Doctor Who (1963–1989): Season 7, Episode 18 - The Ambassadors of Death: Episode 7 - full transcript

Carrington is planning to expose the aliens on live television and call for an interplanetary war and the Brigadier must rescue the Doctor and Liz in time to stop him.

Doctor Who Season 7
053 The Ambassadors of Death
(Part Seven,7/7)

Original Air Date : 1970/ 5/ 2

- General Carrington!
- Miss Shaw.

How on earth did you...
...find us?

I think the General knew all along.

- You're not surprised to see me?
- Not particularly, no.

I'm surprised to see you Doctor.
My instructions were that you were to be killed.

Then somebody disobeyed
your instructions, didn't they?

I shall have to attend to
the matter myself.

I'm sorry Doctor.

It's my moral duty.



- What are you doing?
- You told me you killed this man

- I was going to, but...
- You disobeyed an order!

- I thought it was for the best.
- You're not paid to think, Reegan.

- He can be useful.
- I make the decisions.

Yes sir, but he's the only one
that can make a machine

- that will let us talk to these creatures.
- You've got a machine to do that.

This thing only sends limited
one-way signals.

Look, if I'm going to
carry out your orders,

I'll have to give them some
pretty complicated information.

Still, suit yourself.
You want to kill him kill him.

Could you make us
a better machine?

Given the necessary equipment, yes.

And you're willing to help us?

- It depends on what you're trying to do.
- Doctor! / Liz!



Well, General?

We must alert the world to the menace
of an alien invasion!

- When do you expect this invasion?
- At any time.

They told me that
their intentions were peaceful.

That these three...beings here,
were ambassadors.

Ambassadors! That was just
to put us off our guard!

You're convinced their intentions
are hostile then?

Why else should they invade the galaxy?
They were on Mars before we were.

Ah! So that's when you met them

when you were on
a previous Mars Probe.

Yes, they killed Jim

Jim Daniels,fellow astronaut
simply by touching him.

Yes, but they didn't know their touch
would kill human beings.

And now they've walked
into my trap

I knew that once I got them here
I'd make them reveal their true natures.

So it was you who sent for
those three ambassadors was it?

And hired Reegan to kidnap them
and use them as killers?

It was the only way
to arouse public opinion.

Was Sir James Quinlan
in on all this? / No.

He just wanted the political glory of
being the first to arrange contact

with an intelligent alien species.

He didn't know of my plan
to save the world

- he wouldn't have understood.
- What about Van Lyden

and the other astronauts
the human ones?

They didn't know either
it was the only way.

Well...I must say you've been
very thorough General.

It was the only way!

- You do understand that, don't you, Doctor?
- Yes, yes I understand.

You had to do what you had to do.

Exactly. We must protect the world
it's our moral duty.

Will you help us?

Yes, yes I'll build your machine for you.

Splendid!

This man can be of use to us.
Give him everything he needs.

Okay.

I'm going to take one of those creatures
with me. I've brought a shielded van.

Kindly ask one of them to come out.

Open the door.

American space agency report
their unmanned observation satellite

is now within three miles of the UFO.

Why can't they get a picture?

Well, I assume the radio signals that
thing emits are affecting the cameras.

Space agency are now about

to manoeuvre the satellite down
to one mile from the UFO.

I've got some instructions for you.
You're to raid a number of Isotope stores.

- Have I?
- Everything you need's here,passes, maps.

- Just follow your orders!
- Yes, sir.

Space agency report total cessation
of all signals from observation satellite.

It is believed satellite has disintegrated.

Right sir.

General Carrington's men have
captured an alien astronaut

he's going to bring it here.

How's it going?
Got everything you need?

Mm hmm.

How long's it going to take?

Look, I'm not building
a crystal set you know.

Doctor...

Look, if you let them out,
how am I going to test it?

They'll be back.

What, more killing?

Only if we have to.

Get on with it,I want that machine
finished by the time I get back

You're not just going to do
as he tells you? / Come on Liz,

we haven't got much time, you know.

