Production
| Episode | Broadcast date | Run time | Viewers |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Part One" | 14 December 1988 (1988-12-14) | 24:23 | 5.0 |
| "Part Two" | 21 December 1988 (1988-12-21) | 24:20 | 5.3 |
| "Part Three" | 28 December 1988 (1988-12-28) | 24:30 | 4.9 |
| "Part Four" | 4 January 1989 (1989-01-04) | 24:24 | 6.6 |
The character of Whizz Kid was created as a parody of obsessive fans. Sylvester McCoy was coached in the magic tricks he performs in episode 4 by Geoffrey Durham, formerly known as the Great Soprendo. This is the first story to feature music composed by Mark Ayres.
Owing to the discovery of asbestos at the BBC, which led to the temporary closure of various television studios, this story nearly met the same fate as that of the uncompleted Shada - that of being cancelled after the location work had been completed. However, a tent was erected in the car park of BBC Elstree Centre, enabling the crew to complete all sequences previously scheduled for the studio inside the tent.
The last episode of the story received the highest viewing figure of Sylvester McCoy's time in Doctor Who - 6.6 million against Coronation Street.
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—Karl Marx (1818–1883)
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“In the production of the necessaries of life Nature is ready enough to assist man.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)