Description

THE VISITATION - "Their infection will kill every living thing?our rats will ensure there are no survivors, the final visitation?" Something is very wrong in 17th Century England. The shadowy figure of Death stalks the forests, terrifying the local people. Behind the chaos, fugitive alien life forms called Terileptils lurk. Stranded on Earth, they have seized one of the local houses, murdering it inhabitants. But just what do they want? The Doctor must discover the answer-and fast. For as events unfold, he finds he too is looking death in the face, not to mention the threat of mass genocide? BLACK ORCHID - Landing in Cranleigh Halt in England in 1925, the Doctor and his companions receive a warm reception from the local inhabitants and an invitation to a masked ball at the house of Lady Cranleigh and her son Charles. It is there that Nyssa discovers her startling resemblance to Charles? fiancee Ann. Then events take a more sinister turn when Ann is attacked and two servants murdered. Will the Doctor and his companions stand accused for murder? ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Two great stories!
With this double tape set, viewers are treated to two stories with similar themes. Both are historical in context and both deal with monsters, of a sort. In The Visitation, the Doctor must stop the evil Terrileptals from overrunning a 17th century earth with a massive plague that would wipe out the entire population. In Black Orchid, we are treated to the first purely historical story since te days of Patrick Troughton's Doctor. Here, the Doctor discovers murder in the home of the Cranleighs. What dark secret is Lady Cranleigh trying to hide and how does it relate to Nyssa? Both stories are well paced, well acted stories, worthy of being included in anyone's video collection.

Great adventures from 1666 and 1925 Britain
Two historical adventures, one quasi-, the other a period adventure set in 1920's Britain. The first, The Visitation, has the Doctor and his companions landing in the England of 1666, where they are mistaken for plague carriers and nearly killed if not for the intervention of Richard Mace, an itinerant thespian who has been taking refuge in a barn. Mace saw a comet as the sign of things to come. However, according to the Doctor, Earth isn't due for a comet for a couple years. And the discovery of higher technology pinpoints to aliens on Earth, and thus to the manor where the barn's owner lives. However, the manor is under control of the Terileptils, (inspired by the words territorial reptiles), whose leader becomes interested in the Doctor as he sees the Time Lord foil his servants, villagers controlled by a crude form of mental control.

At first, Richard Mace is skeptical at the Doctor's explanations for the strange occurrences, but he comes to trust the unconventional Time Lord. The representation of manners and customs of 17th century England is accurately shown in Mace, who tells the Time Lord that one should be humble and respectful of the gentry, particularly the owners of the barn the Doctor wants information on. The Doctor ripostes with "I've met kings, emperors, megalomaniacs in my time." And Mace's shock at Nyssa and the Doctor's breaking into the barn owner's house is again 17th century protocol. But Michael Robbins' plummy robust voice as well as his likeable character nearly makes him steal the show as Mace.

One reason why Tegan's among my least favourite companions is her bad temper. When the Doctor misses her own time by a good three centuries, she yells "Call yourself a Time Lord? A broken clock keeps better time than you! At least it's accurate twice a day which is more than you ever are!" Later, he gets his own back when in response to how she's feeling, Tegan says "Groggy, sore, and bad-tempered." He says, "Good. Almost your old self."

The Terileptils justify their plans of conquest thus: "It's survival. Just as these primitive kill lesser species to protect themselves, so I kill them." They also like war and say "War is honorable...even on this planet it is considered so." The Doctor counters with "Yet by your own admission, these people are still primitive. What's your excuse?" eliciting an angry growl from the Terileptil. Designing the Terileptil marked the first use of animatronics in the series, used in making the mouth, lips and gills move.

The Visitation's always been a favourite of mine due to the way the story gradually unfolds. One of Nyssa's more heroic moments come in during her task to convert the TARDIS's sonic booster coupled with a frequency accelerator to destroy the android. And the story ends with an event Samuel Pepys recorded in his diary. Look at the year: 1666. What happened in London then? (Rating: 5).

Black Orchid has the Doctor being mistaken for a doctor at nearby Guy's Hospital and expected at the manor of the Cranleighs for a cricket match, giving a "perfectly ripping performance." Hey, the Doctor isn't wearing that cricketing outfit for nothing, and the montage that shows him batting, pitching no-hitters, and cries of "Howzat?" is a triumph. However, who is the unknown man in beige trousers and brown shoes and guttural hiss who strangles a man at the beginning and who later infiltrates the Doctor's room?

A further surprise is that Nyssa is an identical twin of Ann Talbot, fiancee to Lord Cranleigh. Sarah Sutton plays both Nyssa and Ann, and the latter's clever idea of having identical purple butterfly costumes at the masked charity. However, the Cranleighs have a dark secret which blows open and sunders the festive atmosphere when Doctor is accused of murder by Ann.

One observation of the aristocracy arises when the Cranleighs try to figure out where Nyssa's from. They think Worcestershire, and the identification of class to region, when they say Nyssa's lack of knowledge of Esher shows good taste is telling of the snobbery they exhibit. The implied trust given to the aristocracy by the police is shown as the Doctor is disbelieved and Ann believed in her accusation.

One flaw is how the British police of 1925 know of police boxes when none existed back then.

Despite being a two-parter, Black Orchid works better than expected. Adric and Nyssa's lack of understanding Earth culture is accompanied by Tegan feeling right at home, and in a good mood for once, even doing the Charleston at the ball. (Rating: 4) Overall rating, 4.5, rounded to 5.

A Different Doctor Who
"Black Orchid" is a different kind of Doctor Who story: no malevolent alien influence, no reversing the polarity of the neutron flow, no sonic screwdriver to save the day... With the distinct feel of a British murder mystery, "Black Orchid" offers a brief (only two parts) and refreshing change of pace. As if seeing Tegan and Nyssa do the Charleston and watching Adric pig out at a buffet table isn't entertaining enough, we're treated to the Doctor tramping about, lost and befuddled, in his bathrobe. That alone is worth the purchase price.

With "The Visitation", we're back to the old "stranded alien creatures take over the earth" plot, reminiscent of Tom Baker's "Terror of the Zygons", and "the *real* cause behind that famous historical happening" twist, which we've seen umpteen times before. Still, an agreeable episode to be enjoyed for what it is.

Two excellent examples from 1980's Doctor Who
"The Visitation" A first rate adventure for the TARDIS crew finds the Doctor (portrayed with excellence by Peter Davison)discovering an alien presence at a sensitive time in English history. Will our favorite Time Lord, along with his compantions and an open-minded actor/highwayman, be able to stop this menace? Collector's Note: This story features the last use of the Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver until the 1996 TV Movie! "Black Orchid" The Doctor remains in England, only travelling to the 1920's. While the Doctor enjoys a game of cricket, there are strange goings-on at Cranleigh House. A murder mystery ensues and the Doctor is the prime suspect!

Both of these episodes show the range of the Doctor Who series. While both utilize historical background, they have radically different approaches. One includes sci-fi elements, while another is a period costume drama. Neither suffers from these limitations and are suitable for the whole family.

The acting in the Doctor Who series is typically very good. The producers had to hire talented actors in order to detract from the occasionally rough special effects. Peter Davison brought an enthusiam and joy to the role of the Doctor that had been missing for a few years. Sarah Sutton is an excellent addition to the cast, playing a young scientist who is the last survivor of her world. She shows great range in "Black Orchid" where she takes on a second role. Janet Fielding offers her role of Tegan with great gusto, demonstrating a strength that is missing from many women's roles in family drama of the 80's. Matthew Waterhouse as the much-maligned Adric shows improvement, though he is certainly not adding much to the procedings. Watch for his amusing turn at the buffet in "Black Orchid."

