TWO HUNDRED million years ago, reptiles ruled the earth. Now they're back from hibernation to reclaim it. That's the astonishing premise of the new science-fiction series, "Dr. Who and the Silurians," Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. on Channel 4.
It's all part of the famous "Dr. Who" series of time-space adventures from BBC-TV. Starring Jon Pert-wee as the invincible Time Lord. the cliff hangers bring back lizzard-like prehistoric "monsters" with an intelligence and technology far superior to ours!
To avoid extinction 200,000,000 years ago, Silurian scientists arranged a sort of suspended animation which present atomic testing has interrupted.
Now they attempt to destroy mankind, first by unleashing merciless germ warfare, then by breaking up our atmosphere's Van Allan Belt, which protects earth from the overwhelming rays of the sun. Only the reptiles would be able to adapt and survive.
Although the "campy" series is produced as flamboyant entertainment, the premise is projected from known scientific fact and at least one ongoing experiment with reptiles and atomic radiation has quietly been in progress in the heat of a U.S. desert, where the A-Bomb was tested.
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