Doctor Who: Vengeance on Varos (Special Edition) (Story 139)

Product Description

Doctor Who: Ep. 139 - Vengeance on Varos Special Edition (DVD)

On the planet Varos, prisoners and guards alike are subject to severest forms of punishment, which are then broadcast to the masses as entertainment. For the Doctor, Varos is the only hope for him to locate the rare mineral Zeiton-7 to power his ailing TARDIS. Arriving on Varos, he and Peri are soon caught up in events beyond their control.

Amazon.com A funny thing happens to the good Doctor and Peri and TARDIS as they are cruising along through outer space mostly minding their own business. In the special edition of Vengeance on Varos (story 139, which aired originally in 1985), the trusty TARDIS just stalls out and is floating loose in space. The nearest planet is Varos, which happens to be a source of the mineral needed to get the ship moving again. But the tense visit to Varos is one of the most unsettling of the mid-series Doctor Who stories. Varos is plagued by a severe food shortage, and if any planet resident tries to rebel against the evil Chief Officer, that rebel is tortured on live TV broadcast into every resident's home (something of a presaging of The Hunger Games). The Doctor, played by fan favorite Colin Baker, and Peri (Nicola Bryant) try to navigate the hateful place that Varos is, get their hands on some precious minerals to reboot their ship, and perhaps help some of the planet's residents overthrow the evil Chief Officer. Another monkey wrench: The evil Sil (Nabil Shaban), who's in cahoots with the repressive government, is trying to wrest control of the valuable mineral native to Varos. It's a terrifically written story, and the acting is top-notch, especially by Shaban, who's hulking and rather reptilian. The extras included in this special edition are smashing. The audio commentary featuring actors Baker, Bryant, and Shaban alone would be worth the price of the set. There's also a fantastic making-of featurette with every detail the most rabid Doctor Who fan might want, plus deleted scenes, interviews with Baker, behind-the-scenes tidbits, galleries, and much more. Long live the great Doctor. --A.T. Hurley