Snakedance
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''Snakedance'' is the second serial of the 20th season of the British
science fiction television Science fiction first appeared in television programming in the late 1930s, during what is called the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary ...
series '' Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four twice-weekly parts on
BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins ...
from 18 to 26 January 1983. The serial is set on the planet Manussa 500 years after the serial ''
Kinda Kinda or Kindah may refer to: Politics and society *Kinda (tribe), an ancient and medieval Arab tribe * Kingdom of Kinda, a tribal kingdom in north and central Arabia in – Places * Kinda, Idlib, Syria * Kinda Hundred, a hundred in Sweden * K ...
'' (1982). In the serial, the
Mara Mara or MARA may refer to: Animals * Mara (mammal), a species of the cavy family *Mara the Lioness, in the movie ''Born Free'' Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Mara (''Doctor Who''), an evil being in two ''Doctor Who'' serials *Mara, ...
takes over the bodies of the Doctor's companion Tegan (
Janet Fielding Janet Fielding (born Janet Claire Mahoney; 9 September 1953) is an Australian actress who starred in the BBC science fiction television series '' Doctor Who'' as companion Tegan Jovanka. Early life and career Fielding was born in Brisbane. A ...
) and Lon (
Martin Clunes Alexander Martin Clunes OBE DL (born 28 November 1961) is an English actor, comedian, director and television presenter. He is best known for portraying Martin Ellingham in the ITV comedy-drama series '' Doc Martin'' and Gary Strang in ''Men B ...
), the ruler's son, while seeking to manifest itself by using a crystal.


Plot

The arrival of the
TARDIS The TARDIS (; acronym for "Time And Relative Dimension In Space") is a fictional hybrid of the time machine and spacecraft that appears in the British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who'' and its various spin-offs. Its exterior ...
on Manussa triggers nightmares in Tegan, who dreams of a snake-shaped cave mouth. When she and The Fifth Doctor find the cave from her dream, Tegan runs away. Alone and confused, Tegan lapses under the control of the
Mara Mara or MARA may refer to: Animals * Mara (mammal), a species of the cavy family *Mara the Lioness, in the movie ''Born Free'' Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Mara (''Doctor Who''), an evil being in two ''Doctor Who'' serials *Mara, ...
once more. Manussa is in the grip of a festival of celebration of the banishment of the Mara from the civilisation five hundred years earlier. In the absence of the Federator, who rules over the three-planet Federation, his indolent son Lon is to have a major role in the celebration, supported by his mother the Lady Tanha and the archaeologist Ambri. Lon believes the Mara might one day return as prophesied, but Ambril is unconvinced. The young deputy curator Chela is more sympathetic and gives the Doctor a small blue crystal called a Little Mind's Eye, which is used by the Snakedancers, a mystical cult, in their ceremonies to repel the Mara. The Doctor realises the small crystal and its large counterpart, the Great Mind's Eye, can be used as focal points for mental energy and can turn thought into matter. This, he determines, is how the Mara will transfer from Tegan's mind to corporeal existence. Tegan and Lon visit the cave from Tegan's dream, where Lon notices a wall pattern which could accommodate the Great Mind's Eye. Lon is sent back to the Palace while she causes more havoc and takes control of a showman, Dugdale. Lon tries to persuade Ambril to use the Great Mind's Eye in the ceremony, placing it in a position that will enable the Mara to return. The Doctor uses the Little Mind's Eye to contact Ambril's predecessor Dojjen, who lives in sandy dunes beyond the city. They venture there and the Doctor communes with Dojjen by opening his mind after being bitten by a poisonous snake. He is told by the wise old snakedancer that the Mara may only be defeated by finding a still point in the mind. All three head back to the city to prevent the ceremony of defeating the Mara using the real Great Mind's Eye. The festivities are now at a peak, with a procession taking place which culminates in a ceremony at the cave. Lon plays the role of his ancestor Federator in rejecting the Mara. After a series of verbal challenges he seizes the real Great Mind's Eye and places it in the appropriate place on the wall. Tegan and Dugdale arrive and she displays the Mara mark on her arm, which is now becoming flesh having fed on the fear in Dugdale's mind. With the crystal in place, the Mara is able to create itself in the cave, becoming a vast and deadly snake. However, the Doctor arrives in time and refuses to look at the snake or recognise its evil, relying instead on the still place he finds through mental commune with Dojjen via the Little Mind's Eye. This resistance interrupts the manifestation of the Mara and its three slaves are freed while the snake itself dies and rots. The Doctor comforts a distraught Tegan, sure that the Mara has at last been destroyed.


