John Challis killed it as Scorby, one of the best henchmen if not side-characters the show's ever had. The guy is vicious, mercenary and straight up murderous yet I still want him to make it out alive. His interactions with Sarah Jane and The Doctor are so great and charged too, it makes their enemies to allies dynamic all the more exciting. And Chase getting killed by his own compost machine? Perfect schadenfreude. Again, amazing reaction to this one!
I'm so glad you properly enjoyed Harrison Chase, my favourite villain from all of Doctor Who. Great motivation, surprising no-one though of it before... and an amazing performance by Tony Beckley.
Bakers almost fierce performance along with Sladen's snarky quips and Scorby's henchmen really made this one standout. Unhinged Chase and Amelia Ducat just add to the fun
Great story and season finale. Every scene with Chase is so watchable and dark and funny at the same time. Great direction and acting, and stunts, from every one, from the main cast to the extras. A true classic and easily a top 20 maybe even top 10 classic who story.
22:36...Jess I think you might have missed something with the Chase possession/trance thing. OK he was already obsessed with plant life from before the very start of the serial but there is a definite point in the story where the Krynoid and he seem to bond on a more fundamental level and that is why he can travel around his estate in safety while all the 'animals' are being killed one by one 🤔
This is once again a fantastic story. Chase is at his most sinister here and Scorby gets some genuine attention and development. Henderson is also a good character wish he didn't die. Would love the Krynoid to return in an spinoff aimed for adults to see a more dark and scary approach to the story.
Douglas Camfiield really makes this story; aided and abetted by another future Director on the show. It's dark, humorous and really serves as a great climax to one of the show's best-loved series.
I enjoyed the post episode thoughts where you talked about being a florist when you did wedding planning. I think if you met Mr Chase, you'd be public enemy number one. "You killed our beloved plants and used their bodies for decoration?!" The reactions for this whole story were great. I'm happy you were having so much fun with this one.
One of Who’s great stories, and the third stone cold classic in one of its greatest ever seasons (Pyramids of Mars and Brain of Morbius being the others). The real strengths of this era,- aside from Tom Baker still being fresh in the role, and now in sure command, and a great companion- are the fantastic production values, strong casting and consistently brilliant writing. All exemplified here. Hinchcliffe and Holmes were such a wonderful team. Holmes’ own scripts were of course mostly brilliant but he also got the best out of others, and chose superbly. I wish Robert Banks Stewart had written more for Who…. And yeah, John Challis and Tony Beckley are both fantastic villains in this. Great stuff 10/10
Season 13 is the best season of classic DW, although 14 is a close second. Hinchcliff and Homes should have done another season, though we do get two stories from them in the otherwise lackluster season 15.
One bit of trivia about the final scene that was the last time the original police box exterior made in 1963 was used the decision to get new one made was because it collapsed on Elizabeth sladen.
Technically it was only the left and right sides of the box were original - the front and back was from the refurb for The War Machines. They created the door and back (also a door) from the mock up TARDIS fronts made for The Celestial Toymaker.
This really is one of Four and Sarah’s best adventures together. We never got enough of them working for UNIT. So this episode shows what a great team they are.
Beware the Plant man (Chase) Yes when he's putting people in a compost crusher, it's to be kept in mind this was a kids show and watched it when it went out and I loved it.
Merry Christmas, Jess! Your reaction is just the present I was hoping for. Bet you're glad now that it wasn't Sergeant Benton with the Doctor, since Sergeant Henderson ended up as compost. Looking forward to your Third Doctor piece and lots more Classic Who reactions in 2023!
Another great story rounding off a great series, so glad you enjoyed it. It's incredible that the last 4 episodes are a rerun of the first 2 but in a different location and of course taking things much further. But it worked well! IMO this is second only to Pyramids in this series.
I love the final scene of the story. Yeah, it's a bit of a plot hole since they didn't take the TARDIS to Antarctica initially, but that shared laughter at the end between the Doctor and Sarah never fails to make me smile. Also pour one out to the writer of this story, the late great Robert Banks Stewart. The guy was more of crime tv writer than a science fiction writer, and yet he gave us this all time classic, Terror of the Zygons and that's it. A lot of the more prolific Doctor Who writers have there fair share of duds, but not Mr. Stewart. Just two all time greats And yes for the more pedantic Whovians out there I know about his unproduced script, "For From the Future" and that it was adapted into an audio drama by Big Finish.
