The Visitation(Doctor Who)

This article is about the Doctor Who television serial. For other uses of the name, seeThe Visitation (disambiguation).

119–The Visitation
Doctor Whoserial
Cast
Doctor Peter Davison–Fifth Doctor
Companions Matthew Waterhouse–Adric Sarah Sutton–Nyssa Janet Fielding–Tegan Jovanka
Guest Michael Robbins– Richard Mace Michael Melia– Terileptil Leader Peter van Dissel– Android James Charlton– The Miller Neil West– The Poacher Eric Dodson– The Headman John Savident– The Squire Richard Hampton– Villager Anthony Calf– Charles Valerie Fyfer– Elizabeth John Baker– Ralph
Production
Directed by	Peter Moffatt
Written by	Eric Saward
Script editor	Antony Root
Produced by	John Nathan-Turner
Executive producer(s)	None
Music by	Paddy Kingsland
Production code	5X
Series	Season 19
Running time	4 episodes, 25 minutes each
First broadcast	15 February 1982(1982-02-15)
Last broadcast	23 February 1982(1982-02-23)
Chronology
←Preceded by Kinda Followed by→ Black Orchid

The Visitationis the fourth serial of the19th seasonof the Britishscience fiction televisionseriesDoctor Who.It was first broadcast in four twice-weekly parts onBBC1from 15 to 23 February 1982.

The serial is set in and near London in the 17th century. In the serial, a group of fugitive aliens calledTerileptilsplot to make theEarththeir new home by spreading a deadly plague among humanity.

Plot

TheTARDISlands in 17th-century London. Upon stepping outside, the Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan, and Adric immediately smellsulphurand head off to find the source. Richard Mace, ahighwaymanand self-proclaimedthespian,encounters the group and takes them to safety inside a barn. While questioning Mace, they find out that some kind ofcometrecently landed nearby.

The Doctor and his friends discover the "comet" was actually a spaceship inhabited by a Terileptil fugitive, who uses mind-controlling bracelets to subdue the local villagers. In a nearbymanor house,they find a cellar full of caged rats and a device emitting soliton gas. The Terileptil plan to use rats infected with a genetically enhanced plague to devastate the population and conquer the planet.

Using the TARDIS scanner, the Doctor locates the Terileptil in London. The TARDIS rematerialises there and the five enter the building. With the Terileptil leader are two others, who get the jump on the Doctor and Mace. The Doctor manages to stop them, but the Terileptil leader's weapon starts to overload and detonates. The resulting explosion destroys the building and starts a raging fire. Mace stays behind to fight the blaze as the Doctor, Tegan, Nyssa, and Adric leave in the TARDIS.

It is revealed that the fire is atPudding Lane,the location where theGreat Fire of Londonstarted.

Broadcast and reception

Episode	Title	Run time	Original air date	UK viewers (millions)
1	"Part One"	24:11	15 February 1982(1982-02-15)	9.1
2	"Part Two"	24:26	16 February 1982(1982-02-16)	9.3
3	"Part Three"	24:24	22 February 1982(1982-02-22)	9.9
4	"Part Four"	23:32	23 February 1982(1982-02-23)	10.1

The story was repeated on BBC1 across four consecutive evenings from 15–18 August 1983, achieving viewing figures of 4.3, 4.6, 3.6 and 4.8 million viewers, respectively.

At the time of original broadcast, the series as a whole was getting watched in 39 countries worldwide, with around 88 million viewers abroad and an average of 10 million in the domestic market.

The Serial Saw the destruction of theSonic Screwdriver,marking the last major appearance of the device until the1996 TV Movie

Paul Cornell,Martin DayandKeith Toppinggave a favourable review of the serial inThe Discontinuity Guide(1995), writing, "A good, hearty action romp, crisply written and engaging, although critics might say that it's too straight-forward. There's only one proper character (Richard Mace), which gives Peter Davison and Michael Robbins the space to turn in a pair of lovely performances. The end result is a stylish slice of pseudo-historical nonsense."InThe Television Companion(1998),David J. HoweandStephen James WalkercalledThe Visitation"a very enjoyable story, and one of the highlights of the season". They praised the location filming, but noted a weakness was "Matthew Waterhouse's peculiar performance as Adric".In 2012, Patrick Mulkern ofRadio Timesawarded it four stars out of five. He said that the story was "pedestrian in places, [but] Saward does execute one or two dramatic flourishes". He said that Davison was growing into the role and the companions were given something to do despite being "variable", and was mixed towards the design of the Terileptils.Reviewing the special-editionDVDrelease forSFX,Nick Setchfield gaveThe Visitationthree-and-a-half out of five stars. He noted that it was a "throwback" and "built on capture-escape-capture storytelling, but it's brimful of oaky, shadowy 17th-century atmosphere".

