Customer Reviews

Doctor Who - More Than 30 Years in the Tardis [VHS]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If I was to introduce anyone to Doctor Who, I'd probably show them this documentary, as it provides a concise history and behinds the scenes look at the "greatest show in the galaxy."
The video is divided into three episodes--Doctor Who and the Daleks, Monsters and Companions, and Laughter and Tears, Behind the Scenes, which details the efforts that went into making the program and the eventual end of the program. The documentary flows smoothly from one subject to another, with imaginative transitions.

What can be said about the Doctor that hasn't been said already? He's an old-fashioned hero, a champion for truth, right, and justice, someone compelled to right wrongs, someone never cruel or unkind, someone very anti-establishment, and despite being an alien, made endearable by his human qualities. Thanks to Barry Letts, Terrance Dicks, Philip Hinchcliffe, Verity Lambert, and Colin Baker for those comments.

I have to give fashion editor Lowrey Turner a high-five and a hug, as both she and I think Jon Pertwee's the best Doctor. I can't imagine any of the other Doctors looking snazzy in a velvet smoking jacket and frill-fronted shirt. Unfortunately, anyone wearing that today might be asked, "Oh, you're doing Austin Powers, right?" What's this world coming to?

Jessica Carney, William Hartnell's granddaughter, was in the process of writing Who's There, a biography of Hartnell, while being interviewed.

Toyah Willcox's remembrances are amusing and funny--how she found the Cybermen sexy, describing them as wearing silver fetish suits. And how she exterminated her brothers 10 times a day when wearing her Dalek costume! I figured anyone who's a DW fan can't be all that bad--hence my interest in her music.

Brand new footage especially made for this works well with old footage, such as the recreation of the Cybermen marching of St. Paul's Cathedral (The Invasion), the Auton window dummies from Spearhead From Space.

Of the Doctors and companions interviewed on their fond memories, one can tell who actually enjoyed doing the program and really cared. The Doctors are Jon Pertwee, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, and the companions being Carole Anne Ford, Frazier Hines, Deborah Watling, Nicholas Courtney, Nicola Bryant, and Sophie Aldred. Now that's only a handful! You can learn about why Jon Pertwee preferred humanoid monsters, and Sophie Aldred's near-fatal accident during the making of Battlefield.

However, footage from incomplete stories (The Dalek Master Plan, The Underwater Menace, Web Of Fear), or dialogue from nonexistent stories (Fury From The Deep), is always a treat. And the five year purge by the BBC of half of the William Hartnell and two-thirds of the Patrick Troughton stories are among the most heinous crimes ever committed in BBC TV history. So a big Krynoid-size thanks to Ian Levine for saving The Daleks--a day later and he would have been too late.

The last minutes of Survival, the last aired TV story, and Sophie Aldred and Sylvester McCoy's last words mirror the end of the program. "I felt as if I could run forever." So did we.

More Than 30 Years is a perfect synthesis of the program's history, combining clips from the series, Who-related commercials, and with the presence of other programs--e.g. Blue Peter, Pebble Mill At One, Crackerjack, a cross-section of British TV culture. As someone said early on, its "essentially British quality" made it appealing. And who better than Nicholas Courtney, a.k.a. Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, to narrate the documentary. So will the show return? Time will tell. It always does.

I would have liked a more thorough history of the series, and more information on the Doctor's home world of Gallifrey, but what's presented here is very enlightening about aspects of the Doctor I hadn't yet encountered -- like most Americans, my knowledge of the show began and ended with Tom Baker's tenure. I feel much more enlightened now, and have invested in videos from other eras of the show's history -- and not one penny has been wasted.

I bought this tape thinking it would fill in some of the blanks in my Who awareness, since I've seen numerous episodes but out of order and very incomplete, with entire doctors and bad guys missing, and no particular sense of continuity. While this special is a quite wonderful celebration of all that is Who, it is really either for someone who has never seen the show and wants a very basic overview or, more likely, for the serious fan, who wants both a recap of much of what has gone on and some after the fact interviews and special footage.

