STORY PLOTLINE

An antimatter creature has crossed into normal space via a phenomenon known as the Arc of Infinity but needs to bond physically with a Time Lord in order to remain stable. A traitor on Gallifrey has chosen the Doctor as the victim.

The High Council, headed by President Borusa, decides that the Doctor's life must be terminated in order to avoid this danger. Tegan meanwhile arrives in Amsterdam to visit her cousin, Colin Frazer, only to learn that he has disappeared. She enters a crypt in search of him and is captured by a hideous creature, the Ergon.

DVD EXTRAS

• Studio-booth commentary: Peter Davison, Janet Fielding, Sarah Sutton and Colin Baker.
• ANTI-MATTER FROM AMSTERDAM (dur. 34' 55") a new documentary which looks at the making of ARC OF INFINITY.
• THE OMEGA FACTOR (dur 14' 55") - documentary examining the writing of the story.
• Deleted Scenes (dur. 2' 54").
• UNDER THE ARC LIGHTS (dur. 11' 30") - behind-the-scenes studio recording sessions.
• CGI EFFECTS (option), replace 18 special effects with new versions.
• ISOLATED MUSIC SCORE.
• A BBC1 trailer and continuity announcements are included, along with the usual photo gallery , ' Coming Soon ' trailer and production information subtitles . For completeness, the 1983 Doctor Who Annual and Radio Times listings are included.

COMMENT - SPOILERS AHEAD

1982 is another country.

A distant memory of school exams, pubescent hormones that challenged the demands of an acne scared teenager whose only daily salvation was the thought that some day a blue box would materialise at the end of Cranbrook Road.

From within a strange man call the Doctor would entice him to places and times that he had only dreamed about.

If that was to happen today, Social Services would be on the case like a tonne of bricks.

However, there was salvation for that insipid teenager in the form of a back-to-back broadcast of DOCTOR WHO on a Monday and Tuesday night.

The dual-release of two Peter Davison stories is perfect antidote to the often too slick NEW SERIES of 2007.

TIME-FLIGHT and ARC OF INFINITY were never destined to the critically acclaimed in seasons littered with gems that would make Hattan Garden jewellers sparkle with envy.

EARTHSHOCK and to a lesser extent, KINDA may have been outstanding stories in SEASON 19 but TIME-FLIGHT is disregarded as puerile, silliness and compounded with a litany of misjudged effects that do not deserve the word "special" to be attached to "effects".

As for ARC OF INFINITY , that too was affected by the adjacent stories that outshone the story has become to be known as "the one filmed in Amsterdam". It was the twentieth anniversary year and the season was, unnecessarily, coagulated with stories that attempted to harkens to a bygone age of "good storytelling". ARC was up against SNAKEDANCE (though it had "that snake"), TERMINUS (though it had "that big dog") and MAWDRYN UNDEAD (though it had "that continuity canon city error". So, in a way ARC was the superior product.

However, firstly, ARC OF INFINITY.

Another story that is under-valued and under-watched. Why are WHO fans so cynical to the stories produced under the stewardship of John Nathan-Turner? This story had everything - expect the kitchen sink - a returning alien/villain, a returning companion, Gallifrey, a renegade Time Lord double-crossing his colleagues, location filming that broke the monotony of endless corridors snaking their way theoughout TC3 at TV Centre, and a lead actor relaxed in the role.

So, why did is fail to be as exciting as TIME-FLIGHT? Yes, you read that correctly.

Was it the blandness of an overused concept of a space-set Hitchcock-styled theiller (a WHO re-imaging of Alfred's classics as: STRANGER ON THE CANAL or THE TIME LORD WHO KNEW TOO MUCH or REAR VORTEX ) that failed to stimulate. It tried to hard, and was so wrapped up in continuity (attempting to play to the "Gods" - aka the die-hard fans) that basic storytelling constructs (i.e. keep it simple and keep it about situation/people that you should/could care about) were misplaced.

Too many ingredients that stuck to the side of the stirring spoon, resulting in a stodge of half-baked ideas.

Of course, ARC is either, depending on your point of view, "the one with the Celestial Toymaker" (Michael Gough) or "the one with the Sixth Doctor" (Colin Baker).

For a veteran actor, Gough delivers a reassuringly confident and lucid performance as the enemy agent, Chancellor Hedin, acting in all good faith as he attempts to reinstate Omega into Time Lord society. However, as expected Colin Baker provides a uninspiring, broadly arch performance and is outshone by the "inanimate" chicken ensconced beneath his arm.

The introduction of Janet Fielding's character, Tegan Jovanka is the most concerning, though the rationale was explained in the "making of." documentary as "The Producer wanted her back". It all was too coincidental, even within the wild extremes of DOCTOR WHO. A better re-introduction would have been the "abduction" of Tegan by the Mara, and her transportation to the planet Manussa.

Davison's dual-role (as the Doctor and the matter-universe Omega) was hardly taxing for the actor but must have been an interesting diversion whilst it lasted.

As I said, ARC OF INFINITY is, at times, an insipid concoction. Too much going on.

The DVD Extras were equally forgetful.

ANTI-MATTER FROM AMSTERDAM - Why on earth was Sophie Aldred (she wasn't even starring in the story) and writer, Johnny Byrne sent on a free jolly to Amsterdam is beyond credibility? The documentary failed to compliment the TV story, detailing information covered in the Commentary and the (on-screen) Information Text.

THE OMEGA FACTOR - This short documentary examined the background, morality and motivation behind the renegade Time Lord from both this story and THE THREE DOCTORS (1973). Contributions from the "original" Omega, Stephen Thorne, and Ian Collier, and, again, the writer Johnny Byrne.

Both documentaries could have been omitted thus reducing the cost of the DVD to almost a "vanilla" release.

However, it is always the behind-the-scenes studio filming that is of most interest to fans. Seeing how things are made or done. That's what DVDs should be filled with, "outtakes" and not endless iteration of aged cast and crew memoirs.

The rest of the DVD Extras are seemingly rampant commonplace fillers nowadays that only the (a) most bored or (b) most ardent of fan will ever contemplate to watch. PDF of either an Annual or RADIO TIMES listings.

ARC OF INFINITY is a classic CLASSIC SERIES presentation with more to merit a DVD release than not. It sees Peter Davison at his ascension to being an outstanding Doctor. 1982 was another country and in the distance was the memory of Tom Baker's incarnation; hazy memory.