Guest Artists/Additional Cast
Joan Collins as Kara
Aubrey Morris as the High Priest
Dennis Burgess as Neman
Robert Russell as Hadin
Gerald Stadden as Male Mute
Jackie Horton as Female Mute
Paul Antrim as Lowry
Writer
Johnny Byrne
Director
Ray Austin
Background
Johnny Byrne's scrip began life as 'Mission of The Darya'
with a stroyline about a ship of Nazi-type aliens and their sperm bank with which they were going to turn out an endless supply
of genetically engineered warriors.
After a major overhaul, the shooting script was completed
on Tuesday January 7th 1975.
Filming on 'Mission of the Darians' began on Wednesday
January 8th, 1975.
The enormous Darian ship was conceived in a meeting between Byrne, Gerry
Anderson, Brian Johnson and director Ray Austin.
Martin Bower made a fifteen foot model in sections at Bray studios.
When the Eagle docks with the giant ship, some of the detailed backdrop had already been seen as the
interior of the Atherian shuttle in Collision Course. A cap from Nuclear Disposal Area Two, from Brwakaway, was incorporated
into the design and then redetailed.
The interior layout of the Darian spaceship was achieved with three matte paintings.
When the security operative Lowry is judged to be a mutant because he has
part of a finger missing, a hand double was brought in for a solitary shot when the High Priest is elated to discover someone
he can sacrifice to the gods.
The clear door of the sacrificial cabinet had previously
been the epsilon ray booth in 'Death's Other Dominion'.
During filming of the episode Nick Tate was thrown by a stunt man and landed
heavily on his shoulder with a loud crack. This cured the back problem the Australian had been suffering for a while.
The large alien probe from 'The Last Sunset' is used as a fire in the middle
of a primitive ritual.
Joan Collins wore the long white wig that both Christopher Lee and Peter
Cushing had worn. The wig had also been worn by Margaret Leighton and Leo McKern.
Information from 'Production Notes: Series One' booklet by Michael
Richardson
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