The working titles of this story were
The Return,
Warhead, However, due to an electricians'
strike, the story was postponed and, with minor rewrites, resurrected for season 21. The story was originally supposed to have been directed by
Peter Grimwade, whose work on Saward's previous story
Earthshock had pleased the writer. When the story was postponed, Grimwade took members of the production team out to dinner, but did not invite John Nathan-Turner, because he had intended to take Nathan-Turner out separately. Nathan-Turner felt slighted by the omission and refused to allow Grimwade to direct the story when it was rescheduled for season 21. Matthew Robinson, who had never worked on the series before but had a "reputation as an action director", was used instead. However, Saward had already promised Grimwade that he could provide a script for the season, so Grimwade was allowed to write the following story,
Planet of Fire. As well as the change of director, the serial's postponement also meant that
Michael Wisher, who had originated the role of Davros in
Genesis of the Daleks (1975), became unavailable. Matthew Robinson cast
Terry Molloy instead and showed him the tape of Wisher's performance. The filming location for the serial was
Shad Thames and
Butler's Wharf in September 1983, with studio scenes videotaped at TC8 of
BBC Television Centre between September and October. The first copy of the story to be sold to American
PBS stations by the BBC was done in the original four-part serial format. However, part two had a raw soundtrack, lacking sound effects and music. The compilation version, in which the entire story is compressed into one feature-length episode, had the entire second half with the raw soundtrack, but the second quarter with music and effects intact. The portions with the raw soundtrack also included some extra scenes not used in the final four-part cut.
Cast notes It is wrongly stated by Matthew Robinson on the DVD commentary that this serial is the television debut of actor
Leslie Grantham. He had actually made his debut in 1982 as a character called Boollie in a
BBC2 Playhouse production called "Jake's End". Grantham was offered the role of either Galloway or Kiston, and chose the latter because it would afford him more screen time and was a more challenging role. He was soon cast as
"Dirty" Den Watts in the soap opera
EastEnders, again being cast on the recommendation of Matthew Robinson;
Doctor Who would shortly afterwards reference Den Watts in 2006's "
Army of Ghosts" as part of a sequence showing international culture, including
EastEnders, adapting to the sudden appearance of
silvery ghosts across the world. ==Broadcast and reception==