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"The Daleks" (sometimes called "The Dead Planet") is the second-ever Doctor Who serial, presented with all seven unedited episodes on one tape. First broadcast between December 1963 and February 1964, the story ensured the program's success by introducing the Doctor's most iconic enemies. Five hundred years after a nuclear war has devastated the planet Skaro, the Doctor (William Hartnell), Barbara, Ian, and Susan materialize in a petrified forest where the pacifist, and decidedly camp, Thals face starvation. Our heroes visit a nearby city that is home to the last remaining Daleks, terrifyingly cold-blooded mutants encased in armed, pepper-pot-like shells, and become involved in a desperate battle for survival. Given a nightmarish atmosphere by Tristram Cary's surreal electronic score, "The Daleks" proved the template for many a future Doctor Who adventure. Hartnell's Doctor is a surprisingly self-serving hero, and the ambitious storytelling, which reflects the cold war fears of the time, belies a tiny budget. The story, remade for the cinema as Dr Who and the Daleks (1965) and starring Peter Cushing, is still both an effective, if at times unintentionally hilarious, entertainment and an essential piece of television history. A superior sequel, "The Dalek Invasion of Earth," was screened in late 1964. --Gary S. Dalkin ... Read more

Reviews (19)

This episode should be exterminated
First let me state unequivocally that I love the Daleks. I have Dalek wav's on my computer and a little Dalek figure action on my desk. And William Hartnell is, as far as I'm concerned, the quintessential Doctor. So I was quite excited to get this rather long series, the second ever Doctor Who series and the first ever featuring the Daleks. And it took me forever to get through it! While it's historical value to the evolution of Doctor Who is enormous, the fact is that these episodes are mostly a snooze.

For starters, the Daleks are awfully talky, which kind of minimizes the effect (not to mention that they are a bit hard to understand what with the Dalek voices and 1960's era sound quality). Susan, again, is frequently hysterical, which just seems odd for a character who is supposed to be so brave and who has traveled throughout time and space. The Thals (...) are too one-dimensional to hold one's attention for this many episodes, even taking into account that Doctor Who was, at the time, a children's program.

The one truly interesting part of this set is the fairly in-depth look at how the Daleks function. At least we get an acknowledgement about the Daleks' mobility issues and weaknesses and a sense of what makes them work. Unfortunately, the humans are far less interesting, especially the Thals, although the romantic tension between Barbara and one of the blonde Thal he-man is sort of interesting as well, although not nearly as interesting as watching the white shirts and dresses of all the characters stay perfectly white as they tramp through the mud and the swamp over the course of several days, suffering through the early stages of radiation poisoning without a dry cleaner in sight.

These episodes gain a little in impressiveness when you realize they were done around the same time that Star Trek was taking off in the states, and the comparison is fun to watch, although here there is something to be said for the usually annoying American habit of wrapping everything up in one tidy hour. This story arc deserves more than an hour, but could have easily been finished in 4 episodes. Instead, it just drags on. Get it for the historical value, but don't expect to be riveted.

'The Daleks¿ is a must to own.
This is my favorite Doctor Who tape. It has a great combination of original ideas, good effects and suspense. This is definitely an item with collector value.

The story contains all the original cast, being only the second adventure in the entire Doctor Who series. It is also includes the first appearance of the Daleks.

The story effects are impressive for their time. I particularly like the dead forest and the view of the Dalek city. One other memorable aspect is the eerie metallic sound used in the scenes shot within the Dalek city.

There were few disappointments for me with this story, apart from William Hartnell having trouble with some of his lines. I understand however that this was a continuing problem throughout his tenure.

One thing to bear in mind for this and all the Doctor Who stories is that they were originally designed as a television serial. Individual episodes were screened each Saturday afternoon. It therefore inevitably alters the viewing experience to watch each story as a complete series of episodes on one tape. Individual perceptions of each Doctor will also be influenced by personal history. I grew up in the sixties and prefer the early Doctors. Other people that I know grew up in the seventies and prefer the Tom Baker years. Notwithstanding the above there should be a reason for all Doctor Who fans to own this tape.

Unwilling Adventurers
"The Daleks", the second-ever "Doctor Who" story, is a brilliant example of world building. The TARDIS's first flight away from the Earth is accomplished without flying saucers and without children on board: ground-breaking, for the science fiction of its day. 40 years later, "Doctor Who" is still traveling through time and space, because "The Daleks" got there first.

In retrospect, "The Daleks" is helped by its seven-episode length. Half an hour goes by before we even see a Dalek and an hour before we see a Thal, and those are the first two alien races the show ever gave us. But there's something even better in their place: sets. Even though it's confined to studio, Skaro is a thoroughly alien world. The establishing shots are overexposed, making everything look "white and ashy". There's also a creepy alien corpse and a pristine flower (that, naturally, the Doctor ignores). When we finally get to the Dalek city, the doorways are weird and angular. Tristram Cary's unnerving score further sets the mood.

While Skaro looks more impressive than you'd expect from the story's 1963 vintage, here's a TARDIS crew completely at odds with each other. William Hartnell's Doctor is as selfish as he ever got, sabotaging his own ship just so he can lure the others down to the city. After Ian and Barbara (who calls herself an "unwilling adventurer") demand food, he takes them to his food machine... and doesn't offer them a thing. When he learns that Skaro's air is poisonous, he's ready to run back to the TARDIS and take off... leaving the missing Barbara behind. He's a childish old man, and, thanks to a daring script, is on death's door 20 minutes later.

Although the story takes seven episodes to tell, each individual episode is built entirely around one key concept. Though all of the third episode is devoted to "The Escape", for example (events which in the show's later years could be compressed to eight minutes), it's very carefully done. There's innocence, for example, when no-one realizes that the Daleks are monitoring their cell. The Daleks' interrogation of the Doctor is creepy, as the ailing Doctor is forced to kneel in a pool of harsh white light, with the Daleks willing to let him die since they can't spare anti-radiation drugs.

Once the TARDIS crew escapes, the Thals (withheld from view until the third episode) take over the story. We're told the natural history of Skaro -- a war waged with neutron bombs which ended thousands of years in civilization in a single. The Dals, the philosopher-kings, became twisted creatures living in metal shells, dependent on static electricity. The warmongering Thals became tall, elegant farmers, whose onscreen presence is even more imposing thanks to shrewd direction -- when Susan meets the story's first Thal, Alydon, he appears to be ten feet tall, until we see he's just standing on a ledge.

The story's moral centerpiece is the debate about pacifism versus non-violence. How far will the Thals go to keep their core values while fighting off the Daleks? The Daleks, merely paranoid in the first episodes (killing the Thals' pacifist leader, wrongly believing him to be a spy), quickly become ruthless when they realize that they'll have to flood Skaro with more radiation in order to survive... even though all the Thals will die. Most of episodes four and five are concerned with Ian's attempts to teach the Thals that "some things are worth preserving". On the flip side of that argument is the Doctor (and a vengeful Barbara), who merely want to turn the Thals into disposable shock troops, so the Doctor can retrieve his lost equipment from the city and leave the Thals to chance. It's a long argument, and a risky one, and, in the end, neither side is right, and he Thals' death toll mounts quickly. However, Ian's plan (stealth and intelligence, not violence) wins the day.

It's been said that the final "Doctor Who" TV story, 1989's "Survival", featured a "harsh" repudiation of Ian's morality. I don't think this a good idea, or even an accurate one. More important by 1989 was the realization that Susan didn't have to be a screaming teen afraid of walking alone outdoors. On the whole, Ian's morality remains intact under today's scrutiny; the Thals would have all died, without it. Even so, we're not meant to applaud Ian's simulated kidnapping of a Thal woman. At any rate, Hartnell's Doctor was not a pacifist, and without the human element of Ian and Barbara, would never have become the hero the series later needed him to be. When the Dalek plan is halted, a dying Dalek approaches the Doctor for mercy: "Stop our power from wasting." His response? "Even if I wanted to, I don't know how."

The story ends with an extended dialogue, as the Thals mourn their dead and the Doctor, a hero at least, offers benedictions (with a grim warning of "other wars to fight"). There aren't too many light moments in the story (apart from the exchange where Ian finally nails the Doctor for getting his last name wrong), but it's all very pleasant at the end, and we even learn a little more about the Doctor's past.

You could believe, from watching "The Daleks", that "Doctor Who" was built to a careful master plan. Each character (even Susan) was allowed room to grow and regress, early on. By the show's third season, the creation process was more haphazard, with things made up as they went along -- witness the Daleks' descent into comedy villains. However, "The Daleks", in spite of being only the second show, is quite possibly as good as "Doctor Who" gets.

