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The Stranger (video series)
Encyclopedia
The Stranger is a series of direct-to-video
(and audio CD) science-fiction dramas produced by BBV
and starring Colin Baker
. They are now available on DVD.
The series began in 1991 with Summoned by Shadows, co-produced with the BBC Film Club. Partly as a knowing homage to the long-running British science fiction television
series Doctor Who
, of which BBV founder Bill Baggs was a fan; and partly in a pragmatic attempt to take advantage of the consequent pre-existing audience. Summoned by Shadows was a Who-style tale of strange doings on a distant planet featuring three actors known for their roles in Doctor Who and playing not dissimilar characters.
The unnamed protagonist (listed in the credits as "The Stranger") was played by Colin Baker, his assistant Miss Brown by Nicola Bryant
, who had played the Doctor
's assistant Peri Brown
opposite Colin Baker for two years, and the villain of the piece by Michael Wisher
, who had been the first actor to play Davros
.
The second story, More than a Messiah, adapted the Doctor Who Audio Visuals
story of the same name, but with the Stranger and Miss Brown substituted for the Doctor and companion Ria (who was modelled after Peri). In a further connection, it co-starred Sophie Aldred
, better known as Ace
from Doctor Who, and Peter Miles
, who had co-starred (opposite Wisher) in the TV serial Genesis of the Daleks
– both in completely different roles.
In Memory Alone, the third film, found the Stranger and Miss Brown stranded without their mysterious transport (never seen or referred to as the TARDIS
) in a desolate train station with amnesia
, and battling a robot and a mysterious man played by Nicholas Briggs
(who also wrote the film along with others in the Stranger series). Most releases of this film (including VHS
) include a behind-the-scenes featurette and a blooper
reel.
While the first three may be (and usually were) taken as Doctor Who by another name, the departure here of the Miss Brown character (for which Nicola Bryant had not used her Peri Brown American accent) and the Stranger himself being likewise "returned to his proper time and place" at the story's conclusion allowed for a move to divorce the series from any such notions. The adventures of the Stranger ran in all to six videos (and four audio dramas, although the second audio drama was much the same as the sixth video), in the later half of which the series established its own style and distinct back story, abandoning any pretence of being the further adventures of the Sixth Doctor
under another name (or lack thereof). The Stranger was thus eventually given an identity as the series' continuity was tied up.
forms within the material universe and carry out random acts of violence, terrorism and assassination in an effort to strike back at their oppressors (although it is never truly determined which race is in the right and which is in the wrong, so it is difficult to say whether the Preceptors are terrorists or freedom fighters), usually in teams of two or three. One such Preceptor cell is headed by Solomon, considered one of the top Preceptor leaders. His second-in-command and partner is Egan (played by David Troughton
) and the third member of the team is a relative newcomer named Saul (John Wadmore). Solomon and Egan have worked together for a long time and therefore have complete faith in one another.
However, one mission, while accomplishing the objective (the assassination of an unimportant female caterer), ends in disaster with Solomon being captured by the Protectorate and Egan and Saul managing to escape. Since the Protectorate no longer believe in execution (their own past is too bloody for that) and incarceration would be a drain on their resources, Solomon is selected to be the first to undergo a new process - the Estrangement Programme, in which the prejudices of the subject are "extracted" by a form of mental block
or conditioning and wiping out all past memories of the subject's "crimes" (the Protectorate state emphatically that this is not brainwashing).
Note: In the audio adventure "The Last Mission", it is revealed that during the above mission Solomon was captured by the planet's local security force, but the officer in charge (Elisabeth Sladen
) turned out to be a Protectorate agent who had set a trap for all three Preceptors. While Solomon was in her custody, she offered Solomon a deal in which, in return for her allowing the Preceptors to accomplish their mission and Egan and Saul's escape, Solomon would surrender himself to the Protectorate and undergo the then-experimental Estrangement Programme. Believing that his beliefs were not prejudices and that the program would not affect him, he agreed, never revealing the bargain to Egan and Saul.
