I don't think you can exclude or underestimate the impact of the Target novelisations on fan opinion of this era. Target launched in 1973, and by the mid-Seventies there was a quick turnaround on recently televised stories. I've just looked and Pyramids was broadcast October/November 1975, and the Target novelisation came out in December 1976. There were 9 Target books published in 1976 (nearly monthly releases!) including Terror of the Zygons, Revenge of the Cybermen, and Genesis of the Daleks - all recent 4th Doctor stories. This was obviously pre-VHS, and there were very few repeat showings, so fans revisited these stories (or experienced them for the first time) as printed stories and not necessarily on television. And they could continue to revisit the stories with all of the embellishments of the novelisations mixing with hazy half-remembered memories of the solitary broadcast. This is why it's fascinating when a lost story suddenly reappears and the original broadcast can be appraised on its merit rather than its reputation or perceived fan wisdom. This era was arguably the golden age of Tom Baker and Philip Hinchcliffe - but you cannot ignore the influence of Terence Dicks, Malcolm Hulke, Gerry Davis, Chris Achilleos etc. all had on fan's memories, opinions and nostalgia for this era.
I think you raised a good point. I started reading Target Novels around 87 or 88. Still have many of them. I came into Doctor as a child at the start of the 5th Doctor final season. So most of 5th and 4th Doctor I had no connection with. As the VHS the Dvd came some stories I felt underwhelming like Tomb of the Cybermen. I remember my nan reading me the Target Novel and doing all the different voices (god bless her soul). So when I finally watched it - yeah I enjoyed it but didn't see it as god tier. Mind you I did love the Target Novel and the actual story of The Image of the Fendhal.
Oh undoubtedly. Of course, this retrospective IS primarily about looking at these stories as they were presented and executed within the actual show, so adaptations to other mediums or any supplementary/tie-in material aren't considered when rating these episodes/serials.
Well, I guess I am now past your point (publicly at least) in the marathon and I will add my Season 13+ reviews on your future recaps. Season 13 is my favorite in the show so far this marathon so I'm definitely looking forward to the 2nd half of your season 13 reviews. Hope to see them soon (ish?).
I've always loved this story and always will :D It gave so much for all the characters to do although I do agree with Elisabeth Sladen on where Sarah got her marksmanship skills from lol one shot and bomb went boom :O Sutekh was very formidable and charismatic for a villain stuck on a chair
Just seen this now. I can't wait to watch it later tonight after my long shift. But I really liked the opening. I look forward to offering my thoughts as well.
The Hand of Sutekh also appears in Frontier in Space (the episode when the Doctor is stuck outside in space - as he manages to get back inside Guest appearance of the Hand of Sutekh) 😂
When I first watched this story, I was massively underwhelmed. I enjoyed it but that was it. However now I do think it’s terrific. Season 13 is just my absolutely favourite season. I don’t think it has a bad story. It’s not perfect no more than any story is. But I adore what the era is going for.
My earliest memory of the show was the trapper getting hunted down by the mummys. When I finally rewatched on dvd,it clicked with me all over again, and I rate it my favourite of the 4th Doctor era. Tom and Sarah have to be the best doctor companion pairing.
I've heard a very compelling fan theory that the monster seen in The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit is a re-manifestation of Sutekh. There are a bunch of subtle clues suggesting as much in the two-parter, but it's never explicitly confirmed so as to preserve mystery and nurture organic speculation, without distracting from core story at hand.
