DVD Region2: pub: BBC BBCDVD 2332. 98 minutes 4 episodes with extras. Price: under £ 6.00 (UK) if you know where to look) stars: Tom Baker, Elisabeth Sladen, Nicholas Courtney and Ian Marter

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I remember back in 1975 that there was a lot of trepidation when the regeneration happened for the third time and Jon Pertwee metamorphosed into Tom Baker but then 'Doctor Who' went into an enormous upswing that carried on for seven years which should speak for itself. The regeneration stories are always significant, as the viewing public always want to see how the new star takes on the role. What I do find crazy is so few of the last stories of the previous regeneration are available on DVD. Pat Troughton's 'The War Games' and Jon Pertwee's 'Planet Of The Spiders' were both out on video so there's no reason for them not to have a DVD release. Remember to mark them up the next time there's a poll to see what gets released next from the original series.

With the Doctor in a new body and raring to go, it is Sarah Jane Smith (actress Elisabeth Sladen) who gets him involved when components of a disintegrator weapon are stolen by what could only be a seven foot tall robot which Sarah Jane encounters when investigating a scientific establishment. It is the Doctor, leading the Brigadier and his UNIT squad, that eventually leads to the showdown with the robot and its creators.



In the audio commentary, writer Terrance Dicks describes how he was asked to write a story including a robot and he turned it more into a beauty and the beast scenario making the machine sympathetic than pure villain. Despite being on the usual low budget at the time there was still some blue screen work applied to the robot. Primitive by today's standards, but what could be otherwise, it certainly held attention back then. The story was the thing though and this still holds together well. Tom Baker's opening scenes with Ian Marter convincing him that he is well are priceless. So, too, are his costume changes. It's a shame that the Viking gag couldn't have been held over for an episode.

The most significant thing of the extras is having designer Bernard Lodge showing how the opening credits for the Pertwee and Baker years was created. Its one thing to read about such things, quite another to seeing it done.

This was the swansong for UNIT involvement and the Doctor on a present day Earth for quite some time but it was the start off point for some of the more famous stories of the era so worthwhile owning.

GF Willmetts