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Doctor Who: Green Death [VHS]

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Global Chemicals have a process that results in 25% more petrol from crude. While that may mean "more money, more jobs" it also means "more muck, more devastation, more death," as well as a doubling in atmospheric pollution. When a miner is found dead in the mine in Llanfairfach, South Wales, covered by a green phosphorescent glow akin to putrefaction, UNIT is alerted. The Doctor, however, wants to go to Metebelis Three to get one of their blue sapphires and Jo wants to help Nobel Prize-winning ecologist Professor Jones and his hippie group of scientists against Global Chemicals.

Soon, two more deaths follow, and Jo and the Doctor discover the cause down the mine--a green petrochemical slime that causes death on contact. Worse, the slime has irradiated maggots to two feet in length who also kill on contact.

The Brigadier, and the Doctor (after a perilous but successful expedition at M3) work against Global Chemicals and the director, Jocelyn Stevens. However, in Episode 1, Stevens is seen talking to (himself?), as if he's under control by someone else.

Professor Jones reminds Jo of a younger version of the Doctor. He believes in using alternative energy sources, such as solar power, movements of the wind, tides, and rivers. No waste means no pollution. Stewart Bevan, then Katy Manning's beau, is a most welcome guest performer as the progressive but ecologically conscious Jones.

This is Jo's show all the way. She did well as the Doctor's assistant, but here, she's more than just a pretty face. Her concern and compassion whenever the Doctor is near death is shown to its best when she hears of the death of Bert, a "funny little Welshman" she only met for a few hours down the mine, but whom she felt was very special. Jones' comforting words to her are magic here. She chooses to go to South Wales instead of "all the time and space being offered" to her by the Doctor. As the Doctor says quietly, "So, the fledgling flies the coop." His reaction after he says goodbye to her at story's end tells his fondness of her.

For a good example of Who, Episode One is simply packed with action and a chain of events that draw the viewer in. The writhing and hissing maggots are well-constructed. They used fox skulls for those up close, and for those far away, inflated condoms! No joke!

Note: Tony Adams (Elgin) fell ill midway through production and so his lines were carried on by Mr. Dalek voice himself, Roy Skelton (Mr. James) in Episode 5. John-Scott Martin (Hughes) is best known for as being one of the men inside the Daleks. Roy Evans (Bert) later appeared next season in The Monster Of Peladon as Rima.
As for errors, notice the hand at the bottom right of screen giving Mostyn Evans (Dai) his cue to speak in Episode One. The CSO effects aren't that good when people go down the mine in the lift. And why use CSO and film intermittently in the "field of maggots"?

Katy Manning not only had three seasons as one of the series' most memorable and lovable companions, but had the best farewell story of any companion. The danger on pollution and condemnation against irresponsible corporations who flagrantly poison the Earth so that the ends (more fuel and money for everyone) justify the means, is still relevant--why else were films like A Civil Action and Erin Brockovich made over twenty years later?

Jo's rallying words at the beginning of Episode One still serves as a reminder today: "It's time that the world awoke to the alarm bells of pollution instead of sliding down the slippery slopes of..." Slopes to ruin, yes. Bye, Jo. We'll miss you!

I've been a "Doctor Who" fan for over 20 years. I'm at least a foot taller than I was in 1984, and I've even made a slight improvement on the hairstyle I had when I was eleven. The only constant for most of those years is that I've been supremely indifferent to "The Green Death", even though in all other respects I'm a ravenous Pertwee fan. I mean, my Windows desktop theme is all about the Jon Pertwee Doctor, and the startup music is Pertwee's nightmarish disco rendition of "I Am The Docctor". I just haven't had much time for this story, that's all.

So here's a story that's massively improved by the amount of goodwill that the Restoration Team poured into this disc.
The cast & crew audio commentary is for once surprisingly on point and relevant. Crew (producer Barry Letts and script editor Terrance Dicks) outnumbers the cast (actress Katy manning) two to one, so the pointless actors' anecdotes that we got on prior DVD releases ("My goodness, Fraser, wasn't he tall?") are limited here. Katy Manning does announce at the end of Episode One that it all held together really well, which is obviously part of the script, someone says that on the commentary at the end of every Episode One on every "Doctor Who" DVD release to date. But, by the end of the story, she's actually been reduced to tears at watching Jo Grant's extended departure sequence. That's surprisingly moving stuff.

