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In the Third Doctor's last and most dangerous adventure, a misguided group of transcendental chanters forge an unnatural link with the evil spider rulers of Metebelis 3.
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41 of 49 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
FOR a show like Dr. Who where several actors have played the lead role, There is always debate over who was the best. The general consensus with Doctor Who fandom is that Tom Baker was the best of the classic series Doctors while David Tennet is the best, so far, of the current series. That being said I respectfully submit that Jon Pertwee, the third actor to play the enigmatic time traveler, is ever bit the equal of Baker and Tennet and was, as they were, "Born to play the role".
Pertwee took on the role of Doctor who at the dawning of the 1970's (His first episode aired late December 1969) and looking back now he bore the weight of the entire series' future on his shoulders. There was great debate at the BBC over weather or not to continue on with the program given the expense of converting and filming the show in color. Add to that a looming strike at the BBC, and fickle fan base facing a new decade with new interest and a series cut way down in length do to budget constraints (the final Patrick Troughton series had seven stories comprising 43 episodes while pertwee's first series had just four stories comprising 25 episodes) and you had a recipe for a show lost in a wave of insurmountable odds and a show cut short before it`s time. Dr Who could have easily been relegated to a quirky little black and white show that ran for a few years back in the 1960's...releases decades latter on DVD in a "Shmultzee" little compellation box set with a toy Dalek. Or worse yet it could have been wipe away all together if the show had not survived past it's first decade.
Enter the great Jon Pertwee with his tall, imposing frame, Flaming white hair , James Bond persona and some Venusian Uja to boot. Pertwee took on the role with Gusto and made it his own and in some ways change the depth and propensity of Doctor who itself/himself. Not the old sage or the clown was Pertwee's portrayal of the Doctor but the hero; Or dare I say the super hero. So confidant was his portray of Doctor Who at times the viewer may have wondered if there was a big "S" under under his cloak and frill shirt and a red cape in the trunk of old Bessie.
Pertwee didn't just save the Earth from galactic evil-doers he saved the show it self from being a one-decade wonder and propelled the show to new heights and ultimately to the Iconic status the show now enjoys. So much of the shows dogma was either re-created or enhanced during the Pertwee era ( a pause here to also give a huge nod to the great Barry Letts who had a something to do with it as well). From the start we were given the Autons who became permanently ingrained in our sub-conscious with their frightening embodiment of lifeless object. They only appeared twice during the Pertwee era but their legacy will remain with the show to the end (The fact the the new series started with an Auton story proves this). Next of course the Pertwee era gave us The Master played with villainous vigor by the late, great Roger Delgado. Only The Daleks are more synonymous with Doctor Who than The Master and for many fans he is the Doctor's ultimate foe. The sub-terrain terrors the Silurian's and the Sea Devils were both created during the Pertwee tenure. Appearing during the Davison and Matt Smith eras, these two creatures still work as villains even today. The war-like Sontarians also first came to fruition while Pertwee was at the helm as did two of the best companions the show has ever seen in Jo Grant and Sara Jane Smith. The later of course still relevant and immensely popular today returning several time to the program plus staring in her own show the Sara Jane adventures. Last is the (then) emerging lore of the time lords themselves. The term Galifrey was coined during Jon Pertwee's The Time Warrior and the concept of the Doctor meeting his past incarnations came to be during Pertwee's fourth season opener The Three Doctors.
Alas, What does all this have to do with Planet of the Spider? In a word: Everything. Pertwee's finale brings together (for one last time) most of the elements of what made his ere so great: UNIT, a mostly Earth bound story, gadgets, a cheesy villain, a fellow time lord and one of the best chase scenes the show ever had. Is this episode a Five star classic like Caves of Andrazani or Pyramids of Mars? No. But from the opening scene's "gong" we immediately sense the approaching doom pulling the doctor to his ultimate fate. The story has a pace less suited to hasten the story and more to pay homage to it's star. The acting and character development for guests and regulars are solid in the story but the Star is Pertwee and he is given plenty of plot devices to make one final curtain call. Don't expect a classic monster here as the Spiders, and the giant spider herself, are some of the Cheesiest creatures the show has ever seen. If I can say one positive thing about them at least they weren't made of tin foil. While they do little to add to the story they certainly don't detract from it.
