Reviews (19)

Terror on Tape
The 22nd season of "Doctor Who" wasn't well liked by the public. Probably because it was so violent. And that is what "Vengeance on Varos" is, a take off on TV violence, to the grimmest extent. Philip Martin's gruesome plot is surely funny in a repulsive way. Cannibals, acid baths, etc. all broadcasted on an alien world, and in turn broadcasted into your home! Watch out for that economic slug Sil (Nabil Shaban) in one of Colin Baker's most determined performances.

It's a pity there's only two episodes...

One of the best Sixth Doctor stories
The sixth Doctor era is one that is often criticised by Doctor Who fans, and this criticism is justified in my opinion. The majority of the stories starring Colin Baker ranged from mediocre to poor, with the exception of Revelation Of The Daleks and this story.

Vengeance On Varos is a story that is more relevant now than it was when it was first broadcast due to the current glut of reality tv shows that clog the airwaves. These two episodes show a populace that gets to vote on government policy through interactive television broadcasts. Rather than a simple yes or no vote, the voting involves torture of the Governor which the population gets to watch. They also get to see public torturing and executions of "terrorists" as part of their daily intake of television "entertainment". This satire of television and government rings all the more true as time goes by.

The sixth Doctor is still rather an unlikeable character here at times, only a few stories into his era which was cut abruptly short when Colin Baker was sacked after his final story, The Trial Of A Time Lord. At the beginning of the story, he is still exhibiting the mood swings seen in his first story which makes it difficult for the audience to be won over by this particular incarnation of the Time Lord. Tom Bakers Doctor was also prone to black moods, but the sixth Doctor comes across at times as a petulant and whiny child. This is not a fault that can be levelled solely at the actor as the character was shaped by the producer, script editor (who was later quite vocal about his dislike of this era of the program) and writers.

The DVD itself is another excellent piece of work from the Restoration Team. The picture and sound are excellent. The various special features are entertaining and informative, especially the commentary track by Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant and Nabil Shaban who plays the stories villain Sil. It's a very funny and cheeky chat that's well worth a listen.

Apparently this is the lowest selling Doctor Who DVD in the UK, but it's certainly a story that stands the test of time and definitely worth your time and money. If nothing else, the story may make you think more about the society we live in and that's no bad thing.

Story taking on voting, governments, and corporations
Having run out of a vital component for the TARDIS, the Doctor and Peri are forced to land on Varos and replenish it with Zeiton 7. Unfortunately for the Doctor, he has landed during the period where Varos is a "prison planet, a colony for the criminally insane, [where] the descendants of the original officers still rule by fear." The rest of the people live in poverty, toiling without hope.

They interrupt the execution of the rebel leader Jondar, rescuing him, and joining his wife Areta through a labryinth of passages beset by mental booby traps in order to find a safe exit. The Doctor is able to maneuvre through some of the traps, and evades capture longer than the other three.

Varos has a dysfunctional totalitarian system, where the referendum system has the governor submitting any proposals to the voters. If they approve, fine, but if not, he is subjected to a human cell disintegrator. Four losing votes generally kills the governor, and then there's a new candidate. The reason for this is that the planet isn't prosperous, its Zeiton 7 being the only asset, and that is ruthlessly exploited by the Galatron Mining Corporation through its representative, a tiny cackling seaweed-coloured reptilian slug named Sil. The governor wants to further rationing of food in order to hold out for a better price per unit on Zeiton ore, but men vote with their stomachs despite the fact that Sil is trying to buy Zeiton ore for less money, cheating them.

We meet a typical Varosian couple, Arak and his wife Etta, the former who hates the governor, the latter an ardent supporter. They, like others, have a TV screen with a set of voting buttons (yes, no) per person. They are bored and dissatisfied with their life, but kept entertained by scenes of execution and torture on TV, which also serve to deter subversive activities. The interesting thing here is that voting is mandatory, and Etta isn't above reporting her husband. But more than that, they are a society dominated by TV and must keep themselves apprised of special announcements.

The concept of forced voting is interesting. Less than 50% of eligible voters turned out for the 2000 election in contrast to over 90% in Saddam's Iraq. Voting is supposed to be a privilege, but do governments have a right to force people to participate in order to eliminate apathy? Even more is the referendum system of Varos. What if we had a setup like this, where the president was forced to directly appeal to the people and get his proposals accepted or defeated, with four strikes meaning the end for the president? Makes one think, eh?

It's not a good system for the Varosian governor, who tells Peri that "the theory [is] that a man scared for his life will find solutions to this planet's problem... except that the poor unfortunate will discover that there are no popular solutions to the difficulties he will find."

When the series was temporarily put on hold, one of the excuses was of the violence in the series. Possible targets include the acid-bath deaths of two characters, the Doctor showing little remorse for the acid-bath casualties, and resorting to killing rather than trying to talk sense to the villains. And a guard slaps Peri's face for tricking him early in the story. Nasty characters include the scientist Qwillam, who says of the rebels "I want them to scream till I'm deaf with pleasure, to see their limbs twist in excruciating agony, ultimately their blood will flow down the gutters of Varos."

Jondar is played by Jason Connery, son of you-know-who and clearly not as good an actor as his famous father. Nabil Shaban would return as Sil in part two of Trial of a Timelord, Mindwarp. The marsh minnows he eats are sliced peaches dyed green, BTW. The actors portaying the villains do a better job here, but Martin Jarvis plays the governor and does a good job conveying a well-meaning politician wanting the best for his people but trapped by the political system.

A cross between 1984 and futuristic sci-fi movies of rebellion against an oppressive regime, Vengeance In Varos succeeds despite it being totally studio-bound due to the thought-provoking ideas derived from it.

"Tried reading that once." **thump**
In a word, classic. Season 22 of Doctor Who was off to an excellent start... it's debut story, "Attack of the Cybermen" was great, if not perfect (I took the liberty of giving it four stars out of five in my review for it here), and the following tale, Philip Martin's "Vengeance on Varos" builds up from that. Unfortunately, this trend was not to continue (the story after this one, "Mark of the Rani", is a couple pegs down even from "Attack", at least in my opinion, though still not bad). But if I had been both British and old enough to cleary remember 1984 (I fail on both counts), I know I would have been impressed by the way the series was going. True, both this story and its preceeding one were rather violent, but... well, evil has to be evil, right? To paraphrase the Doctor himself, Colin Baker says on the "Colin Baker Years" tape that the "villains should be able to do more than just say 'boo' and then run away." Heartily agree.

Some find Baker's brash, arrogant, selfish, mean, and sometimes cowardly Doctor too different from the hero the character had been in the past, through the portrayals of actors like Jon Pertwee or Peter Davison, which is why Colin Baker is not as popular of a Doctor among most fans as some of the others. But really... compare the First Doctor with the Sixth... I think that Colin Baker's take on the character is actually more accurate to William Hartnell's original portrayal than those that came after him, making Colin Baker really a more traditional Doctor! It reinforces the mysterious, alien qualities of the character. We know that deep down, in spite of all the negative qualities that form our first impression of him, the Sixth Doctor is good and kind at heart, for we see the transformation from one to the other occur in most of his stories. Colin Baker is my favorite Doctor, but he's not the only reason why I think this was a great story.

Varos is a very believeable world (the whole concept of reality TV featured in the story was definitely ahead of its time), gritty and industrialized. The governor, played by Martin Jarvis, was a wonderful, reluctant weary character who does what he has to do (marvelous performance), as was the alien creature Sil (is it just me, or does Nabil Shaban bear an uncanny resemblance, both in his appearance and in the sound of his voice, to the late David Rappaport? The first time I saw Sil, I thought it WAS Rappaport!). Wonderful, slimy character, in more ways than one. The story is intruiging, as the Doctor arrives on Varos to refuel his TARDIS (why do so many people hate this element of the story? I mean, why not?) and things don't go quite as smoothly as he thought they might (but do they ever?).