The impossible Planet and Satan's pit take a lot from the film Event Horizon. Also I never believed that fan theory as many say it's because they used Sutekh actors voice - k9 voice actor played a different character in Power of Kroll I think so that means his character is the human embodiment of K9 😂 I don't think so
@@Mark-nh2hsOh is it the same voice actor? I didn't know that. The theory I've heard about Sutekh being the Beast has absolutely nothing to do with the actor, it's entirely to do with lines of dialogue and imagery that imply that the two might be one and the same, not to mention thematic parallels. Also, I highly doubt that The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit were inspired by Event Horizon, considering Event Horizon is a pretty shameless rip off of famous 1972 film Solaris with some visual elements copied from The Shinning. However I do know from interviews with the production crew that Impossible Planet/Satan Pit were heavily inspired by 1979's Alien, with the ship being modelled after the Nostromo and the guest characters having similar jobs and lives to the characters from Alien, and the Ood serving roles akin to the androids seen throughout the Alien series.
I've never seen the "greatest of all time"ness of Pyramids either. I do agree what's best about it is the characters and the actor interplay. Fantastic Tom and Lis and dear Michael Sheard. Such marvelous presence the seated Sutekh and his voice have. Very, very good story. But not even second-best of season 13, let alone best ever.
I was lucky enough to be old enough to have watched this period of Doctor Who as it was broadcast. At the time the show was always seen, by my friends and myself, as a bit rubbish. I hid the fact I watched it lol 😂. But I never saw it as anything amazing. So as I watch it now, my defence of it, is massively coloured by nostalgia. I love the Tom Baker era even though I started watching during the John Pertwee era. I will never understand how people get emotional over Doctor Who. We are all entitled to our opinion, and it is just an opinion. As an adult, an older adult, enjoy Doctor Who but a lot of the time it is an ironic enjoyment lol 😂. I have fun with the show and I think that the best way to watch it, in my opinion. I don’t always agree with you, sometimes I absolutely disagree with you, but so what! We both enjoy the show, isn’t that the main thing?
I probably think this is the best of s13, but seeds of doom is so much fun too.. Things get even better in s14.. all the stories are good or outstanding.
Season 14 is, without question, my favourite Tom season, possibly even favourite of the 70s. 12 and 13 feel like necessary stepping stones to get there for me. Still essential in their own way but not the crowning glory
This was one of my first Classic stories about 10 years ago, and I have loved it since that first viewing. But I've always thought that the final episode falls a bit flat, and the preceding three are what holds it up.
Oddly enough, despite being a child of the Hinchcliffe era, I kind of agree about it not being the very best! I think that maybe down to me missing Part's One & Four on original transmission, so I really got to know it with the novelisation, then, it was one of my earliest VHSs! That said though, like "The Ark In Space" it shows just how Robert Holmes can take another writer's idea that so clearly isn't working, and totally re-write that into something that is so very Doctor Who! Hence, I suppose, why both stories are so popular!
I like Big Finish’s first attempt to bring Sutekh back in new adventures of Bernice Summerfield but the other than that he really should have stayed a one off.
I'm with you - Tom and Lis are excellent and this story is extremely solid, fun, well written and directed - but it's not my favourite, it's just too straightforward - my favourite Doctor Who is the craziness of Mind Robber of Carnival of Monsters - this is much more as expected
I had wrongly predicted that you would also have The Pyramids of Mars as one of the all time greatest episodes. I'm also in the same camp as you. Personally, I would go so far as to say that the Pyramids of Mars is the most overrated episode of the old series- in my view (like you wonderfully put we all have unique perspectives, and for others this might be their favourite of all time, just like how I enjoy Revenge of the Cybermen more than most, and I would easily put it above the Pyramids of Mars). I still think this episode is good, decent, but just overvalued. I've tried to watch it open-minded a few times and see it as the classic its meant to be, but I always find myself a little bored when watching this episode. I would like to just offer my view why I don't think its one of the grandest episodes. This story fits into the type of, 'returning villain.' The plot