Points out why I failed in life

Why couldn't I be like the bad guys here? I would have had a great life! Reason - never had the time to get that degree of STYLE. And besides, I'm just too old to even try now.

I'm thinking about the quotes particularly, but if I .... only... had the chops to turn out some of these, say, when I was 19 or so, my life would have been very different.

My wife regards this very highly, but ONLY for the immortal line

"... what have I been LIVING WITH for all these years???!!!!"

Can't imagine why. But in any case, this entire production comes very close to an"entire life management" kind of video. John Cleese was at this time filming his various and highly sucessful shorts on how to manage (or NOT to manage a company). I remember these if only because when we watched the one we had hired, half the guys in the room had to leave because, well, they could barely control themselves... And you can tell that Cleese is in top form here - completely straight and yet somehow, in a way that ONLY he can achieve, completely barking mad.

Wonderful!

And Tom is equally possessed here. If he had occupied the stage like this in every story for the seasons following, the resulting cult movements established in drop dead hommage would have been astonishing. You really have to get hold of this to see what I mean, but Julian Glover, Tom Baker, and whatshimname Cleese make for a very potent mixture - you may well have to have a change of underwear close to hand.

If this is an attempt to pander to the many (male and adolescent) Doctor Who fans who want to empathise with (and in fact, become) a kind of shy, but fierce and fearless action man, Duggan is the perfect foil; a brilliant acted complicated and very moral bloke who should really have been a companion to the good Doctor, but for some reason didn't quite make it. THAT was a waste. What was it? Nerves? Self preservation? We'll never know now.

I simply cannot list the number of lines here that have shaped (or even DEFINED) the way I think about art galleries, monsters, memory regression therapy, the origins of man, theology and hairstyling. As far as prime ham goes, only"Image of the Fendahl" comes close - and this is definitely Ginger Beer and John Buchan territory (aka CS Lewis), and therefore eminnently watchable, nay, irresitable.

It's better than that - a real treasure.

These DVDs are to re-issued

This is a great set but for all you Doctor Who fans that did'nt have the chance to buy this numbered edition box set don't fret as the doctor who restoration team(great site check it out)and 2Entertain have said they will definately be re-releasing them at some point in the near future..Avoid paying silly money for the OOP edition.

"Here Comes Sarah!"

A great debut for both Lis Sladen and classic monster the Sontarans. Sarah Jane Smith hits the ground running, telling off robber baron Irongron & organising a rescue mission. A funny sequence has her unwisely sharing her feminist views with a medieval Delia Smith! A terrific performance from Elisabeth Sladen.
The Sontaran of course has a head that looks like a cross between a troll and a potato. It covers actor Kevin Lindsay's face and yet still lets him give a strong performance! Best of all is his relationship with Irongron. They seem to hate and like each other at the same time. They have many memorable exchanges;

"Are they all so fair of face beyond the stars?"

"Do you think your primitive features are pleasing to me?"

David Daker gives a marvellous performance as Irongron, at the centre of 2 double acts, as well as Irongron & Lynx, there is Irongron & Bloodaxe his stupid second in command who thinks he's wonderful.

Pertwee now nearing the end of his time nonetheless makes the most of a fine Robert Holmes script where he gets many moments of charm and the chance to lead an attack.

"Begining the End" is a fine documentary about the making of the story and the changes for Pertwee's last year. Producer Barry Letts, script editor Terrance Dicks and Lis Sladen amongst other cast and crew give good memories of making the story and place it in context. Listen out for who they wanted 1st for Irongron!

Optional CGI special effects are done with their usual care and are definitely better for the explosion!

A fine commentary in which Lis Sladen is the star offers some extra memories and thoughts including Barry Letts being a fan of June Brown and the shortcomings of the story's director.

An info pod on Sontarans is a fun and easy to find easter egg. Good work 2 entertain-this one's for everyone!

The first episode of Doctor Who to feature more than one Doctor at once!

This is a brilliant Doctor Who story!
It features William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee as the Doctor as well as Jo Grant (Katy Manning), Brigadier Lethbridgwe Stewart (Nicholas Courtney) and Sergeant Benton (John Levene) battle against the4 evil Omega (Stephen Thorne) and his Cell Guards.
This story was meant to be the shows Tenth Anniversary special however it was broadcast just 5 weeks after its Ninth.
Still this story is a brilliant one and a must have (just like the rest!)!