We'll be ready for your live
telecast very soon, General./ Splendid!

Are you sure your men will be able to
remove the helmet? / Quite sure.

Mmm. If there is some sort of alien
creature inside that spacesuit...

As I can assure you there is.

Has it occurred to you, sir,
that this may create world panic?

ISOTOPE - RADIOACTIVE

- May I have a word with you, sir?
- Yes, Brigadier?

Aliens have raided
an isotope factory several deaths.

You see? They've already landed.

These creatures need radiation to live and
they're prepared to rob and murder to get it.

- Sir!
- Yes!

- There were men helping them!
- Traitors, collaborators,

like your friend, the Doctor.

That is an unjustified assumption, sir!

- Is it?
- General,

what exactly do you intend
to say in your telecast?

It'll be on a world wide
hook-up you know.

I shall call on
the nations of the world...

to unite in an attack on the aliens
and their spacecraft.

It must be obliterated!

- All right?
- Mm hmm.

Right, switch on the power,
Liz, will you?

- Okay.
- All right?

Right, let's try and test this thing.

Do you think the signal
will be strong enough?

Well, I've boosted it
as much as I possibly can.

- Erm, just go over there will you Liz?
- Right.

See if they react at all.

- Any reaction?
- No, not yet.

Well, we'll just have to keep
on trying won't we?

There we are, sarge, Have a listen.

Well, it's SOS. we did away
with that signal years ago.

Everybody's picking it up, sarge
taxis, police cars, fire engines.

It's on a high-impulse
blanket frequency

See if you can get
a triangulation on it.

- Save our souls?
- This is John Wakefield,

talking to you live from the heart of
Britain's Space Control headquarters.

This telecast is being
received in homes

all over the world
by communications satellite relay.

Right, now after that,
I shall introduce the General.

When I've introduced him, I want you to
pick him up over there. All right?

- Mr Wakefield?
- Just a minute.

Yes professor?

Do you really think you should
go ahead with this broadcast?

What do you mean?

Well, do you realise what
the General is going to say?

He's going to talk about
that unidentified flying object.

He is going to call on the nations
of the world to attack it.

Blast it out of the sky with missiles.

- Haven't you finished yet?
- Oh, we're just about to test it. Hmm?

Liz, you stand by
the controls will you?

Right.

Now, we are attempting
to convert our speech...

into your radio impulses.

Can you understand me?

We are attempting to convert
our human speech...

into your radio impulses.
Can you understand me?

It doesn't work.

Can you understand me?
Please try to answer.

Why are we kept prisoners?

Why do you make us kill?

You'll obey my orders.
If you don't, we'll let you die!

We are ambassadors
and came in peace

If you want to live,
you'll do exactly what you're told.

Congratulations Doctor.
Now, I can make a few plans.

- Leave it alone.
- Unidentified object transmitting to us.

Picture coming through now.

Only a little time remains to you.

We have powers to destroy
your planet totally,

which we shall use if our
ambassadors are not returned.

Now we know where we stand,
Gentlemen!

We must attack first!

- I must make my broadcast at once!
- But that's impossible, General.

The worldwide hook-up won't be
ready for another hour yet.

You must speed it up,get onto your
people this is an emergency.

Wakefield, what are you going to do?

See if I can speed up
the broadcast of course.

I've had a message from my HQ, sir.
They're picking up SOS radio signals.

Well?

There's a chance it may be
from the Doctor, sir.

I'd like to follow it up,
if you'll excuse me.

- Just a moment!
- Sir?

You think I don't know
what's going on, don't you?

I don't quite follow you?

That Doctor of yours is in league
with these creatures

and you've been helping him.
Security!

- Place this officer under close arrest.
- Sir, I must protest!

Hand over your revolver, Brigadier.

I've suspected you for some time.

All your UNIT people have been locked up
and replaced by men I can trust.

Take him away.

What are you doing?

I'm getting on to the Ministry.

Too late, Mr. Cornish.
All communications are under my control.

- This Space Centre is under my control.
- Not any longer.

It's no good, sarge,
I can't raise them.

