Cool
Yes, I’m still catching up with last year’s Doctor Who DVD releases. This one, starring Tom Baker as the Doctor and Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith, was first shown in September and October 1975.
The Tardis picks up a distress call, which leads the Doctor and Sarah to Zeta Minor, a very remote planet. There, they find that good old Doctor Who standby: the base under siege.
In this case, the base is a geological expedition whose members are being killed by a mysterious force. Things get even more interesting when a military ship from the expedition’s home planet arrives.
The Doctor finds out that Zeta Minor is an unusual planet - it’s a gateway between our universe and an universe of anti-matter. The geologists were killed by a creature from the other universe, which objected to them taking samples from the pit which is the actual interface between the universes.
Lots of fun follows, with a typically high body count, and a monster effect shamelessly stolen from Forbidden Planet.
Extra features this time, apart from the usual production subtitles, gallery, commentary and stuff, include two documentaries:
- A Darker Side - the usual “making of”, with the producer, writer, designer and director all joining in the fun.
- Planetary Performance - a different take on the making of the story, focussing on the actors - Tom Baker, Elisabeth Sladen and some of the guest stars contribute