TotalTelly.co.uk

Devoted to Popular, Cult and Retro TV

Doctor Who - Survival [1989] [1963]


RRP: £19.99
Our Price: £6.93 (subject to change)

Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

The final serial in Doctor Who's original run on the BBC (before it was revived in 2005), this three-episode story stars Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor, who brings his companion Ace (Sophie Aldred) back to Earth, only to discover that a race of feline aliens have turned the planet into their private hunting ground. The aliens, called Cheetah People, are traveling between their dying planet and Earth to kidnap humans for food--and lurking behind the whole scheme is none other than the Doctor's arch enemy, the Master (Anthony Ainsley in his final TV performance as the character). Despite the relative lack of quality of its video cinematography, Survival is a sold serial from the McCoy era, with some genuine suspense and an affectionate (if temporary) send-off for the venerable sci-fi hero.

The two-disc set of Survival is typical of the impressive presentations that the Doctor's adventures have received on DVD. Two commentary tracks have been recorded--one featuring McCoy, Aldred, and script editor Andrew Cartmel, and the other by the winners of a contest sponsored by Doctor Who magazine (this appears only for episode 3). The hour-long, two-part Cat Flap (one of the original titles for the serial) covers the making of the serial from start to finish, and Endgame is an intriguing look at how the program might've continued after Survival had it not been cancelled in 1989. Little Girl Lost is a 15-minute exploration of Ace's character from her debut story until Survival, and Destiny of the Doctors features footage of Ainley as the Master taken from the 1997 computer game of the same name. The extras are rounded out by several deleted and extended scenes, a round of outtakes, the standard photo gallery, text-only commentary track, Radio Times listings (in DVD-ROM format), and a 20-minute episode of a U.K. educational program called Search Out Science, which features McCoy and Aldred as their characters in a discussion of (what else?) time and space. --Paul Gaita


"Not Quite with a Bang"
Review date: 2008-09-15 Rating: 6 out of 10

Survival is one of the better Sylvester McCoy stories of his entire era & of this season. It's more coherent than Ghostlight, has more energy than Battlefield but not quite as good as Fenric.
It's very easy to knock it for not being a fitting end to the classic run of Dr Who but then it was never intended to be anything more than a story which was screened last in a season.
It's a slightly better story for Ace than the Doctor. She is returned to her roots and looks for her friends. A mystery involving disappearances linked to black cats takes the Doctor and Ace to a dying planet where they meet Cheetah people and the Master.
On the whole the themes of survival and evolution are well developed and explored. It fits Ace's character that she would be tempted by the possibility of running like an animal. The Glaswegian self defence instructor who ultimately isn't tough enough is good if occasionally unsubtle.
Sylvester McCoy is good as usual although the script makes him look more thick than eccentric genius as he leaves cat food on the streets in the hope that the right black cat will come along! With this and the image of him upside down on an old sofa following the bike crash, he really looks more cosmic dosser than cosmic hobo. When he does get good material though he goes for it, slightly too much with the famous "If we fight like animals, we'll die like animals!" line, but still a good performance.

Sophie Aldred relishes Ace's wildside and makes the most of her material.

The Master does not get one of his better appearances. He's too dumb to work out that you just need a transformed humanoid from a different planet to escape it. Ainley struggles with poorly judged material and a costume that makes him look portly.

The Cheetah people look like care bears (Wuss Bear and Soppy Bear) but the body language etc. of Lisa Bowerman et al transcends the costume's limitations and makes them believable a good portion of the time.
It's well directed, good and pacy and has a terrific explosion at the end. (although how the Doctor survives it is lazily not explained)The early CGI work etc. to colour the sky is marvellous, making it seem very alien. Generally effects are good with only a woeful animatronic cat letting the side down.

There is a barrelful of extras. "Endgame" is a look at the end of Sylvester McCoy's time. It starts to chronicle the start of McCoy's time but soon settles down for a look at the events. Andrew Cartmel is a major participant and very interesting to listen to. I didn't personally agree with his view that he hired writers who did incredible things with Dr Who but still enjoyed watching. Mccoy, Sophie Aldred, Peter Cregeen (the canceller!) and others also take part. We also get a look at what stories were tentatively planned for the next year and learn what other famous BBC show JNT was offered.

