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The planet Karn is home both to a mystic Sisterhood, whose sacred flame produces an elixir of life, and to Mehendri Solon, a fanatical scientist who is using the remnants of spaceship crash victims to put together a new body for the still-living brain of the executed Time Lord criminal Morbius. When the Doctor and Sarah arrive on the planet, Solon decides that the Doctor's head is just what he needs to complete his work.
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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Season Thirteen.
Much to the Doctors chagrin the Time Lords have taken control of the TARDIS, sending the Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith into very dangerous ground upon the stormlashed spaceship graveyard planet of Karn.
Sheltering from the rain in a castle atop a mountain, the Doctor encounters the surgeon Mehendri Solon, and his simple minded slave/assistant Condo conducting gruesome experiments on living flesh, but for what reason?
And now as a storm approaches, great evil from the depths of Time Lord history plots its return to the land of the living.
But can even the Doctor's mind, be a match for The Brain of Morbius.
~~~~
Four episodes of sumptuous gothic filled suspense, suspense that will suspend your everyday worries and cares, well at least for ninety minutes anyway. Mr Baker and Ms Sladen are on sparkling form, as is Philip Madoc, marvellously getting his teeth into a role he can go gloriously over the top with. Welsh born Madoc was a; "Who" semi regular, featuring in stories like The War Games as The War Lord, The Krotons as Eelek, and The Power of Kroll as Fenner. As well as the second Peter Cushing Dalek film. And with the passing of time, even writer Terrance Dicks no longer feels so bland towards this story anymore. For people like myself who finds the extras a nice touch, I did feel the extras were a bit on the weak side compared to some other releases.
Warning to the parents of little ones, the scene where Solon shoots Condo reveals a bit of blood, so a bit of parental discretion may be called for there.
~~~~
DVD Extras
Commentary by Tom Baker, Elisabeth Sladen, Philip Madoc, Philip Hinchcliffe and Christopher Barry .
Getting a Head:~ A new documentary about the making of the programme featuring Christopher Barry, Philip Hinchcliffe,writer Terrance Dicks, designer Barry Newbery, composer Dudley Simpson, and actors Philip Madoc, Cynthia Grenville, Colin Fay and Gillian Brown, with narration by Paul McGann
Designs on Karn: How the planet Karn was created, with designer Barry Newbery
Set Tour Take a walk around the studio sets with this 3D CGI reconstruction
Radio Times Billings: Listings from Radio Times on Pdf DVD Rom
Photo Gallery
Sketch Gallery
Coming Soon Trailer
Production Information Subtitles
Digitally remastered picture and sound quality.
Originally broadcast:~ 3rd January 1976 - 24th January 1976.
(Region 2 version now on sale at amazon.uk)
Much to the Doctors chagrin the Time Lords have taken control of the TARDIS, sending the Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith into very dangerous ground upon the stormlashed spaceship graveyard planet of Karn.
Sheltering from the rain in a castle atop a mountain, the Doctor encounters the surgeon Mehendri Solon, and his simple minded slave/assistant Condo conducting gruesome experiments on living flesh, but for what reason?
And now as a storm approaches, great evil from the depths of Time Lord history plots its return to the land of the living.
But can even the Doctor's mind, be a match for The Brain of Morbius.
~~~~
Four episodes of sumptuous gothic filled suspense, suspense that will suspend your everyday worries and cares, well at least for ninety minutes anyway. Mr Baker and Ms Sladen are on sparkling form, as is Philip Madoc, marvellously getting his teeth into a role he can go gloriously over the top with. Welsh born Madoc was a; "Who" semi regular, featuring in stories like The War Games as The War Lord, The Krotons as Eelek, and The Power of Kroll as Fenner. As well as the second Peter Cushing Dalek film. And with the passing of time, even writer Terrance Dicks no longer feels so bland towards this story anymore. For people like myself who finds the extras a nice touch, I did feel the extras were a bit on the weak side compared to some other releases.
Warning to the parents of little ones, the scene where Solon shoots Condo reveals a bit of blood, so a bit of parental discretion may be called for there.
~~~~
DVD Extras
Commentary by Tom Baker, Elisabeth Sladen, Philip Madoc, Philip Hinchcliffe and Christopher Barry .
Getting a Head:~ A new documentary about the making of the programme featuring Christopher Barry, Philip Hinchcliffe,writer Terrance Dicks, designer Barry Newbery, composer Dudley Simpson, and actors Philip Madoc, Cynthia Grenville, Colin Fay and Gillian Brown, with narration by Paul McGann
Designs on Karn: How the planet Karn was created, with designer Barry Newbery
Set Tour Take a walk around the studio sets with this 3D CGI reconstruction
Radio Times Billings: Listings from Radio Times on Pdf DVD Rom
Photo Gallery
Sketch Gallery
Coming Soon Trailer
Production Information Subtitles
Digitally remastered picture and sound quality.
