Doctor Who (1963–1989): Season 7, Episode 1 - Spearhead from Space: Episode 1 - full transcript

As strange meteorites are crashing down, an unconscious Doctor is found lying just outside the TARDIS. The United Nations Intelligence Taskforce (UNIT) commanded by Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart is already onto the issue of the meteorites and when he learns that a man has been found unconscious in the woods lying next to blue police box, he's certain that his old friend the Doctor has returned. He visits him at the nearby hospital but doesn't recognize him, not realizing that he Doctor has regenerated. The Doctor foils an attempt to kidnap him and he's soon back in hospital having been shot by the soldiers guarding the TARDIS.

(DOCTOR WHO THEME)

Duty Officer, please. Urgent!

What is it?

I've got something on here, ma'am.
Something strange.

Are you sure it's not just interference?
Something to do with the heat wave?

No, ma'am. There's something on there.

Scan closer.

Still very high.

Coming down fast though, ma'am,
and heading this way.

They must be meteorites.

But they're flying in formation.



(METEOR WHISTLING)

-They've come down.
-Where?

-Sector five. Epping.
-Bearing?

Just working it out.

You know,
I still think it was a formation, ma'am.

There was a shape.

(ELECTRONIC BEEPING)

Control reported that
meteorite storm to UNIT HQ.

So Control didn't think
they were meteorites either?

What else could they be?

Don't let your imagination
run away with you.

I suppose
they must have been meteorites.

Mustn't they?

(WHOOSHING)



Yes, ask her to come in.

Ah, good. Miss Shaw,
I'm Lethbridge-Stewart.

Do come in and sit down, will you?

Was all that nonsense out there
really necessary?

Identity passes? Guards?

-I was even searched.
-Security.

Rather amusing, don't you think?

No, you don't.

I've an important research programme
going ahead at Cambridge.

Yes, I know. An expert in meteorites,
degrees in medicine, physics,

and a dozen other subjects.

Just the sort of all-rounder
I've been looking for.

-How I feel doesn't matter?
-We need your help, Miss Shaw.

I'm just not interested
in security work.

Security?

Producing invisible ink,
that sort of thing.

We're not exactly spies here at UNIT.

Then what do you do exactly?

We deal with the odd, the unexplained,

anything on Earth, or even beyond.

Alien invaders?
Little, blue men with three heads?

Ten tons of alien material drift through
space and land on this planet every day.

And do no harm to anyone.

Early this morning, a shower of about
50 meteorites landed in Essex.

Landed?

Most meteorites don't even reach
the Earth's surface.

-They usually burn up in the atmosphere.
-These didn't.

These particular meteorites came down
through a funnel

of thin, super-heated air,
about 20 miles in diameter,

for which no one has an explanation.

There must be an explanation,
a natural one.

I hope so. We didn't find one last time.

Last time?

Six months ago,
a smaller shower of meteorites,

about five or six,
landed in the same area.

That's impossible.

The odds against two lots of meteorites
landing in exactly the same place

must be incredible.

They are, Miss Shaw, they are.

-And you've no idea who he is?
-Not a clue.

We found him unconscious
beside a police box, of all things.

In the middle of the woods?

-Yes, we thought he was dead at first.
- I see.

Well, I'd better go
and have a look at him.

Figures from the Institute
of Space Studies, Baltimore.

Do you realise that
in our section of the galaxy,

there are over 500 planets
capable of supporting life?

Why is Earth any more likely
to be attacked now

than during the last 50,000 years?

In the last decade, we've been sending
probes deeper and deeper into space.

We've drawn attention
to ourselves, Miss Shaw.

Aren't you being a bit alarmist?

Since UNIT was formed, there've been
two attempts to invade this planet.

Really?

We were lucky enough
to be able to stop them.

There was a policy decision
not to inform the public.

Do you seriously expect me
to believe that?

It's not my habit
to tell lies, Miss Shaw.

I'm sorry, but it is a fantastic story!

We were very lucky on both occasions.

We had help from a scientist

with a great experience
of other life forms.

Really? Who was this genius?

Well, it's all rather difficult
to explain.

We used to call him the Doctor.

(TELEPHONE BUZZES)

-Yes?
-Munro here, sir.

I'm in the Ashbridge Cottage Hospital.

What the dickens are you doing there?

Have you found any of those meteorites?

No, sir. All we've found
IS an unconscious civvy.

Well?

He was lying beside a police box, sir.

Abandoned, by the look of it,
right in the middle of Oxley Wood.

A police box?