Tony Beckley who played Harrison Chase is famous as Camp Freddy in The Italian Job with Michael Caine prior to Dr Who. Later he had great success in the US thriller When A Stranger Calls but tragically died young shortly after filming. John Challis who played Scorbie went on to fame as Boycie in the UK sitcom Only Fools & Horses and its spinoff The Green Green Grass Of Home. Both actors had great charm and humour. Sadly John passed away a year ago and his widow Carol has recently put his headstone on his grave. But if you ever get the DVD of The Seeds Of Doom, the commentary with John Challis, Tom Baker and others from the story is hilarious, relaxed and entertaining. A few years ago, John Challis was on the daytime UK programme Loose Women and here he is in a moving clip talking about his relationship with his father. ❤ ua-cam.com/video/A7-EUw0Icsc/v-deo.html
Since your reactions to many of Chase's moments were great, I have to say, the fam and I quote his 'animal fiends' line a lot after having watched this story so darned much. Also, Merry Christmas everyone [I'm in the future in Australia, so it counts]
Have you ever watched the sci-fi movie 'The Day of the Triffids' from 1962? It's about man eating plant invading Earth and has the Doctor's Granddaughter 'Susan' Carole Ann Ford in it laying a French girl called 'Bettina'. Great reaction as always 👏👍. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year 🎁🎅⛄❄🌲🍻🎉.
I hope you have a wonderful and relaxing Christmas. Your reactions are always the highlight of my fridays. I love rewatching more than a few favourites or when our estimations of stories differ. I know you'll Mr Pertwee's tenure of the Tardis justice but just to say, it's a privilege to watch your enthusiasm & your overviews of the different Doctors' eras. Please never feel under pressure to 'deliver' a 'Sesska special'. After all 1 trait every Doctor Who fan has learned is patience.
CHASE ME! 🤣 I was memorably traumatized by the composter as a wee boy watching this for the first time (and then I grew up to be a gardener!!) ...loved this story then and it's a complete delight now. Fab reaction Jess, as always 😍
If the flowers/plants were cut, you'd have been safe. Trellises, I would not take the chance. This is Peak 4th Dr./Sarah-Jane, together or on their own! As crazy as Chase was, find a butler as loyal and trusting as his!! I know you had to edit out Sarah's '2 meats, no vegs' line, but it was great she got that joke in! The very ending with Sarah in the swimsuit and they wonder when they are, Classic!!!
Once again giving us a fun and entertaining reaction, specially to one of the best stories of all time. You being a florist now makes the plant creature from your short story make more sense.
You mentioned a couple of films that influenced this story, but it’s the 1955 Hammer film, The Quatermass Xperiment, that it really takes its main influence from. Nigel Kneale, the first British Sci-Fi TV writer, scripted a story where a spaceship returns to Britain, containing only one astronaut, (the other two astronauts are missing), who has become infected with some kind of alien parasite in space. The rest of the 6 part TV story (and the film version), is about the astronaut slowly being taken over by this parasite, which is turning him into some kind of living vegetable. In the final episode, the astronaut as a human being is ultimately replaced by this creature and it is found at Westminster Abbey, ready to release its spores and thereby create more of its own kind. As a coda to this, Kneale was once interviewed by someone who asked him why he had never submitted a script for Doctor Who, and his reply was something along the lines that he turned his TV on one Saturday evening, and saw a man slowly changing into a plant (it was this actual story, The Seeds of Doom), realised it was a rip off of his Quatermass story, and quickly turned his TV off in disgust! So that pretty much answered the interviewer’s question, as to why he never wrote for Doctor Who!
Day of the Triffids is another one that I think influenced this story. Pretty certain apart from one notable exception there aren't any more stories that go beyond six episodes John Challis (Scorby) is still quite well known in the UK mostly for his role as Boycie, a recurring character in the popular British comedy Only Fools and Horses and later the main character in his own spin-off Green Green Grass.
Every Tom Baker finale is 6 parts bar one season I believe. From watching the BTS documentary. Robert Banks Stuart acknowledged the theory Triffids inspired it but said it wasn’t the case. Love this story! One of my favourites. I think The Thing From Another World was the main influence?
I've never seen anyone so excited for this story. love your reaction. 7 days is way to long to wait. can't wait to hear your thoughts on the 3rd doctor.
9:48 You are right, it would be nice to see Benton, as in these episodes it's clearly a UNIT story Harry too, they could do with a medical opinion .UNIT without any of the regulars
@@benji274 Could even Hinchcliffe have done that to a popular character without getting the show cancelled ? If such a rumour is right I second you, of course. But it would have for ever made the show into a beyond the pale nasty to be reviled and forgotten. As it is, as a viewer for moral choices not for gratuitous horror, I'm totally against the macho fandom of Hinchcliffe, agree with sacking him, and that his later era from Morbius onwards was too sick.