8 Out of 10 Viewers will Enjoy this Romp.

Without question this story isn't one of the greats like"Genesis of the Daleks" and som e might argue this story is so memorable as it is the last episode before it was axed and the the reset button was pressed by Russell T. Davies. Yes, the cats aren't scary or realistic and the cheetah people are too cute to startle but it is immense fun.

Ironically, it joins on well with"Rose", the 1st episode from the rebooted Who. It does have flaws:- Ace enunciates well for a street kid; McCoy shouts too much like a stressed lecturer and the FX are not that special but it is fun and very watchable. Compared to"The Two Doctors" etc... this is a good story and sadly shows the Beeb swung the axe for the doctor's past poor outings and not his last incarnation's output.

Death stalks the woodsy woods of Heathrow, 1666

Story: 4/5 - Extras: 4/5

"The Visitation", by Eric Saward, is an old school"Doctor Who" story. Relatively sedately paced with lots of location filming in damp-looking woodlands, and conforming to the classic pseudo-historical formula of an alien force invading superstitious pre-industrial Earth,"The Visitation" hardly pushes the boundaries of 1980s television, but it does provide a relatively moody tale that takes advantage of the major event of the era (the Great Plague) in true historical style, and even offers a cheeky explanation for the Great Fire of London.
For the four episodes that constitute"The Visitation", the regular crew of the Doctor, Tegan, Nyssa and Adric (as if the TARDIS wasn't crowded enough already) are joined by gentleman of the road and sometime thespian Richard Mace, played in true OTT style by actor Michael Robbins, and as a result the story is positively bloated with foreground characters. However, given this challenge, writer Eric Saward manages remarkably well to give them all something to do. Much as in"Earthshock", Nyssa spends a certain amount of time hanging around in the TARDIS towards the end of the story, but at least this time it's for a reason.
The principal monsters of the piece - the reptilian Terileptils and their jewel-encrusted android - are pretty well realised given the era and the budget, there's a nice introductory sequence to set the scene, a distinctive score and a whimsical closing shot that doesn't quite make you cringe. Overall,"The Visitation" is an enjoyable little story.
On the DVD, there's a raucous commentary with the full TARDIS crew plus director Peter Moffatt. It's fun, although they do get a little carried away from time to time in slagging off actor Michael Robbins. Beyond the commentary and the usual on-screen production notes, a few original featurettes are thrown in to make up a reasonable DVD package.

BAKER AND SLADEN AT THEIR BEST!

British popular culture has a short memory; we regulary read that Russell T. Davies has brought back a new darker and adult"Who". That's true but watch this adventure or"The Talons ...." or the"Horror of Fang Rock" and tell me the old series was aimed purely at kids who fit behind sofas. I'll grant you that the last episode isn't really up to the quality of its predecessors but this is still an epic on a church youth club budget. Tom Baker is the wide-eyed looney genius of his peak and not the surly/ jokey lightweight of"The Invasion of Time" or"The Creature from the Pit". Elizabeth Sladen is superb as well, cute but assertive; determined but humane. One of the cliches within Doctor Who is that it is at its best when"its roots are showing". But while superficially this story appears a rip off of"The Mummy" it has a charm of its own. Its blend of Victorian/Edwardian gothic, Sci-Fi, horror and the superb supporting performances mean that it surely must rank among the best stories produced by the series. For my mind Gabriel Woolf's Sutekh may even outdo David Wisher's DAvros as Baker best villian. Add to this brew lovingly affectionate extras and warm, witty commentary it makes a great present for any Whovian.(What's more it doesn't need to inflict awful pop songs by minor aussie soap stars up on us in the process.)

aka the man in green bubble wrap attacks

fundamentally, this is a good story.
dated by todays special effects and pace, but must have been quite striking at the time.
the show is the start of a seasonal four story arc, which technically ends with Revenge of the Cybermen, (the sontaran experiment and genesis of the daleks saandwiched between them).
Naturally, this was to save money during a very tight season, presumably, most of the cash was spent on Genesis, as technically, that story seemed better.
Typical dr who, bubble wrap sprayed green must have been extremely fearful in the mid-seventies, i still to this day feel sorry for the actor who had to endure these scenes, dressed in plastic like he was... ;-)
still, its an enjoyable dr who romp, and well worth a buy

One for ambition

I suppose the makers' ambitions should be applauded, and no doubt this was appealing to very young viewers back in the 1960s. But now, frankly, it looks ridiculous. It's often unintentionally funny, such as the zarbi that runs into the camera, or the ludicrous, jumping 'optera', or the wood louse that looks like Dougal from The Magic Roundabout. I found it often embarrassing to watch. This is one for those who must have or see every episode available, but hardly recommended for the general fan.

