Episode Guide

• Background
• Cast/Sets
• SFX
• Music
• Science
• Continuity
• Errors
• Observations
• Links
• Transcript
• Images

The Dorcons

The Dorcons -the most powerful race in the galaxy -demand that the Alphans hand Maya over to them. Koenig refuses, until Moonbase Alpha is savagely attacked and invaded! Then, having let them take Maya he makes a desperate attempt to save her.... ITC summary

Background

• Shooting script titled The Return Of The Dorcons dated 19th October 1976
• Shooting script titled The Dorcons dated 17th November 1976
• Pink line amendments dated 30th November 1976 changes Sahn to Alibe and deletes Fraser
• Blue page amendment dated 3rd December 1976 (single page)
• Filmed in 7 December- 23 December 1976 (the clapperboard below is dated 14th December).
• There were two set visits: Nick Tate fans on 9 December 1976, and a set visit by design student John Sinclair recorded in Andersonic #9 p18-22 (2009)

SFX

• The Dorcon probe and the Dorcon battleship were built by Martin Bower. The probe was built in 2 days. The battleship has jam labels on the domes to resemble a fly's compound eye. The underside of the domes were slide projector carousels split in half. The front and back parts were made from a teasmaid.
  
• Dorcon mothership model photos
• Dorcon probeship model photos
• SFX storyboards

Music

Science

• The brainstem comprises the medulla oblongata (regulating reflex activities including respiration and heart beat), the midbrain and the pons.
• Transplant surgery for immortality was also used in Mission Of The Darians. If you transplant part of the brain are you the same person? Fetal cells are used to regenerate damaged adult brains.
• Mesons. Koenig thinks they are faster than light, and they are a means to convert energy into matter and back again. Mesons are actually unstable elementary particles in-between electrons and protons; they decay via lighter mesons and muons (heavy electrons) into electrons. They were first observed in cosmic rays. They are not faster than light

Continuity

Chronology:

2409 days after leaving Earth orbit (Tue 18 Apr 2006)

Alpha Personnel:

2 fatalities, Thompson, another pilot.

Alpha Technology:

• The fixed laser cannons are seen. They are also in The Metamorph, Seed Of Destruction, The Beta Cloud and Bringers Of Wonder part 1. In addition two new designs are seen: one is a Deltan gun from The Last Enemy (salvaged from wreckage?), the other is a new design.

Eagles:

Four combat Eagles incl. Eagle 4 are destroyed

Maya transformations:

Ape-lizard animal, Alphan (L Picard), dove (partial transformation).

Planets:

None

Aliens:

Archon, Varda, Malic from planet Dorca

Props:

• Dorcon consoles are reused from The Last Enemy and The Metamorph.
• The base of the meson converter is revamped from Psyche in The Metamorph
• Dorcon corridors are revamped from The Metamorph, One Moment Of Humanity and Devil's Planet

Cast:

Errors

When the guards flee and the Alphans escape, Varda's body is on the floor. In the next scene, her body has disappeared. Thanks to Thomas.

Observations

• The script direction for Malic: "A handsome, cruel faced youth, whose darting furtive eyes and nervous movements betray his disturbed state of mind. This is Malic, in appearance an alien Caligula." Caligula (Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, born A.D. 12, died A.D. 41, emperor A.D. 37-41, reportedly killed the previous emperor, Tiberius, and declared his will null and void on the grounds of insanity so that he would be sole heir. Among his more notorious later acts was making his horse a consul. His remark "Those about to live salute you!" is a reference to Suetonius in Life Of Claudius (c 120 AD): "Ave, Imperator, morituri te salutant" (Hail, Emperor, those about to die salute thee", the salute of the gladiators before they fought to the death).
• Archon. "A frail, elderly aristocrat". "It is suggested that Archon should be pronounced as in 'March On' to avoid any confusion with the Mark Of Archanon"(sic) The name Archon is also used in Voyager's Return. The name is from the Greek "archos", ruler. The Archon was the chief magistrate in Greek city states, c1000-683 BC. Athens had 3 annually elected Archons in a governing council, the most powerful being the Eponymous Archon.

• Consul is the title of the two chief magistrates in ancient Rome, the most powerful office in the republic, controlling the treasury, civil officials and army. In the French republic of 1799-1804, the 3 highest officials had the title Consul. The first Consul was Napoleon Bonaparte.
• The name Dorcon indicates the Dorian people who gave ancient Greece its strong military traditions (see also Mission Of The Darians).

Merchandise:

• Novelised in The Edge Of The Infinite by Michael Butterworth published by Warner (US), Bastei (Germany) and re-edited in Year Two (Powys, 2006).
• Novelised in Rapimento Nello Spazio by Gianni Padoan (AMZ).
• Dorcon spaceship model by Fanderson
• UK video: ITC volume 20 (1995) and on A Night In TV Heaven volume 1 (1993).
• UK DVD: Carlton (2001)
• UK Blu-ray: Network (2015)
• US video: Columbia House volume 4 (1997)
• US laserdisc: Image Entertainment volume 20 (1991)
• US DVD: A&E set 8 (2002)
• US Blu-ray: Shout! Factory (2019)
• Australia DVD: Magna Pacific (2003)
• Japan DVD: Pioneer (2001)
• France DVD: TF1 (2002)
• Germany DVD: EMS (2005)
• Germany DVD: Sunrise Entertainment / Crest (2013)
• Germany Blu-ray (SD): Crest (2012)
• Germany Blu-ray (HD): Fernsehjuwelen (2016)
• Italy DVD: Pulp Video (2005)
• Italy DVD: Collector's Edition Mondo Home (2007)

Links

• Images
  • High Definition Images
  • Publicity Images
• Transcript Copyright Martin Willey
• Writer Johnny Byrne's comments
• Script to Screen
• Critics comments Chris Bentley, Anthony McKay, John Kenneth Muir et al
• Observations
• Panini story summary
• ITC Production Notes

External Links

• Ken Scott's episode guide
• Mailing List discussion