Munro, this man you found.

He's here at the hospital, sir,
undergoing treatment.

Has he said anything?

No, sir, not a syllable.
He's out to the wide.

Listen, Munro, I want an armed guard
put on that police box at once.

Nobody is to be allowed near it,
do you understand? Nobody.

A guard, sir? Very well, sir.

Oh, er, do you want the police told,
sir, about the police box?

They may want it back.

On no accounts.
I'm coming down there immediately.

In the meantime,
carry on with the search.

NURSE: Ready, sir.

-Is this somebody's idea of a joke?
-Sir?

Look at that.

His heart, sir.

If that is his heart, nurse,
what is this?

I... I don't know, sir.

Someone in the X-ray department
having a game.

You stay with the patient,
I'll find out who the fool is.

(PAGER BEEPING)

Henderson here.

(TURNS OFF VACUUM CLEANER)

Dr Henderson here. You're calling me?

DR LOMAX: Look here, Henderson,

what's the idea
of you playing stupid tricks?

-Me playing tricks? Who is that?
-Dr Lomax, Path Lab.

You just sent up a blood sample
for cross-matching.

Yes, that's right, just routine.

Listen, Henderson! I will not
tolerate stupid practical jokes.

It wasn't human blood and you know it!

What do you mean not human blood?
I took it from the patient myself.

It is not a human blood type!
The platelet stickiness shows that.

Henderson, are you there? Hello?

Dr Lomax, I took that blood sample
from an adult male patient.

Now you tell me it's not human blood.

I don't know if that makes me
a doctor or a vet,

but it's still my job to look after him!

(DIALLING PHONE)

Oh, hello. Is that the Daily Chronicle?

It is. Well, look, er,
my name's Mullins.

I'm a porter at
the Cottage Hospital, Ashbridge.

I understand you pay for stories.

You do?

Well, look, there's something
very funny happening up here.

(ELECTRONIC BEEPING)

(MAN GIVING OUT ORDERS)

FORBES: Keep on your track.

Keep in a straight line.
Try going up and down.

Have you got something there?

DOCTOR: Oh!

-What are you doing?
-Shoes, must find my shoes.

-Oh, no, you can't, come on.
-Unhand me, madam!

What's happening?

-He tried to get out of bed.
-What?

He's unconscious again now.

-Why can't we see him?
-He's under medical care.

Is that the real reason?

-What are you chaps doing here?
-I'm sorry. I can't answer questions.

Why not? Is it a security order?

REPORTER: Has it anything to do
with those, er, meteorites?

MUNRO: I'm sorry.
There's simply nothing I can tell you.

MULLINS: Look, stand back there now.
Stand back! Let him through!

Michael Wagstaffe,
defence correspondent, Daily Post.

-Can you tell us anything, sir?
-What about?

WAGSTAFFE: Er, what's UNIT
doing here, sir?

Is it true there's
a man from space in there?

Nonsense. I don't know
where you get these stories.

REPORTER: We heard
there's something odd about him.

I know nothing about a man from space.

-WAGSTAFFE: Then why are you here, sir?
-Training exercise.

(ALL CLAMOURING)

MULLINS: Stand back now!
Let him through! Stand back now!

Has your visit any connection with
the meteorites that fell last night?

Is that why you've
cordoned off the wood?

Did the man who was brought in here
find one of the meteorites?

REPORTER: Was he injured by them?

WAGSTAFFE:
Are these meteorites dangerous?

STEWART: I'm sorry.
I'll talk to you later when...

Has he found it
and hidden it away, perhaps?

If there's a story,
you'll be given it later.

At the moment,
I have no comment to make!

-(ALL CLAMOURING)
-All right, stand back now, boys.

No, boys. I can't let you through there.
It's more than my job's worth, boys.

Right. Now, clear away now.

You know,
I think I've put my finger on it.

That chap's found
one of those meteorites

and won't tell them where it is.

STEWART: How did that lot get onto this?

No idea, sir. They just appeared
like swallows in the spring.

Have you put a guard on that police box?

Yes, sir. Two men with orders
to keep strangers well away.

Oh, Munro, see that they're issued
with live ammunition, will you?

-Live ammunition? But, sir...
-That's an order, Captain.

-I'll see to it, sir.
-Good.

-Along here, sir.
-Thank you.

Dr Henderson, this is
Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and, er...

-Elizabeth Shaw.
-Well, how's your patient, Doctor?

-Can we see him?
-Well, you can see him, certainly.

-Ah...
-He's not making much sense yet.

