Rating: 
Summary: Welcome Pertwee to DVD
Review: Jon Pertwee's immortal portrayal of the good Doctor has finally come to DVD and it is done very well. The quality of the video is crisp and clear. Sound is exceptional. This is Pertwee's introduction episode as the Doctor. You can tell from the getgo that he is an excellent choice. This story is rather eerie with the mannequins roaming around in search of the swarm leader. All in all, a great episode. Fine intro to a great run for the Doctor!
Rating:
Summary: Now if only they'll get to "Inferno"!
Review: Once again, WB proves to be the leader when it comes to selling top-quality DVDs. The picture and sound are better than anything we've come to expect from PBS repeats or even the videotape version. In the US, people who buy this DVD will notice that the picture doesn't betray any of the typical PAL-to-NTSC artifacts. These releases are not just spectacular, it's as if we're seeing these stories again for the first time and in a format even more crisp than that of broadcast TV. Even fine diagnonal lines don't look jagged as they would in other mediums. And "Spearhead from Space" is effectively the start of the Jon Pertwee era. It has the feel of an "X-Files" episode except it has a certain 1970s British sensibility about it. And the extras (particularly the commentary from Caroline John and Nick Courtney) are well worth the investment.
Rating:
Summary: 2 thumbs up!
Review: One of the best of the Pertwee era; superb! The Autons are just great in this episode! There isn't much more I can say about this episode besides that its' plot is also one of the best!
Rating:
Summary: THE AUTON INVASION!
Review: Probably the best opening story for any Doctor to date, Spearhead from Space marked the point at which Doctor Who came of age. Everything about the story is adult, from the enforced use of 16mm location filming, the Doctor's period in hospital, to the impressive and memorable scenes of Auton dummies smashing their way out of shop windows. A strong start.
Rating:
Summary: Doctor Who - Spearhead From Space DVD
Review: Spearhead From Space introduced Jon Pertwee as the Doctor in grand style. He came over as totally believable throughout the story, exhibiting emotions including confusion, anger and hope at various times. The Brigadier and Liz also came over completely believable, with their first meeting bringing out the best of both actors.
The Autons were presented better here than they were in Terror Of The Autons, looking more creepy and malevolent. Further, the scene where they they broke out of the shop windows sent chills along my spine.
The best part for me was finally being able to see this story in the episodic format. I never liked seeing it on video in the movie format we got stuck with on video and I'm glad to finally see this story as it should be seen. I also like the commentary shown at the bottom of the screen as it told me things about the show that I never knew, like who played the Auton secretary. However, I have not been able to access the commentary by Nick Courtney and Caroline John.
Rating:
Summary: Who will ever look at mannequins like that again?
Review: Spearhead from Space is a bit of a departure for the makers of Doctor Who. It seeks to highlight the individualistic, renegade streak of Doctor Who not only in regard to the previous two reincarnations but in regard to two different, yet similar organizations - UNIT and the Time Lords. The story itself is striking in that the monsters are portrayed in two forms which are quite common in Western society, dolls and mannequins. It is that very commonality which makes them so sinister and threatening. At the same time the uniformity of the monsters, not cyborgs, and the connection with the Nestene Consciousness which is a collective being is a warning about the uniformity of present day society. This certainly strikes a chord with Hayek's 'Road to Serfdom'. For me the show is entertaining on a good science fiction level with the horror overtones of 'Chucky' thrown in, but the story is much much more than that. For a start the whole UNIT aspect is enlarged such that we are informed that it is a supra-national organisation under the aegis of the United Nations with powers that match, if not exceed those of government officials. Next the story marks the gradual unfolding of Time Lord society which becomes more known throughout the Pertwee incarnation until it becomes almost completely exposed under Tom Baker. The emergence of the Doctor is almost butterfly like from the cocoon which encased his two predecessors. The advent of colour allows for a larger than life (or should I say a much larger than life larger than life) figure to emerge. This Doctor is much more flamboyant than his predecessors but much more of a radical figure, stealing clothes, challenging authority more than ever, deceiving to try to escape in the TARDIS. He is a much more idiosyncratic figure all round, a staunch and doughty fighter for liberty. The one weakness is the way in which Liz is treated. First she is an intellectually superior scientist but by the end she is referred to as 'my dear' by the Doctor, thereby undermining her position as a more equal person. This could be regarded as perhaps chivalrous but it does undermine the proposition that everyone deserves to be treated equally according to their potential or by their accomplishments and I think that her character deserves more. All round this is an excellent Doctor Who adventure. As the tidal wave of DVD player ownership floods across the country perhaps the BBC could pull it's socks up in getting more of the Doctor Who back catalogue onto DVD as soon as possible instead of having everyone first buy the VHS.
