Censored Dr Who is here at last
- Publication: The Sunday Telegraph (Sydney, NSW)
- Date: 1986-05-04
- Author:
- Page: 61
- Language: English
THE TOWN is called Devil's End. A man is walking his dog on a stormy night. An owl hoots. A black cat scurries across a wet path. A toad croaks in the darkness.
The frightened dog bolts from his master and runs into a graveyard. The man follows. There is a yelp and a scream. The next morning both man and dog are found dead.
So begins Dr Who: The Daemons, Channel 2, Monday 6.35pm, a previously unscreened episode of the famous science-fiction series with Jon Pertwee as the unflappable Doctor.
This five-part creepie about black magic and Satanism was aired in Britain in 1971. but was given an A-rating by Australian censors and was shelved by the ABC.
It has remained neglected throughout the years which have seen six different actors play the famous Doctor.
The plot is as chilling as the weather. Eminent archaeologist Professor Horner (Robin Wentworth) intends to excavate a site known as Devil's Hump, the scene of pagan rituals many years ago.
The Professor is opposed by Miss Hawthorne (Damaris Hayman), who is the local laughing-stock. She declares she is a witch and claims Satan himself will make an appearance if the Professor is not stopped.
Dr Who sees this drama on television courtesy of the BBC, which is making a documentary on the dig.
His reaction is: "We must stop that lunatic before it is too late." And he is talking about the Professor, not Miss Hawthorne.
Bad guys
So the Doctor and his assistant Jo (Katy Manning) speed off to Devil's End on another mission to save the world.
Their progress is impeded by the bad guys — a group of occultists led by The Master (Roger Delgado), a man of the cloth who prefers his mass to be black.
The Daemons is in black-and-white, which is the best way to watch this programme anyway.
Jon Pertwee's Doctor is pompous, aloof and always seems to be smiling at some private joke.
There is a nice scene where he stops at a country pub to ask directions and succeeds only in alienating the townsfolk.
The action follows the usual course, ending on a note of suspense designed to make you count the hours until the next episode.
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- APA 6th ed.: (1986-05-04). Censored Dr Who is here at last. The Sunday Telegraph (Sydney, NSW) p. 61.
- MLA 7th ed.: "Censored Dr Who is here at last." The Sunday Telegraph (Sydney, NSW) [add city] 1986-05-04, 61. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: "Censored Dr Who is here at last." The Sunday Telegraph (Sydney, NSW), edition, sec., 1986-05-04
- Turabian: "Censored Dr Who is here at last." The Sunday Telegraph (Sydney, NSW), 1986-05-04, section, 61 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Censored Dr Who is here at last | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Censored_Dr_Who_is_here_at_last | work=The Sunday Telegraph (Sydney, NSW) | pages=61 | date=1986-05-04 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=16 April 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Censored Dr Who is here at last | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Censored_Dr_Who_is_here_at_last | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=16 April 2025}}</ref>