The most evil creatures ever in the universe!
I must admit, when I first heard of the Daleks, I did NOT expect them to look like trash dispensers with plungers attached to them. In fact when I first watched this adventure, I laughed at the sight of them, because by today's standards they look somewhat ridiculous... at first. But after seeing just how cruel, vicious, and deadly they can be, I changed my tune considerably.

This was the good Doctor's first of many encounters with his arch-enemies, the Daleks. This was the second Doctor Who adventure, and it would be something that would solidify the show's popularity for years to come.

It is in this adventure that TARDIS crew land on a eerily deserted planet, a planet that had gone through a devastating neutronic war between the two races, the Thaals and the Daals. Soon they are being affected by the radiation fallout, are captured by the Daleks, they make their escape and meet the Thaal people. Soon a final battle is engaged, and the Thaals are victorious over the Daleks.

I enjoyed this adventure, for it is a prime example of intelligent writing and powerful acting. This story is very multi-layered as it serves as a sort of social allegory for what could happen as a result of the use of nuclear weapons for war. In addition, it serves up a fair amount of drama in regards to how far can one stay the course of pacifism before taking action. Some other great points are the Thaals themselves, the males in particular, the wardrobe makes them look as if they are part of the Kevin Sorbo Appreciation Society. but seriously, this is a great adventure and very essential for any Doctor Who fan.

One of the Best of the Hartnell Era
This, the 2nd story of the series is quite cinematic and grand in scope. And it is great to watch the evolution of the series as the production team started to get a feel for the format of the series. Having said that, this is one of the best of the Hartnell years. Hartnell himself is always charming, if not short-tempered and sometimes meanspirited. In these older episodes Ian and Barbara are the heroes. Also, let me say I am not a Dalek fan, but as far as those pesky creatures go this is one of their better showings. The story is very atmospheric and dark, though it does run a bit long. Overall, great stuff and some of the best Hartnell had to offer. ... Read more

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Crystalline aliens lurk in their ship in the vicinity of the shield that keeps Gallifrey safe from its enemies, and the Doctor, in his Tom Baker incarnation, is engaged in highly suspicious negotiations with them. As he takes his seat as president of the Time Lords Council and displays ever-increasing signs of paranoia, expelling Leela (Louise Jameson) to the barren area outside the Time Lords' citadel, could it be that he has turned to the dark side? Or is this all a cunning plan?

This is one of the most inventive of the Doctor's adventures back home on Gallifrey, with nicely judged portrayals of the senior Time Lord bureaucracy, some suspenseful journeys through the Tardis's interior, and a surprise appearance by particularly unpleasant old enemies. The real high point, though, is Tom Baker's performance, more barnstorming than ever before, at times blazingly angry and at times even more terrifying when soft-spokenly whimsical; this is a story line that reminds us that the various incarnations of the Doctor are impressive as well as charming. --Roz Kaveney ... Read more

Reviews (16)

The Doctor betrays his own people and Leela/first K9 leave!
In this episode the Doctor returns home to Gallifrey with Leela and K9.Unknown to the Time Lords , the Doctor is in league with aliens called Vardans who take over Gallifrey.Leela flees Gallifrey and meets Time Lord dropouts. The Doctor defeats the Vardans, but an old enemy is waiting to take over, the Sontarans. Finally the Doctor defeats the Sontarans and his memoory of being Time Lord President erased. Leela stays behind with a member of the security guards on Gallifrey.Also the Original K9 stay with his mistress.In the end the Doctor starts to build a replaceement for K9.This episode is the end of season 15. The next story to follow this is the Key to Time episode "The Ribos Operation". This episode is approx 6 episode long!Also why not put this on two tapes!Where is the stories that comes before it "The Sumakers" and "Underworld"?also please starting putting Doctor Who on DVD for the American fans!Thank You!Only buy this video if you're a fan of Tom Baker,The Sontarans,Leela or K9!Otherwise rent it before you buy it possible!

Bum Rap Earned, But still worthy
This is perhaps the most maligned of the Tom Baker - Louise Jameson Dr. Who episodes and the justification is aptly deserved: Jameson's Leela, my personal favorite of all the Doctor's companions, makes a major whimp-out of an exit from the series in a scene that was arrived at, not written. Reportedly, Jameson decided during the production to have it be her farewell episode but the director apparently failed to consult the scriptwriters before the cast and crew shot the passage where she and the Doctor part ways, and it's abrupt ineffectiveness mars and distracts from what otherwise is a quite satisfactory -- if overlong -- adventure. The Doctor brings Leela to Gallifrey where he brusquely stakes his claim as Lord President of the Time Lords, then inexplicably has her banished from the Citadel to what appears to be a sand pit by a drainage ditch. Meanwhile, the Doctor and K9 embark on a plan to ensare the Vardans, shimmering Alien Menace creatures depicted as bits of wrinkled cellophane with a light reflecting off of them, who have designs upon the Time Lords that Baker's Who never seemed to have bothered asking about. So all of a sudden there is civil war in the Citadel as some side with the Invaders and another sect sides behind the unremittingly dull Commander Andred, the swine that will end up winning Leela's heart during romantic scenes that are never shown. Why? Because the plot is too busy having the Sontarrens pop up out of nowhere, claiming that the Vardens were just their pawns [you following this?] and that they are there to achieve victory over Time itself. Uh-huh. I wouldn't have had a problem with any of this if the all important question of just when did Leela and Andred hook up? was answered. In fact, she spends the majority of the adventure running around with the pretty but aloof Rodan [that's right, the same name as the giant rubbery Japanese space monster] and acting tough in front of the local outcast Time Lords who live in the sand pit by the drainage ditch, subsisting on walnuts. All of that is so unnecessary but somewhat redeemed by what I look upon as a clever segment set inside of the Tardis where the Sontarrens stomp around and look menacing while our heroes get lost in the endless corridors and storage rooms, which all look suspicously the same. Much scorn has been levied against this part of the episode because it was shot on found locations rather than decorated movie sets, but I actually find it intruguing, demonstrating how the Tardis really is infinite in the space it contains and not all of it necessarily has to look like the control room. But all criticism with this episode has to boil down to Leela's exit and our displeasure with how offhandedly it is treated. Someone we have grown to respect and care for steps aside and says goodbye to shack up with the most boring man on Gallifrey for NO apparent reason, and I just don't buy it. Still, the installment is another tour-de-force for Baker as the Doctor, has some great scenes involving K9 [whom I usually find annoying, I must admit] and a delightfully slimy character in the person of Castellan Kellner. Overlong and overwrought and bittersweet because of the Leela cop-out, but still worthy, and a must-have for Jameson fans. It's not her fault. Recommended.

My favorite Doctor Who story. Hopefully a DVD release soon!
One of the most overlooked and under-appreciated stories but for the serious Doctor Who fan or even if you just started watching, it's great piece. Tom Baker is at his best - a great display of his wit and slapstick style. The dialogue and incidental music are well crafted. An excellent supporting cast with great development of the supporting characters - Borusa, played by John Arnatt, is the best of all 4 actors to play Borusa. The Castellan is a subservient weasel, played wonderfully by Milton Johns. The episode provides a deeper look into Timelord capital society but also has the fun "chase" scene through the TARDIS (which has a much more interesting look than in the Davidson era and beyond). Additionally, this story really keeps you wondering, who are the "good guys" and who are the villains? Even the Doctor is thrown into the mix!
This story got me hooked on Doctor Who nearly 20 years ago!!!! Still my favorite and always will be!!!
PLEASE RELEASE ON DVD SOON!!!!!!!

Exciting return to Gallifrey for the Doctor
The closing story of FDoctor Who's fifteenth season begins with the unthinkable. The Doctor signs a contract with three unknown and unseen aliens in space. He has ordered Leela inside the TARDIS. When he comes in, she is bursting with questions. The Doctor tells her to ask K9 to tell her to shut up. When she starts to comply, she catches herself with an angry "How dare you?"

His behaviour becomes more erratic. He sees Borusa, his former teacher and now Chancellor, played with dry and acerbic aplomb by Leonard Arnatt, and arrogantly claims his birthright, demanding to become inaugurated president of the High Council of Time Lords. The presidential investiture ceremony echoes that of a bishop or pope being sworn in. And when he's told, "I give you the Matrix," the network containing the sum total of knowledge and memories of dead Time Lords, I found myself thinking, "Good thing it doesn't have Keanu Reeves in it."

With the aliens fully in control, he then instigates a full-scale purge of Time Lords who could be construed as troublemakers to his regime, even ordering Leela banished into the "barbaric garden" of Outer Gallifrey. He is aided in this by the Castellan Kelner, whose obsequious surface masks motives of self-preservation, as he is quick to switch allegiances. Kudos to Milton Johns for his portrayal.

