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Doctor Who: Planet of Giants (story 9, from 1964) shows just how much the first season or two of Doctor Who was a product of late-1950s science fiction. In this episode, the Doctor (William Hartnell), Barbara (Jacqueline Hill), Ian (William Russell), and Susan (Carole Ann Ford) appear to have successfully traveled back to 1960s Earth. But they quickly realize something's amiss when they begin to shrink--or the rest of the planet and its inhabitants begin to grow. Soon our intrepid heroes are stumbling upon giant dead earthworms, giant dead ants, and so on. It turns out there's a very 1960s message interwoven into the sci-fi--the environmental impact of rampant toxic pesticide use. The message, however, is never heavy-handed and is expressed subtly, and the viewer slowly learns of the environmental crisis along with the crew of the TARDIS. Some fast thinking and fast acting are in order, and are an extra challenge for our newly tiny heroes.
Extras include audio commentary with several of the production managers of the series, who remember extremely funny anecdotes from the filming, and who share how they filmed the memorable scene of shrunken people in the sink. There's also a fascinating documentary about the rediscovery of several minutes of the episodes which were originally cut from the version aired by the BBC. There are cast and producer interviews, a feature on the scene's music, and even an Arabic audio option available. Everything an early Doctor Who fan could want. --A.T. Hurley
Product Description
The TARDIS doors open while the ship is still in flight by accident. Although they have arrived back on Earth in the 1960s, a time they have been trying to return to since they all met, the travelers soon realize that something is very wrong. The Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Susan discover that they have all been reduced in size and the world they are now exploring has dangers at every turn.
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28 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
The Doctor is trying to return his companions, Ian Chesterson (William Russell) and Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill) to their proper time on 20th century Earth. Something goes wrong with the TARDIS and warning horns blare, but the Doctor is sure they are on Earth just as he planned. He confidently exits the TARDIS with his granddaughter, Susan (Carole Ann Ford), Ian and Barbara.
They split into two pairs to explore. One pair runs into a very dead giant earthworm, the other finds a very dead gigantic ant. It takes them a while to figure it out, but the TARDIS and its occupants have shrunk down to an inch in height! Ian is looking about inside a giant matchbox, when a giant hand takes it away with Ian still in it. The remaining three get together to follow the kidnapping giant, especially after they hear an earshattering explosion.
There is murder afoot, and the reason is connected to all the dead insects around them and something called DN6. Any inspection of the circumstances, not to mention their return to the TARDIS, is hampered by a cat who watches the tiny humans with great interest. There's a humorous scene where they try to call the police on a giant phone.
"Planet of Giants" is in black & white and first aired Oct/Nov 1964. It is the first series of the second season of William Hartnell, the first Doctor Who. This is a review of the September 2012 DVD release, which is the first time "Planet of Giants" has been offered on DVD.
Writer Louis Marks has stated before that his inspiration for this story was Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring", the 1962 book that brought the concept of environmentalism to the masses, specifically, the danger of unbridled pesticide use. "Silent Spring" can be credited with bringing about the U.S. ban on DDT in 1972. An homage that's easy to miss is that when the TARDIS lands, and the doors open, there is absolutely no sound coming from the outside. But don't let the heavy-duty message get in the way of having a good time watching the show! This isn't the typical watch-the-alien Doctor Who, but it's still fun. The penny-pinching in sets and effects is noticeable, but I'm able to suspend disbelief with Doctor Who, and they aren't that bad.
(Added after my DVD was received and watched:) On a new look, I must say that I think they did an exceptional job on the miniature effects. In particular, the scenes in the sink are top notch! And I love the great shot where the camera is on the miniaturized TARDIS next to a cliff. The camera slowly pulls back, and in one take, you see that the TARDIS is in the crevice of paved walkway leading up to a house. Great scene.
Very early on, this series' title was "The Minuscules", but then they settled on "Planet of Giants". It was filmed to have four parts: "Planet of Giants," "Dangerous Journey", "Crisis" and "The Urge to Live". But after filming, the powers that be decided the story was dragging. So they edited and cut and merged the last two parts into one, and the show was aired in only three parts totaling 73 minutes. A couple of the DVD extras are meant to give us the details on what was left on the cutting floor.
Extras for the September 2012 DVD release:
1. Audio Commentary by Clive Doig (vision mixer), Brian Hodgson (special sounds creator), Sonia Markham (make-up) and David Tilley (floor assistant). Mark Ayres is the moderator.
