Product Description
Doctor Who: Ark in Space, The (Episode 76) (DVD)
The Doctor, Harry and Sarah accidentally land on a space wheel where survivors from Earth lie in cryogenic suspension waiting to begin a new life.
Amazon.com Tom Baker's second outing as the renegade Time Lord is a solid entry in the venerable British science fiction series' history, and its overall quality is well-matched by the wealth of supplemental material on the DVD. Fan favorite Robert Holmes penned "The Ark in Space," which places the Doctor and his companions Sarah (Elisabeth Sladen) and Harry (Ian Marter) on a seemingly deserted space station many years in the future. Station Nerva is not as empty as it appears, though; onboard are the cryogenically preserved survivors of Earth's destruction, as well as an insectlike alien race, the Wirrin, which are determined to use the humans--and the Doctor--as hosts to grow their monstrous larvae. Holmes's well-paced script (which, like Alien, bears a resemblance to the A.E. van Vogt story "Black Destroyer") allows Baker to flesh out his well-loved take on the Doctor, as well as considerable suspense. --Paul Gaita Additional Features The DVD's obvious highlight is an audio commentary track featuring Tom Baker, Elisabeth Sladen, and producer Philip Hinchcliffe. Though Baker's contributions to the track are sporadic, his participation is valuable nonetheless, considering that his involvement with the series since his 1981 departure has been infrequent at best. The full-frame mono presentation also includes two interviews, one with Baker on the set of another episode in 1975 and the other with designer Roger Murray-Leach, who discusses his long involvement with the series. Also included is the episode's BBC1 trailer, an unused title sequence, new CGI special effects produced by the BBC's visual effects department, and Howard Da Silva's narration from Time Life's American broadcasts. An optional information track, which provides running background information and trivia, should also prove valuable for series completists. A trio of Easter eggs reveals Baker's typically eclectic promotions for a Doctor Who exhibition in Blackpool, England. --Paul Gaita From the Back Cover The Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) brings Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) and a very skeptical Harry Sullivan (Ian Marter) thousands of years into the fu
