Doctor Who: The Ambassadors of Death (Story 53)

Movie / Show Details

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Doctor Who: The Ambassadors of Death is one of the most engaging stories in the Jon Pertwee years of the early 1970s. The crew of the TARDIS is employed to assist the British Space Control, which has been having a secret, scary issue with its manned space mission to Mars. Astronauts may be missing, and aliens may not only be to blame, but en route to taking over Earth. Much of The Ambassadors of Death actually takes place on Earth while those in charge of the space operations try to assess if there’s a true alien invasion under way. The original Ambassadors of Death encompassed seven episodes of 25 minutes each, all included in this boxed set. The original also was filmed, as were many of the early Doctor Who episodes, in a ragtag combination of color and black-and-white footage; this boxed set has been given a color makeover that keeps the presence of color consistent while preserving the original’s delightful cheesiness. As with much of the Doctor Who franchise, the issues of the era are front and center in the plot at hand. (And not just the extreme minis and white go-go boots on the Doctor’s assistant, Liz (Caroline John), and the space center’s technicians.) The Cold War was very much still on the minds of Westerners in the early 1970s, and global panic, mutually assured destruction, and other issues are key elements of The Ambassadors of Death. Luckily, the good Doctor keeps his head during the crisis and even manages to create, in about 15 minutes, an intergalactic speech-translation machine (which looks a bit like an old Battleship game board). Once true communication can take place, perhaps an alien invasion, or missile deployment, can be avoided.
Extras include a great audio commentary by John recorded just about a year before her death, along with Nicholas Courtney (the Brigadier) and two other more minor actors in the episode, and stunt performers, and more. The making-of featurette is a must-see, as this episode involved filming around the real English countryside, unlike most other Who episodes shot solely on soundstages. The Ambassadors of Death is a must-have for all Doctor Who fans, as well as a great collectors’ item as an excellent time capsule of early 1970s television. –A.T. Hurley

Product Description

Doctor Who: Ambassadors of Death, The
Something has gone seriously wrong with Mars Probe 7. With no contact from the astronauts since the rocket started its return journey from Mars, Space Control is now extremely worried about the fate of the crew. A rescue mission recovers something – but whatever it is, it certainly isn’t human. To find out what has happened to the astronauts, the Doctor must head into space without the TARDIS. ]]>