Blu-ray Review: ‘Doctor Who Spearhead From Space’

The newest Doctor Who release is the first ever classic serial on Blu-ray! It also possibly contains the only episodes of the series’ original run that will ever get the high-definition treatment because, unlike other Who episodes,  it was shot on film due to a strike at the BBC.

As far as picture quality goes, don’t go in expecting to see something as crisp as detailed as movies and shows filmed in the past couple of decades. But it does look stunningly better than any other classic Doctor Who release I’ve ever seen, a real step up from the DVD version of this very story. The menus, in particular, are fantastic. The colors are vividly real, and one can see every pimple on a face’s closeup. The soundtrack fares about the same, maintaining the original sound, which isn’t the sharpest, but lacking the static and noise that most of these older episodes contain. Overall, while dated, the look and sound is impressive, better than I’d dared hope for.

The four-episode story on this release is Spearhead From Space, the season seven premiere that is not only the first one starring Jon Pertwee as The Doctor (the Third, for those keeping track), but also the first Doctor Who filmed in color. It is the first episode that Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney), whom we’d seen before, is featured as a series regular. It introduces Dr. Liz Shaw (Caroline John) as the new companion. Additionally, the episode has a new title sequence from the first six years, and was the first story aired outside of the series’ normal Saturday night time slot.

As the story begins, our titular character is exiled on Earth, in a hospital no less! At the same time, meteorites are falling, one of which contains an intelligence that can manufacture Autons, which it plans on using to take over the world. UNIT could really use the Doctor’s help in dealing with the invasion, if only they knew where he was.

Spearhead from Space is as much a story about the Doctor as it is about the adventure the characters are undertaking. The concept of regeneration is a new one for Lethbridge-Stewart, who has a hard time believing that this is the same Doctor he has worked with in the past, albeit in a different body. The process of the Doctor switching bodies is still relatively new to the series, and Lethbridge-Stewart serves as a nice vehicle for the audience to access the concept so vital to the mythology.

This serial also sets up the Doctor’s next big arc. He is marooned on Earth at the whim of his fellow Time Lords. The Doctor isn’t too pleased with the situation, but makes a deal with UNIT to make things more tenable. This is a character out of his element, which is always fun to explore. Pertwee seems to be the perfect actor to execute this particular plot.

It is interesting to me that a being of almost pure thought, who has escaped the bounds of a physical body, is still interested in controlling the rest of the world. Yes, the intelligence contains some powers that help it accomplish things it could not as a normal life form. But it seems so much less efficient to not have any limbs. And why is it so concerned with forcing others to its will? What does it need with Earth? Spearhead from Space is far from the only sci-fi story to ponder these questions, continuing one of the strangest themes in the genre.

Rather than recycling the extras from last year’s Special Edition release, the blu-ray Spearhead From Space has only a few bonus materials, but they are fresh and rich in quality. There’s a forty-plus minute profile of Pertwee, with those who had the pleasure of working with him telling us what he was like. A half hour looks at Caroline John. Plus, there’s a short, sometimes side-by-side, comparison with notes on how the picture was converted to high definition, in case anyone doubts the improvement is worth it. The title sequence material alone isn’t very interesting to the casual fan, but I’m sure some will find value in it.

In short, the Spearhead From Space blu-ray is an essential must-see for any Doctor Who fan, or anyone interested in the conversion of old film in general.

Doctor Who looks for "The Ambassadors of Death"

Doctor Who: The Ambassadors of Death is one of the longer serials in the franchise. Running seven episodes, this tale originally aired from March through May in 1970, serving as the third story in season seven. It has recently been released as a two disc DVD set.

The Ambassadors of Death is a tale on bigotry and the clash of cultures. Three astronauts return from space, but are taken captive by General Carrington (John Abineri). When the Doctor (Jon Pertwee), Liz (Caroline John), Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney), and the rest of UNIT investigate, it is discovered that there is more going on than meets the eye, and the whole thing is really tied into a negotiation between some aliens and the UN.

It's very hard to talk about the plot of The Ambassadors of Death without giving too much away. There are so many twists and turns in this story that what viewers think is happening is frequently turned on its head. The serial keeps one guessing for quite some time as to what is actually going on, and it's only when the truth comes out that the Doctor and his friends can do something about it.

A story like this may be exactly what some fans are looking for, but the writing proves uneven. This can likely be chalked up to the fact that it was originally written for the Second Doctor, and then the writer had to try to adapt it to the Third, a feat he had quite a bit of trouble with. After a number of failed drafts, others stepped in to quickly refine the script, which resulted in a story that has a lot of promise at first, but doesn't play out as interconnected and solid as one might hope. As such, the result is a bit convoluted, and sometimes one may wonder if there aren't too many twists, changing perception over and over again.

