Description

"When you travel around as much as I do, it?s almost inevitable that you?ll run into yourself at some point." When the Doctor (Colin Baker) lands on a space station in the Third Zone, he suspects he?s been there before and when he discovers his old assistant-Jamie-he?s certain. Accompanied by Jamie and his present assistant Peri, the Doctor follows himself (Patrick Troughton) to 20th Century Seville. There he discovers his old enemies, the Sontarans, about to dissect him in a genetic operation. But just why are they operating on the Doctor? And how will their findings aid their enslavement of the Universe? Deadly questions to which the Doctors must find answers in order to escape their own excruciating death? Originally transmitted February 16-March 2, 1965, this three part adventure starring Colin Baker features the late Patrick Troughton?s final appearance as the Doctor. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

A WEAK "DOCTOR WHO" ADVENTURE
"The Two Doctors" is the third and final multi-Doctor adventure, as Colin Baker's Sixth Doctor must travel to 20th Century Spain to save Patrick Troughton's Second Doctor from the hands of the Androgums, who want his symbiotic coding to give to the Sontarans so they can use their own time machine as a weapon against their mortal enemies, the Rutans.
The great plot of "The Two Doctors" is weakened by Robert Holmes' slightly rediculous script (A Surprise, since Holmes has been responsible for such greats as "The Krotons" and "The Talons of Weng-Chiang"). The story suffers from such ludicrous touches such as:
-Shockeye's obsession with wanting to taste the flesh of a human;
-The Doctor's killing of Shockeye (which is more like the Terminator than the Doctor), and;
-The numerous scenes of violence, including a number of stabbings, Sontaran blood, and Chessene licking the Doctor's blood off her hands.
However, the great talents of Baker, Troughton and Frazer Hines as Jamie, the Second Doctor's Scottish companion, make up for a lot, and this adventure is good on that strength alone!
The DVD is great as well, with a humorous commentary and a great documentary on Robert Holmes.
Despite it's flaws, "The Two Doctors" belongs in anyone's collection of "Doctor Who" adventures!
Program Grade: B (4 Stars)
DVD Grade: A- (5 Stars)
Overall Grade: B+ (4 Stars)

"You were expecting a brass band?"
This story is very hard to justify. Although, it is enjoyable, it's also very sadistic and violent. This may not be Robert Holmes worst script("Power of Kroll"), it certainly is not the best. The story is a little uneven, especially during this season of 45-minute episodes. It's also hard to defend the Doctor's actions in killing Shockeye. Was this the only time the Doctor has killed someone? No. But it was the way he killed him that upsets fans. There are some good ideas floating around. Shockeye is probably one of Holmes' most disgusting, flavorful, distasteful, violent and hungry characters ever! He's a real treat to watch as he tries to cook and eat Peri(I wouldn't mind doing that myself). The Sontarans aren't as bad as most fans think, and it's a shame that they didn't come to New Orleans instead of Spain. Can you imagine Shockeye on Bourbon Street? He'd fit right in. Troughton and Hines are great as well. But only after a very short time when Jamie is left on the space station, why does he revert to a savage animal? Love the statenheim remote control!

A Wonderful Surprise!
For quite some time I have been reluctant to watch any Doctor Who stories that featured any other Doctors after Tom Baker.I was not happy with what I had seen with the 5th Doctor (Peter Davison). I thought I would give this story a try since it featured Jamie and the 3rd Doctor. I was glad I did! I enjoyed this story so much! It was chocked full of Doctor Who's magic sense of humor. Humor is what I think sets this series apart from most Sci Fi shows. I discovered that I actually enjoyed Colin Baker's version of the Doctor. Give this DVD a try if you were skeptical about the value of watching any post Tom Baker Doctor Who stories

A Fatal Curse for Two Doctors...
BBC Video continues to turn out the quarterly releases of the Doctor Who back catalogue on DVD and the latest pairing brings two stories from the latter years of the series lengthy broadcast run. Although technically featuring stories from two different eras of Doctors (and featuring a third in a guest role) both The Two Doctors and The Curse of Fenric come from the very troubled final years of the show's 26 year run when even the fans found it hard to find favor with their hero's antics and the general viewing public made it clear that they could care less!

The Two Doctors was unfortunate enough to be on air when the show was famously cancelled by the BBC, albeit to return 18 months later in a revised and truncated format. Perhaps it is for this reason that this story is not that highly rated, but in all honesty it's more likely to be that the adventure was typically symptomatic of everything that seemed to be wrong with the production at this time.

The first six part adventure to be made and broadcast since 1978, this lengthy story was in fact broadcast in three double-length episodes at the beginning of 1985 in the first full season to feature the controversial sixth Doctor, played by Colin Baker. I've always believed that Colin had the personality and charisma to be a very, very fine Doctor indeed and had he followed Tom Baker and not Peter Davison, things could have been very different for him. As it is, his characterization was horribly misconceived, as was his truly appalling costume and he successfully alienated the very loyal and devoted fans of the show and the general public alike. By the time The Two Doctors was on air, one third of the audience had switched off from the start of the season and the BBC was naturally looking to see why. They blamed the violence enveloping the show and watching this story, they wouldn't be far wrong.

Written by probably the greatest writer ever associated with the show, the late, great former script editor Robert Holmes, this story had so many elements that could have made it a success, but was completely let down by some gratuitous violence, grisly, unnecessary deaths and far too complex a plot. Even the return of one of the show's most popular incumbents, second Doctor Patrick Troughton and his popular sidekick Jamie were unable to save the show. More's the pity since Troughton died the following year and this is hardly a fitting tribute to his contribution to the show.

When the program did make it back on to air in 1986 it was a shadow of its former greatness and although it staggered onwards for another four seasons, the death knell was never far away. The Curse of Fenric comes from the very end of the show's run and is possibly the greatest example of everything that was wrong with the production at the time. Essentially, from day one, the production team had always worked with their backs to the wall, with never enough time or budget to achieve what they were striving for, and yet, in 26 years, they'd always managed to find entertaining and popular stories that worked against all the odds. The Curse of Fenric was simply a mess. A good mess; a promising mess; but a mess nonetheless. It's staggering to think that a professional TV producer would pull together a script that was so incredibly complex and essentially unworkable under the show's format and then be surprised that the material couldn't be worked into the show's slot. It's only thanks to home video and DVD that we can now see the show how it was intended, which rather ignores the fact that it is a TV show intended for a much wider audience.