Long time fans , Pertwee fans and Completion-ists will of course buy this episode but to the newer, younger fans who maybe haven't seen it before I would say buy it. Planet of the Spiders is an essential part of the show's history. It is the last chance to see how Jon Pertwee took a show that was destined for greatness and then solidified it's greatness.... before passing it on to a worthy and equal successor....
Pertwee took on the role of Doctor who at the dawning of the 1970's (His first episode aired late December 1969) and looking back now he bore the weight of the entire series' future on his shoulders. There was great debate at the BBC over weather or not to continue on with the program given the expense of converting and filming the show in color. Add to that a looming strike at the BBC, and fickle fan base facing a new decade with new interest and a series cut way down in length do to budget constraints (the final Patrick Troughton series had seven stories comprising 43 episodes while pertwee's first series had just four stories comprising 25 episodes) and you had a recipe for a show lost in a wave of insurmountable odds and a show cut short before it`s time. Dr Who could have easily been relegated to a quirky little black and white show that ran for a few years back in the 1960's...releases decades latter on DVD in a "Shmultzee" little compellation box set with a toy Dalek. Or worse yet it could have been wipe away all together if the show had not survived past it's first decade.
Enter the great Jon Pertwee with his tall, imposing frame, Flaming white hair , James Bond persona and some Venusian Uja to boot. Pertwee took on the role with Gusto and made it his own and in some ways change the depth and propensity of Doctor who itself/himself. Not the old sage or the clown was Pertwee's portrayal of the Doctor but the hero; Or dare I say the super hero. So confidant was his portray of Doctor Who at times the viewer may have wondered if there was a big "S" under under his cloak and frill shirt and a red cape in the trunk of old Bessie.
Pertwee didn't just save the Earth from galactic evil-doers he saved the show it self from being a one-decade wonder and propelled the show to new heights and ultimately to the Iconic status the show now enjoys. So much of the shows dogma was either re-created or enhanced during the Pertwee era ( a pause here to also give a huge nod to the great Barry Letts who had a something to do with it as well). From the start we were given the Autons who became permanently ingrained in our sub-conscious with their frightening embodiment of lifeless object. They only appeared twice during the Pertwee era but their legacy will remain with the show to the end (The fact the the new series started with an Auton story proves this). Next of course the Pertwee era gave us The Master played with villainous vigor by the late, great Roger Delgado. Only The Daleks are more synonymous with Doctor Who than The Master and for many fans he is the Doctor's ultimate foe. The sub-terrain terrors the Silurian's and the Sea Devils were both created during the Pertwee tenure. Appearing during the Davison and Matt Smith eras, these two creatures still work as villains even today. The war-like Sontarians also first came to fruition while Pertwee was at the helm as did two of the best companions the show has ever seen in Jo Grant and Sara Jane Smith. The later of course still relevant and immensely popular today returning several time to the program plus staring in her own show the Sara Jane adventures. Last is the (then) emerging lore of the time lords themselves. The term Galifrey was coined during Jon Pertwee's The Time Warrior and the concept of the Doctor meeting his past incarnations came to be during Pertwee's fourth season opener The Three Doctors.
Alas, What does all this have to do with Planet of the Spider? In a word: Everything. Pertwee's finale brings together (for one last time) most of the elements of what made his ere so great: UNIT, a mostly Earth bound story, gadgets, a cheesy villain, a fellow time lord and one of the best chase scenes the show ever had. Is this episode a Five star classic like Caves of Andrazani or Pyramids of Mars? No. But from the opening scene's "gong" we immediately sense the approaching doom pulling the doctor to his ultimate fate. The story has a pace less suited to hasten the story and more to pay homage to it's star. The acting and character development for guests and regulars are solid in the story but the Star is Pertwee and he is given plenty of plot devices to make one final curtain call. Don't expect a classic monster here as the Spiders, and the giant spider herself, are some of the Cheesiest creatures the show has ever seen. If I can say one positive thing about them at least they weren't made of tin foil. While they do little to add to the story they certainly don't detract from it.
