Eye of Horus | Doctor Who | The Classic Series 1963-96

STORY PLOTLINE

The once-feared Cybermen have disappeared from the universe without trace. An expedition from Earth arrives on Telos -home world of the Cybermen - to try to discover exactly what has become of the silver giants.

Soon after the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria join the archaeological party, the first mysterious death occurs. With the group now stranded on Telos, it becomes clear that the Cybermen may not be as ‘dead’ as it was first thought.

DVD EXTRAS

Studio commentary by Fazer Hines and Deborah Watling.
DIRECTOR'S COMMENT. Director, Morris Barry.
SPECIAL EFFECTS. Behind-the-scenes at BBC Visual Effects.
TOMBWATCH CONVENTION. Exclusive TOMBWATCH documentary.
DOCTOR WHO TITLES. Previously un-seen Title Sequence Tests and 8MM Cine footage.
PHOTO GALLERY.
PRODUCTION SUBTITLES.

COMMENT Spoliers ahead

Note: the DVD was viewed with the commentary and Information Text features running.

What is the most entertaining thing you can do on Sunday evening, sprawled across the sofa less than tentatively emptying a bottle of Californian White, whilst trying not to contemplate the work-week dauntingly ahead?

Watching THE TOMB OF THE CYBERMEN in the company of the delightfully wry Deborah Watling and the deliciously sly Frazer Hines (both of who will be featured in eyeofhorus.org.uk Interview section in coming months) with the appropriately informative Information Text active.

Not only is the actual story a television classic but the outrageously witty commentary is too. Buy the DVD just for that.

Hines and Watling’s insights are precise and sidesplitting funny simultaneously from comments relating to the actual making of series indicating, "When DOCTOR WHO went into colour it lost a lot of tension" to "it was nerve racking really. It was like ‘live’ TV every week for us". Then there is verbal scorning that Hines gives Watling as she reveals pending plot twists-and-turns, whilst insisting that whoever is watching the story knows what is about to happen. A double act that even the writers of US sit-comedy, FRASIER would find hard to beat.

Watling: One of those Cybermen took me out to dinner. I think it was Reg Whitehead.
Hines: You must have gone out like a Vent Act. (Referring to Ventriloquist).

The Information Text - a sort of BBC Ceefax service for WHOgeeks - reveals DOCTOR WHO hidden gems to satisfy the curiosity of passing and hardened fans alike. For example: whilst the 1967 budget for four episodes was £11,000 TOMB production costs came in under at £10,633. Or that the Gravel Pit (Telos) used in the story was later used in THE DOMINATORS (another Chris Barry directed classic) and then again for THE TWIN DILEMMA (which wasn’t). It reveals also that originally the story was called THE ICE TOMBS ON TELOS and DOCTOR WHO AND THE CYBERMAN PLANET.

Wonderful stuff.

The other extras are ‘stock’ and lean toward the tedious; an over-lengthy convention panel with cast and assorted crew, and a dated ‘behind-the-scenes’ look at the Visual Effects Dept.

Overall, the DVD package is superb and is worth the £19.99 just for the conversational element itself, and for those who have seen Frazer and Deborah together work a convention audience then you know you are in for a treat.

And thankfully not a TARDIS-Cam feature in sight.