Dr Who - Planet of the Spiders: DVD Review

Dr Who - Planet of the Spiders: DVD Review

Dr Who - Planet of the Spiders
Rating: G
Released by BBC and Roadshow

And so the third Doctor's adventures draw to a close on DVD - and in some ways, so does some of the supporting talent.

This adventure from the 1970s is the final outing for Jon Pertwee's Dr before he changed into Tom Baker and sees the Dr investigating a Tibetan retreat where spooky things are afoot.

Those involved at the retreat seem to be on the verge of summoning an alien presence - and their very existence causes all kinds of problems for the Doctor - and could even lead to his undoing.

The six part adventure is a perfect curtain call for Pertwee's man of action - he's given every moment to shine and seizes it with both hands; plus with the extras and commentary, it feels like a ending in many ways with three of the main talents involved sadly recently dying.

But that doesn't cast a maudlin eye over what's a great story and a fantastic range of extras as well for fans of the genre; commentary from Nicholas Courtney, Barry Letts and Elisabeth Sladen who have now left this earth add a tinge of nostalgic sadness which is hard to initially shake; but The Final Curtain doco which looks back over the third Doctor's tenure is sensitively handled and all the better for it.

Extras: Commentary, docos, reminiscences, an omnibus edition of the story and the usual informative subtitles make this a superior two disc release

Rating: 7/10