These were two of my favorites growing up. I am glad to call them part of my home video collection. - CCH

Two stories for the price of....er, two. Both great though.
'The Visitation', with its historical setting, well-thought-out plot and strong characters, is well worth seeing. The aliens are interesting, the robot is well-designed and the explanation for the Fire of London is a nice touch. 'Black Orchid', the first truly historical Dr Who story since the sixties, is filled with lavish sets, there is a genuine sense of mystery and suspense, and the idea of Nyssa's double is a good one. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"The Talons of Weng-Chiang" is one of the very best Doctor Who stories, a six-part adventure set in a gothic Victorian London inspired by The Phantom of the Opera and Sax Rohmer's tales of Fu Manchu, with nods toward Jack the Ripper, Dracula, and Sherlock Holmes. The final story from the Golden Age of the show, Philip Hinchcliff's three-year tenure as producer, the tale boasts superior production values and a bizarre storyline involving a time-traveling war criminal, giant rats in the London sewers, and a malevolent ventriloquist's doll with the brain of a pig.

Pitted against this flamboyant madness, largely centered on an East End music-hall run by the self-important Henry Gordon Jago (a memorable performance by Christopher Benjamin) are Tom Baker's fourth Doctor, in pre-self-parody top form, and Louise Jameson's Leela at her primal best. There's strong support from Trevor Baxter as the Watson-like Professor Lightfoot, and John Bennett as the villainous Li H'sen Chang. Really helping matters is the first-rate direction from David"Genesis of the Daleks" Maloney, evoking a creepy atmosphere in a fantasy London of shadows and fog. "Weng-Chiang" was the pinnacle of gothic Who and still remains highly enjoyable entertainment. --Gary S. Dalkin ... 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

In this long-awaited restoration, the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria encounter the intriguing Ice Warrior monsters from Mars during Earth's second Ice Age in 3000 AD. Includes CD of lost episodes' audiotrack plus booklet on missing episodes. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Not your usual ice pops
One of the great things about Patrick Troughton was his ability to display great humanity. None of the other Doctors managed the feat of the little panic attacks and the indecision and the occasional fluster and bluster.

I suspect that the lack of espisodes of this irrascible fellow makes them even more valuable. This particular story, originally transmitted between November 11 and December 16 1967, focuses attention on the problems of a new ice age and man's inability to defend him(her)self against mother nature. Once again there is the case against reliance on computers to find solutions, requiring the utmost obedience and removing the need for the human race to think for themselves. Indeed, those who do think for themselves and see the flaws in the case for computer dominance are derided, denounced and outcast.

The leader of the station is also disabled but he is not handicapped by the disability and leads his team despite the adverse conditions even though the mounting evidence against the computers becomes glaringly obvious. Ultimately he sees the error of his ways and regains his humanity in a final display of leadership.

The Ice Warriors are cast as a militaristic society with soldiers and officers but one has some sympathy with their need for conquest due to the dying planet Mars being unable to sustain life any more. This plays out as a tragic Darwinian survival of the fittest struggle when the warriors are ultimately defeated with the aid of the Doctor's assistance.

Happily this VHS tape was released which includes the soundtrack for the entire show on CD. Unhappily, there are many missing episodes, mainly of the Troughton years and the likelihood of them being found diminishes daily. In England the BBC is releasing CD versions of the missing stories which hopefully will be generally available in the US soon.

This is another excellent Doctor Who Story.

Great for fans of Troughton.
What is it about Patrick Troughton that makes him such a loveable Doctor? "The Ice Warriors" terrifically captures Troughton in his element as the Doctor and delves into the mystery of the Ice Warriors. I was first introduced to them in a Jon Pertwee episode and had no clue about them. However, after doing research and seeing some Troughton episodes, I know more.

Buy it, watch it, and cherish this video.

One of the best vintage WHO's you will see
I grew up in the Posh Deadpan Pertwee era, my teens in the wide eyed curly haired Tom Baker years, and suffered the consequences of the overacting and badly portrayed final doctors of the downhill years there after.

Pat Troughton was Dr Who in my eyes even though I wasn't born until the mid 60's.The Ice warriors does not loose out by having missing episodes as the linking material is excellent. This is a video you can sit and watch without feeling the need for distraction or breaks. Fraser Heinz is, as usual, excellent as the doctors companion. The story is gripping and never boring. This is the one to buy-definitly recommended to those uncertain of purchasing it.

Pat Troughton's Doctor a marvel in "The Ice Warriors"!!!
It took several years, but Patrick Troughton's doctor has completely won me over. Not that I did not originally like Pat's performance. From the start,I enjoyed his Chaplin approach to
the character, his ability to use brain over brawn to defeat his enemies. The problem is that there are so few complete serials of his era (the number to-date is only six). This is why "The Ice Warriors" is a complete joy to watch! The very first Ice Warrior story is a good, filled with suspence, solid supoorting characters and quips of humor. Still, the reason to buy this is tape is Troughton. Well established as the doctor at this point, Pat does a remarkable job of mixing humor, believable fright and underestimated self-confidence into the doctor that it reminds us what a superb actor he truly was. A must for all Doctor Who fans!

Troughton at his Best
This video is a must own for anyone who has ever pined away for the lost episodes of Doctor Who. It satisfies the hunger of die-hard Troughton fans and is a perfect example of the stories, characters and quality acting of this period in Who. If you have little experience with Troughton's genius portrayal of the Doctor, the "Ice Warriors" shows him at the top of his game.

The story is told in the typical Who acts ... the Doctor and crew are mistaken as trouble makers ... then they are befriended ... then they truly are part of the trouble. It includes the characteristic Who "companions and Doctor are captured and then escape" moments and the obligitory "...oh yeah, there are only 5 minutes left, so let's defeat the bad guy" endings. But the ideas, performances and costumes lift this production up.

The ideas of Man vs. Machine and man's dependence on machine are well played out. Supporting characters like Leader Clent are well fleshed out and undergo good development as the story prgresses. Troughton exudes mystery at all times; unlike Hartnell, who usually was trapped and had to fight his way back to the TARDIS, Troughton's Doctor could leave at any time. He stays because he delights in trouble and adventure.

Also, the scene where Victoria is trying to escape through the ice caves while persued by an Ice Warrior is creepy and suspenseful.

The reconstruction of episodes 2 and 3 are marvellous ... and the included CD of missing audio is a treat to listen to. The story does not lose at all by the loss of these episodes.

I was taken by surprise by this one. It is a glimpse at the greatness of the "Monster Seasons."

BUY IT NOW! ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Were we watching the same thing?
I would like to point out that a fan of any TV series does not have to adore every single episode of it.

This story, for example, is a pretty limp attempt to do a 'King Kong'. The silly-looking natives are replaced by (arguably) even sillier-looking men in green paint and wooly hats, who chant 'Kroll' instead of 'Kong'. The characters are pretty wooden and virtually nothing seems to happen for most of the adventure.

On the plus side, Tom Baker's Doctor is at his best and the whole thing is taken seriously, which is certainly a refreshing change in what is mainly a rather childish era of the series. But how can you take seriously a rubber monster battling a wobbly toy oil rig? The final episode could have been gripping but is just rendered laughable by special effects which are dire even by the standards of this series.

This adventure might have been entertainingly bad if it wasn't so boring.