Originally broadcast:~ 3rd January 1976 - 24th January 1976.
(Region 2 version now on sale at amazon.uk)
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
I out-and-out love this story. I've taken the typical "Doctor Who" fan's path to this point of view, however. I was riveted at age 11, embarrassed at age 16, and now celebrate it in all its campy glory. When the disembodied brain of Morbius fell onto the floor with an audible "splat!" late in Part Three, I actually cheered.
What's most impressive about the DVD release is the Restoration Team's attitude to the story. Now that the classic series DVDs have been coming out for almost ten years, and the greatest of the great stories have long since been released, and the available remaining stories come from deep in the third tier (and now, with the imminent release of Doctor Who: Four to Doomsday (Episode 118), the fourth tier), it is hard to predict what editorial slant the DVD extra features will take. I've been surprised, for example, by the coldness toward Doctor Who - Black Orchid (Episode 121), and I nodded along to the wistful revelation that Doctor Who: The Invisible Enemy/K9 and Company: A Girl's Best Friend just hasn't aged that well at all.
Fortunately, the DVD producers appear to love Morbius, and for roughly the same reasons that I do. They're perhaps a little too enamored of Philip Madoc's Shatner-esque turn as this story's Dr. Frankenstein stand-in, Solon. But everyone loves the dimly heroic Condo, the one-armed manservant standing in for Igor. Even Terrance Dicks, who took his name off the final version of the story, seems to have warmed up to it considerably -- and we know from many other past DVD releases that Uncle Terry isn't shy about picking a fight with a 35 year-old bit of TV history.
All in all, "Brain of Morbius" blends two elements of "Doctor Who" greatness. First, a terrific script by Robert Holmes, full of memorable insults ("That palsied harridan!") and throw-away world building (the lone reference to "the silent gas dirigibles of the Hoothi", which 15 years later was resurrected for Love and War (The New Doctor Who Adventures). And second, there's that fearless 1970's mentality that "We're going to get away with putting a rubber brain in a fishbowl and mounting that on an ill-fitting costume with chicken feathers and an enormous lobster claw".
The only curiosity is that, while the text commentary accurately describes Terrance Dicks' novel-writing career as including the Past Doctor Adventure Warmonger (Doctor Who), the writer curiously fails to mention that it was in fact a prequel to this story. Just as well, however. Unlike this DVD, you might want to give that book a miss.
What's most impressive about the DVD release is the Restoration Team's attitude to the story. Now that the classic series DVDs have been coming out for almost ten years, and the greatest of the great stories have long since been released, and the available remaining stories come from deep in the third tier (and now, with the imminent release of Doctor Who: Four to Doomsday (Episode 118), the fourth tier), it is hard to predict what editorial slant the DVD extra features will take. I've been surprised, for example, by the coldness toward Doctor Who - Black Orchid (Episode 121), and I nodded along to the wistful revelation that Doctor Who: The Invisible Enemy/K9 and Company: A Girl's Best Friend just hasn't aged that well at all.
Fortunately, the DVD producers appear to love Morbius, and for roughly the same reasons that I do. They're perhaps a little too enamored of Philip Madoc's Shatner-esque turn as this story's Dr. Frankenstein stand-in, Solon. But everyone loves the dimly heroic Condo, the one-armed manservant standing in for Igor. Even Terrance Dicks, who took his name off the final version of the story, seems to have warmed up to it considerably -- and we know from many other past DVD releases that Uncle Terry isn't shy about picking a fight with a 35 year-old bit of TV history.
All in all, "Brain of Morbius" blends two elements of "Doctor Who" greatness. First, a terrific script by Robert Holmes, full of memorable insults ("That palsied harridan!") and throw-away world building (the lone reference to "the silent gas dirigibles of the Hoothi", which 15 years later was resurrected for Love and War (The New Doctor Who Adventures). And second, there's that fearless 1970's mentality that "We're going to get away with putting a rubber brain in a fishbowl and mounting that on an ill-fitting costume with chicken feathers and an enormous lobster claw".
The only curiosity is that, while the text commentary accurately describes Terrance Dicks' novel-writing career as including the Past Doctor Adventure Warmonger (Doctor Who), the writer curiously fails to mention that it was in fact a prequel to this story. Just as well, however. Unlike this DVD, you might want to give that book a miss.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
Oddly memorable, perhaps not the best or worst of the Hinchcliffe-Holmes era, but filled with all the hallmarks that made Who such fun to watch.
