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The Doctor and Mel meet Ace at an intergalactic trading post called Iceworld. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

The unfolding subtext
One of the first things I noticed about "Dragonfire" this time around is that the central console in Kane's lair looks extraordinarily like the central console in the Doctor's TARDIS. Then I started thinking about other similarities between Kane and the Doctor. Both have a penchant for young girls. Kane, for instance, tries to buy Ace by tempting her with whispered speeches about "the twelve Galaxies". The Doctor successfully wins Ace as a companion later on by using the same line.

Fittingly, both Kane and the Doctor also "drop" older female companions who've worn out their welcome. This is the episode that wrote out Bonnie Langord (Mel), the companion who never had anything to do, the companion who never seemed to be acting on the same show as Sylvester McCoy. At the same time, Kane kills his aging female companion, Belasz, who wears out her welcome after nearly 20 years at his side -- by trying to mastermind his death, to be fair to Kane. Similarly, one could be forgiven for believing that Mel was trying to mastermind the Doctor's incipient deafness.

"Dragonfire" is also about revealing the person behind the person. It's been said that Ace's innocence was supposed to have been taken by that galactic rogue, Sabalon Glitz. That's never explicitly stated on screen, but there are a couple of oblique hints in Ian Briggs' own novelization. And, on this, my fourth viewing of the story, that explanation made more sense: why else would Ace harbor such bitterness for the guy? Yes, she's only using lame epithets like "bilge bag", but that was the best the BBC could give us in 1987. Clearly she meant some other kind of "bag". Even the fact that Ace is blatantly borrowed and updated from "The Wizard of Oz" seems like a neat idea, and it's not her fault that a faction of the subseuqent DW novel writers insisted on pinning her with the surname "Gale".

My favorite complex character is the Neanderthal-looking security guard that McCoy tries to hoodwink in Part Two. The diminutive Doctor can't figure out how to trick this behemoth away from his post, so he tries to baffle him with doubletalk about the "imperial critical belief that experience is at the root of all phenomena". Only in this story, though, could that security guard turn out to be an armchair existentialist who banters back, polysyllable for polysyllable. With scenes like that, "Dragonfire" gets away with some of the most complex humor in all of "Doctor Who". And, of course, with names like McLuhan and Kane and Nosferatu (and, in the novelization, Eisenstein), the subtext appropriately becomes the text.

Even the story's faults are relatively benign. The sets have been criticized for looking cheap and overly bright, but I quite like the opening shot: a dozen extras in uniform march away from the camera into a multi-level set shrouded in dry ice. Kane (Edward Peel) is hardly "Doctor Who"'s most demonstrative villain: he's given to reciting lengthy speeches, and even his Part Two cliffhanger rant is hardly worth the electronic scream. But, in a season where the other lead villains were serial overactors (Kate O'Mara, Richard Briers and Don Henderson), Peel merely reminds one of a more sensible Bond villain, like Julian Glover in "For Your Eyes Only", or the Telly Savalas Blofeld. Not memorable, but competent enough for the production at hand.

In the end, "Dragonfire" was eventually consumed by its own subtext. On TV, Mel was given a charming, extended departure scene. McCoy beeps her on the nose and they both hug. They both get interesting nonlinear dialogue, and for the first time since "Terror of the Vervoids", Bonnie Langford really seemed like a companion who belongs on the show. Even her pairing up with Glitz would have made a great spinoff. Instead, however, the later novel writers decided that Mel didn't deserve a proper depature, so they retroactively tinkered with the Doctor's motives: what really happened is he mind-controlled her out of the TARDIS, into such a bad situation that she wound up miserable and destitute (and, several dozen novels later, dead).

Somehow, I don't believe Ian Briggs' experience was at the root of that particular phenomenon.

Gordon Bennett! Not a bad story, innit?
Dragonfire is Ace's debut story and Melanie's farewell story, and the contrast between the two is striking. Although both are expressive, Ace is more the action type, hating laziness and inefficiency, as she demonstrates when she destroys an icefall with three cans of nitro-9. Nitro-9 is "like ordinary nitroglycerine, except it's got a bit more wallop." As she tells the guards trying to shift the ice, "last one back's a gooey mess!"