@@RangaTurk though Hinchcliffe commissioned that, he did not produce it, it's the first story after his time. Opinions vary on all classics, reactor Marie-Clare Gauthey was underwhelmed by it
@@conscienceaginBlackadder Things changed when writer Chris Boucher came in around the time of the episode The Face Of Evil. Things suddenly appeared more space age compared with episodes like The Brain Of Morbius which had a far more gothic horror and medieval feel to it compared with say The Robots of Death. The Robots Of Death was extremely space-age and very original compared with what came before as far as colour episodes were concerned going all the way back to the start of Season Seven in 1970.
The producer & script editor of this era favor 4-parters. They would’ve done nothing but 4-parters if they could, but the season orders are for 26 episodes and 4 doesn’t divide into that evenly. So they have to do one 6-parter and tried a new 2+4 (or 4+2) format where they do a sort of prologue or epilogue almost self-contained story that leads into or spins off of a 4-parter. This is a classic example where they have the 2-part Antarctica story at the start and then the main 4-parter at Chase’s mansion follows.
Sadly Nick Courtney and John Levine were not available to return as the Brigadier and Benton for this one. It doesn’t feel like UNIT without them. This season starts a trend in story length, 6 stories 24 episodes 5 four parters and a 6 parter to round out the season. It continues that way for a while.
Great reaction! If you're looking for additional Doctor Who content to react to, might I suggest: The Infinite Quest (45 min from 2007), Earth Conquest: The World Tour (50 min from 2015), and Attack of the Graske (30 min from 2005... 15 min "win" path & 15 min "lose" path).
If you enjoyed the villain actor, I'd highly recommend the 1979 "When a Stranger Calls". Maybe if you're planning another 13 Nights of Terror or something. If not, I recommend it anyway.
This is the last ever time to use the original TARDIS Police Box prop as it fell apart and collapsed on Elisabeth Sladen's head after filming that end scene. Just on the subject on UNIT when you mentioned the Brigadier, Benton and Yates you got to remember Yates was kicked out of UNIT after his betrayal back "Invasion of the Dinosaurs" although he did redeem himself in "Planet of the Spiders" it was too late and lost his job so don't expect Yates to return. Tom Baker particulary from the Philip Hinchcliffe era was the golden age of Doctor Who Hinchliffe did not shy away from taking risks and took to an experimental level of the amount of violence especially for a children's show sadly you would never get over the top villains like Chase or that in television nowadays. As for Scorby's attitude towards women unfortunately that was the attitudes of the time you have to take this as context rather than from a modern perspective.
Doctor Who is a family show made by the drama department. It was created to be transitional show from young viewing programs to sports news in the early evenings and later adult programming.
Getting my Krynoid fix, now this brilliant serial is sadly no longer on BBC iPlayer. Virtually all the cast are now no longer with us, Tom Baker being the obvious exception. Tony Beckley, perhaps best remembered as Camp Freddie in The Italian Job, is terrific as Harrison Chase. This serial sums up 4 and Sarah so well: "Have you met Miss Smith? She's my best friend!"
John was apparently keen to play the Doctor, but it never came to pass. Certainly post - Boycie, it would have taken a VERY special performance to convince people he wasn't Peckham's errant car dealer!
I do think some of the Krynoid's credibility starts to leak away when it begins to speak. At one stage you could talk about the fascination of one type of life becoming another. But this is Doctor Who and certain things have to happen. It has to become as big as a house and get blown up. Them's the rules!
You may have missed the line since you were squealing with excitement, but the Doctor was horrified that Chase fought more to drag the him into the composting machine rather than struggle to escape. This was one of those stories that really "triggered" Mary Whitehouse, an elderly busybody who made headlines for her "crusade" against elements she considered "distasteful" in Doctor Who. Basically, she was a "Karen" years before that specific term arose and the "manager" she demanded was the BBC.
Jess; I think you'd love Sapphire and Steel! It has just the sort of writing that you like. P J Hammond was an incredible writer. This series has been quite reaction-lite.
Also, thinking about it Jess, have you ever given Primeval a go? A brief clip as a taster called 'Connor's Warning' which is taken from Primeval New World isn't what you'd call spoilery, rather a zing moment to get a newbie interested in the original series Primeval. Much in the same way that the 2005 onwards Doctor Who ignited interest in the Classic series, only this lasts about three minutes.
Season 13 ends as it started, a brilliant story written by Robert Banks Stewart, directed by Douglas Camfield and scored by Geoffrey Burgon. Unfortunately, this story is the final contribution made by all three men to Doctor Who. This entire season, except for one story (The Android Invasion), has been great and incredibly consistent. Many people, myself included, regard it as one of, if not the best season the show has ever done (classic or modern). You might think Phillip Hinchcliffe (incumbent producer) and Robert Holmes (incumbent script editor) would've had some difficult maintaining this level of quality into the next season, but many people actually think season 14 is on the same level or even slightly better than season 13! If anything, S14 is a little more consistent because it isn't lumbered with a clunker like S13 is, every story is at the very least good. Personally, I still slightly prefer S13, but S14 is definitely another very strong season of Doctor Who. Very much looking forward to the season ahead, some really great stories to come!
