Description

Radiation nil, oxygen normal, pressure normal, yet London is deserted, with no sign of life and no sense of normality. Exploring the decaying city sometime after 2164AD, the Doctor and his companions soon learn that it is not as empty as it seems. The Daleks - far from having been destroyed on Skaro - have conquered the world. Nearly wiped out by storm and plague, the Earth's population has been commandeered by the Daleks into huge mining operations. Some humans have suffered the further indignity of being transformed into Robomen to serve the Daleks in their diabolical plans. Humanity's only hope for survival lies with a small band of resistance fighters who need all the help they can get. ... Read more

Description

The Doctor brings Leela to Victorian London to meet her ancestors (though Agincourt might have been more her style). The TARDIS materializes in the darkest heart of the city, where life - and death - is anything but dull. A hapless cabbie is slain by agents of a secret Chinese cult. Young women are disappearing at an alarming rate, and Li H'sen Chang, the Palace Theatre's celebrated magician, may know more about that than he admits. Li H'sen's ventriloquist dummy, Mr. Sin, appears to have a life of its own, and the rat problem in the sewers is bigger than anyone can imagine. ... Read more

Reviews (32)

Should be six stars!
If you went through the 26 years of Doctor Who, the longest running sci-fi show in history and you needed to pick the top 5 or maybe even the top 3 adventures, I feel comfortable saying that 99% of the fans would easily place The Talons of Weng-Chiang" in that group. The show comes from the pen of Robert Holmes and was the final show under the helm of producer Phillip Hinchcliffe, who had produced the greatest group of adventures ever for the Doctor. This, combined with the most popular Doctor of them all, Tom Baker and a wildly popular companion, Leela, makes for a grand adventure.
Taking place in Victorian London, this is one of the richest adventures in the history of the show and one of the most well written with some fantastic characterization. Magnus Greel and the Homonculous creature as well as Li Sen Chang are magnificent villains in this thriller. Yes, the giant rat is cheesy but it's all part of the fun of '70's Doctor Who. I can't recommend the adventure highly enough and there are a lot of great extras as well. I think it's also a great homage to Robert Holmes that, of the Who adventures that are out on DVD or are about to come out, there are quite a few Holmes stories amongst the few out so far, including "Carnival of Monsters", "Spearhead from Space", "The Power of Kroll", "The Ribos Operation", "The Ark in Space", "The Two Doctors", "The Talons of Weng Chiang" and "The Caves of Andozani". So, in essence, of the 158 adventures in 26 years, so far, 23 have come out on DVD. Of those 23, 8 have been written by Robert Holmes! And I believe Pyramids of Mars is coming out next, also from Holmes. Can there be any doubt that this man has done some of if not THE best "Who"?

THE TALONS OF DR SHERLOCK HOLMES
Regarded by fans as one of the best Doctor Who stories ever made, The Talons of Weng Chiang transports the Doctor and Leela to 19th Century Victorian London. A planned trip to the theater is interrupted when the duo come across a gang of Chinese Triads committing a murder on the foggy streets. As the body count increases, the Doctor teams up with Professor Litefoot, a police pathologist, in a desperate attempt to solve the mystery of the disappearing women. Eventually his investigations center around a particular theater house run by Henry Jago where he discovers that the star act, Li H'sen Chang, is supplying the ancient Chinese god Weng Chiang with fresh young bodies in order to complete his master's regeneration...

Top notch sets, an excellent script, sterling performances from the actors and a dark, sinister atmosphere reminiscent of the old Hammer Horror movies keeps the viewer glued to the screen through all 6 breathtaking episodes. Even after 16 years the story is as captivating as ever. Tom Baker is wonderful as The Doctor and this story was highly influential in casting him as Sherlock Holmes in a BBC TV series several years later.

Technical notes: The existing BBC recordings have been cleaned up for the DVD by the Dr Who Restoration Team who rebalanced the colour, removed scratches plus much more in order to give the fans the best possible viewing pleasure. A commentary track was recorded with original actors Louise Jameson, John Bennett and Chrisopher Benjamin, Director David Maloney and Producer Phillip Hinchcliffe. Also included is a BBC documentary, some clips from the childrens show "Blue Peter" including how to make a Dr Who puppet theater, an interview with Phillip Hinchcliffe, pop-up production notes and a photo gallery.

Disc 2!
The DvD is great, but disc 2 has fantastic items on it. Documentary and Blue Peter and a nice 40th anniversary montage. This DvD also has an easter egg. They did this set of DvD's right, it is rich with details and great material. You will feel this was money well spent.

Another Great Who DVD
Talons is a very well put together DVD, with a horde of extras, and a great restoration job. The story itself is one of the few six parters in Doctor Who that doesn't sag by the 4th or 5th episode, and is strong throughout, involving a large cast, some great set work, and Tom Baker at his best. The extra's for the most part are a good mix, featuring a documentary going behind the scenes of Talons, an interview with Peter Hinchcliffe, another Who related episode of Blue Peter, and a really cool 40th anniversary montage that has a really good orbital remix of the Who theme. All around well worth the money.

Doctor Who in London
There are those who consider Doctor Who to be at its very best when the errant Time Lord is visiting Earth and dealing with alien threats that are Earthbound. Doctor #3 himself, the late Jon Pertwee, often stated this story genre to be his favorite, and judging by the number of Earthbound stories from the show's lengthy history, many agreed. The latest two releases on DVD from the BBC archives are united in their "Earth invasion" theme, but both have taken an interesting and indeed unique slant on the alien invasion of London twist.

The "Dalek invasion of Earth" was the last adventure made in the first season production block, way back in 1964, albeit held over and broadcast as the second story in season two. The adventure is significant for many reasons, mainly because it featured the departure of one of the original Tardis crew, and also because it was the first "sequel" to feature in the show, featuring the return of the enormously popular Daleks, created by Terry Nation. Set almost 200 years in the future, the adventure mainly takes place in central London, allowing for much location filming around familiar sights, which adds to the realism of the story. It was the first real use of extensive location filming in the show's history and was well worth the effort to take the show out of the studio and bring a more epic quality to the production. The closing sequence featuring the Doctor (as played by William Hartnell) bidding farewell to his granddaughter Susan, played by Carole Ann Ford, may also be one of the entire series most poignant scenes.

All six of the original black and white episodes have been painstakingly restored to almost their original broadcast quality, with many enhancements to some of the laughable special effects added as an option. Potentially, it's the other bonus material that may prove the most interesting to fans and casual viewers alike. The commentary from the surviving cast (Carole Ann Ford and William Russell) together with the producer and director is first class. The on-screen captions also go a long way to fleshing out the background to the production. Almost the entire guest cast appear in newly shot interviews airing their reminiscences, plus there are all sorts of behind the scenes programme's, trailers and other goodies gathered onto a 2nd disc.

The same is true of the companion release, "The Talons of Weng-Chiang." Made twelve years later, in glorious colour, this six part series took another twist on the Earth invader theme by taking the Doctor, this time played by Tom Baker, and his companion Leela back into Victorian London to deal with a sinister alien menace. For many, this story is often regarded as one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) story of the Doctor Who canon. And I'm not going to disagree. The production values alone would be enough to set it apart, but the wonderful script, incredible design and superlative acting by the entire cast adds a special magic to the show that few other Who adventures have ever matched. Like the earlier Dalek story, it also marks the end of an era, since this was the last adventure produced by Philip Hinchcliffe. Quite honestly - the show was never the same again!

Again, there are all sorts of goodies available on a 2nd disc to accompany the restored six-part adventure. A documentary on the history of Doctor Who televised at the conclusion of the serial is just one bonus worth having; the commentary from the cast and crew is another. It's great to hear Louise Jameson (Leela) making her DVD debut, and it's a real shame Tom Baker himself did not take part.

