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REVIEW: Daleks Invasion Earth 2150 AD by Milton Subotsky with David Whitaker, from the serial by Terry Nation

SEEN IT BEFORE?: Yes


After the commercial (if not critical) success of the first Dalek movie, AARU Films and Amicus decided to create a sequel based on the second Dalek serial, The Dalek Invasion of Earth. Like the previous film, this was the first version of The Dalek Invasion of Earth that I saw. But would the film match up to the TV serial that it was based on?

Tom Campbell, a policeman on beat, fails to stop a robbery and gets a bang on the head for his troubles. Stumbling into a police box, he meets, just before falling unconscious, the scientist Dr Who, his niece Jenny, and his granddaughter Susan. Dematerialising TARDIS to avoid the commotion, the travellers end up in the year 2150, where they find a London devastated by the Daleks. While Dr Who and Tom are captured by the Daleks, Jenny and Susan join up with the local rebels. But what are the Daleks doing on Earth in the first place?

Okay, story-wise, this is a little bit of an improvement. This may be partly because they had less to cut out to make this story (maybe half), and probably because they also placed the humour better. The way they beat the Daleks, while not really plausible, is nonetheless neater than what happens in the TV show, which was, admittedly, a bit of a mess. There's a lovely comedy routine involving Tom disguised as a Roboman and having to fit in, less than successfully, with other Robomen.

Characterisation is a little thin, but Tom Campbell is an improvement on the movie Ian. Indeed, one can see where Wilfred Mott (played by the same actor, Bernard Cribbins) got his knack. Peter Cushing is, as last time, great as Dr Who, and Roberta Tovey is still a good Susan, for how they characterised her. Jill Curzon's Jenny is okay, but not particularly noticeable. Of the guest characters, only Andrew Keir as Wyler and Philip Madoc (in his Doctor Who debut, if not in the TV series) as the traitorous Brockley are notable.

Production wise, this film is much improved on the previous one, possibly because of the setting (on Earth). Some of the flying saucer effects are so realistic, you simply cannot get them with CGI. Of course, a few others are bupkiss. There are some really impressive sequences set in deserted London, although they lack some of the eerie atmosphere of the original TV serial, and the Robomen, while lacking their own eerieness, are more intimidating than they were in the original version of the story.

A marked improvement on the original Dalek film, Daleks Invasion Earth 2150 AD is quite a fun little romp. Not quite as good overall as the original serial, but still fairly good.


SCORE: 8.5/10


Now, I won't be fully reviewing the next story, Enlightenment Special Edition, but I will be making notes on whether it is improved or worsened by the additions and editing.

REVIEW: Enlightenment: Special Edition by Barbara Clegg

SEEN IT BEFORE?: No.


This review won't have a score. Instead, it will be some thoughts and feelings about whether the story was improved or not.

It is said that you can't improve on perfection, and considering that I gave Enlightenment a perfect score, it would be hard for the story as re-versioned by the original director, Fiona Cumming, to surpass it. So how did it go? Well, the editing is mostly seamless, though there are a few noticeably jittery cuts that lack a certain continuity. Some of the new special effects are pretty good, with some of the spaceship shots impressive (especially during the Venus sequence), but some shots look dodgy at times. The story is maintained, though, with no essential things cut out.

Personally, I don't think Enlightenment needed a special edition. It's a nice alternative, but really, all it is is a little pacier and with lots of CGI. I much prefer the original.

BTW, if anyone is still paying attention to this, how many Special Editions of stories have you seen?

REVIEW: The Five Doctors: Special Edition by Terrence Dicks

SEEN IT BEFORE?: Yes.


As with Enlightenment: Special Edition, this review won't have a score, just a general feeling as to whether the changes improved the show.

I enjoyed The Five Doctors, as well as its special edition. Comparing the two mentally, one can see differences, good and bad. There's a number of added or edited scenes, and while some of the extended and added sequences do little to enhance the story, there are a few little nuances that help the story. There's a new bit where Borusa asks to wait alone in the Council chambers, a hint towards the revelation about his villainy. Not to mention the welcome addition of a Cyberman firing at the Raston Robot to show that the fight was a little less one-sided. And some of the new music is pretty good, especially the recorder used for the second Doctor's theme.

