Doctor Who: Earthshock (Story 122)

Doctor Who: Earthshock (Story 122)
by Peter Grimwade

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DVD details

Actor: Janet Fielding, Mathew Waterhouse, Peter Davison, Sarah Sutton
Director: Peter Grimwade
Brand: Warner Brothers
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 97 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-09-07
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: BBC Video / Warner Bros.

DVD Reviews of Doctor Who: Earthshock (Story 122)

DVD Review: So close, but not quite!
Summary: 4 Stars

This serial comes very close to being excellent, and is by far one of the highlights of the Fifth Doctor's era. There's so much to like in this one: the tone is serious, and the direction is cinematic and very visual, uncommon for Eighties "Who"; the design is terrific, with both the caves and the spaceship looking absolutely top-notch; the guest cast turn in good performances, and the Cybermen make a triumphant return after having gone MIA for almost ten years.

There's a good deal of action, but it doesn't overwhelm the way the violence in later shows like WARRIORS OF THE DEEP or RESURRECTION OF THE DALEKS would. The overcrowded TARDIS is quite obvious: Nyssa spends a lot of time inside doing little, and Adric is bumped off at the end. Tegan, however, gets to change into a new costume, wield a gun, and shoot a Cyberman. Hooray for Tegan! She was always a favorite of mine, nevermind all the complaints she gets. The direction, as I mentioned above, is better than average, and the tension and mood are palpable.

But then there are some not-so-good bits. First of all, Eric Saward decided he didn't like the emotionless Cybermen of old so he gave the Cyberleader more of a personality. That might make him a more engaging villain, but it also makes him generic. He could be anyone at all, and there's no reason whatsoever for the baddies to be Cybermen. That's disappointing when the story is as good as it is.

Even worse is the role the Doctor plays in this. I quite like Peter Davison's Doctor, and I think he gets underestimated. His performance makes the Doctor a little more human and humane, someone we can believe in. The trouble is, so few writers were willing to give him anything to do. He's like a bystander, an observer in his own show. Take the Doctor out of EARTHSHOCK, and you'd get basically the same thing. This was a major flaw of the series in the Eighties, and would only be corrected when Andrew Cartmel became story editor and started making the 7th Doctor into a good character again. Peter Davison is great, but the Doctor needs to take charge!

Other than those two caveats, this is a great one. Of all the Fifth Doctor's stories, it's among the best.

DVD Review: A Well Paced Adventure That Packs A Punch
Summary: 5 Stars

It is hard to imagine the effect that Earthshock had on its original viewers back in 1982. With its plot twists now easily revealed on the art work for the VHS and now, of course, DVD versions of the story. Despite that fact Earthshock remains a well paced adventure that packs a punch for its viewers.

Earthshock features some of the better performances from the TARDIS crew of the time. Say what you will about an overloaded TARDIS with Peter Davison's fifth Doctor, Janet Fielding's Teagan, Sarah Sutton's Nyssa and Matthew Waterhouse's Adric but hear me out. For Davison and Waterhouse at least this would prove to be some of their best work in the series, particularly in parts three and four. With this being Waterhouse's final story, there seems to have been much emphasis placed on Adric and his relationship with the fifth Doctor which gives this story some distinction. While this emphasis takes away from Teagan and Nyssa, the finale of part four gives everyone a chance to show off in what is one of the series (original or new series for that matter) biggest surprise endings.

There's also a good supporting cast as well. Amongst the supporting cast are terrific performances from James Warwick, Clare Clifford, June Bland and Alec Sabin amongst others. There's also Beryl Reid as Captain Briggs of the freighter where much of the story takes place. While Reid (an award winning actress in her own right) gives a commendable performance there are certainly moments where her credibility is stretched very thin. Yet the true highlights of the supporting cast lies not in the people but in the "surprise villains" of the story: the Cybermen.

After quite a few appearances in the 1960's, the Cybermen disappeared from Doctor Who after a rather abysmal appearance in Doctor Who - Revenge of the Cybermen. Seven years later Earthshock would reinvent and reintroduce the silver giants. In what would prove to be one of the defining moments of the series in the 1980's the Cybermen suddenly changed from the not so menacing men in suits of their previous appearance to be a truly menacing force. The "new look" Cybermen have a truly inhuman quality to them that makes them as impressive today as they were twenty-six years ago. Much of that menace is given to them by the actors (especially David Banks and Mark Hardy) who make scenes that could have potential dull like the flashback sequence in part two seem exciting (try imaging the same scene with the Cybermen from Revenge Of The Cybermen for example). At the end of the day it is a welcomed return that remains as impressive now as it was then.

While all of the above are obviously important to how successful of a story Earthshock is, in my mind the success really stems from three men who gave this story its cinematic feel: writer Eric Saward, director Peter Grimwade and composer Malcolm Clarke. Eric Saward crafted what is almost certainly his finest script for the series with fine dialogue and action combined almost perfectly. The perfect compliment to Saward's script is the direction of Peter Grimwade, who turns the script into a well paced and orchestrated action/adventure that also manages to pack an emotional punch. Last, but no least, is composer Malcolm Clarke whose music brings just the right amount of emphasis to a scene without it being either too intrusive or completely underwhelming. Together the works of these three men make Earthshock amongst the most cinematic Doctor Who stories.

