This page has been archived and is no longer updated. Find out more about page archiving.

22 October 2014

	BBC Homepage Entertainment Cult
DOCTOR WHO The Classic Series Clips Episode Guide PhotoNovels Photo Galleries Quizzes Reviews Webcasts News Who links

	Contact Us

Doctor Who | Photonovels | The Web of Fear

Episode Three contact sheet

Jamie and Evans are caught in the path of the rapidly advancing 'fungus'. Through the eerie glare, the two men discern the bulk of a Yeti carrying a control pyramid. Evans shoots the glass structure – but to their dismay, its destruction has no effect.

Elsewhere in the tunnels the Doctor is hiding with the soldier who had been stalking Victoria. On recognising the nervous girl's calls, the Doctor emerges from the shadows to greet his companion.

Lethbridge Stewart, I presume?

Victoria relates her mistaken belief that the Professor thinks the Doctor is connected with the Yetis' reappearance. After enquiring about Travers and his daughter, the soldier takes them to the Goodge Street fortress.

Anne Travers reports to Captain Knight that the whole of the Circle Line has fallen prey to the creeping fungus. The beleaguered humans are now completely surrounded. 'Not very healthy is it?' quips the Captain.

Knight is informed of the arrival of Victoria, the Doctor and a Colonel – all of whom are under guard in the common room. As he leaves to question them, Weams asks Arnold if he knows what's going on. Both are left mystified.

The Doctor explains his recent absence to a concerned Victoria by telling her that the contained explosion from the crates knocked him out. Seeing the Yeti confirmed his suspicions about the presence of the Great Intelligence...

He is less able to answer Victoria's questions about the origins of the mysterious Colonel. He explains that he was making his way back to meet her when the soldier appeared from nowhere.

Corporal Blake stands guard in the common room, gun held cautiously aloft. As Knight enters, the Colonel introduces himself as Lethbridge-Stewart. He tells the Captain that he is taking over Pemberton's position as commanding officer.

Lethbridge-Stewart responds to Knight's suspicions by producing a set of authorising papers. He tells Knight that he is the sole survivor of the party ambushed at Holborn, and seems surprised to learn that Driver Evans also escaped.

He explains about discovering the Doctor while wandering in the tunnels. Happy that the Professor has already vouched for the stranger, Knight agrees with Lethbridge-Stewart that he seems to know more about the Doctor than his new commanding officer.

The arrival of Professor Travers triggers a warm reunion with the Doctor. The Professor can scarcely be bothered to answer his new commanding officer's questions before he bundles the Doctor and Victoria off to his laboratory.

'It would seem,' notes Lethbridge-Stewart, 'that the Professor's in charge here, Captain.' Knight is unrepentant: 'He does have a job to do, sir. I think it's best to let him get on with it. Don't you?'

The Professor hotly denies he thought the Doctor was implicated with the Intelligence. Anne confirms that Victoria simply overheard idle chatter – although they agree the Doctor was brought to Earth. But for what reason?

Wandering along the Central Line, Jamie and Evans reach St. Paul's after narrowly escaping the Yeti and their fungus. Despite Jamie's protestations that they haven't got time to stop, Evans extricates a bar of chocolate from a platform machine.

As Sergeant Arnold attempts to illustrate the extent of their predicament, Chorley desperately suggests viable escape routes on different underground lines – essentially by travelling under the fungus.

Arnold reminds him that two people have already died trying that. To their cost they've discovered the influence of the fungus spreads through the earth.

Chorley becomes increasingly agitated, protesting that the world must get to hear his reports of the struggle. When Arnold mentions a route to the surface, desperate Chorley rushes off to attempt his getaway.

'He's a nutter!' scoffs Weams after Chorley's departure. 'You're telling me,' agrees Sergeant Arnold, lamenting that the cowardly journalist can't even remember his rank.

The Professor concedes that his own curiosity was responsible for the return of the Intelligence. On leaving Tibet he brought with him various relics, including broken Yeti and pieces of control spheres.

To the Doctor's dismay, Travers tells him that one of the control spheres was intact. After years of fruitless experimentation the sphere suddenly vanished. Coupled with a fully functioning Yeti this gave the Intelligence the means to return.

Captain Knight interrupts their conversation to inform them that Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart is holding a briefing. 'We're not in the army yet, Captain,' responds Anne before they herd into the common room.

Evans and Jamie are continuing their journey along the Central Line when the Welshman announces his intention to get out at the next station – Chancery Lane.

Jamie is incredulous that the soldier really intends to desert his comrades. 'All you want to do is save your own skin,' he tells him. 'It's the only one I've got!' Evans cheerfully responds.

As the soldier resolutely marches ahead he calls back to a hesitant Jamie. 'You've got to take care of number one in this world!'

Captain Knight and Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart's briefing takes the form of a slide show. The Doctor asks if the illustrated fog is poisonous. Knight replies that it just seems to swallow people up forever.

Despite interruptions from Lethbridge-Stewart, Knight continues with the story of the invasion by showing a slide of a Yeti. The Doctor notes that the monsters have changed in appearance since he and Travers first encountered them.

