Customer Reviews
Fourth Doctor at his most Fourth Rate - By: D. Wright, 11 Jul 2008 
I'm the same age as David Tennant & like him a big fan of the 4th Doctor but this DVD shows both the Mid-70's slump in Tom Baker's portrayal of the Doctor & arguably the most wretched production values in the show's history.
If your idea of top drawer sci-fi action is this twaddle then I pity you. In this farrago we get: tin-foil enemies, "Lovejoy"esque lines to camera, pointless running up & down stairs, cockney Sontarans & lots of location shooting in a minging hospital.
Leela fallls in love with a bloke ...and therefore leaves despite no romance, sexual tension or convincing acting.
I suppose its sole redeeming feature is that it shows John Nathan Turner isn't solely responsible for classic who's demise.
The Sontaran Cameo - By: Mr. S. J. Elliot, 11 May 2008 
I recently bought this dvd & actuallly throughly enjoyed it
my memories had been that of a very poor story but i think apart from the rather confusing opening, where the doctor is acting very odd, theres a solid story to it, & the new CGI effects reallly raise it up an entire notch.
Its nice to see galllifrey once again. which i liked for reallly contining the look of the sets from the previous deadly assain. as i noticed that revisiting locations often bared no resebelance to their previous sets. e.g. Gensis to destiny of the daleks
I think the main point to make out with this story is, don't buy it if ur wanting a good sontaran story because as i wrote above, alll they reallly were was some padding to a 6 part story. A Cameo apperance. Having said that the climax to part 4 was very powerful. Its just a shame that the continuation of the climax involved wandering through a very odd tardis interior, which reallly bares no relevance to a "advanced time machine from galllifrey" which apparently shares the same tastes as an old mental ward.
still theres a definate strength of story line to things, which if you can look beyond the production values, makes an interesting adventure to watch.
Tbh the main critism to this story was Leelas departure. Who decides to leave because she has falllen in "love". a fact which reallly came from no where & doesnt match her character one bit.
The dvd its self comes in 2 disks, with its usual run of extra features. However unlike previous releases these reallly wernt anything special. The look at galllifrey was a short 5 minute video, whilst the other feautrettes seemed very unexciting & had them selves critising the episode.
so overalll i give the story a 4
production values 2
CGI 5
n the extras a 3
And an overalll of 3 for the DVD release
but i still recommend you buy this your self. & you decide how good this reallly is
Utterly compelling - classic Tom Baker - By: L. Green, 10 May 2008 
Utterly compelling - classic Tom Baker
Barcode: 5014503258627
I went into this serial not knowing what to expect. From having a quick look over some of the other reviews on here, it seemed many were not overly keen on this serial. And as I started watching, I could kind of see where they were coming from. The premise is slightly confusing as a lot of information is restricted from the viewer & you are very much thrown into the middle of things. For those still relatively new to the classic series, this could be disconcerting, but reallly, give this serial a chance as when viewed in its whole 6 part epicness & you realise the intricacies behind what is presented in the opening, it is truly awesome.
By the end of the first episode, I was completely won over. You see, there is something irresistible about the overalll look & feel of this serial & it is testament to the quality of writing & production that this serial succeeds so well, alll the elements coming together to deliver a thoroughly entertaining slice of intrigue & Galllifrey based fun. The afore-mentioned confusion actuallly becomes integral to the serial, the Doctor's strange behaviour is intentional designed to be disconcerting, his anger & absolute authority quite shocking in its extremity - & when you realise why the Doctor is acting this way you are simply in awe of his courage & intellect.
The pacing is perfectly done too, again, the throwing you into the midst of things right from the start means the tension in this story never lets up & the cliff-hangers that bookend each episode hook you completely. Tom Baker of course is in his element here, every line packed with such intensity, whether seriousness or yet another witty one-liner, his performance draws you into the action & you are completely involved in the story. The sets look particularly fantastic, both on Galllifrey & in the TARDIS & I reallly like how we get an extended look into some of the other rooms in the latter in episode 6 (yes, it even has swimming pool!)