The DVD set contains the four episodes as they were transmitted (itself a first for home video) plus a (second) attempt to restore all the deleted material and re-order the scenes to make more sense. Certainly it does just that, but I'm still baffled 15 years after it was made and I doubt it will ever truly make sense! Thankfully the writer has recorded a long explanation of how his story was meant to be. Thanks, but that doesn't and didn't help the viewers of BBC1 back in 1989! But as always with the Doctor Who DVD's, it's the extras that make these releases so worthwhile, regardless of the quality of the stories themselves. With the Two Doctors there are all sorts of goodies, including a great commentary from the main cast and director and all sorts of out-takes, behind the scenes information and (perhaps unwisely) a lengthy piece by the producer's ex-partner explaining at length how they unnecessarily set the story in Spain so as to get some fabulous vacation time for themselves. Oops! The Curse of Fenric commentary from Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred and Nicholas Parsons is also highly entertaining and the extras on this two-disc set certainly prove most interesting, even it is all a bit long winded.

Doctor Who was never very good when it took itself too seriously. The fans love all the in-jokes and references to the past. But it hardly works for the general viewer who simply is baffled because they didn't see the story from last season that ties into this, or can't remember something from 10 years ago that drives the whole plot. Sadly, that's what Doctor Who in its final years was all about. At least these discs go someway to making it a little clearer!

Validation of the Sixth Doctor...
Like many Whovians, I've always harbored a dislike for Colin Baker's portrayal of the Doctor. Abrasive, argumentative, and rude, it seemed as if this Doctor was a throwback to his original incarnation. While being crotchety seemed to fit the elderly William Hartnell and added to his charm as Doctor Who, in the younger Colin Baker the effect was rather off-putting.

However, I have to say that in retrospect, the lad was actually pretty darned good. I've picked up a few of Colin's adventures on DVD, and have come away with a new appreciation of his take on the Doctor.

The Second Doctor and Jaime visit a space station on behalf of the Time Lords. Some scientists have been tinkering with a time machine, and the Time Lords are concerned. However, the Sontarans attack and capture the Doctor and the prototype machine with the help of the station's director. They plot to use the Doctor's DNA to enable them to complete the time machine and travel in time. Enter the Sixth Doctor and Peri, who try to recapture the Second Doctor and save Time itself from the Sontaran warlords.

The story is rather inventive in "The Two Doctors", although the Spanish locations are kind of a waste since the show could have been shot just as easily in the UK. The installment was somewhat disappointing in that the cannibalism angle was never fully explained or exploited, and the 45-minute episode length works against the best concepts of the show. There also seems to be a spot of meanness (so common to the Colin Baker era), as one of the minor characters gets murdered pointlessly. The Doctor himself steps way out of character and takes a life in a somewhat glib manner.

Still, we have Patrick Troughton, and even in the padded parts, he makes the show a joy to watch. The villains are somewhat entertaining, as well, and the locations are pretty.

As for extras, there are two segments of raw footage (one in the studio, one on location), that give the viewer an idea of how the show was put together. Another segment recounts the difficulties encountered in finding suitable locations not only for the story, but for those interested in the industry. There's also a nice retrospect of Robert Holmes' work on Doctor Who, which is a loving tribute to the late writer by his co-workers on the show.

The best part of this set is the segment where a young Who fan gets his wish and becomes part of a new, mini-Who adventure with Colin Baker, the Sontarans, and Teagan aboard the TARDIS, complete with impressive floor effects. I love this segment for three reasons; first, it was very, very well-done work. Second, the kid proved to me that Colin's Doctor had fans, as evidenced by his costume, patterned after Colin's, and made "by his Nan." Third, and best of all for me, was Colin's Doctor talking smack to Teagan and pointing out what a mouthy, sour, pain in the neck she was. Teagan is the one companion that grated on my nerves to the nth degree, and one which I've always heartily despised, so full marks to whoever wrote the segment, and for Colin, apparently acting "from the heart."

Oh, and if all of that were not enough, let's not forget Patrick Troughton's second Doctor (along with companion Jaime) making a triuphant return to the series. That alone is worth the price of admission.

Overall, this is a surprisingly well-packed DVD for the Sixth Doctor, generally known as being the least-loved. If, like me, you never really cared for Colin Baker as the Doctor, you may want to try this one out. You just might change your mind. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Read my review or YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED!!!!
This episode is one of my favorite Dalek adventures. The story features our favorite manic evil doer "Davros." Buried in the bottom of the bunker on Scarro, Davros waits in a state of hibernation as the Daleks, who are losing a war to another robot race called the Mavelins, anxiously dig out their infamous creator. You see, the Daleks cannot win their war against the Mavelins because both robotic races are using logic against each other and therefor no one can gain an advantage over the other. The Daleks think that only their original creator can aid them in defeating the Mavelins in this very costly war. The Doctor and Romana (who, by the way marries the doctor in real life) the blonde haired version, land on Scarro but forget what this planet was all about until they discover their first Dalek. It isnt long before the Mavelins, who also have landed on Scarro, meet up with the Doctor and together they try to determine what is going on at the deserted bunker that would bring so many Daleks back. The Doctor and the Mavelins quickly learn that the Daleks are attempting to locate Davros and begin to search for him themselves. Fortunately, the Doctor finds Davros first while poor Romana falls captive to the Daleks. The race is now on for either side to gain an advantage over the other. Davros, for the Daleks and the Doctor for the Mavelins. The Doctor quickly learns the Mavelins are not entirely as innocent and trustable as they want to appear and the Doctor has to quickly find a way out of this latest predictament.

This is another keep episode if you enjoy Tom Baker and the Dalek themes. Actually, it is one of the better episodes. Please add this exciting story to you collection and you will find yourself watching it again and again. For those of you that refuse to heed my review.... well, you must be EXTERMINATED! EXTERMINATED! EXTERMINATED! He he he.

