Doctor Who – Beneath The Surface (The
Silurians/The Sea Devils/Warriors of the Deep; BBC DVD Set or
Singles)
Picture:
C+ Sound: B- Extras: A+ Episodes: A
BBC Video
continues its steady release of classic Doctor
Who episodes on DVD with three favorites the 1970’s and 1980’s eras of the
show. Readers interested in learning
more about previous releases in this series should see our
earlier reviews. This trio of releases
features two different incarnations of the Doctor spread across the span of
rough eighty stories worth of continuity, with each one focusing on the
machinations of a sinister reptilian race.
Story no.
52 entitled Doctor Who and the Silurians
finds the Doctor (played by John Pertwee) marooned on Earth and working for
UNIT. He soon runs afoul of the sinister
Silurians while investigating power outages at a subterranean research center. Although this story represents only Pertwee’s
second as the Doctor, he inhabits the role with an ease and grace befitting any
who’ve played it. Indeed, this story may
be considered the one where Pertwee “becomes” the Doctor. And a wonderful story it is, casting the
recently awakened Silurians as villains, but leaving some gray areas. The Silurians struggle to re-take an Earth
they once controlled before the rise of mankind, and they are opposed by the
Doctor, protector of a human race ignorant of the creatures’ onetime dominance.
One of the ongoing themes of every incarnation
of Doctor Who lies in the tension created when one must make difficult choices,
and that situation drives the action here. A wonderful supporting cast helps usher this
tremendous story to its tragic conclusion.
Story no.
62 finds John Pertwee stuck-in and comfortable in his role as the Doctor, and
quite possibly at the height of his powers. The Sea
Devils again casts the Doctor squarely between humanity and a race of
reptilians bent on their destruction. However,
this time, one of the Doctor’s greatest foes, fellow Time Lord the Master
(played brilliantly by Roger Delgado) stands behind the scenes orchestrating
all of the mischief. Pertwee and Delgado
play beautifully off of each other in several memorable scenes, including a
sword duel where both show considerable skill and stamina. Despite the outward appearance of age,
Pertwee’s Doctor possesses a remarkable vitality and an ability to explode into
action that even the modern Doctors of today might envy. Katy Manning provides solid support in the
role of Jo Grant, and The Sea Devils delivers
plenty of action, although not as much pathos as the Silurians.
Story no.
131 (Warriors of the Deep) features
Peter Davison as the Doctor, and brings us into the years between 1982-84. In this intriguing tale the Doctor must
referee between two alien races, none other than the aforementioned Silurians
and Sea Devils. This time the year is
2084, but the battleground is still Earth, and the human race stands to be the
biggest loser if the Doctor cannot find a solution to the crisis. Davison and company shine in this story
despite weaker characterization and plot elements that at times transform the
previously complex reptilian races into little more than cardboard cutout
monsters. Although not up to the
standards of the previous episodes that feature these races, Warriors of the Deep will still provide
madcap entertainment to Who fans looking to fill out their collections.
All of
these discs provide solid extras, including commentaries, interviews, optional
enhanced effects, documentaries, and more. As discussed in previous discs
reviewed on this site, picture and sound on these discs are not good. Owing to what BBC has to work with in terms of
restorable prints, this dilemma is understandable. Until the release of some comprehensive series
of boxed sets that sequentially collects the entire series in several neat
packages, these discs provide a wonderful means to experience the classic Doctor Who stories.
- Scott R. Pyle
