The Underwater Menace

The Underwater Menace DVD

Number of Discs:  1
DVD Number: BBCDVD3691
Certification: PG
Duration: 99 mins
Release Date: 26 Oct. 2015

The TARDIS lands in the lost city of Atlantis, where the crazed Professor Zaroff has convinced the Atlanteans that he can raise their city from beneath the sea. But The Doctor discovers the terrible truth behind Zaroff’s plan – he intends to destroy the entire planet. With the doomsday clock ticking, The Doctor and his companions must battle to prevent the apocalypse…

Episodes 2 and 3 of this adventure feature fully restored picture and audio. The missing Episodes 1 and 4 are presented using photographic stills and a restored soundtrack.

Episode Guide

• Fully remastered Episodes 2 and 3.
  
• Commentary on Episodes 2 and 3: a traditional commentary with actors Anneke Wills, Frazer Hines, Anneke Wills, Brian Hodgson, Catherine Howe, and Quentin Mann moderated by Toby Hadoke.
  
• For episode 1, Interview with actor Michael Troughton Part 2 (from The Ice Warriors). For episodes 2 and 3, a commentary with actors Anneke Wills, Frazer Hines and Catherine Howe, special sounds supervisor Brian Hodgson and floor assistant Quentin Mann. For episode 4, archive material featuring Patrick Troughton, directors Julia Smith and Hugh David, and producer Innes Lloyd. Moderated and linked by Toby Hadoke.
  
• A Fishy Tale (Feature, dur. 28’ 30”)
  Cast and crew look back on the making of the story. With actors Anneke Wills, Frazer Hines and Catherine Howe, AFM Gareth Gwelan, production assistant Berry Butler and new series writer Robert Shearman. Narrated by Peter Davison.
  
• The Television Centre of the Universe – Part Two (dur. 32’ 10”)
  Yvette Fielding continues her tourof BBC Television Centre in the company of actors Peter Davison, Janet Fielding and Mark Strickson, with contributions from former colleagues along the way. With senior camera supervisor Alec Wheal, AFM Sue Hedden, former BBC producer and writer Richard Marson, exhibitions assistant Bob Richardson, production assistant Jane Ashford and videotape engineer Simon Anthony
  
• Programme subtitles.
  
• Subtitle Production Notes.
  

• The Underwater Menace was the fifth episode of season 4 – Episode Guide
  
• This story had the working titles of the Fish People, Doctor Who Under the Sea (also referred to as Under the Sea) and Atlanta.
  
• Since Jamie isn’t actually shown inside the TARDIS in The Highlanders, part one of this story has his “biggeron the inside” moment.
  
• This story continues anearly Second Doctor trait of assuming different disguises, a relic of the production team’s original idea of having him take on different identities in every story as a means for differentiating him from <1stdoctorpage" href="1stdoctorpage">William Hartnell’s portrayal  In this adventure, he briefly dresses up as a local merchant.
  
• At the end of episode three, Professor Zaroff utters the timeless line, “Nothing in the world can stop me now!” Davros and the Fifth Doctor would say similar lines in Journey’s End and The Caves of Androzani respectively.
  
• In the opening TARDIS scene, Polly, Ben and The Doctor are each heard “thinking” about where they would like to land next in a rare example of internal monologue. This was achieved by pre-recording the actors’ voices and playing them back during the making of the episode.
  
• While The War Machines still remains the only time in the history of the series where The Doctor is referred to explicitly as “Doctor Who” (although the term also features in ‘An Unearthly Child’ and ‘The Gunfighters‘), The Doctor’s note to Zaroff in the first episode is signed “Dr. W, ” making this the closest The Doctor has ever come to referring to himself as “Doctor Who.”
  
• Episode two was recovered on 19 September 2011.
  
• This was the first story about the lost city Atlantis.
  
• One music cue from this story exists, entitled “The Fish People”.
  
• Zaroff was at one point in the script assisted by a female scientist named Steen.
  
• In the original script, Zaroff had more motivation for his scheme – his wife and children were killed in a car crash.
  
• Originally, there was a character named Ebon. It was then decided to merge her with Ara.
  

  

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