-What, still unconscious, eh?
-Most of the time.

He has brief moments of consciousness
and then slips back again.

Well, what's actually wrong with him?

I can't say.

Never had a patient
quite like him before.

LIZ: How do you mean?

Well, his whole cardiovascular system
is quite unlike anything I've ever seen.

And I'm told
his blood can't be identified.

Splendid. That sounds like the Doctor.

-Do you know him?
-What?

No, I thought I might do,
but he's a complete stranger.

I've never seen him before in my life.

Lethbridge-Stewart?

My dear fellow,
how nice to see you again.

-He knows you, sir.
-But he can't do!

Look here, can you hear me? Who are you?

-Don't you recognise me?
-I'm positive we've never met before.

Oh, dear. Oh, I...

I can't have changed that much, surely?

Oh, I must see what they've done to me.

Can I borrow...
Can I borrow a mirror, please?

Thank you.

Oh, no!

Oh, no.

Well, that's not me at all!

Huh! No wonder you didn't recognise me.

Ha! Oh, that face.

Mmm, that hair! Huh!

Oh, I don't know, though.

I think it's rather distinctive,
actually.

Don't you think? Hmm?

No, you don't.

Oh, anyway, I'm tired.

All this exercise and exertion.

It's been too much,
I have to get some sleep.

Now, just a minute.
Wake up, man! Listen to me!

I think that's quite enough
for the moment.

His mind's obviously disturbed.

And, er, anyway,
I'm afraid he's out again.

Extraordinary business.

Munro, I want this man
brought to London HQ.

-When will he be fit to travel?
-Difficult to say.

I see. Well, as soon as possible, Munro.

In the meantime, carry on the search
for these meteorites.

Very good, sir.

Is there another way out of here?
I want to avoid the press if possible.

-This way.
-Thank you.

(CAR DRIVING AWAY)

Lethbridge-Stewart.
He must have nipped out the back way.

So he's not going to tell us anything.

You know, there's a story here, Jimmy.
They're trying to cover something.

Porter, when can we see Dr Henderson?

Eh, look now, it's no good asking me.
You'll just have to wait. So there.

I'm gonna ring the office.

Laughton, who is this chap anyway?
He's been hanging around for ages.

-Don't know. I've never seen him before.
-Did he tell you which paper he was on?

Who, him?
No, he didn't tell me anything.

He came in with the rest of you.
I thought he was one of you lot.

Excuse me, sir.
Are you going to be much longer?

You see, we've got some stories
to phone through,

and we'd like to use the phone
if possible.

Don't point that thing at me, mister.

FORBES: Where do you think you're going?

Home, I know these parts.

How did you get into this wood?
It's restricted.

-Do you fancy buying a rabbit or two?
-Oh, you're a poacher, are you?

Ain't nothing so tasty
as a fresh rabbit.

A bit of salt and a few onions.

Didn't you see the patrols on the road?

Ah, but I reckon they never seen me.

All right, Dad, get on your way,

and don't come back into this wood
until it's de-restricted.

You understand?

You soldiers looking for
them thunderballs, eh?

That's our business.

Reckon if I know where to
find one of them things,

it'd be worth a tidy old bit, eh?

You know where one landed?

I didn't say that, did I, son?
I'm just asking.

Yeah, well, don't ask. Go on, push off.

Where are my shoes? Where are my shoes?
I must find my shoes.

I must find my...

Why? You don't need them.
You're not going anywhere.

You don't understand, madam.
It's most important.

How is he, nurse?

His pulse seems to have
settled down, sir.

Ah.

Ten a minute.

Yes.

Well, the trouble is, we don't know
what's normal for him, do we?

Hello! How are you feeling?

Shoes!

I beg your pardon?

Shoes.

They seem to be worrying him, sir.

I think he believes they've been stolen.

HENDERSON: Well, if he wants them,
he might as well...

-Where are they, nurse?
-In his locker.

Ah!

Are these what you're looking for?

I wonder if the brain's damaged?

He does seem to be behaving
very erratically.

Fetch the sphyg, would you, nurse?

I'll take his blood pressure again
while I'm here.

(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)

Thank you, nurse.

Doctor? What's wrong? What's happened?

Shoot the tyres!

-Here, something's happening.
-Come on! This way.

Sergeant Harris!
Cut across to the main gate.

Stop the ambulance! Shoot at the tyres!

The rest of you go round the back!

There he is!

He got away. Start searching.

Who's there!

(FIRING GUN)

Who told you to fire, you stupid...