Doctor Who Logo 'The Three Doctors'
(4 Parts)
Story Code 'RRR'

by Bob Baker
and Dave Martin
The Doctors

A blob of animated energy arrives on Earth in a cosmic-ray research balloon, multiplies into gel-like monsters, and quickly hunts down the Doctor. Retreating to the safety of the TARDIS, together with JO, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and Sergeant Benton, the Doctor is forced to call on the Time Lords for help. Unfortunately, the Time Lords themselves are in a crisis, as their energy is being drained by a black hole. All they are able to do is send the Doctor's first and second incarnations to aid him. The First Doctor is caught in a time eddy, and is only able to advise, and deduces that the gel-creature is a time bridge. The Third Doctor and Jo give themselves up to it, and are transported through the black hole into a world of anti-matter. On Earth, the Second Doctor, on the advice of the First, switches off the TARDIS's force field, and the whole UNIT building is also transported through the black hole. Behind these events is Omega, a figure from the Time Lords' ancient history, whose solar engineering prowess provided the power for their time travel, by utilising the energy from the black hole. Omega has been trapped in the black hole ever since, and now wants the Doctor to swap places with him, so that he can return to his home planet. But the corrosive properties of his anti-matter domain have already destroyed his physical form, leaving only his will, which alone controls his world. Omega threatens to destroy the universe, but is tricked into touching the Second Doctor's recorder - the only thing not converted to anti-matter when the TARDIS passed through the black hole. Omega is consumed in the resulting supernova, the energy of which replenishes the Time Lords' reserves. The First and Second Doctors are returned to their respective timelines, and the Doctor's exile on Earth is lifted as his reward, leaving him free again to travel through time and space.

Jon Pertwee (Doctor Who), Patrick Troughton (Doctor Who), William Hartnell (Doctor Who), Katy Manning (Jo Grant), Nicholas Courtney (Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart), John Levene (Sergeant Benton), Rex Robinson (Dr. Tyler), Roy Purcell (President of the Council), Laurie Webb (Mr. Ollis), Clyde Pollitt (Chancellor), Graham Leaman (Time Lord), Patricia Prior (Mrs. Ollis), Denys Palmer (Corporal Palmer), Stephen Thorne (Omega)

Produced by Barry Letts
Directed by Lennie Mayne


TX:
Part 1 - 30th December, 1972 @ 5.50pm - 6.15pm
Part 2 - 6th January, 1973 @ 5.50pm - 6.15pm
Part 3 - 13th January, 1973 @ 5.50pm - 6.15pm
Part 4 - 20th January, 1973 @ 5.50pm - 6.15pm

Notes:
*Featuring the First, Second and Third Doctors, Jo, the Brigadier and UNIT

*First appearance of Omega

*Working title: 'The Black Hole'

*This story was repackaged in 2023 in omnibus format under the banner of 'Tales of the TARDIS'; it was released on the BBC's iPlayer in the UK only, and had linking scenes featuring Katy Manning and Daniel Anthony portraying 'memory versions' of their original roles: 'Jo Jones and Clyde Langer meet again as she remembers when the Time Lords summoned three Doctors to fight an awesome adversary from Gallifrey’s past.' [Note: I don't consider this canon, so have not included it in the main story timelines]