Both stories are excellent additions to the growing Doctor Who library, clearly demonstrating the changing production values and story making not only of this particular show, but also British TV drama in general. I'd highly recommend them and look forward to the next two releases in 2004. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Tom Baker's second outing as the renegade Time Lord is a solid entry in the venerable British science fiction series' history, and its overall quality is well-matched by the wealth of supplemental material on the DVD. Fan favorite Robert Holmes penned "The Ark in Space," which places the Doctor and his companions Sarah (Elisabeth Sladen) and Harry (Ian Marter) on a seemingly deserted space station many years in the future. Station Nerva is not as empty as it appears, though; onboard are the cryogenically preserved survivors of Earth's destruction, as well as an insectlike alien race, the Wirrin, which are determined to use the humans--and the Doctor--as hosts to grow their monstrous larvae. Holmes's well-paced script (which, like Alien, bears a resemblance to the A.E. van Vogt story "Black Destroyer") allows Baker to flesh out his well-loved take on the Doctor, as well as considerable suspense. --Paul Gaita ... Read more

Reviews (42)

Classic sci-fi TV survives because of excellent scripting...
A great segment from TV's longest running sci-fi series. Due to lack of budget these episodes of Tom Baker's second story have the typical cheesy effects and limited set designs, however the tight script and fascinating premise will keep any true sci-fi fan riveted. Note how this 1974 TV show had similar aspects to 1979's ALIEN movie by Ridley Scott (Insects in space that germinate in the human form aboard a craft of cryogenic sleepers resulting in the aliens being destroyed aboard an escape craft). Coincidence? Anyway you slice it, the gorey deaths, cool rubbery aliens, cliff hangers, snazzy dialogue and glimpses of future cultures keep the eyes watching and the mind whirling. This is a must for any Doctor Who fan's collection.

Excellent Tom Baker Episode
The second of Tom Baker's many episodes as the Fourth Doctor, the Ark in Space is an excellent example of a well-written and well-executed Doctor Who story.

The basic plot: the TARDIS materializes on a space station soon found to be filled with human beings in suspended animation. The Doctor quickly surmises that the station and its contents represent the whole of the human race and its knowledge, preserved to weather some terrible catastrophe. Due to sabotage, the station's inhabitants have overslept by many thousand years.

The sabotage was carried out by one of the Wyrrn, a race of space-dwelling giant insects who visit planets only to reproduce. The Wyrrn have decided to use the last humans as incubators for their young, and the Doctor, long-time favorite companion Sarah, and the reluctant Harry must prevent the Wyrrn from wiping out all humankind.

Whereas many episodes degenerated into camp (though at times very successfully), the Ark in Space does an excellent job at remaining true to its science fiction roots. The episode does still offer plenty of wit as only Tom Baker could deliver it, yet it never lets the humor dominate the story. The plot is tightly-done without side trips and tangents; the Doctor and crew are concerned with the Wyrrn and saving humanity, and that is the task they take on and accomplish.

The special effects (or defects) are suitably cheesily done as befitting the Dr. Who franchise, including the use og green bubble-wrap to create monsters. But that's part of the charm of the series, and a point in Ark in Space's favor that the bad effects didn't lead to pure camp.

The DVD includes commentary (albeit somewhat disjointed due to the fact of its recording over twenty years after the airing of the actual episode); said commentary is interesting and gives a look at those who created the series. The other features of the disc are decent but not spectacular on the whole.

I highly recommend this episode for any fan of Dr. Who.

beginning of an amazing era...
After the Tom Baker intro story, "The Giant Robot", "The Ark in Space" really cemented Tom Baker in the role of the Doctor and was re-written by Robert Holmes who had become the script editor for the next three seasons under the command of Phillip Hinchcliffe. This was the beginning of the three most popular and well crafted seasons of Doctor Who for most fans and the gothic horror style of the next three seasons raise the show to a popularity never before seen in many many countries. This mystery in space lets us get to know Bakers Doctor and we get better acquainted with Sarah Jane Smith and Harry Sullivan as well. Look for the stirring, inspired speech the Doctor makes about mankind, just one of the many treats in this fun adventure.

"DOCTOR WHO" - "ALIEN" STYLE!
"The Ark in Space," the second "Doctor Who" adventure starring Tom Baker, in an exciting tale of aliens using humans to live, an adventure preceding "Alien" by four years. It has all the humour, excitement and cheezy visual effects and costumes that make "Doctor Who" the cult classic that it is! The DVD offers very good special features, including an amusing commentary track with Tom Baker, Elisabeth Sladen and producer Philip Hinchcliffe. Any fan of "Doctor Who" will want this adventure in their DVD collection! Prorgram/DVD Grade: A+

An undisputed classic.
"The Ark in Space" is an excellent, spellbinding tale from Doctor Who's gothic Hinchcliffe era, set on a spaceship many thousands of years in our future. It's also the first really great story to feature the wonderful Tom Baker in the title role, and is, for me at least, a better introduction to his time on Doctor Who than his own debut story, "Robot".

Thousands of years have passed since the present day, and ecological disasters have forced humanity to go into hibernation. While civilization crumbled and decayed on the surface of our world, out in orbit around it was constructed a safe haven for the slumbering human race. With the selected few meant to carry on the species in suspended animation, they were helpless to do anything when something else decided to make its own nest there too ... The Doctor arrives just as that something is beginning to reawaken, and is about to become a threat to the sleeping humans.

"The Ark in Space" would have been dubbed an "Alien" clone had it come out a few years later: while it was safely produced in 1974, its story has a lot of things in common with the Ridley Scott film. Luckily for this story, "Alien" didn't have the Doctor, but that's not the only reason to watch it now. Sure, this doesn't look as good ... the low budget is obviously apparant in most every scene you'll see here, but rather than make this a bad production it actually has the opposite effect. The production crew have done a splendid job here, constructing a sterile and utterly believeable environment for the story to take place in, from the white, empty corridors of the space station to the sleeping chambers where the humans reside. Apparantly they hadn't had a lot of material to work with, but with what they had they produced some real miracles. It's wonderful to look at. The aliens in this story, the Wirrn, are a wonderful as well... when I first caught a glance at them, I thought they looked terribly cheap, but that feeling went away after I'd really studied them. They're excellently insectoid ... even the transformation of one of the humans into a Wirrn, accomplished with green spray-painted bubble wrap, doesn't look terrible because of the fact that bubble wrap is used: insects seem to be able to create remarkable geometric structures (honeycombs, wasps nests, etc)... the use of bubble wrap, with its tiny, identical circles, is absolutely perfect and is therefore convincing.

I can't believe I've made such a big deal about the production values here, as I didn't really mean to, but they are obviously worth congratulating. But everything else is great here too: the premise of the story (pre-"Alien", I will say again), the excellent new Doctor and his companions, the setting, and the story that follows the Doctor's arrival, told over the course of four mesmerizing episodes ... You can't go wrong with this one. Of all the Tom Baker stories to be selected for a release on DVD, I am glad that this was among the first. The DVD contains a wonderful vintage interview with Tom Baker, by the way, filmed while he was still just settling into the part. Very interesting indeed.

Carry on Carry on,

MN ... Read more

Description

Originally broadcast on the BBC in the UK in 1977, The Robots of Death stars the popular fourth Doctor, Tom Baker, with Louise Jameson as his savage but loyal companion, Leela. On a barren planet, the pair comes upon a society that has grown soft and dependent on robots for all their needs. The striking set and costume design make this Doctor Who serial especially worthy of DVD. ... Read more

Reviews (29)

Robo-phobic.
Doctor Who episodes -- at least during Tom Baker's run -- tended to fall into certain basic plot categories. Two common themes were: The doctor must liberate people in servitude ("Face of Evil", "Underworld"; "The Sunmakers"); The doctor must uncover and foil a clever alien scheme to destroy/conquer earth ("The Android Invasion"; "Terror of the Zygons"). A lesser-used device was the "ten little Indians/haunted house" approach, which we saw in the superb "Horror of Fang Rock" episode and here, in one of the few Tom Baker Dr. Who DVD's available, "The Robots of Death."

This episode is regarded by many fans as a true classic, one of the best of the whole long-running Dr. Who television show, and not merely the Baker years. I disagree. I think the story was told better in "Fang Rock", one of my personal favorites which also features Leela as the companion. I am very curious as to exactly how the BBC decides which Who episodes get committed to DVD, especially considering that not all of them are even out of VHS yet (what's the holdup, fellas? It's been 30 years!). But even I have to admit that few, if any, Baker-Who episodes are as dark and creepy or as well thought-out as this one, and probably none have better overall production. The robots are unusually well-designed for such a low-budget show, and when they turn evil their pleasant voices, frozen faces, and penchant for manual strangulation are downright frightening. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Storywise, "Robots" is sound. The Doc and Leela land inside a giant spice-miner run by a handfull of greedy, effete, not terribly nice fortune-hunters who wear ridiculous costumes and seem to spend most of their time loafing about while a large staff of robots does most of the work. You have to take only one look at the robots to figure out that the tail is wagging the dog here, and before you know it, one of the crewmen is murdered and the Doctor and Leela, being stowaways, are of course blamed.