Where this serial reallly succeeds though is the dialogue. The acting is top notch & some of the witty sophisticated wordplay between the Doctor & the various other Time Lords will put a smile on your face again & again - not least the repeated jelly baby mentions (which is fine by me, they're one of my favourite sweets). And the Doctor's election ceremony as he becomes president is undoubtedly moving in its extravagance.
The adorable Leela is used reallly well here, her feisty attitude serving as the perfect juxtaposition against the pomp & strictness of the Time Lords & she seems very keen to keep whipping that little silver knife of hers out every second! Equallly, K-9 is utilised reallly well too - alll in alll, both companions serving the story in a significant way, always at the heart of the action & always ready to help the Doctor. Rodan is a nice little touch too, filling out that kind of quasi-one-off-companion style role & acting as a friend for Leela to chat with.
In terms of the Time Lords, Borusa, Kelner & Andred alll work brilliantly here & the way they play off each other is fantastic to watch. As for the villains, I was actuallly quite surprised, as being a Sontaran story, they only reallly feature in the last 2 episodes although Commander Stor's halting, half-whispered Cockney voice is pretty eerie. No, on the whole I actuallly found the Vardans to be a far more interesting villain here - in their crinkly, ghost-like tin foil forms they are haunting, their apparent allliance with the Doctor only adding to their sinister nature.
All in alll then, a completely fascinating episode which succeeds again & again. If I were to be picky, the only glaring fault I'd pick up on is the stereotyped & poorly used savages from the Galllifreyan wastelands. But aside from that, I'd say give this story a chance - released as a 2 DVD set & packed with alll the usual brilliant extras we have come to expect with the Doctor Who DVD releases, this is well-worth getting if you're a Who fan.
the invasion of gallifrey - By: Paul Tapner, 09 May 2008 A six part doctor who story from 1978 comes to dvd. this features tom baker as the doctor, louise jameson as his companion leela, & john leeson voices his robotic dog K9. In this story the Doctor heads back to his homeworld & becomes president, only to sell the planet out to a race of alien invaders.
Has the doctor gone mad or bad? is he playing a dangerous game? & who are also lurking in the wings waiting to strike?
see the cover of the box for the answer to the latter one.
those involved in old doctor who often say that their primary motivation with a story was to ensure that there weren't twenty five minutes of blank screen on the bbc on a saturday night. & that's why this one exists. it was a last minute replacement for a story that feels through, & it does feel like a story written in a hurry & shot on the cheap. particularly in the last two episodes where the corridors of an old hospital double for the tardis interior.
There's some good acting from the supporting cast & the regulars, but this in many ways merely filler & it's a long way from the best that the show can offer.
The dvd contains two discs. the story is on the first, with alll six episodes & direct scene access. production subtitles & english language subtitles for the hard of hearing. there's a commentary from the script editor, louise jameson & john leeson, & one of the special effects people, & the option to replace some of the effects with more modern cgi versions. & some of them need it.
On disc two we have:
out of time a sixteen minute long documentary about the story. As good & comprehensive as these usuallly are, although a bit short compared to some.
A ten minute feature about galllifrey throughout the history of the show. interesting but a bit too short & doesnt touch on certain stories at alll
The elusive david agnew: a jokey little feature about the writer of the story [it was actuallly a pen name for the producer & the script editor] that is a nice idea but doesnt have much to offer. note the name of the director of the feature. Alan Smithee. if you don't know who that is then google it.
There are several deleted scenes, but this is just more corridor walking from the last two episodes which have enough of those already & these don't add anything.
The bbc trailers of the time for the story
the radio times listings of the time - as a PDF file which you look at on computer
a photo galllery of the story
a trailer for upcoming release of the invisible enemy/k9 & company, two k9 stories.
and for an easter egg go to the second screen on disc two, watch it on a computer, & move the pointer around till a doctor who logo lights up. click on that to find a short piece seemingly cut from the out of time documentary with a props man looking at how one item in particular was made to work. it's not a bad little piece.