Catflap is an enjoyable making of although I'm not sure why it's in 2 parts. Most of the major players are there and it's V good even if they are a lttle too keen to take the credit for the Rose Tyler set up in New Who.

We also get an enjoyable commentary with Sophie, Sylvester and Andrew Cartmel and an interesting fan commentary for episode 3.

Search out Space is a science show for young kids made a few months after Survival's transmission with Sylv, Sophie and K9 in character. An interesting curio but be warned the K9 and Company theme tune is featured!

There are outtakes and deleted scenes one of which shows an insight into Ainley's approach to a scene and there are Anthonmy Ainley's Master sequences for the Destiny of the Doctors computer game. He puts quite a lot into these!

A great package from a good if not classic story. More for classic who fans who like plenty of extras, and if you're a new who fan who's recently come to appreciate Sylvetser and Sophie, this is one you will want to see.

Similar Products

Reviews


8 Out of 10 Viewers will Enjoy this Romp.
Review date: 2008-01-25 Rating: 8 out of 10

Without question this story isn't one of the greats like "Genesis of the Daleks" and som e might argue this story is so memorable as it is the last episode before it was axed and the the reset button was pressed by Russell T. Davies. Yes, the cats aren't scary or realistic and the cheetah people are too cute to startle but it is immense fun.

Ironically, it joins on well with "Rose", the 1st episode from the rebooted Who. It does have flaws:- Ace enunciates well for a street kid; McCoy shouts too much like a stressed lecturer and the FX are not that special but it is fun and very watchable. Compared to "The Two Doctors" etc... this is a good story and sadly shows the Beeb swung the axe for the doctor's past poor outings and not his last incarnation's output.

80's Who is a hit and miss affair
Review date: 2007-11-30 Rating: 6 out of 10

For me, Doctor Who died a death after the departure of Tom Baker although to be fair the rot had set in towards the end of his tenure.

I stopped watching the programme as soon as Peter Davidson appeared on screen, from time to time I would tune in and sigh woefully at what had happened to the show. It's only now in adulthood that I have come to appreciate SOME of the post Tom Baker stories: Earthshock, Revelation of the Daleks, Time and the Rani - all great stories in an otherwise uninspiring decade of Sci fi and I even enjoyed Mr McCoys outing in Curse of Fenric and Remembrance of the daleks.

Unfortunately the same can't be said of this story and even the late great Anthony Ainleys performance couldn't improve matters as he seems to be somewhat MEOWted (sorry).

However, I would say to anyone thinking of trying it out to rent it first as they might just like it a lot. After all, a review is just a personal opinion and this story has obviously appealed to a lot of people who've left reviews on here.

Doctor Who's last gasp of air
Review date: 2007-11-15 Rating: 4 out of 10

After years of years under the misguided guidence from the late John Nathan Turner, Doctor Who breathes it last and bows out. Not a great tale this; pantomimic actic from Anthony Ainley as The Master, Sylvester McCoy rolling his Rrrrrrrs at every possible chance and a black cat that is so unconvincing you'll be wishing it was in black and white to hide it's awfulness.

Due to a continuous successions of really woeful ideas and decisions from JNT the BBC knocked the programme ion the head, and watching this one can see why. Shane really, as we have been robbed of years of no Doctor Who until someone with a talent (Russell T Davies) had the vision to know how to make the programme as popular as it once was. Not that I'm bitter. Heheheheh.

One for the completist this story; if you have enjoyed Doctor Who since it has become something to love again, and fancy seeing what it was like in the 80s, DON'T GET THIS.

Survival of Doctor Who.....
Review date: 2007-08-22 Rating: 8 out of 10

I remember enjoying Survival when it was shown on tv originally as one of the better McCoy stories. It was a shame it was the last for many years.
I always had a problem with the way Doctor Who went after its 'hiatus' in 1985. The problems started with Trial of a Timelord in 1986, which showed Doctor Who slashed to 14 episodes a year instead of 26 and the 'pantomime acting appeared, such a shame after Colin Baker's excellent first season; even Timelash was better than what was to come in 1987...
Which was, Mr McCoy. The second Dr McCoy to roam the universe, although, he didn't stand a chance.
McCoys first two seasons saw Doctor Who veer uncomfortably into a silly light entertainment style which pandered heavily to people like Mary Whitehouse who wanted less violence and more comedy and producer John Nathan Turners desire to get famous faces involved to boost ratings. What was he thinking?

