Filming of the serial began on 7 April 1986 and ended on 14 August that year. For the opening sequence, Nathan-Turner commissioned a 45-second model shot that cost over , which at that time was the highest amount of money spent on a single special-effects sequence in the history of the series. The outdoor sequences in "The Mysterious Planet" were filmed in mid-April in Queen Elizabeth Country Park, and studio work followed on 24 April and 10 May. Studio work for "Mindwarp" took place from 27–29 May and 11–13 June, and location shots were filmed in Brighton from 15–16 June. "Terror of the Vervoids" and "The Ultimate Foe" were produced simultaneously; production began with location filming for the latter in late June, before returning to the studio to film scenes for both chapters on 16–17 July. "Terror of the Vervoids" was the last chapter to be completed, with studio work taking place from 30 July–1 August and from 12–14 August.