Doctor Who: Ghost Light (Story 157) [DVD]

Amazon.com One of the more controversial episodes in the long history of the BBC's Doctor Who series, this 1989 three-part story starring seventh Doctor Sylvester McCoy has generated an equal amount of praise and brickbats for its complex plot. In the serial, the Doctor and his companion Ace (Sophie Aldred) travel to Victorian England, where they encounter a scientist (Ian Hogg) whose research into evolution hides his true identity as an alien determined to assassinate Queen Victoria. Platt's script is rich with dialogue and detail that for some fans, fleshes out the hidden pasts of the Doctor and especially Ace, while others consider it needlessly confusing, but wherever one's opinion falls in regard to the script, Ghost Light stands out as one of the more atmospheric stories from the Sylvester McCoy period, with strong performances by the cast (most notably, McCoy himself, who plays down the humorous aspects of his portrayal) and direction by Alan Wareing (his final turn for the series). --Paul Gaita Product Description London, 1983. An old house mysteriously burns to the ground. One hundred years earlier, the Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) and Ace arrive at a sinister mansion, where they discover that Ace's past and the house's future are inextricably linked. Set Contains: As with many of the other Doctor Who DVDs, Ghost Light gets a terrific presentation here; the commentary by Aldred, Platt, script editor Andrew Carmel, and composer Mark Ayres (who also provides an isolated music track) is both entertaining and informative (something fans puzzled by the story will appreciate), while 20 minutes of extended and deleted scenes serve to further flesh out the serial. Three featurettes are also included: "Light in Dark Places" features new interviews with McCoy, Aldred, and other participants in the story, while "Shooting Ghosts" offers a rare look behind the scenes on the production. The extras are rounded out by "Writer's Question Time," a 12-minute Q&A with Platt taken from a 1990 convention, as well as the usual photo gallery, production subtitle notes, and Easter Eggs (happy hunting). --Paul Gaita