Doctor Who - Season 13 (1975)

'Terror of the Zygons'

Costume Design by James Acheson

In addition to designing the monsters of the serial's title, Acheson also was tasked with altering Tom Baker's look. Acheson had a pair of waistcoats made, both with a checked Prince of Wales pattern.

This waistcoat would be worn again by Baker in almost all the following serials of his tenure, up until the eighteenth season, which was when June Hudson totally revamped his look.

'Planet of Evil'

Costume Design by Andrew Rose

Set on another planet in a plot ripping off Forbidden Planet, the military detachment of the 'Morestrans' all wear blue bodysuits adorned with white hosing and shoulder pads, very much a 'space age' design.

Costume Reuse note: One of the Morestran uniforms was reused for an extra in 'Destiny of the Daleks' a few years later.

The scientists of the Morestran team are clad in more drab tan and brown jumpsuits, with padded lining around the neck.

'Pyramids of Mars'

Costume Design by Barbara Kidd

Kidd slightly altered the Doctor's look with the addition of a tailored burgundy Edwardian frock coat made of velvet. The new frock coat would be worn in many later serials.

(I am fairly sure that the period costumes in the serial, including the dress worn by Elisabeth Sladen, were all reused wardrobe stock.)

This serial was a science-fiction spin on The Mummy. The alien Sutekh (Gabriel Woolf) sends to Earth a 'servant' wearing an all-vinyl black robe and helmet. The helmet's design simultaneously evokes spacesuit helmets and Ancient Egyptian canopic jars.

Along with Sutekh's servant and the mummy androids (more in the realm of 'creature suits' and so not included here), Kidd designed Sutekh's costume, coming up with a space age spin on an Egyptian pharoah.

The helmet in particular was inspired by the 'atef' crown worn by the Egyptian deity Osiris. Kidd took liberties with having the crown double as a mask, to hide Sutekh's inhuman visage. The mask was sculpted by John Friedlander, the BBC Visual Effects Department's main mask maker.

Friedlander also sculpted Sutekh's 'true' face, which was fitted over a mannequin. The mannequin in turn was dressed in the Sutekh costume, completing the illusion.

'The Android Invasion'

Costume Design by Barbara Lane

Lane designed a new coat for Baker to wear, made of grey tweed with brown cuffs and shoulder patches - evoking the grey shoulder patches on the original red shooting jacket that Acheson originally designed.

Lane's duties also went to designing the uniforms of the invading rhino-like Kraal. The Kraal uniform consists of brown underclothes and rectangular meshing. The scientist Styggron's uniform has latex paint over the shoulders of his mesh vest, while his underling does not.

The Kraal commander's uniform differs slightly, as it has a golden hue and golden chains around the collar.

'The Brain of Morbius'

Costume Design by L. Rowland-Warne

This serial was a scifi spin on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and as such a lot of it is in dark and atmospheric lighting. This is rather irritating from a costume design perspective, as it results in a lot of the costume details to not be seen well, especially in the awful videotape quality that BBC TV shows were filmed in!

The mad scientist Solon (Philip Madoc) wears a green buttonless jacket with raised shoulders, and shinier green fabric lining the inside. Rowland-Warne, in an interview with the fanzine In-Vision, described it as looking like something from a Gerry Anderson production.

(I don't know if the tattered tunic worn by Colin Fay as the oafish Condo was a stock garment, or custom-made for this serial. Given that his costume consists otherwise of bought garments, I will assume the former.)

The design highlight of this serial has to be, in my opinion, the robes worn by the Sisterhood of Karn, all clad in robes and gold and red with oranted lining around their headdresses and chest garments.

The Sisterhood's leader, Maren (Cynthia Grenville), sports a red robe with what looks like an ornate golden-lined vestment over it, as well as a flat-topped rounded headpiece.

Her deputy Ohica (Gilly Brown) wears a similar headpiece (with a red and gold striped band around it) and as well gold and red makeup on her face in the design of flames, keeping in line with how the Sisterhood are fire worshipers. Lesser members of the Sisterhood are dressed similarly, with some of them having slightly conical headpieces also covered in golden piping, as well as makeup similar to Ohica’s.

Rowland-Warne explained the process behind the Karn costumes, as quoted in the fanzine In-Vision #12; 'I wasn't told before we got into the studio that the Sisterhood* were going to carry genuine burning torches. So, I had to fireproof them on the day with a substance that could have caused skin irritation. They had hats which were made very cheaply and decorated with coloured latex. The skirt fabric was in two layers, and made ragged and sprayed with wood dyes to give it texture. They wore bodices which were fabric covered in latex, with plastic teaspoons from Winnie, the BBC tea lady, laid into it.'

Costume Reuse note: At least one of these costumes was reused and worn by an extra in 'Destiny of the Daleks' a few years later.