It's Tom Baker
While Kroll is not a fondly remembered Dr. Who story, the truth is that Tom Baker can make even the most pathetic adventure highly enjoyable with his witty humor and goofy smile when he cracks a joke. "SH. Maybe it's saving you for pudding!" I love that quip to the megalomaniacal Thawn after Thawn reasons that if the squid wanted to attack them, it would have done so already.

Here's another one, and perhaps my all-time favorite: "If they catch us loitering in here... they'll put two and two together..." Then he notices Thawn had snuck up behind him, without missing a breath, (to Thawn) "You are putting two and two together I can tell by the expression on your face you're putting two and two together..."

Despite poor special effects, this story is worth watching because of the great Tom Baker.

Move along. Nothing to see here.
This really is something of a disaster, and is by far the worst story in the Key to Time Series. Green coloured men running around, random tentacles grabbing various cast members - it's all a bit duff. The story tries to put forward a commentary on the bad things that happen when a country/place is colonized and it's original inhabitants (read: native-americans in this story) are ousted. Problem is, it just doesn't work due to deficiencies in script, effects, acting (swampies don't act well), you name it.

Overall, it was a poor choice for the penultimate key to time story, and you can't help but wonder whether, had they swapped the stones of blood and kroll around, it wouldn't have been so bad.

"Hmmmmm, Philip looks bored."
I'm going to admit to something that may not make me very popular in Doctor Who circles. But here goes anyway. I like THE POWER OF KROLL. Go ahead; call me a sick man, a twisted fan, a Swampie-Lover and a reject from the Sons Of Earth. I don't care what you think. Yes, KROLL may be a outrageously silly adventure featuring some of the most awful special effects imaginable, but it's a story that I have fond memories of. The biggest flaw, and I mean this in all seriousness, is that Kroll completely fails to breathe fire, stomp through downtown Tokyo, or fire laser beams out of his eyes. If only he had, we would have been looking at a near perfect adventure.

Okay, I don't know how anyone on the production team ever thought that they could possibly get away with attempting to realize a sea-monster that's supposed to about a mile across. Doctor Who could rarely even get human-sized creatures looking right, and the result that appears onscreen here is both far better and far far worse than one would expect. Better, because the Kroll monster itself actually looks quite alien and strange. Worse, because whenever this surprisingly good alien creature has to interact with the rest of the story, it does so on the wrong side of a horribly obvious special effect line. The DVD production notes go into detail about what went wrong on the production side, but the long and short of it is that it looks absolutely terrible. It's a pity they didn't realize how flimsy and shoddy the creature effects would being and go completely over to the side of making this a comedy. One imagines that if the production team had tried this a season later, the monster and the Swampies makeup would have looked even more pathetic, but would have been infinitely more entertaining.

Still, while the Kroll monster is a particularly poor effect, one can never watch Doctor Who for its production values. What I like about this one is it's effective use of the Base Under Siege mentality. When I first saw this story, I was a young fanbaby and had no idea that this sort of thing was supposedly a worn-out Doctor Who cliché. I liked it then, and that enjoyment has stayed with me. The few sets and small cast help convey the feeling of claustrophobia. KROLL is just a pure adventure. Running around, avoiding the giant monster, getting captured by aliens, escaping from aliens, etc. It's just simple fun. The only downside to this sort of silly/fun adventure is that Kroll doesn't eat nearly as many innocent bystanders as he could have. Oh well.

POWER OF KROLL works well as a simple children's adventure. Sure, some aspects of the plot carry all the subtlety of a sledgehammer, but one shouldn't really expect subtlety in a television program featuring a gigantic, evil, angry squid as the main villain. KROLL appealed to the part of me that enjoys Godzilla films. So what if I'm laughing at it rather than with it? At least I'm laughing.

The DVD commentary lacks the behind the scenes know-how that had been displayed on other discs. Tom Baker and John Leeson don't really remember much about anything to do with POWER OF KROLL, though to their credit they do manage to make an amusing performance. I enjoyed listening to them once, but I doubt that I'd go out of my way to listen again. It's a pity that there are no production staff members on this commentary track; perhaps they could have jogged the actors' memories. Still, even without any actual recollections of the story, Tom Baker manages to bring a laugh, although he did seem to get a little too excited during each of Kroll's onscreen appearances.

THE POWER OF KROLL is a story about a giant squid that made it big and decided to eat a lot of people. Treat it like a cheap monster flick and you can have a fun time with this one. This is pure silly entertainment, and while Doctor Who on TV could often do far more, it's important to consider that entertainment was one of its most important priorities. But just remember what it says on that box. If you know the adventure is featuring a giant, enraged octopus and you go in expecting a detailed, textural, tear-jerking story about Kroll seeking therapy and anger-management classes, then I'm afraid that you're going to be profoundly disappointed. Just break out the popcorn, take a drink every time Kroll eats somebody, and you'll be fine, just fine.

poor ole Kroll, Nimon, and Meglos.
Power of Kroll, Horns of Nimon, and Meglos... The most underrated shows in Dr. Who. I am reviewing the three of them here as Meglos and Nimon aren't on DVD -or!!- VHS. Sure, the special effects are paper mashe' monsters that stand still for five minutes doing nothing, but if one had half an imagination one could suspend thier disbelief. Dr. Who is not to be watched as a Box Office movie or a deep emotional TV series with heavy serious issues. No, these stories are simply fun to watch. And the stories interesting because they are unique and sometimes surreal. And the enjoyment they bring is the bottom line, isn't it...
Think of the sets as a play. That is how this is done. The opratic costume designs of Nimon and Meglos. Ignor the fact that Kroll looks like a paper mashe'. If you see a play the sets aren't there to be 'realistic' they are there as a simbol of what they represent. I think the monster is quiet good in Kroll if you ignor the fact that special effects are better now than then. People are too spoiled by special effects in shows that I find pale in comparison to Dr. Who as far a story and characters. Star Trek Next Gen, Farscape, Lexx, all a bunch of over-glorified soap opra filler with mush and sex and special FX.
Dr. Who, an entertaining story with beautiful sets, even if they aren't 'realistic' or 'believable'. Surreal is what outer space is all about.

And on a final note: PLEASE RELEASE MEGLOS AND HORNS OF NIMON ON DVD(or at the very least VHS.) Tom Baker, Lalla Ward, and K-9(John Leason) are in both of them. Thank you! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Loch Ness is the setting of this very traditional 1975 Doctor Who monster story, even though it was actually filmed in southern England with local atmosphere provided by Scottish character actor Angus Lennie (The Great Escape). The Doctor (Tom Baker) is called in to investigate a mystery involving the destruction of several oil rigs and it's not too long before the Loch Ness monster is revealed as the culprit. But it's actually just a biomechanical weapon being manipulated by the evil Zygons, who have been living at the bottom of the loch, plotting world domination. The organically designed sets and monsters are very striking, as are the visual effects, with one notable exception: Really Big Creatures have always been a bane for the series, with its limited budget, to pull off, and this story's reliance on an obvious puppet monster, especially during the climax, diminishes its impact. But there is still much to relish, particularly the dialogue of writer Robert Banks Stewart (who would go on to create the long-running BBC series Bergerac) that provides a number of gems, including the Doctor admonishing the Zygons that if they succeed in their plans, they'll "have to come out on the balcony sometimes and wave a tentacle." With much derring-do, the Doctor saves the day as usual but not before four exciting episodes of fun and action. --Ryan K. Johnson ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The Doctor won't let Zygons be Zygons
The opening story of the thirteenth season has the Doctor, Harry, and Sarah responding to the Brigadier's emergency call that he got at the end of the previous story. Three rigs by the North Sea have been destroyed in one month. First there's a radio blackout, then a weird sound that comes in, and then the rig is destroyed. UNIT is stationed in the nearby village of Tullock, Scotland to investigate.