I was hoping for a bit more of a chronology, with the highlights of each doctor's reign and a little bit more about each of them as well as the key monsters and companions, but the overview was more slight than that. And despite the title, there was virtually nothing about the Tardis itself, or the history of the timelords. It was fun to see and hear many of the people who had been involved in the show over the years relive their memories, but it really is what the tagline says -- a "celebration" of over 30 years of Doctor Who. So, not quite intro to the show, not quite recap, great fun for Who fans, but not quite what I'd hoped for. Guess I'll have to read a fan blog or two to find out what I want. Still recommended if you're a fan, or if you've never seen an episode and want to get a sense of whether you might like it.

If you are a fan of Doctor Who, you MUST own this video. If you are curious about Doctor Who then you MUST get this video. Worth the price and more. Great Patrick Troughton(Dr #2) interview, great bloopers at the end, nice to see Lis Sladen (Sarah Jane) with her daughter Sadie, great bit about the Brigadier, info on the Daleks, great comment made that Jon Pertwee (Dr #3) and Jimi Hendrix are the only 2 men able to pull off wearing a white lace front shirt and velvet jacket, great insight by Colin Baker(Dr #6). Too good too pass up. If you own only one Doctor Who video than this should be it!

Great for the fan, but, NOT just your standard fanboy (or fanGIRL, for that matter) fodder, this is a satisfying blend of information about DR. WHO. Cultural impact, historical context, that sort of thing... AND, of course, important scenes and tid-bits for the avid fan. (This allowed me to finally see scenes I'd only read about.) The commercials included between segments provide a few surprises, as well. Various WHO actors offer some heartwarming and intelligent insights throughout. (Liz Sladen especially) My only complaint is that Peter Davidson isn't interviewed, (for whatever reason) so his era seems glossed over. HOWEVER, that's a minor quibble, the documentary is a lot of fun and leaves one with a sense of history and childlike wonder... If THAT doesn't describe DR. WHO, what does?

Any Doctor Who fan will delight in all the interviews with directors, special effects designers, actors and producers across the entire era of Whodom. I loved seeing Gary Anderson with his grandson saying, 'I produced a plethora of polished British sci-fi from the 60's to the 80's and the only one I didn't work on, Doctor Who, is the one my grandson loves.' Being a fan of the Philip Hinchcliffe era, I really enjoyed his interview along with the biting Mary Whitehouse take on his graphic and violent approach to this 'kids' show. Eric Seward's comments on violence being handled tastefully followed by a collage of gore soaked bullet wounds and strangelations from the series had me laughing for days. The 'lost' footage shown was a refreshing peek into shows lost forever. By the end it made me sad that this series never continued to the present, and I ended up cursing John Nathan-Turner for perverting the series away from good scripts and interesting designs and into some kind of campy glitzy kindergarden morning show. Maybe it will come back in glory...soon....but I doubt it....(sniff)

Well, I don't really know why I gave this four stars, I just feel like I can't give it five. It's not only fun for fans, but with TV like it is today (especially in the USA), it's a useful introduction to the series. Doctor Who doesn't have quick camera action, believable monsters or a violent hero, and it's a shame when people who might enjoy it can't approach the format. I think the documentary does a good job of describing the elements that make the show great. Funny interviews. Some of the "action" scenes filmed specifically for the documentary itself are weird, like a little girl being hunted through a mansion by a Sontaran, and a little boy about to be strangled by his mother (Elizabeth Sladen) whose eyes are suddeny glowing green. These scenes, like the series itself, are more likely to offend parents than frighten children, however. Not bad at all, and quite fun, but it could have been a bit more informative.

Excellent service, product was as advertised. A good review of the classic series episodes and doctors, including "behind the scenes" interviews, etc., without having to watch them all. Made at the 30 year anniversary, it is fun to know just how much more success they will have.

A superb video chock-full of clips, interviews, and recreations that makes you yearn all the more for the show's return. Plus great behind the scenes footage and clips from Who-related programmes only enhance the nostalgic flavour. All 7 Doctors are well-represented. A must for any fan of Dr. Who who wants to relive the good old days.

This is definitely the final chapter following the first Seven Doctors from the Universe of "Doctor Who". Now that it's the 35th Anniversary of the series, celebrate it with an infallible documentary five years senior. "More than..." looks at all Seven personas of the character, features interviews, drama sequences, and excerpts from the 30 years of the show's history. It's a fantastic summary of the world's longest running sci-fi series.