Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1229 in VHS
• Released on: 2001-03-26
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Format: PAL
• Number of tapes: 1
• Running time: 74 minutes

Synopsis
The Doctor and Mel are on a tourist bus when they are knocked off course and end up in Wales. There, a Chimeron Queen called Delta seeks their help...

From the Back Cover
The Chimeron homeworld is attacked by Gavrok and his troops - the Bannermen. The sole survivor is the Chimeron Queen Delta, who flees carrying with her the last chance for the future of her race... The Doctor and Mel arrive at a Galactic Tollport, to discover they've won a holiday to Disneyland in 1959, alongside a party of disguised alien Navarinos. Just before they all depart, the tour is joined by Delta, who travels back to Earth.

Customer Reviews

Not for the anoraks - and all the bettter for that
I can't believe some of the reviews here - I think one or two people ought to get out more and watch less tv.

This is a wonderful, "off the wall", colourful homage to rock'n'roll, holiday camps and the 1950s, in general (and motorbikes, in particular).

It has a fantastic cast and great little subplots and cameos - the American "spies" are a scream, Hugh Lloyd plays one of those quirky, supporting characters which he used to do so well, we have the male equivalent of Gladys (or whoever) from "Hi-di-Hi" and Ken Dodd is just - well - Ken Dodd.

The story has pace and the villains are genuinely nasty but good (and love) triumph over evil in the end.

I agree that the storyline is a bit crowded and the plot is a bit inconsistent - even far-fetched. After all, we wouldn't want to undermine the normality of the good doctor - that lovable 700yo+, two-hearted alien who completely changes his physical appearance every so often, is a doctor of "almost everything", lives in a policebox that can travel through time and space, can apparently walk into any top secret, high security establishment in the universe without anyone wanting to know who he is, appears to sleep very rarely and narrowly escapes death at least once each week - he's really just a normal sort of guy who you might meet in the pub (although I bet he drinks Carling Black Label!!).

I think we can live with a little plot inconsistency, actually.

So come on, snap out of the "Bill Hartnell in grumpy mode" mood, unbutton that anorak, pour yourself a shandy (made wth real beer) and dump the daleks, curse the cybermen and mock the Master - LETS ROCK('N'ROLL)!!!

Dr Who meets Hi-De-Hi
This story is not generally held in high regard. But I often feel that's due to the overall campy nature of Season 24 as a whole. If 'Delta' had been in a series of darker-themed Dr Who stories, it would have stood out as light relief. But in Season 24, an intentionally camp story doesn't really stand out from the unintentionally comic ones which preceded it. Which is a shame, as 'Delta' is an enjoyable journey back to the time and location of Butlins. Added to that is the spirit of fifties 'I Married A Monster From Outer Space'-type sci-fi, and Don Henderson as a genuinely chilling villain. The Sylvester McCoy Doctor also improves in this story, starting his change from a comedy figure to a darker, more mysterious character.

A weak point in the series history
Several years ago, Doctor Who magazine conducted a poll to find out the best story in order of ranking. Overall, 3 of the 4 stories which made up season 24 came right at the bottom of the poll, therefore making season 24 the least popular of the 26 broadcast up to this point. Delta was one of those 3 adventures, and having viewed this story again, it is apparant why this is so unpopular.
It can be said that Delta and The Bannermen was a brave attempt at doing something different, it is certainly more light hearted than the bleak and dark serials of 2 years earlier. In the final analysis it simply does not work, the plot itself concerning a woman on the run from a group of space thugs, does not hold up, as we are never told why they want to kill her. Although it is nice to see stories set in the past, perhaps a 1950's holiday camp in Wales isn't everyone's idea of a memorable location. There are also far too many supporting characters in this serial.
Having Ken Dodd in the programme, further steers the series towards light entertainment, at least the tone of the Sylvester McCoy era would change for the better in his following seasons.
Overall this is not Doctor Who at its best.