(added after I received and watched the DVD:) I enjoyed the commentary. One commenter says, "Poor Carole (Carole Ann Ford), there, doing the hysterical acting as Susan. Which disappointed her enormously, I think. She wanted to be telepathic, intelligent, and there she was, having hysterics. She left in the very next story."
Commenters also point out: "We're supposed to believe that our miniscules, our heroes, in their reduced form, hear real sounds very much pitched down. Which I suspect is probably the wrong way around. ... I would imagine their tiny eardrums would not register very low sounds." I hadn't thought of that.
2. Episode 3 and 4 Reconstruction. Ian Levine is behind this reconstruction. He used existing film footage and recorded a new soundtrack.
(added after my DVD was received and watched:) On one hand, this is obviously a labor of love, and Levine did an amazing job of putting it together. On the other hand, it is cheesy with multiple uses of the same film footage and closeups, etc., with different dubbing each time, etc. That was the only way it could be done, and it's an "interesting" reconstruction to watch, once. Also, it makes me think that the producers were right in combining episodes 3 & 4 in the first place.
3. "Rediscovering 'The Urge to Live' " (8.5 minutes) This short is about the reconstruction, and includes tapes from the rehearsals and recording of the voice acting. Participants include Carole Ann Ford (plays Susan), William Russell (plays Ian), Ian Levine (behind the reconstruction of episodes 3 and 4, as shown in extra #2), Ed Stradling (BBC DVD features producer), Toby Hadoke (actor/comedian who has moderated other Classic Who serial commentaries, and is the voice of Forester in the reconstruction), Paul Jones (voice of Smithers in the reconstruction) and John Guilor (who imitates William Hartnell's voice in the reconstruction). Guilor says that working with the original cast on the reconstruction was like "...working with The Beatles".
4. Doctor Who Stories - "Suddenly Susan" (15 minutes) This is an interview with Carole Ann Ford. As Doctor Who's granddaughter, she was the very first companion. This interview originally appeared in "The Story of Doctor Who" (recorded in 2003).
(added after my DVD was received and watched:) Carole Ann says, "Susan was presented as being 15, but who knows what she was. She could've been hundreds of years old. An extraordinary, unusual, strange person. And I would love to have played her like that, but it just didn't happen."
5. Verity Lambert Tapes - Part Two. (14 minutes) Part 1" This interview, parts 1 & 2, were originally recorded for "The Story of Doctor Who" (2003). Part 1 of "The Lambert Tapes" is an extra on the January 2013 DVD of the "Shada" series. Lambert was Dr. Who's first producer. She produced the first 19 William Hartnell's episodes, from "An Unearthly Child" (1963, the very 1st Dr. Who) through "Mission to the Unknown" (1965). Lambert passed away in 2007.
6. Photo Gallery
7. PDF materials: Radio Times Listings, Prop Design Plans
8. Optional Arabic track. Arabic prints of all three episodes are held by the BBC - wonder where they were found buried!
9. Production Note Subtitles
10. Coming Soon on DVD Trailer. This is a great spot for one of my favorite Classic Dr. Who Serials of all time, "Vengeance on Varos".
Doctor Who: Vengeance on Varos (Special Edition)
.
They split into two pairs to explore. One pair runs into a very dead giant earthworm, the other finds a very dead gigantic ant. It takes them a while to figure it out, but the TARDIS and its occupants have shrunk down to an inch in height! Ian is looking about inside a giant matchbox, when a giant hand takes it away with Ian still in it. The remaining three get together to follow the kidnapping giant, especially after they hear an earshattering explosion.
There is murder afoot, and the reason is connected to all the dead insects around them and something called DN6. Any inspection of the circumstances, not to mention their return to the TARDIS, is hampered by a cat who watches the tiny humans with great interest. There's a humorous scene where they try to call the police on a giant phone.
"Planet of Giants" is in black & white and first aired Oct/Nov 1964. It is the first series of the second season of William Hartnell, the first Doctor Who. This is a review of the September 2012 DVD release, which is the first time "Planet of Giants" has been offered on DVD.