of this episode revolves around an ancient foe trying to free itself from prison/death; and once it returns chaos will ensue. There are other Doctor Who episodes that fit this type, such as Snakedance in which the Doctor tries to prevent the return of the Mara, and the Curse of Fenric when the Doctor tries to prevent the return of Evil personified. I would like to compare the Pyramids of Mars with the Curse of Fenric for why I feel the Pyramids of Mars falls short. I think the 'returning villain' stories is actually quite a limiting premise, especially for a four-part story. If you think about it some Doctor Who episodes just have the 'returning villain,' as just a part of the episode, like the return of Davros in part 1 of The Resurrection of the Daleks, or the return of the Master in Utopia (part 1 of a three-part story). I think that is because, 'a returning villain,' is not enough to grip the audience and by itself sustain interest over 1hr and 30 minutes. I think its because the episode feels like a countdown until the climactic moment of the return- and that moment of return is usually left to the very end of the episode. So, the episode needs to have a lot of other ingredients, and it needs to be pacey so that it doesn't feel like the writer is stalling the episode until we get to the moment when the villain tries to return. But I don't think the Pyramid of Mars has that much ingredients, even with the excellent chemistry between the Doctor and Sarah. In the case of the Pyramids of Mars (and Snakedance) the moment that the villain returns is left till the very last moment of the episode. Although, this is climactic, it feels anti-climactic in the sense that the audience knows that the Doctor will stop them from returning- and I find the resolution in both the Pyramids of Mars and Snakedance quite disappointing. I think as well that although there is a strong scene between Sutekh and the Doctor at the beginning of Part 4, it it very quickly undermined when the Doctor somehow slips out of Sutekh's mind control and survives being strangled. The whole sequence on Mars just feels very slow and tedious (as well as some of the running around in the woods). In contrast, although the Curse of Fenric is a returning villain story, its not the only focal point of the story. The Curse of Fenric is far more layered and very rich in themes and motifs (which I won't list now), with far more interesting characters than the characters in the Pyramids of Mars. I'm not saying the characters in the Pyramids of Mars are bad, but the characters are more complex and layered in the Curse of Fenric. The Doctor's and Ace's relationship is also tested far more than in any other episode which adds to the tension of the story. Moreover, the Doctor actually fails to prevent Fenric returning- twice! At the end of Part 3, Fenric escapes into Professor Judson's body, and Fenric also beats the Doctor's chess game. Thus, this subverts the returning villain genre. This means we have a full part with Fenric, and for me he is one of the best Doctor Who villains, up there with Davros and the Master. He is performed immaculately by two actors and he is given fantastic lines by Ian Briggs. The Doctor only eventually beats Fenric by having to destroy Ace's trust in himself! In the Curse of Fenric the stakes feel far higher- not just because most of the characters are killed off, but because of the desperate measures the Doctor is taking. At the end of the Pyramids of Mars, the Doctor and Sarah just laugh about the adventure with Sutekh, at the end of the Curse of Fenric, the Doctor and Ace have a heart to heart about the ordeal. That is why I prefer the Curse of Fenric to the Pyramids of Mars (The Curse of Fenric is my 5th favourite episode of Doctor Who). Again, this is just my opinion and I respect those who disagree and think the opposite; and maybe one day I will change my mind and come to love it for myself. The first time I watched the Curse of Fenric I didn't get it, as I'm not a big fan of returning-villain driven plots . But after a couple of repeat viewings I came to love the Curse of Fenric. This just goes to show how our own views can grow, develop and mature. So, there is hope for the Pyramids of Mars yet.
Yeah I land about the same on this one. There's a lot of great things in it, performances in particular, but overall it doesn't feel like a masterpiece to me. It's really good, and as a kid I wouldn't watch the whole thing because I found the uncaring nature of the villains (and Doctor) kinda scary and offputting, as an adult I've gone from thinking it was pretty mediocre to appreciating it a little bit more on every rewatch. The one coming up is one I did not at all know by reputation when I first saw it, and I enjoyed it a great deal, but has fallen a little more towards fan consensus over time.