Some curious markings from the wreckage of the Bonnie Prince Charlie, the rig destroyed at the beginning of the story leads the Doctor to do a study in orthodontology, with a cast of "a set of giant molars than can chew through solid steel as easily as paper." Could it be a manifestations of evil spirits that Angus McRanald, landlord of the inn UNIT is occupying, tells about to Sarah? "Bad luck comes to them who set foot on Tullock Moor" he tells her. But do evil spirits destroy oil rigs?

Another character is the Duke of Forgill, a cynical-looking man with a withering look who is not very pleased with the oil company for two reasons. One, most of his servants have left his employ to work for the oil company, making Forgill Castle a lonely place. Two, roughnecks from the oil company keep trespassing and poaching on his land.

Things get going when Harry is shot while attempting to help the survivor of the Bonnie Prince Charlie, and the climax of Episode One has a Zygon reaching out for Sarah while she's on the phone to the Doctor.

What makes this story interesting is the fact that the Zygons are shape-shifters, and the special effects of their transformations are well-done. The Zygons are aliens who like so many alien invaders, want to conquer Earth. However, the way they intend to do it involves a creature from ancient legend. Hint: UNIT are stationed six or seven miles from Loch Ness.

The Doctor's dismissive comment on oil is clearly inspired by the effects of the 1973 oil crisis. "Oil, an emergency? Huh! It's about time the people who run this planet of yours realize that to be dependent on a mineral slime just doesn't make sense!"

One error is the Doctor telling the Brigadier he's come 270 million miles just to help him. The outermost of the satellites of Jupiter, where the previous story took place, is 370 million miles, so he's off by a factor of 100 million.

The Zygons themselves are well-realized, macrocephalic, fetal-looking aliens with suckers on their body and prominent rib-cages. They were modelled after half-formed embryos in amniotic sacs. As for "Nessy", the director was not too happy with the model realization, so much of the script was rewritten in order not to see much of it. The interior of the Zygon ship, organic like that of the Axons in Claws of Axos, is very realistic and alien.

This would be the last appearance of Nicholas Courtney (the Brigadier) for eight years until he reprised the character in Mawdryn Undead and The Five Doctors. There would be two further UNIT stories without him--The Android Invasion and The Seeds Of Doom. Other trivia: the two bagpipe tunes heard playing are "Strathspey Reel" and "Flowers of the Forest." Also, as location shooting in Scotland proved too expensive, shooting was done around the village of Charlton in Sussex.

Not a bad opener for the season, with the usual cast solid and the Zygons and their ship well-realized, but there isn't that extra oomph to make it a great story.

Routine fun
The Bad

This story should be considered pure junk in any case. The Skarsean ranks up there with Dinosaurs in Invasion of the Dinosaurs and the Kroll as one of the most poorly realized monsters and the Zygons themselves are pretty generic aliens. On top of all that it's a pretty routine alien invasion story However.........................

The Good
it's a damn good one. In spite of the flaws. The location filming is excellent and the scenes in the Zygon ship are quite good. Also after being treated as comedy relief in the last few stories UNIT are returned to their proper form as a crack military investigation squad and not the cozy "family" it was portrayed as after Jon Pertwee's first season. And Nicholas Courtney seems to be enjoying himself unlike in Robot where he had this "Oh god this horrible stuff." look in Robot and someone finally dragged him to a barber. Harry get's more to do than previously and Ian Marter does good as the Zygon disgused Harry. Also despite it looking shoddy it was about friggin time Doctor Who delved into the legend of Loch Ness Monster. Not a classic but fun.

The Ugly

You mean other than the Zygons.

An excellent leading story for the 13th season
After a very subpar Cybermen story,the Doctor, Sarah and Harry come back to Earth to help UNIT investigate destroyed oil rigs. What they find are people who aren't what they appear to be, an alien threat and one version of the Loch Ness Monster. This story is full of nice touches, including the Doctor's indignation at being called back about "mineral slime" until the Brigadier reminds him of the loss of life, a look at the Brigadier's Scottish heritage and Harry not being an imbecile. The Zygons are well written with a fascinating technology and deserved to come back, which sadly never happened onscreen. However, their one appearance is well worth getting. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Beginning of the end of the Tom Baker era.
Another trilogy comes hot on the heels of the E-Space trilogy, which saw the debut of Adric and the departure of Romana and K9. The next transition paves the way for new companions and in Castrovalva, a new Doctor.

The Keeper Of Traken, the Fourth Doctor's penultimate story, is the first story of this second transition and involves the Doctor and Adric, now back in normal space, invited to Traken at the behest of the Keeper, the powerful inwho serves as the organizing principle of the Traken Union. What is the Traken Union? It's "a whole empire held together by people being terribly nice to each other," where "evil just shrivels up and dies." Pity something like that doesn't exist on Earth. The Keeper, now nearing the end of his reign, feels some kind of evil coming to Traken, and it somehow involves three good people--Consul Tremas, his new wife Kassia, also a Consul, and his daughter from his previous marriage, Nyssa.

There's also the Melkur, what Trakenites call evil beings who are trapped upon landing on Traken, calcify, and pass harmlessly through the soil. This Melkur, a white statue with an angular face, seems to be taking its time dying.

On Traken, the Doctor and Adric, with aid from Tremas and Nyssa, get caught up investigating a mysterious force whose profile pattern is somehow familiar. By episode 2, it's clear that there's more to the Melkur. In fact, it may be more than just a statue. To quote the text on the video sleeve, "the Doctor smells a rat of the oldest kind."

One thing that gives me pause is the character of Proctor Neman. Clearly, Traken's powers to refute evil do not extend to people who take bribes, as Neman does. Another point of interest is the chaos and omens that Trakenites attribute with the Keeper's imminent demise. Things waver between "benevolent wisdom versus irrational fears and intuition."

Sarah Sutton shines in her debut as Nyssa, who's established as scientifically adept, a good partner to Adric. Anthony Ainley (Tremas) also debuts in the first in a series of recurring roles in the series. Denis Carey (the Keeper) played Professor Chronotis in the Who story Shada and later the old man in the Who story Timelash. John Woodnutt, who plays Consul Seron, complete in a hairdo that makes him look like an elderly William Shakespeare, also had previous Who appearances: Spearhead From Space (Hibbert) and Frontier In Space (the Draconian Emperor).

Tom Baker's his light-hearted self. In the beginning, when Adric points out that "a lot of time, you don't really make a lot of sense." the Doctor says, "Ahh! Oh, you've noticed that, have you?"

The concept of a planet of harmony is interesting, but unfortunately, we see it in a time of transition. Strong characterizations by the supporting players give life to this story. Oh, and there's a twist ending in the final minute of this story carried through to the next story.

