The Doctor, Harry and Sarah beam down to Earth from the space station to check the transmat receiver that will allow the repopulation of the planet. But they quickly find that they are not alone. A team of human colonists who left Earth long ago have come back to investigate a call that apparently came from there, but unfortunately for them, that call was a forgery transmitted by Sontaran soldier Styre, who is conducting experiments on the human being’s resistance to Sontaran military might as a prelude to an invasion of Earth’s solar system.
written by Bob Baker & Dave Martin
directed by Rodney Bennett
music by Dudley SimpsonGuest Cast: Kevin Lindsay (Styre/Marshal), Peter Walshe (Erak), Terry Walsh (Zake), Glyn Jones (Krans), Peter Rutherford (Roth), Donald Douglas (Vural), Brian Ellis (Prisoner)
Broadcast from February 22 through March 1, 1975
LogBook entry & review by Earl Green
Review: The only two-parter in Tom Baker’s reign as the Doctor, this story is famous for being the show that was halted in mid-production when Tom Baker fell and broke his collarbone. This was covered up by having Baker remain still for most of his dialogue shots, and by having stuntman Terry Walsh don a curly wig and the Doctor’s costume to do battle with Styre in part two. Overall, The Sontaran Experiment is an effective variation on the basic Ten Little Indians premise, and this time, the Sontaran is much more menacing in a psychological sense than the one which featured in The Time Warrior.