Like The Deadly Assassin, there's another incompetent Guard commander, Andred. He's played by Christopher Tranchell, who previously appeared in the no-longer existent Who story The Faceless Ones. However, he isn't as brutal as his predecessor.

The interior of the Doctor's TARDIS, and I'm not just talking about the control room is one of the best reasons to watch this story, as one finally gets the idea of dimensional transcendentalism. The scene involving the storage room is reminiscent of Monty Python's deja vu sketch, giving it a surreal edge. However, for a real design triumph, the Doctor's funky-looking presidential office is a masterpiece.

Along with the usual manic grins and jokes by the Doctor, there are two funny exchanges. When the Doctor's bodyguard protests that he'll be shot by the Castellan for leaving his side, the Doctor responds with. "That's all right. I'll have him [the Castellan] shot." Later, Andred tells him, "You have access to the greatest source of knowledge in the universe." Doctor: "Well, I do talk to myself sometimes, yes." Andred: "I mean the Matrix." Doctor: "Oh, that old thing."

The Invasion Of Time sees the farewell of two popular companions, and an unrewarding one on the part of Leela. She really proves her mettle here, being the tough warrior, believing in the Doctor despite his odd behaviour, and overall, has been one of the most intrepid and fearless companions of the Doctor, yet she suffers the fate of companions Susan, Vicki, and Jo Grant. WHY?? Her scenes with Rodan, a young Time Lord, not a gigantic double-crested barking pterodactyl from Toho Studios, are great. Rodan seems to be a prototype for Romana I, who would be the Doctor's companion in the following season. Hilary Ryan does a good job being the technically-skilled but sheltered counterpart to Leela's hardy experienced person.

This six-parter is one of the all-time classics, although it's probably best to first watch The Deadly Assassin, probably more classic than this story, in order to remember Gallifreyan institutions and Borusa. The Invasion Of Time adds more information on Gallifrey.

First 4 episodes interesting, last 2 are just ridiculous.
The Doctor returns to Gallifrey and declares himself President, seems to be hell-bent on assisting a sinister alien takeover. What follows is an intriguing look at the Time Lord society in decay. The fact that the Doctor can stroll in and become president on a technicality shows flaws have developed in their legal system, and there are now bands of outsiders who have abandoned life in the cities and now live as savages. Indeed, some of the best scenes are out in the wilds, a never-before-seen part of Gallifrey. Tom Baker is good as an almost sinister Doctor, and his Presidential Office is an unusual design. Though the first four episodes are sometimes a little on the slow side, if the story had finished at the end of Episode Four it would probably have been remembered as a fairly good adventure. What really lets the story down is the contrived arrival of the Sontarans. A far cry from Kevin Lindsay's intelligent warrior, these Sontarans are comedy stormtroopers. They spend two pointless episodes blundering about the corridors of Gallifrey's city, and an abandoned hospital (?) which seems to exist inside the Tardis. It's very tricky to take them seriously, especially as their leader has a cockney accent, and they have cardboard helmets with cut-out eye-holes that look like they were made for a school play. This story might be worth a look if you're interested in Time Lord society, but fans of Sontarans would be better off tracking down 'Time Warrior' or 'Sontaran Experiment'. ... Read more

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The Tardis materializes on a pseudo-Edwardian schooner in the middle of a space race run by the mind-reading Eternals. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

This was a keeper!
I really enjoyed this doctor who adventure. I am not a big fan of Davidson, but this story had such an enchanted twist to it, that I very often find myself playing the tape again. The theme about ships floating in space is different and the various captains of each ship make for an enjoyable and wildly entertaining episode. Tegan is as annoying as ever with her constant moaning and complaining, but does manage to lighten up as she prepares to attent a wonderful dinner aboard the boat of Iraq. I must say that I very much enjoyed the actress who played the captain "Irag." She was awesome and a believeable villan. If you are not a big Davidson fan, but you want to buy just one tape from this doctor, this is the one to purchase.

An "Enlightening" Review
This was always one of my favorite Doctor Who epidodes. It's mysterious, exciting, well written, and well played. A true Doctor Who classic. I'd put it in the top five of the greatest Doctor Who episodes. The "confrontation" between the Black and White guardians at the end is thought provoking, and an end is finally brought to Turlough's annoying two-facedness. The Eternals are brilliantly, even chillingly, well played. And while it has been mentioned that Captain Wrack (sp?) is far to emotional to be a true Eternal, I think that is easily explained by the mulitude of extreamly emotional people she is "feeding" off of. On the down side, the costumes of the Black and White guardians are less than impressive when compared to how they previously looked. I think a simpler aproach than the decked out outfits they were kitted up with would have worked better. But this is a small part of the overall story and doesn't really make that much difference.
This is a truly wonderful episode and a must for any Doctor Who video collection.

Tell the Doctor, winner takes all!
That's the message the White Guardian desperately tells Tegan in the final chapter of the Black Guardian/Turlough trilogy, which concludes with a fascinating concept dealing with immortal Eternals and mortal Ephemerals, in which being an Ephemeral is better. The Eternals are engaged in a spaceship race, where the craft are replicas of Earth vessels from various periods, with the officers and crew wearing uniforms conforming to a given period. The craft the TARDIS crew land on is an early 20th century Edwardian racing yacht, with the crew taken from 1901, the same year the first British submarine was launched. The prize? Enlightenment.

The Eternals don't have human ingenuity and imagination of their own, something that Ephemerals, or as Tegan says accurately, "human beings," are gifted with. The Doctor denounces them as parasites who feed on living minds.

Turlough's desperation is at a fever pitch here. He constantly beseeches the Black Guardian for advice, but by this time, the powerful being is fed up with the boy and has doomed him to living until he kills the Doctor. He looks more to the Doctor as his source of guidance and protection, but the weasel always working to better his position, especially when it appears he is joining sides with Wrack, the menacing pirate captain of the Buccaneer who has an equally menacing laugh. Kudos to Lynda Barron.

Tegan's her usual grumpy self, but she does show outrage when the Eternals react to the destruction of a rival competitor without compassion. Heck, I would be grumpy if I was being courted by a first mate who finds my mind fascinating.

In the dinner scene, the Doctor appreciates fine wine like he did in Day Of The Daleks. He also finds time to change his celery.

The best line is when the Doctor tells the seasick Tegan, "Brave heart, Tegan." To which the hapless Australian replies, "It's not my heart I'm worried about."

Marriner is the only Eternal who is the closest to likable, as he helps the Doctor aboard the Buccaneer. True, his obsession with Tegan makes him like a creep sometimes, but he is beginning to find out what it's like to be human. If he could choose, would he forsake his immortality in exchange for living with Tegan, or is his emotional insulation, as Romana would've called it, too advanced for him to actually care for her? It's almost like Wim Wenders' Himmel Uber Berlin.

The balance of power in the universe can be summed up in this exchange between the Black and White Guardian.

White Guardian: You will never destroy the light.
Black Guardian: Others will do it for me.
White Guardian: Destroy the light and you destroy yourself. Dark cannot exist without knowledge of light.
Black Guardian: "Nor light without dark."

That knowledge itself is enlightening.

The Best Dr Who Ever!
Enlightenment is surley the best Dr Who ever-Seriously! It is futuristic and is a joy to watch. Everyone puts in there best efforts and with a great storyline, GREAT musicand great outfits E.T.C It makes it probably the best Dr Who adventure of all time! COULDN'T RECCOMEND IT MORE!

Winner Takes All
Originally, I was never impressed with the final story in this Black Guardian trilogy. That's because I watched it as an edited movie, and it didn't seem to flow very well. But in its episodic parts, as on this tape, it works much better. I think the only problem I had with this story of timeless beings known as Eternals, racing through space in sailboats to reach the prize of Enlightenment was the performance of Linda Baron as Wrack, the pirate. It was a great performance, but all wrong for the character of the empty Eternal. She played the pirate over the top. Fun, but wrong for the story and character. ... Read more

Description

The Doctor, Sarah Jane and Harry uncover a plot by the Cybermen to destroy all gold in the solar system. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

One of the best Cyberman stories.
The Doctor and his companions return from Skaro after 'Genesis of the Daleks' to Nerva Beacon, which is in isolation due to a mysterious plague. Before long the remains of the Cyberman army is on the scene.

This is a well-written and interesting story - it is here that we discover the effect gold has on the Cybermen, who are at their menacing best. The characters are well-thought-out, there are some memorable scenes, the cybermats are finally creepy rather than comical and there is a nice doom-laden soundtrack. Seeing the Doctor arriving in the past of a location he visited in a previous story is also an interesting idea.