Writer Louis Marks has stated before that his inspiration for this story was Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring", the 1962 book that brought the concept of environmentalism to the masses, specifically, the danger of unbridled pesticide use. "Silent Spring" can be credited with bringing about the U.S. ban on DDT in 1972. An homage that's easy to miss is that when the TARDIS lands, and the doors open, there is absolutely no sound coming from the outside. But don't let the heavy-duty message get in the way of having a good time watching the show! This isn't the typical watch-the-alien Doctor Who, but it's still fun. The penny-pinching in sets and effects is noticeable, but I'm able to suspend disbelief with Doctor Who, and they aren't that bad.
(Added after my DVD was received and watched:) On a new look, I must say that I think they did an exceptional job on the miniature effects. In particular, the scenes in the sink are top notch! And I love the great shot where the camera is on the miniaturized TARDIS next to a cliff. The camera slowly pulls back, and in one take, you see that the TARDIS is in the crevice of paved walkway leading up to a house. Great scene.
Very early on, this series' title was "The Minuscules", but then they settled on "Planet of Giants". It was filmed to have four parts: "Planet of Giants," "Dangerous Journey", "Crisis" and "The Urge to Live". But after filming, the powers that be decided the story was dragging. So they edited and cut and merged the last two parts into one, and the show was aired in only three parts totaling 73 minutes. A couple of the DVD extras are meant to give us the details on what was left on the cutting floor.
Extras for the September 2012 DVD release:
1. Audio Commentary by Clive Doig (vision mixer), Brian Hodgson (special sounds creator), Sonia Markham (make-up) and David Tilley (floor assistant). Mark Ayres is the moderator.
(added after I received and watched the DVD:) I enjoyed the commentary. One commenter says, "Poor Carole (Carole Ann Ford), there, doing the hysterical acting as Susan. Which disappointed her enormously, I think. She wanted to be telepathic, intelligent, and there she was, having hysterics. She left in the very next story."
Commenters also point out: "We're supposed to believe that our miniscules, our heroes, in their reduced form, hear real sounds very much pitched down. Which I suspect is probably the wrong way around. ... I would imagine their tiny eardrums would not register very low sounds." I hadn't thought of that.
2. Episode 3 and 4 Reconstruction. Ian Levine is behind this reconstruction. He used existing film footage and recorded a new soundtrack.
(added after my DVD was received and watched:) On one hand, this is obviously a labor of love, and Levine did an amazing job of putting it together. On the other hand, it is cheesy with multiple uses of the same film footage and closeups, etc., with different dubbing each time, etc. That was the only way it could be done, and it's an "interesting" reconstruction to watch, once. Also, it makes me think that the producers were right in combining episodes 3 & 4 in the first place.
3. "Rediscovering 'The Urge to Live' " (8.5 minutes) This short is about the reconstruction, and includes tapes from the rehearsals and recording of the voice acting. Participants include Carole Ann Ford (plays Susan), William Russell (plays Ian), Ian Levine (behind the reconstruction of episodes 3 and 4, as shown in extra #2), Ed Stradling (BBC DVD features producer), Toby Hadoke (actor/comedian who has moderated other Classic Who serial commentaries, and is the voice of Forester in the reconstruction), Paul Jones (voice of Smithers in the reconstruction) and John Guilor (who imitates William Hartnell's voice in the reconstruction). Guilor says that working with the original cast on the reconstruction was like "...working with The Beatles".
4. Doctor Who Stories - "Suddenly Susan" (15 minutes) This is an interview with Carole Ann Ford. As Doctor Who's granddaughter, she was the very first companion. This interview originally appeared in "The Story of Doctor Who" (recorded in 2003).
(added after my DVD was received and watched:) Carole Ann says, "Susan was presented as being 15, but who knows what she was. She could've been hundreds of years old. An extraordinary, unusual, strange person. And I would love to have played her like that, but it just didn't happen."
5. Verity Lambert Tapes - Part Two. (14 minutes) Part 1" This interview, parts 1 & 2, were originally recorded for "The Story of Doctor Who" (2003). Part 1 of "The Lambert Tapes" is an extra on the January 2013 DVD of the "Shada" series. Lambert was Dr. Who's first producer. She produced the first 19 William Hartnell's episodes, from "An Unearthly Child" (1963, the very 1st Dr. Who) through "Mission to the Unknown" (1965). Lambert passed away in 2007.
