TV Review: Doctor Who: Revenge of the Cybermen (1975)

Doctor Who: Revenge of the Cybermen (1975) written by Gerry Davis and directed by Michael E. Briant

Fourth Doctor Tom Baker and his companions Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) and Harry Sullivan (Ian Marter) have returned to the Ark in Space to pick up the TARDIS, only to find themselves thousands of years before their last visit. At this point, the Ark is a space beacon guiding ships through the solar system. But a plague has broken out, leaving a handful of crew and one scientist, Kellerman (Jeremy Wilkin). Kellermen is interested in an asteroid nearby that is really the home of the Voga, a race of beings once at war with the Cybermen. Their asteroid is called the "planet of gold" because it is basically a chunk of gold ore floating in space. Gold is a weakness of the Cybermen--if their suits are contaminated they die quickly. Naturally, the Cyberman want to destroy Voga. The Vogans naturally don't want to die. Plenty of conflict is set up for the Doctor to resolve.

The plot moves along at a good pace with some mystery about who is on whose side among the humans on the space station. The typical cliffhangers abound in this four-episode storyline. The special effects are also typical for the classic Doctor Who (not very good). The story falls apart a bit when the Cybermen go to Voga to plant bombs. The Vogans fight them with rifles rather than using the plentiful gold all around. What the heck? Baker is charming as usual and has good chemistry with Sladen and Marter.

Mildly recommended--this is a typical, not great, story.

TV Review: Doctor Who: Earthshock (1982)

Doctor Who: Earthshock (1982) written by Eric Saward and directed by Peter Grimwade

The Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison) lands the TARDIS on Earth in AD 2526. Actually, he lands inside the Earth, in some caves where, naturally, trouble is brewing. An expedition of geologists and paleontologists were wiped out by a mysterious force. One survived and she is leading a military group back into the caves to find out what happened. After a typical misunderstanding (surely the Doctor and his companions must be guilty since they are in the caves!), the Doctor unites with the 26th century earthlings to fight the menace--the Cybermen. The Cybermen want to destroy the Earth, and when their first plan is foiled, they have a more subtle plan that will cost the Doctor dearly.

The Cybermen are an interesting opponent in this story. They have a history of losing to the Doctor, so once they recognize him, they look for vengeance as well as for the destruction of the Earth. The hyper-logical Cybermen taunt the Doctor for being emotional and therefore weak. The Doctor gives as good as he gets. The Cyberman costume is a little weird because their face's chin plate is transparent. Viewers see a grey chin as the Cybermen talk. While it's a reminder that they aren't just robots, it doesn't help them to be scary. Also, the leader is a bit shouty and does say "excellent" several times as if he were Mr. Burns from The Simpsons.

Peter Davison's Doctor has a fairly interesting relationship to his three companions in this episode. Tegan (Janet Fielding) and Nyssa (Sarah Sutton) provide some technical support and some humanizing moments for the Doctor. Young Adric (Matthew Waterhouse) is a mathematical prodigy from another planet who wants to go home. The Doctor at first refuses, though Adric plots a course anyway. Their interactions are interesting and come to a poignant ending.

Recommended.

TV Review: Doctor Who: The Moonbase (1967)

Doctor Who: The Moonbase (1967) written by Kit Pedler and directed by Morris Barry

Second Doctor Patrick Troughton tries to land the TARDIS on Mars, so naturally they show up on Earth's moon. The year is AD 2070 and the Earth's weather is run from a moon base near where the Doctor and companions land. The base has a virus or plague that is slowly incapacitating the workers (who are all scientists). Blame falls on the newcomers though the real problem turns out to be an infestation of Cybermen!

For two of the four episodes, the video has been lost. Animations were created to fill in for episodes one and three, much like for the Reign of Terror DVD. The animations don't really capture the amazing expressiveness of Troughton's face, though otherwise they match the visual style of the story well enough. The audio is the usual high-quality sound effects from the BBC. The Cybermen are a classic and enjoyable set of villains--they aren't shouty and over-the-top like others but still have plenty of menace. Seeing the female companion Polly asked to make coffee is nicely balanced with her coming up with a chemical concoction to take out the Cybermen. She's not just a pretty face who screams and passes out when the Cybermen show up (though she does do that too).

Recommended with the caveat that it's half-animated which may be a turn off for some viewers.

TV Review: Doctor Who The Tomb of the Cybermen

Doctor Who The Tomb of the Cybermen written by Kit Pedler and Gerry Davis

The Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) travels with Jaime and Victoria to Telos, home of the Cybermen. An archeological expedition from Earth is there as well. They all meet at the electrified doorway to the tomb of the Cybermen (who have been dormant for hundreds of years). The Doctor helps them get inside and they explore the various rooms. The Doctor is very cautious about exploring the tomb and uncovering its secrets. The place has a good, creepy atmosphere and lots of weird gadgets. Cyberman technology is based on symbolic logic so they have to overcome plenty of puzzles to get things to work. It makes for good drama and the fun techno-babble. As things progess, it is clear that the financiers of the expedition have an ulterior motive in searching for the Cybermen.

Troughton as the Doctor is great fun. He has a disheveled look and wry sense of humor that belie his brilliant, calculating mind.  He has wonderful chemistry with his companions, the 17th century Scotsman Jaime and the Victorian-era Victoria.

The visual effects are all over the place. The "defrosting" of the Cybermen looks impressive. On the other hand, in a fight scene a wire and harness on one character is blatantly obvious. At first, I thought, "What is that thing sticking out of his back?" but then saw him lifted up by another character. The music and sound effects are top-notch, building some great atmosphere.

This is a fun, classic adventure with the Doctor.