After Solomon undergoes the procedure, he is assigned a Protectorate observer who also acts as a companion, Miss Brown (Nicola Bryant
) and begins his new life as the Doctor
-like "Stranger". However, in the adventure In Memory Alone, the Stranger, while suffering from amnesia
and in order to defeat a malfunctioning combat suit, is forced to hook up his own brain to a computer system, and the resulting shock causes the mental conditioning to be disrupted. The Stranger arrives in England on Earth in The Terror Game still suffering from amnesia but runs into Egan and Saol (who now believe that the Stranger, now identified as "Solomon", may have turned traitor) and Tamora Hennessay (Louise Jameson
).
After Tamora reveals herself to be another Protectorate agent, Solomon escapes and goes into hiding under the name of "Preston Richards" while slowly recovering his lost memories and trying to learn whether or not he's still being affected by the Estrangement Programme. In the adventure Breach of the Peace, Egan and Saul, using the identities of Metropolitan Police
detectives, track Solomon down and force him to take them back into the Web, but Metaphysic, a heavily guarded research project where an experiment in psychokinesis
is being conducted by a Dr Hunter (Geoffrey Beevers
) on a talented girl named Meta (Bernadette Gepheart), causes a tear in the Web that drags Solomon, Egan and Saul back to England (Eye of the Beholder) and forces them to intervene when Hunter's experiment goes out of control.
Another BBV production, The Airzone Solution
, is sometimes erroneously listed as part of the Stranger series. In fact, it is a standalone "ecological thriller" film that, other than its cast, has no connection to either the Stranger or Doctor Who. Nicholas Briggs, meanwhile, went on to write and star in numerous Big Finish
Doctor Who audio spin-offs and to voice the Daleks and other monsters in the TV series itself.
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
(and audio CD) science-fiction dramas produced by BBV
BBV
BBV is a video and audio production company specialising in science fiction drama, known for its links with the British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
and starring Colin Baker
Colin Baker
Colin Baker is a British actor who is known for playing Paul Merroney in The Brothers from 1974 to 1976 and as the sixth incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who, from 1984 to 1986.- Background:Colin Baker was born in London, but moved north to...
. They are now available on DVD.
The series began in 1991 with Summoned by Shadows, co-produced with the BBC Film Club. Partly as a knowing homage to the long-running British science fiction television
Science fiction on television
Science fiction first appeared on a television program during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary world not limited by the constraints of reality; this makes television an excellent medium...
series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, of which BBV founder Bill Baggs was a fan; and partly in a pragmatic attempt to take advantage of the consequent pre-existing audience. Summoned by Shadows was a Who-style tale of strange doings on a distant planet featuring three actors known for their roles in Doctor Who and playing not dissimilar characters.
The unnamed protagonist (listed in the credits as "The Stranger") was played by Colin Baker, his assistant Miss Brown by Nicola Bryant
Nicola Bryant
-External links:** at shillpages.com/dw *...
, who had played the Doctor
Doctor (Doctor Who)
The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
's assistant Peri Brown
Peri Brown
Peri Brown, full name Perpugilliam Brown, is a fictional character played by Nicola Bryant in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who....
opposite Colin Baker for two years, and the villain of the piece by Michael Wisher
Michael Wisher
Michael Wisher was a British actor.He is probably best remembered for having played Davros, the wheelchair-using scientific mastermind and creator of the Daleks, in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
, who had been the first actor to play Davros
Davros
Davros is a character from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Davros is an archenemy of the Doctor and is the creator of the Doctor's deadliest enemies, the Daleks...
.
The second story, More than a Messiah, adapted the Doctor Who Audio Visuals
Audio Visuals
The Audio Visuals were an unlicensed series of Doctor Who audio dramas made by British fans in the 1980s.Featuring Nicholas Briggs as the Doctor, twenty-six audio plays were recorded and distributed on audio cassette between 1985 and 1991 .The first three seasons were produced by...
story of the same name, but with the Stranger and Miss Brown substituted for the Doctor and companion Ria (who was modelled after Peri). In a further connection, it co-starred Sophie Aldred
Sophie Aldred
Sophie Aldred is an English actress and television presenter, best known for her portrayal of The Doctor's companion Ace in the television series Doctor Who during the late 1980s.-Early life:...
