Doctor Who - Vengeance on Varos

Rating:
Summary: "Under the circumstances, that man deserves an Oscar..."
Review: "Vengeance on Varos" is one of "Doctor Who"'s more controversial stories. Taken from Season 22, right before the show got cancelled (albeit briefly), it's unusually dark and violent. This was at the beginning of the short-lived Colin Baker 6th Doctor era, whose darker take on the title role caused some audience acceptance problems. "Varos" is then a worthwhile choice for the first 6th Doctor story to be released on DVD, while not the best story available.

Given the "Restoration Team" treatment, "Varos" is notably lacking in the care and attention given to the extra features that made, for example, "Aztecs" and "Caves of Androzani" such outstanding DVD acquisitions. There are no production featurettes here, no behind-the-scenes interviews with cast members or the production crew. 3 features simply dump raw video footage without any explanation. The "outtakes" and the "behind-the-scenes featurette" basically show the same thing... aborted takes with a PA calling cast members "darling" and "love" a lot. The extended/deleted scenes montage, while satisfyingly long (10 minutes), doesn't offer any context to those scenes would have fit into the story, as was done on the far more professional "Remembrance of the Daleks" presentation. Baffingly, one audio tracks allows you to watch the complete episode... without incidental music or sound effects. I'm not sure who would sit through 90 minutes of this.

Fortunately, the audio commentary track is well above-average. Many DW stories are narrated by aging cast members who barely remember their time on the show; not here. Colin Baker is well-versed in his character's mythology, and is able to walk the audience through the particularly controversial scene in which the Doctor seemingly shoves a security guard into a vat of boiling acid. From a production standpoint, he attempts to explain why this scene isn't as bad as it appears. Nicola Bryant (Peri) doesn't say much (and she didn't on the "Caves of Androzani" DVD either), but Nabil Shaban (Sil, an anatomically-correct slug sitting on a fishtank) shows himself to be a real "Doctor Who" fan, and tells some funny on-the-set stories as well (such as the time when, in costume, he was mistaken for an inanimate prop!). Both Baker and Shaban together may come across a bit smug, as they deride "reality TV" and "post-Thatcherite economics", but they both provide excellent, funny context for the story. "Varos" becomes one of the few DW DVDs so far with an audio commentary worth playing more than once.

James Bond fans who purchase the disc will be interested to note that "Varos" marks the TV debut of Jason Connery, son of Sean. He doesn't have a whole lot to do here -- he plays a no-nonsense rebel who goes shirtless most of the way -- but it's interesting to note that his chest is nearly as hairy as his dad's.

Rating:
Summary: "Seems he needs a little more than water, Peri, eh?"
Review: "Vengeance on Varos" might be the most violent and sadistic Who adventure ever. It's also written wonderfully. Ultra-Black comedy runs amok as citizens of Varos are forced to watch torture, acid baths, canabalism and cell mutation. A grim satire of TV and video sales, with lots of voyeurism. Sil is a great villian with his tongue laugh. Colin Baker excells, and we all know why Nicola Bryant was hired. "Carnival of Monsters" of the 80's?

Rating:
Summary: "Seems he needs a little more than water, Peri, eh?"
Review: "Carnival of Monsters" of the 80s? Well, maybe not, but there are similarities. Both serials make fun of TV and its' viewers. But Vengeance's action is more violent and graphic(canabilism and acid baths)compared to the Bob Holmes classic. though, far from being a classic, Vengeance on Varos is a strong argument for exposing the media's hold over its' audience, and some of the scenes presented and executed paralel it's own fan base. There is a lot voyeurism and violent themes throughtout, but it is written and performed rather well. Sil is a wonderful addition to Who's greatest villians.
The painstaking work the Doctor Who Restoration Team did on this release and any other is top notch. The extras included are a wonderful bonus.

