Planet of Giants - Reduced to Roughly the Size of a DVD Now!

[Si Hunt]

The problem is, the original story is turgid, let alone expanding Episode 3 back out into two episodes. I wonder if the production team could ever have imagined, 45 years ago, that the story so dull it had to be sliced down by 30 minutes would one day be painstakingly reconstructed so that people would eventually have to be put through an even worse version despite everything. What next, CGI to make all the effects in old stories MORE cheap and unrealistic?

Si.

[SiHart]

It's a very good point Si. Sometimes things are done for the best of reasons at the time and reconstructing something that was shit to begin with isn't going to be any better by being done 50 years later.

[Rob McCow]

If they ever re-release An Unearthly Child, I do hope they make a CGI version of Geoffrey Bayldon and superimpose him over William Hartnell! That would be AMAZIFRIES.

[SiHart]

Extras:

00:28:01:16 DOCTOR WHO - CRISIS
00:24:31:18 DOCTOR WHO - THE URGE TO LIVE
00:08:27:11 REDISCOVERING THE URGE TO LIVE
00:15:17:10 SUDDENLY SUSAN
00:13:58:23 THE LAMBERT TAPES - THE DOCTOR
00:03:20:22 PLANET OF GIANTS - PHOTO GALLERY

[Stuart Wallis]

"Rediscovering The Urge To Live" sounds like a self-help tape.

[Dave Tudor]

And there's a big risk you might lose it again after watching those reconstructions.

[Rob McCow]

00:13:58:23 THE LAMBERT TAPES - THE DOCTOR

I wonder what this is? Long lost recordings?

00:15:17:10 SUDDENLY SUSAN

What a ridiculous title!

[Simon R]

I think Suddenly Susan was a lame American sitcom in the 90s. I want to say Kirstie Allie was in it. Or Brooke Shields. It was on Channel 4.

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

I have a terrifying image of Carol Ann bursting into song!

[Stuart Wallis]

No, I've just checked the Geneva convention, we're safe.

[Anthony Williams]

No, I've just checked the Geneva convention, we're safe.

[SiHart]

Apparently this is winging its way to us at this very moment. It'll be the last one we watch together for a while, so that'll give it a little extra excitement that the story itself may not generate!

[Rob McCow]

I should have held on for Ambassadors of Death! What was I thinking?!

[Stuart Wallis]

Something about walnut growing in Andalucia, possibly...?

[Rob McCow]

I have never thought about that before in my entire life. Thank you for the new experience, Stuart.

[Stuart Wallis]

Someone's got to consider it I suppose...

[Rob McCow]

Our copy was posted through the letterbox this morning, but the door opened while it was being posted. That's the most vital time in the arrival of a DVD! Now it's been reduced to roughly the size of an inch and our DVD player only takes metric DVDs.

[Si Hunt]

Ours has been squashed by a giant pussy.

Si.

[Stuart Wallis]

There's no answer to that!

[Si Hunt]

What a dull and shoddy adventure this is!

The first TARDIS scene is a nightmare, with Hartnell trampling all his lines into oblivion, appearing to get cross with everyone for no reason, and then a crappy explanation for the whole story - "The space pressure was too great" indeed. However, the effect of the scanner shattering is jolly good.

Outside, and it's mightily convenient that all the giant insects are being poisoned, as it means none of them have to move. However, why is the ant wider than the Earthworm? The best work is Ian and the matchbox, which integrates seemlessly between shots. There's an odd bit where he is suddenly back with the Doctor, Susan and Barbara though, as if a bit has been chopped out.

The bits with Forrestor and the dull old bloke who gets shot are hugely uninspiring. "I'm going to take a small boat and sail to France for my holidays," he tells us. Well that's very nice to know, thank you for that. Now hurry up and get shot because you're giving us the most unlively performance in TV History!

It's odd, they seemed determined to do a Giants story, but the effects and the models seem so much bother that everyone seems on edge and the plot itself appears to have been an afterthought. It's all distinctly below-bar, models aside.

Stretched!

Si.

[Andrew Curnow]

Can you imagine if we were all internetted up in 1964 - after the huge roller-coaster ride of season 1, and then the hype for the brand new season.... and it starts with Planet of Giants, of which probably the kindest thing that can be said is "at least it's short"!!!

[Si Hunt]

Not now Ian Levine has kindly added on an episode that was deemed too dull in 1964.

Thanks Ian!

Si.

[Andrew Curnow]

"WTF BBC - Doctor Who is about history and alien creatures, why have we got a stupid story about dead giant insects? It's obviously time Verity Lambert was replaced and some fresh ideas brought in." Tweets Nigel Short of Essex.

[SiHart]

To be honest, I'm not fussed about watching the reconstruction of the story as it was. It's dull as it is without another 25 minutes of it!

[Andrew Curnow]

Out of curiosity, though, what are the 'soundalike' Doctor & Barbara like? I would have thought unless they're pretty darned spot on, the whole thing would jar anyway.