The text commentary, by the usually stuffy Richard Molesworth, turns in the same performance you'd expect. There's a list of all the TV shows that Fourth Extra on the Left appeared in on the Beeb in the 1960s. It is interesting to note that all the deleted scenes referenced on the text track, are incorporated into Malcolm Hulke's cynical novelization of the story (the one that featured scenes written from the maggots' point of view). As I read the novelization alongside the DVD, I found it rather surprising to learn that Hulke just worked from the draft script -- I'd always thought he'd been adding his own embellishments.

The extra documentaries are varied and cute. Story writer Robert Sloman, and guest actor Stewart Bevan (whose Nobel Prize-winning character married Jo and took her away from the Doctor) show up for mercifully brief interviews. Of more interest is the comic "Global Conspiracy" segment, in which erstwhile Who writer Mark Gatiss (in over-the-top awful makeup) interviews three actors from "The Green Death", playing the same characters they played in 1974. How many other TV shows on DVD do you know, for example, that would do this? Did Marj Dusay get back into "Spock's Brain" character on the Star Trek: TOS Season Three DVD?

"The Green Death" itself is all over the map, in that typical Pertwee way. It's hard to be offended by that now, when even a 45-minute story with the new Doctor, Christopher Eccleston, has its share of slow spots. The environmental text (evil corporation poisons the coal mines; giant mutated maggots and dead Welsh miners emerge) uneasily marries the comic evil computer subplot. BOSS spends most of Episode Six humming classical music and singing the word "Connect" to the tune of Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, which is not a joke I picked up on in the 1980s. There's probably more menace to John Dearth's repeated, eager enunciation of the word "Stevens" then there is to the deadly maggot that one actor wiggled around his throat as if it had just jumped up to bite him.

In 1974-o-vision, the giant fly that emerges from the maggot in Episode Six looks ridiculous, and Letts expresses the wish that he'd removed the Doctor's line, "What a beautiful creature!", because it quite obviously wasn't. However, the DVD doesn't pass judgment, and features an extended interview with one of the visual effects guys, who even builds another maggot for us out of foam and spray paint.

I also see in Letts' and Dicks' stewardship, the embryo of the ongoing story arcs of today's sci-fi programs. Seeds are planted (Metebelis 3, the blue sapphire) that resonate a year later. Tertiary characters (Mike Yates) get extended character arcs. Maybe Letts doesn't get enough credit for what he achieved after five years in charge.

So these "Doctor Who" DVDs still manage to find something original and poignant to say about a story made 31 years ago. Odds are if that if you're buying "The Green Death" you've probably seen it at least six times already, and you probably didn't love it then either. However, the DVD forces you to look at the story in whole different ways, and even the producer can still laugh at it. "Doctor Who" is a new show again, but these DVDs make the distant past well worth exploring.

Okay I grew up on the original Star Treks and one day my family went to live in England for 3 years. I was going on 9 at the time.

One weekday, after hearing about this show called Dr. Who from school mates, I got to see the first episode of the Green Death and was hooked on Dr. Who until returning to the states.

Naturally, my return to the states actually meant an end to me seeing Dr. Who until going to college in which local public TV stations ran the 3,4, & 5 doctor shows on Friday nights.

The Green Death, features the overtones of the misuse of the environment. A chemical company secretly pumps its waste into their end of a mine shaft. Overtime the miners start to discover strange green slime and a few go missing in the event.

UNIT is called in, and Dr. Who takes the lead into seeking out the missing miners and the apparent green death. His discovery reveals that maggot-like creatures have mutated via the chemical waste and now nature is taking its due back.

Seeing this again on VHS, not only sparked the memory of seeing this first the first time, its brings the Doctor back into my family's enjoyment of such a timeless series!

I only wish that the BBC would consider to release Dr. Who on the DVD format in the US if only to preserve this series for future generations. The American fans brought Star Trek back from the dead, we can support the Doctor just as well!!!

Anyone who enjoys the classic Doctor Who series will without a doubt enjoy "The one with the Maggots" as it is known. Features the departure of Katy Manning who portrayed Jo Grant from 1971-1973.
The commentary is special as actress Katy Manning is delightful to listen to as she reflects back her moments with late Jon Pertwee. As she watches her departure scene, Katy breaksdown and cries as she realizes how much she misses Jon. That alone is worth the DVD. Its very touching.

Ask any Doctor Who fan to pick their favorite era of the show and they will each pick a different Doctor as their favorite, and likely decry the others as being nowhere near as good. It all seems to depend on your age and when you first became interested in the show. For me, who started watching in the Patrick Troughton tenure as the Doctor and became riveted to the show in the Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker eras, I find it hard not to be disappointed with what came later. The BBC have again released two stories on DVD from opposing eras of the show and certainly nothing here is likely to change my mind about what I like most.

