On the planet Varos, prisoners and guards alike are subject to the severest forms of punishment, which are then broadcast to the masses as entertainment.

Freeing the rebel leader Jondar and incurring the wrath of the sinister alien Sil are just the beginnings of their ordeal. Hunted through the concealed terrors of the Punishment Dome, the Doctor becomes the subject of Varos's latest TV entertainment. But this is one show where he is not expected to survive beyond the cliffhanger.