Conception and writing The Rescue was written as a short vehicle to introduce Vicki as the new companion, replacing the Doctor's granddaughter, Susan. Producer
Verity Lambert had originally booked
Pamela Franklin to portray Jenny (originally called Saida) in the previous serial,
The Dalek Invasion of Earth, and continue as Susan's replacement; however, Lambert soon changed her mind, and outgoing script editor
David Whitaker was commissioned to write a two-part serial to introduce Vicki. Whitaker was officially commissioned on 1 November 1964, the day after his script editor contract with the BBC had expired.
The Rescue was the first story under new script editor
Dennis Spooner, though he was not credited. Earlier names given to Vicki were Valerie, Lukki, and Millie; the latter was inspired by
Millie Small, but the name was considered too similar to comedian
Millicent Martin. The draft script for the serial was titled
Doctor Who and Tanni, referring to another name considered for Vicki.
The Rescue used the same production team as the following serial,
The Romans, and the two were formed to create a single six-episode production block.
Christopher Barry was selected to direct the two serials; he was unimpressed with the scripts for
The Rescue. With budgeting tight, Barry decided to reuse the score from his previous serial,
The Daleks, composed by
Tristram Cary. Cary was initially hesitant, having had negative experiences with the reuse of his music in the past. Music from the first, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh episodes of
The Daleks were used in
The Rescue; the sound of a Dalek death was reused for the death of Sandy the sand beast in the second episode.
Casting and characters (pictured in 2009) was introduced in
The Rescue as new companion
Vicki. After the potential for Franklin's casting expired, Lambert requested camera tests for Maureen O'Brien and Denise Upson to portray Vicki; the two auditioned on 14 September 1964 at the
BBC Television Centre, and O'Brien was eventually cast. When O'Brien met with the show's creator
Sydney Newman, he told her that they were considering having her cut her hair and dye it black. O'Brien refused, saying, "Why don't you just get Carole Ann Ford back?" O'Brien had just come out of drama school when she was cast as Vicki; it was her first television acting job. Barry originally offered the role of Bennett to
Bernard Archard, but he was unavailable. Ray Barrett was cast in the role, described as a "
Jekyll and Hyde character". Barry had seen Barrett on television and noted his name due to his rugged face, and "dug him out of the book" when the time came. Barrett played Bennett as a "normal, straight human being" so as not to give the ending away. To preserve the mystery, Koquillion was credited in the first episode as being played by "Sydney Wilson", a name made up by the production team in tribute to two of the creators of
Doctor Who, Sydney Newman and
Donald Wilson. When designing Koquillion, costume designer Daphne Dare took inspiration from a close-up of a fly. Tom Sheridan was cast to play the voice communicating from the rescue ship, the sand creature, and a Didonian. An agreement was made for Sheridan to be credited as 'Space Captain' only, and he ultimately did not portray a Didonian.
Filming The Rescue was the first in a new production block of
Doctor Who; the first production block had lasted for 52 weeks, with the final two stories—
Planet of Giants and
The Dalek Invasion of Earth—held back to open the
second season. The regular cast took a six-week break before beginning production on
The Rescue. Model filming for the serial began on 16 November 1964 at
BBC Television Film Studios on Stage 2. The model spaceships were designed by
Raymond Cusick—both in flight and wrecked—and created by Shawcraft Models in ten days. Cusick had found a cheap material he called "reeded hardboard", which was spray-painted silver and used for the outside of the craft prop. Model shots of the TARDIS falling off the mountain were filmed on 17 November. Rehearsals for the first episode took place from 30 November to 3 December 1964 at the London Transport Assembly Rooms in
Wood Green. O'Brien encountered difficulties learning her lines, and became worried when other cast members were able to rehearse without their scripts by the second day. Ford visited on O'Brien's first day to wish her luck. The first episode was recorded on 4 December at
Riverside Studios; it overran by 15 minutes. There was a happy atmosphere among the cast, including a picnic in Hartnell's dressing room. After Barrett fell asleep in the studio, the cast and crew left and switched off the lights to make him believe that he had slept all night. Rehearsals for the second episode took place from 7–10 December, with recording on 11 December. In the scene where Barbara shoots the sand beast, the powder in the prop detonated prematurely, and Hill was treated for shock and a sore face. The Dido temple was a large set that was lit in such a way to create a dark atmosphere, using dark drapes and smoke. == Reception ==