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Creature from the Pit is a simple story of tyrants and hidden creatures, obsessions and desire with the strangest creature design since the menoptra. It contains the classic line ‘point the dog at the rock’. And we’re not even going to go there with The Doctor communicating with Erato! 8/10
Commentary Commentary is by Lalla Ward (Romana), Myra Frances (Lady Adrasta), Christopher Barry (director) and Mat Irvine (Visual Effects Designer). They all have a really good time talking about this story. Lalla is a lively personality, so is Mat Irvine, while Christopher Barry brings his technical knowledge and Myra a friendly and engaging presence. It’s more enjoyable than the episode itself in many ways. 9/10
Extras Christopher Barry: Director is a documentary about Christopher Barry’s life and career, told by himself while visiting the Wiltshire village of Aldbourne which was the location for The Daemons, one of his earlier episodes. He had an interesting enough life, but this is a very static documentary, being mostly Christopher talking to camera on the village green. Not the most exciting television, when all is said and done. 8/10
8/10
6/10 Photo gallery has a lot of jungle set designs and quite a few glamour poses from Lalla and Myra and a whole lot of stills from production. All the usual things. 7/10 Coming Soon tells us all about the Kamelion set, The King’s Demons and Planet of Fire. 8/10
On the whole, the Extras are quite run of the mill. There is no ‘making of’ documentary. The best bit was Mat Irvine and his team doing down the creature. 7 out of 10
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Team
Erato is a making of documentary focussing on the visual effects.
Mat Irvine, who is always entertaining, has quite a bit to say. He
and his team all have a bit of a giggle about the phallic nature of
the creature, Erato before going on to describe how they created the
creature that was described as a ‘flowing amorphous creature’
with a proboscis, or a blancmange with a phallus. The best bit had
to be the lady who operated the creature who took a Stanley knife
to it in the end and destroyed it so that she wouldn’t have
to be embarrassed by it again!
Animal
Magic. The Doctor, wearing a yoke from Creature From the Pit talks
– mostly without pausing for breath – about all the strange
animals he has encountered. A very odd piece of television. 
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