Pyramids of Mars

Pyramids of Mars is the third serial of the 13th season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Written by Robert Holmes and Lewis Greifer under the pseudonym of "Stephen Harris" and directed by Paddy Russell, the serial was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 25 October to 15 November 1975.

For the pyramid-shaped structures on the planet Mars, see Cydonia (Mars). For the Dudley Simpson soundtrack, see Pyramids of Mars (album).

082 – Pyramids of Mars

Paddy Russell

"Stephen Harris" (Robert Holmes and Lewis Greifer)

Robert Holmes

Philip Hinchcliffe

None

Dudley Simpson

4G

Season 13

4 episodes, 25 minutes each

25 October 1975 (1975-10-25)

15 November 1975 (1975-11-15)

The serial is set in England and Egypt and on Mars in 1911. In the serial, the burial chamber of the alien Osiran Sutekh (Gabriel Woolf), inspired by the Egyptian god Set, is unearthed by the archaeology professor Marcus Scarman (Bernard Archard). Alive but immobilised, Sutekh seeks his freedom by using Professor Scarman as his servant to destroy the jewel in a pyramid on Mars which is keeping him prisoner. Influenced by the gothic horror genre and films such as The Mummy, the serial was met with widespread critical acclaim, being praised for its atmosphere and production. It marks the first appearance of Sutekh, who returned to the series 49 years later in "The Legend of Ruby Sunday" / "Empire of Death" (2024).