Product Details

• Actors: John Pertwee, Katy Manning, Michael Wisher, Roy Skelton, Bernard Horsfall
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 2
• Studio: BBC Warner
• VHS Release Date: November 7, 2000
• Run Time: 140 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000051S4W
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #219,819 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fine Conclusion to an Epic Doctor Who Adventure, November 28, 2000

By 

David Murphy (Norman, Oklahoma USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Doctor Who - Planet of the Daleks [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Planet of the Daleks concludes the storyline that began in Frontier in Space and does so with a much more compact adventure, unlike the previous story's epic canvas. Here, the Doctor, injured by the Master at the end of Frontier, guides the Tardis to Spiridon to hunt for the Dalek base that is the headquarters for a galaxy-wide invasion. He must first recover his senses, ally himself with a group of Thals that are also searching for the base, and then destroy the base, along with its massive army of 10,000 Daleks. Although the adventure has enough action for most viewers -- especially an exciting chase up a ventilator shaft with the Doctor and his allies hanging on to a balloon while a Dalek hovers up after them -- the story sometimes seems a bit padded, and would probably have worked better as a four parter than the six parter presented here. A scene involving a campfire surrounded by unseen -- except for some unfortunately fake looking eyes in the dark -- monsters seems to go on forever, and doesn't raise suspense so much as it kills some of what's already been built up. However, the final episode more than makes up for this with an intelligent solution to the Doctor's problems and a fine exit for the remainder of the cast. Also on hand is our first viewing of the Supreme Dalek, a different model than the others -- actually one of the Daleks used in the Peter Cushing films -- which adds on to the already established Dalek mythology very nicely. Perhaps this video will appeal more to long time fans than neophyte viewers, but it's one of the better Dalek adventures that's still available to us, and, when watched back-to-back with Frontier in Space, makes for a nice, epic Doctor Who adventure. Note that the third episode is in black and white, but it makes no difference in either quality or enjoyability.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite Dr. Who Story, February 7, 2001

By 

Alan Caylow (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Doctor Who - Planet of the Daleks [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Part of being a "Doctor Who" fan is not only having a favorite story, but also having a favorite Doctor. Jon Pertwee, the Third Doctor, has always been my favorite. His charm, courage, wit, intelligence & personality, not to mention his fancy choice of wardrobe, has always endeared him the most to me of all the Doctors (though I love 'em all!). With "Planet Of The Daleks," Jon Pertwee is given his greatest adventure, and, in my opinion, it's the best "Doctor Who" story ever made. It's exciting & greatly entertaining, just like a "Doctor Who" classic should be.The six-part "Planet Of The Daleks" has it all: the best Doctor (Pertwee, in a terrific performance), the best companion, Jo Grant (the eternally adorable Katy Manning), the legendary Daleks, a great script by Terry Nation, a fine supporting cast playing the Thals (the space travelers who help the Doctor & Jo in their fight against the Daleks), and excellent set pieces in the Spiridon jungle, as well as inside the Daleks' hidden base. Terrific action & drama abounds, with nice bits of humor sprinkled throughout. Not once does this story ever lag, and it always entertains. What more could you WANT from a "Doctor Who" story?"Planet Of The Daleks" is solid, first-rate "Doctor Who," and my personal favorite story of the entire series. Add this classic "Doctor Who" adventure to your collection now. It's a winner!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A tribute to the first Daleks story, August 2, 2002

By 

Daniel J. Hamlow (Narita, Japan) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Doctor Who - Planet of the Daleks [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Planet Of The Daleks picks up where Frontier In Space ended. The Doctor has been wounded and after being helped into the TARDIS by Jo, sends a telepathic message to the Time Lords before collapsing. After landing, Jo goes out for help in a hostile jungle where bizarre plants squirt nasty spores at her.

The Time Lords have sent him to Spiridon, described as "one of the nastiest pieces of space garbage in the ninth system. The vegetation is more like animal life than plant, creatures that are hostile to everything including themselves, and a climate that changes from tropical during the day to subfreezing in the night."

That analysis was given by one of a trio of Thals who rescue the Doctor from near oxygen starvation. They initially don't trust him, but they team up to fight against Daleks planning to master invisibility, that's a potential ten thousand Daleks who will conquer the galaxy if they succeed. Of the Thals, Tarron is the cautious leader, Vaber is impatient, wanting action, Codal is scared but courageous, and Latep, has a goofy look on his face when he sees Jo and is smitten.

The Doctor plays counselor to the people he met during his first incarnation. He gives the self-doubting Codal a "tutorial on bravery." "Courage isn't just a matter of not being frightened. It's being afraid and doing what you have to do anyway." When Tarron is worried that his lover Rebec being part of the team would affect his command decisions, he is told: "The business of command is not for a machine. The moment we forget we're dealing with people, we're no better than the machines we came to destroy. If we start acting and thinking like the Daleks, the battle is lost." And to the follies of glorifying war: "Be careful how you tell that story [of war]. Don't make war sound like an exciting or thrilling game. Tell them about the fear, otherwise your people might relish the idea of war. We don't want that." No, and neither should we.

The jungle set is really well-realized, as well as the design of the exotic plants. However, the creatures' eyes on the Plane of Stones are clearly lights flicked on and off.

Bernard Horsfall (Tarron) would play Goth in The Deadly Assassin, and Prentis Hancock's Vaber is a warmup for his role as Salamar in Planet Of Evil. Roy Skelton has double duty providing Dalek voices and playing the friendly Spiridon native Wester.

This is a fond tribute to the very first Dalek story, and that's what makes this story successful. There are repeated references and themes to the first Dalek story, beginning with his mention of how he, Barbara, Ian, and Susan, helped the Thals against the Daleks. Another is the Daleks disabling their victims rather than killing, and there are many more--see how many you can find. And since Episode 3 is shown in black-and-white (guess what the BBC did with the colour original?) that's a reminder of how old William Hartnell stories were seen.