Production

In post-production, episode four of this story overran very badly. As a result, it had to be completely restructured. Originally the door for a third Mara adventure was to be left open, with closing scenes discussing the ultimate fate of the Great Crystal. Furthermore, a sequence in which the Doctor comforts Tegan had to be removed. The scene was reincorporated into the beginning of the subsequent serial, ''
Mawdryn Undead ''Mawdryn Undead'' is the third serial of the 20th season of the British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who'', which was originally broadcast in four twice weekly parts on BBC1 from 1 to 9 February 1983. The serial is set in an En ...
'' (1983). Script editor Eric Saward commissioned Bailey to write a third and final story to feature the Mara, ''May Time''. However, the story was abandoned due to production problems.


Cast notes

Martin Clunes Alexander Martin Clunes OBE DL (born 28 November 1961) is an English actor, comedian, director and television presenter. He is best known for portraying Martin Ellingham in the ITV comedy-drama series '' Doc Martin'' and Gary Strang in ''Men B ...
made his television debut as Lon. Brian Miller was the husband of
Elisabeth Sladen Elisabeth Clara Heath-Sladen (1 February 1946 – 19 April 2011) was an English actress. She became best known as Sarah Jane Smith in the British television series '' Doctor Who'', appearing as a regular cast member from 1973 to 1976, alongsid ...
, who portrayed long-time companion
Sarah Jane Smith Sarah Jane Smith is a fictional character played by Elisabeth Sladen in the long-running BBC Television science fiction series ''Doctor Who'' and two of its spin-offs. Sarah Jane is a dogged investigative journalist who first encounters alien t ...
. He later appeared in " Deep Breath" in Series 8 (2014), as well as playing Harry Sowersby in '' The Mad Woman in the Attic'' (2009), a story of ''
The Sarah Jane Adventures ''The Sarah Jane Adventures'' is a British science fiction television programme that was produced by BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC, created by Russell T Davies, and starring Elisabeth Sladen. The programme is a spin-off of the long-running BB ...
'', and providing Dalek voices for both ''
Resurrection of the Daleks ''Resurrection of the Daleks'' is the fourth serial of the 21st season in the British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in two weekly parts on BBC1 between 8 February and 15 February 1984. The seri ...
'' (1984) and '' Remembrance of the Daleks'' (1988).
Brian Grellis Brian Grellis is a British actor, from Liverpool, best known for his role in the television series ''Z-Cars'' as Det. Sgt. Bowker. He was born on the 12th of July, 1937, as Brian McGrellis, being billed as such in his first role, in the '' Edgar ...
previously played Sheprah in '' Revenge of the Cybermen'' (1975) and Safran in '' The Invisible Enemy'' (1977).


Broadcast and reception

In ''Doctor Who: The Episode Guide'', Mark Campbell awarded it seven out of ten, describing it as "less experimental than ''Kinda''" but still containing "some good moments", although he concluded that "Martin Clunes and Colette O'Neill are the best things in it". Mark Braxton of ''
Radio Times ''Radio Times'' (currently styled as ''RadioTimes'') is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in May 1923 by J ...
'' awarded it two stars out of five, describing it as "a firm fan favourite" but a "limp sequel to ''Kinda''", adding "where ''Kinda'' had bravura performances and genuinely unsettling moments, here the coils of plot and subtext hang rather limply". He observed a "lack of genuine jeopardy, pace or thrills", but described the guest cast as "solid" and praised Janet Fielding's performance and Fiona Cumming's direction of the "surreal possession scenes". He ended by stating that it was "competent" and "colourful enough" but found it "a stretch to understand quite why ''Snakedance'' is so beloved".


Commercial releases


In print

A novelisation of this serial, written by
Terrance Dicks Terrance William Dicks (14 April 1935 – 29 August 2019) was an English author and television screenwriter, script editor and producer. In television, he had a long association with the BBC science-fiction series ''Doctor Who'', working as a ...
, was published by
Target Books Target Books was a British publishing imprint, established in 1973 by Universal-Tandem Publishing Co Ltd, a paperback publishing company. The imprint was established as a children's imprint to complement the adult Tandem imprint, and became ...
in January 1984. It was the first of two (the other being ''
Enlightenment Enlightenment or enlighten may refer to: Age of Enlightenment * Age of Enlightenment, period in Western intellectual history from the late 17th to late 18th century, centered in France but also encompassing (alphabetically by country or culture): ...
'') to feature Peter Davison's image in the logo.


Home media

''Snakedance'' was released on VHS in December 1994. It was released on DVD on 7 March 2011 along with ''
Kinda Kinda or Kindah may refer to: Politics and society *Kinda (tribe), an ancient and medieval Arab tribe * Kingdom of Kinda, a tribal kingdom in north and central Arabia in – Places * Kinda, Idlib, Syria * Kinda Hundred, a hundred in Sweden * K ...
'' in a special edition boxset entitled "Mara Tales". This serial was also released as part of the '' Doctor Who DVD Files'' in Issue 103 on 12 December 2012.


References


External links

*


Target novelisation

* {{Fifth Doctor stories, selected=Television Fifth Doctor serials Doctor Who serials novelised by Terrance Dicks 1983 British television episodes