Nicola Bryant remains wonderful as Peri, who for me had her best run of stories from her first in "Planet of Fire" (in spite of her accent, which I'm willing to overlook... it improved drastically with the next story, "Caves of Androzani") up to this one. I didn't feel like the character felt quite the same after this one, which is really more the fault of the scripts than it is Bryant's performance. Up until the next story, Peri was just an American college student... spoiled and thrust somewhat unwillingly into a completely bizarre new direction in life. Once the writers seemed to think she'd settled into the routine of things, the character for me didn't work as well. They added the whole botany thing for reasons I've never been able to figure out (not that she couldn't be a botany student, but... well why should she be?). But I'm deviating from THIS story, where Peri remains wonderfully realized as just what she's supposed to be, a student who still hasn't gotten used to time and space travel and being the constant, frustrated companion of a man that half the time seems to forget that she is just as alive and as important as he is. Love the bit where she tries to convince the Doctor to read the TARDIS operations manuel, while he tries to ask her what the point is, as she'll be dead in sixty years or so anyway?

Before I finish, let me offer up my compliments to the director/writer for the brilliant cliffhanger! Rather than describe it, just see it for yourself. I recall thinking, immediately before episode one ended, "wouldn't it be great if they put the cliffhanger HERE?", and then they did.

"Vengeance on Varos" is probably my second favorite story from the Colin Baker era (my first favorite, which I've already reviewed here at Amazon, is the incredible "Revelation of the Daleks". Of the mere eleven stories he starred in, both this one and that one are both definitely five-star efforts. Give them a shot! (the DVD commentary and deleted scenes are a nice couple of extras too, but the only two that really interested me). Give "Varos" a chance, and I don't think you'll be sorry.

Carry on Carry on,

MN

One of the Great Acts of Froggi Time Meddling
Like numerous other episodes of Doctor Who, this is an act of time meddling itself: the prison industrial complex, the society of people whose minds are distorted by mandatory TV watching, the encouraging of people to spy no their friends and neighbors, the blanket labeling of enemies of the state as "terrorists", the true and disturbing nature of reality-TV, the exploitation by mining companies, and a "Governor" who is tortured in referendum after referendum. See the amazing likeness of the "Governor" to Governor Gray Davis. It doesn't stop there. See if you can spot all of the messages which were sent back just this morning on September 26, 2003. ... Read more

Description

When the Tardis materializes in an ancient Aztec temple, the Doctor's companion Barbara is mistaken for the reincarnation of the High Priestess, Yetaxa. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Essential addition to any Doctor Who DVD Collection
If you're already a Dr. Who fan then purchase of this DVD is a no brainer. If you're not, then it's a good place to begin. Originally aired during the shows first season, The Aztecs is only the sixth ever Doctor Who story. The first doctor (played by William Hartnell) and his companions arrive on earth in the late 1400's in the middle of an Aztec temple. The original companions include the Doctor's grand daughter Susan and her teachers Barbera and Ian. Barbera puts on an Aztec medallion and is mistaken for a reincarnated high priestess. As such, she decides to influence the Aztec culture by putting an end to human sacrifices. As a result, Ian and Susan are placed in danger and it is up to the Doctor to save his friends and preserve history. William Hartnell's portrayal of the doctor is excellent. As a fan of Dr Who, it is fun to watch these early episodes and see how the show evolved over the years. For example, most of the early shows were based on interacting with earth's historical figures as opposed to alien races. Additionally, the concept of the Timelord race had not yet been introduced.

The quality of the DVD is top notch. Many of these early episodes have been lost, and those that survive are in bad condition. As with the earlier release of "Tomb of the Cybermen", the Aztecs has been meticulously restored to perfection. There are a couple of nice extras including interviews with three of the surviving cast members. Their take on the show and Hartnell's infamous "difficult" personality are well worth the time to watch. There's also a short film that compares the original unrestored print of the film to the final restored product.

The Aztecs is an absolute gem and an essential addition to any Doctor Who DVD library. Fans of classic sci-fi should also considering acquiring this piece of sci-fi television history. If you're just starting a Doctor Who library or have never seen the show, this is an excellent place to start followed by the aforementioned Patrick Troughton adventure "Tomb of the Cybermen" and the John Pertwee's take on the doctor in "Spearhead from Space".

Rewriting History
It seems naive to keep declaring every new "Doctor Who" DVD release the "best one ever", but I think "The Aztecs" actually fits the bill this time. I mean, compared to one of the earliest releases ("Spearhead From Space", about which I raved), this disc really seems to have an impossibly high numbers of features and improvements.

Most notably is frame-by-frame restoration of the story. Part and parcel of being a "Doctor Who" fan is accepting the show's poor visual look. Not poor as in aged special effects or wobbly sets, but poor as in picture quality. "Who" was always recorded on videotape, but the tape from the show's entire 1960s run has long since been destroyed, and those episodes are only available now on ancient, scratchy film transfers. "The Aztecs" DVD doesn't miraculously unearth the original videotapes... but it does run the film through a special restoration process which mostly restores the old video look. No scratches, no jumps, this time. Now you can see the original sets and flimsy decorations in all their harsh studio-light glare, and you can see those lights reflected in all the actors' foreheads.

Now, while I'm sure most people who still watch "Doctor Who" don't watch it for picture quality, these DVDs do serve an extreme niche market, and it's nice to know that someone on the DVD-production end is actually trying to put out a worthwhile product.

Apart from the story (which is so brilliant that I won't do it the injustice of a 3-sentence plot summary), the DVD also benefits from the inclusion of the original actors in the special features. The audio commentary track is a major disappointment. Actor William Russell (Ian) is so old that he doesn't seem to realize he's watching a younger version of himself. Carole Anne Ford (Susan) was on vacation for most of "The Aztecs", so her comments are limited to several variations on "Oh, that's pretty!". The star of the commentary is the show's original producer, Verity Lambert, though there was slightly less insight on "Doctor Who"'s beginnings than I expected. I do hope she'll be included on future Season 1 DVDs

Three actors from the "Aztec"'s secondary cast take part in a 30-minute "Remembering the Aztecs" featurette. Ian Cullen (Ixta) sits at a table in a garden, reading from a very visible script, although his glasses are off. Walter Randall (Tonila) and John Ringham (Tlotoxl, a name not pronounced the same way twice throughout the entire story) sit together on a couch, Randall with his shirt unbuttoned and navel revealed. What's up with that? Best of all, Randall and Ringham provide *new* character voices for a hilarious animated short ("Making Cocoa") done in South-Park style, and all three record in-character voice introductions when you select the "Play All" option. And look for the easter egg hidden on the Special Features menu.

There's also a nice 5-minute history lesson on the Aztecs, thrown in from a 1971 children's TV program. The half-hour interview with the episode's set designer, Barry Newbery, goes on a bit too long, but again, these DVDs are aimed at the kind of audience that might appreciate this sort of excess.

Happily, the usually interminable photo gallery now plays by itself, so you don't have to stab the "next" button on your remote every 3 seconds. The photos are mostly useless, but the color snapshots are fun, since you can see what the costumes were actually supposed to look like, before the 1964 story was recorded in glorious Black-&-White-O-Vision.

Oldest Doctor Who DVD story released so far. Excellent.
The Aztecs was the 6th storyline of the first doctor, William Hartnell. This was one of the Historical Doctor Who episodes, and a fascinating one at that. Watching this story, you can see the appeal of the doctor. He goes everywhere in and out of time and space. He has knowledge that only a time traveller of his caliber could possess. He wants to learn as much as he can about the places and people he visits. In this particular show the Doctor and his companions travel back into earth's time to when the Aztec culture was flourishing. It is a great story, and makes me wish that the oldest historical Dr. Who storyline: "Marco Polo" had survived. The DVD quality is excellent, and if someone wants to watch it with the quality it was originally aired, then they would need a Tardis in order to do that. But the rest of us who regret the fragility of the first two doctors' stories (over 1/3 are presumably lost forever), a disc like this is most welcome. "The Dalek Invasion of Earth" and "Tomb of the Cybermen" are also fantastic. Here is hoping that more of the first two Dr.s are released on DVD in such a respectful way!

Get behind the scenes with the commentary
This is really a wonderful disk. I particularly enjoy watching it with the second subtitles on. The subtitles tell you a lot about the production of the episode, the research they did for the episode, and what other episodes characters appeared in. It gives you all of the insight you want without interfering with the story the way voice over commentaries can.

It is rare we get anything this early in the Dr Who cycle on our PBS station, so it is great to be able to watch this any time I want.