Very original and entertaining Dalek story
The Doctor and his newly regenerated companion Romana have landed on the planet Skaro and get caught in the crossfire of a battle between the Daleks and a race of robots called the Movellans. Written by the Dalek's creator Terry Nation, and The Doctor being played by the talented Tom Baker makes this one of the best Dalek episodes ever. It contains a reasonable amount of action and has a very creative plot. The Daleks look very old and weatherbeaten, and the Davros costume has seen better years, but this doesn't let the story down too much and most Doctor Who fans should ignore this downfall.

Great Daleks episode!
I can't figure out why this isn't a more popular episode. It moves much more quickly than a lot of other Doctor Who adventures, it features Romana, who unlike a lot of Doctor companions had a brain and an active role in the Doctor's adventures and, in fact, this is the first series in which Lala Ward (the princess from the Androids of Tara episode in the Key to Time series) plays Romana.

The Doctor and Romana find themselves on Skaros, the Daleks' home planet. Discovering significant seismic activity, they discover that the Daleks have enslaved a group of humans whom they are forcing to engage in mining activity for a purpose which the Doctor and Romana must ferret out. At the same time, another race, the wonderful Molvians (who always remind me of Rick James in full-on Superfreak mode), befriend the Doctor and Romana but turn out to have their own agenda.

The Daleks are great in this episode. Not a lot of chatter, just a lot of typical Dalek bluster -- "seek, locate, exterminate," etc. Not to mention the glorious return of the megamaniacal Davros, creator of the Daleks. This is one of the more action-oriented, straight-forward Doctor Who episodes and comes across as a lot less dated than even some of the later episodes. Not as humorous as many Tom Baker episodes once it gets going (if you're looking for humor and cheese, check out The Pirate Planet), but great action and characters. Highly recommended.

Enjoyable quasi-sequel to Genesis Of The Daleks
The Doctor and a regenerated Romana land on "not the most inviting planet," but the Doctor feels that he's been here before. Upon examining the ruins of a city, he and Romana see a ship shaped like an inverted pyramid corkscrew its way into the ground, are assaulted by seismic tremors, and subterranean explosions, one of which causes a pillar to fall on the Doctor.
Romana goes for help but an explosion traps the TARDIS. Before long, she is captured by the Daleks in a moment that mimics the cliffhanger to Episode 1 of the first Daleks story.

The Doctor finds some allies, the Movellans, a race of dark-skinned people with silver dreadlocks, white one-piece suits, and cone-shaped laser guns. They are calm, orderly, efficient, and extremely strong, as they lifted the pillar from the Doctor (offscreen). They are on an intelligence mission to find out what the Daleks are up to. A trip to the old Kaled city reveals the answers. However, when a Movellan is exterminated by a Dalek, why isn't the Doctor allowed to examine his body, apart from a Movellan code of honor?

Goofs: The Daleks are actually half-organic, but they are constantly referred to as robots here. Another is Commander Sharrel in Episode 4. During the struggle with Romana, it's clear that he isn't played by Peter Straker. And the Doctor tells the Daleks to "spack off" instead of "back off."

This is kind of a sequel to Genesis Of The Daleks, as it involves Davros, but it might actually succeed Planet Of The Daleks. With the radiation count on Skaro strong, there might have been a final nuclear war between the Daleks and Thals where the Thals were the runners up.

The concept of portraying the Movellans with African actors is interesting, rather than having the "token blackEperformer. There are competent performances by the three lead Movellans, but note that they are all light-skinned. There are some darker-skinned Movellans, but they have non-speaking parts.

The name of the script editor--Douglas Adams, hence the silliness of dialogue in some areas. The scene where Romana tries on several bodies before reappearing in a duplicate of the Doctor's costume is definitely his trademark. And the Doctor has a cheap shot at a Dalek's expense as he escapes up a shaft. "If you're supposed to be the superior creatures of the universe, why don't you climb up after us? Bye bye!" He ducks as the Dalek fires up at him. And a Dalek grates: "Seek, locate, exterminate!E Hmm, that rhymes. Why not do a dance remix? I'm sure it'll debut at #1 on the Skaro pop charts.

Tony Osoba (the Movellan Lan) later played Kracauer in the Who story Dragonfire. Peter Straker (Sharrel) and Suzanne Daniel (Agella) effectively play the calm Movellans. David Gooderson has a good try as Davros, but Michael Wisher played him better hand down. And Lalla Ward is near-perfect in her first go at Romana, good-natured, logical, but more sensible, a compliment to the goofy Doctor.

OK, so the Daleks are made fun of here as repetitive killing machines wrapped in cold logic, but goofs aside, it's enjoyable. The Movellans are realized so perfectly it's a pity they didn't make another appearance.

Middling Dalerk story
In this serial, the Dr. and Romana journey are on the run from the evil Black Guardian and touchdown on the radioactive ruin of a war-torn world. (Hoping to elude the Black Guardian for frustrating his plans to acquire the Key to Time in the previous season, the Doctor adds a randomizer to the TARDIS's navigation computer - if the TARDIS's navigation is even more unreliable than usual, the Doctor figures he'll be safe). Unfortunately, the Doctor soon learns that his destination is Skaro, the birthplace of the implacable Daleks. Though long abandoned as uninhabitable even to the Daleks (who have evolved over centuries of prolonged exposure to radiation into shapeless, emotionless and ruthless blobs inhabiting machines looking like oversized garbage cans) something has brought the mechanized conquerors back to their birthplace. Escaping the Daleks, the Doctor finds another race has come to Skaro - the Movellans. Apparently human, but otherwise as cold and calculating as the Daleks, the Movellans have been locked into a massive cold war with the Daleks - their massive battle fleets poised for battle, but too evenly matched for one to prevail. Hoping to break the interstellar impasse, the Daleks have come to Skaro in search of their creator, the evil Kaled scientist Davros. The scientist, thought killed in "Genesis of the Daleks" (1975) was only placed in suspended animation, and remains alive if trapped in Skaro's ruins, waiting until he can awaken and take control of his creations.