A much maligned classic!
Okay, I admit I gave this episode four stars just to catch your eye. I'm that kind of deceitful, attention-grasping loser. But now that you're here, I'll be honest and say that I do indeed consider this an episode scorned by vengeful fans, who hate it for all the wrong reasons. I would give it a solid three and a half stars, or better.

"Cybermen" is Tom Baker's only tangle with this staple villain of the Dr. Who series; the clanking, droning, mechanical men bent on...gasp!...conquest of the universe (why do machines always want to conquer the universe?) He twice battled both the Daleks and the Sontarans, and crossed swords with the Master at least three or four times, but for the tin men, this his is his sole contribution. Apparently, fans of previous doctors found the Cybermen as they are portrayed in this episode to be extremely lame and toothless, and felt a good villain had been wronged with a weak portrayal. I have admittedly little interest in the other doctors, being a Baker freak, so I can't really say, though I admit the more mobile (and combustible!) versions I saw in "The Five Doctors were more threatening.

"Revenge" is an underrated episode for several reasons. First off, it makes excellent use of the underground caves in which it was primarily shot; given the show's modest (meaning pathetic) budget, Dr. Who episodes were generally stronger when shot on location than when they were entirely confined to sets. The costume design is very good, the script clever and full of double-crosses, the villains suitably evil (excluding the admittedly boring Cyberleader), and the plot imaginative and well-developed. I also thought the regular cast (the Doc, Harry & Sarah) and the guest starts worked very well together.

The story is, I think, one of the better and more inventive of the series, since it does not depend on the standard formula of A) the Doctor delivering some or other race from oppressive masters or B) the Doctor foiling yet another conquest of Earth by aliens. "Revenge" is about an earth beacon designed to monitor space traffic around Jupiter is quaranteened when a plague breaks out on board. Only three crewmen and a smarmy scientist named Kellerman, who is on board to study a newly discovered moon of Jupiter, remain alive on the dismal space station. Cue the Doctor and friends, who as usual arrive just in time to be blamed for causing the plague. Of course, the Doc quickly figures out that the plague is not a plague at all, but a poison delivered by a nasty mechanical slug which, as it turns out, answers to Kellerman, who controls it like a homicidal radio-controlled car (but then he's a homicidal guy). The Doc recognizes the technology as that of the Cybermen, and when he realizes Jupiter's new moon is in fact the blasted remains of planet Voga, whose population are the Cybermen's natural enemy, he puts two and two together: the tin men, still smarting from the beating they took in their last war with the Vogans, have arrived to wipe them out once and for all. Unfortunately, he does not do his addition in time to stop the Cybermen from showing up and knocking everybody cold with their silly head-mounted stun guns, and then forcing them to carry into the planet core the bombs which the metalheads plan to use to blow the planet to bits, thus eliminating the universe's most ready supply of gold (which said Cyberman find lethal) and allowing the Cyber army to, well, conquer everybody.

The story moves to the planet, where it turns out a scheming Vogan bigshot named Vorus has been planning all along to lure these last remnants of the Cybermen back to Voga and then blast them into tin foil with a big ass rocket. This is the story's nicest twist, and features a very unexpected double cross, but Vorus' scheming backfires all the same, and now it is a race to see which side's ultimate plan will carry the day.

This episode has some silly moments (those head-mounted guns are as intimidating as slingshots that shoot marshmallows), the Cybermen are indeed dull villains with their plodding gait and monotone voices, and there are some logical inconsistencies you can drive a truck through (if gold kills Cybermen, why are guns which fire gold bullets useless against them but handfulls of gold dust thrown into their chest apparatus fatal?...why isn't the gold-dust-laden air poisonous to them? Why don't the Vogans, the arch-enemies who defeated them in the space war, have weapons that would kill them?) But I feel none of these things does enough to drag "Revenge" down. It is a good, solid, fun episode from, if you will pardon the pun, the show's "golden age" and it deserves a second chance.

THE CYBERMEN ARE BACK!
The Cybermen return after a long absence to pose more havic for the Doctor and his companions. The story is a bit of a mystery as the Doctor , HArry and Sarah return to Nerva Beacon. They have traveled back in time to find the station used as a ... This is an excellent Doctor WHo story

Welcome back, Cybermen. Has it really been 7 years?
It's been seven years after the 1968 story The Invasion that the Cybermen put in a full appearance, apart from a cameo in The Mind Of Evil and Carnival Of Monsters. As the Cybermen were overused in the Troughton era, coming out in four stories in three years, perhaps a long absence was necessary. But guess what? It would be another seven years until Earthshock in the Peter Davison era.

The adventure starts aboard the space station from The Ark In Space, where the TARDIS crew are waiting for their wayward time machine. The Doctor opens a door and a body leaning on the other side falls toward him. But in a sterile atmosphere, with "no sign of injury" and "nothing to indicate a cause of death," what could have happened? The Doctor, Harry, and Sarah have to tiptoe through a trail of bodies sprawled along the corridor. Captured by Commander Stevenson and his second-in-command Lester, they learn that a plague is responsible. With the discovery of a Cybermat, the Doctor realizes who's behind the deaths of 47 crewmen.

Key to this is Voga, the legendary planet of gold instrumental in wiping out the Cybermen in the Cyber Wars centuries ago. Two factions, the long-haired Councillors wearing tatty fishnet robes, and the Guardians, with clipped shorter hair and wearing black vests with gold pinstripes, are at odds with each other, although the cautious but kindly Councillor Tyrum is clearly the wiser as opposed to the audacious and ruthless Guardian leader Vorus.

A Cyberleader makes his first appearance here and this is one of the most curious ones ever. He has an obvious non-British accent and speaks of Voga in a hateful tone. How can creatures of logic use words like "unhappily," and "it is good"? Even the Doctor says, "For a moment, I thought he was going to smile."

The Doctor also has fun taunting the Cybermen: "You have no home planet, nothing. You're just a bunch of tin soldiers skulking around the galaxy in an ancient spaceship." And thanks to the glittergun, Cybermen were nothing but "gold-plated souvenirs that people used as hat stands." Ouch and double ouch!

The Cybermen are the same as in The Invasion, with the handlebars on both sides of their heads, but with slight modifications.

One item of curiosity: the Seal of Gallifrey is apparent in Councillor Tyrum's chamber, appearing on his table, and on Vorus' uniform. Was there a Gallifreyan influence on the Vogan civilization, i.e. a time agent of the Celestial Intervention Agency? The symbol later appears in The Deadly Assassin so I wonder if the series producer coopted it to become the Seal of Gallifrey. Interesting. Another is Sarah's remark of travelling for weeks, meaning that there were further adventures after Genesis Of The Daleks, the previous televised story.

Michael Wisher who plays the worrying Magrik, has an offscreen role as crewman Colville. Busy guy, considering he was Davros in the previous story, Genesis Of The Daleks. Kevin Stoney (Tyrum) also appeared in another Cybermen story, The Invasion, playing Tobias Vaughn.

Goof: English words on a Cybership's screen? Uh, hello?

Revenge Of The Cybermen is a perfect season closer and was the last story of Tom Baker's debut season, but as the second Nerva Beacon story, was filmed back-to-back with The Ark Of Space so they could continue using the same set before it was taken down.
Some have criticized this for story weakness, but in terms of story entertainment, it works.

bbc golden period
tom baker was good in this production defeating the cybermen who where like margarat thatcher bad and made of steal a good story of cheating and revenge you have to watch it to get the idea this was the first video of docter who to be released by the bbc in 1985 ... Read more

Description

In one of the most popular episodes, the Doctor and Romana must abandon plans for a peaceful holiday in Paris when curious cracks appear in the fabric of time itself. ... Read more

Reviews (32)

Most accessible to new Whovians
CITY OF DEATH remains one of the few Doctor Who episodes to not be novelized, despite the fact that it is probably one of the most imaginative, funny and even most accessible to new viewers of the series. It is cheifly written by Douglas Adams, known for his multi-media work THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY. (In fact, the plot for Adams' third HITCHHIKER book was orginally proposed as DOCTOR WHO AND THE KRIKKETMEN, which was turned down for being too silly.) Genre fans may also recognize character actor Julian Glover from INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE or very briefly in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. Monty Python's John Cleese and Eleanor Bron also have cameos. Incidentally, CITY OF DEATH is probably the strongest example of the on-screen chemistry between Tom Baker and Lalla Ward. (They were married a little over a year later.) All in all, this is probably the best post-KEY TO TIME Tom Baker story.

One of Doctor Who's most overrated stories
A lot of fans are quick to state that "City of Death" is one of the greatest Doctor Who stories ever made. I couldn't disagree more.

