DVD Review: ‘Doctor Who – The Mind of Evil’

Article first published as DVD Review: ‘Doctor Who – The Mind of Evil’ on Blogcritics.

One Doctor Who serial that has not yet been released on DVD (until now) because of difficulty in producing or restoring a color copy is The Mind Of Evil. Considering that this six-episode serial features a showdown between the Doctor (Jon Pertwee) and the Master (Roger Delgado), one of the Doctor’s greatest foes, it is surely one that fans will want to see. Now, they have their chance, as The Mind of Evil recently got a two-disc release.

The Mind of Evil is one of those stories that appears to be about one thing, and then revelation by revelation, changes into something else entirely. The original problem introduced is a machine that removes evil from the brain of criminals, but some of the “cured” keep winding up dead. Then, we find out about an issue between the Chinese and the Americans at the First World Peace Conference. Finally, the Master is shown to be the real culprit of the unrest. It’s this continuously-escalating device that gives the beginning of the story real umph, and because all three still matter past their first focus, it’s a rich, layered story, even if a few have complained about the Master’s seemingly-incoherent plan.

The battle of wits between the Doctor and the Master, two Time Lords with radically different values and points of view, is one that never gets old. They have fought through many a serial, including an arc only a few years ago during David Tennant’s tenure as the Doctor. Any encounter the two share is worth watching, and The Mind of Evil is part of that proud tradition.

What is really interesting is that the Master’s greatest fear is the Doctor, a dynamic that does not go both ways. We see the Doctor terrified by Daleks, Cybermen, and fiery hell, but not the Master, whereas the Master’s vision, when exposed to the fear-inducing device, is of a giant Doctor. I think it is this fixation on the Doctor that keeps the Master coming back and staying relevant, while the Doctor has foes with bigger-scale plans to worry about, so he often underestimates the Master until they are face to face.

Besides the Doctor / Master stuff, there’s plenty left for UNIT, including Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney), Sergeant Benton (John Levene), and Captain Yates (Richard Franklin), to do, and Jo (Katy Manning) gets involved in the story, too. While the title of Doctor Who is accurate in that the show has always been, and will always be, about the Doctor, I have really enjoyed the periods in the run where the Doctor has a team, which has sort of happened this past year in Matt Smith’s tenure, though not to the extent as during the Pertwee era. The Mind of Evil makes use of that group in a nice way, and I really appreciate the ensemble chemistry.

This is the first DVD release of The Mind of Evil. As such, it is not a Special Edition, nor does it have quite as many extras as the last couple Doctor Who titles put out, which were. But that does not mean it skimps on the bonus features, still needing two discs to fit everything in.

The audio commentary for this serial is provided by Manning, regular participants Barry Letts and Terrance Dicks, director Timothy Combe, stunt arranger Derek Ware, guest actors Pik-Sen Lim and Fernanda Marlowe, and moderated by Toby Hadoke. On top of the photo gallery and PDF materials, there is a twenty-two minute “Making Of” that was produced in 2009, a revisit of the filming locations in the present day, and a look at the BBC Television Centre circa 1971. All of this combines to give a very full presentation, one worthy of a Doctor Who release.

Doctor Who The Mind of Evil is available now.

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.

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