Not even the Daleks can enliven this outing. The Daleks, ruthless and shapeless (and never seen) beings, have terrorized the galaxy with their efforts of conquest for untold of generations (since 1963 on earth, anyway) but this story is one more sign that the producers wanted to make a clean break from them as well as the Doctor's other frequent foes. (Cybermen appeared in Tom Baker's first season, and wouldn't put in an encore until "Earthshock" in the Peter Davidson years; The Master made two appearances in Baker's tenure). The Movellans aren't very interesting by themselves and seem invented only to make sure the Daleks have a real enemy to fight with. (The Dalek-Movellan war is hinted in the Davidson-era sequel "Resurrection of the Daleks", but the Movellans themselves don't appear.) Davros appears as outmaneuvered by the Daleks as before, and the Daleks, who hadn't put in an appearance since "Genesis", seem as creaky as ever. Adding to the sloppiness is the slapdash way in which Lalla Ward replaced Mary Tamm as Romana. As a timelord, Romana can regenerate and change her appearance; while the writers can normally think up inventive and agonizing reasons to explain the main character's regeneration, Romana's regeneration seems purposeless and seamless - an afterthought. If you want some vintage Who (I guess it's all vintage by now) get Baker's early years or his last season, especially "Genesis", a better story. ... 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

Description

"Life?s not a game. I?m teaching you the art of survival-I?m teaching you to fight back." The Doctor takes Ace back home to Perivale so she can catch up with her old friends. But Perivale has changed, the old gang has split up, and some of them have vanished without trace. They are not the only ones - West London is plagued by unexplained disappearances. Before long the mysterious kidnappers make themselves known. A race of galactic hunters called the Cheetah People have found a way to transport themselves to Earth-and the entire human race is their prey. They have been shown the doorway to the planet by an old foe of the Doctor, a bitter and desperate enemy who needs the Doctor?s help to free him from a diabolic enchantment. As the Doctor tries to unravel the mystery, Ace finds some of her old friends, trapped on the savage and beautiful world of the Cheetah People. But the only way she can lead them to safety is to allow herself to succumb, like so many before her, to the curse of the planet. The Doctor realizes that Ace?s new sacrifice of her humanity to the most bestial and dark side of the human nature? ... Read more

Reviews (16)

The end of the road
Here it is, the final Doctor Who story in the 26 year-old TV series. Rona Munro's three part tale was never intended to end the run, but the BBC's continual indecision and eventual scrapping of the show meant that that was exactly what 'Survival' turned out to be. The Master, arch-enemy of the Doctor, here played by Sylvester McCoy, is a prisoner of the Cheetah People. He uses them to ensnare the Doctor, in the hope of being released from the Cheetah People's planet. Of course, this doesn't go to plan, and it seems that they both are destined to be trapped on a dying world... Doctor Who has never had a great deal of money spent on it during the first 26 years of life, but it was always the acting and quality of scripts that always made the show enjoyable. And that is exactly the case here. McCoy's whimsical, diminutive Doctor contrasts well with the ferociousness of the Cheetah People and continual instability of Anthony Ainley's creepy Master. While not perhaps the way people had envisaged ending the show, 'Survival' still provides thrills aplenty.

Survival of the fittest...
This was the last story of Doctor Who to be broadcast and is a very potent story, containing themes involving survival and the dynamics that compare and contrast man and animal.

A return trip to Perivale, Ace's hometown, reveals that four kids have gone missing in the past month, some of them being Ace's friends. The Doctor and Ace find out the cause of this. Cheetah People, equestrian man-sized cats with fur and faces like cheetahs, kidnap their prey to their planet. Controlling them is the Doctor's oldest enemy, the Master, who himself has taken aspects of the Cheetah People.

The planet, a forbidding wasteland (actually a quarry in Dorset), is daunting even for the tough Sergeant Patterson, who teaches a self-defense course for the youth and prides himself on keeping his head in a crisis. Only the pacifist Doctor's help prevents him from being like so many panic-stricken victims who become catfood. Patterson's quite aggressive and social-Darwinian: "Life's not a game, son. I'm teaching you the art of survival. I'm teaching you to fight back. What happens when life starts pushing you? What are you gonna do then?" He even says this in a taunting and challenging voice to one of his charges, getting in his face and even prodding his chest with his hand. Later, Midge, one of Ace's friends, tells Patterson's class a cold harsh version of the same: "It's survival of the fittest. Get rid of the dead wood, let the wasters go to the wall, and the strong inherit the Earth."

Ace wounds Karra, a Cheetah Person attacking her, but instead of killing her, helps her recover. Ace soon connects with Karra, who calls her sister and urges her to follow her. However, the danger to Ace is that Karra might either kill her or worse, Ace will transform if drawn too deeply to the planet.

The theme of survival is carried through in a joke told between two grocers, the punchline being that for two men trying to outrun a lion, one only need to outrun his friend, because his friend will be eaten by the lion. However, many people have no easy answer for the Doctor's next question to the grocers: what do you about the second lion?

An interesting exchange takes place between Ace and Karra, as the latter invites her to partake in a feast over a corpse.

Ace: You kill people. You eat people.
Karra: When I'm hungry, I hunt. When I hunt, I eat.

Thus, Karra, like other animals, kill when they're hungry, unlike humans, who in the post-industrial free-market world, kill for more brutal and horrific reasons. It's interesting how Victorian ways had man closer to God than to animal, and how thanks to Darwin, modern thought had man closer to animal. It makes me wonder that if this post-modern world has led man to this degree of savagery, we need a realignment to modernism, acknowledging the human part.

But the Doctor's refusal to fight and his cry is one of the best lines in the whole series: "If we fight like animals, we'll die like animals!"

The black Kitlings, the feline vultures who lead the Cheetahs to food, were an example of animatronics. However, there are some scenes where actual black cats are used. I mean, how can you train cats to hiss on cue? The Cheetah costumes are a design triumph despite the criticism that it ended up like something out of Puss In Boots. The eyes and fangs are realistic, and speaking of eyes, the eerie yellow contact lenses used for the Master and others affected by the powers of the Cheetah Planet work as well.

Ace's intense words at the end, "I felt like I could run forever, like I could smell the wind and feel the grass under my feet and just run forever" mirrors what many fans thought of Who, that it could just run forever.

And as the Doctor and Ace "ride into the sunset" he has these words, set to some touching music: "There are worlds out there where the sky is burning, and the sea's asleep, and the rivers dream. Somewhere there's danger, somewhere there's injustice, somewhere else the tea's getting cold. Come on Ace, we've got work to do."

The series thus makes an unintended but triumphant farewell, and its current legacy as a legendary show ensures that it's no one's bowl of cat food.

