Not everyone is a Doctor Who fan. But if you used to watch the good Doctor way back in the early days or are a recent convert to the thrilling new episodes, you owe it to yourself to travel back in time for a proper early Dr Who education. The Classic Series is a collection of DVDs produced by the BBC for just such ‘fan-ducational’ purposes.
This four part story, Planet of Evil, stars the much loved Tom Baker (actually the fourth doctor) and Elisabeth Sladen as the glamorous assistant Sarah Jane Smith.
The Doctor and Sarah receive a distress call from far in the future. The TARDIS arrives on the planet Zeta Minor, the furthest planet out in the universe, in the Morestran year 37,166. There they discover a Morestran geological expedition has been slowly killed off by an unseen killer. The only living being is Professor Sorenson, and he is not all that he seems to be….
Look out for dialogue triumphs such as the Doctor speaking to Sorenson “You and I are scientists, Professor. We buy our privilege to experiment at the cost of total responsibility.” For us New Zealanders there’s even a Bro’town connection with the line “I'm going out now, and I may be some time.”
The DVD extras include some real gems such as the commentary from actors Tom Baker, Elisabeth Sladen, Prentis Hancock and producer Philip Hinchcliffe. There is also a rare studio scene containing the only surviving behind-the-scenes footage from the story.
A must-see for new and old Doctor Who fans alike.