The plot involves the search for a treasure guarded by a dragon. At a bar on Iceworld, (clearly influenced by the Star Wars cantina), the Doctor and Mel are reunited with Sabalom Glitz, one of the seekers of the treasure, guarded by a fierce dragon. With the help of a waitress, Ace, they go out in search for the treasure in the lower depths of Iceworld, with places like the Singing Trees, Ice Gardens, and the Land Of Oblivion.

Another party interested in the treasure is Kane. He is the ruthless villain ruling Svartos, a world that has a perpetual dark side. That's an advantage, but even Svartos is too warm for him, as he perpetually needs to lie in his cryo-cabin to achieve a body temperature of 193 below zero. Glitz says of him, "if he were a mortician, the corpses would keep their eyes open." and "cut him open and you won't find a heart, just a block of ice."

As for the dragon, it's more of "a semiorganic vertebrate with a highly developed cerebral cortex."

The best part involves a philosophical discussion between the Doctor and a seemingly stupid-looking guard, who despite appearances, is pretty much an intellectual.

Guest stars: Tony Selby expands the character of Glitz as a dodgy wheeler dealer. Another Tony, Tony Osoba (Kracauer), played Lann the Movellan in Destiny Of The Daleks. Patricia Quinn (Belasz), had a bit part in Monty Python's The Meaning Of Life as the wife of the instructor who teaches the sex ed. class.

Mel's departure seems improvised and totally out of character--apart from keeping an eye on Glitz, something tells me she's not the adventurous type compared to Ace. Those who want to know the full answer can, if one can find it, the New Adventure novel Head Games.

Another flaw is Glitz's offer to take Ace back to Perivale. Trial of a Timelord took place around 2,000,000 AD. Ace, who is from the 20th century, clearly tells Mel a time storm transported her to Iceworld. Glitz was going to take Ace back to Perivale, but what would be the point of taking her back home two million years in the future? The only other explanation is that he could time travel, but that doesn't seem likely.

Also, see if you can see a white curtain, serving as an icy wall, billow out as Mel pitches nitro-9 at Pudovkin.

And the Doctor's regeneration must be making him wonky in his climbing over the guard rail and down the cliff, using only his brolly for support. And the clumsy way in which he clambers all over Glitz who has to rescue him! How awkward!

Sophie Aldred makes Ace a believable and likeable character, tough and full of spirit like Leela, but with a vulnerable side (she's ashamed of her real name). She hits the ground running in her debut in this little bit flawed but good story.

The best of Season 24
When I recieved my lastest (and rather large) order of Dr. Who videos, "Dragonfire" was the first one I pulled out; in part becuase it had been so long since I had seen anything from Season 24 apart from the awful "Time and the Rani" and also because I remember liking "Dragonfire". My memory served me well.The story is well written, and we see the return of Tony Selby as the nefarious Sabalom Glitz, one of the few bright spots from the preveous season's "Trial of a Timelord". It also features Patrica Quinn, best known to cult fanatics as Magenta from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show".The special effects are well done, particuarly by Dr. Who standards and we see the departure of that annoying Mel creature at the end. A very good effort from an otherwise fairly disapointing season of Dr. Who.

Chilling return to serious Dr Who adventures.
In the same season as the missed opportunity that was 'Paradise Towers' and the terrible 'Time and the Rani' (the latter being possibly the nadir of the entire 26 years of the Dr Who series), 'Dragonfire' comes as a dramatic and very welcome return to the darker, more sinister Dr Who of old.

The plot involves buried treasure, a colony of ice and a legendary firebreathing dragon stalking the corridors of the lower levels. The story contains a genuinely chilling villain, and one who comes across as not unsympathetic at times and is therefore a believable character. There is also the welcome return of dodgy-dealing Glitz, the music is suitable atmospheric and the sets are well-designed. Especially gripping are the scenes involving two guards are sent after the dragon in a marvellous 'Alien'-style sequence.