This is the Worst of the Worst
Congratulations! Just when you thought an episode could not get any worse, "Survival" comes along. It is sad to say, but it really is no wonder that this episode was the straw that broke the camels back. You can tell from the cheap lack of sets and bad minor part actors that this was a story completely thrown together in hopes of making it on to TV. The cat people were somewhat interesting, but the endless chasing around of a bunch of teenagers reminded me of a bad "Friday the 13th episode." I found myself really hoping that these awful acting kids that get transported to the Cat Planet, DO get eaten, along with the ever bad acting "Ace."

What is so apparent about these last Dr. Who episodes is the obvious struggle to keep a series going that was really over after Colin Baker. I never liked the Slyvester McCoy doctor or his annoying companions. I would only buy this episode just for the nostalgia of it being the very last Dr. Who episode we will ever come to know, and leave it at that.

Good night Doctor Who... we will miss you!

Not great, but not bad
Not the best way to end a series.

if we fight like animals we die like animals!
the end of an era. the last of the doctor who stories. mcoy ends on a note of adventures to come. ace is good this time round. it deals with surving rather well. in a world where people fight or die. if u run u die. paterson and the master offer rather nazistic views on surval. "let the wasters go to the wall". two shop keepers talk about two men who see an aproching lion. one man gets ready to run not from the lion but to outrun his friend to be leaft and eaten. "if u dont mind losing ur friend", comments the docter,"but what happens when the next lion comes along?" the docter is taken to a world of animals were surval is esental. but the cheeta people fight eachother they hasten the destrution of their own world. the good docter see that if his friends fight and run they are doomed. he and the master become traped on the diying cheeta planet with no escape. then at the last moment the docter shouts the answer, "IF WE FIGHT LIKE ANIMALS WE DIE LIKE ANIMALS!" thus he is spared and returned to earth near his tardis. here then is the solution to the problem which the doctors sees at the nick of time and because of this he is spared from the death of the cheeta planet. the doctor and ace walk off planing of new adventures. a good end to a good sereis. mcoy repises his role as the 7th docter in the tv movie and he regenterats into his 8th incarnation (pual mcgann). the good doctor is still with us alive and strong. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Sequel to Curse of Peladon is better
In the penultimate Jon Pertwee story, this sequel to The Curse of Peladon takes place fifty years after the Doctor's first visit, only this time, he has Sarah Jane in tow. He was meaning to revisit Peladon (both the planet and king), but Thalira, Peladon's daughter, is the monarch. High Priest Hepesh's successor is Ortron, who is chancellor and high priest. And once again, they are in the middle of a crisis with many complications.

First off, entry into the Galactic Federation has only benefitted Ortron and his aristocratic lackeys. The miners, led by Gebek, have worked harder and for the same rewards. "It's always been the same. Work and sleep, little else... earn barely enough to feed our families." Gebek is a working class moderate, loyal to the queen, and more patient, but hotheaded radicals like Ettis, keep leading armed rebellions against Ortron. The Doctor saves Gebek's life and gains a friend and ally in the miner.

Ortron, like Hepesh before him, dislikes the Doctor. He thinks the Doctor is a spy for Galaxy Five, a power bloc that Federation are at war with. However, Alpha Centauri, the one-eyed hermaphrodite hexapod, recognizes the Doctor and vouches for the Time Lord.

The crux of the problem is once again the spirit of Aggedor, who this time is vaporizing the miners digging for trisilicate. They refuse to work with sophisticated machinery, like the sonic lance. As for engineer Eckersley, who's in charge of the refinery, he's a non-political professional. All he's concerned with is getting the trisilicate mined for the Federation. Current technology is dependent on trisilicate, and whoever controls it wins the war.

The Doctor tries to be the voice of reason, getting Gebek to voice his grievances to the queen without Ortron's presence, and the queen to give the workers a better deal to cut the grass from under Ettis' feet. At the same time, he thinks that Aggedor's manifestations are technological trickery by saboteurs. However, just when he's cleared himself of some trouble, something else comes up that barely gives him breathing room. Worse, the situation deteriorates to the point that a panicked Alpha Centauri calls in Federation troops under Commander Azaxyr, a ruthless Ice Warrior who immediately places Peladon under martial law and threatens execution of hostages unless the miners get back to work.

Of the guest actors Rex Robinson is solid as Gebek. Nina Thomas (Thalira) plays the queen as another vulnerable, indecisive, but well-meaning ruler just like her father, but those large, deer caught in the headlights eyes really got me.

This time, the basis for the story is the miner's strike, whose poor handling of it led to Prime Minister Edward Heath defeat at the polls. The Conservatives lost and Labour under Harold Wilson returned to office in 1974, the same year this story was broadcast. However, a group of television professionals polled said the story reminded them of Poland in 1970, where a workers' uprising due to rising prices and unfair work incentives led to the resignation of General Secretary Wladyslaw Gomulka. Others saw the miners' situation to that workers in Russian prior to the 1917 revolution, and they saw Ortron as symbolizing bureaucracy today. The Doctor was the voice of reason, the real hero, saying "there is an answer if you will listen to it." That's the problem, getting factions to listen.

A shot at woman's lib is given here, as Thalira, dominated by Ortron, seen as little more than a child, and made queen just because she was the only offspring of the king, tells Sarah of her weak position. "Things would be different if I were a man, but I'm just a girl." To which Sarah flat out tells her, "There's nothing only about being a girl. Never mind why they made you a queen. The fact is, you ARE the queen, so just you jolly well let them know it!"

Though severely panned due to its 6 episode length and the back and forth fighting, defeats, fighting again, it surpasses its predecessor due to the multiple conflicts and politically-charged message, with Marxist sympathies and responsibilities and benefits of being part of a collective union. Underrated and due for some reevaluation.

It's all a little silly really
I did not like the first Peladon story and I like this even less.

The plot is sort of OK but I do wonder why the BBC allowed the scientific illiteracy of an unseen enemy called Galaxy Five to be included in the show given the Corporation's mission to educate as well as entertain. The corruption of the Ice Warriors is also a little of given their militaristic society and harsh justice.

The plot is a weary rehash of the first featuring the worst of the first's characters, the abysmal Alpha Centauri.

The adventure could have been made into at most afour part story without losing any of it's coherence, if not shorter. The queen is too weak and the other characters seem to be running around like headless chickens. And we had to hear the Doctor singing to the monster...again.

