Doctor Who: The Space Museum/The Chase (3pc)

Season Two.
The Space Museum.
After a series of weird happenings aboard ship. The TARDIS appears to land on the planet Xeros, but when travelling through time and space appearances can sometimes be deceptive.
As, "Realtime" catches up, the Tardis crew realize they have been given a glimpse of their future fate.
They must change this future or face eternity as exhibits in the Morok War Museum...
Ep.1-"The Space Museum". Wandering around the museum one of the exhibits catches their eye.
Ep.2-"The Dimensions of Time". The Doctor plays mind games with a mind probe.
Ep.3-"The Search". Vicki encourages the Xerosians to revolt.
Ep.4-"The Final Phase". The Doctor is prepared for his, "exhibition", but the revolution is successful and the Tardis crew leave Xeros, with a device called a time space visualizer.
But across the gulf of space, evil exterminating eyes have been watching them,
...and this time they mean business!
Episode one is possibly the most intriguing episode in the programmes long history, it's a shame the remaining three episodes don't quite maintain episode ones intriguing premise.
After, "The Web Planet's" overspend of most of season two's budget, this was the story that had to, cut cost's.
It does rather show, unfortunately. (The sets are very sparsely furnished.)
But still, five stars for episode one.
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DVD extras.
Defending The Museum
My Grandfather The Doctor
The Space Museum - Photo Gallery
A Holiday For The Doctor
Don't let the fact it's in Black and White put you off.
Airdate:- 24/4/65 -15/5/65.
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The Chase.
The Daleks have had enough of the Doctors interference in their plans, so they despatch an execution squad of Daleks to persue and exterminate the Tardis crew. The Doctor and his friends have got to keep one step ahead.... their very lives depend on it.
I like this story It's six episodes of fun, a madcap run-a-round of a story of which they did a lot in sixties TV shows.
In it's basic concept it is similar to The Keys Of Marinus, but I feel the ingredients work better in this story, giving a more satisfying viewing experience.
Mr Hartnell finally get's a chance to do a bit of comedy, check out his reaction when the Frankenstein creature rises from the laboratory bench.
I simply must mention episode six, I think Ray Cusick's Mechonoid design is as fantastic looking now just as I did when I watched on original transmission. The Dalek/Mechonoid fight scene is also a tour de force for the special effects guys.
So get out the popcorn take the phone off the hook and enjoy this silly slice of campy sixties fun, I know I do.
Individual episode titles.
Ep.1- "The Executioners". The Daleks despatch the execution squad.
Ep.2- "The Death of Time". The Aridians are coerced by the Daleks to hand over the Tardis crew.
Ep.3- "Flight through Eternity". A mystery of the sea is finally explained.
Ep.4- "Journey Into Terror". Just a haunted house, or a nightmare world?
Ep.5- "The Death of Doctor Who". Double trouble for the Doctor.
Ep.6- "The Planet of Decision". Success, and a way back to a, "normal" life for some of the Tardis crew, if they take it.
Due to copright reasons The Beatles playing "A Ticket to Ride", will only be on the region two release. Their, "on screen" time is only twenty five seconds.
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DVD extras.
The Thrill Of The Chase
(Give-a-Show Slides)
Doctor Who - Follow That Dalek
Shawcraft - The Original Monster Makers
The Chase - Photo Gallery
Last Stop White City
Beyond the Screen
Enter+++ Enter+++ Zero +++ Stop (EASTER EGG)
Daleks! Conquer And Destroy
Trivia:- For anyone wishing to see the inspiration of the Mechonoids design, just check out a picture of the communication satellite, "Telstar".
This is also the first story to feature the Daleks with their vertical slats, I've always thought they were solar panels.
Airdate:- 22/5/65 - 26/6/65.
On sale at amazon.co.uk.
Enjoy.

I'm not much of a Beatles fan, but I did like the scene in "The Chase" that they cut out on this DVD release. It's not only important to emphasize the Beatles impact on popular culture at the time this episode was made, but it also has some great and funny character moments in that scene between the Doctor's companions. And the scene is NOT a few seconds long as some people put it, it's at least a couple of minutes! I loved that scene, and you don't get it here on this DVD. That said, both "The Space Museum" and "The Chase" were great stories that any Whovian would enjoy!

If you're a diehard fan of classic Doctor Who who simply must have every episode of the First Doctor available on DVD, then you're stuck: You have no choice but to pony up for this overpriced dual offering of two of the dullest stories from the William Hartnell years. If you just want a taste of what early Doctor Who was about, go with "The Aztecs" or "The Web Planet."

In the "The Space Museum," the Doctor and his companions discover they have been turned into a museum exhibit on a planet on the fringes of a moribund galactic empire and must change history to escape their fate. The four-episode story was so bad that the Special Features menu includes "Defending the Museum," a re-evaluation of the sequence by Who critic Robert Shearman explaining why the story wasn't THAT bad, but still pretty bad. There's also a bizarre spoof feature in which comedian Christopher Green, in his Ida Barr persona, explains how the show cleverly covered for actors while they were on vacation, briefly writing them out of scripts or taping bits that could be edited in later. It's an interesting, behind-the-scenes look at one aspect of producing a weekly TV serial, but the point of the Ida Barr shtick will be lost on most American viewers.

"The Chase" is a tired, late Terry Nation story in which the Daleks chase the Doctor and his companions through time as they land in various times and places, mostly in Earth history. Peter Purves makes a dual appearance, first as an American Southerner sightseeing at the top of the Empire State Building and later as Steven Taylor, a captive of the planet Mechanus who will become one of the Doctor's companions in "The Time Meddler." "The Chase" is episodic and entirely unremarkable, except as the story in which Ian and Barbara return to 1965 London.

The Special Features included on the third disc redeem the substandard program content somewhat, but do not justify the high list price. Not to be missed are a brief documentary on Shawcraft, the private modeling company commissioned by the BBC to build the first Daleks, and "Follow That Dalek," an amateur color film showing how Shawcraft made many of the early props for Doctor Who as well as the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car.

Finally, a word about "helpful votes": Please do not rate this review as "unhelpful" simply because I don't give every Doctor Who story five stars. I love Doctor Who and regard it as the greatest science fiction TV series of all time, but I believe the point of reviews is to elevate the great above the merely good and the good above the plainly bad. If you disagree with me, write your own review and rate mine "helpful" for inspiring you to contribute something you might not otherwise have done. Save "unhelpful" for reviewers who can't spell or write a complete sentence. Thanks.