History Trivia / DoctorWhoS4E7TheMacraTerror

** The Macra were supposed to be giant spiders or insects before being finally changed into crabs, hence some of the serial’s early names.

* OrphanedReference: The Macra were originally giant spiders and then insects before becoming crabs. Despite this, dialogue referring to them as insects made into the final story (the decision to make them crabs was made ''after'' the scripts were delivered).
* TheOtherDarrin: Chicki is credited to different actresses in Episode One and Episode Four. Sandra Bryant asked to be released from her contract so that she could accept another job. "Karol Keyes" (actually Luan Peters) is credited for the part for the final episode. It is worth noting that there is some evidence that the character of Chicki may have been deleted from the script entirely prior to production -- she has no lines, is not even ''mentioned'' in the script apart from being in the cast list, and does not appear in any of the telesnaps. A theory put forward by ''Doctor Who Magazine'' writer Jonathan Morris is that Bryant asked to be released from her contract because there was simply nothing for her to do, and at that point the production team decided to cut the part entirely rather than recast it.

** In the original script, the Doctor was sent to the House of (rather than “Hospital for”) Correction alongside Medok, and it was after the brainwashing attempts there failed that he was sent to the pithead.

* YouLookFamiliar: Sandra Bryant had previously played [[Recap/DoctorWhoS3E10TheWarMachines Kitty]], and John Harvey played Professor Brett in the same serial. Gertan Klauber had previously appeared in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS2E4TheRomans "The Romans"]].

* TheOtherDarrin: Chicki was played by different actresses in Episode One and Episode Four. Sandra Bryant asked to be released from her contract so that she could accept another job. Karol Keyes took over the part for the final episode. (It is worth noting that there is some evidence that the character of Chicki may have been deleted from the script entirely prior to production -- she has no lines, is not even ''mentioned'' in the script apart from being in the cast list, and does not appear in any of the telesnaps. A theory put forward by ''Doctor Who Magazine'' writer Jonathan Morris is that Bryant asked to be released from her contract because there was simply nothing for her to do, and at that point the production team decided to cut the part entirely rather than recast it.)

* MissingEpisode: All four episodes are missing. Only a few censor clips and some off-air clips exist; the original camera scripts also exist, but they frequently diverge from what was filmed (which appears to be a result of the cast reworking their dialogue in rehearsals and the director not following the scripts particularly closely), meaning that in some cases it is very difficult to tell what is meant to be going on. The serial would be animated in colour for a 2019 release.

* TheOtherDarrin: Chicki was played by different actresses in part 1 and part 4. Sandra Bryant asked to be released from her contract so that she could accept another job. Karol Keyes took over the part for the final episode. (It is worth noting that there is some evidence that the character of Chicki may have been deleted from the script entirely prior to production -- she has no lines, is not even ''mentioned'' in the script apart from being in the cast list, and does not appear in any of the telesnaps. A theory put forward by ''Doctor Who Magazine'' writer Jonathan Morris is that Bryant asked to be released from her contract because there was simply nothing for her to do, and at that point the production team decided to cut the part entirely rather than recast it.)

* PopCultureUrbanLegends: The BBC's own website states that the sole Macra prop was repainted white to represent a different Macra in episode 4. This would not have been possible, because the Macra prop was so large its position was given on the floor plan for the sets, so it would have been impractical to repaint it. With only the telesnaps to go on, it is difficult to be certain, but it seems most likely that the white Macra was a model placed close to a porthole to give the illusion of size.

** This episode and "The Highlanders" were considered for animation at the same time. "Macra" was chosen because the Highlanders' tartan and the serial's outdoor shooting locations were deemed too hard to animate.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: In the original script, the Doctor was sent to the House of (rather than “Hospital for”) Correction alongside Medok, and it was after the brainwashing attempts there failed that he was sent to the pithead.

* MissingEpisode: All four episodes are missing. Only a few censor clips and some off-air clips exist; the original camera scripts also exist, but they frequently diverge from what was filmed (which appears to be a result of the cast reworking their dialogue in rehearsals and the director not folowing the scripts particularly closely), meaning that in some cases it is very difficult to tell what is meant to be going on. The serial would be animated in colour for a 2019 release.

* MissingTrailerScene: The animated version omits a scene where the Doctor gets a makeover, due to budget and lack of desire to create a new character model for one scene.

* MissingEpisode: All four episodes are missing. Only a few censor clips and some off-air clips exist. The serial would be animated in colour for a 2019 release.

* OrphanedReference: The Macra were originally giant spiders and then insects before becoming crabs. Despite this, dialogue referring to them as insects made into the final story.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: In the original script, the Doctor was sent to the House of (rather than “Hospital for”) Correction alongside Medok, and it was after the brainwashing attempts there fail that he was sent to the pithead.

* TheOtherDarrin: Chicki was played by different actresses in part 1 and part 4. Sandra Bryant asked to be released from her contract so that she could accept another job. Karol Keyes took over the part for the final episode.

%%* OrphanedReference: The Macra were originally giant spiders and then insects before becoming crabs. Despite this, dialogue referring to them as crabs made into the final story.

* MissingEpisode: All four episodes are missing. Only a few censor clips and some off-air clips exist.
* OrphanedReference: The Macra were originally giant spiders and then insects before becoming crabs. Despite this, dialogue referring to them as crabs made into the final story.

* WorkingTitle: '' The Spidermen'', ''The Insect-Men'' and ''The Macras''.
* YouLookFamiliar: Sandra Bryant had previously played [[Recap/DoctorWhoS3E10TheWarMachines Kitty ]] and John Harvey played Professor Brett in the same serial. Gertan Klauber had previously appeared in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS2E4TheRomans The Romans]].

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The Macra were originally giant spiders and then insects before becoming crabs. Despite this, dialogue referring to them as crabs made into the final story.
** In the original script, the Doctor was sent to the House of (rather than “Hospital for”) Correction alongside Medok, and it was after the brainwashing attempts there fail that he was sent to the pithead.

* YouLookFamiliar: Sandra Bryant had previously played Kitty in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS3E10TheWarMachines The War Machines]] and John Harvey played Professor Brett in the same serial. Gertan Klauber had previously appeared in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS2E4TheRomans The Romans]].

* TheOtherDarrin: Chicki was played by different actresses in part 1 and part 4.