The Key To Time
(Season 16) Boxset
(DVD)
 

Starring Tom Baker
26 Episodes total
1978
540 minutes (color)
Six Discs




 

 

Production Notes
Doctor Who
Tom Baker

Romana
Mary Tamm

Voice of K9
John Leeson

Written by
Robert Holmes
Douglas Adams
David Fisher
Bob Baker
&
Dave Martin

Directed by
George Spenton-Foster
Pennant Robers
Darrol Blake
Michael Hayes
&
Norman Stewart

Produced by
Graham Williams
Original Airdate
Sept 2, 1978 - Feb  24, 1979

US DVD Release Date
October 2002

Warner Home Video
#
E1692




Cover Blurb
The Ribos Operation: Having left Leela on Gallifrey, the Doctor and K9 Mark II don’t remain footloose for long. The TARDIS is soon intercepted by the White Guardian. The White Guardian sets the Doctor on an urgent mission to locate the six segments of the Key to Time, which are well disguised and hidden in odd corners of time and space. Once assembled, the Key will allow the White Guardian to restore balance to a universe descending into evil and chaos.

The Pirate Planet: As the Doctor, Romana and K9 head for the planet Calufrax in search of the second segment of the Key to Time, they are in for a surprise when the TARDIS brings them to Zanak, an entirely different planet occupying the same space coordinates. Did Romana take a wrong turn when she navigated by the book? No, the tracer registers that the segment is near.

The Stones of Blood: The search for the third segment of the Key to Time leads the Doctor and Romana to the English countryside and an ancient stone circle called the Nine Travelers. There they meet Professor Amelia Rumford and her friend Vivien Fay, who are conducting a new survey of the stones. Curiously, the number of stones has not been consistent in the historical sources the professor has researched.

The Androids of Tara: Getting the fourth segment of the Key to Time is the easiest part of the trip to the planet Tara, whose idyllic atmosphere lulls the Doctor into a mood to go fishing and leave the segment-tracing to Romana. She locates it after a short walk on a beautiful day, but her luck changes when she meets the courtly Count Grendel.

The Power of Kroll: The search for the fifth segment of the Key to Time brings the Doctor and Romana to the swampy terrain of the third moon of the planet Delta Magna. Almost immediately, they become separated. The Doctor draws fire when he is mistaken for Rohm-Dutt, a notorious gunrunner wanted for supplying firearms to the Swampies, an aboriginal people who were displaced to the marshy moon when human colonists took possession of Delta Magna. A small team from Delta Magna are now developing a refinery in the Swampies’ promised territory, but the Swampies are confident that, properly armed, they can drive the humans away.

The Armageddon Factor: The last stretch of the quest for the Key to Time brings the Doctor and Romana to the planet Atrios in the last days of a nuclear war with its neighboring planet Zeos. The Atrian ruler, Princess Astra, presses for peace, but the Marshal insists that his forces can win the war. Those near the Marshal fear that his judgment is suffering from the strain of command. He has taken to making most of his decisions following meditations before a strange black mirror. The Princess has disappeared, and the Marshal now rules unopposed. Have the Doctor and Romana arrived too late to complete their mission before Atrios is destroyed?




 

 

DVD Features
  • The Ribos Operation
    Commentary by Tom Baker (4th Doctor) and Mary Tamm (Romana)
  • The Pirate Planet
    Commentary by Pennant Roberts (director) and Bruce Purchase (the Captain)

Additional location footage

  • The Stones of Blood
    Commentary by Mary Tamm (Romana) and Darrol Blake (director)
  • The Androids of Tara
    Commentary by Tom Baker (4th Doctor), Mary Tamm (Romana) and Michael Hayes (director)
  • The Power of Kroll
    Commentary by Tom Baker (4th Doctor) and John Leeson (voice of K-9)
  • The Armageddon Factor
    Commentary by Mary Tamm (Romana), John Woodvine (the Marshal), and Michael Hayes (director) 
 
  • Image Gallery 

 

 
  • Production Information



 

 

 

Additional Notes

  • For More Details Consult Each Story Separately...

 


The Ribos Operation

 


The Pirate Planet

The Stones of Blood


The Androids of Tara

 


The Power of Kroll

 


The Armageddon Factor

 

  • In a break with tradition, this story (along with all of the stories from the Key To Time umbrella season) is being released on DVD here in North America BEFORE the U.K.  Apparently, the North American market is much more focused on Tom Baker's era of Doctor Who.  As a result, BBC Worldwide is making a concerted effort to release more Tom Baker DVD's over here.
  • The Doctor Who Restoration Team did some limited clean-up work on this story.  However, due to time constraints, this release is very light on extras.
  • Each story can be purchased individually or as the boxset.