- Space HQ have cut themselves off.
- Well, keep trying.

- Sir, we've been trying to reach you!
- Those SOS signals did you get a fix on them?

They cut out suddenly.
We managed to pin them down.

Around here. It's funny sir,
it's army land

disused firing range.

- Carrington.
- It's quite near the Space Centre.

- How many men have we got here, Sergeant?
- Just one or two, sir.

Most of the lads are on duty
at the Space Centre.

I'll take what men there are.
Look, keep that radio manned

- and get me a revolver will you?
- Sir.

- And lay on a jeep.
- We can't sir,

- all the transport's over at Space HQ.
- What?

- Well, how did you get here, sir?
- I borrowed a staff car

Well, couldn't we use that?

Sergeant,that engine stopped quite
a few bullets. I barely made it here.

- Well, there must be some kind of transport.
- Sir, th...there is the Doctor's car...

Right get 'em!

Now, you see the main vault is there.

And our friends
there can blast it open.

Look, how many times must I tell you?

I am not joining you
in a programme of bank robbery.

I'm offering you
an equal share, Doctor.

See what's happening.

Make yourselves at home.

What kept you?

- I see you're all right, Doctor! Miss Shaw?
- Just get me out of here.

- Carrington's taken over the Space Centre.
- What for?

He's going to make a telecast urging
the world to attack the alien spaceship.

- We've got to stop him at once.
- Not so easy.

He's arrested all my men
and moved in his own troops.

- We've got to get in there somehow.
- Why don't you use them?

You know, I think he's right.

You won't forget I thought of it?

Get him out of here.

We're going to return you
to your own people.

But first we need your help
to prevent a catastrophe.

Open the gates.

Open these Gates!

Open the gates.

Please try not to harm anyone.

??ũ : ?ҷ?3Ž ([email protected])

???? :

These aliens are invulnerable
to your bullets.

They will not harm you,
but you will die if you touch them.

..keep back.

When I move across to here,get
your camera in close on this creature

and my men will forcibly
remove his helmet.

I want the world to know
what these monsters look like.

- All right, General, whatever you say.
- Good man.

General, you must see reason!
You can't make this broadcast.

Mr. Cornish, don't interfere in things
you don't understand.

- It could bring down total destruction on us!
- You have no concept of moral duty!

- General, you must see...
- Security!

Five seconds to go, General.

This is John Wakefield,

speaking to you live from the heart of
Britain's Space Control headquarters.

This telecast is being received
in homes all over the world

by communications satellite relay.

Owing to widespread rumours concerning

an unidentified flying object
hovering above this planet...

...General Carrington,
head of Space security,

himself an ex-astronaut
and Mars probe veteran,

is about to speak to you on
a matter of tremendous importance...

They're here, we're being invaded!

Security Patrol!

It's no good, General.I've released
my men. This place is in my hands.

I must make this broadcast.
It's a matter of world survival!

I'm sorry, General.
I must place you under arrest.

Arrest?

The Sergeant will look after you.

I had to do what I did.

It was my moral duty.
You do understand, don't you?

Yes, General. I understand.

Er, please release that gentleman.

Right, Mr. Cornish,

we've got to get a message up
to that alien space ship

and tell them that their ambassadors
are safe and well.

Doctor, where are my three astronauts?

My dear chap, they're still up there.

But don't worry, they're all right.
They're quite safe.

- Now we've got to make an exchange.
- Exchange?

We'll send these three up in Recovery 7.
They'll send down our three astronauts.

- But what about the fuel problem?
- Well, simple. We'll use pure M3 Variant

and don't forget they're not
susceptible to g-force.

This is control.
Get me the fuel bay.

Well goodbye, Mr. Cornish.

I've got a lot of work to do
in my own laboratory.

Doctor, I'll need your help
to communicate with the...ambassadors.

Well, here you are.

Here's Miss Shaw.
She's much more practical than I am.

- Good-bye Brigadier.
- Thank you, Doctor.

Goodbye, Doctor.

Goodbye, gentlemen.

Have a nice trip!