The Android Invasion is great but unfortunately, the Kraals bicker like old men. I wished they had made their voices scarier and it would be perfect like Terror Of The Zygons as the costumes for these episodes are as excellent as they are original. For me, it is the Planet Of Evil that falls flat except it ticks all boxes in terms of set design. The supporting actors in The Planet Of Evil are a disappointment and I felt it needed someone like the late Roger Delgado playing the Master to inject life into the script with an alternative storyline instead of an anti-matter monster. The Seeds Of Doom has the style of any great story from the 1960s with Douglas Camfield at the helm for the last time and having the original Tardis set is a plus. A touch of Fury From The Deep and The Green Death with this one.
The line 'plant eaters must die' was not thought through. It's impossible for a carnivore not to be part of the plant eating chain given that most farmed animals consume plants. The exception would be to eat only carnivorous animals like lions, etc. whose meat Chase would likely not have access to. And where would Chase stand on honey for example, do bees come under his definition of plant exploiters, stealing pollen as they do? In any case didn't his composter destroy plant matter? And surely he removed weeds from his conservatory. Come to think of it, we never see Chase tending any plants or gardening do we? Seems like he was just virtue signalling all along.
General question for the audience: When y'all report those gross "click here for a prize" 'bots pretending to be the channel owners, do you categorize them as Spam or as Misinformation?
There are people who only eat meat, and he'd be one of them. If he ever had to eat anything plant based, he'd probably pray to its soul for forgiveness first.
The krynoid really lost the script when it comes to what, exactly, constitutes a plant. It's in the very name. Once you become animate, you are an animal. The very thing you claim to despise.
Scorby is very negative in his thinking he has no faith in anyone or anything which is sadly true of some people I once knew who were hideous and they would try to offload their negative thoughts and beliefs onto people like myself who wanted a quite life I realised with people like them they were nothing but blockheads. I also say Scorby getting himself killed like he did was rather stupid but the man was not prepared to listen to reason stupid man
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
John Challis killed it as Scorby, one of the best henchmen if not side-characters the show's ever had. The guy is vicious, mercenary and straight up murderous yet I still want him to make it out alive. His interactions with Sarah Jane and The Doctor are so great and charged too, it makes their enemies to allies dynamic all the more exciting.
And Chase getting killed by his own compost machine? Perfect schadenfreude. Again, amazing reaction to this one!
I thought it was poetic justice
@@jeffgalus8454 It's what he would have wanted.
@@ajivins1 Yeah your right
I'm so glad you properly enjoyed Harrison Chase, my favourite villain from all of Doctor Who. Great motivation, surprising no-one though of it before... and an amazing performance by Tony Beckley.
Bakers almost fierce performance along with Sladen's snarky quips and Scorby's henchmen really made this one standout. Unhinged Chase and Amelia Ducat just add to the fun
Great story and season finale. Every scene with Chase is so watchable and dark and funny at the same time. Great direction and acting, and stunts, from every one, from the main cast to the extras. A true classic and easily a top 20 maybe even top 10 classic who story.
22:36...Jess I think you might have missed something with the Chase possession/trance thing. OK he was already obsessed with plant life from before the very start of the serial but there is a definite point in the story where the Krynoid and he seem to bond on a more fundamental level and that is why he can travel around his estate in safety while all the 'animals' are being killed one by one 🤔
This is once again a fantastic story. Chase is at his most sinister here and Scorby gets some genuine attention and development.
Henderson is also a good character wish he didn't die.
Would love the Krynoid to return in an spinoff aimed for adults to see a more dark and scary approach to the story.
Hot Krynoid Action?
"Happy Christmas to all of you at home"
-William Hartnell, 1965
Douglas Camfiield really makes this story; aided and abetted by another future Director on the show. It's dark, humorous and really serves as a great climax to one of the show's best-loved series.
Sarah Jane's snarkyness is another reason why we loved her so much ❤️ ♥️ 💖
I enjoyed the post episode thoughts where you talked about being a florist when you did wedding planning. I think if you met Mr Chase, you'd be public enemy number one. "You killed our beloved plants and used their bodies for decoration?!"
The reactions for this whole story were great. I'm happy you were having so much fun with this one.
I was also thinking the Krynoids would have been an interesting villain for Sarah Jane Adventures. Especially for Rani's mum!
Plants do fight each other very slowly or with chemical warfare. Ever seen a growing zucchini plant choke other garden plants?
These were the first two episodes of Doctor Who I ever saw…over 40 years ago on WWOR Channel 9 in New York.