Tom Baker's second to last story, is brilliant
Retuning to N-Space. The Doctor and his new companion Adric soon discover that the TARDIS is on preset coordinates to a peaceful world know as Traken. Those coordinates were layed in by the Keeper who governs Traken. He's calls for the Doctor's help. The Keeper is soon to die, and he fears that an evil preance will take over Traken. The Doctor agrees, but as soon as they land on Traken they are instantly accused of being the evil preance that is lurking on the planet. Tremas played by Anthony Ainley(Who would very soon step into the role of the Doctor's arch-enemy "The Master") comes to their help and place the Doctor and Adric under his protection, but his new wife Kassia who has been the caretaker of the Melkur statue(and the real evil on Traken) since she was a child now has fallen under its power. Kassia turns against Tremas order to stop the prevent the Doctor from subverting Melkur's plans to enslave Traken useing Kassia to gain power of the Keepership. Fortuately Tremas's daughter Nyssa come to the help to our heros. But it's too late Kassia gains access To the Source. The energy that sustains Traken. Melkur use his link with Kassia to murder her, and make himself the Keeper. Working sepertaly our heros must find a way to defeat this evil keeper, but the Doctor has some nasty supections about Melkur. Supections that he has met him many times before.

Keeper Of Traken is the beginning of a series of great stories in which the Doctor will face great dangers. Keeper Of Traken is a great send off this trilogy. The Surprise ending is the best, and I mean the "very" end.

Unique and Original Concept for Doctor Who
I won't repeat the plot here since it's all over these reviews, but I will say that the notion of a peaceful world, held together by an elected "Keeper" who serves for thousands of years and keeps the planet good by tapping into a techologically created "source" is quite a good one. This series is particularly well-acted, featuring, in particular, a notable appearance by Anthony Ainsley (who would go on to play the Master in future episodes) as all-around good guy, Tremas, who breaks from the council of elders to help the Doctor and his companions do the right thing. In this series we also get to meet Nyssa, who will become a regular after this episode.

The costumes and sets in this series were particularly good, and the baddie in these episodes, the Melkor, is especially creepy, both due to his powers and to the fact that he is not what he seems to be. As usual, there are a few lapses in logic and the Doctor, as is frequent in the Tom Baker years, manages to solve a few too many predicaments with overly convenient technology, but the suspense holds throughout and the ending sets up the pathos for the next series, "Logopolis," which is the final Tom Baker series. Much has been made about how Tom Baker seemed to walk through episodes and get overly jokey near the end of his tenure, but in this series and "Logopolis," Tom Baker shows some of his best work. Guess he wanted to go out on a high note.

Absolute must viewing before seeing "Logopolis."

Long live the Melkor!
This story is set on the happy and peaceful planet of Traken. Nothing bad happens here but evil does occasionally appear, where it is eventually transferred into good or just disappears. The great keeper appears inside the Tartus at the beginning of the story, which tells anyone who knows the Doctors Tartus that something big is about to happen. The Keeper warns the Doctor about a growing evil on Traken and how this evil will destroy their world without his help. Of course, the good Doctor cannot resist interferring and heads for Traken. Once there, the Doctor is once again set up for a crime he did not commit and lands into custody while his comrade, Adric attempts to help. This story is the first episode for a new travelling companion, Nyssa. She is the daughter of the to be elected Keeper of Traken. She is as brilliant as Adric when it comes to contraptions and does her best to aid Adric in helping the Doctor to get out of yet another pickle. This story again involves the master who disguised as the Melkor (Melkor is what everyone on Traken calls anything that is evil), which in this story is a statue with red glowing eyes. The master wants to regenerate into the Keepership and repower himself. He almost succeeds at it too. This story is one of my favorites and includes the Master in his most hideous form, which I really love. hehehehe. I like him all grossed out! Buy and add this to your collection and you will have made a really great choice.

A fine beginning to a 'trilogy'
Season 18 continues on a definite high. Although the story is fairly traditional, certain points make it a much more interesting set of episodes than others of its kind. For one, the planet of Traken and its inhabitants are given some culture...not extending beyond the most elite of elite, but it's _something_ anyway. The idea of the Source, with the Keeper and Consuls, is actually a science fiction sort of concept, rarely seen in "Doctor Who" (although this season, more than any other, would feature such ideas). The ending, too, is very nice, and for viewers of the time must have been quite a shock.

The acting is also quite good. Tom Baker is definitely on-form, although slightly more light-hearted than in the last few stories, and Matthew Waterhouse's companion of Adric hasn't yet become annoying (he will soon enough, early in the next season). Anthony Ainley and Sarah Sutton both do very commendable jobs in their 'guest roles' of Tremas and Nyssa, and without a doubt Geoffrey Beevers steals the show as the villain of the piece.

This story leads into the next two stories, "Logopolis" - the last story of season 18, and Tom Baker's final performance as the Doctor - and "Castrovalva" - season 19's opener, which saw the introduction of Peter Davison's Doctor. These were originally conceived as a sort of linked trilogy, and without giving away how they are connected for those few who don't know, it really does work. Try all three of them today! ... Read more

Description

A machine that drains evil from criminals' minds is the secret weapon in a plan to destroy the Doctor and doom world peace.Includes a bonus clip of the only surviving color footage of this historic 6-part adventure. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Intriguing evil, somber tone, great suspense
This is my all-time favorite Dr. Who story. The evil of the prisoners is quickly dwarfed by the rapacious evil of the hungry creature inside the Keller Machine. Given that it soon learns to move right through walls, the suspense factor increases, as you never know where it will show up next to gobble up the minds/life forces of a few victims.

This classic Pertwee story includes a good moral look at what evil is and what it fears the most. And the fact that it is all in black and white keeps the story gritty, displayed in muted tones against sufficiently dull backgrounds to keep the look and feel of the prison real. In this one instance, I can forgive the BBC for having trashed the color copy. I think B&W improves this one.

Add to this mix the current (at the time) tension with communism, the fear of nuclear war, and you've got an interesting, thought provoking Doctor Who classic.

Doctor Who The Mind of Evil
This was a very good set of episodes of Doctor Who
entitled "Mind of Evil" which had an interesting
premise the Doctor (Pertwee) and Jo (Katy Manning) investigate a machine that feeds of evil and kills
those who are consumed by it. Very neat. Now throw in
some special effects, and the menacing character
of the Master (Roger Delgado), a murder conspiracy,
the Brigadier (Nicholas Courtney) and there you
have a great story.

If you don't know who "The Master" it was an evil and
rather brilliantly created arch enemy to rival that of
the Doctor. Just like Lex Luthor was the arch enemy to
Superman, "The Master" was the nemesis to "The Doctor". He had special powers such as hypnotism, and the power to change form. Also like "The Doctor" he could also travel through time. Roger Delgado did a great job establishing the role, before he unfortunately he died in a car crash.

As stated The Doctor and Jo Grant are investigating
a machine that feeds of evil, although they dont know
it yet. They receive an invitation to a mental prison
where a new machine is being used to try to rehabilitate criminals, the Keller Machine, created by Professor Kettering (Simon Lack). However, the machine does not help the prisoners, but it kills them. At first Professor Kettering does not know what to make of it. When Doctor and others investigate the murder they find the victims are being killed by their own fears , which are in part fed of the evil inspired by the victims.

Meanwhile Unit and Brigadier are hosting a peace
conference that has gone wrong when certain important
delegates are missing. The Brigadier thinks these
mishaps might be due to a sinister female Chinese
Captain named Chin Lee (played by a real life Asian
woman named Pik Sen Lim). I don't know too much about
Miss Sen Lim, but she looked like a great actress
(and she was pretty too). This was a big deal because
Asian actors were practially nonexistent in the
1970's up until now. The only Asian persons that
got speaking acting roles were action stars and celebrities like Bruce Lee. Take into consideration that these episodes were done in 1971, right in the middle of Vietnam, so there
was a considerable amount of hate and racism toward
Asian people and actors in general, but the BBC prooves here that they weren't one of them, so in that regard the BBC deserves alot of respect and credit.

