Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13685 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-08-18
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 97 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Doctor Who: Earthshock finds Peter Davison's Fifth Doctor nicely settling into the role, initially displaying some crotchety short temper that harks back to William Hartnell's incarnation of the Doctor, effectively setting up the most emotionally powerful finale in the show's 26-year run.

In this, the penultimate adventure of Doctor Who's 19th season, a scientific expedition in a cave system on 25th-century Earth is wiped out. An army rescue unit led by Lieutenant Scott (James Warwick) and including the one woman, Professor Kyle (Claire Clifford) who survived the original massacre, goes in to recover the bodies. The scenario deliberately evokes Ridley Scott's Alien (1979), and uncannily foreshadows James Cameron's Aliens (1986), developing into a tense actioner on a space freighter bound for Earth carrying a very deadly cargo of Cybermen.

Tightly paced, refreshingly free of the camp humour that sometimes blighted the show in the 1980s, and with a notable guest turn from Beryl Reid as the ship's captain, Earthshock is one of the Doctor's finest adventures. Overlook a few gaping plot holes and by the end they simply won't matter; when the final credits roll in silence the effect is as powerful now as it was shocking to audiences back in 1981. If only Star Trek: The Next Generation had done the same to Wesley Crusher!

On the DVD: Doctor Who: Earthshock is presented in the original broadcast 4:3 with a near flawless picture, though the source videotape does show just the occasional sign of damage. The mono sound is excellent. The extras begin with a strong 32-minute documentary, more retrospective than making-of. Then comes the commentary, with Peter Davison, Janet Fielding (Tegan), Sarah Sutton (Nyssa) and Matthew Waterhouse (Adric), which like so many Who commentaries is both informative and wonderful fun. Both commentary and the episodes have optional subtitles. Other options include detailed on-screen information titles, an isolated musical score, and the ability to watch with selected effects shots replaced with new computer graphics. There's a scored, five-minute photo gallery that even includes a shot from the recording of the commentary, a pointless assemblage of the seven minutes of footage shot on film, and a three-minute clip montage set to a dreadful techno reworking of the title theme to celebrate the show's 40th anniversary. Much more interesting is a 10-minute section from arts review Did You See? looking back on the show's aliens, and including clips from Earthshock, while the very brief Episode 5 is a hilarious new animation. --Gary S Dalkin

DVD Description
The TARDIS arrives in the 26th Century in a cave system containing numerous dinosaur fossils. The Doctor's Party comes under suspicion from a military force, led by Lieutenant Scott, who are investigating the disappearance of a group of palaeontologists and geologists. They are all then attacked by androids - the true culprits - under the control of the Cybermen. The Doctor manages to deactivate a bomb intended by the Cybermen to destroy an imminent peace conference. He then follows the bomb's activating signal to an approaching space freighter, commanded by captain Briggs, on board which it transpires that an army of Cybermen are concealed. An attempt by Adric to thwart the Cybermen's plans result in the freighter being inadvertently sent millions of years into the past, where it explodes and causes the extinction of the dinosaurs - and also the death of Adric. The Doctor destroys the Cyber Leader be forcing into its chest unit some gold fragments from a badge previously worn by Adric.

Special Features

• Commentary Track
  
• Photo Gallery
  
• Production subtitles

DVD Technical Information:

• Running Time: 100 minutes approx.

Customer Reviews

LOTS OF ACTION!!!
Decent Dr Who with plenty of shoot outs and action - The Cybermen are excellent here and there's a real sense of tension.
The CGI FX available if desired, whilst not exactly ILM, are decent and the production values are reasonably strong!
One of the better Davison adventures - and a better Cyberman tale than the new episodes (I don't like the Parallel Earth origin).

As the cyber-leader would say - `Excellent!'
Barcode: 5014503115326

Earthshock - beginning with the return of the cybermen with a new design and ending with the death of companion Adric, it makes for a memorable story and many would argue that to this day it remains one of the best 5th Doctor stories. Many comment on the new feel beginning to creep into the series with this episode, sign of John Nathan-Turner's vision of how the series would evolve during the 80s.

