The Script
This was in fact the most recently written episode of Strange, completed in May 2002. Its function was to bridge the gap between the pilot episode and the rest of the series. This posed many problems; not the least of which was how to remind everyone who'd seen the pilot what happened, but also introduce those same ideas for those who hadn't seen it- making it a kind of giant three dimensional crossword puzzle of concepts and characters.

Since the BBC's policy is not to re-show the pilots of programmes ahead of their first series, and the inclusion of flashbacks was thought to be too exclusive, what I finally decided to do was a kind of Star Trek teaser opening, which fulfilled all the functions of a flashback, but was completely new.

The climax was, as always, much worked on before production, with Joe Ahearne coming up with the idea of Samantha actually being scratched by the demon, and aging herself - originally she managed to evade the claws by a series of manoeuvres.

Production
Samantha must have been cursing Joe when she had to report to make-up at two o'clock in the morning to be aged by Neill Gorton and Jan Sewell's magic- this happened on two consecutive days- once to age her to about 50 and later to 80. Finally, the makeup was removed and the "young" Sam's shots were added to the others in the bus (it was done in this order because its faster to take off the makeup between the two stages than put it on).

Michelle Joseph suffered a similar early morning to appear for just a few seconds as the "aged" Zoxim, and her pop-out claws, by the way, were operated by a cunning device fitted to the other side of her hand. Real claws were glued on for the remainder of the action, and everyone thought her gold contacts made her look particularly stunning.

Colin MacFarlaine really sung with the London community Gospel Choir, in case you're wondering, and Femi Oguns threatened to tell his Mother that we made him smoke!

The sequence on the moving bus was filmed in front of a large green screen, and the moving background photographed separately, and later combined. Alan Marques, Digital Effects Superviser, commented that the success of a large number of CGI effects meant you never knew they had been done at all. He also successfully created the "undigested souls" who populate the bus in front of the green screen and each other, making an unusual number of layers to contend with.

The Canon's Car is a Black Wolsley - you can just see its unique illuminated radiator logo in one of the shots.

The Cutting Room Floor
Dropped in editing-

ST. BENEDICT'S CHURCH HALL EXT. DAY A gaggle of female Parishioners are waiting outside. Widen to discover Canon Black approaching in his cloak.

BLACK (sharply, parting them) Excuse me..excuse me.. What's going on here?

JUMBLE SALE WOMAN This is the queue for the Jumble Sale - and I'm at the front!

BLACK My Apologies... I thought it was the queue for beauty and you were at the back.

This was thought to be too gratuituosly rude - even for the Canon!