First up is the Jon Pertwee story ending his fourth season as the intrepid Time Lord - The Green Death. For many, this is one of the most evocative and best-remembered stories from his five-year stint in the role. With a remarkable eye on future events, this story has once again led the way from being science fiction to many science facts. The storyline of a mega-corporation polluting the planet and sinisterly controlling our behavior is hardly stuff of fantasy anymore, alas. But thirty years ago, it was only a nightmare of a possibly frightening future.

The problems with many of the Pertwee stories were of length and budget. Six part stories tended to be heavily padded to make the money go further and often sagged badly in the middle. I'm glad to say The Green Death is not one of those. Of course, it might have been tighter had it only stretched to four episodes and undoubtedly if it was made today it would be trimmed to one fifty minute romp, but it works very well in it's longer format. There are flaws of course, but all these can be washed away by the very, very poignant and indeed tear-jerking ending that sets the show apart from much of what had gone before. Losing one of the show's regular characters was often hard on viewers but somehow the departure of Jo Grant, the third Doctor's long standing second assistant, had a very big impact on the audience, possibly more so than the exit of any previous leading lady in the show. By far one of the most successful partnerships ever created for the show, even now, viewers can tell that the acting by the two leads as they parted ways was heightened by very real sadness. Indeed, Katy Manning, the lovely actress who played Jo for three years, becomes very emotional in her commentary for this release as she relives the parting scene all these years later.

It's the commentary and the extras that always make these releases so special and Katy, together with Script Editor Terrance Dicks and Producer Barry Letts, provide a genuinely interesting narrative, which is hugely enjoyable. Clearly a close team, they all lament the absence of the Doctor himself, the late Jon Pertwee. There could have been a certain amount of discomfort in the commentary, since Jo Grant leaves the Doctor when she falls in love and intends to marry Professor Jones. In reality, Katy Manning was indeed engaged to the actor playing Jones, Stewart Bevan, and their subsequent marriage only lasted a few months. Tactfully, none of this is mentioned in the commentary or by Bevan's own contribution to the disc. In addition, a terrifically funny documentary on what happened after the show is worth purchasing the disc alone.

I can't say the same for The Visitation, the second of the new releases, pulled from the first season to feature Peter Davison in the Time Lord's shoes. It's certainly not a bad four part romp and there's a lot to commend it in terms of production values and a fine guest cast, but it's symptomatic of the era that the squabbling and frankly badly acted regular cast get in the way of a good story. Interestingly, in this story, Davison's Doctor loses his temper with all three of his companions and as a viewer, you really can't blame him. Individually they may have all worked as characters, but there were just too many of them to make scenes work effectively. But it's another twist on the Doctor explaining Earth history via science fiction and a clever idea in itself and well executed.

Recorded second, but transmitted fourth, Davison was still finding his way in the part but he was hampered by the inexperience of the cast he was expected to carry and alas the story fails as a result. Things certainly did improve later, but these were still very early days. Thankfully, the on screen bickering of the four main leads clearly didn't translate into `real life' and their commentary is genuinely funny and entertaining, particularly as they gleefully point out each other's rather limited acting ability.

The extras on this disc are slightly less impressive and almost became tedious, but they're still worthy of inclusion and hardcore fans will certainly be pleased to have them.

All in all, another great pair of releases showcasing different approaches to the long running classic adventure serial. Well worth the investment and a must for any collector.

"The Green Death" is possibly (from my view) one of Jon Pertwee's best as the Third Doctor. Here, the "Man of Action"-Doctor combats the tell-tale Giant Maggots, an element that has made this story world famous. The action constantly builds, but is dwarfed by the suspenseful plot/script union that makes "Doctor Who" "Doctor Who". This historical story is also Katy Manning's most mature, as Jo Grant, which makes a suitable send-off. "The Green Death" was chosen for release in memory of Jon Pertwee's death in 1996, and is the finest dedication BBC Video has published.