"I call this my requiem floriana. You know, I could play all day in my green cathedral"
One of Who’s great stories, and the third stone cold classic in one of its greatest ever seasons (Pyramids of Mars and Brain of Morbius being the others).
The real strengths of this era,- aside from Tom Baker still being fresh in the role, and now in sure command, and a great companion- are the fantastic production values, strong casting and consistently brilliant writing. All exemplified here. Hinchcliffe and Holmes were such a wonderful team. Holmes’ own scripts were of course mostly brilliant but he also got the best out of others, and chose superbly. I wish Robert Banks Stewart had written more for Who….
And yeah, John Challis and Tony Beckley are both fantastic villains in this. Great stuff 10/10
Terror Of The Zygons and The Android Invasion were timeless classics too.
Season 13 is the best season of classic DW, although 14 is a close second. Hinchcliff and Homes should have done another season, though we do get two stories from them in the otherwise lackluster season 15.
@@anthonyrippa686 The State Of Decay from 1980 in my opinion would rate as a top ten 1980s story for obvious reasons like its circa 1977 feel.
One bit of trivia about the final scene that was the last time the original police box exterior made in 1963 was used the decision to get new one made was because it collapsed on Elizabeth sladen.
Technically it was only the left and right sides of the box were original - the front and back was from the refurb for The War Machines. They created the door and back (also a door) from the mock up TARDIS fronts made for The Celestial Toymaker.
@@Darren79 Indeed. Witness the state of the TARDIS in final part of The Massacre, when Dodo runs toward it, believing it to be a real Police Box.
This really is one of Four and Sarah’s best adventures together. We never got enough of them working for UNIT. So this episode shows what a great team they are.
Wonderful reaction as always Sesska - thanks so much for all the work you put in and effort you make - best reactor on YT by miles! Merry Christmas!
I finally figured out who Chase reminded me of. Terence Stamps' General Zod from Superman: The Movie.
Beware the Plant man (Chase) Yes when he's putting people in a compost crusher, it's to be kept in mind this was a kids show and watched it when it went out and I loved it.
To all Whovians and non-Whovians everywhere, I hope that you all have a peaceful and kind Christmas.
Merry Christmas, Jess! Your reaction is just the present I was hoping for. Bet you're glad now that it wasn't Sergeant Benton with the Doctor, since Sergeant Henderson ended up as compost. Looking forward to your Third Doctor piece and lots more Classic Who reactions in 2023!
This story is awesome in billions of ways
Another great story rounding off a great series, so glad you enjoyed it. It's incredible that the last 4 episodes are a rerun of the first 2 but in a different location and of course taking things much further. But it worked well! IMO this is second only to Pyramids in this series.
I love the final scene of the story. Yeah, it's a bit of a plot hole since they didn't take the TARDIS to Antarctica initially, but that shared laughter at the end between the Doctor and Sarah never fails to make me smile.
Also pour one out to the writer of this story, the late great Robert Banks Stewart. The guy was more of crime tv writer than a science fiction writer, and yet he gave us this all time classic, Terror of the Zygons and that's it. A lot of the more prolific Doctor Who writers have there fair share of duds, but not Mr. Stewart. Just two all time greats
And yes for the more pedantic Whovians out there I know about his unproduced script, "For From the Future" and that it was adapted into an audio drama by Big Finish.
Yeah, Terror of the Zygons is top-shelf stuff.
A cracking story to end the season. Also this was the last story to feature the original police box prop
Tony Beckley who played Harrison Chase is famous as Camp Freddy in The Italian Job with Michael Caine prior to Dr Who. Later he had great success in the US thriller When A Stranger Calls but tragically died young shortly after filming. John Challis who played Scorbie went on to fame as Boycie in the UK sitcom Only Fools & Horses and its spinoff The Green Green Grass Of Home. Both actors had great charm and humour. Sadly John passed away a year ago and his widow Carol has recently put his headstone on his grave. But if you ever get the DVD of The Seeds Of Doom, the commentary with John Challis, Tom Baker and others from the story is hilarious, relaxed and entertaining. A few years ago, John Challis was on the daytime UK programme Loose Women and here he is in a moving clip talking about his relationship with his father. ❤
ua-cam.com/video/A7-EUw0Icsc/v-deo.html
Since your reactions to many of Chase's moments were great, I have to say, the fam and I quote his 'animal fiends' line a lot after having watched this story so darned much.
Also, Merry Christmas everyone [I'm in the future in Australia, so it counts]
Great story, one of the absolute best, but still plenty more greatness to come.
Have you ever watched the sci-fi movie 'The Day of the Triffids' from 1962? It's about man eating plant invading Earth and has the Doctor's Granddaughter 'Susan' Carole Ann Ford in it laying a French girl called 'Bettina'. Great reaction as always 👏👍. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year 🎁🎅⛄❄🌲🍻🎉.