, better known as Ace
Ace (Doctor Who)
Dorothy Gale McShane, better known by her nickname Ace, is a fictional character played by Sophie Aldred in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
from Doctor Who, and Peter Miles
Peter Miles
Peter Miles is a British actor. He has played many television roles including several different characters in Z-Cars and Doctor Who. His other television work has included Survivors, The Sweeney, Dixon of Dock Green, Moonbase 3, Poldark and Bergerac.In the science fiction series Blake's 7 he played...
, who had co-starred (opposite Wisher) in the TV serial Genesis of the Daleks
Genesis of the Daleks
Genesis of the Daleks is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who that was originally broadcast in six weekly parts from 8 March to 12 April 1975. It marks the first appearance of Davros, the creator of the Daleks.-Plot:...
– both in completely different roles.
In Memory Alone, the third film, found the Stranger and Miss Brown stranded without their mysterious transport (never seen or referred to as the TARDIS
TARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
) in a desolate train station with amnesia
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
, and battling a robot and a mysterious man played by Nicholas Briggs
Nicholas Briggs
Nicholas Briggs is a British actor and writer, predominantly associated with the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and its various spin-offs, particularly as the voice of the Daleks. Briggs sometimes uses the pseudonym Arthur Wallis...
(who also wrote the film along with others in the Stranger series). Most releases of this film (including VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
) include a behind-the-scenes featurette and a blooper
Blooper
A blooper, also known as an outtake or boner is a short sequence of a film or video production, usually a deleted scene, containing a mistake made by a member of the cast or crew. It also refers to an error made during a live radio or TV broadcast or news report, usually in terms of misspoken words...
reel.
While the first three may be (and usually were) taken as Doctor Who by another name, the departure here of the Miss Brown character (for which Nicola Bryant had not used her Peri Brown American accent) and the Stranger himself being likewise "returned to his proper time and place" at the story's conclusion allowed for a move to divorce the series from any such notions. The adventures of the Stranger ran in all to six videos (and four audio dramas, although the second audio drama was much the same as the sixth video), in the later half of which the series established its own style and distinct back story, abandoning any pretence of being the further adventures of the Sixth Doctor
Sixth Doctor
The Sixth Doctor is the sixth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by Colin Baker...
under another name (or lack thereof). The Stranger was thus eventually given an identity as the series' continuity was tied up.
History of the Stranger
In a pan-dimensional area referred to as the "Dimensional Web", there exist two races: the Protectorate, which are currently dominant and in charge, and the Preceptors, apparently defeated by the Protectorate. The Preceptors act by taking on corporealBody
With regard to living things, a body is the physical body of an individual. "Body" often is used in connection with appearance, health issues and death...
forms within the material universe and carry out random acts of violence, terrorism and assassination in an effort to strike back at their oppressors (although it is never truly determined which race is in the right and which is in the wrong, so it is difficult to say whether the Preceptors are terrorists or freedom fighters), usually in teams of two or three. One such Preceptor cell is headed by Solomon, considered one of the top Preceptor leaders. His second-in-command and partner is Egan (played by David Troughton
David Troughton
David Troughton is an English actor, best known for his Shakespearean roles on the British stage.- Biography :David Troughton was born in Hampstead, North London. He comes from a theatrical family: he is the son of Doctor Who actor Patrick Troughton, elder brother of Michael Troughton, and father...
) and the third member of the team is a relative newcomer named Saul (John Wadmore). Solomon and Egan have worked together for a long time and therefore have complete faith in one another.
However, one mission, while accomplishing the objective (the assassination of an unimportant female caterer), ends in disaster with Solomon being captured by the Protectorate and Egan and Saul managing to escape. Since the Protectorate no longer believe in execution (their own past is too bloody for that) and incarceration would be a drain on their resources, Solomon is selected to be the first to undergo a new process - the Estrangement Programme, in which the prejudices of the subject are "extracted" by a form of mental block
Mental block
A mental block is either a repression of painful thoughts, or an inability to continue a train of thought, like in the case of writer's block. A similar phenomenon occurs when one cannot solve a problem in mathematics which one would normally consider simple. In the case of writer's block, many...
or conditioning and wiping out all past memories of the subject's "crimes" (the Protectorate state emphatically that this is not brainwashing).
