The Pirate Planet

The Doctor, Romana and K9 continue their search for the six disguised segments that make up the powerful Key to Time. 

The TARDIS lands on the world of Zanak, despite the Tracer indicating that they seek another planet altogether-Calufrax.  On Zanak, they find the populace living under the cruel tyranny of the Captain; a bullying, arrogant cyborg who is using the hollow planet as a giant space ship materializing it around worlds and then mining them dry. 

Living apart from the other people of Zanak are the Mentiads, a feared group of silent men with heightened extra-sensory powers.  The Doctor tries to rally the Mentiads into attacking the Captain’s base and free the planet from his control.  But the Doctor has failed to realize who actually wields the power of Zanak…

Having failed to find the second segment, Romana finds herself put to work on the planet’s massive engines, K9 battles the lethal robot parrot Polyphase Avatron and the Doctor discovers the identity of the next planet targeted for destruction…Earth!

• The second story in the Key to Time arc, "The Pirate Planet" was written by Douglas Adams who was gaining attention at that time for his radio comedy series "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."

• Tom Baker's lip injury had become increasingly worse during the filming of the previous story (the makeup used in the first story inflamed the injury and made it even more noticeable for this story.  A short scene was written to explain Tom Baker's injured lip (which had originally occurred prior to filming the new season).  In it, the Doctor smacks his face on the console, thus causing the injury.  

• Douglas Adams would later go on to become script editor for the next season of Doctor Who and would pen two other adventures before he left.

• This story is also available on DVD as an individual title or as part of the Key To Time Boxset.

The Key To Time Arc
"The Ribos Operation"
"The Pirate Planet"
"The Stones of Blood"
"The Androids of Tara"
"The Power of Kroll"
"The Armageddon Factor"