For the release of theDoctor Who:The Collection —Season 22blu-ray boxset, a re-edited version ofA Fix with Sontarans was included as a bonus feature, differing fromthe original in several ways; the two minutes of footage ofJimmy Savile from the original were removed as an ethical choice following the controversy surrounding him, and the fourth wall breaking ending that featured Savile was replaced with an all-new CG scene depicting a fleet ofSontaran ships. Unlike the original, which is aninvalid source for writing articles on this Wiki due to the ending, as this edition omits it, the 2022 edition ofA Fix with Sontarans is a valid source.

Plot[[edit] |[edit source]]

TheSixth Doctor is operating the controls onthe TARDIS console, accidentally transporting his former companionTegan Jovanka on board after he pressed thematter transporter by mistake. Despite her annoyance at being transported from Earth, she reluctantly agrees to help when the Doctor reveals that twoSontarans are on board. The Doctor gets Tegan to help shut off all the sources ofpower, in the knowledge that the Sontarans have a powerfulvitrox bomb with them that requires lots of power todetonate. If he cuts off the supply to thepower cable they intend to tap into, he hopes that this will lure them into theTARDIS control room; Tegan points out, however, that they don't have anything to defend themselves with once they arrive, which the Doctor hadn't considered. The Doctor tells her that he'll improvise.

The Doctor then tells her to press theblue button, but, given the vague instruction, she presses the wrong blue button. He scolds her, telling Tegan that she has reactivated the matter transporter. The matter transporter, that seems to be influenced by what the Doctor is thinking, begins to work, transporting someone, not unlike the Doctor, would come and help him and Tegan. He guides Tegan's hand to the correct button and turns down the power, isolating it to control room. The matter transporter finishes, materialising a younghuman boy. The Doctor and Tegan hide, coming out after a few seconds, though the boy makes them jump by shouting "boo!" The Doctor asks the boy who he is while hiding behind Tegan, and the boy introduces himself asGareth Jenkins. While Tegan wants to send Gareth back toEarth given the danger, the Doctor tells her it isn't possible due to the Sontarans and their bomb. Gareth offers to help them against the Sontarans, but while the Doctor doubts him, he reluctantly agrees given that the Sontarans will be arriving any minute. He tells Tegan to fetch abox, which she does, despite her indignant protesting.

The Sontarans recognise Gareth's name.

After Tegan places the box on the floor, the Doctor and Gareth begin to activate a series of controls on theTARDIS control console, and after a short while, theenergiser in the console is fully primed, meaning that a trap has been laid for the Sontarans. Just then, theopen-skinned Sontarans burst through the doors in a shower ofsmoke andsparks, and the Doctor, furious, shouts at them for destroying his "beautiful" doors, especially since they weren't evenlocked.The subordinate demands that the Doctor treatsGroup MarshalNathan withrespect, which he feigns to agree to. The Doctor, in turn, introduces himself, Tegan, and Gareth; Nathan immediately recognises theidentity of Gareth despite his young age, pleased at capturing a biggerprize than he originally anticipated. Nathan instructs his subordinate to kill Gareth, as they know that a Gareth Jenkins led theEarth Defence Force against the Sontarans intheir invasion of Earth in2001, in Gareth'sfuture. Having no way to disaude the two Sontarans from killing Gareth, even when he points out the name could be a coincidence, the Doctor tells Gareth to activate the trap that they set up,gas kills the Sontarans horribly, causinggreenblood to spew from their mouths, with steam rising from their convulsing bodies, and for their bodies to shrivel up. Tegan and the Doctor congratulate Gareth on killing the two Sontarans, and the Doctor asks how Gareth knew where all the TARDIS controls were. Gareth responds:"Well,I've seen you fly the TARDIS on telly."

Tegan worriedly tells them to look at theTARDIS scanner turns on, revealing an entire fleet of Sontaran ships outside. The Doctor exclaims, "this was just the beginning."