This episode feels filmic in its story and effects, in particular, it's very `Aliens' with the soldiers creeping through dark tunnels and corridors and Tegan taking on an almost Ripley type role as she dons some overalls and arms herself with a cyberman's gun. This is what Earthshock is all about, pace, tension and action, which it does extremely well - Nyssa, Tegan and even the Doctor all get to shoot guns which I thought was pretty cool! A little uncharacteristic but it's nice to see a little variation once in a while and plus, the dire situation of this episode would push anyone to desperate measures.

Despite many saying Beryl Reid was out of place as the freighter captain I think she was great in the role, getting the balance of comedy and stern authority-figure just right. Lieutenant Scott and his soldiers are great too, showing immense courage against the cybermen and adding a grittyness to the episode which brilliantly counterbalances the cold, calculated nature of the cybermen.

The cybermen themselves are ridiculously camp but still feel extremely threatening and dangerous. I actually really like the 80s design of them too, maybe even more than the cybermen in the 2006 series. The threat they pose to earth with their bomb is extremely palpable and one of my favourite scenes from this serial is when the cyber leader threatens to kill Tegan if the Doctor does not co-operate. It's an intensely moving moment as he runs to her side, refusing to let the cybermen kill her and shows the human side to the Doctor that makes him such an intriguing figure.

The Doctor and all three of his companions really get to shine in this episode - it's a shame Nyssa gets stuck in the TARDIS for most of the episode as she's such a charming character but it's nice to see her remaining cool, composed and intelligent in the face of danger. Adric on the other hand is an enigma, I know a lot of people don't like him although personally I don't really feel either way for him. That said, even I felt a little sad at his death though as he stares unflinching out of the freighter's window at the approaching earth.

So, all in all, I found it an immensely enjoyable serial and one I could go back to again and again and never tire of. The extras on this DVD only add to the story's appeal with the customary talking heads documentary which is always nice as it sets the context of the episode within Doctor Who as a whole. Truly, the highlight has to be the commentary though featuring Peter, Janet, Sarah and Matthew - in other words, the Doctor and all three of his companions. As usual, Matthew and Sarah remain quite subdued as Peter and Janet do most of the talking, just as cheeky as ever - all four have really interesting points to express on the story though. It's great fun to listen to and serves as the perfect accompaniment to an excellent story.

"Beryl Reid: Elderly Space Commander"
1 of the better '80's stories. Director Peter Grimwade does a fine Douglas Camfield job of making a handful of Cybermen look like an army. The only time he fails is when an image of an approaching line of Cybermen is unsuccessfully triplicated in the climax to part 3
He paces his story well and it fills its 4 parts with little padding. wwe have some good emotional context as Adric asks to go home as he is sick and tired of being treated as a joke, which cleverly exploited much of the audience's negative feelings toward the character at the time. Even with Matthew Waterhouse's limited acting abilities at the time, his fate has quite an impact.
As with the original stories form the '60's the Cybermen are in the background for the 1st half and do not get too over burdnede with screentime. A good redesign with the only problem being they look gangly rather than bulky.
Davison gets a fine moment where he debates the value of emotion with the Cyberleader, Janet Fielding goes commando (no not in the slang sense of the word!)and only Nyssa is underused.
The guest cast are great except for, you've guessed it Beryl Reid. despite her good track record in drama, she plays her tough commander like a gin sodden Headmistress with a costume that makes her resemble a pantomime Dame posing as a bus conductor!
Putting the Shock into Earthshock is a sound documentary, 1 of the 1st to allow people to appear in both commentary and accompanying documentary. Many of the major players are included along with some celebrity fans. The celebrity fan thing is okay, except for the number of them. When they are future writers Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat with funny comments about Adric & the Cybermen this is fine, but why did we have to have a witless shadow cabinet politician?
There are a few deleted scenes and a hilarious claymation episode 5, plus an easy to find easter egg of a Real McCoy sketch, but best of all the commentary. Peter Davison, Janet Fielding and Sarah Sutton mercilessly rib Mathew Waterhouse who to his credit takes it in good form. It easily rivals even a Tommentary from the Baker years!
Recommended for all fans.