It is not much of a story but has some twists. Not the best Doctor Who and, alas, not the worst.

Entertaining in a light-hearted way.
Sadly, this sequal to the classic 'Curse of Peladon' is a light-hearted 'fun' story, rather than something which repeats the intelligent, stylish and well-written 'Curse'. True, it's certainly worthwhile entertainment, but the whole thing is undermined by weak human characters - the miners with their idiotic badger hairstyles, the pathetic queen (how could she ever have clung to power for any time at all?) and the 'baddie' who just stands around like a spare part for most of the episodes. There's also a fight scene in which a stuntman doubling as the Doctor is wearing a wig which looks nothing like Jon Pertwee's hair. You can even see the stuntman's face at one point. However, the story is saved by the Ice Warriors, who have returned to their evil ways and dominate their every scene. Especially good is the Ice Lord Azaxyr (spelling?) who has real menacing on-screen presence.

Don't get me wrong. This is not a bad adventure - in fact I enjoyed most of it. It's just not the sequel it might have been.

Well, two-and-a half stars
It's not the best of Jon Pertwee and it's certainly not the best Doctor Who in the world but it's fun to watch. I have watched it many times even though the acting is not so good for the most part, except for Jon Pertwee(Dr. Who) and Liz Sladen(his compainion, Sara). Alpha Centuri was just plain annoying but very intresting to look at. Despite what Doctor Who reviews have said knocking Queen Thalira as being weak and defensless, odviously they have not payed closer attention. First off, that is part of the story being a Peladonian and all, second, she eventually takes a stand as Queen of Peladon when the Doctor and Sara are in trouble and thereafter. The Ice Warrior Commander is probably what made the show though, the actor who played him did a very good job, but his fellow Ice Warriors were less than impressive with zero personality or agility, they were as clumsy as a cow and probably about as stupid. I wouldn't say it's the best of the best but I don't dislike it either.

Ditch the first tape; watch the second!
Yep... Alpha Centauri looks like he just came off a Muppets set. But sillier! The first of these two vids is definately (yawn) mediocre. The second tape's not bad though. Certainly a lot more action and, seemingly, better acting.

One thing becomes quite obvious... the BBC is preparing its audience for the (death) regeneration of Jon Pertwee into Tom Baker, in the next story- Planet Of The Spiders. Jon and Liz do a more mature bit of acting here; perhaps there's genuine sorrow that the Pertwee era is soon to come to an end.

Yep! Tape #2 is the one to watch! Heehee. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Doctor Who: The Curse of Fenric is one of the best of Sylvester McCoy's Seventh Doctor adventures, a complex tale set around a naval installation on the North Yorkshire coast during WWII. The busy plot involves a Russian commando unit, a code-breaking computer, opening gambits in the Cold War, ancient Norse inscriptions concerning even more ancient evil, a new twist on vampirism, chess, global pollution, and a creature from the end of human history. Key to all this is the theme of faith and a time paradox centred on Ace (Sophie Aldred), which ultimately turns out to be the resolution to mysteries that have haunted the Doctor's companion all her life (they were first touched upon in 1987's Dragonfire, also written by Ian Briggs).

The show was shot entirely on location and has above-average production values, generating tension and exciting set-pieces even when the plot threatens to get lost in its own tangles. Nicholas Parsons complements McCoy and Aldred by turning in a strong performance as a the local minister and the tale pays homage to such horrors as Plague of the Zombies (1966), Night of the Living Dead (1968), and John Carpenter's The Fog (1980) and Prince of Darkness (1987) with aplomb. Sadly there would only be one more story, the disappointing Survival (1989), before the BBC put the Doctor into suspended animation.--Gary S. Dalkin ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Dark is good
For anyone who stopped watching the McCoy era because of a few mediocre episodes in the first 7th Doctor season, well I must say that they are missing some excellent stories. The Curse of Fenric is one of the best of the McCoy stories, if not the whole show.

The best aspect of this episode is perhaps the uncharacteristic dark atmosphere; when I first watched it, I wondered if this was a Doctor Who story at all. Everything in this story has dark aspects: the story, the minor characters, the main villian(he is the first Evil after all), and even the Doctor presents a hidden dark side.

All in all, dark is good. After thirty years of basically the same thing, I was happy to see Doctor Who embrace a different style. It is unfortunate that the BBC cancelled the program when it did; who knows where the story could have gone if allowed to continue.

I was thrilled and surprised at the quality of this story.
I was reluctant to purchase The Curse of Fenric, because I used to have a copy of it dubbed off of television, and I was never a huge fan of the McCoy years. His era started off with a wimper, had a glorious but extremely short second season, and then finished with lots of mythological- fantasy mumbo-jumbo aimed at the level of a five year old. I bought this video because I was reading a few reviews of it on Doctor Who fan web sites and thought that my memory of it was perhaps mistaken. I had enjoyed it originally, but thought that it could never compare to some earlier programs I loved dearly. I watched Fenric again yesterday, for the first time in about 3 or four years, and was blown away by it! First of all, McCoy is absolutely brilliant as the Doctor - I say this as a veteran Who fan of 21 years. He has the uncanny ability to act bemused and whimsical one minute and serious and stern the next. The entire beginning sequence in which he and Ace infiltrate the military base is wonderfully carried out and illustrates Ian Briggs' skills as a writer and his sensitivity to the characters of the Doctor and Ace. The minister in the story is basically a good man. Much like the rest of us, he tries to understand the world, all the while knowing it might be horrific in the last analysis. His underplayed performance is really an asset to the production because it shows us how empty and drained he is by his experience of so-called Christendom, an emotional state that prefigures the very real evil awaiting all of the characters. I loved the use of Norse mythology in this story. The scene where the writings in the crypt are created through the control of one of the character's voices is chilling and reminds one of the traditional identification between being and speech, e.g. God said "Let there be light," and there was light. The added footage creates new dimensions to the story, illustrating that perhaps it would have worked even better as a 5 or even a six parter. The special effects were superb - some of the best ever in Doctor Who. I was amazed that this was the same season that produced Survival, an interesting but horribly enacted story with daft plot devices and vacuous characterizations. Now I can see more clearly than ever what John Nathan Turner was trying to do to salvage the program and make it more competitive with other higher budget programs. The script for Fenric is top-notch, and I cannot believe that the B.B.C. would have killed off such a lucrative show, especially considering Fenric was the penultimate show of the original program's run. Now we can only wonder about what might have been. I recommend this video to anyone who craves a good action adventure with an intelligent pen behind all the actions.