Peter Davisonstated thatThe Visitationis one of his three favourite serials from his time on the programme.

Commercial releases

In print

Doctor Who and the Visitation

Author	Eric Saward
Series	Doctor Whobook: Target novelisations
Release number	69
Publisher	Target Books
Publication date	19 August 1982
ISBN	0-426-20135-3

A novelisation of this serial, written by Eric Saward, was published byTarget Booksin August 1982. Its cover was originally to be painted like the other Target Doctor Who novels, but an objection by Peter Davison's agent resulted in a photographic cover being used instead.This was the only Peter Davison story to have its novelisation titled asDoctor Who and the...in its original edition. An unabridged recording of the Target novelisation was released in 2012, read by Matthew Waterhouse.

A behind-the-scenes book following the production process of the story was printed by Andre Deutsch Limited in 1982, with text by Alan Road and illustrations by Richard Farley.

Home media

The Visitationwas released on aVHSdouble pack withBlack Orchidin July 1994. It was released onDVD-Videoin the United Kingdom on 19 January 2004, and used material from the16 mm filmprints, which still exist in the BBC Archives. A special edition of the story with additional features was released on DVD on 6 May 2013.

The serial was released on blu-ray in December 2018 as part of "The Collection - Season 19" box set.

Soundtrack

Doctor Who: The Visitation
Soundtrack albumby Paddy Kingslandand theBBC Radiophonic Workshop
Released	1 May 2020
Genre	Soundtrack
Label	Silva Screen
Doctor Whosoundtrackchronology
Doctor Who: The Sun Makers (2020) Doctor Who: The Visitation (2020) Doctor Who: Series 12 - Revolution of the Daleks (2021)
BBC Radiophonic Workshopchronology
The Stone Tape (2019) Doctor Who: The Visitation (2020) La Planète Sauvage (withStealing Sheep) (2021)

The February 2020 issue ofDoctor Who Magazineannounced that Paddy Kingsland's score for this serial will be released on CD and vinyl.Release date and track listing were announced on 1 May 2020

Track listing

All tracks are written byPaddy Kingsland,except where noted

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Doctor Who 1980 (Opening Titles)" (Ron Grainerarr.Peter Howellat theBBC Radiophonic Workshop)	0:40
2.	"Have you Seen the Sky?"	2:44
3.	"Heathrow, 1666"	1:55
4.	"Richard Mace & The Miller"	1:31
5.	"A Fascinating Wall"	2:06
6.	"An Incredible Illusion"	1:27
7.	"Death in the Cellar"	1:55
8.	"Activation"	1:12
9.	"Grim"	0:47
10.	"The Poacher and his Friends"	1:25
11.	"Looking for the Miller / Not Again!"	2:19
12.	"Trouble at the Mill"	1:05
13.	"Laying a Trap"	1:26
14.	"More Trouble at the Mill"	2:30
15.	"Oh for a Proper Key"	1:28
16.	"The End for us All"	0:39
17.	"A Final Visitation"	1:40
18.	"Almost Your Old Self"	0:20
19.	"Eureka!"	2:16
20.	"The Sonic Booster"	4:05
21.	"Almost as if we were Expected"	1:34
22.	"The Great Fire"	2:22
23.	"Doctor Who Closing Title Theme" (Ron Grainer arr. Peter Howell at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop)	1:19
24.	"Activation (Unused Version 1)"	1:10
25.	"Not Again! (Unused Version 1)"	0:37

External links

• The VisitationatBBC Online

Target novelisation

• Doctor Who and the Visitationtitle listing at theInternet Speculative Fiction Database
• On Target –The Visitation