The Doctor and Greg land on a death ship. It is transporting condemned prisoners across Space to their point of execution. Also on board, the enigmatic sentient computer known as BABE.

Originally release in December 1984 as the pilot for the first season of audio plays from Audio Visuals (a non-profit-making fan organisation).

THE SPACE WAIL

Inspiration comes from the oddest sources - the basic premise of this script has its roots in a Frankie Goes to Hollywood song! When I was asked by Gary Russell, back in the summer of 1984, to provide a script for a proposed one-off Doctor Who audio play, I had going through my mind the voice of actor Patrick Allen calmly warning people what to do in the case of nuclear war - "Mine Is The Last Voice You Will Ever Hear" sounded the perfect death sentence. Although that line didn't make it into the final draft, it was one of BABE's more menacing phrases in an earlier draft.

As with all pilots, changes were made for subsequent stories to generally improve the series; but both the current AV team and myself have always resisted the temptation to re-record this story with Nick Briggs's Doctor - after all, as the Doctor always says, "You can't change history".
Warren Martyn, December 1991

PRODUCTION NOTES
Audio Facts!
One of the actors had difficulty with one particularly long speech. After eight takes, he finally got it right. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast got it wrong. Onto take nine...

The school playing field sequences were actually recorded in the open air. The venue was not the local Hampshire public school, but Chris Corney's back garden!

The sequence involving Lotin speaking over a communicator did not involve any special sound effects. It was recorded by having the lines said over Chris Corney's parents' bedroom telephone extension.

BABE's voice was effected 'live' by Marilyn Layton speaking into a vocoder which was in turn modulated through a flanger unit. A finger was permanently on the temperamental vocoder to prevent it from switching itself off at inopportune moments.
Gary Russell, December 1991

CREDITS
Cast
The DoctorStephen Payne
Gregory HolmesRichard Marson
Nadia/AllanahSally Baggs
Commander GrycDominic May
Junior Commander LotinRobert Moubert
NitonGraham Woods
SukkiMarilyn Layton
Dag SolomonChris Corney
Guard JobaGary Russell
The JudgeMichael Wisher
GuardsNick Layton & Bill French
Production
ScriptWarren Martyn
MusicBrian Marshall
Series ThemeBrian Marshall
EditorsNick Layton & Chris Corney
DirectorGary Rusell
Cover ArtAnthony Townsend
DesignBRIX
ProducerWilliam Baggs
Audio Visuals is a non-profit-making fan organisation
synchronize