Hi! I MAKE NO SENSE!!...
That's what this DVD with a SPECIAL EDITION of THE CURSE OF FENRIC should be called...
CHEESY...OVERWRITTEN...BORING...and why is the sound so bad?

ACE is the best thing about the SYLVESTOR MCCOY episodes...cuz he certainly isn't...just DREADFUL and so re-written that the character of DOCTOR WHO becomes CONTRIVED and conventional which was something it never was before. The SYLVESTOR MCCOY years took all the fun out of DOCTOR WHO and turn it into drivel. This episode is TERRIBLE.

It makes no sense...is badly edited and ridiculously over plotted. WHO CARES?!! Even DOCTOR WHO himself would not watch this eyesore!!

A fatal Curse for Two Doctors...
BBC Video continues to turn out the quarterly releases of the Doctor Who back catalogue on DVD and the latest pairing brings two stories from the latter years of the series lengthy broadcast run. Although technically featuring stories from two different eras of Doctors (and featuring a third in a guest role) both The Two Doctors and The Curse of Fenric come from the very troubled final years of the show's 26 year run when even the fans found it hard to find favor with their hero's antics and the general viewing public made it clear that they could care less!

The Two Doctors was unfortunate enough to be on air when the show was famously cancelled by the BBC, albeit to return 18 months later in a revised and truncated format. Perhaps it is for this reason that this story is not that highly rated, but in all honesty it's more likely to be that the adventure was typically symptomatic of everything that seemed to be wrong with the production at this time.

The first six part adventure to be made and broadcast since 1978, this lengthy story was in fact broadcast in three double-length episodes at the beginning of 1985 in the first full season to feature the controversial sixth Doctor, played by Colin Baker. I've always believed that Colin had the personality and charisma to be a very, very fine Doctor indeed and had he followed Tom Baker and not Peter Davison, things could have been very different for him. As it is, his characterization was horribly misconceived, as was his truly appalling costume and he successfully alienated the very loyal and devoted fans of the show and the general public alike. By the time The Two Doctors was on air, one third of the audience had switched off from the start of the season and the BBC was naturally looking to see why. They blamed the violence enveloping the show and watching this story, they wouldn't be far wrong.

Written by probably the greatest writer ever associated with the show, the late, great former script editor Robert Holmes, this story had so many elements that could have made it a success, but was completely let down by some gratuitous violence, grisly, unnecessary deaths and far too complex a plot. Even the return of one of the show's most popular incumbents, second Doctor Patrick Troughton and his popular sidekick Jamie were unable to save the show. More's the pity since Troughton died the following year and this is hardly a fitting tribute to his contribution to the show.

When the program did make it back on to air in 1986 it was a shadow of its former greatness and although it staggered onwards for another four seasons, the death knell was never far away. The Curse of Fenric comes from the very end of the show's run and is possibly the greatest example of everything that was wrong with the production at the time. Essentially, from the very beginning of the series in 1963, the production team had always worked with their backs to the wall, with never enough time or budget to achieve what they were striving for, and yet, in 26 years, they'd always managed to find entertaining and popular stories that generally worked against all the odds. The Curse of Fenric was simply an unworkable mess. A good mess; a promising mess; but a mess nonetheless. It's staggering to think that a professional TV producer would pull together a script that was so incredibly complex and essentially unworkable under the show's format and then be surprised that the material couldn't be worked into the show's slot. It's only thanks to home video and DVD that we can now see the show how it was intended, which rather ignores the fact that it is a TV show intended for a much wider audience and not the select fans who will buy the DVD or Video.

The DVD set contains the four episodes as they were transmitted (itself a first for home video) plus a (second) attempt to restore all the deleted material and re-order the scenes to make more sense. Certainly it does just that, but I'm still baffled 15 years after it was made and I doubt it will ever truly make sense! Thankfully the writer has recorded a long explanation of how his story was meant to be. Thanks, but that doesn't and didn't help the viewers of BBC1 back in 1989! But as always with the Doctor Who DVD's, it's the extras that make these releases so worthwhile, regardless of the quality of the stories themselves. With the Two Doctors there are all sorts of goodies, including a great commentary from the main cast and director and all sorts of out-takes, behind the scenes information and (perhaps unwisely) a lengthy piece by the producer's ex-partner explaining at length how they unnecessarily set the story in Spain so as to get some fabulous vacation time for themselves. Oops! The Curse of Fenric commentary from Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred and Nicholas Parsons is also highly entertaining and the extras on this two-disc set certainly prove most interesting, even it is all a bit long winded.

Doctor Who was never very good when it took itself too seriously. The fans love all the in-jokes and references to the past. But it hardly works for the general viewer who simply is baffled because they didn't see the story from last season that ties into this, or can't remember something from 10 years ago that drives the whole plot. Sadly, that's what Doctor Who in its final years was all about. At least these discs go someway to making it a little clearer!

McCoy DOES try but.....
I feel sorry for Sylvester McCoy. Because of bad management decisions at the BBC, he didn't get a proper regeneration sequence, his first season was horrible AND short since it wasn't written for him. He was saddled with two companions, one, Mel, who was an unbelievable annoyance and then Ace who eventually had some good moments but also had a mush-mouth and it was often hard to hear what she was actually saying. He only had 12 adventures to play the Doctor on TV at the time and about 8 of them were pretty bad. "Fenric" is one of his better shows but unfortunately that's not saying much. Sometimes, things are not clear in this story, such as the badguy being an old enemy of the Doctor and this really does seem to come out of nowhere. McCoy's Doctor being very secretive and manipulative? Never quite worked for me and I felt the show was at it's worst during his era. He did have some good shows, though, the best being 'Remembrance of the Daleks', 'Happiness Patrol' and 'Battlefield'. Fenric runs in place right after. Keep in mind, I don't blame McCoy but pretty much everybody ELSE involved at the time, right down to the sound man who apparently didn't know what he was doing either when you can't understand a lot of the incidental dialogue spoken by your two lead actors. Go buy ANYTHING form Tom Bakers 12th, 13th and 14th season or Colin Bakers 22nd season for the very best in "Who". Edited to add: the whole "must use voting button to EARN a voting button" is silly and I DID vote on another review so I don't know why they're not recognizing that. Goofy system. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Best Who Episode Ever!
This is truly the greatest Who episode ever! The sets, music, and special effects are excellent. Also, in this episode we get a detailed look at the Doctor's home world of Gallifrey. Both the Doctor and the Master definitely put in their best performances. Having watched almost the entire catalog of Who adventures, I must say that this is the best one! If you only own one Who video--this should be it. A must for any collection!

