Product Details

• Actors: William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison
• Writers: Sydney Newman
• Format: Color, Original recording reissued, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: BBC Warner
• VHS Release Date: July 19, 2000
• Run Time: 99 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00004WG7L
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #258,883 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another underrated adventure, July 24, 2001

By 

Sarah Hadley (Murfreesboro, Tennessee USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Doctor Who - The Masque of Mandragora [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Doctor Who has always been very good with stories the fans call "pseudo-historicals", meaning tales that take place in a historical setting, but involve science fiction concepts - such as "Pyramids of Mars", "The Talons of Weng-Chiang", and "The Curse of Fenric", to name just a few. This is another such story, but it has always been cast aside by most fans for more popular adventures.

In truth, though, it's a pretty entertaining yarn...Tom Baker and Lis Sladen are both very good, and plot - the idea that the Doctor has unwittingly brought a fearsome sentient energy to 15th century Italy - is unusual for this era of the programme. The historical costumes and sets are very nicely done, and most of the guest cast are believable in their roles. The only real problem is that it drags a bit in the last episode, and the final solution isn't totally satisfying.

This is perhaps not the best Tom Baker story out there, but it's an enjoyable one and shouldn't be passed over.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars "I ain't going down there, Giovanni!", June 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Doctor Who - The Masque of Mandragora [VHS] (VHS Tape)

The Mandragora Helix has hitched a ride via the TARDIS! The Doctor and Sarah land in Italy in the 14th Century, unaware of the evil they have brought with them. The design of the story is excellent, including the new(old?) TARDIS console room. But the story feels a little off kilter, it could have been an excellent 3 parter. Count Frederico isn't that bad of a character, the same with Heironymous. But at the end, the Doctor merely short circuits the Helix, and claiming that it would return in the latter half of the 20th Century(a sequel hunting ending with no sequel)! An "A" typical pseudo-historical adventure.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "I wouldn't even say no to a SALAMI SANDWICH", February 10, 2010

By 

Kevin J. Loria (New Orleans, LA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Doctor Who: The Masque of Mandragora (Story 86) (DVD)

"How Big is Big?...."The Masque of the Mandragora, Season opener for the Fourth Doctor was surprisingly low key. We begin with the Doctor and Sarah in a TARDIS corridor having a conversation about his "enormous boot cupboard."

But as tame as the moment seems, it is one of the scenes I remember best from this story arc....up until this point very little of the TARDIS interior had been seen and here it is suggested how really huge it could be inside it's disguised form. Soon after this moment would be "called back to" in the chase through the TARDIS interior for "INVASION of TIME."

Another great thing about Masque is that is was another Dr. Who story set in Earth's past following the Third Doctor's isolation to Earth's "present" with UNIT (and some galactic yo-yoing towards the end of his tenure) it is good to have the Doc travel for these historical adventures again. This time the Doctor and Sarah are on Earth during the Italian Renaissance when the corrupt and powerful Medicis rule, and to heap some more trouble on to that the Doctor inadvertently transports a Mandragora ball of energy and alien intelligence intent on conquering Earth.

There's a great cast of plotting and political characters maneuvering their Machiavellian notions through this tale: Evil Uncle Frederico; a Count planning to usurp the rule of his naïve, nephew; Giuliano, with the aid of his court astrologer Hieronymous, not to mention the evil brothers of the Cult of Demnos. As in much of the Classic episodes of Dr. Who, there are clear similarities to Classic Lit., this time it is POE's "Masque of the Red Death", with added twists ofcourse. This isn't a complaint, mind you.

There's lots of horses, swords, wonderful costumes and wonderful dialogue, too. There's a running gag begun in this one in which the Doctor never gets to meet the great Leonardo DaVinci, I hope the new series picks up on this and does a story. Not to mention the open ending of this one...look out 1980's!!!

Drinking Game:

Drink when...

....the Doctor and/or Sarah are knocked unconscious

....the Doctor and/or Sarah are bound / gagged or arrested

....the Doctor and/or Sarah talk down to the "eye-ties"

....there is a case of mistaken identity before/ during or after the Masque

....someone is ZAPPED with Helix Lightning (like the Doctor's Clint Eastwoodish stand-off)

...you see a guy in tights (what the heck, go ahead)!