Rating: 
Summary: Spearhead From Space is a good start for the Pertwee era.
Review: Spearhead From Space is not only the first story to feature Jon Pertwee in the lead role, but is the first Doctor Who story to be fillmed in color. After recovering from a forced regeneration, The Doctor reluctantly joins forces with Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and UNIT in order to stop an evil alien life form knowen as the Nestene, who are bent colonizing Earth and elemnating the human race. The Nestenes plan of attack is to create replics of high goverment officials, as well is an army of killer mannequines called Autons. Although Spearheard From Space start out a bit slowly it show promise of what is yet to come from Jon Pertwee's protrayal of The Doctor.
Rating:
Summary: The start of a new era!
Review: Spearhead From Space marks the start of a brand new era for the Doctor Who mythos, for the slate is pretty much wiped clean as is evident from the ending of 'War Games'. This was the first adventure to be shot in color, to be shot entirely on film, and features the newly regenerated Doctor, exiled to Earth, and now reluctantly has to rely on the resources and support of his old friend Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, and U.N.I.T. to give him shelter, while he continues to lend his remarkable intellect to defending the Earth against alien creatures. This remains a marvelous adventure as it also introduces the Nestene, the Autons, and a brand new companion in the form of independant, intelligent, Cambridge scientist, Elizabeth Shaw, the proverbial Scully to the Doctor's Mulder. This adventure, along with all of Jon Pertwee's adventures as the Doctor stand the tests of time, as it never feels in any way dated or time frame specific, considering it is the 1970's, but you never feel as if it is the 1970's in anyway. The Autons are highly effective creatures, serving both as foot soldiers, and as physical hosts for some of the Nestene energy within the pods that landed on Earth. Definitely highly recommended for Dr. Who fans.
Rating:
Summary: The start of a new era!
Review: Spearhead From Space marks the start of a brand new era for the Doctor Who mythos, for the slate is pretty much wiped clean as is evident from the ending of 'War Games'. This was the first adventure to be shot in color, to be shot entirely on film, and features the newly regenerated Doctor, exiled to Earth, and now reluctantly has to rely on the resources and support of his old friend Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, and U.N.I.T. to give him shelter, while he continues to lend his remarkable intellect to defending the Earth against alien creatures. This remains a marvelous adventure as it also introduces the Nestene, the Autons, and a brand new companion in the form of independant, intelligent, Cambridge scientist, Elizabeth Shaw, the proverbial Scully to the Doctor's Mulder. This adventure, along with all of Jon Pertwee's adventures as the Doctor stand the tests of time, as it never feels in any way dated or time frame specific, considering it is the 1970's, but you never feel as if it is the 1970's in anyway. The Autons are highly effective creatures, serving both as foot soldiers, and as physical hosts for some of the Nestene energy within the pods that landed on Earth. Definitely highly recommended for Dr. Who fans.
Rating:
Summary: The first Dr Who in colour
Review: The only good thing about the rubbish that passes for TV sci-fi these days is that it really makes you appreciate decent science fiction. This, for example, really is a classic, filled with atmosphere, a well-written script, gritty realism and some spine-chilling moments. The Brigadier is called to a hospital where the press claim a 'man from the stars' is staying. It turns out to be a newly-regenerated Doctor who is unable to leave Earth but is soon caught up in a case involving mysterious meteor showers and plastic shop-window dummies that are not quite what they seem. Excellent, and contain a scene which must rank as one of the series' greatest moments.
| 