Ace, the Doctor's soon-to-be companion, proves to be a strong character from the outset, outshining Mel at every turn, despite the odd duff line - i.e. "male-chauvenist bilge-bag". But overall, a positive step in the right direction for the series and a taste of what was soon to come.

The Doctor visits Iceworld and gets a new companion!
The Doctor and Mel land on Iceworld. The travellers meet their old friend Glitz. The travellers get into a treasure hunt. Mel finally leaves the Doctor and gets a new companion Ace! Mel leaves the Doctor to have adventures with Glitz! ... Read more

Amazon.com

By Tom Baker's third season in the role the actor had become firmly established in the minds of many fans as the definitive Doctor. First broadcast in early 1977, "Robots of Death" follows on directly from "Face of Evil," which was writer Chris Boucher's debut and also that of Louise Jameson's Leela, the Doctor's most shapely companion (a kind of Neanderthal Seven of Nine if you will). Boucher's second Who story concerns an isolated mining ship on which a series of inexplicable deaths takes place--although as the Doctor opines, "nothing is inexplicable, only unexplained." The Doctor and Leela inevitably become embroiled in events, which soon turn into a sci-fi murder-mystery: imagine Isaac Asimov crossed with Agatha Christie in a Dune-like setting. Add an undercover robot sent by "the company" and the claustrophobic, not to say deadly, setting of the mining ship, and there is a fascinating foreshadowing of Alien, too. It is tightly plotted, intelligent Saturday afternoon entertainment (something that was possible then but is now an unthinkable oxymoron) with a typically strong cast of redoubtable thespians in supporting roles (not to mention extravagant costumes and garish makeup). There may be no Daleks or Cybermen, but this is vintage Who nonetheless. --Mark Walker ... Read more

Reviews (29)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amazon.com

"Spearhead from Space" launched Doctor Who into the 1970s with not only a new Doctor, Jon Pertwee, but a new assistant, the scientist Liz Shaw (Caroline John) and a regular place in the show for UNIT and Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney). It also marked the debut of the program in color and saw the Doctor stranded on Earth after Patrick Troughton's last adventure, "The War Games" (1969). Not only that, but it proved the only serial in the show's history to be entirely shot both on film and location, giving it a uniquely cinematic feel. Regenerating in a country hospital, the Doctor finds himself helping the Brigadier investigate an unusual meteorite and its links with a sinister doll factory. The Autons are cybernetic killers--anticipating The Terminator by some 15 years--and the sequence in which they break through shop windows to slaughter pedestrians remains a chilling highpoint of Doctor Who's entire history. Things do turn silly with a subplot involving a wax museum, while the ultimate battle with the Nestine consciousness is more likely to induce laughter than fear, but as vintage television nostalgia this is fast-moving, splendidly characterized entertainment. --Gary S. Dalkin ... Read more

Reviews (34)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 (5)

Avon got solve a murder, Blake got to fight Travis
The next volume of Blake 7 entitled Mission to Destiny and Duel
blake and the crew find a ship out in space drifitng. The board it and find a crew asleep thanks to someone druging the air supply. They also find a dead body. The people on the drugged ship first blame Blake and the others. But realzing that thier special cargo hasn't been stolen they ask Blake for help. Blake and the other minus Avon and Cally, as a sign of trust stay on board the ship. Blake goes speeding off, Avon has to figure who killed the poor person who knew the killer. Before the killer strikes again. Unlike some of my other reviews this is more of a who done it so I won't give to much away in this epsidoe. Besides it would spoil it for all who like watching Blake's 7
The next episode entitled Duel
Travis has finally caught up with Blake. Federation pursuit ships trap the Liberator near a dead planet. Blake and the others realizing that the only way to get away from Travis is to teleport down to the planet. There they find a dead world and a million graves but all are the same a person standing with thier arms streched out holding two knives. A strange old woman and a young woman watch Blake and Travis fight in the sky. They then send Blake, Jenna to a strange forest that wasn't on the planet to begin with. Travis and a solider are also sent to this forest where both Blake and Travis duel to the death. Rather reminds me of star trek in this episode but then where would we all be if someone hadn't taken an idea from someone else? All in all good clean fun for fans of Blake 7

Mystery and combat
Volume 4 of the "Blake's 7" videos contains two more episodes of this classic British sci-fi TV series. In "Mission to Destiny," the B7 crew encounters a murder mystery onboard a spaceship from the planet Destiny. In "Duel," Blake and his rival, Federation Space Commander Travis, are forced to engage in personal combat on an alien world.