Wonderful Who

The Seeds Of Death was most enjoyable to watch, and I felt that it was really edge-of-seat stuff! With humans now stopping space exploration (to the doctors disgust), because of an invention, Travel Mat (T-MAT), which is basically a teleportation device meaning space travel is no longer of any concern, the Ice Warriors use T-MAT to attempt to take over the world, and it pretty much looks to work too!

Wonderful stuff!

You do need to be a Doctor Who fan, or a tv historian, to enjoy watching this collection of isolated, surviving episodes, but to a long standing fan of the classic show this is pure gold. The only negative comment I have about this is that it makes me sad that the rest of these wonderful stories are seemingly gone forever. This dvd, though, is captivating and well worth the price.

Two of the Fifth Doctor's less popular outings!

"Time-Flight" - 2/5;"Arc of Infinity" - 3/5; Special Features - 4/5.

This boxed set contains two consecutive Doctor Who serials, linked by companion Tegan's departure from and subsequent return to the TARDIS crew (D'oh! Why'd she have to come back?).

"Time-Flight", by occasional"Doctor Who" director Peter Gimwade, brings the series' nineteenth season to a rather shambolic and cheapskate end. Full of ideas and ambitiously written,"Time-Flight" could have been fantastic with a movie budget and a more carefully edited script, but, filmed at the end of a long season by a tired cast and a crew who had run out of money, sadly that was not to be.
"Time-Flight" suffers significantly from its set design. Those parts of"Time-Flight" that were filmed on location at Heathrow Airport are definitely its most convincing. The same cannot, unfortunately, be said for the scenes set on Prehistoric Earth, filmed in studio on a perspective set with an obvious painted sky that robs the scenes of much of their credibility. Further location filming on a blasted heath somewhere would surely have been more convincing.
On the other hand,"Time-Flight" manages to convey the two Concordes' journeys between the present day and prehistoric Earth remarkably well using a combination of stock footage and modelwork, given the technological constraints and special effects budget available to the series at the time of"Time-Flight"'s production.
"Time-Flight" is slightly over-cluttered with a large number of supporting characters who seem remarkably un-fazed by the whole affair, in particular the eager Captain Stapley (Richard Easton), his slightly camp crewmates Andrew Bilton and Roger Scobie, and academic aircraft passenger Professor Hayter (Nigel Stock), plus a few other minor characters who don't really bear mentioning. The villain of the piece, the mysterious Kalid, who has lured the Doctor to prehistoric earth in the hope of gaining control of his TARDIS, is slightly tiresome with his unintelligible chanting, but his makeup is surprisingly good despite the budget (and, later on, as the story's main twist is revealed, we find out why).
Unfortunately these shortcomings are not compensated for by the story's highly contrived and nebulous plot. Indeed, the only part of the whole affair that really rings true is the decision that Tegan, who has travelled under duress with the Doctor for some time, is faced with at the end of the story: having been returned to present-day Heathrow, will she now continue to travel with the Doctor and explore new worlds, or will she return to the normal life that she had thought she so much wanted?

