Customer Reviews
A great start for the Third Doctor. - By: Mr. Andrew Young, 16 May 2008 
The Pertwee era gets off to a great start with this classic, which sees the show beginning to take on a more adult feel. The new team of Pertwee, Caroline John (Liz) & Nicholas Courtney (in his 3rd appearance as Lethbridge-Stewart) interact together so well. Hugh Burden's Channing & the Autons make genuinely eerie villains & provide us with many memorable moments. Check out the scene in episode 3, where the Auton slices throught the tent before vaporising its victim! The cliffhangers to episodes 2 & 3 are good too, as well as the famous scene of the Autons smashing through the shop windows & invading the streets of London. Perhaps it's no surprise that the Autons were used to relaunch the series when it returned in 2005.
Never mind the disappointing 'tentacles' scene in the final episode, this is still a story that moves along so well, you can watch it over & over again. Arguably the best debut story for a Doctor, & certainly the best until David Tennant arrived thirty-five years later in 'The Christmas Invasion.'
Doctor Pertwee arrives - By: S J Buck, 31 Aug 2007 
If you're the right age, then Jon Pertwee's Doctor Who will be a lasting memory from your childhood. Whilst this isn't the best story from the Pertwee years its still great entertainment. This is the first series that starred Pertwee & unusuallly it was nearly alll shot on film in 1969 which gives it a different quality to studio based recordings. The BBC have done a fine job restoring the picture for the DVD, aside from a few stray lines the picture is pristine.
I occasionallly had problems with the sound, but that is not the DVD's fault - my hearing is rather poor. Fortunately subtitles are provided.
Its no surprise that when the BBC relaunched Doctor Who with Christopher Eccelston a few years ago they re-used the basic idea from this story (living plastic). The Autons reallly are rather creepy. Liz Shaw & the Brigadier are alll present & correct, although I only vaguely remember Liz Shaw who seems to have been replaced by Jo Grant in my memory with regard to Jon Pertwee's series.
The DVD has some good extras, most noteably a commentary track from Caroline John & Nicholas Courtney (again with subtitles - although I did not find these neccessary). As the commentary track was recorded 30 years later it is a little light on detail, but both of them are engaging & easy to listen to. There is also a text feed that can be viewed with the episodes (at the same time as the commentary if you wish) which in truth probably provides more information. There are the usual number of trailers etc.
The main reason to watch this though is Jon Pertwee, who as the Doctor always gave marvellous performances, showing us the Doctors intelligence & humanity (even though he wasn't human) & just occasionallly a darker selfish side. Because of his comedy background Pertwee also produces a couple of wonderful humerous moments as well. All I want now is The Daemons......
Doctor Who Spearhead From Space - By: Doctor Dalek, 25 Aug 2007 I thought this DVD was great especiallly considering that it was the first one to star Jon Pertwee. It was a bit comical at the start but it shows a lot of the Doctor's character & ingenuity especiallly when fighting the Nestene & it was great to watch.
Auton Gold - By: David Longhorn, 14 Jul 2007 Jon Pertwee arrives in earth, staggers out of the Tardis & fallls over. He has regenerated. Meanwhile, UNIT is tracking meteorites that mysteriously fly in formation. (Rather like those in Quatermass 2, actuallly.) Enter sceptical scientist Liz Shaw, the Brigadier, an amusing poacher chappie, some plastic blokes with guns literallly in their hands, & the first colour telly version of DW is under way. It's classic stuff, for alll its faults. The plot is a tad convoluted, the Autons look at a mite unconvincing at times, & the actual Nestene that controls them is very silly. But the general level of acting is high, the script is good, & the direction above average. Throw in Pertwee's dandy Doctor - by turns charming, irascible & impulsive - & you've got a winner.
...aka as The Spearhead from Space - By: Don Kepunja, 05 Jul 2007 Friends! Just to say that this 2007 print is exactly the same as the 2001 edition, except they've slipped a natty blue sleeve over the old-style box. That's not a criticism - just thought you ought to know in case you weren't going to get it because it wouldn't match yer other Who DVDs (you know what some people are like). It will - & as it's mid-price you can buy new at pre-owned price. As for the show itself... well, it's the glossy, gritty beginning of the golden 'Wee era, penned by number one DW scriptwriter Robert Holmes; even non-Whovians recalll this as The One With the Shop Window Dummies. This is part of a re-booted DVD series aimed, one suspects, at tempting new, young Ecclestone- & Tennant-era fans to sample the 'classic' era, & no bad thing for that. Recommended.
