PLOTLINE
The planet Chloris is very fertile, but metal is in short supply and has therefore become extremely valuable. A huge creature, with most unusual physical properties, arrives from an alien planet which can provide Chloris with metal from its own unlimited supplies, in exchange for chlorophyll. However, the ruthless Lady Adrasta has been able to exploit the shortage of metal to her own advantage, and has no wish to see the situation change.
The Doctor and Romana land on Chloris just as the creature's alien masters begin to lose patience over their ambassador's long absence. The action the aliens decide to take will have devastating consequences for Chloris, unless something is done to prevent it...
COMMENT
In continuing to release unabridged readings from the halcyon days of the CLASSIS SERIES, BBC AUDIO have, once again, excelled themselves.
A matter of months ago, I heralded DOCTOR WHO AND THE BRAIN OF MORBIUS as the best release to date, and encouraged both new and more "seasoned" DOCTOR WHO fans to buy it. However, with Tom Baker's 1979 David Fisher penned DOCTOR WHO AND THE CREATURE FROM THE PIT eclipses it. It is simply stunning.
And it's all to the credit of Tom Baker.
Baker relishes every word every nuance of the author, cleverly capturing the sublime personality of all the characters - even the metallic robot dog, K9.
His slimy Lady Adastra is simply audaciously, as his is Fagan-esque leader of the rebels (Torvin) and the tortured & misunderstood Tythonian Ambassador.
This unabridged reading captures the true essence and the heart of the CLASSIC SERIES, aided by creative atmospheric sound effects, voice treatment and orchestral accompaniment. THE CREATURE FORM THE PIT is, unlike the woefully pedestrian and overly comic acted television presentation, a thrilling aural page-turner for fans of the Tom Baker Doctor and fans of the NEW SERIES.
This 2008 re-imagining of a CLASSIC SERIES story (that is widely regarded to be uninspired and scientifically absurd) is like attaching a pair of electric jump-leads to a spluttering vehicle in order to bring it back to life. May the BBC AUDIO releases continue unabated.
