Nightmare of Eden
A flawed serial about drug smuggling and alien Mandrels.
The fourth serial of *Doctor Who*’s 17th season, *Nightmare of Eden*, aired on BBC1 in four weekly parts from 24 November to 15 December 1979. The story takes place aboard the interstellar cruise ship *Empress*, where drug smugglers conceal the deadly fictional narcotic Vraxoin inside alien creatures known as Mandrels.
When the TARDIS arrives near the *Empress*, the ship is locked together with the trade vessel *Hecate* after both emerged from hyperspace at the same coordinates. The Doctor offers to separate them, and the *Empress*’s suspicious captain, Rigg, allows him to try. Also on board are zoologist Tryst and his assistant Della, who operate a CET (Continual Event Transmuter) Machine. This device stores portions of planets on electromagnetic crystals and projects them. Their last stop was the planet Eden, where one of their expedition died, though Tryst and Della are evasive about details. The crew faces attacks from clawed Mandrels, brought from Eden. The Doctor incinerates one, which disintegrates into raw Vraxoin, revealing the beasts’ bodies are the drug’s source.
With help from his companions, the Doctor parts the ships but becomes trapped on the *Hecate*. There he finds evidence that its captain, Dymond, is complicit in the drug operation, with Tryst as his accomplice on the *Empress*. They plan to use a laser to transport the Eden projection between the two vessels. The Doctor traps the Mandrels back in the projection, then allows Tryst and Dymond to move it to the *Hecate*. He activates the CET, trapping them inside a new projection for Customs Officers to arrest. With the ships separated and the criminals caught, the Doctor and his friends slip away to the TARDIS with the Eden project.
The serial was the final *Doctor Who* story written by Bob Baker, working alone rather than with his usual partner Dave Martin. Director Alan Bromly quit partway through filming after a vehement dispute with Tom Baker, leaving producer Graham Williams to complete the director’s duties uncredited. The incident led Williams to decide to leave the series; Bromly never directed another *Doctor Who* story and retired soon after.
The British tabloid *The Sun* claimed the Mandrels were terrifying monsters because no publicity shots had been taken for them—a report later found to be untrue. Most critics were more scathing, with the Doctor Who Appreciation Society ca
- serial_number
- 4th of season 17
- broadcast_dates
- 24 November to 15 December 1979
- network
- BBC1
- writer
- Bob Baker
- director
- Alan Bromly (credited), Graham Williams (uncredited, completed duties)
- setting
- Interstellar cruise ship Empress
Lore & Background
The TARDIS arrives near an unstable area on the Empress, which has emerged from hyperspace at the same coordinates as the trade ship Hecate, locking the two ships together. The Doctor offers to detach them. Aboard the Empress are zoologist Tryst and his assistant Della with their CET (Continual Event Transmuter) Machine, which stores portions of planets on electromagnetic crystals. Their most recent stop was on the planet Eden, where one of their expedition was killed. The crew are menaced by clawed monsters called Mandrels, which are connected to the drug Vraxoin. The Doctor incinerates a Mandrel, which disintegrates into raw Vraxoin, revealing the beasts' bodies are the source of the drug.
Reader's Guide
Nightmare of Eden is notable for its troubled production: director Alan Bromly quit partway through filming after a vehement dispute with Tom Baker, and producer Graham Williams completed the director's duties uncredited. The unpleasantness led Williams to decide to leave the series. Bromly never directed another Doctor Who story and retired soon after. Reception was mixed: The Sun called the Mandrels terrifying, but most critics were scathing, with the Doctor Who Appreciation Society describing them as 'cute rejects from The Muppet Show.' Writer Bob Baker expressed disappointment with the Mandrel design. Mark Braxton of Radio Times considered it 'something of a flawed diamond,' praising its conception and narrative but noting the Mandrels were 'the least frightening monster the show ever produced.' MM Gilroy-Sinclair of Starburst praised the performances of Tom Baker and Lalla Ward, calling the story 'surprisingly mature' and 'clever.' Cultbox's Malcolm Stewart described it as 'Serious-minded but facetiously performed' yet noted 'real science and genuine imagination at its heart.'
Did You Know?
- The serial was the final Doctor Who story written by Bob Baker working alone, without his usual writing partner Dave Martin.
- Director Alan Bromly quit partway through filming after a vehement dispute with Tom Baker, and producer Graham Williams completed the director's duties uncredited.
- The British tabloid The Sun wrote that the Mandrels were terrifying monsters because no publicity shots had been taken for them, which was later reported to be untrue.
- The serial was novelised by Terrance Dicks and published by Target Books in August 1980.
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