Placed firmly in what is argueably one of the worst Dr. Who seasons of all time, "City of Death" comes out smelling like roses. But does that make it a good story?

The short answer is, quite frankly, no. Don't get me wrong--Douglas Adams creates some unique one-liners and the cast appears to be having a good time on location in Paris. But what the story lacks is the sophistication, intelligence and pure enjoyment that made up the early Tom Baker stories. Tom Baker's unrestrained performance needs to be roped in a bit and Lalla Ward is a bit too understated in only her second appearance as Romana II. Throw in a storyline that is far too predictable and never really gains any momentum and you've got a mess disguising itself as a classic story.

If you're a Who fan, take the this story and watch it alongside such truly classic stories as Caves of Androzani or Genesis of the Daleks. You'll find that it truly pales by comparison.

more tom baker crap
Shall we take the lift or fly? (...) Really! Other than that moment, this is witty. Then again, most of this season is more or less witty, even Destiny of the Daleks and Craeture from the Pit are witty from time to time. But they're dismissed as rubbish, which they are, but for some reason this is praised to the hilt, probably because this actually looks fairly good with slick production, location filming in Paris and stylish human baddies, one of whom is revealed as an alien. But it's really not much better than the rest of the silly season. If Dr.Who was a light weight comedy show, this would be a giant. But since its a Science Fiction drama, adventure and suspense series, this tale of a masked alien whose head is too big to fit in his mask is overrated beyond belief. It's just another case of, if you're nuts about Tom Baker and assume he's always a genius, you'll love it. If you find him a right bore who lacks the depth of Pertwee, Davison and Troughton, you'll see this pap for what it is! Amusing and nice to look at...but way short of great Who!

"That could have been the most important punch in history!"
The Doctor and Romana visit Paris to see some great art. When time begins to repeat itself, the Doctor suspects something is wrong. This adventure has possibly the best witty lines, as in:

"That Would look silly. We'll thake the lift"
"My dear, no one can be stupid as he seems"

and a lot more lines!

Gets my vote for most overrated story ever
THE GOOD

There's alot going for this story. The location filming is excellent, some pretty funny dialogue(my favourite is the Doctor's "What a wonderful butler. He's so violent") and some intersting indeas and if you like detective stories it is a bit of a throwback to old gumshoe stories of years ago. But........

THE BAD

Cut away all that and you get a pretty routine story who's overall plot is just rehash of The Daemons and Image of the Fendhal(two stories I highly recommend). This story is the Doctor Who equivalent of a boy-band cd. You get all these bells and whistles in the story but very little substance and nothing really you haven't gotten before. Also Scaroth has to be the most unoriginal and generic villain in the shows history(even more unoriginal than the Mandril from Nightmare of Eden). I think this is a case where people have confused popularity with greatness. Sure the story is popular, but so what? Hey the Spice Girls outsold the Beatles does that mean the Spice Girls were the better band? Of course not. Just remember just because its popular doesen't mean its one of the best.

THE UGLY

While Scaroth maybe unoriginal he sure is ugly. ... Read more

Description

The Doctor and Sarah land on the desolate planet Karn amid a spaceship graveyard and are soon welcomed by Professor Solon, who is inordinately preoccupied with the Time Lord's capacious skull. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Silly episode with huge logic holes
Yes, it's nice to see Doctor Who take a break from all the science fiction and fantasy to land in a horror setting. But it's still just another evil villain looking for a new body episode except that Morbius, the disembodied brain of the title, isn't nearly as entertaining a villain as the Master. Who fans sometimes complain that Tom Baker jokes too much and displays humor at inappropriate times, but if ever there was an episode that could use a little camp it's this one, what with the evil scientist, his large, unwitting assistant, and the brain that desperately needs a good head. The writers/producers seemed to have come up with a great idea and no way to really make it work over 4 parts. But the biggest problem is just the plot inconsistencies. Not that Doctor Who gets big points generally on realism, but at least it doesn't usually contradict itself without an attempt at an explanation. Without giving away too much of what plot there is, let's just say that if the mad scientist goes on and on about how perfect the doctor's head is and how much care needs to be taken with it, he doesn't need to come up with tricks to let a group of old women take it off for him. And why not keep the doctor's body as well? Although that would spoil the one moment in this episode that merits it a second star -- the "creature" finally coming to life (which is, truth be told, a great Who moment). If this episode had a sense of humor or a villain with more than one dimension it might have rated as campy fun. With 20 years worth of episodes from which to choose, and most more worthy than this week effort, give this one a pass.

A "bland" Frankenstein story? No way
In the Gothic Tom Baker era of Doctor Who which saw stories influenced by classic horror and sci-fi, The Brain Of Morbius takes on Frankenstein, Igor, and the monster.

On landing on the forbidding world of Karn, the Doctor's in a right sulk, angry at the Time Lords. "Meddlesome interfering idiots, messing about with my TARDIS, dragging us a 1000 parsecs off course." His sulk doesn't last long after seeing a spaceship graveyard, a castle, and a headless body.

He also meets Professor Mehendri Solon, a foremost Earth neurosurgeon, and his hulking barbarian servant Condo, who has a long thick eyebrow and a hook for his left hand that Solon once calls a "chicken-brained biological disaster." Condo is counting on Solon to reattach his real left hand, which had to be removed to save his life. Solon though, is endeavouring to find a head suitable to house the brain of Morbius, something that'll be his greatest and last operation. This is puzzling, as Morbius was a renegade Time Lord who with his followers fought the Time Lords and was defeated and executed by vaporization on Karn. However, what is the weird headless creature with one giant claw in Solon's laboratory?

The Sisterhood, a society of virtually immortal women who guard the Sacred Flame and the Elixir of Life, become alarmed when they realize the Doctor is a Time Lord. They are protective of the Elixir and the Sacred Flame, which has been gradually dying. No flame means no elixir and pretty soon, no Sisterhood. Fearing that the Doctor has been by the Time Lords to steal the last of their Elixir, they kidnap him and sentence him to death. However, aging leader Maren, and her young subordinate Ohica, are thrown when he returns of his own free will (for help) and realize he's not out for their Elixir.

Throughout her travels, Sarah has been kidnapped, cryogenically frozen, hypnotized, and more. Here, she gets blinded (temporarily). As for the Morbius Monster, it is described as "made from butcher's leftovers," "potpourri," "Mr. Allsorts," and as "Chop Suey, the Galactic Emperor." It has to be seen to believed. Hmm, Dr. Who vs. Chop Suey--sounds like a bad sci-fi/kung-fu story. Never mind.

The scene where a brain drops on the floor offended some medical students, but it made for unintentional laughs. However, scenes of strangulation and someone being gassed by cyanide probably didn't go well with Mary Whitehouse, the UK's Tipper Gore on television.

Philip Madoc (Solon) turns in his best performance in a Who story, a performance that's very crucial to the story. He runs the gamut of emotions, enthusiastically welcoming, cool and rational, angry, desperate, exasperated, and distressed, especially in the brain-dropping scene. Cynthia Grenville (Maren) and Gilly Brown (Ohica) also do well in their roles.

But who is Robin Bland, the writer? Former script-editor Terrance Dicks turned in his story the day he went on holiday (big mistake, because the producer and current script editor Robert Holmes were unable to contact him) and when he got back, he was incensed, as the story had been changed so much that it was more Holmes' work. Dicks asked his name to be removed and have some "bland pseudonym" put in its place. When he saw the aired story, credited to Robin Bland, he'd calmed down since then and was disarmed by the joke.

The initial video release was an edited 60 minute programme, and it wasn't until 1996 that it was released in its entirety. This is one of the more popular stories, as the BBC saw fit to include this among the original video releases in the 1980's. Along with the story and strong characters, the studio sets work well, particularly Solon's castle.

Highly Recommended
I hid behind the sofa when I first watched this episode. It was black imitation leather. Funny what sticks in the mind. I love this episode, even though I haven't seen it in almost 30 years. Corridors, a brain, garish lighting, Sarah-Jane, Mary Shelley. I recommend it for any youngster today.

Evil gets a head
With the possible exception of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" I can't think of a show in all television history that makes fun of itself so gleefully without losing its dramatic integrity. This is why I loved "Who" as a kid catching it in fuzzy 22 minute re-runs on late-nite PBS, and why I love it now, when I can watch it on VHS and DVD without being tortured by sadistic fundraisers hawking Channel 26 tote bags.

During Tom Baker's run (I'm not very familiar with the other Doctors yet, having grown up with #4) the writers of the show tended to have the most fun when they borrowed from classic horror tales and concepts. "The Brain of Morbius" follows in this tradition, being more or less the concept of "Frankenstein" set in space, or rather, on a stormy, abandoned graveyard of a planet named Karn.

