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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Famous quotes containing the word production:
“I really know nothing more criminal, more mean, and more ridiculous than lying. It is the production either of malice, cowardice, or vanity; and generally misses of its aim in every one of these views; for lies are always detected, sooner or later.”
—Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl Chesterfield (1694–1773)
“The myth of unlimited production brings war in its train as inevitably as clouds announce a storm.”
—Albert Camus (1913–1960)
“The heart of man ever finds a constant succession of passions, so that the destroying and pulling down of one proves generally to be nothing else but the production and the setting up of another.”
—François, Duc De La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680)