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DOCTOR WHO: PYRAMIDS OF MARS (BBC) Director: Paddy Russell. Hacktors: Tom Baker, Elisabeth Sladen, Gabriel Woolf Rating: Tag-line: None. Doctor Who doesn't really 'do' tag-lines, unless you're talking about the TV movie. Death Toll: Six, which is fairly high for Doctor Who. You want big body counts? Check out a story featuring Daleks or Cybermen. Cutting Remarks: If you're wondering what this Doctor Who thing is all about, following newspaper publicity about its return in 2005, you couldn't pick a much better example than 1975's Pyramids Of Mars. One of Tom Baker's very finest stories as the fourth Doctor, it's a shining example of a period of the show dominated by darkness and horror.          As the title suggests, Egyptian mythology meets science fiction here, as the ancient evil god Sutekh seeks freedom from his Cairo tomb. Possessing unfortunate archaeologist Marcus Scarman in 1911, he sends this zomboid puppet back to England to bring about his release. The plot, like much Who, is fairly complex, full of techno-talk and probably wouldn't withstand too much close examination. Yet it's utterly compelling stuff, packed with great imagery like the robotic, lumbering mummies, the grim-faced Scarman himself and of course Sutekh, trapped in his throne. Gabriel Woolf voices Sutekh superbly and with subtle restraint, evoking a real sense of timeless evil.          The fourth episode here has drawn criticism for its poor effects, as the Doctor and his companion Sarah Jane Smith visit Mars itself, but in all fairness it holds up pretty well. Pyramids...'s classic status is borne out by the fact that this very DVD release was voted for by fans. Most Memorable Demise: The murder of Sutekh's servant Namin, at the end of Episode One. This is surely the most chilling cliffhanger in the show's history. Look Out For: A rogue human hand on Sutekh's throne, when he finally stands up. A classic studio error, which thankfully hasn't been digitally cleaned up for this release. Killer Quote: "Die. I bring Sutekh's gift of death to all humanity" - at the end of the aforementioned Episode One. DVD Details: As usual, the BBC have delivered extras aplenty here. There's one documentary specifically about Pyramids and another about its producer Philip Hinchcliffe's time with the programme. Then there's the audio commentary with Sladen, Hinchcliffe and actor Michael Sheard, with occasional over-dubbed memories from director Russell. Deleted scenes, a gallery and an excellent parody short titled Oh Mummy! round off this superb package. Release Date: Out now in the UK and US. [Check it out at Amazon US] [Check it out at Amazon UK] [Reviews Menu] [Home] © Copyright Slasherama 2002-present