"Arc of Infinity", by Johnny Byrne, opened the twentieth season of"Doctor Who", in which producer John Nathan-Turner sought to bring back an enemy from the series' past in each serial. For"Arc of Infinity", he brought back the original Time Lord, Omega, coincidentally last seen in the series' tenth anniversary story,"The Three Doctors". It was also a stipulation of producer John Nathan-Turner that part of the story be filmed in Amsterdam, hence the rather odd juxtaposition of scenes filmed on the streets of Amsterdam (the B-story, revolving around former companion Tegan), with studio-bound scenes set on the Doctor's home planet of Gallifrey (the A-story, revolving around the Doctor, Nyssa and the Time Lords).
The Tegan B-story is of marginal relevance to begin with, and does not come together with the main story until the end of the serial, allowing the Doctor to have most of a televised story with just Nyssa as the companion. This is beneficial to both the Doctor, who was usually surrounded by multiple squabbling companions, and the likeable but quiet Nyssa, normally marginalised during the"crowded TARDIS" stories of her time on the show. Peter Davison and Sarah Sutton make the most of the opportunity that the unique scenario presents to develop their relationship (and Nyssa gets to kick some Gallifreyan butt).
However, the rest of the story is a bit of a mess. The means of Omega's return are poorly explained, although Ian Collier is good in the role, particularly during the final confrontation in Amsterdam. The Gallifrey sets are conceptually bland and don't really speak of the grace and affluence that the Time Lords supposedly possess (even if they are rotten to the core). The best thing in the story is probably Colin Baker as the officious Commander Maxil of the Gallifreyan guards: he actually gets to shoot Peter Davison, in a scene rather ironic given his future casting as Davison's successor in the title role. On the other hand, the less that is said about the acting of Tegan's cousin and his backpacker friend, probably, the better! Given the potential offered by the foreign location shoot and the return of Omega, it seems that"Arc", whilst enjoyable enough, could have delivered a lot more than it actually did.

Despite the relatively shambolic nature of the stories, they get a deluxe treatment on DVD as usual, digitally remastered and equipped with entertaining (although often critical) cast commentaries (including both Peter Davison and Colin Baker on the"Arc" commentary), documentaries on the making of the stories and various extracts from the archives. A good set for established and loyal fans, although not, perhaps, the best release for classic series newbies!

Worth the effort

It's complicated, certainly, and not something to stare at blankly; pay attention to this little gem, and you'll find it's a rewarding experience. McCoy will never be my favourite Doctor, but he's good; Aldred's Ace deserves to be remembered as a top companion, and every member of the guest cast pulls off a terrific performance. They're helped by a witty, clever script, mind. Light's defence of a gruesome murder, delivered with bewildered innocence, is a classis;"the cream of Scotland Yard" makes me laugh and shudder at the same time. Engage the brain, and enjoy

Maggots!!!

Russell T. Davies has allegedly commented that this is the one old school Doctor Who story with a real emotional punch, that the parting of the Third Doctor and Jo is one of the few times old Doctor Who was touching. Certainly those final scenes are wonderfully played by Jon Pertwee and Katy Manning.

But what this neglects to mention is that there is a damn fine story that beats most new Who into a cocked hat. An evil corporation pollutes Wales creating giant maggots, and along the way we have commentaries on the mining industry and rural communities, ecology and big business. The characters are great, the plot runs along at a fair old lick, without turning into the usual runarounds and people getting locked up. The bad guy is suitably charismatically evil and maggots are great monsters.

That said, there's too much chromakey/blue screen work that doesn't convince, but I'm willing to overlook that.

The interviews with Robert Sloman and Stewart Bevan give us a nice view of the atmosphere onset and the things that might have been done better. Mark Gattis' mockumentary is gigglesome and the commentary's good fun too.

This is the cheese, friends, this is the cheese.

The Best Doctor Who story Ever!

The Mark of the Rani marks Kate O Mara's debut appearance as the devilish Rani who in this story is working alongside the Master to try and destroy the Doctor by turning him into a tree (Yes a tree!).
Meanwhile the Rani is creating slaves by taking brain fluid out of human beings heads making them all crazy and attack people all to cover up her existance on Earth.
Colin Baker stars as his absolutely brilliant incarnation of the Doctor in this absolutely brilliant story.
A Doctor Who fans 100% must buy!!!!!!!!!