Preservation please, not restoration.
Aztecs is one of the all-time Dr Who masterpieces. However, this dvd version fails. The episodes have been painstakingly "restored" to "look as it would have done in 1964". However, no one in 1964 had high-definition televisions, and so this glossy adjustment looks absolutely nothing as it would have done at its original broadcast. Dr Who has here been given a crystal-clear clarity that it is simply not meant to have. Consequently, it is robbed of its atmosphere. Instead of a trip to old Mexico filled with suspense and intrigue, what we see are actors in a studio. The illusion is ruined, and with it, its beauty. The Aztecs is a fantastic bit of magic, but this dvd is just a tragic bit of plastic.
It's bad enough there are so many episodes of Dr Who missing. Can we please refrain from tampering with the ones we do have? Dr Who is perfect as it is. "Improvement" is not necessary and can only end in this kind of disaster. All we want is completeness, a series uncut, so we can judge the show for ourselves and enjoy it in our own way.
If you haven't seen The Aztecs, you must. But I implore you - buy the videocassette instead. ... Read more

Description

On Androzani Minor, the Doctor and Peri are caught up between conflicting factions vying for the control of spectrox, a vital elixir made from poisonous bat guano. ... Read more

Reviews (42)

You were expecting something else?
I'm pleased to announce that the uniformly high quality of the first three States-side "Doctor Who" DVD releases was not a fluke. The newly-offered "The Caves of Androzani" is another highly-regarded story given a glossy new, features-packed look.

It's the final story for Peter Davison, the 5th Doctor, and is notably gloomy and dark. Roger Limb's militaristic score, replete with a rattlesnake motif, and Graeme Harper's inspired direction -- full of cross-fades, matched dissolves, and Shakespearean soliloquies to the camera -- is light-years beyond the dull visual look for which so much "Who" is unfortunately remembered. The script is Robert Holmes at his darkest: a planet run by a mega-corporation is involved in a bitter war against a deformed mad scientist and his android army over supply of a life-preserving drug. Into this picture stumble the Doctor and Peri, who both contract fatal poisoning within minutes. The acting is superb, from John Normington's evil-CEO Morgus, who delivers chilling asides to the camera, to former dancer Christopher Gable as the mad Sharaz Jek, stalking the camera (and Peri) in skin-tight leather and a memorable black-and-white mask.

The features are a slight decline from those in the first set of DVD releases. The raw studio footage of Peter Davison's regeneration scene is tolerable only with Davison and Harper's voiceover commentary -- but the DVD doesn't inform that this track exists over the featurettes as well as over the story. Similarly, the extended scene (featuring just 20 seonds of new material) works best with this commentary. The photo gallery and TV trailer strike of tokenism.

Better is a featurette narrated by (the late) Gable, describing the creation of Sharaz Jek: possibly the best original featurette on a DW disc thus far. Also grand is a 1983 TV interview in which a female reporter tries to bully Davison into admitting that his casting as the Doctor was a mistake!

Harper and Davison's full-length commentary is an absolute riot -- celebrating the story, while poking vicious fun at its (few) plot-holes and visual goofs. Davison's description of the Part Two cliffhanger is roll-on-the-floor funny. Nicola Bryant says little, but her regret at Peri's performance in this story is a revelation (considering what awful roles Peri would be assigned when Colin Baker became the Doctor). Also fine are the pop-up production notes, which describe Holmes's original script in tantalizing detail. You might not choose to sit through 90 minutes of the music-only sound option, but I enjoyed watching key scenes (including the regeneration) in this fashion.

Overall, one of "Doctor Who"'s finest TV stories, with a couple of nifty DVD-only additions that make this 20 year-old story a 21st-century triumph.

Change, my dear. And it seems not a moment too soon...
One of my favorite Doctor Who stories ever and Peter Davison's final outing as the Gallifreyan timelord ends on a high note (eclipsing Tom Baker's regeneration sequence in Logopolis). The plot centers around the Doctor and Peri (played by the lovely Nicola Bryant) who land on Androzani Major, only to find themselves in the midst of a political war between a tyrannical corporation and underground gunrunners led by the sinister masked figure Sharez Jek for control of a precious substance known as Spectrox. Of particular note is the well scripted story by Who alumnus Robert Holmes who injects dramatic suspense into this four-part regeneration serial and creates one of Doctor Who's most memorable and diabolical villains of the Who canon. This DVD is a real treat for fans of the series, featuring behind the scenes documentaries on the Creation of Sharez Jek, The Regeneration Transformation, BBC1 announcing the departure of Peter Davison from the role, an isolated incidental music-only track by composer Roger Limb, extended scene featuring Stotz and his cronies, original opening scene, and a wonderfully recorded commentary track with Peter Davison, Nicola Bryant and Graeme Harper. The chemistry between Davison and Bryant reuniting for the commentary is superb as they muse about the dated special effects and production anecdotes. It is a shame that the two of them had only worked together for this serial and the previous episode entitled "Planet of Fire" but their brief tenure is regarded so fondly by both and is demonstrated not only by their respective commentaries but also in their performances as well. The video quality of this DVD transfer is rather limited due to the integrity of the original analog PAL masters with lots of graininess and RF noise throughout, especially during machine gun fire sequences. The audio is unfortunately mono and a new 5.1 Dolby Digital mix (like the one on The Five Doctors) would have been a plus but is more than made up for by the Special Features provided on the disc. An essential disc to have in any Dr. Who collection.

DOCTOR WHO CAVES OF ANDROZANI
This is an excellent dvd. One of the best of the tv series. The episode format is ok but if the BBC could release the Doctor Who series with an omnibus version on the same dvd the viewers could have a choice to watch it in episodic version or all the way through without a break.
Just a hint to the ones in charge who release Doctor Who on DVD.

A distinguished farewell story for the Fifth Doctor
The Fifth Doctor and Peri's trip to the sandy Androzani Minor turns out to be a fateful and intensely eventful one in this Dune meets The Phantom of the Opera story. They explore a cave mouth and encounter a cache of arms enough to equip a small army. There, they are caught on the scene by the soldiers of General Chellak and condemned to death as gunrunners.

Here's the situation: Spectrox is a drug that can increase twice the ordinary lifespan. Demand for the drug shoots up when Sharaz Jek, a robotics expert who is lusting for revenge against Morgus, the man who'd betrayed him, seized the spectrox mines with an army of androids. The military under Chellak and his subordinate Salateen have been fighting a losing battle against androids, gunrunners led by Stotz, and a carnivorous monster that looks like something out of a Godzilla movie. Public demand has put pressure on the Androzani president to possibly capitulate to Jek's demands and negotiate an armistice. Jek's terms? "I want the head of Morgus at my feet. I want the head of that perfidious treacherous degenerate congealed in its own evil blood."

Well-picked words by Jek, because Morgus is exactly that. A cold-hearted businessman on Androzani Major whose conglomerate controls the spectrox mines as well as other holdings offworld, and speaks in a cold, low, level, emotionless tone. His profitmaking goes as far as sabotaging his own mines when an increase in production leads to lower prices and even closing down plants, leaving many unemployed workers being shipped off to labour camps in the East. As the president tells him, "the irony is while you've been busy closing planets here in the West, you've been buiilding them in the East, so if the unemployed were sent to the Eastern labour camps, a great many of them will be working for you again, only this time, without payment." When Morgus responds with a deadpan "I hadn't thought of that" the president, clearly disgusted, replies bitterly, "Of course you haven't."

But there's also Stotz, played wonderfully by Maurice Roeves, the nasty and violent leader of machine gun-touting gunrunners supplying Jek with arms in exchange for spectrox. So who's Stotz's boss on Andro. Major?

The main objective of the Doctor is not to sort out the situation but to save both his life and Peri's. They are dying of spectrox toxaemia, which they got from accidentally touching raw spectrox, and the antivenin can be found in the oxygenless depths. Unfortunately, he gets caught up in this violent morass between Jek, the military, and Stotz, while his life and Peri's are slowly ebbing away.

The high casualty rate and violence in this story makes Resurrection Of The Daleks like a summer breeze, but with great dialogue, convincing characters, and great acting, this is one of the best Doctor Who stories. And this was Peter Davison's personal favourite of his oeuvre. Christopher Gable as the masked and insanely vengeance-minded Sharaz Jek opposite Nicola Bryant's Peri work as a Phantom and Christine minus the music and opera, especially Peri's shuddering revulsion at being touched by Jek. His infatuation with Peri turns to genuine concern when she's close to death, making him more than just one-dimensional and not exactly a clearcut villain. John Normington as Jek's nemesis Morgus, retains perfect vocal control playing a man whose voice rarely rises above a certain level even when he's mad.

