History Trivia / DoctorWhoS8E1TerrorOfTheAutons

* DeletedRole: Bill [=McGuirk=] is credited as a policeman despite his role being cut out.

* OnSetInjury: While filming the Doctor and Jo's escape from the Auton policemen in the quarry, on location, which was virtually Creator/KatyManning's first scene, the short-sighted Katy tripped and sprained her ankle. Production assistant Nicholas John took her to hospital, and joked about the producer having to replace her. Manning took this seriously and when Creator/JonPertwee found out he told off John for upsetting his new co-star.
* RecycledSet: When we see Farrell Senior and Mrs Farrell at their home in Episode Two, before the killer doll attack, part of the set furnishings for their sitting room includes a famous window (the round window) borrowed from the contemporary BBC television children's series ''Series/PlaySchool''.

* DeletedRole: Although credited on-screen as portraying "Policeman", Bill [=McGuirk=] does not actually appear; his entire contribution was edited out prior to transmission. He had previously appeared in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E4TheEnemyOfTheWorld The Enemy of the World]]".
* ExecutiveMeddling: The story originally ended with the Doctor avowing that the Master would stay on Earth "until I destroy him. Or until he destroys me." The BBC's Head of Serials Ronnie Marsh objected to this, as it made the Doctor seem too bloodthirsty, so it was changed to the Doctor saying that he's looking forward to their next encounter, which in turn makes him seem callous, considering the carnage.

* InspirationForTheWork: Creator/RobertHolmes claimed that the basics for the serial were all around him -- a detergent company was giving away flowers, he remembered warnings about plastic bags killing children and plastic chairs and ugly troll dolls were all the rage.

** Creator/MichaelWisher, the young Rex Farrel, had also done uncredited voice work on "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS6E5TheSeedsOfDeath The Seeds of Death]]", and had previously appeared in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS7E3TheAmbassadorsOfDeath The Ambassadors of Death]]". He would later become the first to portray [[Recap/DoctorWhoS12E4GenesisOfTheDaleks the Daleks' creator Davros]].
** Roy Stewart (Strong Man) previously appeared as strong-man [[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E1TheTombOfTheCybermen Toberman]].

* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** In the original script, the Master's bomb went off when the Doctor tried to open the box by remote control. Creator/TerranceDicks reworked it to make Jo more prominent.
** In the scene where the Troll Doll attacks Jo, Creator/BarryLetts had intended to film a shot of the doll running across the workbench. However Tommy Reynolds passed out due to the intense heat of being in the costume and so this idea had to be abandoned.
** Initially, the troll dolls played a much greater role in the story's climax, and explained the Master's interest in the circus, which would have been used to distribute the toys.
** Originally, it was the Brigadier who was strangled by the phone cord, as he tried to tell the police the truth about the troll dolls.
** In the original script, the daffodils (and the troll dolls) would be animated when the temperature reached a certain level — a level which would be obtained thanks to a fortuitous oncoming heat wave in Britain. Feeling that this made the story's setting illogical — it would make more sense for the Master to carry out his plan in a tropical locale — it was decided to replace this with a broadcast activation signal.
** The Master originally used an Auton disguised as himself as a decoy in the climax.

* FatalMethodActing: Averted. See below.

* DeletedRole: Although credited on-screen, Bill [=McGuirk=] (policeman) does not actually appear; his entire contribution was edited out prior to transmission. He had previously appeared in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E4TheEnemyOfTheWorld The Enemy of the World]]".
* ExecutiveMeddling: The story originally ended with the Doctor avowing that the Master would stay on Earth “until I destroy him. Or until he destroys me.” The BBC's Head of Serials Ronnie Marsh objected to this, as it made the Doctor seem too bloodthirsty. So it was changed to the Doctor saying that he's looking forward to their next encounter. Which makes him seem callous, considering the carnage.

** Michael Wisher, the young Rex Farrel, had also done uncredited voice work on "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS6E5TheSeedsOfDeath The Seeds of Death]]", and had previously appeared in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS7E3TheAmbassadorsOfDeath The Ambassadors of Death]]". He would later become the first to portray [[Recap/DoctorWhoS12E4GenesisOfTheDaleks the Daleks' creator Davros]].

* CreatorBreakdown: Creator/NicholasCourtney was suffering from depression at the time.

* InspirationForTheWork: Creator/RobertHolmes claimed that the basics for the serial were all around him - a detergent company was giving away flowers, he remembered warnings about plastic bags killing children and plastic chairs and ugly troll dolls were all the rage.

** In the scene where the Troll Doll attacks Jo, Barry Letts had intended to film a shot of the doll running across the workbench. However Tommy Reynolds passed out due to the intense heat of being in the costume and so this idea had to be abandoned.

* WrittenInInfirmity: Creator/KatyManning injured all the ligaments in her foot when jumping out of a car and running across a quarry. Barry Letts added the scene where Jo twists her ankle to explain her limp.

* RecycledSet: When we see Farrell Senior and Mrs Farrell at their home in episode two, before the killer doll attack, part of the set furnishings for their sitting room includes a famous window (the round window) borrowed from the contemporary BBC television children's series ''Series/PlaySchool''.

* ExecutiveMeddling: The story originally ended with the Doctor avowing that the Master would stay on Earth “until I destroy him. Or until he destroys me”. The BBC's Head of Serials Ronnie Marsh objected to this, as it made the Doctor seem too bloodthirsty. So it was changed to the Doctor saying that he's looking forward to their next encounter. Which makes him seem callous, considering the carnage.