I am one who does consider the Hinchcliffe era the golden years for Who. With Pyramids the first three episodes are superb top form. Then we get the puzzles in the Pyramid which take the story down a bit. Sarah even references they had something similar in Death to the Daleks (third Doctor must have told her about it). Notable it is all edited out for the latest Tales and I think the 60 minute Omnibus in November 1976. Maybe the omnibus is the reason it is so loved and well remembered . It got a viewing audience of 13.7million a record high at the time. So overall a classic tale but not pitch perfect.
Whoa, this is getting out of hand, The Pyramids of Mars is unquestioningly one of the best Who stores ever written. You do realize this opinion put you in the minority on the show, just saying.
I am not alone! I’ve always thought this, along with Androzani, are the most overrated stories of classic Who. A perfectly fine story, just nothing more than that 😬
Pyramids of Mars has one of the best villains the show ever had (which is why he was finally brought back in a fairly contrived way). The plot to this story, however, has some serious problems.
Maybe not the very best but the small cast and expert direction work well. Few dodgy effects. Dudley simpson on form. The 1980s trip to the future of devestation. I had this on rental and it made a big impact till i saw it about 5 years later with some relatives.
I have to agree. My first (and so far only) viewing of this story was somewhat disappointing - not because it was bad, but simply because I knew its reputation as an all-time great and I just couldn't see it. Maybe it'll grow on me in the future.
I don't think you can exclude or underestimate the impact of the Target novelisations on fan opinion of this era. Target launched in 1973, and by the mid-Seventies there was a quick turnaround on recently televised stories. I've just looked and Pyramids was broadcast October/November 1975, and the Target novelisation came out in December 1976. There were 9 Target books published in 1976 (nearly monthly releases!) including Terror of the Zygons, Revenge of the Cybermen, and Genesis of the Daleks - all recent 4th Doctor stories. This was obviously pre-VHS, and there were very few repeat showings, so fans revisited these stories (or experienced them for the first time) as printed stories and not necessarily on television. And they could continue to revisit the stories with all of the embellishments of the novelisations mixing with hazy half-remembered memories of the solitary broadcast. This is why it's fascinating when a lost story suddenly reappears and the original broadcast can be appraised on its merit rather than its reputation or perceived fan wisdom.
This era was arguably the golden age of Tom Baker and Philip Hinchcliffe - but you cannot ignore the influence of Terence Dicks, Malcolm Hulke, Gerry Davis, Chris Achilleos etc. all had on fan's memories, opinions and nostalgia for this era.
I think you raised a good point. I started reading Target Novels around 87 or 88. Still have many of them. I came into Doctor as a child at the start of the 5th Doctor final season. So most of 5th and 4th Doctor I had no connection with. As the VHS the Dvd came some stories I felt underwhelming like Tomb of the Cybermen. I remember my nan reading me the Target Novel and doing all the different voices (god bless her soul). So when I finally watched it - yeah I enjoyed it but didn't see it as god tier. Mind you I did love the Target Novel and the actual story of The Image of the Fendhal.
Oh undoubtedly. Of course, this retrospective IS primarily about looking at these stories as they were presented and executed within the actual show, so adaptations to other mediums or any supplementary/tie-in material aren't considered when rating these episodes/serials.
Hi Chris Stokes,
Hope you're well. Really missing the reviews. When can we expect a new one?
Highlight: Sometimes you're not....Human. It's the alien that most Doctors ever achieve.
Well, I guess I am now past your point (publicly at least) in the marathon and I will add my Season 13+ reviews on your future recaps.
Season 13 is my favorite in the show so far this marathon so I'm definitely looking forward to the 2nd half of your season 13 reviews. Hope to see them soon (ish?).
I've always loved this story and always will :D It gave so much for all the characters to do although I do agree with Elisabeth Sladen on where Sarah got her marksmanship skills from lol one shot and bomb went boom :O Sutekh was very formidable and charismatic for a villain stuck on a chair
My favorite scene is still the Marx Bros. like walk in and walk out before the mummy turns around.
By a margin they show why they are the best duo to this point.