The story opens with the Doctor throwing a comic tantrum because the Tardis has been diverted to this out of the way dump of a planet against his will. He suspects the Time Lords are manipulating him into doing some dirty work for them, and of course, he's right. Within 30 seconds Sarah, whose portrayal by Liz Sladen I am coming more and more to appreciate as I get older, has discovered not only a number of wrecked spacecraft all in a tiny area but also the headless body of a freshly murdered space traveller. Why is he headless? Why have all these ships crashed in the same spot? Why has the Tardis been diverted to Karn, which was once the seat of power for a renegade Time Lord named Morbius? And while we're on the subject, who lives in that spooky castle on top of the mountain?

"Morbius" like all Who episodes good and bad, has a lot of competing plot elements in it. On the one hand is the Sisterhood of Karn, a group of immortal, telekenetic biddies given to bad makeup, chanting and a burn-them-at-the-stake-first, ask-questions-later mentality. On the other is Dr. Soren (Philip Madoc) and his hook-handed, ape-like assistant Igor, uh, I mean, Condo, who live in the spooky castle with a lot of surgical equipment and seem to have a strange interest in heads with large craniums. The Sisters want to kill the Doctor because they think he's after their Elixir, which is the secret of their immortality and the reason the supposedly dead Morbius came to Karn in the first place. Soren wants the Doctor's severed head to play host for a certain brain he's keeping in the basement. Sarah, who is blinded by Maryn, the grumpy crone who runs the Sisterhood, wants her sight back. And poor Condo just wants to know where Soren is keeping his arm.

Philip Madoc, who later returned to play a small part in the forgettable "Power of Kroll" is spectacular here. He recites incredibly campy and villainous dialogue with such relish it is impossible not to laugh. The best thing about "Doctor Who" has always been the classic, mustasche-twirling evil of its bad guys, and this episode is no exception. Similarly, Baker and Sladen are in very good form, as is the actress who plays Maryn, and the guy who does the voice for Morbius shows what fans of old radio shows have always known -- to make evil come alive, all you need is a great voice.

Of course "Morbius" is not a perfect episode. The scenes with the Sisters are overlong, dreary, and replete with whispery chanting which is so annoying that even the Doctor, who is about to be burned at the stake, can't help complaining, "This music is terrible!" They are nasty, murderous, self-absorbed hags who seem not much better on the moral scale than the crazy Dr. Soren; I can't say I cared whether the reborn Morbius, who looks like he's been put together from spare parts from your local zoo and/or aquarium and is topped off by a fishbowl holding his brain, strangles them all with that nasty-looking crab claw or not. Also, I can't help but feeling a wee bit sorry for the old fella. Living as a disembodied brain in a jar filled with glowing green goo, with only the crazy Dr. Soren and the incredibly stupid Condo for company, has got to be a huge downer. Who can blame him for being so cranky when he wakes up?

As for the controversy surrounding what the Doctor does to Soren, all I can say is, when push comes to shove, Tom Baker's Who shows in numerous episodes that he can be one mean SOB. Besides, as the original Frankenstein discovered, sometimes it's best to let sleeping body parts lie.

This is a GREAT episode!
Some say this was not as good an episode but I must disagree. This is an intriguing Frankenstein type Dr. Who adventure that really has an interesting and chilling plot. The evil villin in this story is Morbius, who once was a timelord like Dr. Who but was destroyed, or so the timelords thought. All that is left is Morbius's brain and he is desperate for a HEAD to put it in. The problem is that most of the alien life forms that he has brought down from the sky have not been suitable homes for the brain of Morbius, that is, until the unexpected entrance of the good Doctor. Dr Solon gets soooo excited at the sight of the head of Doctor Who, that you almost can see him salivate. Hehe. Unfortunately, the Doctor stumbles upon the sisterhood, who hate all intruders, especially males!!! Sarah, the close companion of the Doctor, is as useless as ever and gets herself into more trouble then she is at helping and eventually gets herself temporarily blinded by the ring of the leader of the sisterhood. You can imagine how helpful Sarah is after that! lol. One of the interesting character of this episode is the igor looking helper of Dr. Solon. Dr. Solon has promised (igor) is arm back if he helps him find a head for Morbius's brain. I am not sure how igor lost his arm??? Hmmmm. At any rate, the tale evolves around the Doctor attempting to stop the resurrection of Morbius into a new head while keeping the sisterhood from killing him at the same time. There is a lot of running back and forth between Dr. Solon's laboratory and the caves of the sisterhood. In the end... well, I wont spoil the ending, but I do suggest you add this episode to your collection of Dr. Who's. You wont be disappointed. This episode is one of my favorite with Sarah as the Doctors companion. Have fun! ... Read more

Description

"I have come to destroy you Doctor, once and for all?" The Earth is in terrible danger! The Master is back with an evil scheme to destroy humanity and silence the Doctor forever. His plan? To awaken the awesome power of the Nestene-a ruthlessly aggressive alien life form. Once mixed with plastic, they will form into faceless automatons, a willing army of destruction easily controlled by the evil Time Lord himself. This is the terrible threat now facing the Earth-the terror of the Autons. Aided by the Brigadier and his enthusiastic new assistant, Jo Grant, only the Doctor can combat their evil power, but first he must defeat the Master? Originally transmitted in color January 2nd-23rd 1971, this four part adventure starring Jon Pertwee was lost in its original form. Only a black and white version and an edited color American NTSC standard version remained until now when technology worthy of the Doctor himself has reconciled the two, synchronising them into one full color version. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

I am the Master... and you will obey me!
I am the Reviewer, and you will read this. You will read this... you will read this...

One year after the events of Spearhead From Space, the Doctor has to deal with the Autons again, because a surviving Nestene energy unit that the Brigadier loaned to a museum has been stolen by his arch-enemy, the Master. The Master, a Time Lord like the Doctor, plans to use the globe and a radio telescope to broadcast a signal to invite the Nestenes to victory where they failed before. He also commandeers a plastics factory run by the weak-minded Rex Farrell. Anyone whom he can't hypnotize, he dispatches in ruthless ways, as he does with Mr. McDermott and Mr. Farrell's father. The Doctor, meanwhile, gets a new assistant, the clumsy but adorable Jo Grant, and is drawn into the crisis upon hearing of a raid on a radio telescope research center. Thus begins the opening story of Season Eight, Terror Of The Autons, a classic of classics.

The scene of a Time Lord in a suit, bowler hat, and brolley appearing in mid-air with the noise of a materializing TARDIS borders on the surreal. He and the Doctor trade barbs, but the newcomer is here to warn him about the Master.

Katy Manning, as the cute, blonde, clumsy, and kooky Jo Grant, made her debut here and she's one of the reasons why the Pertwee era is my favorite in the series' history. The miniskirts would come much later, but this is a taste of this season and the ninth and tenth seasons. She accidentally ruins one of his experiments, and the Doctor, who calls her a "hamfisted bun vendor," for that mistake, demands that the Brigadier get rid of her. Jo proves herself worthy by procuring some much-needed parts for him. She eventually becomes one of his longest serving and most beloved assistants.

Roger Delgado is a suave villain and throughout his appearances, I found it hard to hate him. He was charming unlike Anthony Ainley's slimey and odious rendition. Pity he came out in only eight stories and died in a tragic car accident in 1973, thus barring any possible returns to Who.

The troll doll, which raised the ire of viewers, is an ugly thing, which makes it all the more menacing as it stalks the elder Mr. Farrell. The scene of fake policemen (Autons) ordered by the Master to kill the Master and Jo also got angry complaints from Scotland Yard. Gosh, how I love controversial programs, and those that portray policeman (even fake ones), as villains. Yes, I'm still judge the police over the Rodney King, Malice Green, and Amadou Diallo incidents.

It's interesting how our overwhelming dependence on plastic was made plainly clear, and how we'd be in a death trap if anything plastic could come to life and kill us. Strangled by my headphones, impaled by a flying CD,... and I hate to think what the toilet seat would do.

This is also the second of three stories whose colour episodes were lost and had to be recreated using a black and white PAL, a colour NTSC version, and synchronizing the two. The video has a film-like quality as a result, and gives it a nostalgic 70's look.

One of my favorite Who stories of all time, not only because of the return of the Autons, but the debut of Katy Manning as Jo Grant and Roger Delgado as the Master. Richard Franklin also makes his debut as Captain Mike Yates and a possible love interest for Jo, a concept that was never realized. And the late Michael Wisher, best known as Davros, makes his Who debut in this story.

I am the Reviewer, and you will watch this story... you will watch this story... watch this story...