This starts the "ten little Indians" part. The spiceminer is wandering a gigantic, hostile desert of killer sandstorms and towering rock: there is no way off the ship. The humans, basically French aristocrats circa 1789 with their powdered faces and silly costumes, have no weapons and are so morally vacuous and wimpy they practically invite the robots to kill them. The robots oblige, having been tampered with by a member of the crew with a serious identity crisis, a robot fetish and a healthy dose of homicidal mania. One by one the humans get strangled, each trying to figure out who the killer is, and everyone suspecting -- of course -- our hero and his knife-wielding gal pal.

It is a nice plot device, and since it was not used very often I can let the writers off the hook for copying the fine work they did in "Fang Rock." My problem is mainly that the human characters on the miner are all pretty much loathsome and deserving of a good strangulation. It is hardly uncommon in Who episodes for the Doctor to be abused by the very people he is trying to save, but in this case the people just don't seem to be worth saving at all. In fact, the nicest character we meet on the ship is D84, the supposedly mute "dumb" robot who turns out to be a company agent. 84 should probably have read "Message to the Oppressed" a few more times before he chose which side he was on.

Don't get me wrong here. "Robots" is a good, entertaining episode with a very high creep factor. Tom Baker and Louise Jameson are very good and the writing is on par with their acting -- this is one of those episodes where Leela gets to do more than just say, "What is it, Doctor?" in different tones of voice, which was not always the case during her time as a companion. It is much darker than your average Tom Baker outing, and I do think the plot would have been better served by more sympathetic crew-members. DVD-wise, the extras are nothing special overall, but the audio commentary is very interesting. But overall I must admit....these are the criticisms of a nerd. Go ahead and buy the damn thing. I did.

"I'm rather fond of bumblebees!"
This Tom Baker story is an extremely stylish, visually stunning and well written example of Doctor Who. Set aboard a sandminer crawling across the desert surface of a nameless planet, "The Robots of Death" is a murder mystery with interesting characters, whose interactions show people with hidden motives, secrets and fears - they are three dimensional and believable. The story has both action and creeping suspense, with some genuinely frightening, psychological and claustrophobic moments. But the piece de resistance to this story is the design. There's the art deco of the sandminer and the wonderfully decadent costumes, but best of all, the robots themselves. They look exquisite and are beautiful and deadly. Their cold, calm menace is chilling; the "pulse" music that accompanies their slow paces through the corridors of the Sandminer is wonderfully atmospheric. Isaac Asimov meets Agatha Christie in a highly memorable adventure.

Like being surrounded by walking, talking dead men...
It is little surprise that Dr. Isaac Asimov named this as his favorite Dr. Who episode (though it actually comes as considerable surprise to learn that he even watched the series at all). Certainly the plotline and backstory development borrow liberally from the future society Asimov established in the Lije Bailey/R. Daneel Olivaw novels; it even works in references to the Three Laws of Robotics. The influence of an earlier book, RUR (Rossum's Universal Robots), also surfaces in exploring man's reaction to robots and their total absence of human body language (robophobia). Even the author's name, Karel Capek, is mirrored in that of the villain Taren Capel.

Newcomer director Chris Boucher (The Face of Evil) took the suggestion of longtime Dr. Who editor Robert Holmes and created an isolated, murder-mystery adventure as a vehicle to solidify the role of Leela, a companion he had introduced in the previous serial. Boucher drew from one of his favorite novels, Frank Herbert's Dune, to envisage the Storm-Mine setting. Effects director Peter Grimwade is immortalized in the episode thanks to a bit of ad-libbing by Tom Baker. Amongst the cast was David Collings as Poul, David Baile as Dask (Taren Capel), and Pamela Salem as Toos; Salem had actually been an unsuccessful applicant for the role of Leela.

Though not a milestone episode, I would name this is one of my favorite Tom Baker-era stories, largely because of its attention to detail -throwaway lines by characters reveal a rich tapestry of politics, history, and sociopolitical orders not always seen in a Doctor Who serial. We get a sense of the social "pecking order" on this nameless future planet from Uvanov's obvious disgust with Zilda's and Chub's family standing; at the same time we learn that the all-pervasive Company is not above covering up an employee's potentially embarrassing (or potentially expensive) past. Poul is a great study in contrasts: nobody on the Storm-Mine is the least suspicious of him until Leela turns up and likens him to a hunter. The insertion of D.84 is even more clever, and it illustrates just how inured this society has become to anything out of the ordinary. Uvanov dismisses Leela's assertion that D.84 can speak simply because "everyone knows" that particular class of robots can't speak.

In the same way, the crew dismisses the Doctor's theories about the murderer because "everyone knows" robots are incapable of such a thing. Robot behavior and robot Urban Legends are clearly at the forefront of even casual conversation, as evidenced in the opening scenes when we meet the entire crew idling away in the lounge. I also like the fact that the cast is a little more varied, racially speaking, from the usual spate of pale English actors. Helps to paint a more realistic vision of the future.

D.84 (Gregory de Polnay), the "undercover" agent, provides some wonderful back-and-forth dialogue with the Doctor and goes a long way toward widening the scope of the story. The robot's recount of the life of Taren Capel has made the murderer into a tragic figure before we've even figured out who he is, and it even gets to explore its own feelings of inadequacy; next thing we know it has even cracked a joke at the Doctor's expense. I always thought D.84 would make an ideal traveling companion -a sentiment I was surprised to learn was shared by many other fans. Its plaintive request to "please do not throw hands at me" is priceless. Definite homage to Daneel and Giskard there...

Though we, the audience, know the killer at the outset of this "whodunit," it is the question of who is the puppet master that takes up the scope of the story. This is also an uncharacteristically graphic episode; there are several strangulation scenes, a disturbing shot of a dead body being buried in a downpour of gravel, and blood all over the hand of the initial killer robot. There are also some chilling pyrotechnics; for my money one of the scariest scenes depicts another of the killer robots trying to break into the command deck, calmly announcing in its polite bureaucratic monotone that everyone has to die. Another great moment comes when Leela throws her knife squarely into the chest of an attacking robot -which then casually knocks it aside and keeps on coming. It is the first time we've seen anything even approaching fear on Leela's face.

The society that has been postulated is full of cause-and-effect: the Doctor's casual line about it being "the end of this civilization" is clearly no exaggeration. The characters, for all their feigned ease and opulence, are clearly not wholly comfortable with this robot-dependent society they have created for themselves, and as a result there is an omnipresent creeping paranoia that lurks just under the surface for most of the storyline. The parallels to the distrustful, robot-dependent society in Asimov's Caves Of Steel are obvious: mankind has gone and made another technological breakthrough which has become an indispensable part of daily life before everyone's really had time to adjust. Likewise, the Storm-Mine's carefully-ordered life is exposed to be a powderkeg; one little deviation from "everyone knows," and suddenly everybody's world is turned upside-down. This is especially apparent with Uvanov (Russell Hunter)'s newly-found "blow 'em all up" attitude, Poul's total mental breakdown, and Toos's hysterical sobbing (the latter also provides a great springboard for the audience to learn Leela's surprisingly tender and compassionate side).

Classic Tom Baker episode from the "golden age"
This 4 part adventure is really one of the best ever made!

Perfect introduction episode for people who don't know the series and a must for every fan!