Together, these episodes offer interesting insights into the characters and politics of the B7 universe. The mystery angle of "Mission" gives us a chance to see an interesting side of series regular Avon.

"Duel" is reminiscent of the classic "Star Trek" episode "Arena," in which Kirk battles a Gorn captain; the big difference in the B7 story is that the hero battles a recurring character, and not just an alien-of-the-week. So "Duel" has ramifications that extend beyond this episode. "Duel" also offers some fascinating insights into the Mutoids, the vampire-like altered humans who are used in the Federation space service.

If you like sci-fi television with witty dialogue and an intelligent political edge, check out these, and other episodes of "Blake's 7."

"I don't like an unsolved mystery."
Although a brilliant show, Blake's 7 is also a very derivative one, taking inspiration and ideas from a collection of genres, both inside and outside of science fiction. This tape consists of two such stories; one of them is realised quite successfully, the other not so. "Mission to Destiny" is the show's obligatory whodunnit (all TV shows of this type seem to have one). It is a very skilful adaptation of the murder mystery, confining the action to a ship adrift in space (the equivalent of the mansion cut off by a storm, or on a lonely island). There are moments of claustrophobia and intrigue, and the supporting characters come across well. At this stage of Blake's 7, with the crew and enemies introduced, the ongoing characters are now explored with more depth, usually on an individual or "partnered up" basis. The episode allows Avon and Cally to develop an already obvious rapport, by leaving the two on board the ship while the Liberator crew departs for the planet Destiny. Their interaction is very good, if a bit stilted; it's almost as if they suppress their relationship while investigating the mystery - time to act professionally with each other as the situation commands. Avon playing detective is also nice to see, although he is doing it out of self interest, not any desire to see justice done. (But the audience knows Avon well enough now, so this is hardly a surprise.) The denouement, in which Avon gathers everyone together is another nice tip of the hat to Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot, if the solution is a little obvious (and implausible). In all, there is not much to fault "Mission to Destiny", except perhaps the fashions. They were always fairly bad in "Blake's 7", but the outfits of the Ortega crew are ghastly to the extreme! But a minor criticism doesn't detract from calling this a fine episode of "Blake's 7". Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the next one which uses as its source of inspiration the science fiction chestnut of the duel, in which the hero is pitted against an enemy/monster, with primitive weapons, for the benefit of an alien audience. The first (and most obvious) example of this in TV sci-fi is the Star Trek episode, "Arena". The Blake's 7 equivalent, unimaginatively titled "Duel", is very slow moving at times, with the short bursts of action very unengaging. There is some unnecessary sermonising, with Blake and Travis required to learn the lessons of "the death of an enemy" and "the death of a friend". There is a clear message about the horrors of nuclear war - the visuals of the graveyard are chilling, as is the tale of how Sinofar's civilisation destroyed itself, but the didacticism of the episode detracts from the impact it should have. However there are moments that save "Duel" from sinking entirely - the visuals, the performance of the beautiful Isla Blair as Sinofar, and the genuine sense of siege as Travis's pursuit ships surround the powerless Liberator. Mutoids are also first seen in this episode, showing another horrible side to the Federation. "Duel" is, overall, flat and boring, with a few saving graces that lift it from being totally bad.

"Mission" good plot; "Duel" good character devlopment
Mission to Destiny is is a good ol' British Mystery in space. Interesting how the different film stocks used, at times give the ship a different atmosphere.

Duel is very reminiscent of an episode of Star Trek; but here is much more insight into the emotion inherent behind action. Watch for the interplay between the guardian/gatekeeper, and how Travis' motivation afects the outcome.

