The Discontinuity Guide
The Companion Chronicles

The Blue Tooth

January 2007
4 Episodes

(This story, told by Liz, features the Third Doctor, Liz Shaw, and UNIT between Inferno and Terror of the Autons.)

Writer: Nigel Fairs

Director: Mark J Thompson

Roots: Marvel's X-Men villains The Phalanx (infectious living metal).

Continuity: The Cybership seen here was a scout ship sent to reconnoitre Earth, in advance of the main invasion (The Invasion), but crashed: the pilot died on impact. Dentist Gareth Arnold found the crashed ship and started experimenting with the technology, accidentally becoming Cyber-converted in the process, and in turn converting others, with a new, infectious living metal capable of converting humans on contact that he developed. The new Cybermen, including Arnold, are smoother than the original pilot, without chest units or "handles". The Cybermats (which the Arnold Cyberman refers to as "Cyber-insects") seen here start off small enough to "hatch" from teeth and can burrow into flesh. They produce the living metal from their mandibles that infects and Cyber-converts other material. The Doctor creates an antidote containing phosphorus tribromide to the infectious living metal, although when it is applied to Sergeant Broadwick's cybernetic leg, the leg turns black and crumbles to dust. After the Doctor deals with the Arnold Cyberman, the remaining Cyberman return to their caskets. UNIT uses spray guns filled with the Doctor's destructive, original antidote, to destroy them and the Cyber-ship.

Jean Basmore is an old friend of Liz's from Cambridge: Liz hated her at first sight, but they gradually became friends. Jean opened Liz's eyes to life outside university and bought Liz her first mini-skirt. Jean lives in Oakington, outside Cambridge, in Elmview Cottage. She is converted into a Cyberman here.

Liz stayed with Jean for two years whilst they were studying for their second degrees. She lived with her mother whilst studying for her undergraduate degree. She has drunk port with the Doctor. She has never been keen on dentists. She was in her mid-twenties when she worked for UNIT. She drinks tea. She has a filling containing a tiny cybermat here, which hatches out on board the space ship. The Doctor gives her an improved version of his antidote to the living metal, although she loses the infected tooth in the process.

Due to the amount of power used by the Doctor in his experiments on the TARDIS, the local electricity board has threatened to cut off UNIT HQ's supply. The Doctor has a new cloak with purple lining, a new jacket, and a new, red velvet waistcoat.

Yates is already a Captain here (setting this story between The Scales of Injustice and The Devil Goblins from Neptune).

Links: Liz quotes lines from Spearhead from Space.

Location: Cambridge and London, [Spring 1970].

The Bottom Line: "I'm starting to wonder if you're a real Cyberman at all." An interesting twist on the Cybermen, with a rather tragic feel, as Liz loses her best friend. Gareth Arnold makes for an oddly sympathetic but still terrifying Cyberman. Caroline John makes for a strong storyteller, although her Brigadier leaves much to be desired.

Discontinuity Guide by Paul Clarke

You visited the Whoniverse at 3:17 am BST on Friday 30th July 2010