STORY
PLOTLINE
After
an accident with the TARDIS, the Doctor, Zoe and Jamie are transported into a
dimension where fiction rules. Here they encounter a range of fictional characters
and some ominous White Robots.
DVD
EXTRAS
- Studio
Commentary Wendy Padbury, Frazer Hines, Hamish Wilson, and THE
MIND ROBBER Director David Maloney
- THE
FACT OF FICTION (dur. 34' 55") Actors and production team recall
working on the story in this specially shot featurette
- HIGHLANDER (dur.
22' 28") Actor, Frazer Hines looks back on his career in DOCTOR
WHO and beyond
- Easter
Egg, Photo Gallery and on-screen Production Notes
COMMENT Spoliers
ahead
Something that never ceases
to amaze me about the extras on DOCTOR WHO DVDs
is that people remember so much for so long after the event. You’d
honestly imagine that after 34 years people’s recollections would fade,
and indeed in the commentaries on The Mind Robber that actually happens. Patrick
Troughton was a good actor, apparently. Fraser Hines learned a lot from him.
It’s a clear picture. Wendy Padbury still gets letters about that shot
of her bum in the clingy costume. Part one goes by quickly, they agree, but somehow
it slows down with the commentary track on.
The made-to-measure
extras are rather better. HIGHLANDER is a strong evocation of Fraser Hines’ time on the show; he
reveals that it was his agent, not he, that wanted out, and indeed Troughton
was reluctant to leave too. He discusses the relationship with the different
companions (although wouldn’t it have
been nice to see Anneke Wills discussing the initial impact of this new young
arrival when they thought two young companions was enough – did they feel
they were being edged out?) but frustratingly discusses only the characters rather
than the actors, particularly when it comes to Wendy Padbury. It’s worth
watching, although I’d have preferred a few more probing questions.
Even better is THE FACT OF FICTION. In this, Peter
Ling, Christopher Robbie, both companions and others show remarkable powers of
recall, as does Hamish Wilson, about the making of this genuinely unusual story.
They express frustrations over the scale of the set (justifiably), the fact that
Doctor Who never really went into that sort of fantasy area again (an interesting
thought) and all praise is meted out to the cast, even if Troughton was agitating
for more money because of the absence of a support cast in part one. This is
the high spot of the DVD.
The low spot – you might think – is rather fun if a) you’re
the right age, and b) you understand the rationale for including it. Patrick
Troughton faced the Yeti. A Yeti costume was used in a Basil Brush sketch in
the seventies – and let’s hope you’re keeping up, because there’s
no explanation on the DVD.
Overall this is probably the best DVD to
date.
One of the best
stories, an assembly of people who really remember more detail than could reasonably
have been expected and yes, my brief is to write about the extras but one has
to mention the utterly crisp picture and sound – which this time almost act to the
story’s detriment as it starts to look like any other cheap kid’s
show (which of course it was – I was reminded of Iceworld).
If they’ve got more like this up their sleeve, we’re
in for some treats.
Read the review of the BBC AUDIO release of THE MIND ROBBER