Just seen this now. I can't wait to watch it later tonight after my long shift. But I really liked the opening. I look forward to offering my thoughts as well.
The Hand of Sutekh also appears in Frontier in Space (the episode when the Doctor is stuck outside in space - as he manages to get back inside Guest appearance of the Hand of Sutekh) 😂
When I first watched this story, I was massively underwhelmed. I enjoyed it but that was it.
However now I do think it’s terrific. Season 13 is just my absolutely favourite season. I don’t think it has a bad story. It’s not perfect no more than any story is. But I adore what the era is going for.
My earliest memory of the show was the trapper getting hunted down by the mummys. When I finally rewatched on dvd,it clicked with me all over again, and I rate it my favourite of the 4th Doctor era. Tom and Sarah have to be the best doctor companion pairing.
Or as I like to call it, the only appearance of Sutekh....
I've heard a very compelling fan theory that the monster seen in The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit is a re-manifestation of Sutekh. There are a bunch of subtle clues suggesting as much in the two-parter, but it's never explicitly confirmed so as to preserve mystery and nurture organic speculation, without distracting from core story at hand.
The impossible Planet and Satan's pit take a lot from the film Event Horizon. Also I never believed that fan theory as many say it's because they used Sutekh actors voice - k9 voice actor played a different character in Power of Kroll I think so that means his character is the human embodiment of K9 😂 I don't think so
@@Mark-nh2hsOh is it the same voice actor? I didn't know that. The theory I've heard about Sutekh being the Beast has absolutely nothing to do with the actor, it's entirely to do with lines of dialogue and imagery that imply that the two might be one and the same, not to mention thematic parallels.
Also, I highly doubt that The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit were inspired by Event Horizon, considering Event Horizon is a pretty shameless rip off of famous 1972 film Solaris with some visual elements copied from The Shinning. However I do know from interviews with the production crew that Impossible Planet/Satan Pit were heavily inspired by 1979's Alien, with the ship being modelled after the Nostromo and the guest characters having similar jobs and lives to the characters from Alien, and the Ood serving roles akin to the androids seen throughout the Alien series.
Six people have died, how can you be so callous? Yes, and millions more will die if we don't stop Sutekh.
Hey man, hope you're doing ok. I miss the reviews, will they come back soon?
* * * * * for the sweater.
* * * * for the story.
I've never seen the "greatest of all time"ness of Pyramids either. I do agree what's best about it is the characters and the actor interplay. Fantastic Tom and Lis and dear Michael Sheard. Such marvelous presence the seated Sutekh and his voice have. Very, very good story. But not even second-best of season 13, let alone best ever.
I was lucky enough to be old enough to have watched this period of Doctor Who as it was broadcast. At the time the show was always seen, by my friends and myself, as a bit rubbish. I hid the fact I watched it lol 😂. But I never saw it as anything amazing. So as I watch it now, my defence of it, is massively coloured by nostalgia. I love the Tom Baker era even though I started watching during the John Pertwee era.
I will never understand how people get emotional over Doctor Who. We are all entitled to our opinion, and it is just an opinion. As an adult, an older adult, enjoy Doctor Who but a lot of the time it is an ironic enjoyment lol 😂. I have fun with the show and I think that the best way to watch it, in my opinion. I don’t always agree with you, sometimes I absolutely disagree with you, but so what! We both enjoy the show, isn’t that the main thing?
I probably think this is the best of s13, but seeds of doom is so much fun too..
Things get even better in s14.. all the stories are good or outstanding.
Season 14 is, without question, my favourite Tom season, possibly even favourite of the 70s. 12 and 13 feel like necessary stepping stones to get there for me. Still essential in their own way but not the crowning glory
This was one of my first Classic stories about 10 years ago, and I have loved it since that first viewing. But I've always thought that the final episode falls a bit flat, and the preceding three are what holds it up.
