Horror of Fang Rock
(DVD)

Starring Tom Baker
4 Episodes
1977
94 minutes (color)
Single Disc




 

 

Production Notes
Doctor Who
Tom Baker

Leela
Louise Jameson

Written by
Terrance Dicks

Directed by
Paddy Russell
Produced by
Graham Williams

Original Airdate
Sept 3, 1977 - Sept 24, 1977

US DVD Release Date
September 2005

Warner Home Video
#E2317

U.K. Cover


 

 



Cover Blurb
 

 

 

A mysterious light in the sky, an unnatural glow in the ocean and a thick fog bring terror to the lighthouse keepers of Fang Rock.  When the Doctor and Leela arrive, the first death has already cast doubt on the safety of the lighthouse.  But the Doctor discovers something more terrifying and evil than even he could have imagined.

 

 

 



 

 

 

DVD Features
  • Terrance Dicks - Fact & Fiction:
 A 36 minute documentary that highlights the vast work of Terrance Dicks in his capacity as a writer, a script editor, and a novelist.  This featurette includes interviews with Terrance Dicks, Barry Letts (producer), Christopher Barry (director), Eric Saward (writer/script editor), Louis Marks (writer), and Paul Cornell (new series writer).  An excellent documentary that illustrates the invaluable impact that Dicks has had on Doctor Who.
 

 
  • Paddy Russell - A Life In Television:
 Approximately 14 minutes of reminiscing by the director of this story.  Russell also reflects on her time directing other Doctor Who projects starting with her first Who story "The Massacre" in 1966 up to her final story "The Horror of Fang Rock" in 1977.
 

 
  • The Antique Doctor Who Show:
 A five minute short in the style of the "Antiques Roadshow" program.  This was originally done back in 1993 for the show's 30th anniversary.  Unfortunately, this extra has the tendency of leaving the viewer feeling like a sad, pathetic fan.  :)
 

 
  • Information Text:
 Lots of trivia and tidbits of Whovian detail are provided.  The text appears intermittently along the bottom of the screen and is written by members of the Doctor Who Restoration Team.
 

 
  • Photo Gallery:
 Once again we are treated to many rare production stills and quite a few behind the scenes ones as well.
 

 
  • Audio Options:
 This DVD  boasts a group commentary by Louise Jameson (Leela), John Abbot (Vince), and Terrance Dicks (writer).  Dicks, as usual, shines.
 

 
  • Who's Who:
 A feature unique to the North American DVD releases.  It lists short biographical information on many of the actors involved in the story.
 

 
  • Easter Eggs:
 There is 1 egg included in this release.  Scroll further down for more information.  For a full list of known Easter Eggs and screen grabs of them click HERE.
 
     



 

 

 

Easter Egg
#1. COUNTDOWN CLOCK FOR EPISODE 3
 

 

Go to the 'Special Features' menu.
Click on the hidden Doctor Who logo to the left of 'The Antique Doctor Who Show.'
 

 

 

 

 

 

Additional Notes
  • "Horror of Fang Rock" was originally written when Sarah Jane Smith was a companion to the Doctor and had to be modified to fit the character of Leela.
  • The Rutans were first mentioned in the introductory story of the Sontarans, "The Time Warrior."  They were mentioned again in "The Sontaran Experiment."  In both cases they were described as a race that had been at war with the Sontarans "for so long that they've both forgotten what they were fighting for."
  • Louise Jameson (Leela) had been having difficulty with the brown contact lenses she was required to wear.  When asked to return for the next season, Jameson made their permanent removal one of the conditions for her return.  Therefore, an explanation for Leela's eyes changing to a blue color (Jameson's natural color) was written into the ending.
  • This story, penned by Terrance Dicks, was originally written for the 4th Doctor (Tom Baker) and his previous assistant Sarah Jane (Elisabeth Sladen).  By the time the story was commissioned, a new companion had come onto the scene and so Sarah Jane's dialogue needed to be altered to fit the character of Leela.
  • Earlier titles for this story included "Monster of Fang Rock" and "Beast of Fang Rock"
  • This story was the first one to be filmed with Graham Williams as producer.  Long criticized for its violent content (for the times), things came to a head during the transmission of "The Deadly Assassin" during the previous season.  The producer at that time (Phillip Hinchcliffe) and the BBC parted company at the end of that season.  It is rather ironic then that this inaugural story (from a season that was ordered to tone down the violence) sees all of the guest cast dead before the stories end.
     
  • As with all of the DVD releases to date, the Doctor Who Restoration Team did extensive work on this story.