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Clang! Death!
Ambassadors have come from Mars... but are they as evil as they seem? It's all a conspiracy isn't it? Isnt it?
It's your moral duty to tell what you think of Amabassadors fo Death.
(PS sorry- accidently deleted the original version. It's part of the conspiracy!)
It's a good solid spy/sci-fi thriller with some iconic images. The fact that it's seven episodes long is neither here no there for me, though I know some people find it overlong. It's certainly a bit difficult to manage it in one sitting!
This story is so underrated. It's full of action and has memorable music. I do agree that it is hard to sit through it in one sitting. It'll be nice to see it in full colour soon.
9/10
The music is indeed wonderful- one of Dudley's best I reckon. That piece of muci that plays as the Ambassadors stride through the countryside with the sun low in the sky behind them is really eerie and memorable- as is the UNIT theme. Nice work.
The storyline is a bit messy, belying its long gestation, passing from David Whittaker to Malcolm Hulke, but there are some outstanding moments a long the way, and the whole thing is saved by Michael Ferguson, who directs this story with a real panache, making it seem like it works when it perhaps doesn't.
I've always rather liked it and I too can't wait to see it in full colour soon!
I love this story. I truly do. When Whitney and I watched it together earlier this year, I don't think that she quite "got" it in the way that I do. Perhaps it's because it was one of the earliest ones that I recorded off of UK Gold. That off-air copy got a LOT of playback during my childhood!
So, to me, there's something really quite magical about it. Trying to think of this story objectively, it's probably a bit drawn-out, but that never seems to detract from my enjoyment. This is a story that just twists and turns all the way through. Some may say that that's a sign of it's rather difficult scripting, but I think it works rather well - you never quite know what direction things are going to go in next.
This story really seems to have a very Quatermass vibe to it. Astronauts apparently returning to Earth with some strange new form of radiation, while certain elements of the military are conspiring to use these aliens to essentially stage a coup and launch an intergalactic war? Exactly the sort of thing that Nigel Kneale would've written.
Frankly, I adore this one. 9/10 from me, and I'm thoroughly looking forward to seeing the entire thing in glorious colour!
I've only seen it once, courtesy of Ian (Cragg) who was clearing out some old off-air tapes and kindly thought of me - so it's that odd mix of colour part 1 and a succession of ropey black & whites. So, several years on, I feel that, much like telebiogenesis, I know so little about Ambassadors of Death, and am very much looking forward to the full colour restoration - it will be almost like a brand new Pertwee to me!
like most of the Pertwee stories it does suffer from being a couple of episodes to long but it's been a very long time since I last saw it so I'll have to reserve judgement on it untill I've seen the dvd release.
I finally watched this on Saturday for only the second time ever all the way through. Agree that it's possibly a bit too long but actually we made through all 7 episodes in one sitting and it didn't feel that as much time had passed as actually had.
I really like the music particularly the ethereal Ambassadors theme and I was struck during the final episode with how handsome Geoffrey Beevers was back in 1970, I can see why Carrie chose him now...
And it's not often you get to say that about someone who's played The Master!!
The only convention I went to showed the first (B+W) episode. And I was struck by the music (Procol Harum or what?) more than anything else. But I never got the chance to see it in full. Fully intend to get the DVD in October. So I'll be back to vote for it when I do. I can barely remember what happened in the UK Gold repeats.
I enjoyed this one the most in what was for me quite a poor season.
Well I got the DVD today. I did intend to watch two episodes at a time like I was a UKTV subscriber!
I only went and finished the whole lot in one go!!
I did have a break after the first two and then just watched the rest in one.
The first episode is easily in the running for the greatest Jon Pertwee first episode. Although Episode 6 still has the best cliffhanger. There were a few times my mind wandered though. And despite watching it a few hours ago, I can't remember how the cliffhanger to 4 was resolved!
It's brilliant Doctor Who. The best Havoc story of Season 7. Best ever?
Well that would have to be a poll in the main forum to settle.
The incidental music still enchanted me like it did when I saw the first two episodes, back at the convention, Nebula 90 in Liverpool.
I caught the UK Gold excellent repeat season. But it was only the black and white version, which seriously dented my enthusiasm for the story, given how much I love the first two Doctors.
Sometimes the re-colouring is a bit wobbly. But the inside of the spaceship is glorious and made me notice how The Doctor had an invisible lift.
You might say if you are going to knock points off for anything, you may as well do that for every Doctor Who story. But I don't think the Ambassadors were voiced right. Look, perfect. True appearance, more than passable. Voice, falls down a point too much.
I love what they did with the credits, but it wouldn't work for "CITY"
"of DEATH". "THE HAND","OF FEAR" would work. And "TERROR" "of the AUTONS" was a trick they missed. It's a shame about the expense which caused problems for the studio. But the credit effect of this story probably tarnished extravagant effect spending, so they just produced the titles as they were.
Looking forward to the commentary!
It makes me wish there was a story in Jon's final season where the Cybermen tried to Cybernise the General.
Best use as well of media presenter in Who. Washes away The Sound Of Drums and The End Of Time.
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