Oddly enough, despite being a child of the Hinchcliffe era, I kind of agree about it not being the very best! I think that maybe down to me missing Part's One & Four on original transmission, so I really got to know it with the novelisation, then, it was one of my earliest VHSs!
That said though, like "The Ark In Space" it shows just how Robert Holmes can take another writer's idea that so clearly isn't working, and totally re-write that into something that is so very Doctor Who! Hence, I suppose, why both stories are so popular!
I like Big Finish’s first attempt to bring Sutekh back in new adventures of Bernice Summerfield but the other than that he really should have stayed a one off.
It's always upsetting when a UA-camr abandons his channel. Thanks for all you did. I wish you could have finished.
@@kevingibbons6215 I haven't abandoned it, I'm just busier than I've ever been. As soon as I can get back to it I absolutely will
I'm with you - Tom and Lis are excellent and this story is extremely solid, fun, well written and directed - but it's not my favourite, it's just too straightforward - my favourite Doctor Who is the craziness of Mind Robber of Carnival of Monsters - this is much more as expected
Like fang rock all the supporting cast die (bar extras at the start)
I had wrongly predicted that you would also have The Pyramids of Mars as one of the all time greatest episodes. I'm also in the same camp as you. Personally, I would go so far as to say that the Pyramids of Mars is the most overrated episode of the old series- in my view (like you wonderfully put we all have unique perspectives, and for others this might be their favourite of all time, just like how I enjoy Revenge of the Cybermen more than most, and I would easily put it above the Pyramids of Mars). I still think this episode is good, decent, but just overvalued.
I've tried to watch it open-minded a few times and see it as the classic its meant to be, but I always find myself a little bored when watching this episode. I would like to just offer my view why I don't think its one of the grandest episodes.
This story fits into the type of, 'returning villain.' The plot of this episode revolves around an ancient foe trying to free itself from prison/death; and once it returns chaos will ensue. There are other Doctor Who episodes that fit this type, such as Snakedance in which the Doctor tries to prevent the return of the Mara, and the Curse of Fenric when the Doctor tries to prevent the return of Evil personified. I would like to compare the Pyramids of Mars with the Curse of Fenric for why I feel the Pyramids of Mars falls short. I think the 'returning villain' stories is actually quite a limiting premise, especially for a four-part story. If you think about it some Doctor Who episodes just have the 'returning villain,' as just a part of the episode, like the return of Davros in part 1 of The Resurrection of the Daleks, or the return of the Master in Utopia (part 1 of a three-part story). I think that is because, 'a returning villain,' is not enough to grip the audience and by itself sustain interest over 1hr and 30 minutes. I think its because the episode feels like a countdown until the climactic moment of the return- and that moment of return is usually left to the very end of the episode. So, the episode needs to have a lot of other ingredients, and it needs to be pacey so that it doesn't feel like the writer is stalling the episode until we get to the moment when the villain tries to return. But I don't think the Pyramid of Mars has that much ingredients, even with the excellent chemistry between the Doctor and Sarah. In the case of the Pyramids of Mars (and Snakedance) the moment that the villain returns is left till the very last moment of the episode. Although, this is climactic, it feels anti-climactic in the sense that the audience knows that the Doctor will stop them from returning- and I find the resolution in both the Pyramids of Mars and Snakedance quite disappointing. I think as well that although there is a strong scene between Sutekh and the Doctor at the beginning of Part 4, it it very quickly undermined when the Doctor somehow slips out of Sutekh's mind control and survives being strangled. The whole sequence on Mars just feels very slow and tedious (as well as some of the running around in the woods). In contrast, although the Curse of Fenric is a returning villain story, its not the only focal point of the story. The Curse of Fenric is far more layered and very rich in themes and motifs (which I won't list now), with far more interesting characters than the characters in the Pyramids of Mars. I'm not saying the characters in the Pyramids of Mars are bad, but the characters are more complex and layered in the Curse of Fenric. The Doctor's and Ace's relationship is also tested far more than in any other episode which adds to the tension of the story. Moreover, the Doctor actually fails to prevent Fenric returning- twice! At the end of Part 3, Fenric escapes into Professor Judson's body, and Fenric also beats the Doctor's chess game. Thus, this subverts the returning villain genre. This means we have a full part with Fenric, and for me he is one of the best Doctor Who villains, up there with Davros and the Master. He is performed immaculately by two actors and he is given fantastic lines by Ian Briggs. The Doctor only eventually beats Fenric by having to destroy Ace's trust in himself! In the Curse of Fenric the stakes feel far higher- not just because most of the characters are killed off, but because of the desperate measures the Doctor is taking. At the end of the Pyramids of Mars, the Doctor and Sarah just laugh about the adventure with Sutekh, at the end of the Curse of Fenric, the Doctor and Ace have a heart to heart about the ordeal. That is why I prefer the Curse of Fenric to the Pyramids of Mars (The Curse of Fenric is my 5th favourite episode of Doctor Who).