1980 - A new direction for Doctor Who

Story: 4/5 - Extras: 5/5

In story terms, David Fisher's"The Leisure Hive" is barely a footnote in"Doctor Who"'s extensive history. However, in production terms,"The Leisure Hive" is a pivotal moment, as incoming producer John Nathan-Turner shakes the stagnating series up radically and drags it into the 1980s.
From the moment that Sid Sutton's new starfield title sequence bursts onto the screen, accompanied by Peter Howell's energetic new arrangement of the theme tune, it is clear that the series has changed. This feel of change continues throughout the serial, which boasts stylish, visual direction by Lovett Bickford, the first use of a complex Radiphonic score after many years of scores by Dudley Simpson, and a radical cut in the silliness that had so dominated the previous couple of seasons under the eye of then-Script Editor Douglas Adams.
If one looks beyond that,"The Leisure Hive" is really a pretty average tale. The script is reasonable, with an above average level of politics written into it, and a few interesting characters both sympathetic (Adrienne Corrie's chairman Mena and Nigel Lambert's scientist Hardin) and vile (David Haig's megalomaniacal Pangol and John Collin's Brock). The performances are good all round, including the increasingly moody Tom Baker, and Bickford's direction is refreshing (although certain scene-setting shots linger for too long, or are repeated, particularly in the first couple of episodes). The episodes of"The Leisure Hive" are unusually short, but still the pace feels laid-back, perhaps too much so and not in a way that, I think, was probably intended. Still, the cliff-hangers are good fun, and we get to see the Fourth Doctor as a grizzled old man!
"The Leisure Hive" comes with a thorough array of special features that are appropriate to its key place in the show's history, including several clips of an archive interview with the late John Nathan-Turner, and ruminations from his scriptwriting colleagues on the direction in which Nathan-Turner took the show, for better or for worse. A commentary by Lalla Ward, Lovett Bickford and Script Editor Christopher H. Bidmead rounds off a good package.

Scary stuff!!

Vengeance on Varos is one of the peaks of the classic 22nd Season, a real spine-chiller that also offers thought-provoking entertainment. Colin Baker is a massive presence once again and gives a larger than life performance that consolidates his position as a classic Doctor. In this story he is pitted against one of the show's all-time great monsters, the evil Sil, played by small actor Nabil Shaban. Mr Shaban won the hearts of Doctor Who fans everywhere when his determination to make the role as believable as possible saw him eating Sil's green-goo food FOR REAL!! A real trooper. Nicola Bryant plays The Doctor's cheeky sidekick, Peri and their banter is, as always a joy to behold. Of particular note in a guest cast that pulls out all the stops is a wonderful turn from Doctor Who stalwart Stephen Yardley, who relishes every line and adds a wry touch of wit. A cracking story that is perfect for a dark winter's evening. If you enjoyed the new series, i would say this compares most closely to something like 'New Earth'. A real classic.

The Biggest Doctor Who fan says that

Posibley the best story in the 1976- 1977 series. The theme of this clasic story is more mystery than the average story whilst Tom Baker and new companion actor Louisa Jameson; aka Leela, both put in a strong perfomance. With impossible things going on and cliff hangers round every corner it is gripping all the way through. The Robots also make the story a complete success with the metal vioces and absurd costumes. And also exstras pay a part in this story never seen in the series befor but there is still one question; which of the crew is Tarrant Kappel - the murderer?

Well, it's certainly diverse

Story: 3/5 - Extras: 4/5

Carnival of Monsters is described on the liner notes as"a quaint little story", and such a description wouldn't be so far for the truth. Written once again by Robert Holmes, Carnival seems to be as much a showcase for the then-new CSO (Colour Separation Overlay) filming techniques as it does a serious Doctor Who story.
Like all Holmes scripts, the story is filled with well-written characters who help to liven up events, from the witlessly beaureaucratic Inter Minor officials to the roguish Vorg and the utterly British ship's Lieutenant John Andrews (Ian Marter, who would later play the part of Fourth Doctor companion Harry Sullivan), but at the end of the day no amount of witty dialogue can entirely overcome the story's essential limitations - it's just plain surreal, and neither especially action-packed nor particularly thought-provoking.
On the other hand, the Drashigs (horrific alien inmates of the Scope) make for surprisingly good monsters, better than many rubber Who creatures of the day, aided by some neat sound effects. Given the age and budget of the story, some of the CSO is also surprisingly seamless (although some, such as the episode one cliff-hanger, is utterly chronic).
Carnival remains worth buying as a piece of true Who from the archives, and of course for the extras. Whilst there are no exclusive documentary features this time round, this is made up for to some extent by the quantity of stuff on offer: there are on-screen production notes and an audio commentary from Katy Manning and producer Barry Letts, extended and deleted scenes, behind the scenes footage, original model sequences, a 1970s BBC information film on the use of CSO presented by Barry Letts, a rare opportunity to see the title sequence accompanied by the (awful) scrapped Delaware version of the theme tune, and one or two other bits and bobs. Overall a decent selection of stuff.

Poor production and plot line

I really feel that this story would of been a classic if it had been lost... but its not, its here to stay and unfortunately doesn't do the Troughton era any favours... the remaining stories - war games/krotons/dominators are much much better.... ok maybe not the dominators....