Note: In the audio adventure "The Last Mission", it is revealed that during the above mission Solomon was captured by the planet's local security force, but the officer in charge (Elisabeth Sladen
Elisabeth Sladen
Elisabeth Clara Heath-Sladen was an English actress best known for her role as Sarah Jane Smith in the British television series Doctor Who. She was a regular cast member from 1973 to 1976, alongside both Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker, and reprised the role many times in subsequent decades, both on...
) turned out to be a Protectorate agent who had set a trap for all three Preceptors. While Solomon was in her custody, she offered Solomon a deal in which, in return for her allowing the Preceptors to accomplish their mission and Egan and Saul's escape, Solomon would surrender himself to the Protectorate and undergo the then-experimental Estrangement Programme. Believing that his beliefs were not prejudices and that the program would not affect him, he agreed, never revealing the bargain to Egan and Saul.
After Solomon undergoes the procedure, he is assigned a Protectorate observer who also acts as a companion, Miss Brown (Nicola Bryant
Nicola Bryant
-External links:** at shillpages.com/dw *...
) and begins his new life as the Doctor
Doctor (Doctor Who)
The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
-like "Stranger". However, in the adventure In Memory Alone, the Stranger, while suffering from amnesia
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
and in order to defeat a malfunctioning combat suit, is forced to hook up his own brain to a computer system, and the resulting shock causes the mental conditioning to be disrupted. The Stranger arrives in England on Earth in The Terror Game still suffering from amnesia but runs into Egan and Saol (who now believe that the Stranger, now identified as "Solomon", may have turned traitor) and Tamora Hennessay (Louise Jameson
Louise Jameson
Louise Jameson is an English actress, best known for playing Leela, the leather-clad barbarian warrior companion of the fourth Doctor in Doctor Who. Jameson has also appeared on Emmerdale , The Omega Factor Louise Jameson (born 20 April 1951 in Wanstead, London) is an English actress, best known...
).
After Tamora reveals herself to be another Protectorate agent, Solomon escapes and goes into hiding under the name of "Preston Richards" while slowly recovering his lost memories and trying to learn whether or not he's still being affected by the Estrangement Programme. In the adventure Breach of the Peace, Egan and Saul, using the identities of Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for Greater London, excluding the "square mile" of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police...
detectives, track Solomon down and force him to take them back into the Web, but Metaphysic, a heavily guarded research project where an experiment in psychokinesis
Psychokinesis
The term psychokinesis , also referred to as telekinesis with respect to strictly describing movement of matter, sometimes abbreviated PK and TK respectively, is a term...
is being conducted by a Dr Hunter (Geoffrey Beevers
Geoffrey Beevers
Geoffrey Beevers is a British actor who has appeared in many different television roles.Beevers has worked extensively at the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond upon Thames, both as an actor ; and as an adaptor/director of George Eliot's novel Adam Bede , for which he won a Time Out Award, and Balzac's...
) on a talented girl named Meta (Bernadette Gepheart), causes a tear in the Web that drags Solomon, Egan and Saul back to England (Eye of the Beholder) and forces them to intervene when Hunter's experiment goes out of control.