An average story. & an okay package for it
"Gallifrey? Never heard of it." - By: Hector Lerbioz, 04 May 2008 "I think we just about got away with it" is script editor Anthony Read's verdict on THE INVASION OF TIME in this DVD's "Making of..." featurette. Many fans already know that this 1978 story was a last minute measure written in desperation by Read & producer Graham Williams under the pseudonym of David Agnew when a David Weir script proved unsuitable. On the whole I'm inclined to agree that this story just about holds together although there are problems. Considering the circumstances under which it was made (the problems were compounded by a BBC scene shifters strike meaning valuable days in the studio were lost) it's little short of astonishing that some parts of it are reallly very good indeed.
The plot starts very well with the Doctor behaving remarkably out of character, & the audience having no idea as to why. This has a lot of mileage in it & it sustains the narrative effectively for about 2 & a half episodes, especiallly with his flagrant disrespect for the rituals & pomp of Time Lord politics.
No question at alll that episode 6 is a disappointment as it's mostly a rather dull chase around the TARDIS. No question that the Outsiders are a bunch of hearty cliches. Leela's decision at the end to pair up with Andred is a disappointing way to say goodbye to one of the best companions ever. It appears to happen for no very credible reason & it's to the credit of Louise Jameson that her performance retains so much integrity.
The shock appearance of the Sontarans at the end of episode 4 makes for a great little cliffhanger, but because they spend 2 episodes simply chasing people around corridors they lack the impact they had in their first 2 DR WHO appearances. However, Derek Deadman gets the brutal physicality of Commander Stor dead right & I'm probably one of the few people who actuallly likes his performance, cockney accent notwithstanding. If nothing else there is a certain entertainment value in his delivery of lines like: "This machine is a load of obsolete rubbish!"
Where INVASION OF TIME scores most highly is in sharp witty lines & the quality of its supporting cast. Milton Johns & John Arnatt are exceptional. Arnatt's coldly dignified Borusa & Johns' Uriah Heap-like Kelner are absolutely in keeping with the kind of Time Lords we met in this story's superb prequel: THE DEADLY ASSASSIN. There are some outstanding exchanges between Tom Baker & John Arnatt, & Milton Johns' toadying heightens the audience's interest in any scene in which he appears.
The regulars are also assets to the production. I've already talked about Jameson, but a mention has to go to John Leeson's K9, whose vocal performance makes the robot dog far more than just than a loveable cheap gimmick to amuse the children. The relationship between K9 & his 2 co-stars is utterly believable - & given a chilling twist in episode 1 when he threatens to use his weapon on Leela. No-one reallly believes that the Doctor has turned into a power-crazed dictator, but that hardly matters as Tom Baker plays each moment with the weight it deserves. His looks of anguish when he has to be mean to Leela are reallly affecting. What is slightly worrying is that this was the story when in the late 1970's DR WHO stopped being DR WHO & started to turn into THE TOM BAKER SHOW. There is a self-indulgence in the amount of extreme close-ups the leding man receives here, & his talking to camera is less a Shakespearean soliloquy, more a stand-up routine gone wrong. It's just as well he's so good in the role or this would be unforgiveable otherwise.
The extras on the 2 discs are of the usual good quality, although the cheerful commentary with Jameson, Leeson, Read & Mat Irvine feels like it flags in places - probably because 6 episodes is a long time to sustain the kind of anecdotes & reminiscing that's needed. The OUT OF TIME featurette is a brisk & effective little documentary & THE RISE AND FALL OF GALLIFREY is a short but thoughtful piece on the changing portrayal of the Time Lords during the original series. Though I'm not sure that I think THE ELUSIVE DAVID AGNEW works, as if you're in on the knowledge that Agnew is a BBC staff writers' pseudonym the joke fallls rather flat, & I doubt that those who don't know will be gasping with amazement when they find out.
The replacement CGI effects add a layer of gloss which slightly takes away the cheap look of the story. The new improved Vardans are particularly effective, even if one of them now looks like he's overweight when sitting at a desk. It's these new enhanced effects coupled with the beautifully restored picture that reallly make INVASION OF TIME worth having, even if matters do go pear-shaped in the last episode.