Anyhow, the Doctor himself tries to find out how to stop
the Keller machine and is almost killed himself (in a
rather badly special effected, but otherwise entertaining scene). However, that's the start of the problems for Doctor and Unit as it's revealed that the Master (Roger Delgado, one of the best actors in Doctor Who) has been playing a hand in the machine, the mishaps of the peace conference, and the mysterious Chinese
Captain.

Overall, this is one of the most interesting Pertwee episodes out there, but it has been somewhat overlook by Who fans. However, you should definitely check it out. It has
a rather great story, the effect ain't bad, and theyre
is much action and the episodes are unpredictable.
You should definitely watch this episode "The Mind Of Evil".

Harbinger?
All I can say is that President Bush would love this Who story. It involves concealing weapons of mass destruction, but not by Iraq. The guilty nation happens to be one of our strongest allies, BRITAIN!!! The rest of the story is quite appealing and keeps the viewer's interest throughout.

Is this the lost plot for Batman and the Riddler?
Quite an eye opener for fans of the Doctor.

The premise of the story lies in the ability of the Keller machine to remove evil impulses from men's minds. It is thus seen as a beneficial aid to social development and the answer to the dreams of penal reformers. Alas the situation is much more complex.

At the same time there is another peace conference in prospect while the plot is complicated by UNIT having to move a nuclear missile while the conference is in session.

The writers of this Doctor Who adventure were clearly cognisant of contemporaneous world events and had no hesitation in including them as an integral part of this youth orientated show.

The Doctor is portrayed as a sceptic and this alone ensures his attendance at the prison where the Keller machine is based only to experience the first indications that something is seriously wrong.

The plot has been well documented elsewhere among these reviews so I will not repeat it here.

This particular adventure is one of the more overtly political of the series, exploring issues of crime and punishment and war and peace. There are some stereotypical views portrayed, with the Chinese, not the Soviet Union being exposed as the villain of the piece and of course it is the American delegate whom the Master is attempting to assassinate.

The question of penal reform is clearly a central concern as is the obvious conflict between the call for peace and the ownership of nuclear weapons.

As far as the actual production is concerned there is some good footage of action shots on location but these are undermined to some degree by the ineffectual studio portrayal of the prison.

Overall this is a steady performance, not one of the best but one certainly with some provocative and controversial ideas.

We believe what our minds tell us to, Jo.
The initial scene in The Mind Of Evil is reminiscent to that of A Clockwork Orange, the controversy of aversion therapy. In the Mind Of Evil, the theory is that "anti-social behavior is governed by negative impulses." The Keller Machine removes those evil impulses, "leaving a rational, well-balanced individual who can take his place as a useful if lowly member of society."

The Doctor visits Stangmoor Prison, the site of the Keller Process, because he is worried about it. His worries appear to be justified. First, the machine overreacts when treating Barnham, a convict. It turns him into "an idiot or a saint." Then, two people die in rapid succession under weird circumstances. A medical student dies of heart failure along with rat-like bites and scratches, and the machine's operator, Mr. Kettering, "drowns in the middle of a perfectly dry room."

It turns out that the machine houses a Mind Parasite that lives off people's phobias and kills them. It even attacks the Doctor by plucking his fiery experience from the doomed parallel Earth in Inferno.

Meanwhile, the Brigadier has to deal with the disposal of a nerve gas missile, the Thunderbolt, and the World Peace Conference. Things worsen when first, documents are taken from the Chinese delegates' quarters, and worse, the delegate ends up dead. A young Chinese captain is at the bottom of the latter, but who's her controller? Yes, the Master.

There's a funny scene when the Doctor and the Brigadier visit the delegate Fu Peng. The Doctor quickly wins over the forbidding Fu Peng by speaking to him in the Hokkien dialect, while the poor Brigadier, left out, watches them chatting over tea. The British may think they are civilized, but to the Chinese, they are barbarians. It's a classic example of Occident versus Orient. We also learn that the Doctor once met Mao Tse-tung, presumably during the Long March.

Jo proves herself resourceful when Mailer, a nasty piece of work, organizes a prison uprising. At first at his mercy, she uses her UNIT training to knock the gun out of his hand. Once Mailer's down, the uprising collapses. And she's ever the gentle caretaker of the oversized Barnham, whose usefulness in dealing with the Mind Parasite emerges in Episode Six.

The Master shows himself to be a strategic and tactical genius here. He plans to steal the Thunderbolt and launch it, creating a world war. In the chaotic interim, he takes over. For this, he stages a second uprising, which succeeds, and hires Mailer and his thugs to hijack the Thunderbolt. He also succumbs to the Keller Machine, and guess what he sees as the embodiment of his fears?

This isn't a good story for Sgt. Benton, who is mentally attacked by the Mind Parasite and is clubbed by Mailer during the hijacking, or Captain Yates, who's injured in the same ambush, then captured at the hangar housing the stolen missile. Speaking of the ambush, the camera angle and the approaching motorcade reminded me of how Kennedy was assassinated and how the Grassy Knoll gunman must have been positioned, ready for a turkey shoot.

This is the only Pertwee story on video not available in colour, as those prints got trashed in the BBC purge. It's still enjoyable, though.

Result: A well-done James Bond-ish story crossed with a bit of international relations, and the human mind. Chinese Captain Chin Lee's accusing the "imperialist Americans" of stealing top secret Chinese documents is a well-timed and still relevant dig at us and our militant foreign policy. ... Read more

Description

On 28 December 1974, with an enigmatic smile, Tom Baker assumed the mantle of Gallifrey's most famous offspring, the Doctor. The coat and long-striped scarf which he adopted later were to become his trademarks in the seven years of the Tom Baker era which followed.Unlike his predecessors, all of Tom Baker's episodes still exist in the BBC Archives. A magnificent selection is included here along with Tom Baker's spontaneous reactions to the exceprts themselves--"warts and all." So sit back and reminisce with him for almost three hours worth of classic Doctor Who on this special double BBC video.Included are excerpts from: "Robot," "Ark in Space," "The Sontaran Experiment," "Revenge of the Cybermen," "Terror of the Zygons," "Pyramids of Mars," "The Seeds of Doom," "The Hand of Fear," "The Talons of Weng-Chiang," "The Sunmakers," "Underworld," "The Pirate Planet," "The Androids of Tara," "Destiny of the Daleks," "The Horns of Nimon," "Full Circle", "The Keeper of Traken," "Shada" and many more! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

GREAT MATERIAL!
"The Tom Baker Years" is a fine collection of scenes and other material from Tom Baker's seven years as the Doctor. No "Doctor Who" fan would want to miss this one! Grade: A+

Tom Baker is DOCTOR WHO!!
Tom Baker is arguably the best actor to ever portray the enigmatic figure of the Doctor. In this video we see a change of format for the 'Doctor Who Years' tape, by having the main actor, Tom Baker, watch scenes from every who story he was involved in, to give unscripted comments about his feelings, memories and friendships during his period.

You'll find that Tom's reaction to nearly every story is interesting, ranging from joy, to confusion, to regret but most of all satisfaction. Whether you're a fan or just a casual viewer from Tom's time on WHO, you'll enjoy this immensely, if not for the sheer joy but the nostalgic value attached to it. RECOMMENDED!!