80s TV show also.
I hope you have a wonderful and relaxing Christmas. Your reactions are always the highlight of my fridays. I love rewatching more than a few favourites or when our estimations of stories differ. I know you'll Mr Pertwee's tenure of the Tardis justice but just to say, it's a privilege to watch your enthusiasm & your overviews of the different Doctors' eras. Please never feel under pressure to 'deliver' a 'Sesska special'. After all 1 trait every Doctor Who fan has learned is patience.
CHASE ME! 🤣 I was memorably traumatized by the composter as a wee boy watching this for the first time (and then I grew up to be a gardener!!) ...loved this story then and it's a complete delight now. Fab reaction Jess, as always 😍
If the flowers/plants were cut, you'd have been safe. Trellises, I would not take the chance. This is Peak 4th Dr./Sarah-Jane, together or on their own! As crazy as Chase was, find a butler as loyal and trusting as his!! I know you had to edit out Sarah's '2 meats, no vegs' line, but it was great she got that joke in! The very ending with Sarah in the swimsuit and they wonder when they are, Classic!!!
Once again giving us a fun and entertaining reaction, specially to one of the best stories of all time.
You being a florist now makes the plant creature from your short story make more sense.
You mentioned a couple of films that influenced this story, but it’s the 1955 Hammer film, The Quatermass Xperiment, that it really takes its main influence from. Nigel Kneale, the first British Sci-Fi TV writer, scripted a story where a spaceship returns to Britain, containing only one astronaut, (the other two astronauts are missing), who has become infected with some kind of alien parasite in space. The rest of the 6 part TV story (and the film version), is about the astronaut slowly being taken over by this parasite, which is turning him into some kind of living vegetable. In the final episode, the astronaut as a human being is ultimately replaced by this creature and it is found at Westminster Abbey, ready to release its spores and thereby create more of its own kind. As a coda to this, Kneale was once interviewed by someone who asked him why he had never submitted a script for Doctor Who, and his reply was something along the lines that he turned his TV on one Saturday evening, and saw a man slowly changing into a plant (it was this actual story, The Seeds of Doom), realised it was a rip off of his Quatermass story, and quickly turned his TV off in disgust! So that pretty much answered the interviewer’s question, as to why he never wrote for Doctor Who!
Of course, Quatermass really inspired Ambassadors of Death, Spearhead from Space , and the Daemons as well.
@@hornorsilk2901 ...And Nigel Kneale got rather cross about that! =:o\
Day of the Triffids is another one that I think influenced this story.
Pretty certain apart from one notable exception there aren't any more stories that go beyond six episodes
John Challis (Scorby) is still quite well known in the UK mostly for his role as Boycie, a recurring character in the popular British comedy Only Fools and Horses and later the main character in his own spin-off Green Green Grass.
Every Tom Baker finale is 6 parts bar one season I believe.
From watching the BTS documentary. Robert Banks Stuart acknowledged the theory Triffids inspired it but said it wasn’t the case.
Love this story! One of my favourites. I think The Thing From Another World was the main influence?
I think the realisation of the Triffids in the 1981 BBC adaptation owe more than a little to the plant work here.
I've never seen anyone so excited for this story. love your reaction. 7 days is way to long to wait. can't wait to hear your thoughts on the 3rd doctor.
Great end to one of the best seasons and sadly Douglas Camfield's last story. Enjoyed your reaction and analysis as always
9:48 You are right, it would be nice to see Benton, as in these episodes it's clearly a UNIT story Harry too, they could do with a medical opinion .UNIT without any of the regulars
Very glad that Benton didn’t get composted though. Rumour has it that was the original plan.
@@benji274 Could even Hinchcliffe have done that to a popular character without getting the show cancelled ?
If such a rumour is right I second you, of course. But it would have for ever made the show into a beyond the pale nasty to be reviled and forgotten. As it is, as a viewer for moral choices not for gratuitous horror, I'm totally against the macho fandom of Hinchcliffe, agree with sacking him, and that his later era from Morbius onwards was too sick.
@@conscienceaginBlackadder The Horror Of Fang Rock is a classic.
@@RangaTurk though Hinchcliffe commissioned that, he did not produce it, it's the first story after his time. Opinions vary on all classics, reactor Marie-Clare Gauthey was underwhelmed by it
@@conscienceaginBlackadder Things changed when writer Chris Boucher came in around the time of the episode The Face Of Evil. Things suddenly appeared more space age compared with episodes like The Brain Of Morbius which had a far more gothic horror and medieval feel to it compared with say The Robots of Death. The Robots Of Death was extremely space-age and very original compared with what came before as far as colour episodes were concerned going all the way back to the start of Season Seven in 1970.
Merry Christmas Sess! Hope some DW DVDs were on your list!