Long time fans , Pertwee fans and Completion-ists will of course buy this episode but to the newer, younger fans who maybe haven't seen it before I would say buy it. Planet of the Spiders is an essential part of the show's history. It is the last chance to see how Jon Pertwee took a show that was destined for greatness and then solidified it's greatness.... before passing it on to a worthy and equal successor....
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By Nancy A. Fox
Format:DVD
In 1974 after 5 full-color, groovy years filled with Venusian karate chops, James Bondesque gadgets, the Master, high octane old roadsters, frilly shirts, and frequently reversing the polarity, Jon Pertwee called it a day and packed it in as the Doctor. Planet of the Spiders is his final outing as the Doctor, and while it's not a great story, it is a fitting goodbye to the Pertwee era.
The story comes off as John Pertwee's greatest hits. There is a letter from Jo Jones (nee Grant). The Brigadier and Sergeant Benton join in for a rousing chase sequence. As a bonus, we get to see Mike Yates (former UNIT captain) one last time, and he is redeemed for his dastardly turn the last time we saw him. We get one last chase with Bessie and the Whomobile, plus a gyrocopter, speedboat and hovercraft thrown in for good measure. The Doctor even has an opportunity to use his Venusian karate and reminisce about one of his many famous friends (Houdini this time). It's a nice walk down memory lane with the Doctor and the UNIT family.
The story itself, well you see there are these giant spiders, and they want this blue crystal that the Doctor took from Metebelis 3. (He'd given it to Jo Grant as a wedding present after solving the problem of the giant maggots in the Green Death a year earlier - luckily Jo mailed it back to the Doctor from the Amazon jungle at the beginning of the story). OK, so meanwhile off in the country Mike Yates is at a Buddhist monastery where he's trying to find himself after the nastiness with the dinosaurs, and he discovers this group of guys chanting away in the basement without proper supervision when something starts to materialize. Mike Yates quickly realizes there's something not quite right here, and that this must be a job for UNIT-slight problem since Mike had turned on the Brig and company in the Invasion of the Dinosaurs, so they probably wouldn't listen to him. Solution - Mike asks Sarah Jane Smith to come down to the monastery to do a story on it and convince her that there is something untoward going on at the meditation center.
Throw in a brief subplot at the beginning with the Doctor doing research into psychic abilities (I think primarily to have the charming scene at the beginning of the story where the Doc and the Brig go to a vaudeville show, maybe the men could learn some of her moves indeed...), a story about a planet's human population subjugated by giant spiders, and a mentally handicapped young man who saves the day and you've got the story. The story is interesting, but feels a bit jumbled. The thread of redemption, rebirth and renewal is throughout the story in order to prepare the audience for the inevitable ending, and it truly feels like the end of an era, which it was.
To put things into perspective, at the time of this story's airing the program had reached its highest heights of viewership and fandom during Pertwee's era. Doctor Who had gone from a show that was almost cancelled to a television institution during these five years, and no one knew the heights it would shortly attain during Tom Baker's first few years. Also the production team had remained consistent throughout Pertwee's time as the Doctor, which hadn't happened before on Doctor Who, and wouldn't happen again until perhaps Peter Davison's era. It gave a strong cohesive feeling to the entirety of Jon Pertwee's time as the Doctor. We must remember that this was not only a goodbye for Jon Pertwee, but for Terrence Dicks and Barry Letts as well.
For the story itself it was Barry Letts' baby all the way. He co-wrote the scripts, produced the story, and directed it. The story was based on Barry Letts interest in Buddhism and meditation and was something of a Buddhist parable. Terrence Dicks, the script editor and no shrinking violet, pretty much let Barry Letts run with it. This even shows during the commentary track on the DVD where Terrence Dicks was fairly subdued, not offering up anywhere near his usual contribution and let Barry Letts have center stage for his story.
I have to admit I was a little disappointed with the extras on this set. There was a nice interview with John Kane who played Tommy. There was the obligatory making of feature, and a nice overview of Barry Letts directing. The then and now feature on shooting locations wasn't that interesting. The omnibus version of the story was interesting to contrast with the original serialized story, and the information text option was filled with interesting tidbits that weren't necessarily already covered in the commentary and making of features.