Despite his mere three seasons as the Doctor, Peter Davison is at least noted for having one of the best farewell stories of the Doctors. But his nobility, his urgent and selfless devotion in trying to save Peri, even at the cost of his own life, makes his Doctor the vulnerable Sir Galahad type. Indeed, his own culpable admission that "curiosity always has been my downfall" shows his guilt at dragging Peri into this mess, yet serves as a testament to his moral courage to put things right.

Caves of Androzani =Magical Moment of My Youth!!!
Don't want to take up too much room here for this other than to say that this is one of the most satisfying Doctor Who adventures there is. I remember watching this for the first time (1985) as a kid and being totally taken by suprise and hopping around the room giddy at the fact that the Doctor was regenerating! Not only was I entertained, but I was overjoyed to witness my first regeneration of my favorite childhood character.I ran all the way outside to our family jaccuzzi to tell my brother and his friends to hurry and come inside to see that the Doctor had regenerated (just so happens I had the VCR on record that night). It was such an experience to witness the complete mystery of just how the new Doctor would look and behave. This was way before I had even heard the slightest thing about this Colin Baker guy even taking over the roll from "my" Doctor, Peter Davison. I soon became just as big a fan of Colin's as Peter's,even with some of fandom's bashing of his tenure in the role. This episode is one that holds a dear place to me in the series. By the way, I met Peter Davison at my first convention here in Georgia (also in 1985), and he was an absolute gentleman! I was completely starstruck. To a kid of 11, I was in heaven getting to meet my childhood hero! Thanks for the memories Doctor Who. I am just one of many fans of the show who have been given lasting memories, and would like to thank all involved with Doctor Who. ... Read more

Description

Hosted by Sylvester McCoy, this tribute to the first Doctor includes rare complete episodes. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Good for fans
A nice addition to a fan's collection; I'd put it no higher than that.

Essential for any classic "Who" fan
On this tape are featured three episodes of classic Dr. Who one would never get to see otherwise. Sylvester McCoy (the 7th doctor) hosts this collection well, albeit with a glib tongue.

The first episode featured is the unaired pilot of "An Unearthly Child". The pilot is not radically different from the first aired episode, but it was clearly in need of being refilmed. There are a few embarrassing technical gaffs (Barbara's shoe gets stuck in a door for some time, a cameraman stumbles and clatters in the junkyard) and the doctor is portrayed, IMO, as far too cold and hateful. Also, a reference to Susan being born in the 49th century was thankfully removed after this filming. Also, the TARDIS sound effects were massively improved after this filming. Also included is after the episode is a short section of the "first take" TARDIS scene (the pilot on this tape uses the second take) which featured the infamous refusing to close TARDIS doors, which make the first take almost entirely unusable even for pilot purposes.

Second is "The Wheel of Fortune", which is episode 3 (of 4) of "The Crusades". This is the quintessential history story, and gives an interesting view of that sorry time period, without resorting to racism or blatant bigotry. For seeing an episode in the middle, most of the story is fairly clear. Unfortunately, Ian receives very little screen time and the viewer is left wondering what is going on with him.

Finally, the 4th and final episode ("The Final Test") of "The Celestial Toymaker" is shown. This is probably Dr. Who fantasy at its best, only matched in the 60's by "The Mind Robber" with Patrick Troughton. Peter and Dodo interact well and the Doctor's character plays off very well of that of the Toymaker's. The only possibly "bad" thing is the very, very misleading cliffhanger for the next story, "The Gunfighters." Watch it and you'll see what I mean.

All in all, a collection that must be had. Any Dr. Who collector would want this tape in his or her collection.

A historically important tape for early Dr Who fans
...but others will probably want to give it a miss, not least because of the annoyingly fatuous commentary of Sylvester McCoy (a later Dr Who and about as far from William Hartnell as you can get).

The great interest of the tape is that it contains an alternate un-aired version of An Unearthly Child (the first Dr Who episode). Fans, or simply those who remember and love the episode, will be interested to compare it side-by-side with the aired version. See which you prefer!

The Hartnell Years: A Quick Review.
Who is the Doctor? Many viewers pondered this question on that November night in 1963. Now thirty years later fans still wonder. This wonderful video (the first in it's series) takes viewers back to explore the origins of Doctor Who. Introduced by Sylvester McCoy (the 7th Doctor) we get a chance to look at the original unaired pilot. Then we are taken back in time to episode 3 of "The Crusade" where we meet fantastic characters like Richard the Lion Hart. Then to top it off the tape includes episode four of "The Celestial Toymaker". This tape is a wonderful edition to any Doctor Who fans library. ... Read more

Description

An unsuccessful trial run with the Tardis console throws the Doctor into a parallel universe where his old friends are rather nasty characters. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

So, free will is not an illusion after all.
The last story of the Doctor's seventh season is the 7-part Inferno, one the best in the show's history. At a research facility, the Doctor is observing the efforts of the arrogant and unpleasant Professor Stahlman as he attempts to penetrate the Earth's crust in order to gain alternative energy source known as Stahlman's gas. The problem is, his efforts might lead to the destruction of the Earth, but it's all about him and forget the others, including Sir Keith Gold, the administrator in charge. Then there's a greenish ooze that when touched, causes people to turn green and into murderous ape-like Primords, and radiate such intense heat that whatever they touch feels as if it came from a furnace. That is what the Brigadier and UNIT are here for. All this time, penetration zero is hours away from happening, and to make matters worse, Stahlman is infected with the ooze and also sabotages the computer so he cannot be opposed by the Doctor, UNIT, or Sir Keith.

During an experiment, the Doctor is propelled into a parallel Earth where Britain is ruled by a bureaucratic and fascist dictatorship: "Proper bureaucrat, aren't you? Can't shoot me unless you fill in all the forms?" He is horrified to see his friends Liz, Benton, and the Brigadier in Nazi-type uniforms, and far from the pleasant people he knew on his Earth. The most striking effect is the Brigadier, here the Brigade Leader, sans mustache, with a black patch over his left eye, a scar running down his left cheek. The Stahlman of that world succeeds in penetrating the Earth's crust, which eventually causes the planet's destruction. It is up to the Doctor to return to his Earth to avert such a disaster from happening. As he tells the parallel Earthlings, "compared to the forces that you've unleashed, an atomic blast would be like a summer breeze."

Episode 5 is the most sobering one. The facility starts blowing up, green stuff oozes from the output pipe like a sore, and the fully metamorphosed Primords appear. They are frightening at times, goofy-looking the next, but when they touch someone, that someone becomes one of them, like the parallel Benton

The chaos near the end of Episode 6 are also sobering. The atmosphere is tinted red, people are fleeing in terror or are dazed. And the rivers of molten lava starts flowing. Inferno indeed!

Some of the cliffhangers are effective here. The one for Episode 4 has Stahlman pointing a gun at the Doctor while the countdown voice goes "5, 4, 3, 2, 1..." and then, end credits. The music is eerie and weirdly space-like, and that gives the story its ominous and gripping edge.

All the regulars are terrific here, but Nicholas Courtney gets extra applause for playing the level-headed Brigadier and the vicious and cowardly Brigade Leader. Derek Newark as the authority-flouting Aussie consultant Sutton is particularly splendid, and Olaf Pooley pulls an extra-effective effort at making Professor Stahlman so petty, crazed, and dangerous. Incidentally, Sheila Dunn, who plays Petra Williams, is the wife of Douglas Camfield, who directed this masterpiece.

7-part episodes were abandoned because of their overlength, but it works for Inferno, mainly because of the story. Inferno warns of the dangerously obsessive egomaniacs like Stahlman and also of the terror of nuclear power, of abusing Mother Earth itself. But the story brings hope. When the Doctor learns that Sir Keith survived an auto crash instead of being killed like he was in the fascist Earth, he realizes, "so not everything runs parallel. An infinity of universes, ergo an infinite number of choices. So, free will is not an illusion after all. The pattern can be changed." I'm hoping that's what Nostradamus' prophecies of World War III are-a prediction for a parallel Earth that foolishly and tragically destroyed itself. Well, I hope it's not the fate of this Earth. With our free will, we can prevent that from happening.

a very scary dr.who episode, but worth it! a trip to earth
This episode has the third doctor(Jon Pertwee) and his companion Liz Shaw trying to stop the powerful forces of the Inferno project. The UNIT personall also help in this story. The docotr gets sent accidently to a another world where it's the same people , just differnt problems. This world shows a nazi like world and the effects of the project here! The doctor finally realizes he must save both earth from being destroyed!He also must deal with a gas which changes people to a apelike creature! The only thing I forgot when I bought it was it Liz Shaw's last episode in the series! It also has tension, suspense, horror and the third docotors action sequences!