* ThrowItIn: The stunt with the Auton Policeman rolling down the hill was not a stunt at all -- the car had hit the stuntman just fractionally too hard and sent him flying. Since the shot was awesome and since the stuntman wasn't seriously injured in his fall into the BBCQuarry, the director decided to leave it in. It leads to an extremely badass moment, since the Auton appears to get up immediately [[ImplacableMan without even being stunned or disoriented, let alone damaged.]]

** In the original script, the daffodils (and the troll dolls) would be animated when the temperature reached a certain level -- a level which would be obtained thanks to a fortuitous oncoming heat wave in Britain. Feeling that this made the story's setting illogical -- it would make more sense for the Master to carry out his plan in a tropical locale -- it was decided to replace this with a broadcast activation signal.

** Michael Wisher, the young Rex Farrel, had also done uncredited voice work on "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS6E5TheSeedsOfDeath The Seeds of Death]]", and had previously appeared in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS7E3TheAmbassadorsOfDeath Ambassadors of Death]]". He would later become the first to portray [[Recap/DoctorWhoS12E4GenesisOfTheDaleks the Daleks' creator Davros]].
** Roy Stewart (Strong Man) previously appeared as strong-man [[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E1TheTombOfTheCybermen Toberman]].

** Michael Wisher, the young Rex Farrel, had also done uncredited voice work on "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS6E4TheSeedsOfDeath The Seeds of Death]]", and had previously appeared in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS7E3TheAmbassadorsOfDeath Ambassadors of Death]]". He would later become the first to portray [[Recap/DoctorWhoS12E4GenesisOfTheDaleks the Daleks' creator Davros]].

** Harry Towb, who plays the unfortunate [=McDermott=], had previously appeared in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS6E6TheSeedsOfDeath The Seeds of Death]]".
** Michael Wisher, the young Rex Farrel, had also done uncredited voice work on "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS6E6TheSeedsOfDeath The Seeds of Death]]", and had previously appeared in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS7E3TheAmbassadorsOfDeath Ambassadors of Death]]". He would later become the first to portray [[Recap/DoctorWhoS12E4GenesisOfTheDaleks the Daleks' creator Davros]].

** Harry Towb, who plays the unfortunate [=McDermott=], had previously appeared in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS6E5TheSeedsOfDeath The Seeds of Death]]".

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: In the original script, the Master's bomb went off when the Doctor tried to open the box by remote control. Creator/TerranceDicks reworked it to make Jo more prominent.

* YouLookFamiliar: Harry Towb, who plays the unfortunate McDermott, had previously appeared in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS6E5TheSeedsOfDeath The Seeds of Death]].
** Michael Wisher, the young Rex Farrel, had also done uncredited voice work on [[Recap/DoctorWhoS6E6TheSeedsOfDeath The Seeds of Death]], and had previously appeared in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS7E3TheAmbassadorsOfDeath Ambassadors of Death]]. He would later become the first to portray [[Recap/DoctorWhoS12E4GenesisOfTheDaleks the Daleks' creator Davros]].
** Roy Stewart (Strong Man) previously appeared as strong-man Toberman in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E1TheTombOfTheCybermen The Tomb of the Cybermen]].

* RetroactiveRecognition: Early in the first episode, we can hear The Doctor singing "I Don't Want to Set The World On Fire" [[VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}} before it was cool]].

* ThrowItIn / LeaveTheCameraRunning: The stunt with the Auton Policeman rolling down the hill was not a stunt at all -- the car had hit the stuntman just fractionally too hard and sent him flying. Since the shot was awesome and since the stuntman wasn't seriously injured in his fall into the BBCQuarry, the director decided to leave it in. It leads to an extremely BadAss moment, since the Auton appears to get up immediately [[ImplacableMan without even being stunned or disoriented, let alone damaged.]]

* DeletedRole: Although credited on-screen, Bill McGuirk (policeman) does not actually appear; his entire contribution was edited out prior to transmission. He had previously appeared in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E4TheEnemyOfTheWorld The Enemy of the World]].

* FakeShemp: Due to the above reasons, Creator/NicholasCourtney was doubled for the quarry scene.

** Michael Wisher, the young Rex Farrel, had also done uncredited voice work on [[Recap/DoctorWhoS6E6TheSeedsOfDeath The Seeds of Death]], and had previously appeared in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS7E3TheAmbassadorsOfDeath Ambassadors of Death]].

* FakeShemp: Due to the above reasons, Creator/NicholasCourntey is doubled in the quarry scene.

** Originally, it was the Brigadier who was strangled by the phone cord.

* The Master originally used an Auton disguised as himself as a decoy in the climax.

* ThrowItIn / LeaveTheCameraRunning: The stunt with the Auton Policeman rolling down the hill was not a stunt at all -- the car had hit the stuntman just fractionally too hard and sent him flying. Since the shot was awesome and since the stuntman wasn't seriously injured in his fall into the BBCQuarry, the director decided to leave it in. It leads to an extremely BadAss moment, since the Auton appears to get up immediately [[ImplacableMan without even being stunned or disoriented, let alone damaged.]]

* ThrowItIn / LeaveTheCameraRunning: The stunt with the Auton Policeman rolling down the hill was not a stunt at all -- the car had hit the stuntman just fractionally too hard and sent him flying. Since the shot was awesome and since the stuntman wasn't seriously injured in his fall into the BBCQuarry, the director decided to leave it in.