Sequel to Spearhead... ushers in the Doctor's "Best Enemy"
The Nestenes are back and this time they are helped by one of the Doctor's own people, "The Master". The Master steals the last surving Nestene unit that a Museum loaned from UNIT HQ. The Master finds a nearby radio telescope the reactivate the Nestence unit, and then takes over a family owned plastic factory to make Auton bodies and other plastics for the Nestene to use in their attempt to take over Earth. When Doctor Who fans talk about the Master they always bring up Roger Delgado, and why not. Delgado's Master is a con-man, a talker, a man that shows his vanity(his weekness), and most imporantly someone who can completely control the minds of people (more less), including the Doctor's new companion Jo Grant played by Katy Manning. Delgado does not dispoint in his frist story as the Master and after watching it, you will say Delgado "IS" The Master. The attacks by the Nestene are much better in this story, ranging from the Autons who are more frighing in this story, to killer dolls, and plastic flowers, even the telephone cords are lethal. This is the last appearance of the Nestene, but it's the first of many confrontations the Doctor will have with the Master. If you love this kind of Doctor Who adventure, you'll love "Terror Of The Autons".

Don McCullen

Let a thousand flowers bloom!
If only Mao knew!

Combining a ride of almost Magical Mystery Tour proportions this third Doctor adventure combines the evil Master with the Nestenes to produce another action packed thriller.

Whereas the first Auton adventure made us look twice at dummies, I mean mannequins, in this story the plastic combining Nestene conciousness develops a whole new series of lines, including telephone cables, daffodils and oversized masks.

The Doctor and Jo and the irrascible Master provide an action packed adventure story which grabs the attention throughout. The plot is strong with few of the flaws which characterise a number of the Pertwee episodes and there is a sort of surreal side too which prompts the comparison with Magical Mystery Tour. The notion of the flowers that kill with their lethal plastic projectile to suffocate their victims is not that far fetched an idea especially in view of the assasination of the official in London by an assailant armed with a poisoned tipped umbrella.

This must be a strong condidate for transfer to DVD soon.

One of Pertwee's best.

"An old aquintance of yours has arrived, the Master"
This is such a great Doctor Who episode. In introduces the Doctors greatest and most hated enemy the Master. Roger Delgado gave such a great performance as the Master.The Doctor is also dealing with a new assistant the perky Jo Grant. Both filmed and acted so greatly this is one of Jon Pertwees best.It does drag a little at points but is still a great great episode. Were introduced to the Master and find out a little more of the powers the time lord uses such as mind control. powers that hte Doctor uses so seldom. For those Who dont follow Doctor Who as well this is a good episode to have. Only in early novels do you find where the real hate between these 2 comes in. It seems the master is responsible for the deaths of the Doctors wife and daughter. Since the time lords refused to bring the master to justice becasue they didnt want to get involved the Doctor took his grandaughter and stole a TARDIS and set out for earth(An unearthly Child). Thus beginning his travels. The Doctor has always respected the genius of the Master but deplored his evil ways and resents that he wastes his talent and existence on the persuit of evil. Thsi episode shows the Master for what he is . Only interested in controllling others and unleashing as much havoc as he can. His opposite is the Doctor Who wishes to help all he can although hampered by his morality and sense of fair play. But as shown over and over the Doctor is always able to just be slightly one step ahead of the master.

Doctor Who at its best!!
This episode is only second to "The Three Doctors" as being the best of the Pertwee Era as the Doctor. This episode has it all. It introduces a new assistant (Jo Grant) and also the Doctors arch nemesis( The master). Its an episode from beginning to end that is both enjoyable and a little scary. A fine performance by all. This episode marks what could be called the master series since he too becomes trapped on earth. If you like Doctor Who then this is a great episode to buy. It has cinematic quality to it. Great episode indeed. ... Read more

Description

An unexplained power loss has stranded the Doctor and Sarah Jane on Exxilon, the home planet whose ancient civilisation has lapsed into savagery. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

My FavJon Pertwee Adventure - The Best of His Final Year
I have to say, despite other negative reviews, this is my favorite Jon Pertwee adventure. I think the final Pertwee season is his best and the Chemistry between he and Liz Sladen (sorry Katy Manning enthusiasts) is excellent.

The first and last episodes are the best in this. The TARDIS losing power in the beginning is very creepy and creates a nice tone. The Doctor's navigation through the Exxillon City in the final episode is also nicely executed.

As I said, the final Pertwee year I think had some of the best stories (Time Warrior, Dinosaur Invastion, Death to the Daleks). Many in the US associate Sarah Jane with Tom Baker's Doctor and never realize she had a full season with Pertwee. If you like Pertwee era Doctor Who I highly recommend this.

certainly not the death of good science fiction
This is one of the best Dr Who stories and one of Jon Pertwee's best. It is also one of my favourites.
The TARDIS lands on a planet and is immediately subjected to a power drain.The Doctor thinks initially they have landed on another planet Florana, so they can have a vacation. But not so. They are forced to leave the spaceship and search for the source of the power drain, which is caused by a beacon atop a city which has been in existence for thousands of years.
The Doctor encounters members of an Earth expedition, who are on the planet because they need parrinium which cures the peoples of Earth of a space plague.
Sarah goes near the city and is nearly sacrificed by the inhabitants of the planet that consider the construction sacred. But outcasts of the race do not and try to help the doctor.
The Doctor, with the assistance of Bellal, one of the planet's inhabitants, enter the forbidden city and pass all the tests,and the Doctor gives the city the equivalent of a nervous breakdown. Unfortunately he still has the Daleks to contend with because they are on the planet too to get the Parrinium for their own evil plans.

Third Doctor's third and final tussle w. Daleks
One of the Third Doctor's last stories is against his biggest foes, those salt-shakers the Daleks. And in this story, the members of the Earth Marine Space Corps and the Daleks are forced to undergo a temporary truce to figure out the power drainage that has forced their craft down. "We're all in this together, all equal, all powerless" the Doctor tells the Daleks. The Doctor and Sarah too are victims when the TARDIS is forced down on Exxilon. For once, the Daleks are forced to cooperate with humans, whom they consider inferior. However, the Doctor points out to the MSC that the Daleks are "brilliant technicians. It's their inventive genius that made them one of the greatest powers in the universe" something the humans acknowledge grudgingly.

Both the MSC and the Daleks are also after parrinium, a mineral that can cure and give immunity to a virulent plague that's killing millions of colonists in both empires. They need it in quantity and fast. However, they are captured by the native Exxilons, a silicon-based life-form wielding spears and arrows. Any chance of an amicable settlement is done when Sarah wanders into the sacred Exxilon city, a shrine-like place only the high priest can go. The realization of the city, with its touch-sensitized surfaces that glow when touched is a special effects triumph.

However, Dan Galloway, the grizzled and sour-faced weapons officer who's now in command, is ruthless enough to allow an alliance with the Daleks that has the Exxilons and the Doctor on the receiving end. To him, getting that parrinium and saving those millions are the main thing. "If some people we don't know have to die in the process, well, that's just too bad." His attitude appalls the more compassionate Lieutenant Peter Hamilton and civilian geologist Jill Tarrant, but he learns later that the Daleks aren't the best creatures to trust and make alliances with.

The way the Exxilon cloaks blend in with their surroundings is put to good effect in Episode 1. One moment, it seems like a huge rock, but then, it moves in pursuit of the Doctor.

The trip the Doctor and Bellal, one of a more enlightened faction of Exxilons who are friendly, take through the city, avoiding its traps and solving its puzzles, has a dungeon and dragons feel, but it demonstrates the problem-solving abilities of the Doctor. In fact the Venusian hopscotch game is later replicated in the checkerboard scene in The Five Doctors.

Some of Erich Von Daniken's theories of aliens landing on Earth (q.v. Chariot of the Gods) is touched on when the Doctor recognizes the symbols of the Exxilon city from a temple he saw in Peru. As he learns the Exxilons were technological superior when most races were primitive, he deduces that they must have visited Earth and shown the early people how to build temples.
The power drainage is a reference to the power cuts Britons experienced due to the 1973 oil embargo, which had a tremendous effect in 1974, the year this story aired. The scenes where the Doctor has to use an oil lamp for illumination and a crank handle to open the TARDIS door is a sobering realization of how dependent humans were/are on electricity and power.

John Abineri (Captain Railton) also appeared in the Who story The Ambassadors of Death as General Carrington. Duncan Lamont (Galloway) was a friend of Jon Pertwee's (the Doctor) at RADA and the two used to chase girls together. On Joy Harrison (Jill), whom Pertwee described as gorgeous, he remarked in his memoirs that it amazed him that female members of the expedition on a hostile planet always had perfect make-up and hair.

A good story made in Jon Pertwee's last season as the Doctor, with an abandoned Dorset quarry used for Exxilon.

