, ▁it ▁was ▁subsequently ▁released ▁to ▁ret ail ▁by ▁Re elt ime ▁Pictures ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁It ▁features ▁two ▁races ▁of ▁al iens , ▁the ▁S ont ar ans ▁( first ▁introduced ▁in ▁the ▁Third ▁Doctor ▁serial ▁The ▁Time ▁War rior , ▁and ▁appearing ▁in ▁several ▁subsequent ▁stories ) ▁and ▁the ▁R ut ans ▁( who ▁were ▁first ▁mentioned ▁in ▁The ▁Time ▁War rior , ▁and ▁appeared ▁in ▁the ▁Four th ▁Doctor ▁serial ▁Hor ror ▁of ▁F ang ▁Rock ). ▁The ▁S ont ar ans ▁and ▁R ut ans ▁were ▁lic ensed ▁from ▁the ▁estate ▁of ▁their ▁cre ator ▁Robert ▁Hol mes , ▁although ▁the ▁appearance ▁of ▁the ▁S ont ar ans ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁modified ▁to ▁avoid ▁legal ▁comp lications ▁with ▁the ▁BBC , ▁which ▁owned ▁the ▁design ▁of ▁the ▁cre atures . ▁ ▁Due ▁to ▁lic ens ing ▁restrictions , ▁the ▁character ▁of ▁the ▁Doctor ▁does ▁not ▁actually ▁appear , ▁nor ▁do ▁any ▁other ▁characters ▁from ▁the ▁series . ▁However ▁several ▁actors ▁from ▁the ▁Doctor ▁Who ▁series ▁do ▁appear ▁in ▁different ▁roles , ▁including ▁Car ole ▁Ann ▁Ford , ▁Soph ie ▁Ald red ▁and ▁Michael ▁W isher . ▁Also ▁st arring ▁in ▁this ▁production ▁are ▁Bla ke ' s ▁ 7 ▁al umn i ▁Jan ▁Ch app ell ▁and ▁Brian ▁Cr ouch er . ▁ ▁Plot ▁T iger ▁M oth , ▁a ▁space ▁cru iser ▁recently ▁converted ▁to ▁a ▁solar ▁y acht , ▁is ▁on ▁its ▁way ▁to ▁space ▁station ▁B eta ▁for ▁its ▁first ▁race .