The Skin of the Sleek
Tom Baker (The Doctor), Lalla Ward (Romana), Joannah Tincey (Sartia), Jane Slavin (Frithra), John Banks (The Sleek), Alan Cox (Eamonn Orensky), Kieran Hodgson (Klick Chervain), Des McAleer (Blujaw Skaldson), Jamie Newall (Greygul), Alex Wyndham (Linnis Skaldson)
On the planet Funderell you can walk on the ocean. The surface holds you when you move, but if you stand still, you sink. Lights shift in the fathoms and great shapes move beneath your feet – schools of giant electric eels known as Sleeks.
There is no solid land and the only locals are the Wavewalkers, hunters who live in floating villages. But recently some strangers have arrived, pursuing their own distinct agenda.
When The Doctor and Romana lose the TARDIS to the deep, they need help. Which makes finding a fellow Time Lord on the planet very useful. The fact that Time Lord is Sartia, an old friend of Romana’s, is even better!
But this is a planet of secrets. Be careful when you explore its depths. You may just drown.
Note: The adventure continues in Doctor Who – The Fourth Doctor Adventures: The Thief Who Stole Time
Written by: Marc Platt
Directed by: Ken Bentley
- The Skin of the Sleek was the eighth story in the sixth series of the Fourth Doctor Adventures, produced by Big Finish Productions.
- Funderell has two moons, no soil, day and night, and is in the southeast galactic delta.
- There is no mention of Funderell in the gazetteer.
- Orensky, Klick, and Sartia uses a large skimmer to land on Funderell, and ride hover-bikes.
- Klick Chervain thinks in Mars days as a calendar.
- The Doctor recognises Sartia as a Time Lord, and Sartia recognises Romana despite her regeneration.
- Sartia’s records on Funderell are in “current Gallifreyan,” from the 41st era. The “Grade 3 planetoid” has been off-limits for 46,000 years, with trespassing punishable by memory-wipe or dispersal.
- Romana describes the village as a “grade 9 sociological enclave” and theorises that the planet must’ve been protected by transduction barriers at one point, but that they’ve degraded.
- Sartia’s nickname for Romana is “Mana.”
- She says there were many rumours why Romana left the Academy, including that she was on a secret mission for the CIA.
- The Doctor states he was President of the Prydonian Academy, but even his access codes from that position are unable to access records on Funderell.
- Sartia says everyone at the academy hated Romana, calling her “tutor’s favourite.”
- The glyphs on the Book of Futures are written in “ancient Gallifreyan.”
- The Sleeks are electric eels.”Funderell’s daughter” is a giant eel, known as the “Great Sleek.”
- K9 Mark II is still recovering from Brighton. (The Leisure Hive)
- The Doctor mentions having a gazetteer, which Romana was unaware of, in addition to other things that are useless. (The Ribos Operation)
- Sartia asks Romana why she left the Academy. (The Ribos Operation)
- She mentions a href=”/4thdoctorpage” title=”Fourth Doctor”>The Doctor being Lord President. (The Invasion of Time)
- Sartia likes Romana “silky” hair and asks if she chose it herself. (Destiny of the Daleks)
coming soon