Some of the new effects are quite good. The CGI Time Scoop is a marked improvement on the original, and the lightning effects on the chessboard, while still dodgy by today's standards, look far more convincing and visceral. However, the new effect of the fourth Doctor stuck in the time vortex doesn't improve things. And I actually liked how they did Rassilon in the original. I felt that lowering the pitch of the original actor's voice doesn't do it for me.

Overall, there are some improvements, and they're nice and all. Not sure whether it needed them, but it's an intriguing alternative to the original version of this story.

BTW, I've decided that, instead of doing the TV movie at the end of this little round, I'm postponing watching it to review with the 'canonical' adventures later.

REVIEW: Planet of Fire: Special Edition by Peter Grimwade

SEEN IT BEFORE?: No.


Again, this is not an actual review, just a critique of the special edition version as compared to the original.

Like the special edition of Enlightenment, Planet of Fire is an abridged omnibus edition of a Doctor Who serial directed by Fiona Cumming with new special effects added. And rather like Enlightenment Special Edition, the special edition of Planet of Fire has some rather jarring cuts made to it, one of the most egregious being Turlough 'shorting out' Kamelion. However, some of the way some scenes are edited together actually helps. There's even a nice, if somewhat unnecessary, prologue sequence showing Malkon and his father crashlanding on Sarn.

The CGI effects, while better than the original effects used, tend to be somewhat cheesy in places. The fire effects superimposed over parts of Sarn look out of place at times, though they also do a decent job of making Sarn more alien and menacing. The best new effects are those of Kamelion's morphing (with new effects added over the already good 'swirling sparkles') and the effects of the Master's TCE.

All the same, while Planet of Fire does benefit a little from the new effects (if not the new editing), it really didn't need a special edition, and certainly not one done in this manner. If they kept the original edit of the story and added the new effects over that, then I'd be more impressed.

Just to reassure you, someone is reading this.


I've only seen Battlefield & the 90's Five Doctors special editions. Preferred the newer time scoop & diffusion effects but hated the 4 th doctor effect.

Battlefield, bar the writing on the wall, didn't notice the difference. Still brilliant though.

personally, I think Rememberance of the Daleks should have had one. I think some CGI could have really emphasised the damage the hand of Omega did, as well as retrospectively change the Dalek view screen & reinstate the most famous deleted scene.

I have few classic Who DVDs, though. Any you'd recommend?

Don't you mean The Curse of Fenric? I don't remember any writing on the wall in Battlefield.



Which scene are we talking about here? There's a lot. Are we talking about where Davros claims that the Doctor is 'just another Time Lord', only for the Doctor to retort that he is far more than that? I also reckon they should add the sequences where Ace (jokingly) threatens the Doctor with the 'Omega bat' if he doesn't explain, and where Mike reveals his xenophobia while discussing the Doctor and Ace with Rachel and Allison.



Oh, where do I begin? It's hard to decide what not to recommend. However, if you can afford them, I suggest that you concentrate on getting some of the boxsets. While many of them do not have the best stories or special features (Myths and Legends springs to mind, and is not recommended for anyone but completists), they're a cheaper way, in the long run at least, of getting the stories.

I'll refrain from listing any here, boxsets or individual stories. The way my lists could go on, you may not have the money to get them.

REVIEW: Battlefield: Special Edition by Ben Aaronovitch

SEEN IT BEFORE?: Yes


As noted before, this is less of a review than a critique of the changes made.

Most of the changes made to Battlefield is in the realm of special effects. While many of the original effects are left untouched (including some cheesy lightning flashes and the ghost-snake), there are some nice new versions that add to the experience (like a new effect while Morgaine summons the Destroyer, new ray gun effects that help enhance the look of the otherwise cheesy-looking guns, and even a 'ripple' effect whenever the knights' grenades explode).