Tom BAker was simply the Best!
This is a great video for Tom Baker fans and fans of DOctor Who in general. The video shows highlights of every Tom BAker episode as the Doctor. He also gives us some insight into his time as the Doctor. One cant help watch this video and notice Tom Baker looking rather sad watching himself as the Doctor. He really loved playing the Doctor. Problem was Jonathan NAthan Turner was promoted to producer of Doctor Who in 1980 and set about the destruction of the series .He changed Tom Bakers character completely. His ideas were contrary to what made Doctor Who so popular. There were 4 Doctors in the first 20 years and 3 in the last 9 of the show. They all grew tired of Turner terrible vision of the DOctor. But back to this tape. Its a great buy. Alot of information and scenes to behold. Its great

Great pickup.... a little disapointed though
I am a huge Tom Baker Dr Who, who isn't, so it was great to pick up this video and see scenes from dozen of his episodes as Dr Who. I was disapointed to see an older Tom who forgot some episodes I thought he was great in. I was looking forward to hearing more insight into his personal life and see how much he took Dr Who from his own personna. He seemed to do a little too much acting and did not seem to sincerely capture his feelings and thoughts on each show. Everytime he seemed to loosen up a bit and was ready to really get into it he pulled back and said on to the next story. It was almost like they gave him the high sign to move on and he did. Oh well, he is the best Dr Who and its worth the price of the video to see all those great stories with Tom.

Tom's a little stiff at first, but he loosens up....
The format of this tape is simple: set Tom Baker (whom many consider to have been the greatest Doctor) down in front of a TV, and show him a variety of clips from Doctor Who episodes where Tom Baker played the Doctor. In the process, Tom will share anecdotes and memories from his time in the role, inspired from these clips (which he allegedly had had no preparation for).

At first, Tom is a little stiff and uncomfortable, and his cheerfulness seems forced. After a bit, however, he seems to settle into the role, and opens up a bit more, relaxing with the viewing audience. He has a number of interesting or amusing stories from his years as the Doctor (some off-color, though, alas, he keeps any racy details to himself!), which give a very cool backdrop to familiar episodes. You can tell he really enjoyed his time as the Doctor and, it seems, regrets leaving when he did. I know I wouldn't have minded a few more seasons of the bohemian with the hat and scarf Doctor.... ... Read more

Description

The Doctor slips into a coma as the TARDIS lands on Spiridon, where far beneath the planet's surface lurks the largest force of Daleks ever assembled. This complete and restored six-part adventure includes the rarely broadcast black-and-white Episode 3. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

A tribute to the first Daleks story
Planet Of The Daleks picks up where Frontier In Space ended. The Doctor has been wounded and after being helped into the TARDIS by Jo, sends a telepathic message to the Time Lords before collapsing. After landing, Jo goes out for help in a hostile jungle where bizarre plants squirt nasty spores at her.

The Time Lords have sent him to Spiridon, described as "one of the nastiest pieces of space garbage in the ninth system. The vegetation is more like animal life than plant, creatures that are hostile to everything including themselves, and a climate that changes from tropical during the day to subfreezing in the night."

That analysis was given by one of a trio of Thals who rescue the Doctor from near oxygen starvation. They initially don't trust him, but they team up to fight against Daleks planning to master invisibility, that's a potential ten thousand Daleks who will conquer the galaxy if they succeed. Of the Thals, Tarron is the cautious leader, Vaber is impatient, wanting action, Codal is scared but courageous, and Latep, has a goofy look on his face when he sees Jo and is smitten.

The Doctor plays counselor to the people he met during his first incarnation. He gives the self-doubting Codal a "tutorial on bravery." "Courage isn't just a matter of not being frightened. It's being afraid and doing what you have to do anyway." When Tarron is worried that his lover Rebec being part of the team would affect his command decisions, he is told: "The business of command is not for a machine. The moment we forget we're dealing with people, we're no better than the machines we came to destroy. If we start acting and thinking like the Daleks, the battle is lost." And to the follies of glorifying war: "Be careful how you tell that story [of war]. Don't make war sound like an exciting or thrilling game. Tell them about the fear, otherwise your people might relish the idea of war. We don't want that." No, and neither should we.

The jungle set is really well-realized, as well as the design of the exotic plants. However, the creatures' eyes on the Plane of Stones are clearly lights flicked on and off.

Bernard Horsfall (Tarron) would play Goth in The Deadly Assassin, and Prentis Hancock's Vaber is a warmup for his role as Salamar in Planet Of Evil. Roy Skelton has double duty providing Dalek voices and playing the friendly Spiridon native Wester.

This is a fond tribute to the very first Dalek story, and that's what makes this story successful. There are repeated references and themes to the first Dalek story, beginning with his mention of how he, Barbara, Ian, and Susan, helped the Thals against the Daleks. Another is the Daleks disabling their victims rather than killing, and there are many more--see how many you can find. And since Episode 3 is shown in black-and-white (guess what the BBC did with the colour original?) that's a reminder of how old William Hartnell stories were seen.

One of the best of the Pertwee Years.
I have little to add to the comprehensive reviews already recorded here.

I am in total agreement about this being one of the best Dalek adventures and as usual the realisation that there are too many episodes. That was one innovation of the Pertwee years that did not work, despite the good intentions. Stretching out the show to the equivalent of a full length movie is a good idea provide that you have the resources to back it up.

The other aspect of this is, as another reviewer has reported, the unfortunate and untimely death of Roger Delgado a.k.a 'The Master', the villain that everyone loved so much. This threw a major spanner in the works as the season in question, Pertwee's last, was essentially conceived of in it's entirety. Planet of the Daleks suffers from a continuity break due to his death and the following story, the Green Deathis conspicuous for having no continuity at all.

However, this has got pretty much everything, invisible inhabitants, Daleks, Thals, jungle, ice, monsters in the dark as in the 'Dead Planet', the works. There is of course the love interest and it is a little surprising when Joe decides to leave and return with the Doctor despite the obvious attraction she has for one of the Thal group which is clearly reciprocated.

There is one question that is not answere about Dalek mobility. It is not clear how they can travel around in the jungle or in the rocky terrain, nor is it accounted for in other stories.

Ultimately it does not detract from what is a great story and one of the best Dalek stories ever.

Originally transmitted 7 April through 12 May 1973.

My Favorite Dr. Who Story
Part of being a "Doctor Who" fan is not only having a favorite story, but also having a favorite Doctor. Jon Pertwee, the Third Doctor, has always been my favorite. His charm, courage, wit, intelligence & personality, not to mention his fancy choice of wardrobe, has always endeared him the most to me of all the Doctors (though I love 'em all!). With "Planet Of The Daleks," Jon Pertwee is given his greatest adventure, and, in my opinion, it's the best "Doctor Who" story ever made. It's exciting & greatly entertaining, just like a "Doctor Who" classic should be.The six-part "Planet Of The Daleks" has it all: the best Doctor (Pertwee, in a terrific performance), the best companion, Jo Grant (the eternally adorable Katy Manning), the legendary Daleks, a great script by Terry Nation, a fine supporting cast playing the Thals (the space travelers who help the Doctor & Jo in their fight against the Daleks), and excellent set pieces in the Spiridon jungle, as well as inside the Daleks' hidden base. Terrific action & drama abounds, with nice bits of humor sprinkled throughout. Not once does this story ever lag, and it always entertains. What more could you WANT from a "Doctor Who" story?"Planet Of The Daleks" is solid, first-rate "Doctor Who," and my personal favorite story of the entire series. Add this classic "Doctor Who" adventure to your collection now. It's a winner!

