Guest Artists/Additional Cast
Catherine Schell as the Pirian Girl
Michael Culver as Pete Irving
John Lee-Barber as Ed Davis
Writer
Christopher Penfold
Director
Charles Crichton
Background
'Guardian of Piri' began shooting on Friday, May 10th 1974.
Guest star Catherine Schell would assume the role of the alien metamorph Maya in the second series.
Italian TV company RAI had still not committed themselves to invest in the series and while 'Guardian
of Piri' was in production a lavish reception was held at Pinewood for a delegation of Italian dignitaries, who were
shown round stages L and M. They were amazed at what they saw and agreed to invest straight away. However, there
was a condition. The production had to use Italian guest stars from now on and so Slyvia Anderson went to Rome to begin
casting.
The Piri set was another fine example of Keith Wilson's design capabilities, together with Charles
Crichton's emphasis on bright colours. The impressive combination of structures, lighting and electronic sound giving a
totally alien environment, was inspired by a TV play Chris Penfold had written called 'Spawn', about someone who filled their
garden with sculpture resembling giant frogspawn.
A second forty-four inch Eagle model had arrived from Space Models in time
to feature in a docking manoeuvre with the first.
Actor Gareth Hunt was to have featured more prominently in this episode
as Irving, but after a disagreement with Crichton left before the episode's completion, causing Michael Culver to be brought
in as a replacement.
The incidental music heard in this episode was a track called Undersea composed by Chuck Cassey from
the Chappell Recorded Music Libary.
Information from 'Production Notes: Series One' booklet by Michael
Richardson
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