A return to the Definitive Doctor Age
Yes, it is old. Tom Baker is, to me, the best portrayor of the Doctor WHO personality. In particular this is one of the best stories that I found in my memory. The Doctor and Leela arrived to a Sandminer, just to be accused of being murderers. The sandminer tripulation are some aristhocrats who are served by Intelligent human-like robots. Some dumb, some others with the ability to speak, and probably others with the need for killing people!!!. Needless to say, the Dvd has all four individual chapters (with its openning and closing credits!), so you can watch them one by week, to recreate that time ago in front of the tv. It even has some extras, like the original peeks of the next chapter the narrator used to increase the need to watch the next chapter. Want a producer and writer comentary?, you have it. It is even fun to watch the old special effects, because they give a very good remembrance and felling of authenticity. For the newcomers, they could seem old and bad effects, and the story too simple, but for hard time fans is like going back to the youth. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Doctor Who: The Two Doctors is one of those occasional adventures in which the then-current Doctor joins forces with one of his former incarnations, here Colin Baker's sixth Doctor with Patrick Troughton's second Doctor. In the epic Three Doctors (1972-73) such a team-up faced a suitably overwhelming danger; here the threat is rather less impressive. This adventure starts encouragingly enough, with Troughton and Jamie (Frazer Hines) investigating time-travel experiments on a space station, which endanger the fabric of the universe. Baker's Doctor and Peri (Nichola Bryant) arrive in the aftermath of a massacre and suspect the Timelords; but events lead them to Spain and old enemies the Sontarans. Also involved is alien schemer Chessene (Jacqueline Pearce) in a role not dissimilar to her Servalan from Blake's 7, while John Stratton as Shockeye, a food-obsessed alien "Androgum" chef, is vastly entertaining. Despite location filming in Seville, the three 45-minute episodes eventually stretch the material too thinly, degenerating into some of the most farcical scenes in the history of Who. The story becomes a repetitive series of double-crosses, escapes and pursuits, featuring an unnecessary obsession with cannibalistic comedy-horror. Despite many fine moments along the way The Two Doctors ultimately leaves a bad taste. --Gary S. Dalkin ... Read more

Description

Trapped in a time corridor, the TARDIS veers off course, emerging in London's deserted docklands. In the far future, a prison ship in deep space comes under attack. These two remote events are linked by one terrible purpose. Davros, the ruthless creator of the Daleks, has been liberated after 90 years of imprisonment to assist in the resurrection of his Dalek army. He's their best hope for finding the antidote to the deadly anti-Dalek virus devised by their longtime robotic rivals, the Movellans. Davros sets about his appointed task with a secret agenda of his own - one that may force the Doctor to descend to Davros's level of evil. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Dark and Powerful
Although a bit plot heavy (too much going on for a 4 parter to satisfy), this is a powerful Dalek story, and a very well acted morality tale, that stands out at the darkest tale of the Peter Davison era. Tegan, inarguably one of the best female Dr. Who companions, is given quite the swan song, with Rula Lenska as a cynical space doctor, Terry Molloy proving himself to be the most excellent portrayal of Davros since "Genesis" (the guy in "Destiny" just didn't cut it), and Maurice Coulbourne making an a nice impression as the amoral, self-serving Lytton. It seemed as though the story could have used some paring down; some of the plotlines were superfluous and/or simply uninteresting. In the end, however, the Davros-engineered Dalek mutiny, the Movellan virus, the duplicates on earth, and some really nice battle sequences definitely make this a highlight of Peter Davison's last, and best, season. Followed by the excellent "Planet of Fire" and the unsurpassed "Caves of Androzani," this is a must have for the Peter Davison/Dr. Who fan. Ending with Tegan's insistence that the violence that surrounds the Doctor has become too much for her, and the Doctor reflecting that he may need to mend his ways, was incredibly poignant for me both when I was a kid, and during my frequent re-viewings of this episode.

"Brave Heart Teegan!"
Throughout all of the travels of our beloved (beleagured, bewildered) Doctor, the companions seem to come and go. Each one bearing their own special trademarks and carrying with them pieces of the single (and sometimes double or triple) Doctor that they knew. Each chance meeting with peril or death slowly altering all of them for good. In "Resurrection" the DALEKS, Davros, Doctor, Turlough & Teegan as well as many of the the supportive cast seem to mirror in their acting the surrounding bleakness of the London Southern Warehousing district. At points,a bit over the top with the melodrama RESURRECTION has many wonderful pieces to offer up for value in the continuity of Doctor Who. Peter Davison as the 5th Doctor truly shines as the man with too much to do and not enough time or help. Much of the plot becomes murky due to the interweaving of many sublots being worked all at once and not being clarified. The relationship between the Doctor and Teegan seems quite tenuous and when she has had "enough of all the murder & mayhem" you truly believe the sadness & frustration that she expresses. Overall, the shoddy special effects & the underacting work together and produce a darker 5th Doctor than you would expect. IT IS GOOD! If you are a fan of the companion introductions and goodbyes, the scenes of Teegans goddbye are reminscent of the feeling I got of Sarah. Truly worth your time spent!!

Beginning of end of the Peter Davison era
Resurrection of the Daleks is the beginning of a phasing out trilogy. In May 1983, Peter Davison (The Doctor) decided that the upcoming season would be his last one, so scripts were rewritten to phase out Tegan, Turlough, and the Doctor. When it happened, it took place in the last Peter Davison stories.

In 1984, a series of mysterious cylinders have been found in a London warehouse and are under investigation by Colonel Archer of the Bomb Disposal Squad. This was also the same scene where a pair of policemen gun down all but two of a group of escaping fugitives. The survivor, the cowardly and wounded Stien, meets the Doctor, Tegan, and Turlough, who have been dragged down to Earth by a time corridor.

In space, a group of commandos led by Lytton and some Daleks lead an attack on a space station holding Davros prisoner. It's not too difficult, as the low morale and a lackadaisical attitude observed by recently-arrived Lieutenant Mercer lead to nearly all the crew being killed.

The seeds for the Dalek schism that would plague both remaining Dalek stories are set here, as Davros, who has been freed to help the Daleks develop an antidote to a virus that led to their defeat in a war against their foes the Movellans (q.v. Destiny Of The Daleks), has decided to create some new Daleks obedient to him and not to the Supreme Dalek. He gains followers in his circle, including human troops, whom he conditions. Yet, he rants and raves throughout most of this story, and at times, his dialogue is unintelligible, maybe because of microphone troubles beneath the mask or it being drowned by the music.

Interesting effects in this story is a scary scene of someone's whose face is rotting away, and the way the Daleks succumb to the virus.

Maurice Colbourne (Lytton) and his two bodyguards would reappear in Attack of the Cybermen where they would be killed off. The character of Lytton, the ruthless and no-nonsense mercenary unafraid to tell the Daleks off, is one of the few interesting ones. Same with Stien, a cowardly, uncertain, and later on, divided personality, and Rodney Bewes does a good portrayal to that effect. All the other characters seem unimportant, as many are unnamed or unidentified until later episodes.

As this is Tegan's departure story, Janet Fielding has a good emotional leaving scene, where her character is sickened by the carnage that has taken place. Indeed, only three humanoid characters survive in this extremely high body count story.

This story has been compared to Earthshock, which was also written by Eric Saward and featured the Cybermen, and has been criticized for being all gloss and no substance. While the action sequences and regular characters are good, the lack of strong characters, and maybe too many characters who just fill up the story and get killed off.

"I'm not coming with you."
"Resurrection of the Daleks" is the first of the stories available on DVD that I saw as a fan. I was only eleven years old and had only been watching the show (aired nightly on PBS) for a month. It made a huge impact on me and led, indirectly, to my sitting here on a perfectly pleasant September evening 19 years later, writing this review.

A lot of "Resurrection" is still effective today. I saw this story first the year that it debuted -- 1984 -- and, of course, a lot of the acting and special effects seem woefully dated today. What I like is the air of actual *menace* around these Daleks, as opposed to a string of predictable, less-than-memorable 1970s outings. These Daleks actually instill horror in their victims. They shoot on sight and play fast and loose with biological weapons. "Resurrection" is a violent, gruesome story whose impact is only slightly dulled by the two dozen badly-acted death scenes of random extras. One of the extras, referred to on the commentary track only as "the Geek", looks a lot like David Letterman. For what it's worth.

The DVD extras make this package the better of the two "DW" stories released in the US this summer. The obligatory text commentary, full of location filming dates and guest actor credits, also describes in detail the evolution of the story's script over the three years it took to get to screen. We learn how actor Terry Molloy (the third and final "Davros") spent hours practicing the voice, to make the character sound like Michael Wisher, the original (and best) Davros. Molloy truly is excellent playing a ranting wheelchair-bound villain in a latex mask (which, we learn, caused "lakes of sweat" to pool inside the oversized rubber chin), and would go on to play the role right up through the end of "Doctor Who" as a series.

