Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3239 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-11-07
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 100 minutes

DVD Description
The Doctor (Tom Baker) is enjoying a holiday in Paris with Romana (Lalla Ward) when, armed with several Mona Lisas, he uncovers an alien conspiracy that could result in the loss of all life on earth. A fantastic four-episode arc that included such talent as John Cleese and a script editor called Douglas Adams...

Synopsis
A peaceful holiday in Paris turns into a race through time for the Doctor and Romana when they uncover a plot by the evil Count to steal the Mona Lisa.

Customer Reviews

"I don't know much about art, but..."
Terrific stuff with a great cast and a very witty script e.g. Count Scarlioni suggests that if Romana and Tom Chadbon's marvellously thick Duggan wanted to see him, they only had to ask instead of the failed break in to his chateau. He observes "You had no need to resort to, well one could hardly call it "stealth"!

Julian Glover gives a perfect performance as the time splintered alien posing as an art thief. He has clearly got used to the finer things of his "Not very satisfactory mode of existence".
Catherine Schell gives him a marvellous trophy wife, making something special out of the scene where the Doctor plays on her doubts about the "man" she married.

We also get a lovely Eastern European scientist from David Graham and a wonderful butler-he's so violent!

Uncle Tom and Lalla are the perfect team for such a setting and both make the most of lines like "Patron, 3 waters and make them doubles!"

The script is a very good 1 and probably the nearest to what Douglas Adams had wanted with the humour and drama working together. Some strong concepts too like Scaroth's existence in different times.

The mask for the Jagaroth is not too bad for the time and when it's worn by a man in a sharp looking suit makes for an iconic image.

Of course this is the 1 with a marvellous cameo by Eleanor Bron and John Cleese assessing the Tardis' artistic merit!

The documentary has many of the cast and crew and for once the celebrity fans have good things to say-esp. Dark Lord Steven Moffat. There is a recreation of the original version of the story, brief but still fairly detailed and broken up into episodes. Hope we'll get this on some other stories. There is a great sense of humour throughout which is very successful.

The commentary sadly is not a Tommentary and lacks Lalla but Julian Glover and Tom Chadbon are still good value.

For once, I enjoyed the specially recorded comedy sketch. This one features Sardoth the dissolute second to last of the Jaggaroth. A highlight has him rattling a tin for donations crying "Save the Jagaroth!"

There is a duff photo feature about filming a chicken and a nest of easter eggs(the best of which are a BBC Xmas tape sketch and Douglas Adams recounting a cross continental drinking session!).

A great package for a great story, 1 for everyone!

Paris in the springtime...
Doctor Who's first overseas location and also it's best, City of Death is a sublime story from start to finish, with a wonderfully imaginative and bizarre plot, some terrific performances and fantastically witty dialogue. This was a period in the show's history where the show was getting increasingly cheap and tacky-looking and there was a general sense of 'any old tat will do, people will still watch it', and Tom Baker was starting to become overly dominant in the role and often sending it up or just appearing bored. This story is the exception, however, as everything just comes together with the whole cast giving great performances, the sets looking better than usual and the direction being very classy. The parisian location filming is gorgeous and gives the story a realistic feel often missing from a lot of stories. Even the music is wonderfully hummable. This is, without doubt, a real classic piece of Doctor Who that no self-respecting Dr Who fan should be without. A gem!

Really wonderful
This has been a popular release for the BBC, and deservedly so.

I remember when this came on TV, unusually I think I missed an episode (I was a die hard fan when I was 12!) and I don't think I liked it particularly. I did like the cleverness of the plot but the one eyed jelly alien didn't meet my high standards at the time.

Watching again as an adult, I'm struck by how well put together this is and just how funny. Most of which passed me by, way back when. It's actually a pastiche but of several different things at the same time. There's a standard thriller, a time travel story, thoughts on art and authenticity - it's great that all of these things can come together and not create a horribly stilted story. Full credit to Douglas Adams.
The performances are pitched nicely too, none of the principals puts a foot wrong really. There's a really nice rapport between Tom & Lalla and the script lets this shine through.
The extras are pretty standard, I've not listened to the commentary but I will when I get a chance.
It's a shame it was all downhill after this story, for the season and really Tom Baker.