Written in My Dream Diary - "The Curse of Fenric"

Guest: Shagg Matthews from the Fire & Water Podcast Network joins John and Jim to discuss the penultimate story of Classic Doctor Who.

The Darkest Hour(s) Before the Dawn

The hosts are unified in their assessment: this is the darkest, most adult, most dramatically mature story of the entire series. It's not dark in tone alone—it's dark in theme, dark in implications, dark in what it reveals about the Doctor's character. One joke exists in the entire episode; everything else operates in shades of genuine dread. The production team clearly knew they were operating on borrowed time and decided to swing for the fences: a World War II setting, a genuine first-evil antagonist, psychological manipulation, body horror, and questions about faith itself.

A Writer and a Producer in a Battle Over Hemovores

Ian Briggs returned to Doctor Who after nearly a full season away—Andrew Cartmel had to convince JNT to give him another chance. Once given that chance, JNT immediately began second-guessing and meddling. The hemovores were originally supposed to look different, more monstrous. JNT thought they looked "rather rude"—apparently resembling a sexual organ—and demanded they be toned down. The final design: vampiric-looking humanoids that started as two schoolgirls. It's a compromise that somehow works brilliantly despite the behind-the-scenes friction.

A Location Shoot That Feels Real

Rather than attempt the Blitz with pyrotechnics and sets, Nicholas Mallet (returning from Paradise Towers) persuaded JNT to film entirely on location. They shot in Dorset and Northumberland, capturing genuine seaside cliffs and windswept locations. The weather cooperated and didn't cooperate simultaneously—freak conditions meant one day brought snow, the next sunshine, then rain. Rather than reshoot, they worked it into the story. McCoy kept his own heavy coat between takes; the production said it looked good, so he wore it throughout. Sophie Aldred handpicked her costume and refused to cover it with an overcoat, keeping her arms visible at all times.

A Story That Was Never Meant to Be an Ending (But Knows It Is)

Only John Nathan Turner knew the show was ending. Everyone else—including Sylvester McCoy, who'd signed a contract for Season 27—was operating under the assumption the show would continue. McCoy was all set to return; Sophie Aldred hadn't even been offered one yet. The BBC officially called it a "hiatus" while quietly beginning a competitive tender process to find a new production company. But among all the cast and crew, only JNT was preparing this as a potential final chapter. The others were simply making the next story.

The Story:

A mysterious entity called Fenric—described as one of the first evils of the universe—has been imprisoned for 17 centuries. In 1943, a small English coastal town becomes the battleground. Russian soldiers are hunting for a scientist named Judson, who's secretly developing a computer to decode German ciphers. The Doctor arrives to find ancient Viking ruins, encoded runes that must never be translated, and mysterious creatures rising from the water. When the runes are translated, Fenric's influence begins to spread. The true revelation: Fenric has been manipulating events for centuries, including the entire relationship between the Doctor and Ace.

Production Details:

• Production Code: 7M

• Aired: October 15 – November 14, 1989

• Writer: Ian Briggs | Director: Nicholas Mallet

• Guest Stars: Nicholas Parsons (Reverend Wainwright), Dinsdale Landen (Commander Millington)

• Filming Location: Lulworth Cove in Dorset; North Umberland or possibly Whitby (accounts vary)

• Notable Details:

  • First Doctor Who story set in WWII (War Games covered WWI)

  • All-location filming —rain, snow, and sunlight all captured genuinely

  • Sophie Aldred dove into water three times to get the shot; divers had to follow her on the final take

  • McCoy wore his personal coat between takes; production kept it in final cut

  • Ratings: 4.3M, 4M, 4M, 4.2M (held above 4 million throughout)

• Music: Mark Ayers

• Novelization: Ian Briggs (same author), includes epilogue set in 1887 Paris

Key Discussion Points:

• Why this story works as mature television drama

• The manipulation thread: Fenric manipulating the Doctor and Ace; the Doctor manipulating Ace for a greater good

• The distraction scene and whether it lands (or whether it makes viewers uncomfortable)

• Ace's fear of water: genuinely from the story, or character development invented for the finale?

• The Doctor's faith expressed through his companions' names (from novelization)

• Why the Ancient One/Great Serpent feels unnecessary when Madison and Fenric were compelling enough

• The Doctor being "on patrol"—Batman and Robin dynamics with Ace

• Ace's first genuine character arc across multiple seasons

• The seduction vs. the seduction scene: why one works and the other doesn't

• How this story informs RTD's approach to companion arcs in New Who

• Season 27 plans: Ace was meant to train for the Time Lord Academy

• The rain and weather: natural hazard or perfect cinematography?

Coming Up Next:

Monday (Patreon Exclusive 179): Music, Memory TARDIS, and "The Mark of Mandragora" comics.

Friday (Patreon Early) / Wednesday (Main Feed): "Survival" (three-parter)—the actual final story of Classic Doctor Who. John handles narration; guest writer Paul Ebbs from England joins the discussion.

Special Notes:

• This is the second-to-last classic Who story

• John mentions this is only the second time he's "mainlined" multiple episodes in a row (the first time being War Games)

• The hosts plan to do a retrospective episode after Survival covering favorite doctors, companions, and villains across all 26 years

• Shag gives credit to the novelization for revealing that the Doctor whispers the names of the First Doctor's companions (Ian, Barbara, Susan, Vicki, Stephen) as his source of faith against the hemovores

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