The audio track is also a winner. Peter Davison (the Doctor) is back for his third DVD and is, as always, hilarious. Janet Fielding (Tegan, who makes her emotional departure at the end of "Resurrection") puts in her first DVD performance. She's done her homework, giving a lot of convincing detail, and still finds time to count the many furtive glances that co-star Mark Strickson (Turlough) shot to the camera as he strived to get more face time. Story director Matthew Robinson seems to remember the setup for every camera angle and every shot in the story, and lets us know it. Still, it's the level of detail and humor that puts this in the "above average" range of DW audio commentaries, after a rather dull recent run by actors and directors with distressingly porous memories.

Another good extra is the lengthy "on location" segment, which returns to the narrow, dank Thames waterfront alleys where the story was filmed. It's all gone upscale now. Robinson re-enacts old scenes by lurking in alcoves that have since become pastry shop windows. Also interspersed here is an interview with producer John Nathan-Turner, evidently the last interview he gave before his death last year. Also in the "deleted scenes" is the alternative cliffhanger to Part Two... which was actually the cliffhanger used when I first saw this story in the US in 1984. I like this "alternate" version better than the "official" one, as it ends a couple of menacing beats later.

The ultimate goal, I think, is to get as much of Davison's Season 21 output on DVD as possible. We have two of his six stories out now, and that's just not enough.

WB could come out with BETTER stories...
I love the Fifth Doctor, but this was not one of the better stories if his era.

In this DVD, some visual and audio fx are missing in part 4 where people are apparently shot by Daleks yet make pitiful sounding screams, no audio or visual for the blast. It looks like a total farce when it should be a disturbing slaughtering.

The plot is also way too contrived, also pointlessly featuring an eventual invasion of Gallifrey (ugh) and throwing in a pointless clipshow of all the Doctor's previous companions, except for Leela of course. (ugh)

Also, they shove a Dalek out of the second floor of the warehouse where it crashes outside. For the rest of the warehouse scenes, the Dalek's bits are scattered throughout the INSIDE of the warehouse, nor suggesting anybody was stupid enough to move the wreckage inside...

And did the Supreme Dalek really have duplicates of all the world's major leaders in place to cause the destablization of Earth?!

Why does Stein do any number of things to help the Doctor when he apparently was a Dalek Duplicate ordered to capture the Doctor?!

Tegan's leaving scene almost makes up for this rubbish, but she claimed her travels stopped being fun. If you looked at a handful of adventures (threatened with rape, mind taken over by a malevolent entity - TWICE, threatened to be killed, interrogated by a lizard after watching "The HitchHiker's Guide to the Galaxy" thinking the Doctor - like Ford Prefect - came from Guildford, always complaining about the Doctor's inability to get her home, and so on, it didn't come across as being fun...)

This also has a 5.1 remix for the audio. While the DVD menu is nothing less than brilliant, the re-mix for the story itself is an embarrassment. Which is sad as the 5.1 remix for "The Five Doctors" special edition was superb by comparison.

If Warner Bros would release the following stories, I'd be a happier customer:

THE TWO DOCTORS (whose features alone will make it an instant purchase for me, but the story is very good too!)
THE SEEDS OF DEATH (an excellent story)
EARTHSHOCK (another excellent story)
THE THREE DOCTORS (may as well finish up the ___ Doctors stories but this one is entertaining)

and

THE CURSE OF FENRIC (which I originally hated but has grown on me since)

I know other fans will be happy over "The Talons of Weng Chiang" which is about to be released, but that one always bored me. As for "The Dalek Invasion of Earth", it's got nice outdoor location work but the plot and the final two episodes are so slapdashed and haphazerdly written that I can't ignore them, forget the part that the Daleks want to turn the Earth into a mobile spacecraft when they can already make their own. (ugh) ... Read more

Description

The Doctor and UNIT are called upon to investigate strange events surrounding Dr. Tyler's research into cosmic rays. UNIT HQ comes under attack by an alien force, and the Doctor has no other option but to call on the Time Lords for help.The Time Lords, too, are under attack -from a mysterious power emanating from a black hole in space. With power reserves falling, the only way they can help the Doctor is to break the First Law of Time and allow him to help himself.The First and Second Doctors are lifted out of their time streams and sent to Earth to help the Third. Between the three of them, they must find a solution to the threat that not only endangers UNIT and Earth, but also the future of the Time Lords themselves. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Fun nostalgia
Back in the seventies, it was still a novelty to have the Doctor regenerate into a new form when the actor portraying him moved on. It allowed for the series' logevity. So as a tenth anniversary episode, it made sense to unite all the forms of the Doctor in a special story and this succeeds on many levels. The story is well crafted and at four episodes long, moves along nicely, which was often a problem with the Pertwee era stories. The usual supporting cast are not left in the shadows of the other Doctors. I would say the only thing I found sad about this episode was the lack of screen time on William Hartnell's part, due to his illness at the time. It would have been nice to see him go at it more with Pertwee and Patrick Troughton. A definite addition to the Doctor Who collection. One of the must haves.

Double celebration for Troughton fans
There should have been much to celebrate when Doctor Who reached it's tenth anniversary in 1973 and recognizing this, the BBC pulled out all the stops for a special story (often suggested by viewers) bringing together all the three actors who had played the part of the Doctor up until that point. Its just such a shame that what was produced turned out to be the very lackluster Three Doctors!

Actually made around the time of the ninth anniversary in November 1972 and first aired almost eleven months before the tenth, The Three Doctors is a hugely disappointing story in an otherwise strong season. It was pretty routine during the Pertwee era of the show to have some stories weaker than others, but it is such a shame that it was this very special adventure that drew the short straw. Inherently, the plotline itself is not bad at all, but the script and execution are woeful. The dialogue is not only cheesy but exceptionally cheesily delivered. The normally reliable Nicholas Courtney (The Brigadier) and John Levene (Benton) in particular are both made to look like bumbling pantomime characters as are the supporting cast of Dr. Tyler and Mr. Ollis. Of course, the production was plagued with problems right from the beginning as Producer Barry Letts and Script Editor Terrance Dicks explain in the very engaging commentary. Although he was very enthusiastic, ill health meant that the first Doctor, William Hartnell, was simply not up to playing a very active role in the show at all. His part was drastically scaled back and limited to filmed inserts. Patrick Troughton, the second Doctor, makes a very welcome and energetic return to the show and certainly goes a long way to stealing the thunder of the incumbent Jon Pertwee. Rewrites to accommodate the changing availability of the cast and plot could be one reason the show just doesn't work, but there's no real excuse for the cheapness of the production. The sets are limited to four with some bland location work in the standard gravel pit added. The set for Omega's domain is truly dreadful, as are his Gellgaurd minions. Quite how anyone thought the design would work is mind-boggling. The time lord control center is littered with left over props from Carnival of Monsters (not yet broadcast, but recorded earlier), as are the time lord costumes. Everything else takes place in the standard Tardis or the UNIT lab sets. It's all so gaudy and hammed up by the actors that there's no way it can be appreciated as the classic adventure it should be. Even the normally very reliable Katy Manning (Jo Grant) is weak, but in fairness, like the two lead Doctors, she's merely trying to cope as best she can with dreadful lines.

Rather surprisingly, the better of the two releases is the earlier Troughton epic The Seeds of Death, one of the first stories to make it onto VHS in the early eighties. Made at the end of 1968/early 1969 this six-part adventure in black and white hardly holds classic status in the series canon. But surprisingly, and thanks in part to a very, very intensive clean up and restoration, the story does stand up very strongly. Well, at least in comparison to the Three Doctors anyway. Marking the second appearance of the much-loved Ice Warriors, there is enough in this story to keep viewers enthralled throughout its six episodes. True, it could have been much better had it only stretched to four, but the padding is not as obvious as other longer adventures. The most striking feature for me is the design and direction. Marking it clearly as a late sixties show, the set has some terrific touches that help the production stand out. There's a very well put together supporting cast, even if the three regulars are a bit below par. This was intended to be Frazer Hines' (Jamie) last appearance in the show, but as it was announced during it's broadcast that Troughton would be leaving the role of the Doctor at the end of the season, Hines was persuaded to stay on until then and leave at the same time, as ultimately did Wendy Padbury (Zoe). Hines and Padbury join Director Michael Ferguson and Script Editor Terrance Dicks to provide a hugely enjoyable commentary soundtrack, which is very insightful into the production of the story. As both teams say on both releases, it's such a shame that neither of the two Doctors featured are around to provide their own thoughts.

