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Doctor Who - The Keys of Marinus
List Price: $4.97 Our Price:
VHS Tape - 19 July, 2000
BBC Warner
Availability: Used and ThirdParty
Director: Chris Clough
Cast: Michael E. Briant
Number of Media: 2
Features: - Color
- Original recording reissued
- NTSC
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| VHS Tape Description For all the Whos in Whoville (sorry, wrong "Dr."), this vintage Doctor Who adventure from the venerable British series' inaugural season is a must-own collectible. For the uninitiated, Dr. Who is television's longest-running science fiction series and it has gained a cult following that rivals those of Star Trek and Star Wars. Dr. Who, portrayed here in his first incarnation by William Hartnell, is a Time Lord who travels the cosmos in a spacecraft called the TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension in Space), whose exterior looks like a police call box. Originally broadcast in 1964, The Keys of Marinus is a six-episode arc that features the doctor's original traveling companions, science teacher Ian Chesterton, history teacher Barbara Wright, and the doctor's granddaughter, Susan, who is given to screaming at the first sign of peril. Hartnell's doctor is a sprightly curmudgeon who relishes adventure and mystery, which he finds after the group lands on Marinus, an island of glass surrounded by a sea of acid. Doctor and company are compelled to retrieve four microcircuits that are the keys to the Conscience of Marinus, a computer that has eliminated evil from the minds of men (except apparently the evil Yartek and his web-suited Voords, who want to seize the machine). Their quest takes them most memorably to "a planet of the most contented people" (beware the brainwashing powers of the "mesmerent"), another world overrun by plants, and finally a city where Chesterton, framed for murder, is considered guilty until proven innocent--by the doctor, of course. As is characteristic of this series, the special effects are a hokey hoot and the actors sometimes step on each others' lines. Hartnell vacationed during production and is absent for two episodes. But this is a surprisingly prophetic cautionary tale: it may be good to heed the doctor's prescient observation that "man was not made to be controlled by machines." If you have yet to make an appointment with the doctor, perhaps the episodes featuring Tom Baker--the fourth and most popular of the doctors--are a more accessible introduction. --Donald Liebenson |
| Selected Customer Reviews
Fun The 1st Doctor's shows tend to be a little dry at times. Keys of Marinus almost had a Lost in Space flavor to it. Unlike the Web Planet which made me want to pull my eyes out of my head, and eat them out of sheer boredom, The Keys of Marinus was a much more lively jaunt. I tend to prefer the 2nd Doctor and the 4th, but the 1st Doctor has his days, and this episode is one of them.
The best William Hartnell episode I've viewed all the William Hartnell episodes available through Amazon and this one is my favorite. This story is a precursor to the Tom Baker(DR #4) /Mary Tamm (Romana I) Key to Time story cycle. "Keys of Marinus" has a fast moving story line with several interesting locales. The blonde actress that plays Arbitan's daughter is hot!
Classic I was a bit weary before I watched this episode, because I heard mixed reviews, but I was amazingly impressed with this story. I don't watch Dr. Who for the set designs or props, but for the character and story. Usually the story is outrageously chataclismic or absurd, and thats what I like about the different directions the Doctor takes in the Tardis. There are no limits with the Doctor, he can go anywhere and do anything really (because come on, very rarely does he fail). However, this takes some imagination, especially when looking back all the way to the 60s in some cases.
Here, though, I found a classic Doctor Who adventure story creatively written by Terry Nation of The Daleks. We land on a glass strewn island surrounded by acid, which is insane. How crazy is that, honestly, poor Susan almost went for a paddle in it! And unlike later seasons, the sense of awe and discovery is still fresh in all the characters, each constantly amazed by their ever changing surroundings. Ususally I find it hard to sit through 6 episodes, but when each episode takes us to a unique, and original location, it felt like a great old time movie. The sets aren't as fantastic as the plot, but did anyone ever really think they were, even back when it first aired? I don't think realism is really the point of Doctor Who. Try using your imagination. Immerse yourself in the original storyline and plot twists, and you'll have one of the best Doctor experiences ever. |
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