RESCUE: SCRIPT EDITS

Chris Boucher's script for Rescue went through a number of significant changes. Boucher initially believed Jan Chappell had agreed to appear in the first six episodes of Series D so his first draft featured Cally throughout. When it became clear this was not the case, Boucher gave some thought to adapting his script so it would climax with Cally's death. It soon became clear that Jan Chappell was unwilling to return even for one episode, much to the annoyance of Chris Boucher.

"Jan Chappell decided at the last minute she did not want to sign a new contract. I already had four scripts written, and she was supposed to be in six. Suddenly she decided she didn’t want to do it. I had to kill her off screen. She refused to even do lines off screen, except for two words, so I had to write around that."

Boucher had to rewrite his script so Cally died at the beginning, and he had to work in the new character, Soolin. Sadly, it seems that the early drafts of Rescue have been lost. What we do have is the camera script for Rescue which includes a number of short sequences that were not included in the finished episode. There are also a number of scenes where a few lines of dialogue were trimmed out.

The first notable trim was to the end of the first scene onboard the Scorpio as Dorian heads to Terminal.

DORIAN: Scan for wreckage. Analyse anything associated with the explosion pattern.

SLAVE: Of course, Master. I would most respectfully point out however that there is unlikely to be anything worth salvaging.

DORIAN: You're thinking, Slave.

SLAVE: I'm sorry, Master. I meant to disrespect. I am your most humble slave, in all...

DORIAN: Enough!

SLAVE: Yes Master.

DORIAN: I expect a positive identification of the cause of that explosion within the hour Slave.

SLAVE: I will do my poor best.

DORIAN: You will indeed. If it was the Liberator the crew may still be alive, and helpless, down on that planet.

SLAVE: A rescue mission, Master?

DORIAN: Not exactly, Slave.

A few short but significant lines were also trimmed from the scene of the Liberator survivors around the fire.

VILA: Orac got a bit dented. For which he blames me. It seems I rescued the wrong one.

AVON: Nothing personal. It's just that Orac could have sent for help. You can't.

TARRANT: Nobody's perfect. What about the ship Servalan left?

DAYNA: That's a bit dented too.

VILA: We're stuck on this miserable planet for the rest of our lives.

(ANIMAL NOISES)

VILA: Not that that's likely to be for very long

AVON: First light, we'll make for the high ground to the south.

TARRANT: Is it worth the effort?

AVON: Are you ready to lay down and die?

TARRANT: (RUBBING HIS HEAD) I think I already have.

VILA: Liberator destroyed, Cally dead, no way off this armpit of a planet. He may have the right idea.

AVON: Well, you must please yourselves of course. But tomorrow morning I head south, and I'm taking the gun with me.

VILA: You talked me into it.

There was a small edit to the scene where Soolin is trying to communicate with Dorian from Xenon Base.

VILA: Perhaps we should answer.

DAYNA: Terrific idea Vila. Let's warn them we're coming.

VILA: They might be friendly.

DAYNA: You want to take the chance?

VILA: He did save our lives.

TARRANT: He could be a bounty hunter for all we know.

A few lines of amusing dialogue were trimmed from the scene of the crew trying to get the measure of Dorian and Soolin.

TARRANT: Why do I get the feeling he's been in complete control of everything we've done right from the beginning?

AVON: Because you're not as stupid as you look Tarrant. None of us are, with one possible exception.

(THEY LOOK TOWARDS VILA WHO IS PROFERRING HIS EMPTY GLASS FOR A RE-FILL)

SOOLIN: I see you're a connoisseur.

VILA: I appreciate the best, whenever I can get it. Tell me Soolin what exactly does a ... companion ... do?

SOOLIN: Nothing you could cope with.

VILA: Ah.

(SOOLIN MOVES AWAY)

DAYNA: Next question.

VILA: Can I help it if I've got a weakness for lady gunfighters.

DAYNA: You've got a weakness for ladies of any description.

VILA: I'm just naturally affectionate.

SOOLIN: If you'd like to follow me.

The most significant edit was the removal of the final scene which featured Avon destroying Dorian's basement.

TARRANT: No sign of her anywhere.

AVON: As long as she can't get to the ship.

VILA: No-one can get to the ship.

TARRANT: You've got time to work on that now.

(DAYNA ENTERS WITH MAGAZINES FOR THE GUNS)

DAYNA: I found the armoury.

AVON: You know this base could be quite useful to us. It's outside Federation territory. It's well hidden.

VILA: (RAISING HIS GLASS) Well equipped.

DAYNA: And there's a lady gunfighter running around loose. Not to mention a very weird basement.

(AVON PICKS UP A SMALL REMOTE CONTROL DEVICE AND THUMBS THE BUTTON. AFTER A MOMENT THERE IS THE DISTANT MUFFLED SOUND OF AN UNDERGROUND EXPLOSION)

AVON: Strike one basement. (TO VILA) Now I suggest you get that landing silo open.

(TO DAYNA AND TARRANT) And you find Soolin.

(HE RISES) While I get the teleport system working.

TARRANT: Do you think you can?

AVON: Yes.

TARRANT: Do you want us to kill Soolin?

AVON: Do you think you can?

TARRANT: (GRINS) No.

AVON: Then don't. (AVON PAUSES IN THE DOORWAY AND LOOKS BACK AT THEM)

AVON: Dorian might have been telling the truth about himself and that room, but he was insane you know, quite insane.

(AVON EXITS)

DAYNA: What brought that on?

TARRANT: Something Dorian said. Avon belongs to us, as we belong to him.

VILA: Oh well I agree with him.

DAYNA: Dorian?

VILA: Avon. Dorian was obviously insane.