Great story although a little too long
I am in complete agreement with your reviewers who see this adventure as being one of the best of the Pertwee years.

One of the things for me which makes this interesting is not just the parallel world notion, which surprisingly has not been used too much, but the limits to that notion.

For instance the Doctor finds himself in an alternate universe which is slightly different from the one he begins from. Not only is it different but he, qua the Doctor is not in it, nor has he been. Also the concept that one parallel universe can be destroyed without destroying the others is a novel idea too.

This adventure has almost everything you could want to find in a show geared towards adults and young adults alike. The typical villain and mad scientist are found together in one mean man along with a devoted follower who is intelligent but too uncertain to question his authority. There are the Primords, who are the unfortunate by-products of the scientific process and then there are the populates of the alternative earth...
These neo-fascists clearly intended to resemble to gestapo/SS of the Third Reich and accurately portray an authoritarian regime. There is another aspect to this too which was controversial in England upon the show's broadcast and that was the appearance in uniform of Caroline Shaw. Adult viewing increased considerably.

The adventure is rather long, unecessarily so, and could have done with a better editing. Even so there is a good story here with much to consider for some time. The action scenes and outdoor shots as well as make up and costume have much to commend them. A very good concept which is pretty well executed. No pun intended.

The loss of the character Liz from the series was a hard blow. The Doctor clearly needed a companion who had at least half a brain but instead the third Doctor was portrayed as a well meaning but chauvinistic person rather than the enlightened man of reason he had set out being.

Hopefully this will make it ot DVD sooner rather than later.

No, it's not Sliders, its SO much better than that!
The one and only sideways time story of Dr. Who. Inferno is probably the best DW story period. A very strong story about the alternate Universe and is detailed in the background of characters in that Universe. Liz kinda wanted to be a scientist but decided not to, sort of thing. The show stopper for me was the Brigade Leader. A kind of coward/bully/tyrant of lawful order on an obsessive-compulsive level. Very scary. Greg Sutton(Derek Newark) was in an Unearthly child the first DW story. Greg Sutton was also a very strong character in Inferno. What would've been really interesting(though not nessecary) would be an alternate Doctor Who, probably a pathetic anxious fearfull man; the compete opposite of Dr. Who, Jon Pertwee's character. But that wasn't really nessecary for this story. It would've been interesting though.

The Doctor in a parallel universe
This episode is one of Jon Pertwee's finest. A scientist is trying to crack the earths inner core to find a new energy source. The material which they discover turns those who are exposed into monsters. The Doctor attempting to fix the TARDIS's console is accidently shifted to a parallel dimension. In this dimension everyone acts opposite of what they are.In this dimension the Doctor is actually forward in time slightly. e discovers that the experiment at hand will lead to the destruction of life on earth. He is too late to stop it in this parallel dimension but is able to get back to his own dimension to stop the same tradgedy. A well done episode. For those interested in neat facts this epsisode shows the original TARDIS console for the last time and it also marks the last episode of Liz Shaw who in real life left the show to have a baby. This episode shows Jon Pertwee at his finest. A great story ... Read more

Reviews (12)

The Scariest Dr. Who Story.
This is one that had me jumping behind the couch when I was 10.Though some reviewers write this story off as rubbish, its one of my personal favorites. I think its because, like much of Hinchcliffe's Who, time and effort go into generating suspense and horror through image, through what we see as much as through plot and character, the two complementing each other, and the story being propelled as much by image as dialogue. The hideous, pig brained "Peking Homonculous" in the Talons of Weng Chiang is a good example of this.

In Face of Evil, potent images of horror abound. Examples include the perpetual twighlight of the forest, the red, purple and black tones dominating the production design, in the fact that we don't see the monster at first, only its effect on the environment (an idea that resurfaced, along with the plastic jungle, in the similarly titled "Face of Evil.") There also is palpable fear generated by surveyors' scruffiness and dirtiness, their desperate rushes through the haunted wood, and the horrific look of their wizened corpses after the monster gets them. The look on Sarah's face when the monster almost gets her is another terrifying (to the 10 year old inside us all) image used in this story.
And the terror is relentless. The suspense builds as the action shifts to the Morestran spaceship. Sorenson's glowing eyes after he morphs into "anti-man," the steaming potion he must gulp (like Dr. Jeckyll) to keep his demons at bay, the corpses ditched from the ship plunging into the endless loneliness of deep space.... all unforgettable images terrifying to the mind of an imaginative 10 year old.
If there was a secret to Hinchcliffe's success as a producer it was this.

Another appealing quality of the Face of Evil is its ending. We get the right sort of closure and denoument, providing the necessary antidote to terror, and thus making it a horror story suitable for kids....(read no further if you're worried by the ending being spoilt.) Sorenson survives, his life is spared by the antimatter force, indicating it is not evil as the title suggests, only misunderstood.
Some Who fans think Sorenson's survival is absurd, out of kilter with his crimes and irresponsibilities, forgetting that ethically speaking, the need to save a dying planet outweighs the deaths of afew individuals. Furthermore, Sorenson's survival is necessitated by the dramatic logic of the script....the Morestrans must have, at the very least, a chance of overcoming the problem of their dying sun for the horror to be truly assuaged. The Doctor empathises with Sorenson, as a fellow scientist and traveller, and suggests alternative sources of energy for his planet.

The moral questions raised by this story exemplify what I like most about Dr. Who (and other great science fiction.) Though the show has a fantastic setting, it is preoccupied with our own moral universe.

Sometimes reviewers forget that Dr Who was a show devised to scare children (in away that all children want to be scared, in the comfort and safety of their living rooms) and start expecting ridiculously high standards. They want perfect acting and special effects, hole-less plots....they forget that the "feeling tone" i.e. the emotional mood of drama is as important as the plot details...more important in Dr Who's case, as it is dreamlike... it deals with realms of the imagination, where absurdities and illogicallities abound. We would miss out on countless great stories if Dr. Who were constrained by dramatic realism.

Makers of kids TV rarely bother to scare children any more.They're all too preoccupied with values laden, politically correct (and mindnumbingly boring) shows about teenagers who think, act, and talk like adults (part of Dr. Who's appeal to me as a kid was the absence of precocious child actors.) Kids get enough of this at school. Soul sucking monsters, mad scientists, aliens who plot to conquer the universe, body counts, the stuff of nightmare and imagination, antidotes to the dull fare of most English classrooms, are all things of the past as far as makers of kid's TV are concerned (my child's heart cries out for another Monkey, another Dr Who.) No wonder the Harry Potter series is so successful. Its fulfilling a deep seated need children have to be frightened out of their wits. The horror element to both series also explains why adults appreciate them as much as children. Thank God not all the episodes of Dr Who were incinerated in the BBC vaults. I'm particularly thankful "Planet of Evil" survived.

Nature prunes dumb scientists.
There was a trilogy of Tom Baker stories during the shows "Golden Age" which bid homage to the classics of Gothic horror fiction -- "The Brain of Morbius" (Frankenstein); "The Talons of Weng-Chiang" (Dracula); and, of course, "Planet of Evil" which was essentially Dr. Jekkyl & Mr. Hyde in space. This episode is inferior to "Talons" (what isn't?) and not as much fun as "Morbius" but it is still a good outing, concentrating far less on humor and camp and more on the classic elements of Gothic horror -- tampering with forbidden knowledge, the internal struggle of good vs. evil, and the mounting terror of a group which is trapped in a haunted house (so to speak) and being picked off one by one. Like "Talons" which also mixed in homages to Phantom of the Opera and the real-life Jack the Ripper killings, this story also borrows heavily from "Forbidden Planet" in its choice of a semi-invisible monster projected, more or less, from it's victims own minds. There are also less-than-subtle moral messages about colonialism and gross exploitation of the environment, which is always humorous when you consider the Brits spent 300 years doing just that to our little planet. I guess Orwell was right when he said that hypocrisy is THE English vice (then again, he also said, "The Americans always have to go you one better on any type of beastliness" so you can read it either way).