Both discs provide many, many extras, in the case of the Seeds of Death on an entirely separate disc. There's some genuinely interesting features dragged from the archives, including a completely bizarre interview with Patrick Troughton recorded in 1973. There's also a newly made mini-documentary featuring the actors who played the Ice Warriors.

It's all very enjoyable stuff, and any fan of the show will of course be delighted to add to the growing DVD collection of stories. I'm not sure how casual viewers would react to these two stories, but I hope it won't put them off future releases.

Always a joy!
Here's a show that respects it's own history. Or at least as much as possible when you're talking aboout having over 700 episodes/150 adventures and keeping everything straight! They brought back a very ill William Hartnell for this show, the tenth anniversary, which was a delight as well as Patrick Troughton, who's had the honor of being the only Doctor present for all the multi-Doctor epics over the years (The Three, Five and Two Doctors, respectively). Seeing the Pertwee and Troughton personalities argue and then both being humbled by the Hartnell version--just the kind of stuff you like to see in an adventure of this sort, a mixing of the various incarnations of the Doctor. It's a pretty simple plot, admittedly to give way to setting up the title but it's a great show and a great addition to the DVD Who collection.

A dandy and a clown...
I like THE THREE DOCTORS, flawed though it is. It's overall just rompy escapism, rather than the hard-edged drama we saw during Pertwee's first year, but at this season, that's mostly what we expect. The serial gets a big boost from its cast. Not just the other two Doctors, but Stephen Thorne who puts serious gravitas into his villainous Omega. THE THREE DOCTORS isn't quite sure what it wants to be. Omega's story feels almost gothic in substance, while the comic relief portions almost override everything else. Mix that together with all the padding, and you're left with a bit of a mess, albeit a well-meaning, entertaining one.

It's fitting that a story ending with the Doctor regaining his freedom is primarily concerned with a tragic figure attempting to grasp his own. It's a shame Omega doesn't get a good chunk of screen-time until episode three; he's the best thing here. The Time Lords' great power coming at the cost of one man's imprisonment and torment. One man making a sacrifice, to set his people up above the very Gods. That and his Catch-22 dilemma make for enthralling viewing. Thorne plays it perfectly, giving Omega a dark, sad anger -- full of power and menace. It's a pity that all this great storytelling comes in the middle of "...that's Cromer out there..." and the constantly belching Gel Guards.

Troughton easily steals every scene he appears in. ("This is a show Jon Pertwee stole from Pat Troughton. He's stealin' it back.") Between accidentally breaking the Brigadier's radio and subtly probing the limits of Omega's self-control, he shows himself to be the ultimate Doctor -- always entertaining and always in command. Points off for not showing us him briefing the UN Security Council... That would have been a hoot! William Hartnell is charming. Fan of Hartnell's Doctor that I am, it's great to see him back for one final adventure. Sadly, because of his health, it's more nostalgia that I feel rather than genuine enthusiasm, but he's still a lot of fun in his brief appearances.

The script, which seems excited at the epic story of Omega's fall, feels oddly tired at other points. Tedious and awkward are the scenes of the Time Lords watching the proceedings from their distant world. The argument for allowing the Doctor meet his other selves boils down to "I must!" and counter arguments are dissuaded with "On the contrary, blah blah blah, I must!" Not exactly Socrates' Apology. There's also some plot sloppiness. For example, at the end of episode three, the Time Lords suddenly know a lot more then they did before, without explanation as to how.

The science in this serial is, well, at least they tried to make it sound scientific. But I think even the most scientific-illiterate would realize grass doesn't grow underneath buildings and black holes don't go around sucking in and farting out Mr. Holises...

The rest of the script seems to consist of nothing but padding: corridor running (which Tyler even comments on being a waste of time), people being captured, and the never-ending farewell scene, which is undercut when they're reunited moments later (although Nick Courtney's performance in those minutes instantly forgives the mockery his character underwent in the rest of the serial).

"This is a place. Just like any other place," states Pertwee, looking around at a rock quarry, which indeed looks like every other place he visited. For being the tenth anniversary special, outside of the guest stars the serial doesn't look very special. The battle sequences in episode one aren't effectively directed. This is a long way from AMBASSADORS OF DEATH's fight scenes. The UNIT troops don't even bother taking cover; they just stand right out in the open. Barry Letts rightly criticizes the sets on Omega's world for being too pantomime. The cheaply made sets look exactly like cheaply made sets. If only they could have shot Omega's throne room on location in some run-down castle...

As for the DVD extras, I've not been a huge fan of some of the fluff that gets put on these discs, but I must admit to being tickled this time. The Pebble Mill piece is hilarious. The production notes are great, with a lot of focus on earlier script drafts/ideas ("Deathworld" seems more interesting than what we got). Even the commentary (often the weakest link on these DVDs) sparkles. The best formula seems to be a mix of production crew and actors, and that heuristic is true again. Katy Manning and Nicholas Courtney's anecdotes and clowning are amusing, and Barry Letts' dry comments are always informative. But one thing: couldn't we have had Terrence Dicks on the commentary track too?

Review Extras. Things may which amuse only me, but I'm including anyway:

1. Omega has great powers. In his domain, everything is possible, because he can make things jump in and out of the frame like he's a student film director.

2. Omega claims that the Doctors must eventually wear masks such as his. A pity they never did that. Can you imagine Troughton clowning with that big headdress on? Comedy gold!

3. Despite the fact that the anti-matter thing ate all of Mr. Hollis, only his screaming face appears on the photographic slide; presumably, this was the closest part of him to the cosmic-ray detector device. Lucky for him it wasn't his butt that was closest. They'd still be trying to identify it.

4. The thought-transference stuff meant switching the camera quickly between shots of Pertwee and Troughton. It goes so fast that it almost looks like subliminal advertising. And I can tell you that after watching these scenes, I was strangely hungry for a giant nose.

5. In all of Troughton's three post-WAR GAMES appearances, he's involved in a plot that has him running around yelping about Time Lords. Given that they weren't even formally introduced until his final episode, this has always struck me as being slightly wrong somehow...

A great reunion special
The BBC decided to do an anniversary special of Dr. Who, so, they got the 1st Doctor (William Hartnell) & the 2nd Doctor (Patrick Troughton) to work with the 3rd Doctor (Jon Pertwee) to save the galaxy from Omega...an evil Time Lord bent on destroying the universe via a black hole. This episode marks the final appearance of Hartnell as the 1st Doctor. ... Read more

Description

The Doctor and Ace are put to the ultimate test when the Tardis materializes in Second World War England at a top secret naval base. ... Read more

Description

In the late 21st century the human race has become totally dependent on T-Mat, a revolutionary form of instant travel. The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe arrive on Earth just as T-Mat is suffering a malfunction. Sinister Ice Warriors from Mars have seized the lunar T-Mat Station to launch an invasion of Earth. Their preliminary plan is to transport deadly seedpods that will unleash a fungus capable of absorbing the world's oxygen. The Doctor must race against time to defeat the invaders- or the human race will be doomed to suffocation. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

A great Troughton episode
Patrick Troughton is the most underrated Doctor - the second best after Tom Baker. He always keeps things funny and interesting. The Ice Warriors are great villains - two bad there are only 2 other stories in which they play the villains(plus one story in which they are actually good). Put the Ice Warriors and Troughton together (plus Jamie, the best companion other than Sarah Jane, and Zoe) and you have a great episode - despite the usual padding and hokey sets.

One of the best!
This is one of Troughtons best surviving stories. It is a marvelous DVD with great commentary by Wendy Padbury, Frazer Hines, Terrance Dicks etc. It is a shame that only 6 stories out of 20 in Troughtons era exist in full, but luckily we do have this story. I think the monsters are great in this, and the storyline is wonderful. This is an excellent addition to any Patrick Troughton fan, or to any Doctor Who fan!

