The Mark of the Rani

Last updated

139 [1] –The Mark of The Rani
Doctor Who serial
Cast
Others
Production
Directed bySarah Hellings
Written by Pip and Jane Baker
Script editor Eric Saward
Produced by John Nathan-Turner
Executive producer(s)None
Music by Jonathan Gibbs
Production code6X
Series Season 22
Running time2 episodes, 45 minutes each
First broadcast2 February 1985 (1985-02-02)
Last broadcast9 February 1985 (1985-02-09)
Chronology
← Preceded by
Vengeance on Varos 		Followed by →
The Two Doctors
List of Doctor Who episodes (1963–1989)

The Mark of The Rani is the third serial of the 22nd season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who , which was first broadcast in two weekly parts on BBC1 on 2 and 9 February 1985.

Contents

The serial is set in the mining village of Killingworth in North East England in the 19th century. In the serial, the renegade Time Lords the Rani (Kate O'Mara) and the Master (Anthony Ainley) team up to take a chemical from humans' brains for use in the Rani's experiments, with the Master also intending to use the brightest minds of the Industrial Revolution to make the Earth a base for himself.

Plot

When the Sixth Doctor and Peri arrive in the 19th-century mining town of Killingworth, they encounter a group of rampaging miners attacking people and destroying machinery. The attacks are the work of two rogue Time Lords, The Master and the Rani. The Rani's experiments on her home planet of Miasimia Goria have left its inhabitants unable to sleep. In an attempt to fix the problem, she has begun harvesting brain fluid from the Killingworth miners and synthesising it back on Miasimia Goria. The Master wants to use the finest brains of the Industrial Revolution to help speed up Earth's development and use the planet as a powerbase.

The Doctor sneaks into the Rani's TARDIS, whose control room contains jars of preserved dinosaur embryos, and overhears Rani confessing to have laid landmines in nearby Redfern Dell. Simultaneously, Peri is using her botanical knowledge to make a sleeping draught for the afflicted miners, but her quest for herbs leads her to Redfern Dell. The Doctor then surprises the Master and the Rani, who are lurking at the edge of the Dell, and takes them prisoner with the Master's own Tissue Compression Eliminator. They attempt to flee in The Rani's TARDIS, but the Doctor has sabotaged the navigational system and velocity regulator, and the ship starts heading out of control. In the destabilised condition, one of the jars containing an embryo Tyrannosaurus Rex falls to the floor and the creature begins to grow. The Master and the Rani are "stuck" against one of the walls of the Rani's TARDIS due to the speed at which they are travelling and are helplessly at the mercy of the rapidly aging immature Tyrannosaurus.

The Doctor and Peri return the stolen brain fluid to prominent local citizens Lord Ravensworth and George Stephenson with instructions to administer it to the affected miners.

Production

The working titles for this story were Too Clever By Far and Enter The Rani.[ citation needed ]

The music score for this story was provided by composer Jonathan Gibbs. John Lewis was originally hired to compose the score, but had only completed the first episode when a sudden onset of illness – which ultimately resulted in his death – prevented him from finishing the work and forced the production team to give the assignment to Gibbs. Lewis' score for the first episode was included on the DVD release.

The serial featured extensive location filming at the Blists Hill Victorian Town and the Coalport China Museum, operated by the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust. [2] Both episodes included in the credits: "The BBC wish to acknowledge the cooperation of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum." This was the first story since Season 3's The Gunfighters to feature specific historical characters, [3] in this case landowner Lord Ravensworth and his employee George Stephenson.

Broadcast and reception

EpisodeTitleRun timeOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)  [4]
1"Part One"45:012 February 1985 (1985-02-02)6.3
2"Part Two"44:329 February 1985 (1985-02-09)7.3

Writing for Radio Times , Mark Braxton awarded the serial three stars out of five, describing it as "a refreshing, earthbound delight in an undistinguished era of offworld futurama". He praised the location filming, the scenes between the Doctor, the Master and the Rani, and aspects of the design, such as the Rani's TARDIS, which he said was "absolutely gorgeous, quite the best piece of design in the show for an age". However, he characterized the dialogue as "a mixture of wonderful and woeful", questioned the low-key presence of the historical characters, the "shaky" period grasp and wandering North East accents, and concluded the serial was "a story of considerable interest. But little flair or sizzle". [2]

Paul Cornell, Martin Day and Keith Topping, authors of The Discontinuity Guide , considered the story's dialogue to be overblown, although the concepts were interesting. They thought the direction and music of the serial were "superb", highlighting the scene where the Doctor inspected the inside of the Rani's TARDIS as "one of the few great scenes of this era". They concluded the serial was "altogether rather more impressive than its reputation." [3] In Doctor Who: The Complete Guide, Mark Campbell awarded The Mark of the Rani four out of ten, describing it as "excitingly directed by newcomer Sarah Hellings" but "nonetheless a meandering story with some very stupid moments and the inclusion of one too many pantomime villains." [5]

Commercial releases

In print

The Mark of the Rani
Doctor Who The Mark of the Rani.jpg
Author Pip and Jane Baker
Cover artist Andrew Skilleter
Series Doctor Who book:
Target novelisations
Release number
107
Publisher Target Books
Publication date
January 1986 (Hardback) 12 June 1986 (Paperback)
ISBN 0-426-20232-5

A novelisation of this serial, written by Pip and Jane Baker, was published by Target Books in January 1986.

