Doctor Who - City of Death (Episode 105)
by Michael Hayes
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DVD details
Actor: Julian Glover, Lalla Ward, Tom BakerDirector: Michael Hayes
Brand: Warner Brothers
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Unknown; English (Subtitled)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 100 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-11-08
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: BBC Warner
DVD Reviews of Doctor Who - City of Death (Episode 105)
DVD Review: Release has faulty labeling on the packaging
Summary: 2 Stars
Ive bought this dvd three times and all three time I had to return it, it seems that there was an error in the manufacturing process rendering some of the disc one discs. It appears that everyone of the time I bought this two disc set, both discs are the same (supplement discs), even though both are correctly labeled disc one and two. So buyers beware, im kinda of leary in trying to buy another in the hopes of getting a proper set. Obviously there are proper sets floating around or else there would'nt be so many positive reviews.DVD Review: Classic Doctor at his best
Summary: 5 Stars
I can't believe cheesy 70s sci fi could be so fun. Honestly the special effects are nonexistent, but that makes this show even better. I could have been conceived to this, but my parents might have been watching it instead. If you love the doctor and if you love cheesy sci fi, and if you have a disdain for CGI or expensive special effects, you will love this dvd.DVD Review: Great show
Summary: 5 Stars
It's too bad that Douglas Adams died so young because this was a great episode for Tom Baker to star in. The story line is just as goofy as the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy was when I read it.DVD Review: Legendary
Summary: 5 Stars
Douglas Adams, Tom Baker, and Lalla Ward are all amazing. Definitely check this one out. One of the best episodes of Doctor Who EVER -- and there are a lot, so that's saying something.
If you're a real nerd, the "episode production note" subtitles are full of random facts (Douglas Adams wrote this episode in one alcohol-filled weekend, for example) and quite fun.
DVD Review: "Soon we shall be. The centuries that divide me shall be undone."
Summary: 5 Stars
Certain storylines of "Doctor Who" reverberated as distinct images in my memory during the years between my youthful enthusiasm in the 80's and my somewhat recent rediscovery of this wonderful show. They stood out clearly from the vague nostalgic haze that the many episodes had become in my mind. They were memorable. One of the more powerful of these without a doubt was "City of Death"--and the decades have done nothing to diminish its power. If anything, like a fine wine it has improved with age.
First off, this story is incredibly well-written, combining an ingeniously creative science fiction concept from Douglas Adams with suspenseful adventure along the lines of a Pink Panther detective tale or else the Da Vinci Code without the mystical edge. Once again Douglas Adams' dry, quirky sense of humor dovetails perfectly with Tom Baker's eccentric characterization of the Doctor, and this humor fits seamlessly into the story either as diversionary tactics by the Doctor in adversity or else simply to offset and counterpoint the enormity of the story's premise: A starship with the last survivors of a planet's race exploding as it attempts to take off in warp from the primitive Earth's surface, killing all but the pilot while sparking life on this planet--meanwhile, the pilot, Scaroth, is split into twelve fragments across the span of human history, where he/they work to impel human civilization forward technologically ultimately so that he can go back to that fateful moment and so undo his race's destruction (retroactively erasing the evolution of life on this planet in the process, of course).
All of that sounds a bit complicated in summary, but the dimensions of the tale unfold gradually and naturally in a finely crafted plotline also involving Scaroth's masterplan to fund his scientific research by selling seven Mona Lisa paintings to private collectors--one stolen from the Louvre, six (genuinely by Da Vinci, no less) in his basement. This in turn allows the writers to cleverly weave into this already masterful tale a subtle meditation on the uses (& misuses) and value of art. And Scaroth is played masterfully by Julian Glover, who brings a sinister sophistication and smooth cruelty to the role along with a wickedly dry sense of humor of his own. He is also a very believable villain whose motivations are understandable if reprehensible to us in their implications. Who wouldn't try to save his own people, after all?
Everything else about "City of Death" fits like a glove, too. The location shots in Paris are very nice indeed--sure, it's good to see that the Tardis can go somewhere on modern Earth besides merry ol' England, but the location of France's artistic capital is integral to the story, too, and thus much more than merely a neat but inconsequential backdrop. Lalla Ward's regenerated Romana has a natural rapport and chemistry with Tom Baker's Doctor that Mary Tamm, for all her fine abilities, just fundamentally lacked somehow, and that comes across especially strongly in this storyline. Even the special effects are excellent and 99.99% believable to the eye, and Scaroth's starship is convincingly alien and yet aesthetically cool in design and is utterly a showpiece of model-making on a slim budget. And the cameo appearance of John Cleese pontificating pretentiously on the artistic merits of the "afunctional" Tardis is a superb little touch.
In short, "City of Death" is a quintessential "Doctor Who" masterpiece, an unforgettable classic--why, it's practically a work of art itself.
Description of Doctor Who - City of Death (Episode 105)
In a story written by Hitchhiker's Guide's Douglas Adams and producer Graham Williams, the Doctor (Tom Baker) and Romana ta a holiday in Paris where they unravel a mystery involving six original Mona Lisas!DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Documentary
Featurette
Other
Photo gallery
Production Notes
The late Douglas Adams (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) co-wrote this enormously popular four-part story from 1979, which pits the Doctor (Tom Baker) and Romana (Lalla Ward) against a time-traveling alien (Julian Glover) whose body, fragmented by an accident, spurred evolution millions of years ago. Now restored to his full (and horrific) form, he plans to travel back in time and prevent the destruction of his ship--which in turn would profoundly affect the course of humanity. A terrific blend of science-fiction thrills and humor (well-played by Baker and Ward), City of Death also benefits from its Paris locations and terrific performances by Glover and Space: 1999's Catherine Schell, as well as a pair of unexpected cameos from John Cleese and Eleanor Bron as art critics. The story's high caliber was rewarded with phenomenal ratings (reportedly, the largest ever for Doctor Who), and has remained a fan favorite ever since.
DVD features
Thanks to its popularity, the two-disc DVD of City of Death comes with an abundance of typically topnotch supplemental features. The commentary by Glover, co-star Tom Chadbon, and director Michael Hayes, is the longest and most informative of the extras, but it's well-matched by Paris in the Springtime, a 45-minute making-of featurette that offers rare archival interviews with Adams and many of the cast (but not Baker or Ward, sadly) and crew. Paris, W12 offers 20 minutes of studio footage taken from 1/2-inch videotape, while Prehistoric Landscapes and Chicken Wrangler are very different views of the story's special effects (the latter is a particularly amusing glimpse at the challenges of working with live animals). Finally, there's Eye on Blatchford, a wry parody of BBC "human interest" news items, here focusing on another alien attempting to live peacefully in the rural English countryside. Production notes and photos and a batch of well-concealed Easter eggs round out this highly enjoyable set. --Paul Gaita
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