Doctor Who: Inferno

1970 2h 46m EN

🤯

8.6

MASTERPIECE

★8.6TMDB · 5

Science FictionTV Movie

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

UNIT is providing security cover at an experimental drilling project at Eastchester, designed to penetrate the Earth's crust and release a previously untapped source of energy. Soon, however, the drill head starts to leak an oily green liquid that transforms those who touch it into vicious primeval creatures with a craving for heat. The Doctor is accidentally transported "sideways in time" by the partially repaired TARDIS control console into a parallel universe where the drilling project is at a more advanced stage. Thwarted by his friends' ruthless alter egos, he works to save both universes.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Jon Pertwee
The Doctor
Caroline John
Liz Shaw / Section Leader Elizabeth Shaw
Nicholas Courtney
Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart / Brigade Leader Lethbridge-Stewart
John Levene
Sergeant Benton / Platoon Under Leader Benton
Olaf Pooley
Professor Stahlman / Director Stahlman
Christopher Benjamin
Sir Keith Gold
Sheila Dunn
Petra Williams / Dr Petra Williams
Derek Newark
Greg Sutton

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Douglas Camfield
Writers: Don Houghton
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 6

RUNTIME

Did you know

Clocks in at 166 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 6

ERA

Did you know

56 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Martyn Day shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 6

CAST

Did you know

Jon Pertwee and Caroline John and Nicholas Courtney carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 6

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0562854 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 6

WILD

Did you know

Only 5 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Douglas Camfield directs. Martyn Day cuts. A long sit — settle in. Produced in United Kingdom.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Clocks in at 166 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.
256 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Editor Martyn Day shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
4Jon Pertwee and Caroline John and Nicholas Courtney carry the top of the cast.
5IMDB entry: tt0562854 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
6Only 5 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Editing: Martyn Day
Production design: Jeremy Davies
Makeup / hair: Marion Richards
Runtime: 166 min · 2h 46m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: Doctor Who: Inferno (1970)

Also by

Douglas Camfield

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-08-26
★ 7/10
I found this to be very similar to the previous "Ambassadors of Death" series with the "Doctor" (Jon Pertwee) and his assistant "Liz" (Caroline John) recruited by the "Brigadier" (Nicholas Courtney) to help solve some mysterious goings-on at another top secret government establishment. This time, it's "Prof. Stahlman" (Olaf Pooley) who is leading a team determined to drill into the Earth's core and release an unlimited source of cheap energy. Of course, this isn't anywhere near as straightforward as it sounds and the deeper they go, the more unusual the side effects on the scientific team who are working on the project. Things become even more complicated when a power surge opens a time tear and the doctor ends up in a parallel universe where a much more militaristic government is in charge of the self same proceedings. This new regime think the "Doctor" is up to no good, so he has to convince them otherwise then manage, somehow, to make it back to his own timeline and save the day. This story is a better constructed one, with the characterisations of the increasingly maniacal "Stahlman" and the comically-scarred alternative "Brigadier" working quite well as the story allows Pertwee to clearly have some fun leading us on a scientific joyride. The special effects are borderline pantomime, but that doesn't really matter as this eight-part drama builds nicely to a tense conclusion. I've heard of death by firing squad, but never by fire extinguisher....

Production companies