Home media

The Mark of the Rani was released on VHS in July 1995. It was released as a Region 2 DVD on 4 September 2006. As of 11 August 2008, this serial has been released for sale on iTunes. This serial was also released as part of the Doctor Who DVD Files in issue 63 on 1 June 2011.

It was released as part of the ‘Doctor Who The Collection: Season 22’ blu-ray box set on 20th June 2022.

Related Research Articles

The Rani (<i>Doctor Who</i>) Fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who

The Rani is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. She was played by Kate O'Mara.

State of Decay is the fourth serial of the 18th season in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 22 November to 13 December 1980.

Time and the Rani is the first serial of the 24th season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 7 to 28 September 1987. It was the first to feature Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor.

Delta and the Bannermen is the third serial of the 24th season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in three weekly parts from 2 to 16 November 1987.

The Mysterious Planet is the first serial of the larger narrative known as The Trial of a Time Lord which encompasses the whole of the 23rd season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 6 to 27 September 1986. The title The Mysterious Planet is not used on-screen and only appears in the serial's scripts with the four episodes that comprise the story being transmitted as The Trial of a Time Lord Parts One to Four.

Mindwarp is the second serial of the larger narrative known as The Trial of a Time Lord which encompasses the whole of the 23rd season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 4 to 25 October 1986. The title Mindwarp is not used on screen and appears only on the serial's scripts with the four episodes that comprise the story being transmitted as The Trial of a Time Lord Parts Five to Eight. This story marks the final appearance of Nicola Bryant as Peri Brown.

Planet of the Daleks is the fourth serial of the tenth season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts on BBC1 from 7 April to 12 May 1973.

The Ultimate Foe is the fourth and final serial of the larger narrative known as The Trial of a Time Lord which encompasses the whole of the 23rd season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast in two weekly parts on BBC1 on 29 November and 6 December 1986. This segment is also cited in some reference works under its working title of Time Incorporated. The title The Ultimate Foe is never used on-screen and was first used in relation to these episodes for the 1988 novelisation, with the two episodes that comprise the serial being referred to as The Trial of a Time Lord Parts Thirteen and Fourteen. This was the last story to feature Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor, as Baker declined to do the regeneration for the following story, Time and the Rani.

The Caves of Androzani is the sixth serial of the 21st season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four twice-weekly parts on BBC1 from 8 to 16 March 1984.

<i>Doctor Who and the Silurians</i> 1970 British sci-fi TV serial

Doctor Who and the Silurians is the second serial of the seventh season in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast in seven weekly parts on BBC1 from 31 January to 14 March 1970.

The Curse of Peladon is the second serial of the ninth season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 29 January to 19 February 1972.

The Two Doctors is the fourth serial of the 22nd season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in three weekly parts on BBC1 from 16 February to 2 March 1985.

Logopolis is the seventh and final serial of the 18th season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 28 February to 21 March 1981. It was Tom Baker's last story as the Fourth Doctor and marks the first appearance of Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor and Janet Fielding as new companion Tegan Jovanka.

The Dominators is the first serial of the sixth season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which originally aired in five weekly parts from 10 August to 7 September 1968.

The Mind Robber is the second serial of the sixth season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in five weekly parts from 14 September to 12 October 1968.

Attack of the Cybermen is the first serial of the 22nd season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in two weekly parts on 5 and 12 January 1985. It was credited to the pseudonymous author "Paula Moore"; there are conflicting accounts concerning to whom this credit belongs. Beginning with this serial and continuing for the remainder of Season 22, episodes were 45 minutes in length ; for syndication, in some markets, this serial is re-edited into four 25-minute segments.

Vengeance on Varos is the second serial of the 22nd season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in two weekly parts on 19 and 26 January 1985.

Planet of Fire is the fifth serial of the 21st season in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four twice-weekly parts on BBC1 from 23 February to 2 March 1984.

The King's Demons is the sixth and final serial of the 20th season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was originally broadcast on BBC1 on 15 and 16 March 1983. This serial introduced Kamelion, voiced by Gerald Flood, as a companion.

The Time Monster is the fifth and final serial of the ninth season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts on BBC1 from 20 May to 24 June 1972.

References

  1. ↑ From the Doctor Who Magazine series overview, in issue 407 (pp26-29). The Discontinuity Guide , which counts the unbroadcast serial Shada , lists this as story number 140. Region 1 DVD releases follow The Discontinuity Guide numbering system.
  2. 1 2 Braxton, Mark (2 May 2012). "The Mark of the Rani ***". Radio Times. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
  3. 1 2 "BBC – Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide – The Mark of the Rani – Details". www.bbc.co.uk.
  4. ↑ "Ratings Guide". Doctor Who News. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
  5. ↑ Campbell, Mark (2011). Doctor Who: The Complete Guide. Robinson Publishing. ISBN   978-1849015875 . Retrieved 24 May 2020.

Target novelisation

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.