Having not been on screen for three years, the always ratings-winning Daleks make for a fine return alongside Sylvester McCoy's Doctor, launching the show's milestone 25th Anniversary in style with Remembrance of the Daleks, of which the new white and gold legion of Davro's Daleks certainly dressed to impress!
Art by Alistair Pearson.
Ben Aaronovitch's acclaimed adaptation of his story - one of the finest in the original Target Books range - is excellently brought to BBC Audio, read by Davros himself, actor Terry Molloy.
The Krynoid menace awakens to threaten extinction. Artist by Sean Longmore.
"... the size of St. Paul's Cathedral. After that it will multiply itself a thousand fold until it takes over your entire planet."
20th Century Earth. A research team based in the Antarctic unwittingly digs up two mysterious pods which have laid buried in the snow for twenty thousand years.
Yet the identity of the pods is no mystery to the Doctor. That they are Krynoid - a hostile, alien species of plant life, there can be no doubt. And his fears are confirmed when one of the pods opens and attacks a scientist.
Unfortunately, the Doctor is not the only one interested in the seeds - an insane millionaire, Harrison Chase, is desperate to get his hands on a pod at any costs- even murder. But why?
Events spiral out of control as the remaining pod reaches England, splitting open to reveal a ferocious Krynoid carnivore. Can the Doctor arrest its development? For, as its strength grows every moment, it threatens to turn Earth's vegetation hostile too. It's germination could jeopardise the security of mankind itself..."
Official BBC VHS synopsis - 1994
It's the end of an era in many ways for Classic Who as its finest director Douglas Camfield and writer Robert Banks Stewart bow out with this All-Time Classic adventure, which featured heavy contributions for the story's opening episodes by Robert Holmes, We even might have lost Elisabeth Sladen with this story too, what with the end of her contract. Thankfully the production team, who didn't really want to lose her, would persuade Miss Sladen to stay on for a few more classic tales in Season Fourteen.
I enjoyed The Seeds of Doom greatly as a six year old, what with its air of monster mayhem (I always thought the large Krynoid was nasty, if a bit wobbly, though!) amidst a story that wouldn't have been out of place in The Avengers. Our exuberant, action-packed Doctor was almost like John Steed, and Sarah almost like Emma Peel (if not in combat mode) as they took on the looney planet aficionado Harrison Chase (the superb Tony Beckley, who died far too young) and later Boycie icon John Challis as the mercenary Scorby. All of the story remains vivid from the time and its always fun to revisit it, especially with last year's Season Thirteen Collection release.
Great Frank Bellamy listings promo in the Radio Times.
The Krynoid pod soon takes control and absorbs its first human victim in the Antarctic.
The Doctor and Sarah travel to the Antarctica base to confront and help destroy the first Krynoid pod discovery.
"A pity. I could have had two pods!" The insane Harrison Chase (Tony Beckley, in a superb performance) is determined to lead a plant revolution against the Human vermin!
Chase is keen for the captured Sarah to be the second Krynoid pod's victim. But it all goes wrong thankfully, when the Doctor interferes.
The pod infected Keeler (Mark Jones), soon to become the ultimate threat to animal kind.
The second Krynoid lurks across the grounds of Chase's mansion.
Don't look behind you!
The Doctor and Sarah confront the beast in a classic publicity image.
Our heroes, with one of the UNIT troops and the soon dead mercenary Scorby (John Challis), witness the creature's expanse.
The Krynoid is ultimately destroyed by the firepower of the RAF!
Behind the scenes of the BBC model filming in 1976.
Elisabeth Sladen looking gorgeous on location.
The ever-reliable Douglas Camfield, in his final work for Who, and producer Phillip Hinchcliffe.
US Pinnacle Books release cover art by David Mann.
The first Krynoid is the cover star to the In-Vision fan coverage of the story from the 90's.
UK VHS cover art by Colin Howard.
The UK DVD release. Composition by Clayton Hickman.
UK DVD Files magazine release from the 2000's.
Doctor Who Magazine issue 443's memorable cover.
Target Books tribute art by Philip James Allison.
Original Target Books cover art by Chris Achilleos.
Get the BBC Audio adaptation of the Philip Hinchcliffe Target novel adaptation here:
The Mummies return! Great art for the Target Book reprint by Andrew Skilleter.