"Mission"-interesting murder mystery;"Duel"-bizarre showdown
Destiny is an interesting murder mystery with twists and turns throughout. Duel is a showdown between Blake and Travis in a bizarre setting. Reveals much about the personality of Travis and tells us about the lowly existence of the mutoids. Both stories are interesting and worth watching. END ... 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

Reviews (6)

Blake trapped in a space web, worse and old enemy after him.
The next two titles in Blake 7 called The Web and Seek-Locate-Destroy
Blake and the others outrunning federation pursuit ships for weeks now have just about lost them. What they didn't count on was Cally. Trying to destory key functions of the Liberator and send them to some unknow part of the galaxy. Unknow to any of the crew but Cally mind is placed under control by a group called The Lost. A group from her planet Auron long ago who were exiled and went out into the stars to do dangerous experiments on themselves and other beings. The liberator traveling at speeds unheard off rams itself into some kind of webbing. Blake and the others are stumped as to why they can't get free. The Lost contact Blake informing him that they need power to replace thier own dying power source. Blake makes a teleport and finds two humans fighting off strange creatures weilding crude weapons (Doctor who fans should note that the aliens look an awful lot like Zygons or just took the concept from them and made for that). Worse Blake meet the last of the Lost or should I say the remains of the last of the Lost and his combined minds of the others now dead. Blake finds out they want to kill the creatures that the Lost created along with the web that got out of control. For only they can free the Liberator and its crew. But Blake doesn't know that federation pursuit ships are fast on thier trail.
In the next episode entitled Seek-Locate-Destory
We are introduced to the main villianess Supreme Commander of Federation Forces Servalan (Doctor Who fans should note she appeared in "The Two Doctors")who would dog Blake until his capture or his death. She would like that latter. Her first act to stop Blake is bring in Space Commander Travis a man who knows Blake all to well. Seeing as how he was the one who took Travis eye and arm when Blake was leader of the first rebellion. Travis wants nothing more then to see Blake dying before him as he aims his gun at Blake to get his revenge. He has his chance when he finds out that Blake and the others just hit a communications centre and ran off with a cyper device but in the process of getting away Cally is hurt and left behind. Blake has to find a way to get Cally back and avoid Travis traps along the way.
Now the stage has been set for fans to watch the villans try and stop or even capture Blake. The charter of Travis would be in many of the adventures to come but Servalan was the true villian of Blake 7 and I couldn't see it any other way.

New wrinkles in the B7 universe
This tape collects two episodes of "Blake's 7," the classic British space adventure TV series. These two installments continue the adventures of Blake, who leads his crew of rebels in their quest to overthrow the corrupt, tyrannical Federation.

In "The Web," the spaceship Liberator is trapped in a giant web in space, and Blake bargains for help to get it free. This episode features a genetically-engineered race of creatures known as the Decimas. There are some genuinely surreal and disturbing scenes in "The Web," as well as an interesting moral dilemma for Blake.

In "Seek-Locate-Destroy," Blake masterminds a daring raid on a Federation facility. This episode is especially important in the overall saga for introducing the recurring villains Servalan and Travis. This episode also reveals the conflict at work within the Federation and its space officer corps. Travis' fascinating backstory is part of this conflict.

Overall, these two episodes are good examples of B7's first season. If you like low-budget sci-fi with well-written dialogue and memorable character dynamics, check this tape out.

Five Stars for Tight Black Leather, Negative Two for Midgets
Seek, Locate, and Destroy is a FANTASTIC Blake's Seven episode that introduces a most interesting character, Travis. The Web? Laughable! You might just want to fast forward through The Web (it has NO impact on the plot what-so-ever) and watch Seek Locate Destroy. Don't get me wrong - if your idea of high sci-fi includes midgets hopping about, wearing green tissue paper suits and squeeling at the top of their voices, then this is the episode for you! *NOTE* You might want to hit the mute button during the scene where the mutant midget decimas destroy the laboratory. (I use the term destroy losely, because the scene of destruction is mostly comprised of jumping and yipping, but I think I saw one midget knock over a table!) Why did I waste good money on this video? Because I have the nerd dream of collecting the entire series and let's face it, TRAVIS IS A HOTTIE!....