The story is your basic 'trapped in a haunted house with a mysterious killer' bit, but the overlapping plot elements and homages prevent it from falling into parody. Tom Baker plays the Doctor with less humor and more edge in this outing, not troubling to hide his disgust at what he sees as militaristic fools tampering with forces they don't understand, and expressing his usual lack of patience with those less intelligent than himself, which in this story is absolutely everybody. The (relative) humorlessness of the normally cheeky, campy Doc helps underscore the mounting sense of doom. As always, the guest characters help to make the episode. Professor Sorenson, the Jekkyl/Hyde character, is both creepy and pitiable with his sunken, bleary eyes, stubbly face, and mixture of nervousness and exhaustion; he is more complex than your average guest character and it is difficult to see if he will play out as a villain or a hero. Not so with Controller Salamar, a ship's captain so repressed and stuck-up not only would butter not melt in his mouth, but if you inserted a lump of coal into this bloke's you-know-what, in thirty seconds you'd have a diamond. What Salamar lacks in charm, me makes up for with his shoot first, ask-questions-never style of command. Finally there is Vishinsky, the kindly veteran X.O., who seems to have gotten the helping of common sense that Salamar missed out on when he was going back to the buffet for a second course of being a jackass. All of these actors work well.

One interesting feature of the story is its violence. This episode has a huge body count and there are times I half-expected to hear that creepy "ch-ch-ch, ha-ha-ha" music from "Friday the 13th" as our heroes stumble around in the jungle, waiting to die.

Speaking of which, "Planet's" biggest strength is its creepy production design -- Zeta Minor, where most of the story takes place, is strange, jungle-like, very alien and claustrophobic, perfect to the atmosphere of the story. The black pit from whence the creature emerges is truly eerie-looking, and a very nice bit of prop-work, especially the fake bubbles which give it the illusion of depth. And the ship, which serves as the final battleground has an unpleasant, overbright 'death trap' feel to it.

One minor quibble -- when the irradiated Sorenson does his slavering, shamelessly over-the-top Mr. Hyde routine, it takes a will of iron not to burst out into hysterical laughter. Blaaaaah! Yeaaaaahh! Grrrrrr! Trick or treat! He hardly needed to strangle his victims; they would have laughed themselves into heart attacks anyway. This aside, "Planet" is one of the more downright creepy episodes shot during Baker's run, and it does an effective job of putting our heroes through one wringer after another before the Tardis whisks off on its next adventure.

A great Doctor Who Story
Planet of Evil is an amazing story prbably one of the creapist of the Doctor Who stories from the 4th Doctor's era.It saw them land on a planet called Zeta Minor in the far future.The Doctor battling an unknown entity controledby antiMatter. What more can i say very enjoyable story. Tom Baker at his best.

The boundary between matter and anti-matter
The year--37,166.The place:Zeta Minor, at the fringes of the known universe.The surviving members of a Morestran survey team are being killed off by an invisible force in a way that resembles "a rapid form of freeze drying."Dr. Sorenson is on the verge of a scientific discovery that could save the Morestran civilization--their sun is dying.Baldwin, a member of the expedition, manages to activate an SOS as he is being attacked.Guess who answers the SOS?A certain jelly-baby loving Time Lord and his assistant.

Also en route to Zeta Minor is a military expedition headed by the young and inexperienced Controller, Salamar.The Doctor and Sarah are captured by Salamar's troops and accused of murdering seven members of Sorenson's expedition.They escape, only to encounter the cause of the deaths at the cliffhanger to Episode 1.Speaking of cliffhangers, the one ending Episode 2 is effective, as the Doctor is seen falling into the black pit, seemingly doomed.

All the great lines are by the Doctor, but this one covers the overall concept of colonial thinking and Sorenson's mission:"Here on Zeta Minor is the boundary between existence as you know it and the other universe which you don't understand.You call it 'nothing' a word term to cover ignorance, and centuries ago, scientists invented another name for it:anti-matter.And you, by coming here, have crossed that boundary into that other Universe to plunder it."Sorensen, however, puts it another wayL"Full scale exploitation of this planet will provide us with perpetual energy in whatever way we need it."The main point being that Sorenson cannot take any minerals of that planet with him.In the meantime, Sorenson's men are being killed off one by one.

Prentis Hancock's impatient action-not-waiting Salamar is a retread of his portrayal as Vaber in Planet Of The Daleks.But Ewen Solon takes top honors as the older and wiser voice of reason, a variation of the Trojan War's Nestor, as second-in-command Vishinsky.

Other notes:The anti-matter monster, despite being shown corporeally on the video cover, is only seen as a glowing yellow outline, which is an interesting way.And Elizabeth Sladen's expression, especially her eyes, brilliantly portray that feeling of her mind leaving her body, a sensation she feels whenever the anti-creature is near.The casualty rate is also high in this story.

By Episode Three, there is a clear Jekyll and Hyde theme established.The larger theme is that of anti-colonialism, a theme previously explored in the Who story The Mutants.Figures, since the British Empire plundered resources of countries in its domain.And with this story, the British, by experience, portrays the immorality of exploiting other countries for their wealth.Sounds like a country I'm familiar with.A worthy story in the Dr. Who canon.

Glorious Galactic Garbage
This was always one of my favorite episodes as a kid, and as an adult I watch it and marvel. They literally just don't make 'em like this anymore. In fact, they can't; a budget, capable acting and a more plausible script would get in the way of all the fun. The story is of course preposterous, the acting laughable [Salomar has to be the biggest idiot ever given command of a space crew in the history of Sci Fi] and the special effects are so goofy that you have to laugh the first time the show the Space Probe (where was Derrick Meddings when they needed him?). Well, so what. That's why I watch Dr. Who in the first place, thank you. I revel in the cheap, shoddy interior sets [dig the office supply store chairs on the command deck], grin from ear to ear at the histrionics of the actors ["Psycho-Stimulators Not Responding!!"] and would love to slog through that space jungle they created on a soundstage. In fact, the most effective sequences are the ones set in the jungle and shot on film, especially Baldwin's hectic run through the jungle right at the beginning of the episode and then the unforgettable Occuloid Tracker (great name for a band) following The Doctor and Sarah through the lush, purple plastic and coaxial cable foliage. I will always be a kid when I watch Dr Who episodes like this one from the Tom Baker years, and that is what makes it such brilliant trash -- (...)you can be 13 again any time you pop this tape in the machine. Sounds like an equitable price to get your youth back for an hour and a half. Recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Blake has a ship now he needs a crew..... on to Cycnus Alpha
The next volume of Blake 7 with two titles called "Cygnus Alpha" and "Time Squad". Roj Blake former rebel leader now prisoner on his way to Cygnus Alpha was written off dead along with Jenna and Avon by the captain of the prisoner ship taking him and the others to the prison planet. What the captain doesn't know is that Blake and the others are alive and figuring out the newly dubbed ship Liberator and what is offers to Blake in his quest to stop the federation. Zen the ships computer is not what you would call forth coming with answers about who made Zen and why no one was on board still. Avon thinks Zen is defective, Blake thinks Zen knows more then he is willing to let on. Jenna just pushed a button that sent them flying thorugh the universe at break neck speed. Blake realizing he needs a cerw heads for Cygnus Alpha knowing that those on the ship as he would want to get off that planet as quickly as they arrived. Blake, Jenna and Avon all make discoveries on board the Liberator. The most important is the teleport device with witch they can go down on the planet without landing. Meanwhile Gan, Villa and the others land or should I say dropped on Cygnus Alpha where they find a clut has been formed by the prisoners sent before them. They are controlled by a madman who (Played by veteran actor of such other great BBC shows and of other movies Brian Blessed) is called "He who Must be obyed". Blake finds out that those on Cygnus Alpha are infected with some kind of illness and He who must be obeyed has the only cure. Blake has to find a way to get the cure get the others out and begin in earnest his mission. What will Blake do?
In the next Episode entitled Time Squad
We see Blake and the others adjusting themselves to life on the ship. Blake has picked his first target it the federation planet Saurian Major holding a vital communcation network. Also in hope to try and find rebel natives trying to stop the federation as well. Along the way they find a small craft floating in space with a distress beacon asking for help. Blake and the others bring the craft aboard. Inside they find three men forzen. Not knowing where they were going or where they are from they deforst them and try to help. While waiting they arrive on Saurian Major. Blake, Avon and Villa teleport down and try and make contact with the rebels. Gan and Jenna stay on board but face challenges from the three from the craft. Blake makes contact with but a lone rebel left after all the others are gone. A woman not from the planet but from a planet called Auron a woman called Callie. She helps Blake and the others destroy the network all the while Gan and Jenna are fighting to save the ship themselves and Blake when they need to get out. All in all it was really the first four episodes that would set the stage for Blake and his seven. Those wishing to think of jumping ahead shouldn't because these were what laid the foundation for a rather long running show.

