The Sun Makers: Everyone runs from this DVD

[SiHart]

...is now coming to DVD on its own, with no Amabassadors of DEATH to snuggle up with.

Here's a thread for The Sun Makers release.

Si xx

[SiHart]

Extras:

The Sun Makers:

* TX trail
* Running from the Tax Men - Making of... documentary
* Doctor's Composer - Dudley Simpson

Si xx

[Si Hunt]

Scant extras. Is this a story nobody loves?

I have to say my first impressions of it were extremely favourable, and I'm still quite fond of it. It has several overlooked larger than life performances, there's some nice location work, Leela is in it and I've always found the script very clever. Lots of people seem to take an unusually dim view of it - "oh poor Robert Holmes, has to pay tax". I just see it as a writer using his imagination to parody something that people can relate to. This is very much Doctor Who that both adults and kids can enjoy.

Are these really all the extras? I have to say it seems odd at a time when they are re-issuing some DVD's to add more extra features, meanwhile some new ones are coming out with hardly any VAM on.

Si.

[SiHart]

It looks very cheap, like bad Blake's 7. The opening shot with the face appearing through a hole in the set is awful.

I know it's supposed to be funny, but it isn't hilarious. Like a great deal of Season 15, it's just OK. Average, nothing special. Easy to admire, difficult to love.

Si xx

[Terry Leptil]

Maybe they could bring it out with The Face of Evil like the Star Classics double novel.

[Andrew Curnow]

I hope it's as good as I remember from 1978. I have caught bits and pieces of it on UK Gold since, but I've not sat down and watched it since it was aired. My memories mainly revolve around the cliffhangers to parts 1 & 3, and (a very vivid memory this) the climax, where the Usurian goes green and shrinks into his chair.

I'm looking forward to seeing it again anyway, whether the Memory Cheats or not.

[Rob McCow]

I remember seeing a whole bunch of out-takes from this story, but I can't remember where from.

[SiHart]

They were on the BBC Christmas tapes.

Si xx

[SiHart]

Cover:

[SiHart]

And some extras passed by the BBFC:

00:00:39:14 DR WHO - NEXT SATURADY 6.05
00:24:47:15 RUNNING FROM THE TAX MAN - THE MAKING OF THE SUN MAKERS
00:04:03:11 THE SUN MAKERS - PHOTO GALLERY
00:18:02:18 THE DOCTOR'S COMPOSER - DUDLEY SIMPSON - PART TWO 1970 -79
00:00:31:03 UNTITLED (OUTTAKES)

[Si Hunt]

What's up with the photoshopping around Tom's hair? It looks like he's been cut out by a blind idiot using the 'lassoo' tool on Paint.

Si.

[Dave Tudor]

Otherwise, that's a pretty good cover - I think the first time I've been impressed by an original R1 version.

[Awesome Wells]

The Sun Makers has possibly the best DVD commentary I've ever heard... on anything, ever. Tom is wonderfully bonkers. Worth getting just to hear him bellow: "DARLING, I'M COMING, I'M COMING!"

[SiHart]

Oh my!

[Stuart Wallis]

Man of his age...!

[SiHart]

HMV have posted this one out to me. I had no idea this was due already!

[Stuart Wallis]

Shush! or they'll all want one!

[Stephen Morgan]

HMV have posted this one out to me. I had no idea this was due already!

I had no idea either. I only bought Paradise Towers Monday just gone, and this one hot on its heels already.

[Rob McCow]

Colony In Space, The Sunmakers and Paradise Towers would have made a nice 'Colony Worlds' box set. Those stories have far more in common than The Awakening and The Gunfighters!

[stuartdg]

this arrived yesterday and a quick cursory listen to the commentary would suggest its gonna be great fun

[Rob McCow]

We've polished this DVD off now!

This commentary was excellent. This is Louise Jameson's favourite story, so for once we've got someone being hugely enthusiastic all the way through. Tom is on good form too, at once point turning into a manic, elderly version of the Doctor and declaring that he'll see off that 'bald midget!' Pennant Roberts adds further value, mentioning Blake's 7 (Tom: What's that?) and while it's nice to have Michael Keating, he doesn't have a huge amount to say.

The production notes got desparate pretty quickly. 'Look out. Here comes a boom mic. Here it comes. Keep your eyes peeled. There it is! Boom mics were used to record sound in episodes of Doctor Who. Those aren't licquorice allsorts. Why are they talking about Raspberry Leaf tea? It may be an in-joke.'

New facts: I never heard that they planned to kill off Leela in The Sunmakers! Who were they going to replace her with? What about the scripts for the rest of the season? It all seems a bit unlikely.

Apparently this is the first colour story without any monsters. I'm not sure if that's entirely true, but it's certainly lacking in aliens of any form.

I liked the documentary style for the main feature, the little bits of extra machine text were interesting.

Overall, this story has gone up considerably in my estimation following this DVD!

[Si Hunt]

Apparently this is the first colour story without any monsters. I'm not sure if that's entirely true, but it's certainly lacking in aliens of any form

What do you call the bald headed fungus creature then?!

Si.

[Stuart Wallis]

Ethel.

[Si Hunt]

Yes?

Si.

[Rob McCow]

I'm just reporting what the production notes said! Don't blame me if they don't count the brief appearance of a CSO cloth on screen as a monster! I thought it was a pretty dubious claim myself.

Black Orchid, that doesn't really have a monster in it. Neither does Logopolis or Castrovalva.