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Doctor Who - The Three Doctors [1972] [1963]
![Doctor Who - The Three Doctors [1972] [1963]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51QH7Z7NXZL._SL160_.jpg)
On the DVD: Doctor Who: The Three Doctors is presented in the original 4:3 ratio with good mono sound. The introductory 16-mm film footage is very grainy and lined, but later exteriors are good and the interior video-shot material in fine. The commentary by Katy Manning, Nicholas Courtney and producer Barry Letts is informative and funny. Extras include excerpts from a highly entertaining 1973 Pebble Mill at One with Patrick Troughton and BBC props designer Bernard Wilkie (20 min) and a 1973 retrospective on the show from Blue Peter featuring Pertwee with the then new Whomobile, all presented by ex-Who companion Peter Purves. There are highlights from a BSkyB Doctor Who weekend from 1990, with brief interviews with Courtney, David Martin, Bob Baker, Pertwee, producer John Nathan Turner and writer Terrance Dicks (10 min). Rather more exciting is the appearances of the warm and witty Pertwee, Manning, and a very late Courtney at the 1993 Panopticon SF convention (29 min). There are also two trailers, info text and a scored photo gallery. --Gary S Dalkin DVD Technical Information
RRP: £19.99
Our Price: £6.00 (subject to change)
Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review
Made to mark the series' tenth anniversary, Doctor Who: The Three Doctors finds Jon Pertwee's Third Doctor teaming-up with the Patrick Troughton and William Hartnell incarnations to battle a universe-threatening foe. Omega (played by an excellent Stephen Thorne) is the Timelord who gave his race the power necessary for time travel. Long presumed dead he is actually trapped in an anti-matter universe inside a black hole, and is scheming an epic revenge. Set in UNIT HQ, Omega's domain and a chalk pit, Bob Baker and David Martin's yarn is both nonsensical and more wildly ambitious than the BBC effects unit could possibly visualise. This is so much the case that the best moments come with the metaphysically chilling scene in which Omega is unmasked, and in the bickering rivalry between Pertwee and Troughton. Sadly Hartnell was seriously ill with arteriosclerosis, so his brief scenes were all taped in a day and played on a monitor in the TARDIS, the reason given that the First Doctor is trapped in a "time eddy". If hardly a classic this is still a meatier tale than The Two Doctors (1985), which starred Troughton and Colin Baker, and it features ever-dependable support from Katy Manning as Jo Grant and Nicholas Courtney as the Brigadier.
Editorial
Special Features
Editorial
Synopsis
Jon Pertwee's DOCTOR WHO must break the first Law of Time in order to save the Timelords from an old arch enemy, he must bring back other Doctor Whos to help him. Will Patrick Troughton and William Hartnell be up to the job.
Three steps to Heaven
Review date: 2008-04-26 Rating: 10 out of 10
The Tenth anniversary of Doctor Who kicked-off with this, the first televised multi-Doctor story. The Three Doctors introduces another rogue Timelord, Omega, after the sudden death of Roger Delgado meant that The Master could no longer be involved. The story is somewhat lacking in depth but a real treat for any fan of the 'classic series'.
After a rollicking start, where a mysterious and shapeless energy bubble begins terrorising the countryside and abducting random people, the story seems to settle into a classic Third Doctor Earthbound adventure. All goes well until we are properly introduced to Gallifrey, the Doctor's home planet, for the first time in the series, although the name is not used at this point. This could have been a fantastic plot device and given the fans a much-anticipated insight into The Doctor's origins, however it is simply presented as a load of crusty, hirsuite old men; the worst of whom is The President of the Timelords, played by possibly the most wooden and uncharismatic actor in the show's series (and yes, I've seen 'The Mutants'!) Still, it's good to at least see some more of The Doctor's people and it does give a good idea as to why he needed to escape!
The story's second episode is a somewhat stretched affair but Patrick Troughton is in fine form as The Second Doctor and gets all the best lines - before seeing this story I thought The Fourth Doctor was the originator of the jelly babies. The Third Doctor and Jo are transported to a world of anti-matter and we get to see the fabled Omega for the first time. Brief glimpses of The First Doctor (who is trapped in a 'time-eddy') show a clearly decrepit but still imposing William Hartnell and his line, "so these are my replacements, a dandy and a clown!" is pure joy. In fact, he turns out to be the linchpin for the story's resolution and it remains a fitting epitaph for the original 'Doctor'.
In the third episode we see the UNIT HQ transported to Omega's world, along with The Brigadier, Benton and The Second Doctor. The Third Doctor pits his wits against the renegade Timelord but there is a lot of filler in this episode - fortunately Jo's shapely legs help to sustain interest throughout...The unnamed, 'jelly-like' creatures who serve Omega, chase our heroes down lots of globule-encrusted corridors whilst Doctors Two and Three squabble in humorous fashion before uniting against Omega. The episode ends in slightly hallucinogenic fashion, with The Third Doctor slow-mo battling Omega's 'dark side' in the form of a hideous gremlin. This prompts the watching Timelords, in the final episode, to send The First Doctor into the black hole to help his future selves.
Overall the production qualities of this anniversary story befit its status. Apart from the feebly realised 'jelly monsters' the effects, locations and cast are all top-notch. Plot holes are excusable as it is a celebratory story after all, and I'm sure that the cast and crew had no idea of the programme's colourful future...
Accessories
Similar Products
- Doctor Who - The Two Doctors [1985] [1963]
- Doctor Who - The Invasion (2 Disc Set) [1968]
- Doctor Who - Spearhead From Space [1970]
- Doctor Who - The Tomb Of The Cybermen [1967]
- Doctor Who - New Beginnings (The Keeper of Traken [1981] / Logopolis [1981] / Castrovalva [1982]) [1963]
Reviews
Not a great story but a significant one
Review date: 2008-03-13 Rating: 6 out of 10
There is a certain type of Doctor Who story that could be best termed an "event story". These feature a story that is designed around a novelty - the return of the Daleks, Cybermen or the Master often fall into this category. 'The Three Doctors' was an even bigger event - it brung together the first three Doctors for a romp.