Further B7 foundations
The second volume of "Blake's 7" on video contains two more episodes of this beloved British sci-fi series. In "Cygnus Alpha" and "Time Squad," the foundations of the B7 saga are still being established. This series tells the story of a band of rebels who wage a campaign against an oppressive interplanetary power known as the Federation.

"Cygnus Alpha" opens with escaped prisoners Blake, Avon, and Jenna in possession of a mysterious alien spacecraft (given the name "Liberator"). They stage a mission to rescue other prisoners from the Federation penal colony on Cygnus Alpha. There are some good suspenseful scenes, and the episode also contains an interesting depiction of a religious cult that has evolved on the planet. The B7 crew dynamics continue to evolve as the story unfolds.

In "Time Squad," Blake masterminds a daring attack on a Federation facility. This episode introduces a new regular character: Cally, a telepath from the planet Auron. By the end of these two episodes, the original "Blake's 7" of the title (including the computer named Zen) are fully assembled, and ready to chart their bold course into sci-fi history.

Viewing these episodes (which set the stage for even better installments to come), I am struck at how much later space operas like "Babylon 5" and "Farscape" seem to echo some of the themes and narrative strategies of B7. Yes, B7's special effects and props may look a bit primitive today, but the show had a wit and intelligence that are still sharp. If you're a sci-fi fan who hasn't yet discovered "Blake's 7," check out this and other videos in the series.

BLAKES'7 THE GRANDFATHER OF BABLYON 5.
BLAKES'7 IS THE GRANDFATHER OF SHOWS LIKE BABLYON-5 ANDFARSCAPE. THIS SET THE STAGE THAT YOU COULD HAVE A QUEST SPACEOPRASCIENCE FICTION SHOW. VILLINS YOU RILLY LOVED TO HATE. BLAKES'7 HADTHE FEDRATION AND SERVALAN BABLYON-5 HAD EARTH FEDRATION, THE SHADOWS,and BESTER OF THE PHICORE WHO YOU COULD MAKE A GOOD CASE FOR BEINGSERVALAN'S GRANDFATHER OR GRATE GRANDFATHER. SAME TYPE OF NASTYRUTHLESSNISS. AND AS FOR FARSCAPE THEY HAVE AT THIS POINT SCORPY ANDTHE WHOLE OF THE PEACEKEEPERS AFTER THEM. ALL RILLY GOODSTUFF. P.S. DR.WHO TO IS IN THIS LINE WATCH DR.WHO AND THEDALEKS.1963(WILLIAM HARTNILL) AND 2150AD{1965}.(FIRST DOCTOR/WILLIAMHARTNILL) AND GENNESS OF THE DALEKS (4TH DOCTOR-TOM BAKER AND LIZSLADEN AS SARAH JANE SMITH) FROM 1974. A GOOD ANTWAR AND ANTYFASHISOMSHOW. FIVE STARS!!!

"I plan to live forever - or die trying!"
Although Blake's 7 is one of the best TV shows to have graced the small screen, one of its main problems is that it gets off to a dreadfully slow start - a fact which is made painfully clear by these two episodes. "Cygnus Alpha" is the better one, with the basic plot seeing Blake endeavouring to rescue the remaining prisoners to recruit as his crew. The prison world of Cygnus Alpha, with its established order of absolutist hereditary rule, is a none too subtle attack on organised religion, in particular the tenets of the Catholic church. Vargas is a well characterised tyrant of his own small domain, but Brian Blessed's performance is too over the top to do it proper justice. What probably makes this episode most interesting is the exploration of the Liberator, the introduction of Zen and, most importantly, the development of the relationship between Blake and Avon. The conflict between these two is an essential part of the series and would have far reaching effects - in this episode the foundations are laid. Blake's idealist, albeit naive, principles are laid up against Avon's cold, cynical and more realistic point of view. Avon is prepared to abandon Blake, not out of any sense of malice, but instead one of survival. Jenna's character is also given an interesting examination - her loyalty is tested - she is prepared to abandon Blake as well, but not after she allows him a chance to succeed. The character elements make up the best parts of this episode; other than that, it just serves to add Vila and Gan to the Liberator. "Time Squad" is nothing more than tedious filler. It crawls along; the alien probe presenting a totally uninteresting and cliched plot device. The episode serves to reveal more crew elements - we get to know more of Gan in some of the episode's better moments. His confiding his dependence on other people to Jenna is treated sympathetically, as is his revelation of his limiter implant. The other major purpose of this story is to introduce Cally - her first appearance is another of the episode's saving graces. She is interesting from the very beginning, as is the rapport she will develop with Avon, which germinates in this episode with the obvious respect she shows him. The attack on the Federation base, which Blake assures will be the first of many, is a fairly actionless one. The episode ends (finally) with the crew established. To the series' newcomers - congratulations on your perseverence! The long introduction is over - with the next tape the series finally starts moving!

Two early episodes-cast and series producershave yet to gel
"Cygnus Alpha" is a bit hoky, with bizarre characters. It is essential viewing for fans of the series as it is a continuation of episode 2- "Space Fall." The plot of "Time Squad" is similar to ones used in a number of sci-fi shows. It is interesting, but predictable. END ... Read more

Amazon.com

Colin Baker, one of the most controversial and short-tenuredactors to play Doctor Who, hosts this look at his era (1984-1986) asthe sixth Doctor. He reminiscences about his time on the series alongwith clips from each episode, with funny anecdotes about filming andbackground information. He seems particularly amused at the attention(particularly on the BBC--included here in clips) that getting the partengendered originally. Many of his stories were criticized at the time,both by fans and his BBC bosses, and Baker acknowledges it with frank,but fond, memories of each one nevertheless. He also candidly discussesthe acting process and how it relates to the needs of the series.

This documentary was produced and directed by John Nathan-Turner, theman who originally hired Baker and produced the series during hisentire run, so it wasn't likely that Baker was now going to bite thehand that fed him. Instead, he editorializes about the 18-month hiatusthat was imposed on Doctor Who in 1985 by the BBC, partially inreaction to what was going on in the series at the time, and hisultimate sacking a year later. And while Baker is more than graciousabout most of his guest stars, he is entirely dismissive of Paul Darrow(Blake's 7), who appeared in "Timelash," not even mentioning himby name. The entire production might exist as Baker's final testamentabout the series and his episodes (or as a vanity piece to promoteother videos), but fan opinion continues to be mixed about his era, andhis legacy is to be the first Doctor ever let go by the BBCinvoluntarily. --Ryan K. Johnson ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Colin Baker we hardly knew ya!...
Colin Baker was probably the most under appreciated person to play the role of the good Doctor. It was probably due to his short time in the role. After 2 years of the weak play by Peter Davison, Colin Baker was a return to the Doctor of old. His performance was outstanding and unfortunately as he was just getting into the role and making it more enjoyable he was released. Not that his replacement wasnt good, but its ashame we couldnt have seen more of him as the Doctor. The BBC after so many years changed there opinion on Doctor Who and set out to destroy it by limiting its budjet and deleting storylines. This gives you insight to the end of a legend. How the bbc set out to do what no enemy could do to the doctor and that is destroy it. Colin Baker shows that he truly was a great actor and a great Doctor. Unfortunate for him and us we werent allowed to see it very much. enjoy this tape becaue it shows a great insight. I wish there would have been more Colin Baker episodes but the bbc [messed]it all up.

Colin really wasn't that bad when you get to know him...
I was born the year Colin Baker took the role of the Doctor. My brother was born the exact day the call came from Jonathan Nathan Turner that he would be regenerating. Strange, huh? Well, enough about me, on to the Doctor Who. I found this a most enjoyable programme, I had rented it from a small local store and I must have watched it 5 or 6 times in the three days I had it. It was fascinating. Simply fascinating. I know good ol' Colin isn't very well liked in Whovian circles, but he's one of my favorites.

