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Doctor Who - Black Orchid [1982]
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£12.99 |
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| 1 Used |
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| 16 New |
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|  | There are no strange aliens or even stranger worlds in this story, just a historically set story in which the Doctor and his companions are allowed to show their incomprehension of the era in which they have fallen. The almost perpetual confusion of Nyssa and Adric over the local idioms was neat and the whole Nyssa/Ann twin thing was handled excellently.
As other reviews have stated, the basic story is rather Agatha Christie-ish but the BBC have always excelled at this sort of story. The relatively short storyline meant it didn't get bogged down in inconsequentials and the large amount of on site filming meant that we got a feel of the world around the story.
Tegan is the companion who really shone in this story as she introduced the Charleston to the British Aristocracy.
The extras aren't too hot - a Making Of/Then and Now comparison of the on site scenes and the problems of shooting outside in an English autumn proving the best of a relatively weak selection.
| | | a two part doctor who story from 1982, featuring peter davison as the fifth doctor, and his companions tegan played by janet fielding nyssa played by sarah sutton and adric played by matthew waterhouse.
This is a slightly unusual story compared to the norm because it contains no science fiction other than the tardis, and reintroduces a style of story not seen since the 1960's known as historical, in which the tardis lands on earth in the past and the crew get caught up in goings on of the time. often such stories involved actual historical events and figures but this, set in 1920's england, doesn't. It involves the tardis crew visiting a stately home and getting caught up in a murder mystery and the secret of the family who live there.
This could be an agatha christie story. It's nothing special, but it's a pleasant little diversion, well made and well acted. and the restoration team have done a good job on the film and the picture now looks superb.
The extras:
a commentary from peter davison and the actors who played the companions. this group are always very good at commentaries and they're fun to listen to. and you'll find they're not personally too keen on the story.
for an easter egg, go to the special features pages and move a pointer around them [if watching on a pc] and a doctor who logo will light up. click on this to see bbc continuity announcements of the time for the story
There are a few deleted and extended scenes, running for about ten minutes in total. nothing special but worth a look, and nicely framed in the style of a 20's movie
A now and then feature of ten minutes duration looks at the locations where the story was filmed as they were then and as they are now. they all look very nice so this is a decent watch
Stripped for action is a fifteen minute documentary about the comic strips that featured the fifth doctor. It's interesting stuff, showing how they were put together despite behind the scenes tribulations.
There's a nine minute clip from childrens show blue peter made at the time showing two of the presenters visiting a costumers that supplied the costumes for this story. and lots of other programmes. interesting and worth watching
A short clip from bbc points of view of the time - long running show where viewers opinions are aired - shows viewers of the time weren't happy about the time slot the show was given. and that points of view then as now patronises and doesnt address the issue. some things never change.
A fascinating feature, also framed in 20's style, looks at how the film was restored. technical and very interesting
The radio times listings for the story can be accessed on a pc as a pdf file
and there's the usual information text, english subtitles and photo gallery for the story
the coming soon trailer is for the soon to be released 6th doctor story the trial of a time lord. and it makes it look very good. possibly a little better than it actually is. This isn't actually the next release, and a date for it awaits to be confirmed.
decent little story. decent little package for it
| | Nice, quaint little serial - well worth watching, really enjoyable | |
| | Barcode: 5014503243227
I always eagerly await new Doctor Who DVD releases and having bought this on the day of release and watched it straight away, i have to say, i really enjoyed it! It's a quick, charming, story where Peter Davison's Doctor really shines. The companions largely take a back seat and get a chance to relax although we do get to see Tegan and Nyssa in some delightful costumes showing off their dance moves while Adric stuffs his face with food. Another thing i like is that Doctor Who has always felt quintessentially British and Black Orchid more than ever emphasises this with its posh country manor and 1920s railway station. Its visually a very satisfying story with lush period colours and scenery replacing the usual futuristic environments and monsters - it's nice to step away from the norm once in a while and Black Orchid does this very well. A refreshing historical curiosity in the midst of the Doctor's adventures.
While the plot itself probably isn't the strongest and it feels short and relatively simplistic at only 2 episodes, the episode as a whole is really enjoyable. What makes Black Orchid so appealing are those little moments of magic that truly define Doctor Who. The Doctor playing cricket is one such example as is his trying to persuade the police he's innocent where he comes across frustrated and maybe even a little worried at the allegations against his name. As he says - 'it's just not cricket'. The Nyssa/Ann thing which forms the crux of this episode is a nice touch too.
In terms of the special features there are the usual deleted scenes, another comic strip analysis, probably the best of the bunch being a short documentary about the locations used. The episode commentary feels quite busy featuring the Doctor and all three of his companions and they are quite critical of the episode, quickly claiming it as 'not one of their favourites'. Just like the episode itself though, there are some really nice moments here and it sounds like the four of them really had great fun getting back together again to record this. Peter especially is brilliantly cheeky in his comments. All in all, a great release and one well worth getting your hands on.
| | Why is everyone getting misty-eyed over this story? | |
| | Another welcomed release by 2Entertain, this is a slightly unusual tale from this early 80s period of Doctor Who. It works ok; a historial story, no monsters, it is actually more akin to Tales of the Unexpected which was shown at the same period of time. And it pulls it off, if not with a swagger, but certainly some degree of confidence. That said, it's no classic and is not deserving of 5 stars in my humble opinion. Fans will love it and collectors will buy it as soon as it is released, but to a casual viewer, or to someone who has enjoyed the new series, this is not a place to dip a toe in older (or what has now been termed as 'classic') Doctor Who. It is nicely juxtaposed against Earthshock that chronologically followed it where there are more deaths than you could shake a cyber gun at.
| | | Black Orchid is a story which presents itself really well. At just 50 minutes which compared to must classic Doctor Who is quite short. Nevertheless, the structure of the adventure is incredibly well thought out, the characters are on top form, great setting and a good script as well as some shocks and suprises along the way. Black Orchid also has a number of special features:
Commentary - Peter Davison, Janet Fielding , Sarah Sutton and Matthew Waterhouse give an entertaining commentary and as you can guess with Janet and Peter in the commentary it is going to be brilliant
Now and Then - By far the best one made to date. With tremendous detail about the locations it is a little gem
Deleted Scenes - Yet again, another great arrival to the package
Film Restoration - Looks at how The Restoration Team managed to restore the episode to the best quality
Blue Peter - Looks at the cotumes in Black Orchid
Stripped for Action - A look at the fifth doctors appearance in the comic strips
Points of View - Looks at viewers complaints sparked from switching the airdate and time for Doctor Who
Photo Gallery - A selection of Black Orchid images
Coming Soon - A trailer of the forthcoming dvd 'The Trial of a Timelord'
Easter Egg - If that wasn't enough, there is also an easter egg featuring continuity announcements from the story
So over all, Black Orchid is a brilliant release with a lot of special features
5/5
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