Rating:
Summary: "Under the circumstances, that man deserves an Oscar..."
Review: "Vengeance on Varos" is one of "Doctor Who"'s more controversial stories. Taken from Season 22, right before the show got cancelled (albeit briefly), it's unusually dark and violent. This was at the beginning of the short-lived Colin Baker 6th Doctor era, whose darker take on the title role caused some audience acceptance problems. "Varos" is then a worthwhile choice for the first 6th Doctor story to be released on DVD, while not the best story available.

Given the "Restoration Team" treatment, "Varos" is notably lacking in the care and attention given to the extra features that made, for example, "Aztecs" and "Caves of Androzani" such outstanding DVD acquisitions. There are no production featurettes here, no behind-the-scenes interviews with cast members or the production crew. 3 features simply dump raw video footage without any explanation. The "outtakes" and the "behind-the-scenes featurette" basically show the same thing... aborted takes with a PA calling cast members "darling" and "love" a lot. The extended/deleted scenes montage, while satisfyingly long (10 minutes), doesn't offer any context to those scenes would have fit into the story, as was done on the far more professional "Remembrance of the Daleks" presentation. Baffingly, one audio tracks allows you to watch the complete episode... without incidental music or sound effects. I'm not sure who would sit through 90 minutes of this.

Fortunately, the audio commentary track is well above-average. Many DW stories are narrated by aging cast members who barely remember their time on the show; not here. Colin Baker is well-versed in his character's mythology, and is able to walk the audience through the particularly controversial scene in which the Doctor seemingly shoves a security guard into a vat of boiling acid. From a production standpoint, he attempts to explain why this scene isn't as bad as it appears. Nicola Bryant (Peri) doesn't say much (and she didn't on the "Caves of Androzani" DVD either), but Nabil Shaban (Sil, an anatomically-correct slug sitting on a fishtank) shows himself to be a real "Doctor Who" fan, and tells some funny on-the-set stories as well (such as the time when, in costume, he was mistaken for an inanimate prop!). Both Baker and Shaban together may come across a bit smug, as they deride "reality TV" and "post-Thatcherite economics", but they both provide excellent, funny context for the story. "Varos" becomes one of the few DW DVDs so far with an audio commentary worth playing more than once.

James Bond fans who purchase the disc will be interested to note that "Varos" marks the TV debut of Jason Connery, son of Sean. He doesn't have a whole lot to do here -- he plays a no-nonsense rebel who goes shirtless most of the way -- but it's interesting to note that his chest is nearly as hairy as his dad's.

Rating:
Summary: "Under the circumstances, that man deserves an Oscar..."
Review: "Vengeance on Varos" is one of "Doctor Who"'s more controversial stories. Taken from Season 22, right before the show got cancelled (albeit briefly), it's unusually dark and violent. This was at the beginning of the short-lived Colin Baker 6th Doctor era, whose darker take on the title role caused some audience acceptance problems. "Varos" is then a worthwhile choice for the first 6th Doctor story to be released on DVD, while not the best story available.

Given the "Restoration Team" treatment, "Varos" is notably lacking in the care and attention given to the extra features that made, for example, "Aztecs" and "Caves of Androzani" such outstanding DVD acquisitions. There are no production featurettes here, no behind-the-scenes interviews with cast members or the production crew. 3 features simply dump raw video footage without any explanation. The "outtakes" and the "behind-the-scenes featurette" basically show the same thing... aborted takes with a PA calling cast members "darling" and "love" a lot. The extended/deleted scenes montage, while satisfyingly long (10 minutes), doesn't offer any context to those scenes would have fit into the story, as was done on the far more professional "Remembrance of the Daleks" presentation. Baffingly, one audio tracks allows you to watch the complete episode... without incidental music or sound effects. I'm not sure who would sit through 90 minutes of this.

