Story #13 "The Web Planet"

Season

2

Writer

Bill Strutton

Book/CD

 X

Episodes

6

Director

Richard Martin

Vid

 X

Story code

N

Producer

Verity Lambert

DVD

X

Episode Details

Episode

DR MM:SS

TX dd/mm/yy

RPT TX dd/mm/yy

In BBC Archive

1

23:57

13/02/1965

Y

2

23:20

20/02/1965

Y

4

25:50

06/03/1965

Y

Cast Details

Regular Cast

William Hartnell (First Doctor) , Vicki (Maureen O Brien) , Jacqueline Hill (Barbara Wright) , William Russell (Ian Chesterton)

Guest Cast

Robert Jewell (Zarbi) / Jack Pitt (Zarbi) / Gerald Taylor (Zarbi) / Hugh Lund (Zarbi) / Kevin Manser (Zarbi) / John Scott Martin (Zarbi) / Catherine Fleming (Animus Voice) / Roslyn de Winter (Vrestin) / Arne Gordon (Hrostar) / Arthur Blake (Hrhoonda) / Jolyon Booth (Prapillus) / Jocelyn Birdsall (Hlynia) / Martin Jarvis (Hilio) / Ian Thompson (Hetra) / Barbara Joss (Nemini)

Synopsis

The TARDIS is pulled to the planet Vortis, where the butterfly-like Menoptera are fighting to regain their home from the evil force that has taken control of the ant-like Zarbi and used them to seize the planet. Can the Doctor and his companions free the planet...

Notes

1. This story was originally entitled The Zarbi and was made under the working title The Centre of Terror.
2. The Centre was initially titled Centre of Terror. The novelisation restores this title for the sixth chapter.
3. The first and so far only television story in which all the characters, other than the regulars, are entirely non-humanoid.
4. Robert Jewell, Jack Pitt, Gerald Taylor, Hugh Lund and Kevin Manser are credited as Zarbi Operators for The Web Planet and The Zarbi, and under the heading 'The Zarbi for Escape to Danger to The Centre. They are billed as The Zarbi in Radio Times for The Zarbi to The Centre.
5. Roslyn de Winter (Vrestin), Arne Gordon (Hrostar), Arthur Blake (Hrhoonda), Jolyon Booth (Prapillus), Jocelyn Birdsall (Hlynia) and Martin Jarvis (Hilio) are credited under the heading 'The Menoptra'. Roslyn de Winter is credited as Menoptra Vrestin in Radio Times for Escape to Danger.
6. Ian Thompson (Hetra) and Barbara Joss (Nemini) are credited under the heading 'The Optera' for Crater of Needles and Invasion. Ian Thompson is credited as Optera Hetra in Radio Times for The Centre.
7. Jacqueline Hill does not appear in Escape to Danger as she was on holiday while it was filmed. She is not credited in this episode's closing credits and later complained to the production team about this, but her request for her credit to be reinstated for overseas sales of the story was not acted upon.
8. Noted choreographer Roslyn De Winter was hired to create the distinctive movements and stilted speech of the Vrestin (which she accepted).
9. The costumes for all of the aliens who appeared in this story were created by Daphne Dare.