of Jo & Professor Clifford Jones (Stewart Bevan) .

a
Image of Video CoverReleased as "The Green Death" in UK August 1996 and Australia &New Zealand (BBC catalogue #5816) Released in US & Canada 1997 (CBS/FOX catalogue # 8457, reclassified as WHV #E1349). Cover art by Colin Howard.

.

.

This story saw the departure of the popular Katy Manning from the series, which was a major motivation in Jon Pertwee's decision to depart the show the following year.

All six episodes exist in color as PAL 2" videotape, as held by the Film & Videotape Library when audited in 1978.

Studio recording in studio TC3. (2-3, 16-17, 29-30 April 1973)
Ogilvie Colliery, Deri, near Bargoed, Glamorgan. (12-15 March 1973)
Colliery Quarry,
Deri, near Bargoed, Glamorgan. (13 March 1973)
Troed-y-rhiw Jestyn, Deri, near Bargoed, Glamorgan. (12 March 1973)
RCA International, Brynmawr, Powys.
(12, 16, 19 March 1973)

Episode 1 - When Evans is on the phone to the mine, look out for the arm in the bottom-right of the screen which gives him his cue to speak.
Episode 2 - After the lift brake fails, a close-up shot of Katy Manning shows her miner's helmet lacking a lamp. But in the next shot, the lamp magically reappears.
Episode 2 - When the Brigadier phones Professor Jones looking for cutting equipment to rescue Jo and Bert from the mine, Jones suggests asking Global Chemicals instead, since he tried to borrow some equipment from them "several weeks ago". But when the Brig is talking to Stevens at Global Chemicals and mentions the Professor, Stevens says he tried to borrow the equipment "yesterday".
Episode 2 - In fight scene with the security guards, Jon Pertwee's stunt double is wearing the wrong colour wig.
Episode 2 - As Jo is leading Bert around a corner in the mine (just after Bert has touched the green sludge), she knocks one of the sloping support struts out of position.
Episode 2, 5, 6 - The end credits background on these three episodes is upside-down and backwards compared with the other episodes.
Episode 3 - As the Doctor picks up the giant egg in the mine, it makes various amusing squeaking sounds, betraying its real nature as a slightly-disguised party balloon.
Episode 4 - When Professor Jones is using the microscope in his lab, none of the lenses on the microscope are actually in a position to be used – they're all pointing away from the slide! This can most clearly be seen in the close-up, when he's placing the fungus-covered slide onto the microscope stage.
Episode 4 - Jon Pertwee mispronounces "chitinous" (i.e. pertaining to chitin, the main constituent of insect exoskeletons) – the first syllable should be pronounced 'kite', but he says it as 'chit'.
Episode 4 - The credits for this episode list Brian Justice as playing "Yate's Guard". So who's "Yate"??
Episode 5 - As Benton jumps over the maggots in front of the cave where Jo and Cliff are sheltering, and again when he carries the unconscious Professor out, the "ground" distorts under his weight – since it's just a built-up studio stage under which the maggot operators are hiding.
Episode 5, 6 - Mr. James collapses against the wall of Stevens' office after Captain Yates frees him from his conditioning, and the wall wobbles visibly.

.