Planet of Giants doesn't intimidate Doctor Who

Now available on DVD is the second season premiere of the classic Doctor Who, originally airing in the fall of 1964. Entitled Planet of Giants, the story finds the Doctor (William Hartnell), Susan (Carole Ann Ford), Barbara (Jacqueline Hill), and Ian (William Russell) finally making it back to 1960s Earth. There's just one caveat: they've all been shrunk to only 1" tall.

Yes, Planet of Giants is the inspiration for several stories that came after it in film culture, including the movie Honey I Shrunk the Kids. Our heroes encounter giant bugs and have trouble even getting around. Short distances become long journeys. They're even too small to make themselves heard by normal sized humans.

Of course, Planet of the Giants is not just about how the Doctor and his companions get around while being tiny. There is a murder that must be uncovered, as well. A man named Farrow (Frank Crawshaw) has invented a very deadly insect spray. Too deadly, it turns out (is there such a thing?). When Farrow tries to cancel the project, he is killed by Forester (Alan Tilvern, Who Framed Roger Rabbit), a guy who stands to profit greatly from the poison.

There isn't much the Doctor and his friends can do in their current state to stop Forester, or expose his heinous acts. Luckily, they aren't alone in their suspicions. A telephone operator named Hilda (Rosemary Johnson) notices something funny going on, and tells her cop husband, Bert (Fred Ferris). Forester's assistant, Smithers (Reginald Barratt) also grows wary of his boss.

On a side note, might this Smithers be the inspiration for the sidekick to evil boss Mr. Burns on The Simpsons?

Planet of the Giants does show its lack of budget or special effects technology more than many Doctor Who serials, having to rely heavily on visual tricks for its premise. The story is definitely ambitious for the resources of the time, and while it might have been slightly better made in a later era, Who should be applauded for taking on such a task.

Most of the writing is very well done, as usual. There is only one thing that bugs me, and that is how can someone be healed from an illness just by growing in size? Is the TARDIS technology really so good that it can enlarge people, but keep microscopic things inside the body tiny?

While presented as three episodes on television, Planet of the Giants was originally written and filmed in four parts. Much of what was cut were scenes for Hilda and Bert. Unfortunately, someone at the studio didn't like the lack of focus on the show's leads during that time, and so ordered episodes three and four to be edited down to a single half hour combined. The lack of insight into supporting character development is regrettable. This DVD attempts to correct that injustice, offering both episodes in full, recreated using new animation and dialogue. Eight minutes of a look behind the scenes at this process is included. For that alone, this DVD set is well worth fans' time.

There are also a lot of other features. The expected audio commentary is this time handled by Clive Doig, a vision mixer, Sonia Markham, make-up supervisor, David Tilley, floor assistant, and Brian Hodgson, special sounds creator. The discussion is moderated by Mark Ayres. There are also the typical photo gallery and PDF materials.

The set includes two interviews. One shows Carole Ann Ford in 2003 making a Doctor Who documentary. The other is Verity Lambert, from the same documentary. These aren't really fresh, but they are nice to have included if one hasn't seen them before.

Interestingly, there is also an Arabic audio option.

Despite Planet of Giants being made in the mid-'60s, the picture and sound has been restored pretty well for the digital era. It's far from perfect, of course, but it's better than many black and white releases from the same time frame. Taking into account the BBC's lack of preservation efforts in that decade, it's really remarkable that we get a quality this good.

Check out Doctor Who Planet of Giants, available now.

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

Doctor Who attends The Greatest Show in the Galaxy

Like many people, Ace (Sophie Aldred) hates clowns. So she isn't too pleased when the Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) drags her to the circus in the season finale of the original Doctor Who's penultimate year. The events of this story, The Greatest Show in the Galaxy, are enough to make anyone agree with the Doctor's companion!

As usual, the Doctor and Ace travel somewhere to solve a mystery and probably save some lives. This time, it just happens to be at a circus. Other travelers are arriving, too, and soon everyone is made a part of the show. Sadly, they perform only for a small audience, a family of three who are very hard to please. Even more sadly, if the family is not amused, the performer is obliterated on the spot.

Of course, it is never as simple as that. There is more going on than meets the eye, both with the circus, and with the vindictive audience. Why did the circus settle on this planet? Where did the rest of the staff and fans go? What can't Bellboy (Christopher Guard) remember? Who is Deadbeat (Chris Jury, Lovejoy)? And why do the Ringmaster (Ricco Ross, Aliens) and Morgana (Deborah Manship, Angels) argue so?

The Greatest Show in the Galaxy has its share of secrets which must be uncovered, as it typical for Doctor Who. But it also turns up the whimsy a notch. Besides the obvious circus references, there is a man named Captain Cook (T.P. McKenna, Straw Dogs - 1971), who travels the galaxy with a companion, Mags (Jessica Martin). Mags is more than meets the eye, and these two seem to be sort of a version of the Doctor and Ace seen through a twisted fun house mirror. Including them is interesting, and fits well in this particular setting.

There is something to be said for playing on deep, childhood fears. Not everyone is scared of clowns, but The Greatest Show in the Galaxy will bring out the terror in those who are, and might even skew the impression they make on everyone else. The all-encompassing makeup, the painted on smile; it comes across as inherently creepy when shown in a certain light. And this story makes a valiant play to do so.

The strength of these episode lies in the presentation, rather than the substance. There is a familiar formula often used in Doctor Who, and The Greatest Show in the Galaxy plays perfectly into it. Coming so late in the series' run, this results in a lack of freshness. Yet, it still works because of the allusions it paints, and the masterful way it plays with conventions. There is a reason Doctor Who is beloved, and when looking critically at a "typical" story such as this, that reason emerges in an unexpected way.

As with most of the Doctor Who releases, there is no shortage of extras. The audio commentary this time around includes actors Aldred, Guard, and Martin, as well as familiar voices Stephen Wyatt (writer), Andrew Cartmel (script editor), and Mark Ayres (composer). There are deleted and extended scenes from the first and third parts, two "restored" scenes, and the photo gallery and PDF materials fans have come to expect.

Interestingly, The Greatest Show in the Galaxy is know for its music. There is a unique blend of expected and surprising tones, which meld together nicely, complimenting the tale well. A soundtrack was released, and this DVD gives viewers the option of listening to isolated versions of the music. Also included is a music video, written and sung by cast members of this serial.

There are a number of featurettes, including a half hour "Making Of," which has several Who cast and crew involved in this production providing insight. "Lost in the Darkness" concentrates on model effects, while "Tomorrow's Time" is a more general piece about the Seventh Doctor. There is a Victoria Wood sketch too that is very amusing.

In short, another worthy addition to the Doctor Who collection. Doctor Who - The Greatest Show in the Galaxy 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 - The Greatest Show in the Galaxy on Blogcritics.