Fortunately, the audio commentary track is well above-average. Many DW stories are narrated by aging cast members who barely remember their time on the show; not here. Colin Baker is well-versed in his character's mythology, and is able to walk the audience through the particularly controversial scene in which the Doctor seemingly shoves a security guard into a vat of boiling acid. From a production standpoint, he attempts to explain why this scene isn't as bad as it appears. Nicola Bryant (Peri) doesn't say much (and she didn't on the "Caves of Androzani" DVD either), but Nabil Shaban (Sil, an anatomically-correct slug sitting on a fishtank) shows himself to be a real "Doctor Who" fan, and tells some funny on-the-set stories as well (such as the time when, in costume, he was mistaken for an inanimate prop!). Both Baker and Shaban together may come across a bit smug, as they deride "reality TV" and "post-Thatcherite economics", but they both provide excellent, funny context for the story. "Varos" becomes one of the few DW DVDs so far with an audio commentary worth playing more than once.

James Bond fans who purchase the disc will be interested to note that "Varos" marks the TV debut of Jason Connery, son of Sean. He doesn't have a whole lot to do here -- he plays a no-nonsense rebel who goes shirtless most of the way -- but it's interesting to note that his chest is nearly as hairy as his dad's.

Rating:
Summary: "Seems he needs a little more than water, Peri, eh?"
Review: "Vengeance on Varos" might be the most violent and sadistic Who adventure ever. It's also written wonderfully. Ultra-Black comedy runs amok as citizens of Varos are forced to watch torture, acid baths, canabalism and cell mutation. A grim satire of TV and video sales, with lots of voyeurism. Sil is a great villian with his tongue laugh. Colin Baker excells, and we all know why Nicola Bryant was hired. "Carnival of Monsters" of the 80's?

Rating:
Summary: Opposing eras showcase The Doctor
Review: BBC Video has released two further adventures from their long running TV series Doctor Who on DVD. The two stories come from the very early days of the programme, and one of its much later seasons, twenty two years later. Comparing the two stories now, 1964's The Aztecs and 1985's Vengeance on Varos, it's very hard to accept that they are even part of the same series.

Whereas The Aztecs is a purely historical drama, Vengeance on Varos is based entirely in the genre of science fiction, although since it's original broadcast in 1985, much of what was fictionalized at the time is now horribly accurate. The story was the second of the twenty-second season, possibly the most controversial season in the show's history. Mid-way through its broadcast, the BBC executives cancelled the show, resulting in an 18 month hiatus. The main reason for this decision was cited as the violence that was dominating the programme, and indeed Vengeance on Varos is perhaps the most striking example of the violent tendency engulfing the show.

Colin Baker certainly had the potential to be one of the best incarnations of the Doctor, but alas his performance was hampered from the outset. The choice of costume did not help, and in the commentary for this DVD release, he bemoans the costume policy himself. His characterisation of the Doctor was also flawed, presenting him as a bad-tempered, arrogant and violent character, a million miles from anything that had gone before. The scenes where two characters die in an acid bath and the Doctor's reaction, are particularly shocking. Baker's commentary justifies this as his attempt to portray the Doctor as an alien being, but it was clear from public reaction that viewers just couldn't accept the character as he appeared in this story. It didn't help either that most of his stories were taken up with the Doctor squabbling with his "American" companion Peri, played by the very English Nicola Bryant.

The production values on this story are somewhat disappointing, with the sets relying on that old standby: The identical corridor, shot from different angles. There is a cheapness about the production which overshadows the quality of the script, which is in itself pretty strong. Many guest actors, including Martin Jarvis, Stephen Yardley and Jason Connery (son of Sean, in his TV debut) certainly help bring the script to life, but undoubtedly it is Nabil Shaban's portrayal of the hideous creature Sil that steals the show. Shaban joins Baker and Bryant on the commentary soundtrack.

The commentary is just one of many extras on the DVD. There are also out-takes, extended and deleted scenes, original broadcast trailers and on-screen production notes.

Unlike the sister release, The Aztecs, a story very reliant on characterisation and performance, and played dead straight by all the actors involved, this cannot be said of the tongue in cheek camp playing of Vengeance on Varos.

The quality of the images are very good, and the story is presented in two 45 minute episodes, as it was when originally broadcast.