I did enjoy the commentary option, but found it a little sad because of the realization that 3 of the 5 people involved with the commentary tracks had recently passed away. Barry Letts and Elisabeth Sladen were both quite interesting and had a lot of good information, and Terrence Dicks had some good comments as well, but as stated earlier he was much more reserved than usual on commentary tracks. Unfortunately, Nicholas Courtney and Richard Franklin's contributions weren't as well informed or interesting.
So after all of this should you get this DVD? Well, if you enjoy Jon Pertwee's Doctor, then the answer is a resounding yes. It really is a fond farewell to his years as our favorite time traveler. If you are not familiar with Jon Pertwee's time in the TARDIS, then I recommend you wait until you've sampled at least 1 or 2 stories from each of his five years. I promise you'll enjoy it much more if you have more of a background with his Doctor's adventures. Finally, if you're a fan of the new Doctor Who and want to check out some early stories, don't start here with Jon Pertwee. I strongly recommend you check out Terror of the Autons, The Curse of Peladon, The Sea Devils and/or The Time Warrior before you watch this story.
The story comes off as John Pertwee's greatest hits. There is a letter from Jo Jones (nee Grant). The Brigadier and Sergeant Benton join in for a rousing chase sequence. As a bonus, we get to see Mike Yates (former UNIT captain) one last time, and he is redeemed for his dastardly turn the last time we saw him. We get one last chase with Bessie and the Whomobile, plus a gyrocopter, speedboat and hovercraft thrown in for good measure. The Doctor even has an opportunity to use his Venusian karate and reminisce about one of his many famous friends (Houdini this time). It's a nice walk down memory lane with the Doctor and the UNIT family.
The story itself, well you see there are these giant spiders, and they want this blue crystal that the Doctor took from Metebelis 3. (He'd given it to Jo Grant as a wedding present after solving the problem of the giant maggots in the Green Death a year earlier - luckily Jo mailed it back to the Doctor from the Amazon jungle at the beginning of the story). OK, so meanwhile off in the country Mike Yates is at a Buddhist monastery where he's trying to find himself after the nastiness with the dinosaurs, and he discovers this group of guys chanting away in the basement without proper supervision when something starts to materialize. Mike Yates quickly realizes there's something not quite right here, and that this must be a job for UNIT-slight problem since Mike had turned on the Brig and company in the Invasion of the Dinosaurs, so they probably wouldn't listen to him. Solution - Mike asks Sarah Jane Smith to come down to the monastery to do a story on it and convince her that there is something untoward going on at the meditation center.
Throw in a brief subplot at the beginning with the Doctor doing research into psychic abilities (I think primarily to have the charming scene at the beginning of the story where the Doc and the Brig go to a vaudeville show, maybe the men could learn some of her moves indeed...), a story about a planet's human population subjugated by giant spiders, and a mentally handicapped young man who saves the day and you've got the story. The story is interesting, but feels a bit jumbled. The thread of redemption, rebirth and renewal is throughout the story in order to prepare the audience for the inevitable ending, and it truly feels like the end of an era, which it was.
To put things into perspective, at the time of this story's airing the program had reached its highest heights of viewership and fandom during Pertwee's era. Doctor Who had gone from a show that was almost cancelled to a television institution during these five years, and no one knew the heights it would shortly attain during Tom Baker's first few years. Also the production team had remained consistent throughout Pertwee's time as the Doctor, which hadn't happened before on Doctor Who, and wouldn't happen again until perhaps Peter Davison's era. It gave a strong cohesive feeling to the entirety of Jon Pertwee's time as the Doctor. We must remember that this was not only a goodbye for Jon Pertwee, but for Terrence Dicks and Barry Letts as well.
For the story itself it was Barry Letts' baby all the way. He co-wrote the scripts, produced the story, and directed it. The story was based on Barry Letts interest in Buddhism and meditation and was something of a Buddhist parable. Terrence Dicks, the script editor and no shrinking violet, pretty much let Barry Letts run with it. This even shows during the commentary track on the DVD where Terrence Dicks was fairly subdued, not offering up anywhere near his usual contribution and let Barry Letts have center stage for his story.