So we have the likes of Ken Dodd, (actually not that bad) and Richard Briers, (oh dear) appearing amonst others, and the whole thing was almost like a bad sitcom. Red Dwarf was more believable!
Added to a not very Doctorish Doctor,who wore that silly jumper, ( a producer decision) was the most irritating companian ever who didn't call The Doctor by name but something else.
We had Cybermen and nazis in incomprehensible plots involving silver bows and arrows, we had Daleks who were destroyed by annoying Ace and her silly baseball bat,(for goodness sake!!!) and no one seemed to know what they were doing, and the poor old Brigadier who did his best in a second rate excuse for a UNIT story that was so cheesy it was awful.
We had the utter dross that was the Happiness Patrol and we had possibly the worst Doctor Who story ever in the shape of the incredibly bad Delta and the Bannermen.
Bad special effects were nothing new in Doctor Who, but they can be forgiven by good writing and sharp acting, but here we were in trouble.
But we hung on, hoping it would get better.
And it did.
Sudennly, at the close of McCoys second season, (can four stories constitute a season?) we had The Greatest Show in the Galaxy with real menace, a good story and a creepy atmosphere.
Things began to look hopeful for next season.
And, avoiding the rubbish Battlefield, we had Ghost Light which shouted 'Real Doctor Who' even though it wasn't really like anything we'd seen before.
Then the Ok Curse of Fenric, good story, let down by Annoying Ace again, and we come to the best McCoy story, which was ironically the last one.
We have the Master, played by brilliant Anthony Ainley in his favourite role, with his great evil chuckle, and we have the obligatory famous faces, comedians Hale and Pace, who act well, and don't look like famous people in a role thats not suited to them. They actually add to the story, not detract from it.
We have a good cast; all the younger cast members, except Ace are brilliant, (although she does have some good moments,) and we have some great acting from the actor who playes Sergeant Paterson.
There are also some great Doctorish moments for Sylvester McCoy for once as he tracks the cats.
I also think the cheetah costumes are absolutely brilliant. they show the actors eyes, which gives a depth, expression and emotion to the acting, and really makes you forget they are people dressed up, as some other Who monsters.
The location filming , although you know its a quarry or something, does look like an alien landscape, or maybe it is because it reminds me of all those old Who stories in quarries from the 70's.
True, we have the 'murdered version' of the theme tune to contend with, but for once the incidental music is OK; (in some McCoy stories it is TRULY DREADFUL evoking no sense of drama or tension at all)
I must admit i blamed Sylvester McCoy after seeing his first few stories, for the way that Doctor Who had gone, but seeing this story made me change my mind. It wasn't his fault at all, but a certain producer.
He can act, he is a good Doctor, but due to a producer who had been in the job too long and who made some really bad decisions, he wasn't allowed to fulfill his potential.
In Survival, he almost does, and if you want further proof, watch the Paul McGann Doctor Who the Movie, for in it is the 7th Doctor as played by Sylvester McCoy that we should have had all along.
In that movie, and don't get me started on that,(!)he played the role as he should have been allowed to for the BBC. Its funny but that US made movie cemented McCoy as the Doctor in my mind where the TV series just failed to do so.
In Survival, though, McCoy almost nails it.
To sum up, its the best of the McCoy stories, and i am glad that the original series went out on a high.
I remember thinking that when the series came back next year it would show a big improvement.
It never came back, as the damage had already been done, by pandering to people who tried to make it into something it wasn't.
Doctor Who should be scary, violent occasionally, thrilling, and funny too, where the humour comes from situations, and not where its trying to be funny for its own good.
The creators of the new series have largely succeeded with this, except the one with Peter Kay in...
Dreadful!....

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Gareth Hale
Sophie Aldred
Adele Silva
Anthony Ainley
Sylvester McCoy

Creators:
Sylvester McCoy (Primary Contributor)
Sophie Aldred (Primary Contributor)

Recording label: 2 Entertain Video
Manufacturer: 2 Entertain Video
EAN: 5014503183424
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 2
Format: Full Screen, PAL,
Release date: 2007-04-16
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Audience rating: Parental Guidance
Region code: 2
Running time: 73 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1963-11-23
Language: English (Original Language)

Add to Cart

© 2006 Darren Hester, DesignsByDarren.com, Some Rights Reserved.
Valid XHTML 1.0 Transitional