"I'm always grateful for a rough analogy..."
For long-suffering new viewers who have perservered and survived the somewhat slow four episodes that provide an exposition to "Blake's 7", they can take heart that now, finally, the series gets going. However, for those expecting an immediate rush into Blake's crusade against the forces of the Federation, you'll have to hold on a bit longer, for "The Web" diverts the Liberator crew to a planet inhabited by an exile from Cally's home world and a genetically engineered race, the Decimas. The Decimas are the first truly alien species encountered in Blake's 7, and the focus of this episode is on their plight, making for a non-Federation adventure (with the exception of a group of pursuit ships approaching the trapped Liberator, providing some race against time tension). While the episode makes topical points about genocide, as a whole it is rather boring, primarily because it is so slow. The Decimas do engage sympathy, but "The Web" is too ponderous to be really gripping. It is well intentioned but unsuccessful in realisation. The appearance of Saymor is totally unconvincing, also adding to the episode's detriment. However, all is not lost - "The Web" has a few saving graces, all associated with the fleshing out of the crew, be they personal traits or interaction with each other. Cally's possession by the alien force (which would become a cliche in later seasons) reinforces Jenna's suspicion of her; Jenna believes she is the weak link and is slightly jealous of Cally's respect for Blake. Avon's contempt of Gan, and his ominous musings that one day Blake will not be around to thwart his ambitions are, at this early stage, interesting character revelations. The Blake/Avon relationship is also given more strength, especially when Avon gives in to Blake's insistence on assisting the Decimas. The location work is also nice. But, overall, "The Web" is a diversion from the main action that, because it is not fast paced, would only infuriate the new viewer even further. However, this cannot be said of the following episode, "Seek-Locate-Destroy". In this, the action of "Blake's 7" truly begins. Although this is the second attack on a Federation base, it is much more interesting than that of "Time Squad". The location work (this time at the Fulham Gasworks) is again excellent; the tension builds up as time begins to run out, and the sense of humor prevalent in the series is present in Vila's "I've come to blow something up" speech. Although stolen by Terry Nation from his own Doctor Who script "Genesis of the Daleks" (in which Tom Baker walks up to guards and says "I'm a spy"), it is still very funny. When Cally is left behind on Centero, it is infuriating that nobody notices her until it is too late (it should be obvious that she is not aboard the ship), but this is one of the few glaring errors of the episode. The most interesting aspect of the episode is the inside look at Federation politics, and in particular the introduction of Servalan and Travis. Jacqueline Pearce's first portrayal of elegant, sexy and villanous Supreme Commander is an understated one - she is not the central character she would become in the latter half of the show's history. Travis's character is the most interesting; Stephen Greif's performance is exceptional - he makes the character cold, heartless and totally determined. I feel that the introduction of these two characters at this stage, and not in the very first episode, is an excellent move. If they had appeared at the very beginning, there would be no build-up of drama or tension as the series progressed; the main characters needed to be developed before the chief antagonists could be introduced; done the way it has been, the characters that would become recurring individual enemies are given greater justice, able to be explored with more depth as they are brought into the ongoing story.

Beloved by me!
This tape contains two episodes from my favourite show - Blake's 7. Roj Blake is the main character, one, who fights against the terrorist Galactic Federation, once upon a time in the future... In the episode 'The Web' it could be seen how peoples from the future could deal with our up-to-date gene engineering's problems, such as forming sensible creatures. One could share the Blake's opinion on the Decima's 'human' rights. My _most_ favourite quote from all the episodes is in 'Seek-Locate-Destroy'. A villain, called Bercol, speaks about Blake and his fellows. The quote expresses how peoples in Galaxy feel Blake as their liberator: 'My department has done all in its power to suppress information about Blake and his actions - there is a total blackout on all reports concerning him - but still the stories get out. They spread by word of mouth, by whispers, by rumour; each time the story is told it is elaborated upon. Any damage to the Federation is attributed to Blake. The smallest incident is exaggerated out of all proportion until it becomes a major event. Blake is becoming a legend. His name is a rallying call for malcontents of all persuasions. He must be stopped.' ... 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 an