That being said, there are a lot of good elements to The Ambassadors of Death. Most of the episodes end with an engaging cliffhanger that will make you want to keep watching. Pertwee and the other performers are amazing, as usual, doing their very best to sell the material. The initial concept is also interesting, looking at something our own country's history has had to deal with, forgiving past, sometimes tragic and accidental wrongs, and overcoming preconceived notions, as well as a look at the human soul. Overall, it is not a bad effort.

The Ambassadors of Death had almost as much trouble getting to this DVD release as the writers did delivering an acceptable shooting script. Much of the story was not preserved in color, and the ultimate release is put together from a variety of sources, with much restoration. Considering all this, the look is pretty decent and consistent throughout, the team behind these new Doctor Who DVDs proving once more just how much talent they have.

Doctor Who: The Ambassadors of Death has plenty of special features. The audio commentary features actors John, Courtney, Peter Halliday, and Geoffrey Beevers, as well as Terrance Dicks, Roy Scammell, Derek Martin, and Michael Ferguson. It is once again moderated by Toby Hadoke. The photo gallery and PDF materials are included, as usual.

The set also includes a trailer, and a featurette that looks at the Third Doctor. Best of all, though, is "Mars Probe 7: Making the Ambassadors of Death" with Dicks, Scammell, Ferguson, Derek Ware, and Margot Hayhoe. It delves into the story behind this serial, and thankfully gives more insight into what went into the finished product. It certainly helps with the overal enjoyment and appreciate of the story to watch this.

Doctor Who: The Ambassadors of Death may not be the best Doctor Who release to come out this year, but once you look into all of the challenges associated with this particular serial, the efforts behind what has been delivered deserve a lot of respect and praise.

Doctor Who: The Ambassadors of Death is available now on DVD.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my website, JeromeWetzel.com! Article first published as DVD Review: Doctor Who - "The Ambassadors of Death" on Blogcritics.

Doctor Who ducks the Spearhead From Space

Doctor Who - Spearhead From Space begins with our titular character exiled on Earth and in a hospital. At the same time, meteorites are falling, one of which contains an intelligence that can manufacture Autons, which it plans on using to take over the world. UNIT could really use the Doctor's help in dealing with the invasion, if only they knew where he was.

Spearhead From Space, the first serial of season seven, marks several important firsts. This is the first episode featuring Jon Pertwee as the Doctor, the Time Lords having forced the character's regeneration at the conclusion of the previous season. It is the first episode that Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney), whom we'd seen before, is featured as a series regular. It introduces Dr. Liz Shaw (Caroline John) as the new companion. Additionally, the episode has a new title sequence, and marks the first time a Doctor Who serial was made in color. It was the first story aired outside of the series' normal Saturday night time slot.

With so much new, Spearhead from Space is as much a story about the Doctor as it is about the adventure the characters are undertaking. The concept of regeneration is a new one for Lethbridge-Stewart, who has a hard time believing this is the same Doctor he has worked with in the past, albeit in a different body. The process of the Doctor switching bodies is still relatively new to the series, and Lethbridge-Stewart serves as a nice vehicle for the audience to access the concept so vital to the mythology.

This serial also sets up the Doctor's next big arc. He is marooned on Earth at the whims of his fellow Time Lords. The Doctor isn't too pleased with the situation, but makes a deal with UNIT to make things more tenable. This is a character out of his element, which is always fun to explore. Pertwee seems to be the perfect actor to execute this particular plot.

It is interesting to me that a being of almost pure thought, who has escaped the bounds of a physical body, is still interested in controlling the rest of the world. Yes, the intelligence contains some powers that help it accomplish things it could not as a normal life form. But it seems so much less efficient to not have any limbs. And why is it so concerned with forcing others to its will? What does it need with Earth? Spearhead from Space is far from the only sci-fi story to ponder these questions, continuing one of the strangest themes in the genre.

Seeing that this is a Special Edition release, the Extras are plenty. There are two audio commentaries, one featuring Courtney and Shaw, and the other with script editor Terrance Dicks and producer Derrick Sherwin, as well as a Production Notes subtitle option. The typical photo gallery and PDF materials are joined by trailers for the serial.

Two featurettes give the fans what they are seeking. Eighteen minutes are spent discussing the challenges faced by converting the series to color. Another 22 minutes go behind the scenes with Pertwee, Dicks, Sherwin, Barry Letts, Robin Squire, and Christine Rawlins.

As usual, the picture and sound has been remastered. Also, as usual, it is far from perfect, but is a huge improvement over what has been available in the past, which is understandable, given the age and quality of film. In fact, this is the only serial shot entirely on film, rather than tape, and thus is the only classic Doctor Who story that even has a chance of a Blu-ray edition at some point. The way Doctor Who is consistently and lovingly restored is a testament to the importance of the series, and makes the extras icing on an already delicious cake.

Doctor Who - Spearhead from Space Special Edition is available now.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my new website, JeromeWetzel.com! Article first published as DVD Review: Doctor Who - Spearhead From Space Special Edition on Blogcritics.