Story #3 "The Edge of Destruction"

Season

1

Writer

David Whittaker

Book/CD

 X

Episodes

2

Director

Richard Martin (1) / Frank Cox (2)

Vid

X

Story code

Producer

Verty Lambert

DVD

X

Episode Details

Episode

DR MM:SS

TX dd/mm/yy

RPT TX dd/mm/yy

In BBC Archive

1

Y

2

Y

Cast Details

Regular Cast
William Hartnell (First Doctor) , Carole Ann Ford (Susan) , Jacqueline Hill (Barbara), William Russell (Ian)

Synopsis

In a desperate attempt to gain control of the faulty TARDIS guidance system and return the two schoolteachers to 1963, the Doctor decides to expriment with a new combination. There is a violent explosion and the TARDIS blacks out. Susan and Barbara are convinced this is the work of an invisble alien force but Ian rationalises it as a technical fault. The Doctor accuses the two teachers of sabotage; he suspects them of trying to balckmail him into to returning them to earth. Finally even Susan begins to suspect Ian and Barbara. However, they eventually realise that the hault has been caused by the ships on-board defence system, which is now also responsible for the psychological disturbances the crew are experiencing. The TARDIS has resorted to thses measures because the Fast Return Switch jammed and the TARDIS was on it's way back to the very beginning of creation.

1. This is the only story to only feature the regular cast.