| 082 – Pyramids of Mars | |||
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| Doctor Who serial | |||
| Cast | |||
Others
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| Production | |||
| Directed by | Paddy Russell | ||
| Written by | "Stephen Harris" (Robert Holmes and Lewis Greifer) | ||
| Script editor | Robert Holmes | ||
| Produced by | Philip Hinchcliffe | ||
| Executive producer(s) | None | ||
| Music by | Dudley Simpson | ||
| Production code | 4G | ||
| Series | Season 13 | ||
| Running time | 4 episodes, 25 minutes each | ||
| First broadcast | 25 October 1975 | ||
| Last broadcast | 15 November 1975 | ||
| Chronology | |||
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Pyramids of Mars is the third serial of the 13th season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Written by Robert Holmes and Lewis Greifer under the pseudonym of "Stephen Harris" and directed by Paddy Russell, the serial was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 25 October to 15 November 1975.
The serial is set in England and Egypt, and on Mars, in 1911. In the serial, the burial chamber of the alien Sutekh, the inspiration for the Egyptian god Set, is unearthed by the archaeology professor Marcus Scarman. Alive but immobilised, Sutekh seeks his freedom by using Professor Scarman as his servant to destroy the jewel in a pyramid on Mars which is keeping him prisoner.
Influenced by the gothic horror genre and films such as The Mummy, the serial was met with widespread critical acclaim, being praised for its atmosphere and production. It marks the first appearance of Sutekh, who returned to the series 49 years later in "The Legend of Ruby Sunday" / "Empire of Death" (2024).
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