The Keys of Marinus is the fifth serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on BBC TV/BBC1 in six weekly parts from 11 April to 16 May 1964.
The First Doctor (William Hartnell), his granddaughter Susan Foreman (Carole Ann Ford), and her teachers Ian Chesterton (William Russell) and Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill) arrive on a small island on the planet Marinus where they meet Arbitan (George Coulouris), Keeper of the Conscience of Marinus—a vast computer developed as a justice machine which kept law and order across the entire planet.
Arbitan explains that the society of Marinus is in danger, as the Voord, humanoid creatures protected by amphibian-like black rubber wet suits, are seeking to enter the tower to take control of the Conscience. To prevent this, the Conscience requires five keys, and Arbitan coerces the Doctor and his friends to gather them by placing a force field around the TARDIS.
As they teleport to the City of Morphoton, Arbitan is stabbed to death by a Voord that has gained access to the tower.
In Morphoton, the crew are impressed by the luxuries of the city; however, Barbara soon realises that they have been hypnotised, and that Morphoton is actually a place of dirt and squalor. The creatures who govern Morphoton order Barbara’s death, but Barbara escapes and hides in the city, where she makes contact with the slave girl Sabetha (Katharine Schofield), who has been blamed for Barbara’s awakening and sentenced to death.
Barbara notices one of the keys around her neck. They escape and destroy the creatures, freeing the subjects of the city. Another slave, Altos (Robin Phillips), remembers that he was also sent by Arbitan, and he and Sabetha join the Doctor and his crew on their quest.
While the Doctor continues to the City of Mellennius, the others search in a dangerous screaming jungle. After triggering a trap, Barbara is lost in an ancient temple in the jungle; while Ian remains at the temple to search for the key, Sabetha and Susan continue to the next location.
Ian finds Barbara in the temple, where they discover an aged scientist, Darrius (Edmund Warwick), who reveals the location of the next key before dying; Ian and Barbara retrieve the key and teleport to an icy wasteland. They meet the duplicitous trapper Vasor (Francis de Wolff), who steals their keys.
Ian and Altos confront Vasor and force him to take them to the ice caves, where they find Sabetha and Susan with mechanised Ice Soldiers, and discover the next key frozen in a block of ice. As they flee, Vasor takes Susan hostage, but an Ice Soldier kills him and the group escapes.
At the next location, Ian is accused of the murder of Eprin (Dougie Dean), a friend of Altos. At Ian’s trial, the Doctor returns and postpones the trial while he gathers evidence. Susan is kidnapped as a hostage to persuade the Doctor to stop investigating.
The kidnapper has persuaded the judges to find Ian guilty; however, Susan is found bound and gagged, and the plot is uncovered. The Doctor finds the final key, hidden in the murder weapon, and Ian is freed.
The travellers return to Arbitan’s island, where Altos and Sabetha have been held prisoner by Yartek (Stephen Dartnell)—Arbitan’s killer—and the four keys have been seized. The Doctor frees Altos and Sabetha and unmasks the Voord. Ian gives Yartek a false key found in the screaming jungle; when Yartek places the key in the Conscience, the machine explodes and he is killed along with the occupying Voord.
The Doctor, Susan, Ian, and Barbara flee the tower with Altos and Sabetha before the growing blaze overtakes the ancient structure.
- Episode 01: The Sea of Death
- Episode 02: The Velvet Web
- Episode 03: The Screaming Jungle
- Episode 04: The Snows of Terror
- Episode 05: Sentence of Death
- Episode 06: The Keys of Marinus
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To view the list of other Doctor Who serials, please click this link
Doctor Who Episode Guides for Sale on Amazon
Step aboard the TARDIS and journey across the universe with every incarnation of The Doctor in this series of unofficial Doctor Who episode companions.
This collection of twelve books explores every televised adventure of the Time Lord’s lives.
Each volume in the series delves into a different Doctor’s era, offering detailed episode guides, behind-the-scenes insights, character profiles, and story synopses.
Once you have clicked the link, choose which book you want, and then whether you want to buy the Kindle (eBook) or Paperback versions.
Previews are available before you buy.
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