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The Mind Robber

14TH SEPTEMBER 1968 - 12TH OCTOBER 1968

(5 EPISODES)

The Mind Robber is perhaps the best structured single disc release in the BBC’s Doctor Who DVD range so far. I say this because the special features are not divided into several separate featurettes which each has to be played individually, for instance: Writing Story X, Designing Story X, Shooting Story X et al. Instead, we have a lengthy, informative and consolidated documentary on the making of the story, The Fact of Fiction, featuring many of the surviving cast and crew.

More importantly though, The Fact of Fiction is also a very good documentary; I was shocked when I heard about all the obstacles that the production team faced in producing this serial. First off, the story had to be stretched out from four episodes to five on a budget of practically nil and then Frazer Hines went down with chicken pox and had to be replaced by Hamish Wilson at very short notice, meaning that an explanation for Jamie’s sudden transformation had to be worked into the script! All I can say is that Hines’ absence is seamless and works well in the surreal context of the story, and the makeshift first episode not only sets up the main story perfectly but also breaks up the pace nicely - in later years Doctor Who producers would deliberately split six-part stories into linked two and four-parters for that very reason. The first episode also has to commended for giving us that classic shot of Wendy Padbury’s arse as Zoe floats on the TARDIS console, as to which

see below...

The second bonus feature, Highlander, is also brilliant. It sees Hines talk us through his lengthy tenure as the second Doctor’s definitive companion. The third is Basil Brush and

the Yeti which, though I can appreciate its relevance to the second Doctor’s era, I cannot appreciate its merit! The usual photo gallery and production subtitles are also included, and the commentary is a very lively affair featuring Hines, Padbury, Wilson and director David Maloney.

The five episodes themselves are brilliant examples of the more fantastic side of Doctor Who. With its colourful cast of fictional characters it is often reminiscent of something like Alice In Wonderland. The story has everything - a Master (not the Master) controlling things from afar; an affable villain, who in the end can be seen as more of a victim; menacing toy soldiers; a cartoon superhero; Gulliver; D’Artagnan; Blackbeard… and it’s all so visually striking. The cliffhanger ending to the third episode featuring Medusa sticks in my mind as being very scary indeed, undoubtedly one of the most frightening of the era; proper behind the sofa stuff.

All told then, The Mind Robber DVD comes highly recommended. The serial is both unique and outstanding, and the bonus material on offer would probably be worth the purchase

price alone to most fans.

Copyright © E.G. Wolverson 2006

E.G. Wolverson has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

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