The Dying Days
On the recent DVD release of THE SEEDS OF DEATH, the picture quality looks absolutely phenomenal, thanks to the VIDFIRE treatment and from the painstaking effort placed in cleaning each frame. It's a pity the same remedies couldn't have been applied to the script, as it surely could have benefited from having a few of the rough spots removed. Terrance Dicks often complains that six-part Who stories were difficult to do without resorting to padding, and it's easy to nod alongside him. Still, this was the first time I watched the serial in episode format and that helped. By limiting myself to two episodes a sitting stretched over several days, I didn't let the viewing become tedious. The best I can say is that it isn't boring, which isn't an enormous compliment, but it's enough.

One way you could look at the structure of much of this story is as a reworking of the basic base-under-siege pattern that was so prevalent and successful. However, instead of a base, we're presented with a small storeroom; the Ice Warriors effortless capture the entire outpost within minutes rather than (as in the past) not managing it until later episodes, or, indeed, ever. But this actually works, as the storeroom is a convincingly confined set, and you can really believe they these people are pinned in here hiding from great danger lurking in the corridors.

As with many serials from the era, the production is a mixture of silliness and splashes of surprisingly effectiveness. The sets are quite good, and the director successfully makes it appear that there's more than one corridor on the moonbase. As for the silliness, well, other reviewers have mocked the characters' "nappy-wear" costumes, but it looked to me more like some joker had darkened their visible panty lines with permanent marker. I concur with the opinion stated many times on the DVD commentary track: "Not really flattering, no."

One of the major negatives is the story rests so heavily on a hokey piece of fictional technology. T-Mat is the equivalent of Star Trek's transporter, allowing anyone in the world to beam to anywhere else in the world by bouncing a signal off the moon (presumably it only works on half the planet at a time, but this isn't addressed). The world's supply of hamburgers and Chicken McNuggets are delivered via this medium, so a slight delay means starvation for millions. So naturally, this vital, irreplaceable technology is all controlled through one sloppily organized (the opening scene shows the world's food supply delayed by five minutes because of one mistake) point, a relay station. This design flaw becomes most apparent when the aliens invade and start stomping through it.

I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with the directing in this episode. On one hand, Michael Ferguson does a great job with some short individual scenes. There are set pieces with a lot of tension. That parallel zoom-in thing he does is very effective. But the overall story never feels real or dangerous. The threat from the Ice Warrior's oh-so-dastardly plan remains a little too abstract in tone. There's no real tension from it; I never felt the characters or the world were seriously in jeopardy. Yet I was able to easily accept that they were in immediate danger from, say, the soldier shooting at them. That stated, I did like the way the plot (where there is of it) unfolds. The Ice Warriors plan is multi-staged, and we get to see them constantly one step ahead of everyone.

The places where the story works best are where focus is placed on its human components. The regular cast and the guest actors play it all very nicely and believably (a few wooden extras aside). Terry Scully as Fewsham gets a lot of deserved credit for playing the collaborator whose conscience is slowly eating away at him. Harry Towb steals the show quite nicely... until he's killed off after a scant ten minutes. The Earth-based characters play off each other well, too. I really like the scene where Phillip Ray's Professor Eldred fusses over the would-be-Astronauts while the Doctor gently humors him.

Speaking of the Doctor, I think a large part of what makes SEEDS watchable is that I simply love this Doctor-companion combination. I'd watch them in anything. A little remarked upon scene comes near the end, where the defeated Ice Lord orders his heavy to destroy the Doctor. Patrick Troughton calmly closes his eyes, his character peacefully preparing for death. Until he suddenly spots Jamie in harm's way and leaps across a table to spoil the warrior's aim. It's nicely underplayed, which is classic Troughton.

THE SEEDS OF DEATH isn't terribly good. But ironically, the DVD of it is, simply because of the wealth of material on it that isn't THE SEEDS OF DEATH. The SSSOWING THE SSSEEDSS documentary is relatively interesting, although if one were being unkind, one could simply sum up the 25 minutes with the sentence: "The costumes were uncomfortable." The Censor Clips and The Last Dalek thing are diverting enough, though I'm not sure if I'll ever feel the need to watch them again without a story to go around them.

While watching the main story, I wrote down many jokes and then had to erase them when I listened to the commentary track, because Terrance Dicks had already made them. I have no bad things to say about this commentary. All you need to know is that good old Uncle Terry is on it, which automatically places it in the top-tier.

The Ice Warriors come to DVD.
The Seeds of Death was the very first black & white Doctor Who story released on video, it was also the only one to be released in a movie compilation format. The fact that the new dvd is presented here complete and uncut is just one selling point. That it has been fully vidfired and now looks absolutely astounding is the big one. Only the sound quality of the story should clue you in to the fact that it isn't a transfer from the original video tapes Seeds Of Death isn't quite on the same level as other season 6 stories such as The Invasion and The War Games, but it does pack it's own little dramatic punch. The extras are a bit slim for this release and one wonders why they even bothered with the second disc. Still, this is a required purchase for any fan of Patrick Troughton's doctor.

End-stage Troughton
I made up my mind to leave Ohio in January 1999, and moved six weeks later. I somehow got wrapped up in a very intense relationship during those six weeks, knowing quite well in retrospect that it was never going to work once I left the state for good. However, she was a "Doctor Who" fan, and so was I. You just don't let these rare connections drift by. We spent a good portion of our time together watching my Season 6 Patrick Troughton videotapes (getting far as Episode 4 of "The War Games" until the inevitable happened). The only disagreement we ever had (apart from the move) was on the quality of "The Seeds of Death". She thought it was enjoyable fun. I thought it was a dull slog. Maybe that's why we didn't last. Was I being too critical?

"Seeds of Death" has always been on the lower region of my own "Doctor Who" rankings. On paper I should love it: I'm a fan of "The Ice Warriors" and "The Curse of Peladon", two other stories featuring the same villainous Martian marauders. I similarly have great fondness for the Season 6 Doctor/companion pairing. Fraser Hines almost never embarrassed himself as an actor during three long seasons. Wendy Padbury, of course, is a doll. Archaic word, but it actually fits. Cutest face ever.

Each of Patrick Troughton's stories -- whether you're watching on TV or merely listening to the surviving audio -- is a seminar on how to play "Doctor Who". You can always count on Troughton for a riveting mixture of physical clowning and top-tier problem solving -- usually at the same time. "Seeds of Death" is notable for a shockingly well-directed madcap chase sequence in Episode 3, as Troughton runs back and forth down the same lone corridor set, making it seem as if he's running for miles. He slips and slides, turns and twists, and does comic double-takes at every distorted mirror reflection. Finally, when the Ice Warriors have him cornered... he talks his way out of it: "Your leader will be very cross with you if you kill me.... I'm a genius!"

However, "Seeds of Death" itself never tickled my imagination the way other stories did. The Ice Warriors, let's face it, aren't well-used here. Slaar (Alan Bennion, who played three different Ice Lords across the years and gave each of them distinct shadings) is only allowed to stand around a control room on the Moon and terrify a dwindling cast of stock BBC actors. The most interesting of these (Harry Towb) is killed off after ten minutes. There's a lot to be said for Terry Scully's nebbishy performance as Fewsham, the moonbase technician who turns traitor to save his own life until he finally summons up the courage to redeem himself with a noble act of self-sacrifice. However, we've seen this performance many other times across the years, so the hurdle is set high. His best moment is the scene in Episode 5, after Fewsham's already made up his mind to betray the Ice Warriors: he's seen standing alone, frowning, wringing his hands, waiting for Slaar to find him. That's quite a good shot.

The DVD builds up a solid case that this story is a neglected Troughton gem. The crowded commentary track features the companions (Hines and Padbury) making cogent remarks about the action -- when they're not busy laughing at Troughton's clowning or about their own slips and line fluffs. Much is made of Jamie's frequent groping of Zoe. You can always count on this reaction when someone asks what it was like to work with the late Troughton: "Ohhhhh" (Similarly, when asked what William Hartnell was like, the reaction is a less enthusiastic "Well..."). Director Michael Ferguson delivers a good account of how he direct ed the story. Since he's speaking 34 years later, it's impressive that he remembers what he does. Script editor Terrance Dicks should be allowed on every commentary track, even for the stories he didn't oversee. The commentary picks up intensity once he shows up for Episode 3. If you don't have time to listen to two hours of actor ramblings, the one episode to listen to is Episode 4, where Ferguson and Dicks discuss the story alone.