There's not only an addition of a number of new scenes (including a mild clash between Ace and the Brigadier, and the Doctor explaining the origins of the spaceship under Lake Vortigern), but there's a re-edit of other scenes, with the scene of Ancelyn being hurled through the air by the grenade (BOOM!) actually much improved by the editing and looking less Pythonesque.

While not a vast improvement, it's certainly a better version of the story to watch, even if only by small increments.

REVIEW: The Curse of Fenric: Special Edition by Ian Briggs

SEEN IT BEFORE?: Yes


This, my final special edition review for the time being, is once more a critique of the differences rather than a full review.

The Curse of Fenric may not have exactly needed a special edition, but the scenes put back in or rearranged do add a certain something, with more dialogue that clarifies some plot points and makes the story easier to understand. The story is better for it, certainly more than the special editions of other stories (a pity that Ghost Light couldn't have been given the same treatment for various reasons).

The new effects put on merely help to sell the effects used better. They certainly are better than many of those used in other stories. There's some nice use of grading and digital rain to help make some scenes seem more convincing too.

Overall, I feel that The Curse of Fenric benefitted most from the Special Edition treatment. It's a good version of the story to watch and a great alternative.

Yes, that's it, it's The Curse of Fenric. It's the armies, they keep confusing me. I've seen Battlefield too BTW but that was nearly 18 months ago now. I really must rewatch them with these reviews to hand.

"Oh, Davros. I am far more than just another time lord. " was, in fact, the scene in question. It may as well be in there - nearly everyone believes it is.

LOL sorry - 'the bat of Omega' - such a funny concept.
That's my point though - I don't recall seeing any deleted scenes, bar some Hand flying shots, that needed to be deleted for anything other than time. So why didn't they put them back into an edit for 1 of the 2 DVD editions? Crazy!

Tell you what probably might not be in there. "I think I might have miscalculated."

Tell me about it. The classic Doctor Who DVDs really are a shining example of how to make a DVD. The only amount of attention to detail that has come close to this are the Red Dwarf DVDs.

You know, blasphemy but I'm trying not to see all the classic Who because I still like there being some corny serial out there I haven't seen yet. Before you say it, I have seen Brain of Morbius - corny as hell. The amount of serials I haven't seen still impresses but ultimately I don't feel rushed.

I've seen 'The Beginning' box set though. Would recommend that to anyone. Brilliant franchise starter.

Well, if you've got the money, I recommend the Davros boxset (it has 3 of my personal favourite stories of all time, along with several intriguing Big Finish audio stories about Davros), and the first Revisitations set (The Talons of Weng-Chiang and The Caves of Androzani are undeniable classics with great special features, and even the special features for the TV Movie should keep people amused).

BTW, for any of those still following, I am going to be watching and reviewing The Gunfighters soon, as part of my catch-up regime.

EDIT: Here's the trailer for The Gunfighters, along with The Awakening...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ek1k0IKxVoY[/youtube]

REVIEW: The Gunfighters by Donald Cotton

SERIAL: Z, 4X25 minute episodes

SEEN IT BEFORE?: No


Amongst the surviving serials of the third season of Doctor Who, perhaps one of the most controversial is The Gunfighters. One of the first 'roast beef westerns' (or British-filmed western, the term 'roast beef western' made by the makers of Red Dwarf regarding their own foray into westerns, Gunmen of the Apocalypse), it was undoubtedly an ambitious story, trying to do a western on the budget of the series. Since then, it has been divisive. Given the fact that the only surviving story preceding it (The Ark) was considered crap by myself, and the last surviving serial of the season (The War Machines) was a little below par for Doctor Who, how would this story fare?

Arriving in Tombstone in 1881, the Doctor, after breaking his tooth on a sweet, is in desperate need of a dentist. Steven and Dodo are delighted to be in the Wild West, but as they are about to find out, life in the Wild West was dirty and deadly. The Doctor is directed by Tombstone marshall Wyatt Earp to his recently arrived friend (and gunslinger) Doc Holliday, who is the only dentist in town, while Steven and Dodo book rooms in the Last Chance Saloon. Unfortunately for them, the Clanton brothers, out to kill Doc Holliday for his own killing of Reuben Clanton, have overheard them mentioning the Doctor, and are certain that the Doctor is Doc Holliday, a mistake Holliday is all too willing to exploit. Caught up in the events in Tombstone, the Doctor, Steven, and Dodo may end up unwilling participants in the gunfight at the OK Corall...