6. Photo Gallery
7. PDF materials: Radio Times Listings, Prop Design Plans
8. Optional Arabic track. Arabic prints of all three episodes are held by the BBC - wonder where they were found buried!
9. Production Note Subtitles
10. Coming Soon on DVD Trailer. This is a great spot for one of my favorite Classic Dr. Who Serials of all time, "Vengeance on Varos".
Doctor Who: Vengeance on Varos (Special Edition)
.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Green Man
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I was dubious as to wether I should get this as I already have the old VHS of this fair William Hartnell tale.
I didn't have a particular fondness for this story. Now I know why! I never realized that it had been cut short and it had ruined the whole story. I am now a fan of this one. Full marks to the team that rebuilt the missing bits. It is a bit squeeky at times but far better than animated nonsense. Some etirely cgi bits are obvious, but are OK.Restoring the story to its intended plot and length has really done wonders for this average Hartnell tale which now in my opinion has become a classic!
Surely enough reason to continue along these lines? Let the fans do the work as it is evident of their respect and love of the series. Anyone else it is just not on!
I have not watched it as yet with any commentary if there is any.
The extras are very worthwhile too.
A thoroughly good buy!
Keep up the good work guys!
I didn't have a particular fondness for this story. Now I know why! I never realized that it had been cut short and it had ruined the whole story. I am now a fan of this one. Full marks to the team that rebuilt the missing bits. It is a bit squeeky at times but far better than animated nonsense. Some etirely cgi bits are obvious, but are OK.Restoring the story to its intended plot and length has really done wonders for this average Hartnell tale which now in my opinion has become a classic!
Surely enough reason to continue along these lines? Let the fans do the work as it is evident of their respect and love of the series. Anyone else it is just not on!
I have not watched it as yet with any commentary if there is any.
The extras are very worthwhile too.
A thoroughly good buy!
Keep up the good work guys!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Entertained
Format:DVD
I've waited for sometime for this one to be released. Anxiously I waited and Amazon announced its near arrival. I preordered and was not disappointed. The episodes were as I remembered, as best I could from last I saw it back in tge 80's. This one you don't want to miss even though the characters are a bit to the small side 'hint'. It's quite entertaining of the troubles they get into in trying to resolve the present issue of a murder.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent early episode of Doctor Who
This one stands up remarkably well. The sets are designed imaginatively, and the situations our travelers find themselves facing offer unpredictable risks. Read more
Published 13 days ago by Raymond Tate
5.0 out of 5 stars
Transitional
This one shows a good transition for the Doctor. He is becoming more human-like and turns the corner for Doctors in the future.
Published 1 month ago by Sandra Gass
5.0 out of 5 stars
IT'S THE DOCTOR! WHAT COULD BE BETTER!
IT'S THE DOCTOR! WHAT COULD BE BETTER!
Another great addition to my Doctor Who collection!
A must have for any Whovian!
Another great addition to my Doctor Who collection!
A must have for any Whovian!
Published 2 months ago by hondo101
4.0 out of 5 stars
Is the extended version worthwhile?
You can watch the episodes 1, 2 and 3 as broadcast, then go the extras to watch the reconstruction of 3 and 4. Read more
Published 3 months ago by C. Andrews
4.0 out of 5 stars
In the Land of Giants.
At only three episodes long this story does not outstay it's welcome, I find it makes a refreshing change from the "Alien monsters want to invade the Earth" type story. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Cliff Hanger
4.0 out of 5 stars
'Planet of Giants' finally slips in to the collection of complete...
Planet of Giants was the first commissioned serial of Doctor Who's second season and it was duly anticipated by viewers in 1964, according to the Radio Times at least. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mr. Nicholas Pearson
2.0 out of 5 stars
A dull adventure cut to three episodes for a good reason
"Planet of the Giants" was a talky story with very little action--so little, in fact, that the third and fourth parts were edited down to a single, final episode. Read more
Published 4 months ago by buckbooks
2.0 out of 5 stars
doctor who
This episode was not that great. There are four episodes and to watch them you need to go to the special features to watch. It was poorly written.
Published 4 months ago by Janet
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not one of their better ones
But it was just a quick little segment. Must say, did not miss the granddaughter. This episode reminded me how annoying she could be. But i'm glad to have another piece filled in.
Published 5 months ago by S. Molina
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Story
This has a good story just three parts I wish it was more. It is a cool story and great special effects considering the time.
Published 5 months ago by Pete