Fine Conclusion to an Epic Doctor Who Adventure
Planet of the Daleks concludes the storyline that began in Frontier in Space and does so with a much more compact adventure, unlike the previous story's epic canvas. Here, the Doctor, injured by the Master at the end of Frontier, guides the Tardis to Spiridon to hunt for the Dalek base that is the headquarters for a galaxy-wide invasion. He must first recover his senses, ally himself with a group of Thals that are also searching for the base, and then destroy the base, along with its massive army of 10,000 Daleks. Although the adventure has enough action for most viewers -- especially an exciting chase up a ventilator shaft with the Doctor and his allies hanging on to a balloon while a Dalek hovers up after them -- the story sometimes seems a bit padded, and would probably have worked better as a four parter than the six parter presented here. A scene involving a campfire surrounded by unseen -- except for some unfortunately fake looking eyes in the dark -- monsters seems to go on forever, and doesn't raise suspense so much as it kills some of what's already been built up. However, the final episode more than makes up for this with an intelligent solution to the Doctor's problems and a fine exit for the remainder of the cast. Also on hand is our first viewing of the Supreme Dalek, a different model than the others -- actually one of the Daleks used in the Peter Cushing films -- which adds on to the already established Dalek mythology very nicely. Perhaps this video will appeal more to long time fans than neophyte viewers, but it's one of the better Dalek adventures that's still available to us, and, when watched back-to-back with Frontier in Space, makes for a nice, epic Doctor Who adventure. Note that the third episode is in black and white, but it makes no difference in either quality or enjoyability.

planet is one of the best
when i first saw planet of the daleks i know i had to own it if you like the daleks this is a most in your collection, oh the doctor is good to ... Read more

Reviews (17)

for fanatics only. And no Tom Baker, either.
As a fan who gets off on seeing Daleks, Cybermen, Yeti, the Master, the Brigadier, etc. all in one place, I enjoy "The Five Doctors." But when I think critically about it, I have to admit that it's just not that good, although it certainly has good ideas. And the additional scenes and FX don't paper over the obvious plot cracks (i.e. where Troughton could possibly be in his own time line). Richard Hurndall nearly steals the show as Doctor #1, however. "The King's Demons" has an interesting premise -- involving the Master, a shapeshifting robot, and the Magna Carta -- that unfortunately goes nowhere. I'd rather recommend the original "Five Doctors," but of course it's no longer available. (To be fair, there are a bunch of six-parters they refrained from milking into two-tape sets.)

"The Doctors, wonderful chaps. All of them."
This two tape set is one of the best in the series and a must have for fans of the series. First, we are treated to The Five Doctors, the feature length episode featuring appearances by all five Doctors (unfortunately, it is only footage of Doctor #4, Tom Baker; and a recasting of Doctor #1 by William Hurdnell as William Hartnell had passed away). The story also brings together villians and compnaions in a story that while simple, is certainly a lot of fun. The movie also has the added bonus of new special effects and a dolby soundtrack. This is followed up in tape two by the two part story, The King's Demons. Two part stories were a specialty of the Peter Davison era and this was certainly one of the best. The Doctor and his companions wind up in England as King John is about to sign the Magna Carta. But he's acting very oddly and his champion seems to know what's going on. For the casual fan or the die hard collector, this is one to own.

Filler 2-parter, followed by classic Five Doctors
In The King's Demons, the Doctor, Tegan, and Turlough, interrupt a jousting match between Hugh Fitzwilliam and Sir Giles Estram, King John's champion. The onlookers are astonished but King John seems unfazed, and welcomes them as his demons. But why is he at
Fitzwilliam Castle and not in London to take the Crusader's oath, and what of Sir Geoffrey de Lacey's confusion that he left the king four hours ago in London?

The interior of the castle is superior and I was reminded of Robin Hood movies, and the Doctor shows his usual compassion on Hugh, "Clearly there is a victor and a vanquished. Must blood be shed?" Turlough has a super line, when he, Hugh, and Isabella are chained in the dungeon. Hugh: "Can you not call on Hell [to free us]?" Turlough: "I could, but then so could you, and with a better chance of success, I fancy." Ouch!

While I rate the two-episode King's Demons as good, I must say this. 25-minute two-parters (to distinguish between the 45 minute Colin Baker ones) were limited by their length, which is why I question their necessity. I sometimes wondered what was wrong with deleting a story to make two five parters or make two three-parters. They did that in the Sylvester McCoy years but that's another story.

Speaking of another story, how about that classic, the Five Doctors, and the special edition, to boot? Some scenes have a few seconds added to them, and changing the time scoop to an "Abyss-creature" watery effect instead of a mere black pyramid was a great move. The special effects are a vast improvement over the original.

After a wonderful bit of scenery at the Eye of Orion, where the Doctor, Tegan, and Turlough are resting, the suspense begins with the appearance of a black-gloved figure manipulating controls. Cut to a scene of the First Doctor, played with great William Hartnell-ness by Richard Hurndall, being kidnapped by the Time Scoop. A miniature of the Doctor appears. Hmmm, who around here likes shrinking people? Familiar?

This happens to the Second and Third Doctor, as well as other companions, but a glitch occurs with the Fourth Doctor and Romana II, who are trapped in a time eddy.

The High Council of Time Lords, still led by Borusa, summon the Master to rescue the Doctor from Gallifrey's Death Zone, "the black secret at the heart of your Time Lord paradise" which is "not the most hospitable of environments."

The Cybermen play a major role here, as three squads of them come out. However, they prove no match to the "most perfect killing machine ever devised," the Raston Warrior Robot, who steals the show. It's like killing mosquitoes with Raid.
There's plenty of fabulous dialogue here. The Master tells us why the Doctor is so endeared to fans: "A cosmos without the Doctor scarcely bears thinking about." Something the Beeb should have remembered in 1989.

My favorite Doctor, Jon Pertwee, comes off the best here, "ever so resourceful," as the Master says. He's still the charming, improvising guy with ideas; it's as if he never left the series, and he's a calm counterpart to the strung out Sarah Jane.

An interesting double-entendre is when the First Doctor sees traces of two other Doctors. "Well, well, well, so two of them made it. I wonder what happened to the other." This last sentence spoken in such an acidic tone, might be a reference to Tom Baker's refusal to participate in the story.

And the Second Doctor's solo presence implies that he came here inbetween the verdict and sentencing at his trial--there is a hint of that when he encounters two of his companions.

One goof is the First Doctor's approximation of pi--3.14287. How about 3.14159265, which if I recall, was spoken in the original version of the Five Doctors--I'll have to check on that later. Another is the Cybermen led by the Master--how could they note fail to spot the Doctor and Tegan in the chessboard room upon entering?

A welcome reunion of sorts from some Who alumni, past and present, (they even included some William Hartnell and Tom Baker footage) with old pairings up (Doctor Two and the Brigadier, Doctor Three and Sarah) bringing back fond memories of the past, as well as new pairings (Turlough and Susan). It figures--we see writer Terrance Dicks utilizing his tool of pairing off figures and thus splitting up the story. Is this guy great or what?

King's Demons gets 3, Five Doctors gets 5--overall rating is 4.

watch Kings Deamons first -and then- 5 Doctors
For chronology, watch Kings Deamons first then 5 Doctors. Kings Deamons takes place before the 5 Doctors. "Shall we go the the Eye of Orion next, Doctor" Both of these films are some of the Best Dr. Who's you can see. A lot of Peter Davison stories are blighted with wooden acting and weak script, but these are certainly not among those. King's Deamons is very underrated in my opinion and 5 Doctors is the best Dr. Who of the Davison era(even though it didn't have Tom Baker).

For die hard fans only!
This video is for die hard fans becasue of the many plot holes and campy special effects! To make matters worse there is no Tom