Saturday, June 28, 2025

BATTLEFIELD LAKERTYA!


The evil Time Lord scientist known as the Rani launches her boldest plan yet, wanting to conquer the realms of time and space with both her 'superbrain' collective and the capture of a unique 'strange matter' composed asteroid, and only the newly regenerated and at first unstable Seventh Doctor, once a deliberate part of her scheme, stands in her way on the rock world belonging to the Leonine aliens known as the Lakertyans, open prisoners and near powerless to assist...

Very nice composition art by Lee Binding to celebrate the new era of Sylvester McCoy's incarnation, and his opening story, the love-it or hate-it Time and the Rani.


Music composer Keff McCulloch's ambitious and very of its time soundtrack for the story is available here:

Saturday, June 21, 2025

THE VAROSIAN WAY OF DEATH!


Amidst the deep Varosian skyline, the Doctor and rebel leader Jondar (Jason Connery) are seemingly to face death at the end of the noose after fighting the cruel and evil system of leadership and elitist tyranny within the planet's only colony. But is all what it seems for our heroes, as the Governor makes his own plans to find out the truth about the system of corruption and greed to which he is trapped? 

A memorable moment from Philip Martin's Vengeance on Varos, and a story which overall is probably the best of Colin Baker's launch season with regards to structure and pacing, fronted by the lead star who is clearly playing the Doctor with enjoyment and gusto.

Cover art by Chris Achellios.

The original version of the cover art.

If you haven't already read the late Philip Martin's own book adaptation of Varos, it's well worth it for the additional world building insights and strong characterisation that he brings to its pages, alongside bigger ambition improvements over some of the visualisation elements presented in the original TV production that only a novel can deliver.

Doctor Who: Vengeance on Varos: Amazon.co.uk: Martin, Philip: 9781785940408: Books

Saturday, June 14, 2025

A TIME OF FIRE AND VISITATIONS!


Hi-jacked in the TARDIS and taken to the mysterious volcanic world of Sarn, young American student Peri Brown soon falls into the hands of the manipulated Kamelion/Master, as the renegade Time Lord begins his plans to beguile the planet's fire god worshipping brethren to his own devices, in this scene from Planet of Fire, a story in which Anthony Ainley shines in his dual roles.

Writer Peter Grimwade's brisk novel makes its way to BBC Audio adaptation, read by the Peter Davison era's memorable Cyber leader, David Banks. It arrives online and in stores from 5th June, 2025.


Cover art by Andrew Skilleter.

Get it here:

Saturday, June 7, 2025

SEASON TWELVE AT FIFTY: 'THE SONTARAN EXPERIMENT'

The Sontarans are back!

Earth 10,000 years hence and life has been exterminated - or has it? The Doctor, Sarah Jane and Harry find themselves in the Piccadilly Circus of the future where the mysterious alien in the rocks rules. Then the Doctor bumps into an old enemy... and finds himself part of a lethal experiment....

Original BBC VHS release story synopsis - 1991


An effective little two-parter from the talented writing duo of Bob Baker and Dave Martin that pits our heroes against a truly cruel and sadistic enemy in the Sontaran expeditionary warrior Styre (another gruesome member of Robert Holmes memorable 'Humpty Dumpty--esque oddity monsters) - Kevin Lindsay impressing once more in another ghoulish mask for the character as well as his online superior in the Marshal. The excellent and eerie Dartmoor photography is a fine backdrop for the barren Earth and the ongoing drama/action, but it's such a shame that such great work would all have to be shot on cheap videotape. 

I recall the entire story vividly, but specifically via its omnibus repeat in 1976 (It was a great treat to watch after a hospital emergency visit earlier in the day). I don't know how I missed the original on its 1975 two-parter transmission, but things happen...




The Sontaran Experiment ★★★★ | Radio Times


The Doctor gets to work on repairing the Trans Mat ring on the now solar flare-free, deserted Earth.

The watchful Sontaran capture robot ready to capture any humanoids it finds.

The scary figure of Field Major Styre (Kevin Lindsay) departs his ship.


Sarah is captured and brought to Styre.

The experiments begin for Sarah and the luckless humanoid Roth (Peter Rutherford).

Behind the scenes on the classic sequence filmed at Dartmoor.

Styre is a Sontaran who loves his job...

Styre observes Sarah's ongoing mental torture.

The remaining three astronaut humanoids captured by Styre (Donald Douglas, Glyn Jones, Peter Walshe), are put to the test.

As a diversion, the Doctor challenges Styre to single combat.

Whilst Harry sabotages the Sontaran ship and the creature dies with its power loss.


A miserable looking star on location with his broken collar bone.

Original Target book cover art by Roy Knipe.

VHS release art by Andrew Skilleter.

In-Vision cover art by Andrew Martin.

DVD release sleeve key art by Clayton Hickman.

US DVD release sleeve.

Striking German DVD release cover.

Target Book fan art cover by Philip James Allison.


Get the BBC audio book adaptation here:

Doctor Who and the Sontaran Experiment: A Fourth Doctor Novelisation (Audio Download): Ian Marter, Jon Culshaw, BBC Audio: Amazon.co.uk: Books