Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8464 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-10-15
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Full Screen, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 90 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
One of the most popular of Colin (the sixth Doctor) Baker's adventures, Vengeance on Varos finds the Doctor and Peri (Nichola Bryant) involved with rebels in a 1984-like world, where televised torture is used to support and enforce an unworkable regime ruling a mining society on the planet Varos. When first broadcast the story aroused condemnation not only over the violence shown--particularly two men falling into a vat of acid--but also over the implied horror and moral corruption. However, these complaints missed the satiric subtext of a world in which the reality TV suffering pacifies the masses while big business carries on exploiting them; and none were more memorably corrupt than the reptilian alien Sil--a love-it-or-hate-it OTT performance from Nabil Shaban. While there is rather too much running about in corridors, the surreal terrors of the Punishment Dome make for good Doctor Who, and the adventure develops ideas from both The Sunmakers (1977) and The Caves of Androzani (1984) with considerable low-budget aplomb. Filled with bizarre touches such as Peri's transformation into a bird creature, the show also marked Jason Connery's TV debut as a rebel leader.

On the DVD: There's 15 minutes worth of deleted and/or extended scenes and four minutes of stage footage, but by far the finest extra is the three way commentary track, with Baker, Bryant and Nabil Shaban. Affectionately sending the show and themselves up, while still demonstrating a great love for Doctor Who, the track sometimes degenerates into trivia, but at its best is simply hilarious. Both original BBC1 trailers and a continuity link are included, as is a photo gallery and the option to listen with the unfinished "production sound", something which is likely to appeal only to die hard fans. Rather more interesting are the optional on-screen production notes, which offer a wealth of behind-the-scenes information. The extras are completed with a small selection of outtakes. The sound is strong, clear mono, the 4:3 transfer has no sign of compression artefacting and is good enough to reveal the weaknesses in the original studio-bound video production. --Gary S Dalkin

Special Features
4:3 Full Frame
DVD 9
English
English
Region 2
Mono English
Mono
Commentary By Colin Baker Also Nicola Bryant And Nabil Shaban
On Screen Production Notes
Behind The Scenes Featurette
Extended Scenes
Deleted Scenes
Photo Gallery
Trailers

Synopsis
On Varos, the oppressed citizens' primary entertainment comes from public executions, broadcast live. It is in this morally dubious environment that Doctor Who (Colin Baker) lands the TARDIS, in search of Zyton-7 to jump-start the ship's transpower generator. A few missteps later, and the Doctor must face one of his most challenging and brutal adventures yet--in the Punishment Dome of Varos.

Customer Reviews

REALITY TV ON VAROS !
This has to be one of the most intricate and clever Who stories to reach the screen in years. Varos is controlled by the ratings to a populous who worship there Tv screens and take active life or death votes on there leaders and entertainment. Now with a reality filled schedule that litters the Tv screen's today this story was very much ahead of it's time. Martin Jarvis plays the President of Varos to great effect and is a man with his heart in the right place. The brash 6th Doctor decides to stop the Varon's with sidekick, sexy Peri Brown to try to stop Varos reaching meltdown. I was lucky enough to go to the BBC Tv Centre during late 1985 to watch the filming of this show. Suffice to say the sets where indeed like tiny huts in the huge studio 1 and nothing like they are seen on the screen. Colin Baker was lets say 'Offhand' at the fan's presence but he was on a break after acting a scene. There are a decent level of special features included on this issue and though not a classic story it's well worth a purchase. It also brings back a lot of personal memories for me and it's good to see this on Dvd.

"Video Nasty or Nicey?"
Vengeance on Varos has long been considered one of Colin Baker's stronger stories and it isn't hard to see why. It has dated a little due to the budget and what was possible with effects at the time but there is still a lot to enjoy.

Colin gives a strong and commanding performance here having clearly settled into the role. He runs from a disillusioned Doctor pondering the possibilty that he might have to sit out eternity in a faulty Tardis, to a victim of mental torture and then finally a vengeful agent of retribution.

Nicola Bryant is good too but the Doctor/companion relationship in their first season was a problematic one. Bickering nearly all of the time they seem like a jaded married couple who stay together beacuse it's too much effort to get divorced. Thankfully this story is not the worst culprit this season.

There were complaints about the violence and the Doctor's part in it. the acid bath scene is easy to defend. The Doctor assumed to be dead was about to be slung in it and the way the guards end up in there is not really deliberate. The only out of character bit is the James Bond quip that follows.

The Doctor being convinced he was in a baking hot desert is strong stuff but makes the point that mental torture can be just as damaging as the physical kind.

The vengeful way the Doctor leaves some characters in a stutation that will cause their death is more borderline.

A lot of the other ideas would be horrific e.g giant flies if they were better achieved but the limitations of the time stop this from being a horror show. The effect of Peri being turned into a bird is quite laughable!

Nabil Shaban is a marvellous villain both funny and creepy at the same time, complemented perfectly by Martin Jarvis' morally weak governor.

Jason Connery as he-man Jondar is a bit wooden (sad as it's possibly the only Dr Who father Sean watched), but this is due to inexperience and better performances would soon follow in Robin of Sherwood.

A great idea is the 2 characters who watch the events on TV like a Greek Chorus. This tells us more about their society than any amount of sets and explanatory dialogue ever could. Especially fine is the reveal at the end of how "Reality TV" obsessed they were, as the broadcasts stop leaving them wondering what to do next!

Extras are bare as it was an early release. The behind the scenes featurette amounts to a bit of in studio footage but at least the commentary featuring Colin, Nicola and Nabil is a good one.

Not really for fans of the current version unless they are into other Doctors or they watch a lot of Big Brother (in which case the irony is all yours to enjoy!).

Scary stuff!!
Vengeance on Varos is one of the peaks of the classic 22nd Season, a real spine-chiller that also offers thought-provoking entertainment. Colin Baker is a massive presence once again and gives a larger than life performance that consolidates his position as a classic Doctor. In this story he is pitted against one of the show's all-time great monsters, the evil Sil, played by small actor Nabil Shaban. Mr Shaban won the hearts of Doctor Who fans everywhere when his determination to make the role as believable as possible saw him eating Sil's green-goo food FOR REAL!! A real trooper. Nicola Bryant plays The Doctor's cheeky sidekick, Peri and their banter is, as always a joy to behold. Of particular note in a guest cast that pulls out all the stops is a wonderful turn from Doctor Who stalwart Stephen Yardley, who relishes every line and adds a wry touch of wit. A cracking story that is perfect for a dark winter's evening. If you enjoyed the new series, i would say this compares most closely to something like 'New Earth'. A real classic.