Action Figure Theatre: June 2023

INSPIRATION

Since the introduction of the 3.75" figures in 2013, it'd been my intention to do a story for the Tetraps, an existing if underused monster that could turn up and surprise an audience that might be expecting Daleks or Cybermen again.

In The Blood was written in a hurry. At the time (2015) the AFT wasn't a priority for me. I was in the early stages of launching my screenwriting career.

But with the AFT Facebook account approaching 500 likes, a new story seemed the best way to mark that and thank all those followers as long as it t didn't take up much of my time, either to write or produce.

Also, with 'New Who's 10th anniversary approaching, I really wanted something to mark that too.

The script was finished on 19th Feb 2015.

CAST

The Twelfth Doctor

Tetraps

Avik - Leesub Sirin (Star Wars)

Marada - Pons Limbic (Star Wars)

Treep - Feltipern Trevagg (Star Wars)

Jevans - Carnor Jax (Crimson Empire)

The script originally had place marker names for the characters - Badman, Nurse, Commander - only replacing them once the script was done. The characters were meant to be human so when I chose the various cantina aliens to play them, the human names no longer fitted. Thus Bardman became Marda while Peters became Treep.

For anyone that doesn't know, the Tetraps appeared in the 1987 story Time And The Rani, the debut of the 7th Doctor. They were immortilised in plastic soon after by Dapol.

The Tetraps don't look too bad next to the 12th Doctor figure. Other Dapol figures don't fare so well but I couldn't resist doing a few test shots.

SHOOTING

The whole story was shot on 3 March 2014.

There were only three sets required. The control room and infirmary were the same set redressed with a different corrugated back wall - red for control, blue for medical.

The control room uses elements from the 2009 Star Trek bridge and transporter sets.

The infirmary also uses elements from the Star Trek bridge, a console from the Star Wars Bacta chamber and a medical bed from Battlefield: Earth.

The black corridor sets are custom made and appeared a few times on the AFT. Although built for 5" figures, they still work well for the little ones.

EDITING

Although I started editing on the same day as filming, it was a slow process - like I said, the AFT wasn't a priority at the time.

That said, editing just one story, rather than a whole series allowed me the time for attention to detail such as shifting the Doctor and Avik into a tighter frame for one panel. And photoshopping out the obvious hole in the Tetrap figure's back.

CONTINUITY

In The Blood doesn't reference any other story so could sit anywhere in the season 8, given the Doctor's outfit. He's without Clara but there are plenty of times the Doctor leaves in the TARDIS with her on Earth. I arbitrarily place it between Flatline and In The Forest Of The Night.

TRANSMISSION

This was originally posted as a single episode on 26th March 2015 and was the first (and only to date) twelfth Doctor AFT story.

It has been re-published as two episodes with a new opening image for part two. Part one went live on 3rd June 2023 with part two following on 10th June 2023.