C16S02 The pirate planet

Synopsis

The Doctor and Romana arrive on the planet Zanak, looking for the second segment of the Key to Time.  Although priceless gems are scattered on the streets, and the night sky changes with the dawn of each new prosperous age, the townsfolk live in fear.

For in a fortress overlooking the city, the terrifying Pirate Captain is in control of the most destructive force in the galaxy...

Cover notes

By the time Doctor Who had reached its sixteenth season, BBC Management was keen to steer the tone of the programme away from the dark and gothic material characteristic of Tom Baker's early years.  Douglas Adams, at the time a relatively unknown writer, had submitted a few Doctor Who storylines in the early 1970s.  However, his first draft of The Pirate Planet was not warmly received, and almost never made it into production.

Graeme McDonald (the head of Series and Serials at the time) did not view the first draft of the script favourably.  In a letter to the producer Graham Williams he voiced concerns that Adams had skewed the programme too far into comedic territory, and argued it was nearly impossible to realise on the allocated budget.  Through these discussions, director Pennant Roberts wisely suggested that an attempt to best realise its lofty ambitions would be better than trying to find a last-minute replacement.

McDonald relented, and the programme went into production, with support from the entire editorial team.  McDonald's concerns are arguably well founded: the final product was difficult to realise, with some audiences feeling let down by budgetary constraints.  However, with Adams' wit and warmth shining though, The Pirate Planet stands as testimony to the fact that Doctor Who has always been first and foremost about new ideas, fun, creativity and imagination.

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