I have to admit I was a little disappointed with the extras on this set. There was a nice interview with John Kane who played Tommy. There was the obligatory making of feature, and a nice overview of Barry Letts directing. The then and now feature on shooting locations wasn't that interesting. The omnibus version of the story was interesting to contrast with the original serialized story, and the information text option was filled with interesting tidbits that weren't necessarily already covered in the commentary and making of features.
I did enjoy the commentary option, but found it a little sad because of the realization that 3 of the 5 people involved with the commentary tracks had recently passed away. Barry Letts and Elisabeth Sladen were both quite interesting and had a lot of good information, and Terrence Dicks had some good comments as well, but as stated earlier he was much more reserved than usual on commentary tracks. Unfortunately, Nicholas Courtney and Richard Franklin's contributions weren't as well informed or interesting.
So after all of this should you get this DVD? Well, if you enjoy Jon Pertwee's Doctor, then the answer is a resounding yes. It really is a fond farewell to his years as our favorite time traveler. If you are not familiar with Jon Pertwee's time in the TARDIS, then I recommend you wait until you've sampled at least 1 or 2 stories from each of his five years. I promise you'll enjoy it much more if you have more of a background with his Doctor's adventures. Finally, if you're a fan of the new Doctor Who and want to check out some early stories, don't start here with Jon Pertwee. I strongly recommend you check out Terror of the Autons, The Curse of Peladon, The Sea Devils and/or The Time Warrior before you watch this story.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:VHS Tape
An okay story, but it would have fitted better in a four-episode format. Pertwee is as good as ever as the Doctor and there is a memorable climax. But the spiders are what let this down. It's a pity the original, more realistic, models weren't used. This story came under fire for its use of spiders, but I can't quite see the pathetic rubber toys with their silly voices scaring anyone but the most arachnophobic of people, who wouldn't watch a story called 'Planet of the Spiders' in the first place. Once again we have a story let down by feeble execution.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
More renegade Time Lords
A great ending to great actor and the series. Jon Pertwee gave a magnificient performance to the very end. I always wondered what happened to the Who 2 vehicle in later shows.
Published 3 months ago by Matthew Petersen
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great DVD
This is Jon Pertwee last story. It is a good story ok special effects. If you like Doctor Who this is a good one to buy.
Published 4 months ago by Pete
4.0 out of 5 stars
Action Packed with Arachnids! A Fine Farewell for Jon Pertwee!
Some reviewers have argued that the Third Doctor, Jon Pertwee in this story "Planet of the Spiders", went out on a weak story but I wholeheartedly disagree with that assessment. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Robert S. Trumpolt
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic Doctor Who: PLANET OF THE SPIDERS
The 5-Star rating is for the quality and value of the DVD. Superb job as is typical of the Doctor Who Restoration Team in their production of Classic Era Doctor Who DVD's. Read more
Published 8 months ago by G. L. Nelson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pertwee's final bow.
I bought this because it was Pertwee's last appearance as the Doctor and Liz Sladen was in it as well. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Edward Lindo
5.0 out of 5 stars
Planet of... Groovy!
Buddhist neophytes with sideburns and double-knit polyester pants chanting in a circle, the doctor and the brig spending the evening at a burlesque show, Mick Jagger... Read more
Published 11 months ago by The Wiz
2.0 out of 5 stars
Planet of the Boring - Poor Departure Story
Planet of the Spiders is the not-so-good departure story of Jon Pertwee's doctor. Sadly it must rank among the bottom stories of Pertwee's tenure. Read more
Published 14 months ago by E. Borgman
5.0 out of 5 stars
Farewell Good Doctor!
This is a bittersweet story as we say goodbye to our dearly beloved Jon Pertwee. The episodes are full of all the things you have come to expect from this era of our dearest... Read more
Published 17 months ago by D. L. Haynes
4.0 out of 5 stars
The eight legs!
Planet of the Spiders is the last story of the third Doctor, played by Jon Pertwee. It is one of stories I love, being a fan of spiders, sci-fi, and Doctor Who. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Michael Valdivielso
3.0 out of 5 stars
Jon Pertwee's farewell
It is always a big todo when there is a change in the actor who is playing the Doctor and this is no exception in "Planet of the Spiders". Read more
Published 21 months ago by Funkadelic
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