300 The Dæmons: Episode Two

EPISODE: The Dæmons: Episode Two
OVERALL EPISODE NUMBER: 300
STORY NUMBER: 059
TRANSMITTED: 29 May 1971
WRITER: "Guy Leopold" (pseudonym for Robert Sloman and Barry Letts)
DIRECTOR: Christopher Barry
SCRIPT EDITOR: Terrance Dicks
PRODUCER: Barry Letts
FORMAT: VHS: Doctor Who: The Dæmons
Episode Format: 16mm b&w film recording recoloured using 525 off air video

Welcome to the 300th episode of Doctor Who!

Jo has the frozen Doctor taken to the village inn for treatment. Jo calls Mike Yates at Unit, who saw the event on TV, but is cut off. Yates & Benton decide to fly down first thing in the morning in the Brigadier's helicopter. At dawn an Earthquake shakes the village and the local PC, guarding the fig is killed. From the air Benton & Yates spot a line of giant hoof marks. They land on the village green and are taken to the inn by Jo who explains what's been happening. The Brigadier discovers his staff have all gone to Devil's End. Benton rescues Miss Hawthorne from the church where she's been held captive. A sudden heat wave revives the Doctor and creates a barrier round the village. Miss Hawthorne believes she's seen a 30 ft devil, but the Doctor disputes this. When she tells him that the local cult is headed by Mr Magister he realises that it's the Master, Magister being the latin word for Master. The Brigadier discovers his way into the village blocked by the heat barrier. The Doctor goes to investigate the barrow, and finds the PC's body. Entering the barrow he finds a tiny space ship, reduced in size but is confronted by Bok the Gargoyle.

That was rather fun, enjoyed that. There's a lovely scene towards the end of the episode as Yates recaps over the radio to an incredulous Brigadier what's happened. A fabulous comedy performance from Nicholas Courtney.

Some of the actors in this serial have re-appeared in Doctor Who: Christopher Wray, PC Groom, will be Ldg. Seaman Lovell in The Sea Devils. Making a return to Doctor Who in this episode, as the Baker's Man, is Gerald Taylor. previously he was a Dalek Operator in The Daleks, The Dalek Invasion of Earth, The Chase, Mission to the Unknown, The Daleks' Master Plan, The Power of the Daleks & The Evil of the Daleks as well as in the Doctor Who & The Daleks feature film. He's also appeared as a Zarbi in The Web Planet, the War Machine Operator in The War Machines and as Damon's Assistant in The Underwater Menace and makes one more, albeit short lived, return as Vega Nexos in the first episode of The Monster of Peladon. The main guest role for the story goes to Damaris Hayman, as Miss Hawthorne, who has an acting CV as long as your arm and is now a regular on the convention circuit.