It's a taught piece of TV sci-fi, and I admit it will be very popular with fans of the sci-fi based Doctor Who. If you like Vengeance on Varos, you almost certainly won't like The Aztecs and vice-versa.

Rating:
Summary: One of Colin Baker's Better Episodes
Review: Controversial at that time of it's broadcast, Vengence on Varos is nonetheless a superior episode from Colin Baker's era. Although the violence in this episode is more than what one would expect from a typical episode in the series, it's used to demonstrate how violence has indeed become entertainment for many of us. Doctor Who rarely ventures into editorial satire, but it works well here.

High points for this episode include Colin Baker's reserved performance, a welcome change from the manic proceedings that opened his tenure as the Doctor. The dialogue is, on the whole, strong with a few embarassing moments. Nabil Shabon's portrayal of Sil is delightfully over-the-top, providing some much needed humor in an otherwise dour environment. Finally, the Doctor Who Restoration Team have provided a treasure chest of extras and, as always, done a great job making this episode look as good as it will ever get.

By no means an essential episode, this is nevertheless a better example of Colin Baker's era and a good buy.

Rating:
Summary: Story taking on voting, governments, and corporations
Review: Having run out of a vital component for the TARDIS, the Doctor and Peri are forced to land on Varos and replenish it with Zeiton 7. Unfortunately for the Doctor, he has landed during the period where Varos is a "prison planet, a colony for the criminally insane, [where] the descendants of the original officers still rule by fear." The rest of the people live in poverty, toiling without hope.

They interrupt the execution of the rebel leader Jondar, rescuing him, and joining his wife Areta through a labryinth of passages beset by mental booby traps in order to find a safe exit. The Doctor is able to maneuvre through some of the traps, and evades capture longer than the other three.

Varos has a dysfunctional totalitarian system, where the referendum system has the governor submitting any proposals to the voters. If they approve, fine, but if not, he is subjected to a human cell disintegrator. Four losing votes generally kills the governor, and then there's a new candidate. The reason for this is that the planet isn't prosperous, its Zeiton 7 being the only asset, and that is ruthlessly exploited by the Galatron Mining Corporation through its representative, a tiny cackling seaweed-coloured reptilian slug named Sil. The governor wants to further rationing of food in order to hold out for a better price per unit on Zeiton ore, but men vote with their stomachs despite the fact that Sil is trying to buy Zeiton ore for less money, cheating them.

We meet a typical Varosian couple, Arak and his wife Etta, the former who hates the governor, the latter an ardent supporter. They, like others, have a TV screen with a set of voting buttons (yes, no) per person. They are bored and dissatisfied with their life, but kept entertained by scenes of execution and torture on TV, which also serve to deter subversive activities. The interesting thing here is that voting is mandatory, and Etta isn't above reporting her husband. But more than that, they are a society dominated by TV and must keep themselves apprised of special announcements.

The concept of forced voting is interesting. Less than 50% of eligible voters turned out for the 2000 election in contrast to over 90% in Saddam's Iraq. Voting is supposed to be a privilege, but do governments have a right to force people to participate in order to eliminate apathy? Even more is the referendum system of Varos. What if we had a setup like this, where the president was forced to directly appeal to the people and get his proposals accepted or defeated, with four strikes meaning the end for the president? Makes one think, eh?

It's not a good system for the Varosian governor, who tells Peri that "the theory [is] that a man scared for his life will find solutions to this planet's problem... except that the poor unfortunate will discover that there are no popular solutions to the difficulties he will find."

When the series was temporarily put on hold, one of the excuses was of the violence in the series. Possible targets include the acid-bath deaths of two characters, the Doctor showing little remorse for the acid-bath casualties, and resorting to killing rather than trying to talk sense to the villains. And a guard slaps Peri's face for tricking him early in the story. Nasty characters include the scientist Qwillam, who says of the rebels "I want them to scream till I'm deaf with pleasure, to see their limbs twist in excruciating agony, ultimately their blood will flow down the gutters of Varos."