Time runs out for the Doctor
In 1985, the television programme Dr Who had been running for over twenty years. When Colin Baker took on the role, the future of the show looked rosy. And then, halfway through his first season as the time-travelling Doctor, amid allegations of bust-ups with the production team behind the scenes, and accusations of 'too much horror and violence' in the programme, Dr Who was suspended. Some fans of the show say it never really recovered. The production team's subsequent lack of confidence, together with the BBC's apparent dislike of the show saw its eventual cancellation in 1989. Colin Baker's all-too-breif time playing the Doctor is well documented here. Introducing this video documentary himself, he also adds candid insights into what happened behind the scenes during what was to become known as a fairly troubled time for the long-running show. This video shows Colin as a humourous and likeable actor who was just getting to grips with the role of the world-famous time-lord when it was taken from him. Watching his recollections of Dr Who makes it all the sadder that was not able to remain with show longer.

Fascinating.
A must-have for fans of Dr Who or sci-fi in general, this is a look back at the most unfairly under-rated era of the series. Various clips from the Colin Baker stories are here, together with some footage from Dr Who conventions.

The only downside is the lack of 'Revalation of the Daleks' clips. This was one of the strongest Dalek stories and so its writer refusing to let it be novelized or released on video remains a mystery.

That aside, this is a first-rate release.

"This looks familar..."
If you're a Colin Baker fan, or Who fan in general, then you'll find some enjoyment from this tape. Colin Baker tells us some of more memorable feelings about his role, the show itself, and little of life after Who. He does make a valid point about the cancellation of the show and him getting the shaft. Even reading on events during this time, I just have to wonder what the hell is Eric Saward's problem(this is towards his attitude on no "Revelation of the Daleks" clips, or even an indication if he'll even "allow" the adventure to be released[good thing I have a tolerable copy from PBS airings!]). Very watchable and enjoyable. Colin, you got a big fan here in N'awlins! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The second story of season 2, Dalek Invasion of Earth sees William Hartnell's Doctor in a six-part adventure pitted against his greatest nemesis, the Daleks. The Doctor, Susan (Carol Ann Ford), Ian (William Russell), and Barbara (Jacqueline Hill) arrive in the London of 2164, where the Nazi-like Daleks have turned the remnants of the human race into salve workers or "Robomen," who unfortunately foreshadow Monty Python's hilarious "Gumbies." The Daleks' plan involves a vast mine in Bedfordshire and the final destruction of the human race, while pitted against them is a World War II-style resistance movement led by Dortmun (Alan Judd) and David Campbell (Peter Fraser). One of the most famous of all Doctor Who stories, Dalek Invasion of Earth features such iconic moments as a dalek emerging from the Thames, and a remarkable flight across London showing daleks crossing Westminster Bridge and patrolling Trafalgar Square and the Albert Memorial. Terry Nation's story is almost insanely ambitious for the budget, and while sets and effects are primitive the location work is highly evocative. Lavishly remade for theaters as Daleks Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. (1966), the plot here is more detailed and mercifully free of comic relief, and delivers a surprisingly sensitive ending to mark Carol Ann Ford's departure from the series.--Gary S. Dalkin ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Fun!
I am a obsessive sci-fi nut, but my ultimate obsessions are Dr. Who and The X-Files. "The Dalek Invasion of the Earth" is a wonderful example of Dr. Who at it's best. The Doctor(William Hartnell) is as crabby as ever, always being taken care of by his devoted granddaughter Susan and their two intrusive companions, Ian and Barbara. They arrive on Earth in the future and discover that their nemesis, The Daleks have taken over. With the help of a small group of rebels they defeat the Daleks. It is a well put together story with a tender ending.

THE MOST SADDEST ENDING IN DOCTOR WHO EVER MADE.
THE DALEK INVASION OF EARTH starring Original Doctor William Hartnell was the very first episode to have one of the show's Who characters leaving the show. This was another Dalek adventure that the time lord found himself once again facing his greatest enemies. Like Invasion of time and The Green death, This is a adventure where the characters leave when they fall in love. In the sequel to the episode that made Doctor Who a hit in 1963 "The Daleks", The Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbara arrive in a future London only to discover the Daleks have wiped it out and are at war with a band of rebels. Where the Doctor agrees to help the rebels led by David Campbell stop them from blowing up the planet. Dramatically good, This was Carole Ann Ford's final apperence as The Doctor's granddaughter Susan and her acting at the end made this one of the most saddest endings in the show's history. It was very emotional when the Doctor forces his only family to stay behind to start a new life with the leader of the rebels. A classic Daleks sequel.

Magnificent!
This is one of those titles I looked forward to long before I knew of any definite plans to release it on DVD. I've always felt that, along with the Patrick Troughton story "The Seeds of Death", this is probably the best-photographed story of the entire 26 year history of the show; this is despite the fact that the cameraman's shadow can be seen drifting in and out of certain shots, but this can be forgiven since it is only the vastly improved DVD resolution that makes it visible at all, a problem that didn't exist when it was originally broadcast.
It was the first Doctor Who story to contain a significant amount of location footage, which enhanced its credibility; to see Daleks swarming around familiar monuments and landmarks leant the story authenticity, and the exterior lighting conditions throughout are flawless, and contribute greatly to creating a tense atmosphere of apprehensive foreboding.
I would also like to say that I have always been outspokenly opposed to the modification of old films and TV shows for any reason, so when I learned that some of the special effects had been replaced with newly-created CGI images, I was a little disturbed. But when I saw the results, I was floored: the new sequences are integrated so seamlessly and applied with such restraint that I have been forced to reconsider my objections. Furthermore, this DVD allows the viewer to choose between the original special effects sequence originally broadcast and the new updated CGI sequences.
This terrific feature, along with the high quality of the transfer, is an excellent example of the extreme care the BBC has taken in presenting these stories on DVD. They have taken an almost reverential approach in presenting this beloved British national icon to the rest of the world, and this is yet one more reason to buy this DVD.

"RADIATION NIL, OXYGEN NORMAL....."
"The Dalek Invasion of Earth" is one of the best "Doctor Who" adventures of all time. It has excitement, awe and wonder, terror, and humor mixed into an epic tale of conquest and survival! William Hartnell gives a fine portrayal of the Doctor, and the storytelling and acting are top-notch! The farewell to the character of Susan Foreman (the Doctor's granddaughter, played by Carole Ann Ford) makes for one emotional ending!
Sadly, the DVD extras aren't the best. The featurettes have fine interviews, but are so lengthy and boring, no one really cares what their talking about. However, the six-part serial more than makes up for it! Any "Doctor Who" fan will not wanna miss "The Dalek Invasion of Earth" on DVD!
Program Grade: A+ (5 Stars)
DVD Grade: B+ (4 Stars)
Overall Grade: A- (5 Stars)

We are the masters of Earth!
For anyone who bought the VHS, this dvd is nothing short of a revelation. DIOE has gone under some major clean-up work via the Doctor Who Restoration Team's wonderful new VidFIRE machine and looks almost as good as it did (and in the case of episode 5 even better than) back in 1964. It's not entirely perfect due to the age and quality of the source material, but it is impressive. A great assortment of extras rounds out the set. A must buy. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Cyberman History 101 for Whovians
This special documentary was done in the same vein as the Dalek-The Early Years special. This time, Colin Baker, the Sixth Doctor, is the host, who like Davison, presented this in the Museum of the Moving Image, next to some Cybermen heads.

The Cybermen, the second most popular Dr. Who monsters after the Daleks, basically came about because then-producer Innes Lloyd wanted some new monsters. Enter Dr. Kit Pedler, whose scientific knowhow combined with storywriter Gerry Davis, and together they created the Cybermen, who were humans who replaced their bodies with mechanical parts, but at the cost of losing their human qualities. Roy Skelton again was assigned to do the Cyberman voices and the vocal talents of this man, who did the Dalek voices, cannot be understated. Other commentary comes from Morris Barry, director of the Cyber stories The Moonbase and Tomb Of The Cybermen.

The real treat is of course the episodes from incomplete stories. They are Episodes 2 and 4 from The Moonbase and Episodes 3 and 6 from The Wheel In Space. Judging from these stories, they seem to be among the best in the series. The Moonbase is about a weather station on the moon whose personnel are suffering from an unknown disease. These people then vanish! The station director Hobson suspects the Doctor and his companions, Jamie, Ben, and Polly. The