Video series
| Title | Writer | Starring Doctor Who actors: |
|---|---|---|
| Summoned by Shadows | Christian Darkin | Colin Baker Colin Baker Colin Baker is a British actor who is known for playing Paul Merroney in The Brothers from 1974 to 1976 and as the sixth incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who, from 1984 to 1986.- Background:Colin Baker was born in London, but moved north to... , Nicola Bryant Nicola Bryant -External links:** at shillpages.com/dw *... and Michael Wisher Michael Wisher Michael Wisher was a British actor.He is probably best remembered for having played Davros, the wheelchair-using scientific mastermind and creator of the Daleks, in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who... |
| More than a Messiah | Nigel Fairs Nigel Fairs Nigel Fairs is a British actor, writer and producer.He trained at Bretton Hall College and has appeared in a number of theatre productions, most notably as Christopher Wren in the long-running London stage production of The Mousetrap. On television, he has appeared in EastEnders and as a Dalek on... |
Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant and Sophie Aldred Sophie Aldred Sophie Aldred is an English actress and television presenter, best known for her portrayal of The Doctor's companion Ace in the television series Doctor Who during the late 1980s.-Early life:... |
| In Memory Alone | Nicholas Briggs Nicholas Briggs Nicholas Briggs is a British actor and writer, predominantly associated with the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and its various spin-offs, particularly as the voice of the Daleks. Briggs sometimes uses the pseudonym Arthur Wallis... |
Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant and Nicholas Briggs |
| The Terror Game | Nicholas Briggs | Colin Baker, Louise Jameson Louise Jameson Louise Jameson is an English actress, best known for playing Leela, the leather-clad barbarian warrior companion of the fourth Doctor in Doctor Who. Jameson has also appeared on Emmerdale , The Omega Factor Louise Jameson (born 20 April 1951 in Wanstead, London) is an English actress, best known... , David Troughton David Troughton David Troughton is an English actor, best known for his Shakespearean roles on the British stage.- Biography :David Troughton was born in Hampstead, North London. He comes from a theatrical family: he is the son of Doctor Who actor Patrick Troughton, elder brother of Michael Troughton, and father... and Nicholas Briggs |
| Breach of the Peace | Nicholas Briggs | Colin Baker, Caroline John Caroline John Caroline John is an English actress best known for her role as Liz Shaw in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, as well as several other television roles.... , David Troughton and Nicholas Briggs |
| Eye of the Beholder | Nicholas Briggs | Colin Baker, David Troughton, Geoffrey Beevers Geoffrey Beevers Geoffrey Beevers is a British actor who has appeared in many different television roles.Beevers has worked extensively at the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond upon Thames, both as an actor ; and as an adaptor/director of George Eliot's novel Adam Bede , for which he won a Time Out Award, and Balzac's... and Nicholas Briggs |
Another BBV production, The Airzone Solution
The Airzone Solution
The Airzone Solution is a 1993 British science-fiction film, produced and released direct-to-video by BBV...
, is sometimes erroneously listed as part of the Stranger series. In fact, it is a standalone "ecological thriller" film that, other than its cast, has no connection to either the Stranger or Doctor Who. Nicholas Briggs, meanwhile, went on to write and star in numerous Big Finish
Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays based, primarily, on cult British science fiction properties...
Doctor Who audio spin-offs and to voice the Daleks and other monsters in the TV series itself.
Audio series
| Title | Writer | Starring Doctor Who actors: | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Last Mission | Nicholas Briggs Nicholas Briggs Nicholas Briggs is a British actor and writer, predominantly associated with the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and its various spin-offs, particularly as the voice of the Daleks. Briggs sometimes uses the pseudonym Arthur Wallis... |
Colin Baker Colin Baker Colin Baker is a British actor who is known for playing Paul Merroney in The Brothers from 1974 to 1976 and as the sixth incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who, from 1984 to 1986.- Background:Colin Baker was born in London, but moved north to... , Elisabeth Sladen Elisabeth Sladen Elisabeth Clara Heath-Sladen was an English actress best known for her role as Sarah Jane Smith in the British television series Doctor Who. She was a regular cast member from 1973 to 1976, alongside both Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker, and reprised the role many times in subsequent decades, both on... and David Troughton David Troughton David Troughton is an English actor, best known for his Shakespearean roles on the British stage.- Biography :David Troughton was born in Hampstead, North London. He comes from a theatrical family: he is the son of Doctor Who actor Patrick Troughton, elder brother of Michael Troughton, and father... |
|
| Eye of the Storm | Nicholas Briggs | Colin Baker and David Troughton | |
| Coming of Shadows | Stuart Robinson and James Potter | Bonus audio drama on the DVD release of Summoned by Shadows | |
| Force of Nature | Stuart Robinson and James Potter | Bonus audio drama on the DVD release of More than a Messiah |