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 Before I tell you about the DVD it's necessary for me to give you a basic plot outline of the story...if you don't want to know, skip the next three paragraphs.
The TARDIS materialises on the planet Telos and the Doctor and his companions discover that they are not alone. An archaeological expedition from Earth has arrived to excavate the lost tombs of the Cybermen. The party is led by Professor Parry and a number of associates. One of their party, Klieg, reveals that he is planning to revive the Cybermen and use their strength to take over the world!
Soon after the Doctor, and his current companions, Jamie and Victoria join them the first mysterious death occurs. The group become stranded on Telos and soon there are stirrings from the Tomb. The Doctor and Jamie are at first thought to be from a rival party, but as the archaeological party's craft is disabled they join forces. It’s also obvious that the Doctor has considerable knowledge and will be of use to them.
Before too long the Cybermen have been revived and they don’t seem to have enjoyed their long sleep! They use the humans while they are useful and then begin to kill! It is up to the Doctor and his companions to send the silver giants back into the freezer. The Doctor, Jamie, Victoria and the archaeological party manage to get of the Cyberbase, and Toberman closes the electrified doors. When the door closes Toberman is electrocuted and dies, but the Cybermen are trapped once again. Hopefully this time for eternity. A well written and produced story that is chilling and atmospheric; perhaps more so because of its limited special effects and the fact that it is filmed in Black and White.
Tomb of the Cybermen was originally transmitted on television from 02/09/67 to 23/09/67. It was released on DVD on 14th January 2002. It is a significant DVD for a number of reasons.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Remastering for DVD
A featurette, showing how the story had to be restored prior to release. This is a really interesting piece of film and well worth watching. It shows the original footage (from the negatives and then explains what needed to be done, how it was done and then finally showing how the finished scene looks. This “before and after” footage works really well and it makes you appreciate the long, detailed process that went into the finished programme. The only disadvantage is that this feature only lasts five minutes; it left me wanting more!
Morris Barry Introduction
The director of the adventure gives a short (approximately 3 minute) introduction. His memories are interesting and also quite sad; Morris Barry is another of the people who made Dr Who great, and who is sadly no longer with us. Anyone who owns this story on video will already have seen this feature (it was shot for that release in 1992).
Tombwatch
This is a 30 minute feature collected from footage of the BAFTA Tombwatch launch in 1992. Cast members met up to discuss the story and reminisce about working on the show. These include cast members (e.g., Frazer Hines and Deborah Watling) and some members of the production crew. Very interesting in some places, but, at 30 minutes long, we got a bit bored and fast-forwarded quite a bit. Some good anecdotes and I’m glad we did watch it.
The Final End
At about 1 minute 30 seconds long this is a recreation of the last scene of the previous Dr Who story. The Evil of the Daleks is one of those adventures that are missing, so this is a really interesting piece for Who fans. The soundtrack that survives is played in the background and I thoroughly enjoyed this all too brief snippet! The feature uses extracts from Tony Cornell's 8mm film 'The Last Dalek’, shot in Ealing Studios in 1967.
Late Night Line Up
An edited down version (around three minutes) of when the BBC Visual effects department were interviewed for a 1967 episode of the Late Night Line Up show. There are some great views of the props, including Cybermats from Tomb of the Cybermen. This is really great because it’s in colour! A chance to see things only previously broadcast in black and white: A “must see” feature!
Title Sequence Tests
This is another worthwhile special feature! A three minute compilation of the footage and test sequences that were used to create the opening title sequence for Patrick Troughton’s Doctor. Must of it never got used in the series, but my husband and I played “spot the graphic” on the final product! (Note: The Waterhouse family are quite sad!!)
On Screen Production Notes
My favourite feature is present on this title too. As with the other Dr Who DVDs this feature has to be activated from the menu to allow you to view these production subtitles. Once selected, you can then see a number of interesting facts about the cast, the story and the filming. I find this very interesting, but some people may be distracted from the programme. I recommend that you watch the episodes first without and then turn on the notes for future watching (yes, it’s certainly something you should watch again and again!).
Photo Gallery
The usual round of stills and cast photos; pleasant to look at, but not the best feature.
Commentary from Frazer Hines and Debora Watling.
To be honest I found Deborah Watling a bit irritating, so we didn’t keep the commentary on for long. There wasn’t the same “spark” between these two as there was between Sophie Aldred and Sylvester McCoy. Some of their stories and anecdotes were quite funny, but many of them were repeated by Frazer Hines et al on the Tombwatch feature.
Scene Selection
Another standard DVD feature that goes to make the disc more user friendly. This allows you to quickly and easily go to the scene of your choice without having to wind through loads of tape. Useful, effective, but not unusual!
Graphical Menus
Again quite a standard DVD feature. They are well produced menus and are very nice to look at. Clips are played in the background while you are choosing where you want to go and what you want to see. I liked the way they had been given a monochrome look to fit in well with the Black and White story.
Easter Eggs
There are three “secret” things to find on this story. If you want to know how, just let me know and I will e-mail them to you. I won’t spoil the surprise by telling you what they are; there wouldn’t be much point searching for them then. This feature can only be accessed if you view the DVD on your computer.
INTERESTING FACTS
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It is the first DVD release featuring Patrick Troughton as the second Doctor.
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It is the first black and white Dr Who story to be released on DVD.
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Tomb of the Cybermen was one of the missing stories “lost” for many years. It eventually turned up in 1992, when it was returned by a TV station in Hong Kong, 'Tomb' is widely regarded as the best complete Troughton story in the archive.
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It is the most restored DVD so far; much work has been done to make it of high enough picture and sound quality to give a good DVD watching experience.
This DVD is currently retailing for £18.59 at Black Star, and for £18.99 on Amazon. It’s available form most DVD stockists and the price seems to be pretty similar.
I would really recommend that you buy this DVD. It’s filled with features that any Who fan would love and it would be a great addition to any collection. The restorers have done an amazing job and have produced a DVD with excellent sound and picture quality. Bear in mind that this was originally shot in the late sixties, and you can’t fail to be impressed with Tomb of the Cybermen.
Once again the BBC have done a grand job and produced loads of Special Features. It’s even worth buying the DVD if you already own the video! So, all you Dr Who fans out there…you know who you are! Get out there and buy this one!
» Review by Andrea Waterhouse, Copyright 2003.
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