The Keeper of Traken

"The power of the Keeper is almost ours. Only the Doctor can destroy all that we have planned. He must be found!"

The empire of Traken has lived in total harmony for over a thousand years, governed by the sacred Keeper and his loyal consuls.  Until now. 

Fading fast, the Keeper calls the Doctor and Adric to Traken, fearing the impending disintegration of his world and the onset of a terrible evil.  For the malignant presence of the Melkur lurks close by, growing stronger, plotting to replace the Keeper upon his death. T he Doctor must stop it before it gains control of the Source-the energy that sustains the very life of the planet.  But just who is controlling the Melkur?   The Doctor smells a rat of the very oldest kind…

• The Master returns again, after another long absence (4 years this time).   "The Keeper of Traken" begins another trilogy of sorts, the Master Trilogy.  His character will be featured in the next two stories "Logopolis" and "Castrovalva."

• The last time the Master was seen was 4 years earlier in "The Deadly Assassin."

• Another companion is added to the TARDIS crew, Nyssa of Traken (played by Sarah Sutton).

• Watch for a particularly good cliffhanger at the end of episode 1.  The Keeper is attacked by the Melkur creature and the Trakens close in on the Doctor, thinking he is the culprit.

• Also keep your eyes open during episode 3.  There is something dangling off of Tom Baker's nose while he's in jail.  :)

• If the character of Seron looks at all familiar, that is because he is being played by none other than John Woodnutt.  Woodnutt has appeared frequently in Doctor Who.  Woodnutt's first role in Doctor Who was that of Hibbert in Pertwee's introductory story "Spearhead from Space."  His next appearance on the show would be that of the Draconian Emperor in "Frontier in Space."  He would later go on to play the double role of the Zygon commander Broton/the Duke of Forgil in the classic Tom Baker story "Terror of the Zygons" before his final appearance in this story.