The Doctor's queries about the effectiveness of the fog-combating tactics are met with a negative response. Lethbridge-Stewart tells the Doctor they are desperate for answers. 'If you fail, London's finished – England itself, perhaps.'

Anne says that she and her father are attempting to jam transmissions to the Yeti. Knight points out that their major problem is one of communication – the fog absorbs radio waves and the Yeti always destroy cables.

Chorley bursts in and suggests they are airlifted from the surface by helicopter. 'And how do you imagine they would find us in that mist?' enquires the Colonel sarcastically. After a brief confrontation Chorley storms out, indignant.

Plotting his one-man evacuation, Chorley seeks Weams's advice. Looking for a tall building above mist-level, he asks Weams to point out the location of the Post Office Tower. As he does so the horrified soldier realises that the fungus is again advancing.

Jamie becomes aware of footsteps behind him and takes cover in an alcove. As the footsteps get nearer he jumps from the shadows, prepared to attack his potential assailant.

His 'assailant' turns out to be Driver Evans, who initially claims to have had a change of heart about deserting his mates. The truth eventually emerges – the station gates were locked, preventing his escape to the surface. They continue their journey.

Lethbridge-Stewart observes that Queensway, Lancaster Gate, Strand and Chancery Lane have fallen in the last half-hour. The fungus is consuming the Central and Northern Lines and the Professor hypothesises they have a few hours left at the most.

In an attempt to occupy the increasingly agitated Chorley, Lethbridge-Stewart imposes on him the duties of official 'Liaison Officer'. Corporal Blake is assigned to provide their new 'co-ordinator' with everything he requires.

Lethbridge-Stewart asks the Doctor for suggestions. He recommends winning more time by sealing the tunnels around them with time-triggered explosives. Knight sends Arnold to procure a baggage trolley on which the explosives can be mounted.

The Doctor explains his plan to trigger an explosion while the trolley is moving, thereby getting round the problem of the Yeti sabotaging the detonation cable. While Lethbridge-Stewart leaves to look around, the Doctor and Travers get to work.

Meanwhile, an unseen saboteur furtively unlocks the clamps on the door leading to the tunnels outside...

Noticing the effect the Professor's Yeti models have had on her, Anne asks Victoria if she's seen them before. She replies that in Tibet, the Intelligence used them to guide the robot Yeti.

The Doctor arrives, and immediately recognises the models. Picking one up he is relieved to hear it doesn't work.

He is nevertheless concerned to discover that one of the remaining three has gone missing.

Elsewhere, the unseen saboteur places a padlock, and the missing Yeti model, on the floor.

It soon begins emitting a rhythmic bleeping sound.

In the tunnels a Yeti suddenly springs to life. The giant emits a high-pitched rhythmic bleeping – as if in response...

Travers delivers the timing and detonation device to the Doctor, much to Victoria's dismay. The girl fears the explosion will leave Jamie stranded. 'Don't you see? He'll be trapped!'

Meanwhile the Yeti, still responding to the model's homing signal, enters the fortress's open door.

The Doctor explains to Captain Knight that, once primed, the explosives will detonate in 60 seconds. Anything attempting to obstruct the trolley's path will cause instant detonation. Arnold informs them that the main door has been found open.

Corporal Blake then reports discovering the padlock from the explosives store – with the Yeti model lying beside it. He didn't look inside the store, but left Lane on guard.

The Doctor hurriedly spearheads an investigation of the explosives store. 'Do you think there is something in there?' enquires Knight. 'There's only one way of finding out,' the Doctor grimly replies.

He tentatively swings the door open to reveal a room full of pulsating, seething fungus. As he slams the door shut realisation dawns that a valuable line of defence has been denied.

The Professor and his daughter try to reassure the tearful Victoria that Jamie will be all right. 'With Anne's technical knowledge and the Doctor and I, the Intelligence won't stand a chance.'

The Doctor tries to persuade Lethbridge-Stewart that he'd be wasting his time attempting to retrieve the explosives from Holborn. The Colonel nevertheless sends Knight and a squad of men ahead, while he and Arnold prepare to follow them.

The Doctor isn't reassured by Lethbridge-Stewart's suggestion that four men will remain. 'Someone here is in league with the Yeti – maybe even controlling them.'

'Me perhaps?' asks a sceptical Colonel. 'Or maybe even you.'

When Victoria tells him how they arrived in Covent Garden, Chorley is hopeful about the opportunity the TARDIS presents for escape. On hearing of the tunnel's imminent destruction he flees, locking Victoria and the newly arrived Doctor in the room.

Passing the escaping Chorley, Jamie and Evans hear the Doctor and Victoria hammering on the door. Jamie bursts in, liberating his grateful friends.

Hearing a scream, the Professor asks Anne to stay behind while he investigates. The Professor is horrified to discover the body of Weams.

'Good Lord!' the Professor exclaims, discovering the missing Yeti model next to the corpse.

Alerted to a sound behind him, Travers turns around. He shrinks back as the huge form of a Yeti strikes out...

NEXT WEEK: The Great Intelligence takes control...

CLASSIC CLIPS

PHOTONOVELS

About the BBC | Help | Terms of Use | Privacy & Cookies Policy