The special features wonderfully supplement this story. The highlight is the making of documentary Putting The Shock In Earthshock which proves to be wonderfully insightful on the making of this story. The audio commentary, while not as insightful, is still a good listen as Davison, Fielding, Sutton, and Waterhouse reminisce about the story and their time on the show in general. There's also some new CGI effects which help to improve of the 1980's effects (especially those in the finale which need it). Then there's an absolutely hilarious DVD Easter egg if you can find it. Add on a few other things and the result is a rather outstanding DVD release.

Earthshock features many things. It has terrific performances, to the Cybermen (at quite possibly their best), good writing, fantastic direction and a score to beat, amongst other things. Above all it is a well paced adventure that packs a punch both action wise and dramatic wise. In short; what more can you ask for?

DVD Review: Thus ends an era
Summary: 4 Stars

Many people will probably give this one five stars because it ends the Mathew Waterhouse era of Who, but I'm one of the few people on the planet(perhaps the galaxy) who liked Adric. This is an emotional ride from start to finsih and one of the Fifth Doctors finest hours. The ending still packs a punch

DVD Review: Earthshock
Summary: 5 Stars

The Cybermen are excellent as always, and a Companion actually dies. The commentary track points out some of the weaker parts of the story such as the assassins in part 1 and the ship's Captain that might not have been as noticeable or memorable. The history of the Cybermen was great as I love seeing them. The silent credits are moving and I thought this episode might be new enough for my friend who cant deal with special effects on a shoestring budget, but unfortunately none of the Classic Who episodes are up to her modern 2007 standards.

DVD Review: My Favorite Peter Davison Adventure
Summary: 5 Stars

Peter Davison is my favorite classic Doctor Who incarnation. Growing up I was introduced to the good Doctor through PBS' broadcasts of the old series. I think just about every American Who fan cut their teeth on Tom Baker's incarnation, and he was definitely a great Doctor, but Davison just won me over more. Perhaps it was due to the fact that I was getting older whenever I got a chance to watch Davison. I do not know. Well, on to this DVD.

"Earthshock" opens with the mysterious loss of members of an archaelogical dig team. Naturally the Doctor, along with Nyssa, Tegan, and Adric, pops in and determines to help the surviving team members. What they find are overly protective androids and a bomb strong enough to destroy Earth. Who put it there and how can they be stopped? Only the Doctor and his companions can find that out.

This is by far one of the best Peter Davison era Who serials. It features quick pacing, suspense, and two huge "shocks" for the viewer. The first shock is the revelation of who the mysterious villain is. The second one involves one of the Doctor's companions and how they foil the enemy's plans.

Not only is this one of the best Who serials, it's also one of the best DVDs. It's packed with all of the standard Who special features like "Who's who," a wonderful commentary, and a photo gallery, but what sets this disc apart is the fun "Did You See?" episode that covers the Doctor's greatest and most loved (or feared) monsters and the documentary "Putting The 'Shock' Into 'Earthshock'" that includes interviews with the actors, production team, and fans. Also of note is a hilarious easter egg from the JBC.

This serial has aged better than most of the Doctor's classic adventures. There are a few frames in the DVD transfer that reveal some wear but they don't interfere with the story.

With excellent pacing, a legendary villain, and an ending that will leave the unaware in disbelief, "Earthshock" ranks high in the company of the greatest "Doctor Who" adventures. I highly recommend it.

Description of Doctor Who: Earthshock (Story 122)

The mysterious disappearance of an archaeological team is merely the prelude to a deadlier threat for the Doctor and his companions - the Cybermen want to destroy Earth and will use any means at their disposal. The Doctor's ingenuity is stretched to its very limits as he battles to defeat the Cyber army at any cost. But even he does not realize just how high that cost will be.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Deleted Scenes
Documentary
Featurette
Music Only Track
Other
Photo gallery
Production Notes

Doctor Who: Earthshock finds Peter Davison's Fifth Doctor nicely settling into the role, initially displaying some crotchety short temper which harks back to William Hartnell's incarnation of the Doctor, effectively setting up the most emotionally powerful finale in the show's 26-year run. In this, the penultimate adventure of Doctor Who's 19th season, a scientific expedition in a cave system on 25th-century Earth is wiped out. An army rescue unit led by Lieutenant Scott (James Warwick) and including the one woman, Professor Kyle (Claire Clifford) who survived the original massacre, goes in to recover the bodies. The scenario deliberately evokes Ridley Scott's Alien (1979), and uncannily foreshadows James Cameron's Aliens (1986), developing into a tense actioner on a space freighter bound for Earth carrying a very deadly cargo of Cybermen.

Tightly paced, refreshingly free of the camp humor that sometimes blighted the show in the 1980s, and with a notable guest turn from Beryl Reid as the ship's captain, Earthshock is one of the Doctor's finest adventures. Overlook a few gaping plot holes and by the end they simply won't matter; when the final credits roll in silence the effect is as powerful now as it was shocking to audiences back in 1981. If only Star Trek: The Next Generation had done the same to Wesley Crusher! --Gary S. Dalkin

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