As far as historical accuracy is concerned, The Gunfighters is pretty much pants. Anyone looking up Wikipedia can see what didn't happen. But that being said, while a somewhat cheesy script with a thin if eventful story, it is still a funny one, sometimes darkly so at times, and it is sure a lot of fun, though the Doctor's gullibility does stretch belief somewhat. And the Ballad of the Last Chance Salloon...who came up with that?

The characters are, if somewhat cheesy, quite good. We get some good mileage out of the Doctor and his abhorrence of violence and guns as a running gag, and William Hartnell does well. So too do Peter Purves and Jackie Lane as Steven and Dodo respectively, finding out life in the West isn't all it's clapped out to be. Of the other characters, Donald Cotton has to be given credit for making many of them not black and white villains and heroes, but with shades of grey, and despite many cod American accents, they are otherwise played well enough. Anthony Jacobs' Doc Holliday is a study in sliminess but ultimately a good character, and Laurence Payne puts in a great performance as Johnny Ringo, who, while not actually at the OK Corral in real life, is still one of the best historical villains in the series who isn't a megalomaniac.

Design wise, well, I cannot find anything to fault it, really. It's pretty damn good, and clearly they tried to spend some money on the sets and costumes. And the direction has some nice surprises, including a higher angle camera shot used in the Last Chance Saloon that isn't often seen in this era's Doctor Who.

Ultimately, while not a great show, The Gunfighters is an entertaining one, albeit one with a number of cracks. Not bad, and certainly worth one's time.



SCORE: 8.5/10

And here's the trailer for what I hope is the next story to be reviewed, The Sun Makers.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ymwi_UCnBwc[/youtube]

Soon, I will be watching and reviewing The Sun Makers. Watch this space!

REVIEW: The Sun Makers by Robert Holmes

SERIAL: 4W, 4X25 minute episodes

SEEN IT BEFORE?: No (Thought I had, though... )


After a certain amount of trouble at the Inland Revenue, apparently due to his being both a script editor for Doctor Who and occasional writer for the series, Robert Holmes decided that mockery and satire was the best form of revenge. While elements were toned down significantly for the transmitted story, this was one of the few blatantly satirical stories of the series. But was it any good?

Far in the future, Pluto is the new terraformed home for humanity, who have long since abandoned Earth. Six gigantic cities, with six artificial suns shining down on them. But the Company that runs Pluto is determined to make a profit, and taxes the inhabitants remorselessly. The Doctor and Leela stop overtaxed worker Cordo from committing suicide, and go on the run from the pompous Gatherer Hade and his boss, the malignant, mysterious Collector. Encountering a group of desperate outlaws, the Doctor is coerced into helping them, but even so, he intends to trigger the downfall of the Company. But why are both the Doctor and the usually fearless Leela more anxious than usual? Where do all the taxes go to? And can the Doctor and Leela win the trust of the outlaws, or will they be murdered by either them, or the sun makers?

As a satire, The Sun Makers is pretty blatant. Some of the more specific references to the British Inland Revenue may be lost on non-Brits or indeed on younger viewers, but it's still pretty strong stuff. And yet, despite the almost ridiculous premise, it not only works, but manages to mix the horrific and the humourous in equal measure. Not as well as some of Holmes' better works, but it's still pretty damn good. There's one real bum note when Gatherer Hade is killed and the rebels cheer, though that is more of a moral issue than a writing one.

