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TOM BAKER 1974-81
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FOURTH DOCTOR | PYRAMIDS OF MARS

 
"...'plausibility' of the stories rested with the actors

and those with a light entertainment

background should not be cast as the Doctor..."

STORY PLOTLINE

When the TARDIS in infiltrated by a mysterious force, the Doctor and Sarah Jane are drawn off course and arrive in England at the turn of the century.

Dark forces from aeons are beginning to stir, and the whole future on earth is at stake. Sutekh, last of the Osirians, is breaking free from his ancient prison, and no power in the universe can stand in his way...


DVD extras

  • Studio Commentary by Elisabeth Sladen, Michael Sheard, Philip Hinchcliffe and Paddy Russell.
  • Deleted and extended scenes.
  • Now and Then. Revisiting the locations filmed for the story.
  • Osirian Gothic. A nostalgic look back at the making of the 'classic'.
  • Serial Thrillers. What made the Philip Hinchcliffe era popular.
  • Oh Mummy! A comedy vehicle for Sutekh.
  • Photo Gallery.
  • Information Subtitles.
  • Easter Egg.

Review Spoliers ahead

A nice collection of features appear on this disc; nothing outside-the-box but still far from a total let-down although Tom's absence hangs like a mournful cloud over the entire production. Having said that, let's not forget that this was voted the most popular Who story ever and so I have to wonder why the Beeb let this go as a basically bog-standard DOCTOR WHO release.

Osirian Gothic is an engaging if short making-of featurette but worthwhile because it includes nearly all the key players involved in the production of the story. Nearly all, as said. It would have been rather nice to have had Tom's perspective on his far-from-friction-free relationship with Paddy.

The other important feature is Serial Thriller, an overview of the Hinchcliffe era. I enjoyed this because although everyone is diplomatic there is nevertheless an honest feel about the piece that transcends puffery. My favourite observations came from Hinchcliffe: he feels that the "plausibility" of the stories rested with the actors and that actors with a light entertainment background should not be cast as the Doctor.

The commentary is a charmer, Sheard's enthusiasm in particular coming across very well (Russell's commentary is intercut with the others, note). I ran this with the Info Text feature as well and I was pleasantly surprised to discover that they compliment each other: for instance, as the story ends, listen and watch as Hinchcliffe comments on the splendid 'model' of Stargrove (as the text points out that it was a theee foot high enlarged photograph).

Now and Then (narrated by Sheard) is a short short but well done, intercutting contemporary shots of Stargrove with episode highlights from the same camera angle; elementary stuff, of course, but still worthwhile.

The Deleted Scenes are pretty ho-hum and include the full version of the rocket-going-boom; and, as Hinchcliffe observes elsewhere, you really cannot miniaturise fire...

The real surprise is Oh Mummy, a comedy short which features Gabriel Woolf as Sutekh, post-PYRAMIDS. I thoroughly enjoyed this exercise in light-hearted silliness but suspect that many fans will just wince their way theough it. There are some great-if-daft Beano-style gags on offer here. He has a pet rabbit called Neil; or, possibly, Kneel. And I actually laughed out loud at the concept of Sutekh in panto (he only performed for one night because he "shredded the mind of Widow Twanky").

EOH CONTRIBUTOR
SIMON CUNNINGTON
EOH RATING



INFORMATION

Released 01.03.2004

PYRAMIDS OF MARS DVD EXTRA : the navigation design

PYRAMIDS OF MARS DVD EXTRA : the navigation design

PYRAMIDS OF MARS DVD EXTRA | the commentary team: Sladen, Hinchcliffe and Sheard

The Commentary Team

PYRAMIDS OF MARS DVD EXTRA |  Director, Paddy Russell. Ready for the New Series?

Director, Paddy Russell

PYRAMIDS OF MARS DVD EXTRA | evil in waiting, Mary Whitehouse

Viewers' Champion, Mary Whitehouse

PYRAMIDS OF MARS DVD EXTRA | evil in waiting, Gabriel Woolf.

Sutekh, Gabriel Woolf

 

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