7.0

Doctor Who the Mutants

It's funny going back and watching some of the older Dr Who episodes. What I considered as a child to be a romp with the Time Lords filled with fun and adventure was actually a commentary on what was going on in the world around us. The Mutants storyline was no exception to this, and like the storylines of Star Trek and other cult shows of the day, a lot more lay below the surface than what the casual viewer would have caught onto.

In this adventure the Doctor is sent to the 30th century on the behest of the Time Lords to deliver a mysterious message pod, and the planet Solos is soon to have it's independence from Earth. There are parties who do not wish this to happen and a murder takes place resulting in the death of the Administrator from Earth. A scapegoat is hung out to dry for the murder and it turns out that the doctor and Jo end up assisting him to prove his innocence and find  out who is behind this plot.

There are always a lot of things going on in Doctor Who and this one is no exception. The DVD takes its title from the fact that whilst this story of betrayal and corruption is taking place on Planet Solos, the inhabitants are mutating into beasts as schemers attempt to terraform the planet into something that can maintain human life.

I enjoyed this storyline, however did find that the overall quality of the video left a heck of a lot to be desired. I understand that this was filmed a hell of a long time ago (1972 - the year I was born), but the amount of noise and grain in it almost begged for just a little scrub. Audio for the most part is clear and serviceable, but once again nothing to get excited about.

Extras do shine on this disc, especially considering the age of the material. Enthusiasts should be very happy with the amount of extra content on the disc. In particular I enjoyed both the audio commentary and the Blue Peter footage.

I would recommend this to the Doctor Who enthusiast who has seen enough shows to respect the age of this showing or to the newcomer who is young enough to not notice just how bad some of the video quality is. As always though, if you can see past the faults, The Mutants is an excellent addition to the saga of the Doctor on DVD format and worthy of adding to your collection.