Cast[[edit] |[edit source]]

• The Doctor -Colin Baker
• Tegan Jovanka -Janet Fielding
• Gareth Jenkins -himself
• Group MarshalNathan -Clinton Greyn
• Sontaran^[1] -Tim Raynham

Crew[[edit] |[edit source]]

• Videotape editor -Chris Booth
• Vision mixer -Sue Collins
• Camera supervisor -Stuart Lindley
• Technical co-ordinator -Bob Warman
• Make-up designer -Monica Ludkin
• Production team -Mark Jones,Romaine Lancaster,Sara Wookey
• Researchers -Jeremy Geelan,Gill Elliott
• Lighting director -Peter Wesson
• Visual effects -Jim Francis
• Sound supervisor -Richard Chamberlain
• Special sound -Dick Mills,BBC Radiophonic Workshop
• Writer -Eric Saward
• Designer -Gwen Evans
• Production manager -Helen Fielding
• Producers -John Nathan-Turner,Roger Ordish
• Director -Marcus Mortimer

Worldbuilding[[edit] |[edit source]]

• The Doctor hurriedly activates thelateral balance plane elevation cones and disconnects therelay and thebypass drones, but accidentally activates thematter transporter instead. Before seeing Tegan arrive, he is concerned he has brought a "foulevil" onboard the TARDIS.
• The Doctor tells Tegan heregenerated. though she doesn't think it's much of animprovement.
• Tegan was about to havelunch before she was transported.
• Tegan considers herself to be "allcharm, allheart", while the Doctor thinks she's "allmouth".
• The Doctor considers the Sontarans to be the third most evil force in the galaxy, after theDaleks and theCybermen.
• The Doctor instructs Tegan to disconnect thehydraulic rams and to operate thevengol solenoid.
• Tegan asks if Sontarans areafraid of thedark when told cutting the power will shut off thelights.
• The Doctor suspects that the Sontarans might try to tap into the mainpower cable.
• The Doctor believes he has greatcourage, vastintellect, and incredibleperspicacity.
• Tegan initially thinks that Gareth is a sort of "mini-clone".
• The Doctor tells Gareth to set thecoaxial stabilisers, to chargeastral inducers, to prime themandrel condensers, and to co-ordinate thevespian transmogrifier ratchet override flange simulator. Tegan doesn't believe that such controls exists, believing he made thenames up, but the Doctor disproves her claim when Gareth uses the controls.
• Turner wields abaton and the subordinate Sontaran carries abladed weapon.
• Group MarshalNathan is from theTenth Sontaran Battle Brigade.
• The Doctor is aware that the Sontarans invaded Earth in2001.

Notes[[edit] |[edit source]]

• When Tegan arrives, the Doctor explains he hasregenerated; since Tegan witnessed this before, she is not surprised. She is also shown to be somewhat familiar with the TARDIS controls, in keeping with her earlier appearances.
• However, Tegan is unfamiliar with Sontarans, which is contradicted byAUDIO:Heroes of Sontar andPROSE:Sontar's Little Helpers, which depict Tegan prior to the events of this story encountering Sontarans.
• While no exact date is given, the story is implicitly set in the 1980s;Fixing a Hole places the events of this story on23 February1985, the same date in which the original version ofA Fix with Sontarans was broadcast.
• This 2022 re-release was also accompanied by a new audio commentary, featuring Gareth Jenkins, Colin Baker, Janet Fielding, and Toby Hadoke.

Production errors[[edit] |[edit source]]

• Because it was recorded decades after the initial filming, the Doctor's voice is noticeably more hoarse during the last line.
• Whilst Tegan questions the Doctor about the vespian transmogrifier ratchet override flange simulator, a boom shadow is seen on the TARDIS console.

Continuity[[edit] |[edit source]]

• Tegan is familiar withregeneration, having been present when theFourth Doctor regenerated at thePharos Project. (TV:Logopolis)
• Doctor Who is a television series inthe Doctor's universe. (TV:Remembrance of the Daleks,In the Forest of the Night)
• Tegan later recalls this adventure in conversation with theSixth Doctor. (PROSE:Fixing a Hole)

Home media releases[[edit] |[edit source]]

Doctor Who:The Collection —Season 22

In the wake of widespread allegations of paedophilia against Jimmy Savile,^[2] the original cut ofA Fix with Sontarans was pulled from any post-2014 DVD release ofThe Two Doctors;^[3] the 2022 edition is currently entirely exclusive to the release ofDoctor Who:The Collection —Season 22.

Footnotes[[edit] |[edit source]]