If you were to ask Who fans to name the quintessential Jon Pertwee story, many would answer The Green Death. It has all the characteristics of a Pertwee classic: a contemporary earthbound setting (contemporary for the early 70s that is), a threat to the environment, and ultimately the entire world, overgrown monsters, and UNIT, UNIT and more UNIT! A story like The Green Death is what makes the UNIT era arguably the best in Doctor Who history. This is the story in which Mike Yates finally gets a chance to shine, acting as a UNIT spy inside Global Chemicals, a far cry from the misguided Captain Yates of a couple stories later. This is a story in which we get to see the Doctor in drag, masquerading as the cleaning lady to access information inside Global. For the last time we see the UNIT family working together to dispose of a threat, as sadly, this also includes the departure of one of the most beloved companions in Doctor Who history, the bubbly Jo Grant, who leaves the Doctor to follow a hippie to the Amazon. This is the point that we start seeing UNIT phased out, for better or worse, depending on your point of view (unfortunate as far as I'm concerned). Speaking of the departure of Miss Grant, Green Death features perhaps the most poignant conclusion of any Doctor Who story. As the rest of the characters celebrate the impending marriage of Miss Grant and Professor Hippie, the Doctor sneaks out the door, obviously despondent at losing a close friend, and rides off in Bessie with the setting sun in the background. Like the old western motif, the hero rides off into the sunset. Classic indeed.

"Too Fab for words" are the words the best describe Jon Pertwee as the third incarnation of the Doctor-in "The Green Death" originally broadcast in May 1973, is painfully dated. Since many of the 3rd Doctor's adventures are set in a specific era, the Doctor's exile in the 70's we accept and expect it to be filled with vegetarian hippies dropping out and sticking it to "the man" of global conspiracies, mad "supercomputers" and the groovy, Doctor encountering green-glowing giant maggots.
This story, along with it's still-timely, prophetic, environmental message and warnings of globalization and pollution overshadowed by the "reasonable for the date" special effects-including the stop-motion photography of the maggots and the front-axial projection used for the pulsating skin on the miners.
Jo Grant, the 3rd Doctor's second assistant, leaves the nest by the end of this one finding her Lennon-ish, soul-mate in what she describes as a sort of younger version of the Doctor, a description which he more or less takes in his stride. This new dynamic makes for some interesting scenes that make this story worth seeing. At times the Doctor seems deeply hurt that Jo has interests outside of his invitation to tour with him in the newly restored TARDIS (since the "3 Doctors", he is able to leave the Earth). Also, the Doctor, almost paternally, runs interference for the grief-stricken Jo when she may do more than stay-up and read with the good Dr. Jones.
We later learn in the Planet of Spiders, the 3rd Doctor's final story, that the Doctor gave Jo and Dr. Jones the Blue Crystal as a wedding gift and they did indeed end up exploring the Amazon. All in all, "Green Death" has a lot to offer fans of the 3rd Doctor.

UNIT vs the giant maggots & BOSS, the super computer! My wife and kids call this the grossest Doctor Who serial. Very memorable for Jo Grant's emotional send-off, yet could've been a near-classic had the last few episodes had not looked as though they ran out of money. The CSO used for location footage in episodes 5 & 6 undermine what is a decent eco/political adventure. The Doctor having fun while BOSS tries to torture him is good for a few chuckles. The restoration and DVD extras also scores big points. Not to be missed if you're a UNIT fan...

Story: Jo Grant, the Doctor's assistant, decides to help a group of environmentalists in their protests against Global Chemicals who are attempting to use a new, more productive technique to refine oil in an old Welsh mining town. This presents a conflict of interests when her boss, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, anounces that he has been tasked in protecting Global from the eco-terrorists by providing security. The doctor gets involved when an miner, sent to perform rountine checks on the abandon mine, collapses and dies while he skin turns bright green. Global Chemicals are unsurprisingly revealed to be the villans and have been dumping their highly toxic waste into the abandoned mine to save costs. The waste has mutated maggots into glowing green killers which have to be stopped before they turn into flies and infect the world! If this isn't enough, Global is actually run by a meglomanic computer with the ability to control minds of humans and is intent on taking over the world. Can the Doctor stop the mad computer? Can the Doctor find a cure for the infected Jo Grant? Can the Doctor kill the maggots and save the Earth? What do you think!!!???

Feeling like a cross between a Quatermass film and the old William Hartnel episode "The War Machines", The Green Death is an enjoyable romp from the Pertwee "exile" period. The wriggling green maggots are (fondly?) remembered by all children who watched the original transmission back in the '70's, the cast ham it up beautifully and the story ends on a sad note as Jo elects to leave the Doctor for a young scientist. While the scipt is very good and moves along at a decent pace, the effects are unfortunatly typical for the time period - the CSO (green-screen) effects in the mine are awful and the flying insect is laughable, however the maggot infested slag-heaps and the attacking maggots are done very well.