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10/10 Commentary
8/10 Extras
9/10 Serial Thrillers is look back at the work of Phillip Hinchcliffe by those who worked with him, and by Doctor Who experts and commentators. Hinchcliffe was in charge throughout the great ‘Gothic’ era of the early Tom Baker episodes, many of which are regarded as the classics of the golden age of Doctor Who. 10/10
8/10 Deleted scenes are rather dull and the captions explaining them are quite annoying. 4/10
7/10 Picture Gallery has a lot of black and white pictures of scenery and some stills from the episode. Not brilliant, really. 7/10 A great story, but the extras actually let it down badly. The commentary is dull. The documentary isn't too bad, but everything else is run of the mill. 8 out of 10
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Pyramids
of Mars is one of the stories I remember distinctly from the first
time around. I think for a long time I actually believed that Egyptian
mummies were just wire framed robots underneath the bandages. I don’t
remember how Top of the Pops the effect was when The Doctor went through
the time tunnel to Mars. But I distinctly remember the two guards
with the ‘one only tell the truth, one only tell lies’
routine. I remembered it several years later when they did it in Labyrinth,
too. But the mummies and the pyramid in the courtyard stood out. So
did the puzzle on the wall. But I still don’t quite get that
one. Anyway, it remains one of the classics that stands the test of
time.
Commentary
for Pyramids of Mars is by Elisabeth Sladen, Phillip Hinchcliffe,
Michael Sheard and with occasional comments from Paddy Russell. This
is a clue that this commentary was recorded a few years ago, since
Michael Sheard died in August, 2005. Phillip and Elisabeth are the
main speakers, though Michael Sheard gives a good account of himself.
Paddy Russell’s occasional inserts are quite interesting. But
the whole thing does seem to be four old people reminiscing about
their younger days. Sometimes it isn’t as interesting as it
ought to be.
Osiran
Gothic is a documentary about the making of Pyramids of Mars. Paddy
Russell, now an elderly lady, talks about the problems of making an
effects based show with the budget for a non-effects show. Phillip
Hinchcliffe talked about why he chose a mummy story. Elisabeth Sladen
and others talk about their experiences of working on the story. Michael
Sheard talks about the fun he had on the set. This was probably his
last time on camera anywhere before he died, which gives it a special
place for fans. Seeing Gabriel Woolf who also played the Beast in
the David Tennant episodes, Satan Pit and Impossible Planet is also
interesting since both were voice parts.
Now
and Then can be a very dull sequence. One problem is the incredibly
boring voice of the commentator. But it’s interesting to know
that the house where the episode was filmed was owned by Mick Jagger,
and that it has been restored recently. Interesting to note, also,
that it was used in Image of the Fendahl. The use of wide angle lenses
made the courtyard appear bigger. There is a nice little bit about
the children of a local school who met Tom Baker dressed as a mummy.
Tom also visited the school and gave them the 10 foot pyramid –
which they don’t seem to have any more.
Oh
Mummy is a rather silly spoof about the career of Sutekh since the
episode. He is shown living in suburbia with his pyramid in his garden
and has a career as a milkman, bringing the gift of milk to all mankind.
He also has a rabbit called Neil – Kneel before the might of
Sutekh. It is a bit funny. But only a bit.
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