As usual, Tom Baker and Louise Jameson are given meaty roles as the Doctor and Leela, with Leela given to fear for the first real time due to a chemical in Pluto's air. In fact, one of my favourite lines in the show comes when, while trying to find an analogy to taxes, Leela suggests that they may be like tribal sacrifices to gods, only for the Doctor to remark that tax-paying is more painful. Of the guest stars, Richard Leech is a little too hammy as Gatherer Hade to be truly menacing, but is fine enough, and Henry Woolf's Collector, despite the small stature and high pitched voice, exudes menace. Roy MacReady is a wonderful Cordo, and of the outlaws, a surprisingly menacing Michael Keating (who would later play cowardly thief Vila from Blake's 7) plays Goudry very well.

Production wise, The Sun Makers is rather bleak and undistinguished much of the time, although this seems to be what they were going for. There seems to be a slightly campy element at times in the costumes, and the sets don't quite work. But it works with the story, and things work out fine in the end.

The Sun Makers is one of the better stories of this era, not quite as horrific as Holmes' best, but with an element of sardonic humour throughout that will appeal to adults more than children. Despite the themes, it is far from taxing.



SCORE: 9/10

Although the next story chronologically will be Frontios, I am reviewing K9 & Company: A Girl's Best Friend for the next story. Hence this trailer for K9 Tales, the DVD boxset.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFjCrsPEHA0[/youtube]

REVIEW: K-9 and Company: A Girl's Best Friend by Terence Dudley

SERIAL: No serial code, 50-minute spin-off special

SEEN IT BEFORE?: No


John Nathan-Turner detested K9, partly because of the expense of maintaining the difficult to handle robot dog, but also because of the way the character helped the Doctor get out of too many tricky situations. But the backlash after K9 was written out caught the producer by surprise. He was also trying to get Elisabeth Sladen to return to the series as Sarah Jane Smith, but she didn't want to return to the series just for a short bout as the companion again. JNT found a unique solution, offering Sladen a chance to star in a series where she was the heroine rather than the companion, who would be K9. And thus, oddly (but given K9's popularity, just as well) titled for K9 rather than Sarah Jane Smith, a pilot was comissioned as a special to go out over December 1981...

Sarah Jane Smith intends to visit her aunt, Lavinia, at the village of Morton Harewood over Christmas, but she has been unexpectedly called over to America early for a lecture tour, and she hasn't left word. Sarah finds herself unexpectedly the custodian of Lavinia's ward, Brendan, and a mysterious crate. Said crate, left with Lavinia for years, turns out to contain a gift from the Doctor, K9 Mark Three. But Sarah has no time to relax. The villagers are not welcoming of outsiders, and her aunt made many enemies when she denounced the witchcraft practises of the locals. And when Brendan is nearly kidnapped, Sarah finds out that there is a coven worshipping Hecate, and determined to use human sacrifice to bless the soil. But who are her enemies? Who are her allies? And can a girl and her best friend stop an occult murder?

Storywise, this story is actually quite dry. While it is much better than Terence Dudley's actual Doctor Who debut, Four to Doomsday, it's not quite as exciting as it should be, and is certainly a pretty poor pilot of what could have been a good, adult series. It's rather average, and doesn't hold much promise, and the whodunnit features don't work either. It's nice to see the Doctor leaving a new K9 for Sarah, though.

It is hard to watch Elisabeth Sladen because of her death earlier this year, and even two and a half decades before The Sarah Jane Adventures, you can see how well she would be as a heroine of her own story, as far as acting is concerned. And John Leeson, as always, is a delight as K9. But the guest cast is less notable, though Colin Jeavons, Bill Pollock, and Ian Sears do decent enough work.

Production wise, well, the direction doesn't seem anywhere near dynamic enough to give a sense of tension or boost up the action. The actual sets and costumes are good, but then again, Moreton Harewood isn't exactly an alien planet. But the music and what special effects are there are quite good.

K-9 and Company: A Girl's Best Friend, then, is a rather disappointing vehicles for the excellent talents of Elisabeth Sladen and John Leeson. It would be over two decades before they would get a better chance to show off their talents independently of the Doctor...


SCORE: 7.5/10


And now, the trailer for the next story to be watched and reviewed, Frontios. I am looking forward to this one, partly because that means I have watched every Peter Davison story.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYNr-RNBOik[/youtube]