Gripping story.
A companionless Doctor returns to Gallifrey, only to find himself on trial for the assassination of the President.

This is without doubt a true classic. The nature of the Doctor's people, the Time Lords, is revealed at last, the storyline is well-thought-out and the decaying Master, in constant agony but clinging desperately to life in order to destroy his enemy, is a chilling image.

What really sets this adventure apart from the crowd, however, are the astonishing sequences in the Matrix. A horse with a gas-mask, a surgeon in the desert with a giant hyperdermic needle, a clown's face looking up from reflective sand - powerful and haunting Heironymous Bosch-type surrealism.

A top-notch adventure, and one which belongs in every Dr Who fan's collection.

"I deny this reality!"
This is a landmark story in Doctor Who's history - a story that shaped the direction of the show from then onwards, and one that destroyed a few myths while creating others. "The Deadly Assassin" is the first in-depth look at the life of the Time Lords and their planet, Gallifrey. Since their introduction in "The War Games" viewers have only seen glimpses of their power and their world. Now Robert Holmes shows us their sheltered, cloistered and bureaucratic way of life. "The Deadly Assassin" is a very good story, although some die hard fans of the show would venture otherwise. It is a political thriller and murder mystery - the first episode is excellent (the cliffhanger is astounding!). This story is also remarkable in other ways - it is the first story to feature a companionless Doctor, and hails the return of the Master, last seen portrayed by Roger Delgado before his tragic death in 1973. The charismatic and charming villain of the Pertwee era is here seen as a decayed, emaciated near-corpse, full of hatred and hellbent on revenge. The story has some great moments; most would agree the sequence in the Matrix being the most memorable. This has Doctor Who at its most psychadelic; when the Doctor enters the dreamscape there are some frightfully surreal scenes - the clown, the soldier and horse, and the surgeon, to name a few. The third episode is highly acclaimed, taking place entirely in this computer reality. Personally, I feel it drags on a bit (although I am not denying its substantial impact). I also feel the final episode to be a bit of a letdown after what has happened before. The acting is mostly good - Tom Baker is at his best, in a physical role unusual for his more whimsical Doctor. Of the Time Lords, Chancellor Goth, Cardinal Borusa and Coordinator Engin are terrific. The main letdown is Spandrell - an interesting character marred by a wooden perforance from George Pravda. However, "The Deadly Assassin" is a fine story. It is also very controversial - the cliffhanger to episode three arousing the ire of self proclaimed moral watchdog Mary Whitehouse. But it is hardly a violent story, especially not as much as the so called bastions of family values ranted about. This story is classic Doctor Who; brilliantly written and directed, its finer moments outweighing its flaws.

Clash of titans: the Doctor vs. the Master
"The Doctor is never more dangerous than when the odds are against him!"
For all fans of the Doctor, "The Deadly Assassin" surely ranks as one the best stories of the Tom Baker era. Watching the two Time Lords battle it out on their home planet, rather than Earth, is both absorbing and gripping. The script is outstanding, with many memorable quotes throughout. The Doctor's fight for survival in the Matrix is the highlight of the story and is a testimony to the Doctor's wit and determination. The many colorful characters, the humor, and of course, the action, make this Who adventure a must-have for all fans. Highly recommended.

Creep Solo
This episode is unique among all of Tom Baker's many outings as the Doctor because it is his only turn without a companion. Apparently it came off because following Liz Sladen's departure at the end of "Hand of Fear", Baker wanted to try a one-man show for fun and the prodcuers agreed - provided everybody understood it was a one-time-only thing. The result is "The Deadly Assassin" an entertaining and very revealing episode which takes the Doctor, all by his lonesome, back to his home planet of Galifrey to tangle with his oldest enemy, The Master.

"Assassin" has a lot of unusual qualities. In addition to the solo appearance of the Doc, it is an unusually physical and violent episode, and also sheds some light on the society of the Time Lords and on Doctor's (delinquent) youth on Galifrey.

In this episode, the Master has passed his twelfth and supposedly final regeneration, and is now basically a disgusting animated cadaver. He lures the Doctor back home by planting a vision in his mind of the assassination of the Lord President of Galifrey, but when the Doctor returns to foil the plot, he not only fails but becomes the prime suspect. Scheduled for execution ("Vaporization without representation is tyranny!") he has just twenty-four hours to expose not only the real assassin but discover who is pulling his strings.

Much of the episode takes place in a disturbing 'dream reality' in which the Doctor battles Garth, the Master's homidical power-grasping flunky, who stupidly believes serving the Master will lead to something other than a horrible death. The dream reality is more of a nightmare: part swamp, part quarry, part fog, and all ugly. The final confrontation between the Doctor and Garth in the swamp is graphically violent, at least by "Who" standards, and caused some controversy in Britain when it was first aired. Of course, when the Doctor comes back to reality, he still has the Master to deal with, and this rotting, robe-clad version, unlike the previous (and later) portrayers, has all of the viciousness, egotism, and homididal mania we expect from the character with none of his usual charm or humor. What is it about putrefying while still alive that takes all the spring out of a man's step?

"Assassins" is an enoyable episode, but unusually dark, and its very premise -- having the Doctor operate without a companion -- works against it to a degree. Somehow the show's formula doesn't achieve the right chemistry without this missing element; it helps to have a "fish out of water" for the Doctor to play off of (and rescue), not to mention to divide screen time with. It was an interesting experiment, and helped serve as an interlude between the departure of Sarah with the arrival of Leela, not to mention set up the Master's return in a less decrepit form later on, but I'm glad that during Baker's run at least, one experiment in this direction was enough. Three and a half stars. ... 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