Except it doesn't quite. William Hartnell was badly ill at this point and so his sequences were filmed seperately in a set representing a 'time eddy' (looking more like a black backdrop) which were then played on a television monitor in the TARDIS. Some would argue that this is better than nothing but the result is that the First Doctor feels apart from the other two - this story is much more of Second and Third Doctor adventure.
Except that it's not. The Second Doctor's more thoughtful and calculating side is played down in favour of the clownish personna. Troughton's performance is of a high standard but it does not feel quite in keeping with his era. Perhaps this is the curse of the multi-Doctor event story - with each character having less time to play with a few characteristics are emphasised above the others.
The story has its successes such as the gel guards are cute, wobbly monsters that you want to take home and cuddle - a sort of squidgy Yeti. Stephen Thorne gives a very "actory" (ie. shouty) performance as Timelord hero Omega and both Pertwee and Manning are excellent. However, the plot plays second fiddle to the Doctors meeting each other and so feels slight.
'The Three Doctors' is fluff - televisual candy floss - but that does not mean it gets a second rate treatment on DVD. There is a solid commentary here with Katy Manning, Nicholas Courtney and producer Barry Letts that is amusing and informative. More impressive is the quantity of archive interviews and convention footage available here which will no doubt rekindle memories for some.
It may not be a classic in many ways but if you are a Doctor Who fan you will no doubt want to add this to your shelf. This is a good quality release of an average story and, as such, deserves that room.
"And Hartnell Makes 3"
Review date: 2007-12-13 Rating: 10 out of 10
This is the Christmas story that never was. It may not be actually set at Christmas but like all Xmas specials of programmes in the '70's the plot (Timelords theratened by a renegade living in a Black Hole in desperation send the 1st 3 Doctors to deal with it) is no great shakes. It's really just an excuse for a knees up. the selling point of the story is getting all the Doctors together.
The highlights are definitely scenes between Troughton & Pertwee bickering and the reaction of the Brigadier suddenly seeing the Doctor a face earlier than the current one (he puts it down to him mucking about with the Tardis!).
Hartnell of course is in short supply seen on pre-recorded inserts played in on a view screen. He does look ill but gets a couple of good lines and a few moments where he glimmers and becomes the Doctor of old.
There are nice touches such as Benton seeing the Tardis interior and refusing to remark on how it's bigger than outside because "it seems pretty obvious!" We have a real party monster which seems to have been made from jelly or jam (a figgy pudding monster would have been hard to pull off!)and a great megalomaniac in Stephen Thorne's Omega.
When 1st released the extras drew criticism for having nothing (aside from the commentary) which is new. Well let me say the commentary with katy Manning and co is a corker and the old material is good stuff that not every fan had already.
We get a vintage Blue Peter moment as John Noakes and co watch some Who clips, Bernard Wilkie on effects and Patrick Troughton from 1973, 1993 convention footage of Miss Manning and Jon Pertwee and BSB footage as the writers, script editor and Nicholas Courtney discuss the story. If that isn't enough for you, then stop being so damn greedy!
The first episode of Doctor Who to feature more than one Doctor at once!
Review date: 2007-08-17 Rating: 8 out of 10
This is a brilliant Doctor Who story!
It features William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee as the Doctor as well as Jo Grant (Katy Manning), Brigadier Lethbridgwe Stewart (Nicholas Courtney) and Sergeant Benton (John Levene) battle against the4 evil Omega (Stephen Thorne) and his Cell Guards.
This story was meant to be the shows Tenth Anniversary special however it was broadcast just 5 weeks after its Ninth.
Still this story is a brilliant one and a must have (just like the rest!)!
Whoops...
Review date: 2006-04-11 Rating: 4 out of 10
Story: 2/5 - Extras: 3/5
Oh, dear! What should have been a legendary story to celebrate Doctor Who's tenth anniversary is, in fact, an overly rewritten, poorly edited and shoddily designed mess.
Bob Baker and Dave Martin's script has its moments, particularly revolving around the by turn tortured and malevolent Omega in episodes three and four (a powerful turn by actor Steven Thorne), but elsewhere the story is silly, uneven and (in the case of episode two) blatantly padded to make up for a shortage of material.
The Three Doctors is worth a watch to see the sparring between Jon Pertwee and Patrick Troughton. An obviously ill William Hartnell, however, adds little to the story during his brief stints on the TARDIS scanner, only adding to the unprofessional, sloppy feel as the actor reads his lines so poorly.
You do feel momentary sorry for Omega, an element that the story achieves quite well, but it's questionable whether it's enough to distract from the garish colours, cheesy blob monsters and the excessive use of CSO to compile difficult scenes.
The extras package is average, consisting of a few interesting but mostly irrelevant snippets from the archives, and a commentary by producer Barry Letts and actors Katy Manning and Nicholas Courtney (who seem to enjoy the story more than I did). The on-screen production notes are as informative as ever.
A poor story, but at least it's nostalgic!
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Patrick Troughton
Katy Manning
William Hartnell
Jon Pertwee
Creators:
Jon Pertwee (Primary Contributor)
Katy Manning (Primary Contributor)
Recording label: 2 Entertain Video
Manufacturer: 2 Entertain Video
EAN: 5014503114428
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2003-11-24
Number of discs: 1
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Audience rating: Universal, suitable for all
Region code: 2
Running time: 98 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1975-09-29
Language: English (Original Language)