15:23 noticed that one of the U.N.I.T soldiers was the same one who got killed by the Krynoid in The season opener-unless this is his twin brother?
"It's the UK; We only have six actors!" =:o}
looking forward to both the review and next season followed your reactions for years and so very much more to look forward to
The producer & script editor of this era favor 4-parters. They would’ve done nothing but 4-parters if they could, but the season orders are for 26 episodes and 4 doesn’t divide into that evenly. So they have to do one 6-parter and tried a new 2+4 (or 4+2) format where they do a sort of prologue or epilogue almost self-contained story that leads into or spins off of a 4-parter. This is a classic example where they have the 2-part Antarctica story at the start and then the main 4-parter at Chase’s mansion follows.
Sadly Nick Courtney and John Levine were not available to return as the Brigadier and Benton for this one. It doesn’t feel like UNIT without them.
This season starts a trend in story length, 6 stories 24 episodes 5 four parters and a 6 parter to round out the season. It continues that way for a while.
Chase would absolutely love The Happening
Unfortunately the regular UNIT guys were no longer under contract and therefore unavailable
Great reaction! If you're looking for additional Doctor Who content to react to, might I suggest: The Infinite Quest (45 min from 2007), Earth Conquest: The World Tour (50 min from 2015), and Attack of the Graske (30 min from 2005... 15 min "win" path & 15 min "lose" path).
If you enjoyed the villain actor, I'd highly recommend the 1979 "When a Stranger Calls". Maybe if you're planning another 13 Nights of Terror or something. If not, I recommend it anyway.
Sarah cutting down Scorby's sexist bullshit is an absolute mood.
This is the last ever time to use the original TARDIS Police Box prop as it fell apart and collapsed on Elisabeth Sladen's head after filming that end scene.
Just on the subject on UNIT when you mentioned the Brigadier, Benton and Yates you got to remember Yates was kicked out of UNIT after his betrayal back "Invasion of the Dinosaurs" although he did redeem himself in "Planet of the Spiders" it was too late and lost his job so don't expect Yates to return.
Tom Baker particulary from the Philip Hinchcliffe era was the golden age of Doctor Who Hinchliffe did not shy away from taking risks and took to an experimental level of the amount of violence especially for a children's show sadly you would never get over the top villains like Chase or that in television nowadays.
As for Scorby's attitude towards women unfortunately that was the attitudes of the time you have to take this as context rather than from a modern perspective.
Surely they set Scorby up to say it so that Sarah taught him a lesson in response ?
Doctor Who is a family show made by the drama department. It was created to be transitional show from young viewing programs to sports news in the early evenings and later adult programming.
Who was never a children's show per se. It was always made by the BBC Drama (series and serials) department.
"Obsession by Calvin Krinoid" Anyway, good question Sesska, would cut flowers become the zombie plants of the Krinoid world?
Getting my Krynoid fix, now this brilliant serial is sadly no longer on BBC iPlayer.
Virtually all the cast are now no longer with us, Tom Baker being the obvious exception. Tony Beckley, perhaps best remembered as Camp Freddie in The Italian Job, is terrific as Harrison Chase.
This serial sums up 4 and Sarah so well: "Have you met Miss Smith? She's my best friend!"
Harrison Chase bears a striking resemblance to some of today's eco warriors. Especially when sat cross legged in his green cathedral.
This is a 10 out of 10 story glad you enjoyed it as much as me one day in new who the krynoids must return
John Challis would have made a great Master incarnation, the looks and the ego would have made a good antagonist for this Doctor.
John was apparently keen to play the Doctor, but it never came to pass. Certainly post - Boycie, it would have taken a VERY special performance to convince people he wasn't Peckham's errant car dealer!
Merry Christmas from MAINE
I do think some of the Krynoid's credibility starts to leak away when it begins to speak. At one stage you could talk about the fascination of one type of life becoming another. But this is Doctor Who and certain things have to happen. It has to become as big as a house and get blown up. Them's the rules!
Yeh, it should never have spoken or gotten too big. It was scary when the humans were first infected.
You may have missed the line since you were squealing with excitement, but the Doctor was horrified that Chase fought more to drag the him into the composting machine rather than struggle to escape. This was one of those stories that really "triggered" Mary Whitehouse, an elderly busybody who made headlines for her "crusade" against elements she considered "distasteful" in Doctor Who. Basically, she was a "Karen" years before that specific term arose and the "manager" she demanded was the BBC.
Whitehouse indirectly neutered Doctor Who. Make the most of the first three Baker seasons, Who never got this thrilling again.
Well for now, Merry Christmas to you.
Merry Christmas Jess hope fantastic festive break
*4 and Sarah Jane were the best!
...Time to get out the Roundup ( Isopropylamine salt of glyphosate ). ..At least they weren't TIED to a COUCH. hehahaha
The second before you said "disgusting", I burped!