Again, this is just my opinion and I respect those who disagree and think the opposite; and maybe one day I will change my mind and come to love it for myself. The first time I watched the Curse of Fenric I didn't get it, as I'm not a big fan of returning-villain driven plots . But after a couple of repeat viewings I came to love the Curse of Fenric. This just goes to show how our own views can grow, develop and mature. So, there is hope for the Pyramids of Mars yet.
I think it’s just fine which is my reaction to most of the era these days. It’s an era that doesn’t quite click with me.
I don't really rate Genesis....... It's definitely a broad church !!
Chris. I hate to point this out I really do. But you have talons in the wrong place on your shelf
@@eelsemaj99 it's been like that the whole time - pedant bait. Despite it being like that since last June, you're still only the 5th person to notice
@@chris_stokes oh I love that idea
Yeah I land about the same on this one. There's a lot of great things in it, performances in particular, but overall it doesn't feel like a masterpiece to me. It's really good, and as a kid I wouldn't watch the whole thing because I found the uncaring nature of the villains (and Doctor) kinda scary and offputting, as an adult I've gone from thinking it was pretty mediocre to appreciating it a little bit more on every rewatch. The one coming up is one I did not at all know by reputation when I first saw it, and I enjoyed it a great deal, but has fallen a little more towards fan consensus over time.
I noticed that in the story for men die but don't touch Sarah
I love it but the novel was better because of suketh backstorie
I am one who does consider the Hinchcliffe era the golden years for Who. With Pyramids the first three episodes are superb top form. Then we get the puzzles in the Pyramid which take the story down a bit. Sarah even references they had something similar in Death to the Daleks (third Doctor must have told her about it). Notable it is all edited out for the latest Tales and I think the 60 minute Omnibus in November 1976. Maybe the omnibus is the reason it is so loved and well remembered . It got a viewing audience of 13.7million a record high at the time. So overall a classic tale but not pitch perfect.
Whoa, this is getting out of hand, The Pyramids of Mars is unquestioningly one of the best Who stores ever written. You do realize this opinion put you in the minority on the show, just saying.
I am not alone! I’ve always thought this, along with Androzani, are the most overrated stories of classic Who. A perfectly fine story, just nothing more than that 😬
Pyramids of Mars has one of the best villains the show ever had (which is why he was finally brought back in a fairly contrived way). The plot to this story, however, has some serious problems.
I love Pyramids, but it's certainly not the greatest doctor who of all time. Great perfomances carry a story that is just good imo.
Maybe not the very best but the small cast and expert direction work well. Few dodgy effects. Dudley simpson on form. The 1980s trip to the future of devestation. I had this on rental and it made a big impact till i saw it about 5 years later with some relatives.
I have to agree. My first (and so far only) viewing of this story was somewhat disappointing - not because it was bad, but simply because I knew its reputation as an all-time great and I just couldn't see it. Maybe it'll grow on me in the future.