Dr Who: Delta And The Bannermen: DVD Review

Dr Who: Delta And The Bannermen: DVD Review

Dr Who: Delta and The Bannermen
Cast: Sylvester McCoy, Bonnie Langford, Ken Dodd, Don Henderson
Rating: PG
Released by BBC/ Roadshow Entertainment
Another release from the Sylvester McCoy years, this three part adventure from 1987 sees the 7th Doctor back in 1959 South Wales - and ensconced in battle at a holiday camp - Hi De Who anyone?
When an alien princess heads to the Shangri La holiday camp, the erstwhile Doc and his companion Mel (Bonnie Langford) find themselves caught in a showdown which will decide the fate of an entire civilization.
1980s Doctor Who wasn't always at its finest - even the most ardent of fans can acknowledge that - but this 3 parter sees a fair amount of gung ho action and double crossing to show that its intentions were admirable.
McCoy gives it his all and it's a shame the show will be forever remembered for its terrible shonky effects rather than the subtle layered underperformance of McCoy himself - and it's amusing to see Ken Dodd in a cameo role as a tollmaster.
The package is once again rounded off by a good solid bunch of extras - with no major making of doco appearing on the set, it's left to a series of rushes from the scene and interviews taken at the time to cover how the story came to be; there's a commentary from the director and script editor at the time - as well as McCoy himself.
However, the best part of this set is the latest in the Stripped For Action series which covers the comic appearances of the Doctor throughout the ages - this one's focused on the Seventh Doctor's years which ran when the show went off the air and is a fascinating look at how the show endured its years in the wilderness.
While Delta and The Bannermen may not be the best story to remaster and release, a healthy set of extras means the fans have something to get their teeth into - that is until the forthcoming release in October of the seminal classic from the sixties, The War Games.

Rating: 6/10