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29 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Great Jon Pertwee!!!, February 2, 2011
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....
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good send off, June 3, 2002
Jon Pertwee gets a pretty good sendoff in the Planet of Spiders, Likely not as good as he deserved but still worth your time. We see the Doctor FINALLY reach the blue planet that he has been talking about for two seasons. Yet it is a planet with problems, specifically it is being ruled by spiders who are enslaving the humans. The plot turns involving the meditation center, the other timelord and Mike Yates are interesting, as is the final regeneration scene, I did take exception to one bit of the plot. It seem strange that the Doctor knowing that the Queen Spider is about to doom herself, while trying to become the most powerful creature in the world would put himself into such danger to try to talk her out of it. If he succeeds she will continue to be a menace. This seems to forshadow Tom Baker more than the quite practical Jon Pertwee. The psycological factor is played well, but I still don't buy it. Pertwee was a long running doctor, he would give way to the longest running (and in my opinion the best) doctor, and sometimes that gives him short shift in comparison. This is unfair. Pertwee was a class act, a class actor, and a class doctor.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Who, Great DVD, June 16, 2011
Planet of the Spiders is a bit uneven, with some wobbly effects and a somewhat meandering storyline, but it's also full of brilliant elements - Tommy, the redemption of Mike Yates, and the always-great Sarah Jane. It's a wonderful tribute to the Jon Pertwee era, complete with a chase involving pretty much every type of vehicle imaginable - cars, a helicopter, a fishing boat, a hovercraft, and the Doctor's flying car. Pertwee is excellent in his final story, giving it all the energy, humor, and conviction he always brought to the role. Best of all, the Third Doctor's death and regeneration are beautifully handled; Pertwee's final moments may be the most moving of any of the Doctors. The DVD is typically superb, with a good commentary, the shorter, snappier Omnibus version, and a million documentaries. It's a must see for Whovians, and especially for any fans of Pertwee.
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