=:oD
Jess; I think you'd love Sapphire and Steel! It has just the sort of writing that you like. P J Hammond was an incredible writer. This series has been quite reaction-lite.
I keep suggesting S&S story 2 whenever Jess asks which series she should try next. And I'll *keep* suggesting it! :D
Yea!! A little shop fan!! Already knew you had good taste but that's a little culty
hope your having a merry christmas
This is my fave episode of dr who ever.
Also, thinking about it Jess, have you ever given Primeval a go? A brief clip as a taster called 'Connor's Warning' which is taken from Primeval New World isn't what you'd call spoilery, rather a zing moment to get a newbie interested in the original series Primeval. Much in the same way that the 2005 onwards Doctor Who ignited interest in the Classic series, only this lasts about three minutes.
Aww, where would British drama have been in the 1970s without Ministry of Defence stock footage?
The British Aerospace Hawk came out in 1976.
@@RangaTurk Yeah but weren't these Phantoms?
@@MrLorenzovanmatterho Yeah at such short notice they were.
Once again Sarah Jane breaks rule number one 'Never wander off on your own'
Oh she always breaking that rule 😃
Chase and Scorby are iconic villains.
Season 13 ends as it started, a brilliant story written by Robert Banks Stewart, directed by Douglas Camfield and scored by Geoffrey Burgon. Unfortunately, this story is the final contribution made by all three men to Doctor Who. This entire season, except for one story (The Android Invasion), has been great and incredibly consistent. Many people, myself included, regard it as one of, if not the best season the show has ever done (classic or modern). You might think Phillip Hinchcliffe (incumbent producer) and Robert Holmes (incumbent script editor) would've had some difficult maintaining this level of quality into the next season, but many people actually think season 14 is on the same level or even slightly better than season 13! If anything, S14 is a little more consistent because it isn't lumbered with a clunker like S13 is, every story is at the very least good. Personally, I still slightly prefer S13, but S14 is definitely another very strong season of Doctor Who. Very much looking forward to the season ahead, some really great stories to come!
The Android Invasion is great but unfortunately, the Kraals bicker like old men. I wished they had made their voices scarier and it would be perfect like Terror Of The Zygons as the costumes for these episodes are as excellent as they are original. For me, it is the Planet Of Evil that falls flat except it ticks all boxes in terms of set design. The supporting actors in The Planet Of Evil are a disappointment and I felt it needed someone like the late Roger Delgado playing the Master to inject life into the script with an alternative storyline instead of an anti-matter monster. The Seeds Of Doom has the style of any great story from the 1960s with Douglas Camfield at the helm for the last time and having the original Tardis set is a plus. A touch of Fury From The Deep and The Green Death with this one.
The line 'plant eaters must die' was not thought through. It's impossible for a carnivore not to be part of the plant eating chain given that most farmed animals consume plants. The exception would be to eat only carnivorous animals like lions, etc. whose meat Chase would likely not have access to. And where would Chase stand on honey for example, do bees come under his definition of plant exploiters, stealing pollen as they do? In any case didn't his composter destroy plant matter? And surely he removed weeds from his conservatory. Come to think of it, we never see Chase tending any plants or gardening do we? Seems like he was just virtue signalling all along.
Audrey II who? 😉
General question for the audience:
When y'all report those gross "click here for a prize" 'bots pretending to be the channel owners, do you categorize them as Spam or as Misinformation?
Spam for sure. You can also go to their account and report it directly
Chase is a plant eater. He has to eat.
Maybe he only eats fish.
There are people who only eat meat, and he'd be one of them. If he ever had to eat anything plant based, he'd probably pray to its soul for forgiveness first.
@@Skeezer66 Meat comes from animals that eat plants.
@@GregInHouston2 Then he's getting revenge on the plant eaters. There are carnivores that don't eat plants, they eat plant eaters.
This is the sort of thing that gives eco-warriors a bad name.
The krynoid really lost the script when it comes to what, exactly, constitutes a plant. It's in the very name. Once you become animate, you are an animal. The very thing you claim to despise.
A Venus Fly Trap is animate to a degree but is still definitely a plant
Scorby is very negative in his thinking he has no faith in anyone or anything which is sadly true of some people I once knew who were hideous and they would try to offload their negative thoughts and beliefs onto people like myself who wanted a quite life I realised with people like them they were nothing but blockheads. I also say Scorby getting himself killed like he did was rather stupid but the man was not prepared to listen to reason stupid man
This is it for unit and really post hand of evil not many stories on earth in future
Spoilers
I wish they had more off earth stories in NuWho
One kind of expects UNIT to turn up in The Hand Of Fear. It had the end of that vibe just like The War Machines had the beginning of it.