Dr Who: Remembrance of the Daleks: DVD Review

Dr Who: Remembrance of the Daleks: DVD Review

Dr Who: Remembrance of the Daleks: Special Edition
Cast: Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred, Terry Molloy, The Daleks
Released by BBC And Roadshow Entertainment
This tale from the popular sci fi series' 25th anniversary in 1988 sees Sylvester McCoy's Doctor back on some familiar ground from the show's history and facing his old nemeses.
This 2 disc set had previously been available as part of the mega Davros DVD set but has now been given a separate release outside of that set so fans won't have to pay out for stories they already had just to get this special edition.
Basically the Doctor finds himself back in sixties London along with his companion Ace (Sophie Aldred) - and they're not alone. Because looking for a piece of ancient Time Lord tech are the Daleks - and if the Doctor can't stop them, everything could fall apart.
Taken from the less than popular series of the show, it's clear this was Who at its wobbly best - the Daleks are a bit shonky and you can actually see them wobble as they traverse roads to get to their evil ends.
That said, there's an old school charm to this - both McCoy and Aldred are great and give their all to a script which creaks with references to the show's past (a first for the writers and aimed at cocking a wink to the old school fans in the show's 25th year) but you can't escape from the fact this serial's not one of the best.
However, the same can't be said for the extras on this two disc set - commentary from the show's main stars, a doco about the making of this serial; a discussion of the references made to the show's history in Remembrance of the Daleks; extended and deleted scenes are just part of the additional moments.
But the piece de resistance is a documentary exploring the history of Davros, the Daleks' creator - an entire disc is devoted to this doco Davros Connection, 43 minutes about one of the show's most enduring villains and the actors who've played him through the years.
It's a great end to a relatively inauspicious story - Remembrance of the Daleks is not the show's finest moment - however, that said, the deep dark vein of mystery running though it shows the series was never too frightened to confound expectations for its characters.
Extras: Audio Commentary - with Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred, Remembrances - Cast and crew talk about the influences and references to other Doctor Who adventures that are spread throughout the story. Back to School - Cast and crew talk about the making of the story accompanied by rare behind-the-scenes material. Extended and deleted scenes, Multi Angle Scenes, Davros Connections, Trailers, Photo Gallery, Production Notes and Radio Times listings.

Rating: 6/10