I always enjoy the extras, having seen these episodes for decades. The restoration team/production team have been spicing up the extras on all DVDs very nicely. When Hinchcliffe, Baker and Sladen are on commentary it is always a treat. Philip Madoc also appears on the commentary, having made such a memorable performance.
"Getting A Head" is a nice little extra to illustrate all the ideas and work that went in behind the scenes. Poor Terrance Dicks describes his original idea which was put through the delectable Holmes sausage grinder. His original idea was actually quite solid, but too expensive or difficult to make, then rewritten by Holmes and labels as written by Robin Bland. Hearing all the main actors describe their experiences is many times quite humorous.
For $[...] this is a gem for anyone that enjoys the series, or anyone looking for a matinee entertainment. On Saturday afternoon PBS in the 80's it fell into a cultural null for any non-sports fan. These days it might look dated and clunky, but the writing of "Morbius" is still stronger than most TV in current broadcast, and it is more fun than most modern cinema since effects were limited and the actors and situations blazed forward.
Good stuff.
I always enjoy the extras, having seen these episodes for decades. The restoration team/production team have been spicing up the extras on all DVDs very nicely. When Hinchcliffe, Baker and Sladen are on commentary it is always a treat. Philip Madoc also appears on the commentary, having made such a memorable performance.
"Getting A Head" is a nice little extra to illustrate all the ideas and work that went in behind the scenes. Poor Terrance Dicks describes his original idea which was put through the delectable Holmes sausage grinder. His original idea was actually quite solid, but too expensive or difficult to make, then rewritten by Holmes and labels as written by Robin Bland. Hearing all the main actors describe their experiences is many times quite humorous.
For $[...] this is a gem for anyone that enjoys the series, or anyone looking for a matinee entertainment. On Saturday afternoon PBS in the 80's it fell into a cultural null for any non-sports fan. These days it might look dated and clunky, but the writing of "Morbius" is still stronger than most TV in current broadcast, and it is more fun than most modern cinema since effects were limited and the actors and situations blazed forward.
Good stuff.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect example of 1970s Doctor Who
The Brain of Morbius comes from the heyday of Tom Baker's years as The Doctor and epitomizes everything that makes the classic series so enjoyable. Read more
Published 14 days ago by Derek Donnell
5.0 out of 5 stars
Doctor Who: The Brain of Morbius (Story 84)
The Doctor along with Sarah Jane Smith arrive on A planet in his home sector in space,not knowing the great conflict boring there. Read more
Published 2 months ago by john ward
5.0 out of 5 stars
"There's very little of Morbius left. Why don't you think of another...
Following the trail of DVDs recommended by SciFiNow I bought their fourth favorite, and again they didn't steer me wrong. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Patrick Correa
5.0 out of 5 stars
The most outstanding Doctor Who story ever.
If you plan to begin watching old Doctor Who stories and want to see a winner right off the bat, this is the one to acquire. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Patrick W. Crabtree
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another gothic horror classic from the Doctor's golden age
Producer Philip Hinchcliffe and script editor Robert Holmes made gothic horror a signature theme of Doctor Who in the mid-1970s and attracted some of the largest television... Read more
Published 14 months ago by buckbooks
4.0 out of 5 stars
Do You Think I Care About My Ultimate Appearance?!
Once more thanks to the shenanigans of the Time Lords, the Doctor and friend Sarah Jane Smith wind up on the mostly barren planet of Karn, a world notorious for its graveyard of... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Kooshmeister
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Doctor faces off against a dangerous Time Lord from the past.
The Tom Baker era episode entitled "The Brain of Morbius" the Doctor and Sarah have somehow managed to land on the desolate planet know as Karn. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Jacob
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best thing ever ... to feature a giant brain
I've been reviewing a lot of bad Doctor Who lately, so it's with a sigh of relief that I turn to The Brain of Morbius, a serial I absolutely love. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Little Roy Blue
4.0 out of 5 stars
An interesting short story
This is an interesting short story where Tom Baker again tries to take a slow & uninteresting story line & make it interesting & part of the whole Dr. Who Universe. Read more
Published on June 10, 2010 by Jesse
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must-buy for fans of classic Who!
I grew up watching Doctor Who on PBS. One of my earliest memories is the Wirrin falling out of the closet at the end of Part 2 of "Ark in Space". Read more
Published on April 9, 2010 by B. S. Mc.
