Rating: 
Summary: Great Doctor Who DVD, a "Must Have"
Review: "The Aztecs" is considered by many to be the First Doctor's finest episode. Having seen it many years ago on public TV, at the time I thought it a bit dull. But I have I to report that this DVD is one of the best Who discs to date.
First off, using some fancy new restoration program, the Aztecs now looks as it was originally transmitted all those years ago. Suddenly, the whole thing comes to life. Now I love the story. You can appreciate the actor's performances so much better. The story of the restoration is one of the documentaries on the DVD.
There are also a ton of extras including interviews with the actors who portrayed the Aztecs and the set designer.
This is a "Must Have" for any Who enthusiast. I hope they give the same treatment to "An Unearthly Child" some day.
Rating:
Summary: A must-have for Doctor Who fans
Review: A chance to see one of the earliest Doctor Who stories is a chance any fan should jump at, especially considering the wonderful clean-up achieved by the restoration team. The picture and sound are great and getting a chance to see the First Doctor in such digital clarity is a rare treat indeed. Hartnell was always a strong actor and even though the Doctor takes a backseat in some scenes (companion Barbara is the star of this story) he easily steals the show every time he reappears.For such an early point in the show's history the production values are surprisingly high and all of the performers carry the production flawlessly, even during potential gaffe moments (these early episodes were recorded "live" rather than take by take) and the few special effects are well done and heighten the drama nicely (the tunnel filling with water is a perfect example). It's the earliest of the show's historical dramas (Marco Polo, unfortunately, no longer exists) and thus gives modern-day fans a chance to see what the show's original format was intended to be; fascinating stuff considering what it became. The DVD extras are quite nice, for the documentaries are well-made and very informative and the animated short "Making Cocoa" is nothing short of hilarious. The audio commentary is fun to listen to (it is especially nice to have two of the original performers appear) and the pop-up production text presents some truly interesting tidbits. In short, this is a must-have for Doctor Who fans.
Rating:
Summary: Who at its best!
Review: Absolutely wonderful. That sums it up nicely. "The Aztecs" has long been my favorite Hartnell story (well... MAYBE a close second to "The Crusades", yeah, I like the historicals). Even when I had to watch it on a fuzzy 3rd generation videotape. On DVD, it is amazing. The wonderful plot and acting is still there. (Only exception to the latter being, possibly, the actor playing Tltoxl, who even admits himself that he was pretty OTT.) The use (rare in DW) of time travel as an actual plot device, rather than just a means to getting the characters to their next adventure.
When you add to the mix a magnificantly cleaned up picture quality, some (FINALLY!) eminently worthy DVD extras ("Remembering the Aztecs", [an interview with several guest actors], a piece on the restoration process, and yes, even the Arabic soundtrack for episode 4, are especially interesting and welcome), the final package is a piece of Must-have WHO. The DVD also includes the usual info-text, commentary by actors/producers, captions, and several other minor extras. Keep up the good work, BEEB.
Rating:
Summary: Who at its best!
Review: Absolutely wonderful. That sums it up nicely. "The Aztecs" has long been my favorite Hartnell story (well... MAYBE a close second to "The Crusades", yeah, I like the historicals). Even when I had to watch it on a fuzzy 3rd generation videotape. On DVD, it is amazing. The wonderful plot and acting is still there. (Only exception to the latter being, possibly, the actor playing Tltoxl, who even admits himself that he was pretty OTT.) The use (rare in DW) of time travel as an actual plot device, rather than just a means to getting the characters to their next adventure.
When you add to the mix a magnificantly cleaned up picture quality, some (FINALLY!) eminently worthy DVD extras ("Remembering the Aztecs", [an interview with several guest actors], a piece on the restoration process, and yes, even the Arabic soundtrack for episode 4, are especially interesting and welcome), the final package is a piece of Must-have WHO. The DVD also includes the usual info-text, commentary by actors/producers, captions, and several other minor extras. Keep up the good work, BEEB.
Rating:
Summary: More than a little history lesson.
Review: As a number of Amazon reviewers have recognised the Doctor Who series as other BBC productions always had a strong educational aspect. It would be a mistake however to characterise Doctor Who as a show which alternated the science fiction side with the historical dramas. While it may be convenient to present the show in that way I do not think that the portrayal is an accurate one. To begin with, each of the shows contained some form of educational aspect whether it be a historical point or about how people behave towards one another or whether some way out scientific theory was a possibility or not. The BBC Charter requires the corporation to educate as well as entertain and this is did. There are particular aspects of the Aztecs which highlight the available knowledge of the Aztec civilisation which are contained within this four part show. What your readers may not know is that around the same time as this story was made, the second Doctor, Patrick Troughton starred in another central American ancient civilisation drama which ran over several weeks which was also true to the then knowledge of those civilisation. What is more important to me than the concern with the historical nature of the story is the fact that several issues are addressed for the first time which turn up throughout the lifetime(s) of the show. For example the morality of interfering in a civilisation to achieve a different outcome than that which originally occurred. This is particularly important when the Doctor is returned to the point of the creation of the Daleks in the Fourth Doctor series. Another concern here is the position of women's lib which Susan adopts in the show. Given that the filming occurred in 1963 as the fledgling women's movement was taking off it can hardly be a coincidence. Finally we find the Doctor becoming involved in a relationship with an Aztec noblewomen which he is forced to end in order to escape with his companions. Unless my memory escapes me this is the only time that this happens and the Doctor is left unencumbered by this emotional side for the rest of his lives only showing affection for his companions henceforth. These are the more serious themes which warrant exploration and debate from the Aztecs adventure and to a considerable extent the historical drama is more of a sub-plot for a broader examination of the then contemporary Western society in the guise of this adventure. Well worth watching.
