116 The Gunfighters Part 2: Don't Shoot the Pianist

EPISODE: The Gunfighters Part 2: Don't Shoot the Pianist
OVERALL EPISODE NUMBER: 116
STORY NUMBER: 025
TRANSMITTED: 07 May 1966
WRITER: Donald Cotton
DIRECTOR: Rex Tucker
SCRIPT EDITOR: Gerry Davis
PRODUCER: Innes Lloyd
FORMAT: VHS: Doctor Who - The First Doctor: The Sensorites, The Time Meddler & The Gunfighters

Doc Holliday's girlfriend Kate distracts the gunmen allowing the Doctor to enter safely. He tries to convince them he's not Holliday but they don't believe him. Kate shoots at them, making them believe it was "Doc Holliday". Local lawmen Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson arrest the Doctor and put him in jail. Steven wants to break the Doctor out of jail: the Clantons initially agree to help wanting their revenge on him. Dodo meanwhile is playing cards with Kate & Holliday. Steven comes to rescue the Doctor but the Doctor won't go along with the plan and turns the gun Steven's bought him over to Earp. The Clanton's change their plan, rouse a mob and capture Steven. Holliday shoots Seth Harper while trying to leave the saloon with Kate & Dodo. The Clantons bring the bound Steven to the jail demanding the Doctor's release to them or they'll lynch Steven in his place.

You know what, I'm really enjoying this. It might be a bit of fun that certain Doctor Who fans hate but it's a bit of fun that's amusing me. The Ballad of the Last Chance Saloon, used instead of incidental music in this serial is getting rather annoying. But listen closely to the lyrics: It's summarising and narrating the story.

The director of this story is Rex Tucker, who was initially attached to Doctor Who as a producer before Verity Lambert was brought in. He initially hoped that his daughter Jane would sing "The Ballad of The Last Chance Saloon", but reportedly her voice lacked presence so Lynda Barron, later to find fame in sitcoms and appear as Captain Wrack in Enlightenment, was hired to sing instead. Jane Tucker does appear as an extra in this serial, I've never definitively spotted her but I'd guess she's seen in the crowd scenes in this episode and the next. Jane Tucker is the Jane of Rod, Jane & Freddy, previously Rod, Jane and Matthew. if you want to find out who Matthew is, and he is someone you'll have heard of, then come back for the Daemons.