A long featurette, amusingly called "Sssowing the Ssseeds", describes how the Ice Warrior costumes were made, and three actors tell us what it was like to work in them. Speaking of costumes, the VidFIRE process that restores the episodes to their original videotape look, works so vividly that you can actually count the paint brushstrokes on the Ice Warrior helmets. The other extras on the bonus disc do not pertain to "Seeds" specifically, but provide archival footage from a dozen other "Troughton" stories that no longer exist.

I find the production-note option increasingly tiresome when Richard Molesworth is the writer. His formula seems to be: provide all the other acting credits of all the other actors in the guest cast; give us the day and the location of the filming of all the model shots; and describe the originally conceived plot of the episode. Only the last of those three items interests me. It's possible to provide fresh text commentary for decades-old "Doctor Who" stories -- see Martin Wiggins' contributions -- so I think Molesworth could depart from the formula without hurting anyone.

At this point in my life, with new "Doctor Who" a year away, I am never going to fall in love with "The Seeds of Death". I may never watch it again. However, the DVD series, with their focus on what *works* (and, more importantly, by getting the story's actors and production team to laugh at the shortcomings), serve the important task of rehabilitating the less-remembered stories, and work hard to dispute the notion that "Doctor Who" was always done on the cheap, without thought. Fair enough. Job well done. Next DVD, please. ... Read more

Description

In his premiere story, broadcast on the BBC in the UK in 1970, Jon Pertweeestablished the flamboyance that came to be associated with the third Doctor. Exiled to Earth for time meddling, the Doctor has little choice but to throw in his lot with his old friends at UNIT, a small taskforce that needs all the help it can get against alien invaders. Extras include commentary by veteran Who companions Nicholas Courtney and Caroline John and a made-for-DVD UNIT recruiting film. ... Read more

Reviews (34)

A glorious release!
"Spearhead From Space" is one of the first three "Doctor Who" DVDs released to North America. It's also the earliest of the stories, a 1970 adventure that introduced both the Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee) and color film to the "DW" universe. A handsomely designed and produced disc, this is instantly one of the best DVDs in my collection, and a real coup for "Doctor Who" merchandise, which has never before seen a release of such high quality.

The story itself is presented in a crisp clear transfer. Most "Doctor Who" fans in the US are familiar with episode quality through nth-generation videotape bootlegs, the occasional commercially-released VHS (of various quality), or through late-night PBS airings. To watch an episode presented so cleanly is a novelty in itself.

It also helps that "Spearhead" is long regarded as one of "Doctor Who"'s finest outings. As the first 1970s tale, it introduces new concepts to the show -- an Earth-bound Doctor, a lack of scaley latex monsters, and a complete lack of time travel. Even 30 years later it's easy to take the story seriously on all levels. It was the only episode shot entirely on film (all on location), and the small cast is (almost) uniformly well-acted.

The story on DVD can be watched on its own, or with a pop-up liner-notes format that highlights technical details, bits of trivia, and even basic information about the show, just in case you're new to the show. In addition there's a commentary track recorded by Nicholas Courtney and Caroline John, two of the stars of the story, both still popular on the convention circuit. Courtney's commentary displays a remarkable reach of knowledge about the series, while John seems to be watching for the first time since 1970, learning more as she goes along and showing welcome enthusiasm at all times. This track is more along the lines of two fans watching the show, as opposed to a no-holds-barred director's commentary, but it's worth playing at least once.

The other extras are similarly well-done. There's a 5-minute featurette about UNIT (the paramilitary organization that assisted the Third Doctor ). This is narrated by Courtney and shows a wide range of clips from several decades' worth of TV "DW". There are also informative actor biographies and a more-hit-than-miss photo gallery. The hidden feature (accessible on the main menu) is an outtake from the story's opening titles sequence.

On the whole, this DVD is a welcome treasure to State-side "Doctor Who" fans. Hopefully, subsquent DW DVD releases will match it for quality, breadth, and plain old enjoyment.

Doctor Who: Spearhead from Space
It's appropriate that "Spearhead from Space" is one of the first DVD "Doctor Who" releases since it's Jon Pertwee's debut as the Doctor, the first color "Doctor Who" story and the first to be made entirely on location and film. For reasons of space, I won't go into plot details but it's a strong story with top notch performances by the entire cast. This DVD rendering really shines with a clean print presented in episodic form for the first time on US video. (The cassette is a compilation print.) Also restored is the missing "Episode 3" caption which is mysteriously missing from US television prints. There are plenty of extras too. A running commentary by actors Nicholas Courtney and Caroline John is fun to listen to. Their recall about events and people from 30+ years ago is suprising but very welcome. The 5-minute UNIT recruitment film which spoofs army films is good for a chuckle. There's also an Easter Egg of an alternate Pertwee title sequence. To find it, select "Scene Selection" from the main menu and press the left arrow on your remote twice. It's surprising how much work went into this DVD for a show supposedly with declining popularity while other more well known shows get the short end of the stick on DVD. ("Star Trek" anyone?) All in all a good way to start your "Doctor Who" DVD collection.

Brilliant!
This is naturally one of the all time greats, the start of
season seven, one of Who's finest, along with seasons fourteen and twenty, it is an atypically dark, atmospheric, sophisticated and adult season, and this is the kick off!
I notice one reviewer decided to stick the boots into this story and say "go watch Sylvester MacCoy, the intellectual pinnacle of the series". Well, if some dimwit hanging from his brolly trying to be funny is your idea of an intellectual pinnacle, then you should take this "fan" person's advice.
In my personal opinion, the "intellectual pinnacle" of Dr.Who was the period in which Christopher H Bidmead was either script editing or contributing scripts, alomng with the other writers he personally enocuraged to contribute to the series, such as the brilliant Christopher Bailey, SF author Steve Gallagher and writer/director Peter Grimwade. I refer to seasons 18, 19, 20, and 21. Stories like Warrior's Gate, Logopolis/Castrovalva, Kinda/Snakedance, and the trilogy Mawdryn Undead, Terminus and Enlightenment. Bidmead's idea that Dr.Who could be double layered, with a story which follows the conventions of a TV adventure serial on the first level and a serious examination of themes, issues and ideas about other people, cultures, societies and ways of life, was truly inspired and led to some stunning tales, which were as much Sapphire and Steel and Twilight Zone as they were classic Dr.Who. But MacCoy? His era was like a silly pardody aimed at kids. But Spearhead from space is great, not aimed at the "intellectual" end of the market perhaps, but still a slick, witty, clever blend of thriller, horror and SF, that is exciting and pleasing and ushers in an era that is mature and thought-provoking. The first of a few great eras, in fact. For my money, Pertwee and Davison, along with early Tom Baker, leave the rest largely in the shade, especially MacCoy! And this tale is one of Pertwee's finest! Now, where's Inferno?

A bit duller than many other episodes, but still fun moments
John Pertwee is fun to watch and is one of the livelier actors to play the Doctor. However, this episode takes a while to get going and is slow at times, even for Dr. Who. It is good goofy fun like most Dr. Who, but it is not the most exciting episode and I've seen other Pertwee episodes that should have been on DVD ahead of this one. Dr. Who fans will still enjoy it, but if you're looking for your first Dr. Who episode to buy, try The Ark In Space or Tomb Of The Cybermen first.

First of Jon Pertwee and First Color Dr. Who
This brings to a close(temporarily) the space/time traveling freedom of Dr. Who. Patrick Troughton and William Hartnell's Dr.s misbehavior punishment falls on Jon Pertwee. Thier is good continuety between this and the War Games(even thought the two are totally different). Pertwee explains that he must "try to use his machine" but fails and then explains in less than flattering terms about the timelords. Spearhead also introduces the Autons and an excellent actor named John Woodnut who would appear in many following episodes with Tom Baker(namely Terror of the Zygons and Keeper of Traken). The first epsiode is a little slow (and it needs to be) to slowly introduce Jon Pertwee as Dr. Who. After that it picks up when he leaves the hostpitol and starts doing his job as Dr. Who and one who would then be offered the position of Unit's Scientific Advisor. ... Read more