The future of the cosmos is at stake as the Doctor faces his most fearsome adversary in this four part adventure. Returning to Unit HQ on Earth, the Tardis is thrown violently about by a mysterious force and Sarah and the Doctor arrive instead at an old priory in the year 1911. The owner, Marcus Scarman, has been excavating ancient tombs and is possessed by the spirit of Sutekh, bringer of the 'the gift of death to all mankind'. Sutekh has lain for thousands of years in his pyramid prison and Scarman and his robot mummies plan to relwese this ancient and evil power. Will Sutekh the all-powerful be freed from his bonds and destroy the world, or will the Doctor manage to bring about his destruction?
Original BBC VHS release synopsis.
Meticulously written by Robert Holmes, and directed in a non-flashy but highly effective way by Paddy Russell, Pyramids of Mars shines in all the right places as an All-Time Classic, enhanced by the more alien than ever Tom Baker at his charismatic best and Elisabeth Sladen never better as Sarah. As a five-year old, I found it terrifying to watch on its original transmission, especially the episode one cliffhanger with the arrival of the possessed Scarman in that scary black Eqyptian beetle outfit, swiftly burning Namin (Peter Mayock) to death (I literally ran to the door of the front room and watched through the cracks to see what happened next in episode two!), plus the ongoing pursuits of the inhuman Mummies out to crush their prey. And then there was Sutekh - who better to voice the chilling destroyer of the universe than Gabriel Woolf, joining Michael Wisher as Davros within the top tier of great actors to play Classic Who villains.
As to that niggling ongoing debate about how Sarah knew how to use a rifle in blowing up the pyramid rocket ? Well, it's obvious that Sergeant Benton taught her a few (offscreen) tricks during the previous UNIT/ Zygon encounter!
Trouble in the TARDIS as an alien apparition invades and the TARDIS makes a materialisation at the right place but the wrong time.
The Doctor and Sarah explore the missing Professor Scarman's residence (eventually the UNIT base of the 70's/80's) and discover that his passion for Egyptology has gotten the better of him!
The Doctor helps the wounded Dr. Warlock (Peter Copley), investigating the disappearance of Marcus Scarman, shot by the evil Sutekh's current human servant, Namin.
The Doctor investigates Lawrence Scarman's Marconiscope communications device.
The Doctor and Lawrence (Michael Sheard) confer on the radio wave signals from Mars sending out a terrifying warning - "Beware Sutekh"!
Sutekh's true servant (he needs no other!), Marcus Scarman, returns to his once home...
... and soon murders faithful to the end Namin (Peter Maycock).
The possessed Scarman (Bernard Archard) instructs its robot servitors on the creation of the weapon needed to destroy the Mars pyramid holding Sutekh as a powerless prisoner.
The Doctor investigates Sutekh's space/time tunnel. But beware!
Our heroes encounter a parallel future for Earth that is catastrophic if Sutekh is freed.
The Mummies brutally slay the poacher of the Scarman estate. Later, the possessed Marcus Scarman will kill his own brother.
The Mummies stand ready at the pyramid missile.
Sarah takes aim to detonate the explosive at the pyramid missile placed by the Doctor.
The evil Sutekh in his prison lair, chillingly voiced by Gabriel Woolf.
Though thwarting Sutekh's explosive plans, the Doctor soon becomes a plaything of Sutekh and must do his bidding.
The possessed Doctor returns and takes the captured party to Mars, to destroy the defensive systems still protecting Sutekh,
The Doctor and Sarah in a rehearsal shot.
Now released, the true visage of the vengeance-wreaking Sutekh.
The creature is thankfully banished to the end of time by a quick-thinking Doctor as the old priory soon burns to the ground.
Top Special Effects veteran Ian Scoones adjusts the TARDIS model in flight.
Again with the TARDIS.
Gabriel Woolf on playing Sutekh.
Original BBC edited UK VHS release from the eighties.
Target Books blue spine reprint art by Alister Pearson.
Original UK DVD cover release, composition by Clayton Hickman.
US DVD release cover from the nineties.
UK DVD partwork series cover of the 2000's.
Unique one-off poster magazine from the story, from Doctor Who Magazine.
A memorable cover to issue 176 of Doctor Who Magazine.
A super cover from Issue 348, October 2004, of Doctor Who Magazine.
Striking fan poster homage by Oliver Arkinstall-Jones.
Original Target cover art by Chris Achilleos adapted for the BBC Audio release.
Get the BBC Audio adaptation of the Target novel here:
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