Rating: 
Summary: Preservation please, not restoration.
Review: Aztecs is one of the all-time Dr Who masterpieces. However, this dvd version fails. The episodes have been painstakingly "restored" to "look as it would have done in 1964". However, no one in 1964 had high-definition televisions, and so this glossy adjustment looks absolutely nothing as it would have done at its original broadcast. Dr Who has here been given a crystal-clear clarity that it is simply not meant to have. Consequently, it is robbed of its atmosphere. Instead of a trip to old Mexico filled with suspense and intrigue, what we see are actors in a studio. The illusion is ruined, and with it, its beauty. The Aztecs is a fantastic bit of magic, but this dvd is just a tragic bit of plastic.
It's bad enough there are so many episodes of Dr Who missing. Can we please refrain from tampering with the ones we do have? Dr Who is perfect as it is. "Improvement" is not necessary and can only end in this kind of disaster. All we want is completeness, a series uncut, so we can judge the show for ourselves and enjoy it in our own way.
If you haven't seen The Aztecs, you must. But I implore you - buy the videocassette instead.
Rating:
Summary: So good I'm re-watching it.
Review: Barbara's a god, Ian's a leader, Susan's a handmaidan and the Doctor's engaged. Who could ask for anything more? END
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. When William Hartnell first stepped before the cameras as the original Doctor in 1963, so little was known to the viewers about this enigmatic character, and indeed much of what we know about the Doctor now was invented years after the series began. The initial brief for the producers was to inform as well as to entertain, and as such the Doctor and his travelling companions often found themselves going way back into Earth's history to encounter real events. The Aztecs is the second of these purely historial stories to be broadcast. I for one was never very fond of these stories as a child. Ironically, the things that bored me then are what really makes this story stand up so well nearly forty years later. As with all early TV drama in the UK, the show had a tiny budget, miniscule TV studios, a limited cast and was recorded "as live" with no room for editing. Despite these handicaps, the story is still remarkably enthralling to watch. The DVD is packed with extras, many of which go a long way to perhaps explaining why this four part story has aged so well. Producer Verity Lambert, and the two surviving members of the original Tardis crew, Carole-Ann Ford (Susan) and William Russell (Ian) provide a genuinely interesting commentary, where they recall many of the production issues they faced at the time, with on-screen captions filling in the gaps from their memories. Also here, other members of the cast have been interviewed for a separate 25 minute extra "Remembering the Aztecs" and set designer Barry Newbery appears in another 25 minute special "Designing the Aztecs." You'll also find an animated feature describing how to make Cocoa (in a very "South Park" style) and a clip from another BBC classic show "Blue Peter" telling the story of Cortez and Montezuma. And that's not all! There's an Arabic dub of episode 4, subtitles, a look at the restoration process, an easter egg and some standard photo galleries and character backgrounds. The story is very reliant on characterisation and performance, and played dead straight by all the actors involved. Sadly, this cannot be said of the tongue in cheek camp playing of the sister release, Vengeance on Varos. The quality of the images are astounding. The original master tapes were destroyed back in 1967, and only a washed out film print exists in the BBC archives. However, it has been painstakingly restored, cleaned and improved, and finally the restored print being "Vid-Fired" to recreate almost exactly the original quality of the video tapes. It's an amazing technical feat, and the results are very, very impressive. I just wish they had applied the technology to the earlier released "Tomb of the Cybermen." It's a terrific piece of TV drama, but I admit it may not be to the liking of fans of the sci-fi based Doctor Who. If you like Vengeance on Varos, you almost certainly won't like The Aztecs. I however give it the full five stars!
Rating: 
Summary: as good as some; better than most
Review: I enjoyed Dr. Who #1's quirky qualities, displayed to the fullest in this video. Ian and Barbara do an excellent job here, too. Interesting viewpoint of the Aztec society!
Rating: 
Summary: Essential addition to any Doctor Who DVD Collection
Review: If you're already a Dr. Who fan then purchase of this DVD is a no brainer. If you're not, then it's a good place to begin. Originally aired during the shows first season, The Aztecs is only the sixth ever Doctor Who story. The first doctor (played by William Hartnell) and his companions arrive on earth in the late 1400's in the middle of an Aztec temple. The original companions include the Doctor's grand daughter Susan and her teachers Barbera and Ian. Barbera puts on an Aztec medallion and is mistaken for a reincarnated high priestess. As such, she decides to influence the Aztec culture by putting an end to human sacrifices. As a result, Ian and Susan are placed in danger and it is up to the Doctor to save his friends and preserve history. William Hartnell's portrayal of the doctor is excellent. As a fan of Dr Who, it is fun to watch these early episodes and see how the show evolved over the years. For example, most of the early shows were based on interacting with earth's historical figures as opposed to alien races. Additionally, the concept of the Timelord race had not yet been introduced. The quality of the DVD is top notch. Many of these early episodes have been lost, and those that survive are in bad condition. As with the earlier release of "Tomb of the Cybermen", the Aztecs has been meticulously restored to perfection. There are a couple of nice extras including interviews with three of the surviving cast members. Their take on the show and Hartnell's infamous "difficult" personality are well worth the time to watch. There's also a short film that compares the original unrestored print of the film to the final restored product. The Aztecs is an absolute gem and an essential addition to any Doctor Who DVD library. Fans of classic sci-fi should also considering acquiring this piece of sci-fi television history. If you're just starting a Doctor Who library or have never seen the show, this is an excellent place to start followed by the aforementioned Patrick Troughton adventure "Tomb of the Cybermen" and the John Pertwee's take on the doctor in "Spearhead from Space".
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