From: rad@cix.compulink.co.uk (Cray Communications)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.drwho
Subject: Summary: The Abominable Snowmen pt 1
Date: 8 Jan 1993 06:18:28 -0600
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
Reply-To: rad@cix.compulink.co.uk
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu


Introduction
------------
Patrick Troughton's first two seasons, from Power of the Daleks to 
Wheel in Space, are widely regarded as forming one of the Golden Eras 
of Dr Who. This was an era which produced a number of highly acclaimed 
classics: "Evil", "Tomb", "Web", maybe even "Power" and "Fury" too. 
"Snowmen", which was never given the accolade of "classic", remains 
one of the lesser known stories of season 5, yet it has all the 
hallmarks of its brothers. It is, in my opinion, an undiscovered gem.

It was shown only once in this country in its entirety, from 30/9/67 
to 4/11/67, just over 25 years ago. By 1977 all 6 episodes had been 
wiped / lost from the BBC archives. A few years later episode 2 was 
bought from a collector and returned to the BBC. Since then there has 
been only one rumoured sighting (episode 4 in a London night-club !) 
but no more recoveries. The one surviving episode was shown on BSB 2 
years ago and has been released by the BBC in the Troughton Years 
compilation. To my knowledge the only additional material to exist is 
the soundtrack for all 6 episodes, one still from episode 4 showing a 
Yeti outside the TARDIS with the Dr and Jamie walking away from it 
down the mountain, numerous off screen stills plus a rather charming 5 
min sequence shot on 8mm film of the cast and crew at work.

The summaries for this lost story are not scene by scene descriptions. 
Rather I tell the events of each episode in my own words with numerous 
quotations in order, I hope, to get across not just the run of events 
but also something of the atmosphere which was created. My 
descriptions on all but episode 2 are based on the soundtrack plus the 
excellent novelisation by Terrance Dicks. I have tried my best to 
figure out the events I describe but I can only guarantee accuracy 
with the quotations. I hope that by the time you've finished these 
summaries you will be infected with a little of my enthusiasm for this 
story. Now sit back, read and enjoy: "The Abominable Snowmen".

Richard Develyn (1/93)

The Abominable Snowmen was written by Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln 
and directed by Gerald 
Blake.

WARNING: Spoilers for episode 1 20 lines ahead




















Episode 1
---------

Camped out on a snowy windy mountainside, Edward Travers is woken by 
the sound of his colleague being attacked by a ferocious animal. 
Taking his rifle he rushes off to help, but what he confronts is a 
large hairy beast which snaps his rifle in two and knocks him to the 
ground ...

Higher up the same mountain the TARDIS arrives. The Dr is delighted 
that they have landed in Tibet at the Himalayas (Jamie: "the Hima-what 
? ... I don't fancy another tangle down the Cybermen's tomb !"). The 
Dr pulls out an old trunk and starts hunting for the Ghanta, a Tibetan 
holy bell, and urges Jamie and Victoria to help. Referring to Detsen 
monastery he says the bell will "guarantee us the welcome of a 
lifetime", but first the Dr finds a big furry coat which he dons and 
sets out to explore. Jamie and Victoria are left to do the searching - 
Victoria urges Jamie to find himself something warm but Jamie reckons 
he doesn't feel the cold and instead fishes out a sword. They are 
temporarily startled by a hairy beasty on the scanner which turns 
out to be the Dr in his new coat.

Wandering up the mountain the Dr comes across an enormous footprint, 
then out of the corner of his eye something moves. Troubled, he 
returns to the TARDIS, while from behind a boulder further up a large 
hand and shaggy form emerge. He arrives back at the TARDIS where 
Victoria has at last found the bell. Taking it, the Dr decides he is 
to visit Detsen alone, assuring his companions that there is nothing 
wrong though they clearly perceive otherwise (he's so thoughtful he 
nearly goes off without the bell).

Picking his way down the mountain the Dr finds Travers' campsite and 
sees a dead body with its neck broken and the broken rifle. Puzzling 
as to what creature could have such strength, the Dr picks up Travers' 
discarded rucksack and continues towards Detsen. When he arrives he 
finds, unusually, that the monastery's gates are closed. He shouts, 
knocks, but there is no answer.

The Dr eventually pushes the monastery gates open and enters. Inside 
is a large deserted courtyard. He calls out again, "Hello ... Where is 
everybody ?", and this time hears the gates closing behind him. "Ah, 
there you are", he begins, but then a number of monks surround him 
with their weapons raised. Travers, seeing his rucksack carried by the 
Dr, accuses him of murdering his colleague. He points out to Khrisong, 
leader of the warrior monks, that he confused the Dr for a wild animal 
because of the Dr's furry coat. Khrisong: "This man accuses you of one 
crime, but there have been many others. If you are responsible, be 
sure you will be punished". The Dr is led away despite his protests 
and locked in a cell.

Back in the TARDIS, Victoria is getting bored, so she persuades a 
reluctant Jamie that they should go out to explore. Outside, they see 
large footprints of a creature which apparently wandered around the 
TARDIS. Victoria persuades Jamie to follow them and they eventually 
reach a cave next to a large boulder, evidently the creature's lair. 
Jamie cautions against entering but then spots a wooden beam just 
inside: "A wild animal is one thing - I'm no afraid of a man!". With 
Victoria now protesting, they enter the cave. Behind them a large 
creature lumbers up and seals the cave by pushing the boulder back 
across its entrance.

The Dr in his cell reflects on "the welcome of a lifetime" that he 
ended up receiving. He moves his bed under the window to seek escape, 
but there is none. Travers' face appears at a grill on the door of the 
cell to taunt him: "Its a 100 foot drop outside that window ... 
There's no way out you know ... How did you track me down ?". Travers 
is convinced that the Dr is a member of the press come to steal his 
glory after all his years of searching for the Yeti. The Dr counters 
by saying that it was probably a Yeti that killed Travers' companion 
but Travers will hear nothing of this: "They're shy. They're afraid of 
men". Travers departs to continue his explorations leaving the Dr to 
his fate.

Meanwhile Khrisong, and his sub-ordinate Thomni, confront two aged 
lamas in the monastery's courtyard. These two, Sapan and Rinchen, are 
less convinced about the Dr's guilt. "Had we not agreed that the Yeti 
were responsible", says Rinchen. "True", replies Khrisong, "but had we 
not also wondered why. Those are rarely seen. Timid. Then. Suddenly. 
They become savage ... Did we not wander what or whom had brought this 
change. And now, here is this stranger and Travers accuses him. He may 
be a cause." He wishes to test the Dr in some trial of his devising 
but Sapan and Rinchen oppose this: "You are asking us to condemn a man 
to certain death". Khrisong insists that it is his duty to protect the 
monastery even if it means putting a man's life at risk but the two 
old lamas disagree and decide that the Abbot Songtsen must be 
consulted on such a decision. This they will do after prayers - the 
prayer gong having just sounded. The chief warrior monk is left angry 
and impatient: "This is foolishness. Time will be wasted. Do they wish 
more of our brothers to die before I'm allowed to take action ... Let 
them meditate. Let them consult. I, Khrisong, will act ! Bring me the 
prisoner."

Back in the cave, Jamie is unable to push out the boulder. He leaves 
Victoria as guard while he explores further inwards. Just as he finds 
a strange glowing pyramid of silver spheres, a Yeti re-opens the cave 
and lumbers in. Jamie faces the creature with his sword but the Yeti 
wrenches it from Jamie's grasp and snaps it in two. The Yeti then 
advances on Jamie. Victoria screams !

------------

Episode 2 tomorrow