Doctor Who: The Mind Robber (Story 45)

Product Description A quick escape from the path of molten lava sends the Tardis to "nowhere" where anything that springs to mind may become reality. Amazon.com The 1968 Doctor Who serial The Mind Robber is a two-fold blessing, because it's not only one of the more engaging story arcs from the program's second season, but also because it's one of the few shows featuring Patrick Troughton as the Doctor that has remained intact since its original BBC broadcast. The five-part story strands the Doctor and companions Jamie (Frazier Hines) and Zoe (Wendy Padbury) in a strange world populated by characters from fiction, including Rapunzel, Blackbeard the Pirate, and Lemuel Gulliver. Controlling this riot of literary personages is a being called The Master (though not the evil Time Lord from subsequent Who seasons), with whom the Doctor must match wits in order to rescue his friends and save the Earth from a sinister plan. A longtime fan favorite brimming with imagination, visual style (despite its limited budget), and an energetic performance by Troughton, The Mind Robber is a welcome inclusion to the growing collection of Doctor Who on DVD. --Paul Gaita Additional Features As with previous releases, the DVD includes an excellent selection of supplemental features, with a special emphasis on Frazier Hines, the longest-running companion to the Doctor in the show's history. Hines is profiled in a 22-minute interview featurette, and he contributes to the commentary track, on which he's joined by Wendy Padbury, actor Hamish Wilson, and director David Maloney. Also included in the extras are a 34-minute making-of documentary, production notes and photos, and an odd short involving the Doctor's occasional foes, the Yeti. --Paul Gaita