One of the 3rd Doctors best
This was one of the 3rd Doctors best stories. The only problems was that this perticular video was not in the segmented form as i do belieave that is how Dr Who should be seen.This episode is the 2nd of two stories from this season to be unsegmented. Maybe some day it will be avlible on DVD.

Dr. Who and the nergy problem!
This Doctor Who adventure starring Jon Pertwee is another of those Doctor Who adventures popular in the 1970's dealing with the environment.

The TARDIS is thrown off course by a peculiar energy drain and manages to land on the planet of the Exxilons. The Exxilons area savage race who worship the gods who inhabit a deserted city which is dominated by a tremendous beacon. On the planet too, is a party of Earth soldiers who are seeking a mineral to help defeat a galaxy-wide plague which threatens human existance. Shortly afterwards another spaceship crashes onto the surface which brings a party of Daleks to Exxilon and who are also rendered powerless. A series of shifting alliances and some double dealing eventually pits the Doctor and the humans against the Daleks but of course, the Doctor emerges triumphant at the end, the Daleks are thwarted and humanity is saved.

The story has anumber of holes in the plot and is also a thinly disguised attack on the policies of energy corporations. The portrayal of the Exxilons (no guessing who these guys are supposed to be) as savage creatures prone to fearing the unknown who are no match for the higher brained, reasoning humans and Daleks is an obvious sybolism for the short sighted policies of the oil companies versus the longer term policies of environmental groups and well meaning governments.

A well told tale even if the story has it's faults. The most glaring of which is the whole thing about the Daleks being able to move around at all. The Daleks a la Fred Flintstone is a ridiculous concept although a funny one. The plot really does not stand up to much of a close inspection but there you go. ... Read more

Description

The Doctor and Leela discover a horrible truth behind the Fendahl, a legendary creature from The Doctor's childhood fairy tales. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

"How do you kill death itself?"
Could a 12 million year old human skull be the key to how humans evolved? "Image of the Fendahl" is a great horror story. The pace and execution of this story is very different from a lot of Who stories, it has the feel of an "X-Files" episode. "Image..." also contains some extreme violence(extreme for the Graham Williams eara). Max shooting Stahlman in the head is quite chilling. It's got sort of a pedestrian pace, and a little padding here and there, but never lets you down.

Thea, Thea, Thea... Poor Thea.
Of all the characters in this story, the only one I felt sympathy for was the doomed Thea Ransome (Wanda Ventham.) An intelligent woman who is used by arcane powers to serve as the host for some malignant alien being. She falls into trances, the first unseen, the second broken by her "friend" Adam Colby. When Thea collapses in front of Adam and the Doctor and is bathed in a halo with a bizarre vision of embryonic aliens, the Doctor recommends that her brain be X-rayed. While he is dismissed as crazy by Fendleman and carried off, Adam dosen't say a bloody word. HOW could he not report a spectacle so bizarre to his colleagues? Dare anyone suggest it slipped his mind? "You must think my head zips up the back," he exclaims not long after. Well Adam, if the shoe fits...

It's made abundantly clear that Thea is the focal point for the entire unfolding drama, but the other characters fail to notice that fact. It's clearly not due to ignorance, it's likely due to stupidity (or bad writing.) The Doctor bumbles about after breaking free and makes no attempt to track down Thea. Fendleman and Adam rabbit on about mutation and pentagrams - in front of our hapless heroine - and not ONCE does Adam say to Fendleman: "Y'know I saw this shimmering halo around Thea and some freaky Lovecraftian beasties crawling around her! Maybe we should stop the experiments!" Rather, he blurts out the Doctor's recommendation about X-Rays without mentioning the extraordinary reason WHY. Thea, perhaps tiring of her colleague's roundabout blather and lack of concern for her peculiar condition, ups and leaves. It never occurs to Adam to keep an eye on his tormented friend.
Searching for the Hero of the Series in an attempt to save her comely ass, she instead falls into the clutches of the villain, Maxmillian Stael. Drugged and bound, she is dragged into the basement of the manor by Max. Soon after her two doofus colleagues are bound and dragged there as well. Fendelman suddenly blurts out nonsense about him being used, Max being used and Adam being used. No mention of the ultimate sacrifice lying supine before them.
An arcane ritual is conducted which transforms Thea into what looks like a radiant Hellenic Goddess (appropriate that her name means "Goddess" in Greek!) Sadly, this devil in disguise has totally erased or submerged the hostess' personality. She starts turning the participants in the ritual into the wormlike creatures that writhed over Thea's body... the Doctor manages to save idiot Adam and destroy the Fendahl Hostess and her worm flunkies by imploding them into Lovecraftsville. The only eulogy for Thea is the look of distraught loneliness on her/the Hostess' face before she's slurped out of existence. Adam mourns her loss by "sticking on the kettle" for a bunch rustic bumpkins who were peripheral to the story (and had WAY too much screen time.) The Doctor and his sidekick Leela share some dumb bell wisecracks that would be appropriate for ANY other "Doctor Who" episode except this one.
"Image of the Fendahl," in more creative hands, would have been a cool occult episode complete with Thea as the Heroine-in-distress. (Leela's no heroine, she's a comic relief.) Sadly, the script writer ignored the strengths of the story and as a result, the episode imploded.
Before anyone drones out the catch-all excuse for a muddled teleplay, "C'mon man, it's just a shooooo-oooooooow," do me a favor: Stow it. George Lucas uses that excuse for his bad prequels, the Trek franchise uses it for everything done after "The Wrath of Khan," and it's getting old.

try two and a half?
One review here states that Tom Baker's Golden Age ran for about four years. The Golden Age as some fans call it was that produced by Philip Hinchcliffe and it started with Ark in Space, Baker's second story in a seaosn which was also cut short, (there was only Ark, the two part Sontaran Experiment and Genesis of the Daleks to get excited about before the terrible Revenge of the Cybermen and ran until the end of Baker's third season. Deadly Assassin was about mid way through his third season. While it contained classics like Genesis, Pyramids of Mars, Deadly Assassin, Robots of Death and the Talons of Weng Chiang, it also suffered from some dross. Either side of Pyramids of Mars were major dissapointments, Planet of Evil and Android Invasion. Then there was the boring Masque of Mandragora and the terrible Hand of Fear and Face of Evil.
This story comes in Baker's fourth season, when the Golden Age was over and a new producer was at the helm. It's actually more entertaining than some of those dreary Golden Age stories, it is a Hell of a lot more fun than Mandragora or the silly Brain of Morbius. The Quatermass and the Pit rip-off plot about the origins of man is well used and there are amusing characters. But while the humor is good, it seems to detract from the suspense. The whole thing has a cool, gothic look and great atmosphere and overall, I like it better than some of the Golden Age stuff, which is overrated in my view.
It's quite memorable and I enjoy rewatching it, which says something and I really like things like the old lady who says to her Grandson, while helping battle the forces of evil, "There's gonna come a day when I'll be too old for this sorta thing!"
I've been rewatching my Tom Bakers recently and while he is the most alien of Doctors and very good in the role, and most of his stories are eminently watchable, I do not feel overly attached to him. I felt that the accessibility and sympathetic nature of Doctors like Pertwee and Davison made them more involving on a human/emotional level and brought out the suspense and drama, as it seemed possible that they could lose. Tom Baker breezes through situations like he's Superman! Pertwee's first season, and the Peter Davison era are my idea of the real "Golden Ages" of Dr.Who. But Tom's still pretty cool. Come to think of it, all of Dr.Who is pretty good really. In this time of CGI animation overkill to the point of boring us all stupid, Dr.Who is enjoyably character-driven and focused on dialog and performaces. So, I'd recommend this story, just like I'd recommend most Dr.Who stories.

A story on how man might fundamentally view himself
The story starts out with the examination of a skull found in the volcanic sediment in Kenya. Thea Ransome's potassium-argon test shows the volcanic sediment to be 12 million years old, but Dr. Adam Colby cannot accept the evolutionary implication of the skull: "What I don't accept is that Eustace here got himself buried under a volcano at least eight millions years before he could have possibly existed." The two and Maximilien Stael are colleagues of Dr. Fendelman, a scientific genius who made it big in electronics and who is using a sonic time scanner on the skull. His discoveries could fundamentally affect how man views himelf.

Their experiments with the scanner plays havoc with the TARDIS, which is drawn to the grounds near Fetch Priory, where the team is based. The Doctor and Leela not only become involved with the happenings there, including a mysterious death, but with Jack Tyler and his elderly grandmother, who has precognitive powers. She and many of the villagers of Fetchborough believe in the old ways of superstition and magic. Logic has no place in her life but more human nature. "When most people believe what's said, that make it true." Jack