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TARDIS Guide

Overview

First aired

Saturday, October 2, 1976

Production Code

4N

Written by

Bob Baker, Dave Martin

Directed by

Lennie Mayne

Runtime

100 minutes

Story Type

Companion Exit

Time Travel

Present

Tropes (Potential Spoilers!)

Mind Control, Temporal grace

Location (Potential Spoilers!)

Earth, England, Kastria

Synopsis

The TARDIS returns to present day Earth, where Sarah is caught in a rock fall and becomes possessed by the fossilized stone hand of the alien Eldrad.

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4 Episodes

Part One

First aired

Saturday, October 2, 1976

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Bob Baker Dave Martin

Directed by

Lennie Mayne

UK Viewers

10.5 million

Synopsis

England, the near future. The TARDIS materialises in a quarry and Sarah is trapped under a rockfall. But what is the origin of the fossilised hand she is found gripping ? And who is the Eldrad she keeps mumbling about ?


Part Two

First aired

Saturday, October 9, 1976

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Bob Baker Dave Martin

Directed by

Lennie Mayne

UK Viewers

10.2 million

Synopsis

The Doctor and Professor Watson struggle to stop first Sarah Jane and then Driscoll from obeying the strange and dangerous orders of the stone hand, which has suddenly come to life.


Part Three

First aired

Saturday, October 16, 1976

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Bob Baker Dave Martin

Directed by

Lennie Mayne

UK Viewers

11.1 million

Appreciation Index

62

Synopsis

The energy of the reactor has returned the mysterious Eldrad to life. The Doctor agrees to take her back to Kastria. But what is waiting for them there?


Part Four

First aired

Saturday, October 23, 1976

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Bob Baker Dave Martin

Directed by

Lennie Mayne

UK Viewers

12 million

Synopsis

The Doctor and Sarah race to save the mortally wounded Eldrad. But they find that everything is not quite as she told them.



Characters

How to watch The Hand of Fear:

Reviews

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4 reviews

This review contains spoilers!

Got sold on Hand on Fear again, mostly by just how much stronger it became when it essentially became a four hander (and then 3 hander by end of part 3). Genuinely believe that this is one of Baker’s best performances, where he nails the alienness and the gravitas while also switching to perfect gentleness and affection whenever he’s with Sarah Jane. He also has such great contempt for Eldrad until they reach the planet, where he starts to have a little bit more trust and like … Until he learns Eldrad was lying any way. And the contempt and menace returns.

And Sladen!! As often as Sarah Jane gets possessed or hypnotised, this is easily the best interpretation of it imo. And she’s so confident and fun here. These two really are my TARDIS Team (along with 10/Donna) - they genuinely just feel like real best friends travelling the universe together.

I still think the script is only okay overall and I didn’t super vibe with most of it but it’s a fun story and a good time!

Wait. I feel like I’ve forgotten something to talk about. Hmmm…

Oh! One of the best companion exits of all time! Hard to choose between this and Jo’s really; both are so beautiful and emotional, and played and written to perfection. I’m so glad Sladen and Baker wrote this, as you can see their chemistry and understanding of the characters shine through the dialogue. What a pitch perfect ending to an otherwise pretty good story.

4/5, would be 3.5/5 but the performances and the ending are just too damned good to dock it that much


BSCTDrayden

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This review contains spoilers!

I always flip flop on this story but I think I’ve finally settled on it’s fine nothing huge but HUGE in the sense of doctor who history


Rock_Angel

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This review contains spoilers!

Enjoyed it. The location work in the power station was really good and the female Eldrad was really interesting. I'd have rather the character stayed misunderstood rather than be evil anyway as that would've been a different angle for the time, so the 4th episode definitely isn't as good as what came before but it's a good story overall.


AndyUK

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This review contains spoilers!

The trouble with this one is that Eldrad and the other cloaked figures from their planet are not relatable or compelling. The female version Eldrad is in excellent costume and make up, but there is something very slightly off about the script and performance. The male, regenerated version of Eldrad is completely off the boil. It’s a terrible performance. Almost every scene on Eldrad’s planet is drab.

Better are all the scenes between Sarah-Jane and The Doctor in episodes one and two. The extensive location filming is exciting. Seeing as this is Baker and Sladen’s final outing together I was lapping it all up. There has never been a better Doctor/ companion duo before or since.

I appreciated Sarah-Jane's extended goodbye, she was fairly well served. I also appreciated her not really wanting to go in the end. Whilst the story wasn’t the best for her to go out on, I appreciated her being comedic, cheery and full of personality to the end.


15thDoctor

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Statistics

AVG. Rating425 members
3.52 / 5

Trakt.tv

AVG. Rating366 votes
3.85 / 5

Member Statistics

Watched

802

Favourited

47

Reviewed

4

Saved

8

Skipped

2

Quotes

Add Quote

SARAH: Don't forget me.

DOCTOR: Oh, Sarah. Don't you forget me.

SARAH: Bye, Doctor. You know, travel does broaden the mind.

DOCTOR: Yes. Till we meet again, Sarah.

(Sarah leaves.)

Transcript Needs checking

Part One

[Kastria dome]

(A spaceship is travelling through the void.)

ROKON [OC]: Eldrad, the traitor, destroyer of the barriers, sentenced to obliteration. Eldrad.

(A figure in an all-enveloping duvet suit goes to a small dome in the blizzards and operates a control panel. Later, the figure is seen sitting.)


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