| 003 – The Edge of Destruction | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Doctor Who serial | |||
 Susan Foreman threatens to attack Ian Chesterton with a pair of scissors. The scene drew criticism for its violence, for which producer Verity Lambert apologised.[1] | |||
| Cast | |||
| Production | |||
| Directed by |
| ||
| Written by | David Whitaker | ||
| Script editor | David Whitaker[a] | ||
| Produced by | Verity Lambert | ||
| Production code | C | ||
| Series | Season 1 | ||
| Running time | 2 episodes, 25 minutes each | ||
| First broadcast | 8 February 1964 | ||
| Last broadcast | 15 February 1964 | ||
| Chronology | |||
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The Edge of Destruction (also referred to as Inside the Spaceship) is the third serial of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was written by David Whitaker, and first broadcast on BBC TV in two weekly parts on 8 February and 15 February 1964. The first episode was directed by Richard Martin, while Frank Cox directed the second. In the story, the Doctor (William Hartnell), his granddaughter Susan (Carole Ann Ford), and her teachers Ian Chesterton (William Russell) and Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill) are in the Doctor's time and space machine the TARDIS when it appears to be taken over by an outside force. The travellers begin acting strangely and turn against each other.
The serial was commissioned as a "filler", in case the show was not renewed beyond the approved 13 weeks. Whitaker wrote the scripts in two days, based on an idea he had developed during the show's formative weeks; he sought to explore the characters in more depth, as well as the facets of the TARDIS. The serial's original director, Paddy Russell, left the project due to other commitments. The serial premiered with ten million viewers, maintaining the figures from the previous story, and received generally positive responses. The BBC Programme Board voiced concerns regarding a scene in which Susan uses scissors as a weapon, noting that it violated code. The serial received print adaptations, as well as home media releases.
- ^ Ainsworth 2016, p. 27.
- ^ Ainsworth 2016, p. 14.
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