Jondar is played by Jason Connery, son of you-know-who and clearly not as good an actor as his famous father. Nabil Shaban would return as Sil in part two of Trial of a Timelord, Mindwarp. The marsh minnows he eats are sliced peaches dyed green, BTW. The actors portaying the villains do a better job here, but Martin Jarvis plays the governor and does a good job conveying a well-meaning politician wanting the best for his people but trapped by the political system.

A cross between 1984 and futuristic sci-fi movies of rebellion against an oppressive regime, Vengeance In Varos succeeds despite it being totally studio-bound due to the thought-provoking ideas derived from it.

Rating:
Summary: Story taking on voting, governments, and corporations
Review: Having run out of a vital component for the TARDIS, the Doctor and Peri are forced to land on Varos and replenish it with Zeiton 7. Unfortunately for the Doctor, he has landed during the period where Varos is a "prison planet, a colony for the criminally insane, [where] the descendants of the original officers still rule by fear." The rest of the people live in poverty, toiling without hope.

They interrupt the execution of the rebel leader Jondar, rescuing him, and joining his wife Areta through a labryinth of passages beset by mental booby traps in order to find a safe exit. The Doctor is able to maneuvre through some of the traps, and evades capture longer than the other three.

Varos has a dysfunctional totalitarian system, where the referendum system has the governor submitting any proposals to the voters. If they approve, fine, but if not, he is subjected to a human cell disintegrator. Four losing votes generally kills the governor, and then there's a new candidate. The reason for this is that the planet isn't prosperous, its Zeiton 7 being the only asset, and that is ruthlessly exploited by the Galatron Mining Corporation through its representative, a tiny cackling seaweed-coloured reptilian slug named Sil. The governor wants to further rationing of food in order to hold out for a better price per unit on Zeiton ore, but men vote with their stomachs despite the fact that Sil is trying to buy Zeiton ore for less money, cheating them.

We meet a typical Varosian couple, Arak and his wife Etta, the former who hates the governor, the latter an ardent supporter. They, like others, have a TV screen with a set of voting buttons (yes, no) per person. They are bored and dissatisfied with their life, but kept entertained by scenes of execution and torture on TV, which also serve to deter subversive activities. The interesting thing here is that voting is mandatory, and Etta isn't above reporting her husband. But more than that, they are a society dominated by TV and must keep themselves apprised of special announcements.

The concept of forced voting is interesting. Less than 50% of eligible voters turned out for the 2000 election in contrast to over 90% in Saddam's Iraq. Voting is supposed to be a privilege, but do governments have a right to force people to participate in order to eliminate apathy? Even more is the referendum system of Varos. What if we had a setup like this, where the president was forced to directly appeal to the people and get his proposals accepted or defeated, with four strikes meaning the end for the president? Makes one think, eh?

It's not a good system for the Varosian governor, who tells Peri that "the theory [is] that a man scared for his life will find solutions to this planet's problem... except that the poor unfortunate will discover that there are no popular solutions to the difficulties he will find."

When the series was temporarily put on hold, one of the excuses was of the violence in the series. Possible targets include the acid-bath deaths of two characters, the Doctor showing little remorse for the acid-bath casualties, and resorting to killing rather than trying to talk sense to the villains. And a guard slaps Peri's face for tricking him early in the story. Nasty characters include the scientist Qwillam, who says of the rebels "I want them to scream till I'm deaf with pleasure, to see their limbs twist in excruciating agony, ultimately their blood will flow down the gutters of Varos."

Jondar is played by Jason Connery, son of you-know-who and clearly not as good an actor as his famous father. Nabil Shaban would return as Sil in part two of Trial of a Timelord, Mindwarp. The marsh minnows he eats are sliced peaches dyed green, BTW. The actors portaying the villains do a better job here, but Martin Jarvis plays the governor and does a good job conveying a well-meaning politician wanting the best for his people but trapped by the political system.

A cross between 1984 and futuristic sci-fi movies of rebellion against an oppressive regime, Vengeance In Varos succeeds despite it being totally studio-bound due to the thought-provoking ideas derived from it.