Paranormal 'Who': 'Terror of the Zygons'

Nessie, the Skarasen. Courtesy Wikipedia

Editor's note: The Doctor is in and everyone seems to love the continuum-tripping Time Lord more now than ever. Even Americans have caught picked up an addiction that only the Doctor can cure. However, while most people consider the iconic show as part of science fiction, the good Doctor has landed his TARDIS in some supernatural and paranormal situations. Sure, he often uncovers ghosts, vampires or cryptids as monsters terrorizing Earth, but when it comes to the unexplained, Who goes there. To whet our whistles for his impending return in a new season, Who super fan and blogger and Ghost Hunters International investigator Paul Bradford is going to begin weighing in on the best of Paranormal Who... 

TERROR OF THE ZYGONS
Original air date: Aug. 30 1975 (UK), Sept. 20 1975 (US)
Doctor who?: Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker)
Paranormal phenomena: Loch Ness Monster

Synopsis:
The Doctor, Sarah Jane (Elizabeth Sladen) and Harry (Ian Marter) receive a distress call from the Brigadier in regard to some strange destruction of three supposedly unsinkable oil rigs off the coast of Scotland. What makes this even more interesting to the Doctor is the wreckage shows signs of giant teeth marks - teeth later discovered to be from the Loch Ness Monster. However Nessis isn’t all she appears to be and is in fact a cybernetic creature known as the Skarasen, which is being somewhat controlled by shape-shifting alien race known as the Zygons. Turns out the crashed to Earth long ago, and due to their home planet being destroyed, have decided to make our little planet their new home by ridding themselves of its current inhabitants.

Know your Doctor: In this story, the Loch Ness Monster is identified as being the Skarasen. However, in the story "Timelash" (Sixth Doctor), we are introduced to the Borad who is thrown back in time and the Doctor speculates that he will later become the legendary creature of the loch.

For more Doctor Who, visit My Untempered Schism, the all-thing Who blog by Paul Bradford