Doctor Who (TV Series) The Seeds of Doom: Part Five (1976) User Reviews

"I don't care who it's killed... people are replaceable." Great Doctor Who story.

[poolandrews · 8/10 · 10 August 2007]

Doctor Who: The Seeds of Doom: Part 5 starts as the Doctor (Tom Baker), Sarah Jane (Elisabeth Sladen) & Scorby (John Challis) manage to escape the Krynoid & hold up in a small cottage on Chase's (Tony Beckley) grounds. They decide to make a run for it & the Doctor manages to drive off while Sarah & Scorby seek refuge in Chase's manor house, back in London the Doctor convinces Sir Colin (Michael Barrington) that the world is at risk as reports of plants attacking & killing people start to come in, with help from UNIT the Doctor travels back to Chase's manor house where the now giant Krynoid must be destroyed before it infects the whole world...

Episode 25 from season 13 this Doctor Who adventure was originally aired here in the UK during Febuary 1976, directed by Douglas Camfield I've enjoyed this story a lot. The script by Robert Banks Stewart is nearing it's end with just one final episode left after this & it's been a really good horror/sci-fi/action piece that borrows heavily from films like The Thing From Another World (1951) & The Day of the Triffids (1961) to good effect & there's that Doctor Who humour although thankfully it never descends into slapstick or pantomime which the series did during it's later years, I think I'm right in saying John-Nathan Turner had no involvement in The Seeds of Doom... The one aspect of this episode I didn't like so much was the fact that the Krynoid talks which is just a bit silly after it's credibility levels had been very high but to balance it out I liked the idea & added threat that the Krynoid can control all plant life which ends up in a scene where Sarah is wrapped in vines & branches which reminded me of the sequence in The Evil Dead (1982) where possessed trees rape a woman...

The production values have been better than usual on The Seeds of Doom, the huge green blob with tentacles that have suckers on the end that represent the Krynoid actually looks quite gross at times & looks better than the average man in a suit monster from Doctor Who. Again for those interested there's a scene showing the making & using of a Molotov cocktail so together with this being a scary story maybe it's not suitable for younger children. The incidental music has been good, the sets have looked better than usual with more detail & the real life locations give The Seeds of Doom a nice look which occasionally defies it's low budget made-for-British TV BBC status.

The Seeds of Doom: Part 5 is another great episode in a great story, apart from a silly talking alien plant this has a lot going for it & I can recommend it as one of the better Doctor Who stories that will probably appeal to & please a broader range of people than the average Doctor Who story, especially the ones from the 80's.

The Compostable Killer...

[Xstal · 7/10 · 30 June 2022]

The garden of evil has taken control, its agents of chloroform provide the patrol, the roots have all taken, the Doctor's quite shaken, fauna becoming flora's salad bowl.

All Plant eaters must die.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 10/10 · 28 January 2019]

For so many, Tom will forever be The Doctor, and in turn, Sarah Jane will always be the favourite companion. This episode shows each at their very best, Tom is commanding, charismatic, heroic and energetic. Sarah Jane is brave, sassy and compassionate. In all fairness each benefit from a tremendous acript.

Tony Beckley is excellent as Harrison Chase, a character who has very definitely gone off his rocker. The effects of the moving plants work very well indeed. The production values have been superb throughout.

A concept that makes The Day of the Triffids seem tame, the idea of the Krynoid controlling all plant life, and turning it bad is so clever.

Seeds of Success!

[A_Kind_Of_CineMagic · 10/10 · 30 November 2014]

Review of all 6 episodes:

The story here is that The Doctor and Sarah go to an Antarctic base where three scientists have discovered a form of unknown plant life buried in the snow. It has been there for many thousands of years but is of alien origin. The pods found turn out to be Krynoids, a plant which is carnivorous, parasitic, powerful and immensely fast growing. The Doctor knows this plant is a threat to all humanity but a pod is stolen by crazed millionaire Harrison Chase who is obsessed with plants.

Horror content was at its peak at this point in the series history and this story is one of the most horror based of all. There are some genuinely grim and macabre scenes which must have had children AND parents hiding behind the sofa. After having a lot of complaints during this time for being too adult and horrific, Doctor Who producers were forced to tone it down. The series, whilst still always continuing to have brilliant thrills, scares and adult qualities was never again to have quite the level of grown up thrills found in series 13 and 14. A scene where someone gets chewed up by a recycling machine is one example but there is a lot of quite gritty and dark content here and that only serves to make this a superb and memorable adventure.

This is another example of the brilliance of this era with Robert Holmes as script editor and Phillip Hinchcliffe as Producer. They created the best sustained quality I think the show has ever had. This story is just one of many top standard classics from this time and writer Robert Banks Stewart has provided a great story to follow his equally great Terror of the Zygons.

The dialogue of this story is intelligent and thoroughly enjoyable and it is delivered with superb acting by the whole cast while director Douglas Camfield again shows he is one of the finest directors the show had. The first 3 episodes in particular are tremendous and are at the highest possible standard. The engrossing science fiction/horror story and remote setting enriched with phenomenal characterisations and an alien threat makes this electrifying entertainment. The final 3 episodes are a bit less cerebral and more about monster attacks, confrontations and action but still have a tough, dark feel and the interesting human villain as well as the fun giant monster.

Right from the start when the story begins with the three research scientists in the Antarctic those three characters are all very convincingly written and acted. It is actually a shame that such a well acted part as Moberley (Michael McStay) only lasts one episode. The sinister villain Chase (the superb Tony Beckley) has a smooth, slimy, creepy menace which is really entertaining and perfectly played. His violent thug Scorby (played brilliantly by John Challis, 'Boycie' from comedy classic 'Only Fools and Horses') is far more than your average 'heavy', he is another effective and interesting villain. Dunbar, Thackeray, Keeler and Hargreaves are all also extremely well acted. In addition we also get the larger than life eccentric Amelia Ducat (Sylvia Coleridge) who adds a humour and lightness amongst the mostly serious characters. There are actually lots of wonderful, witty moments interspersed with all the drama and menace.

Tom Baker is magnificent as The Doctor. He delivers numerous witty lines with sparkling charisma whilst mostly is at the toughest and most stern we ever see him. He tells people off and barks orders one moment then makes a great joke the next, both with equal conviction. He is seen to be both selflessly heroic and the most actively tough the character has ever been. He engages in punch ups and even points a gun but this is all done so well that it works.

The suspense and shocks, intelligent, engaging script and the enjoyable action make this a true classic. Even the Krynoid, which at times shows up the limitations of the show's effects, has some great moments. The stop motion work with the giant monster and the house is actually impressive. This is a fantastic, gripping and entertaining pleasure from start to finish. A 10/10 classic that all 'Whovians' must see.

My ratings: All 6 Parts - 10/10.

This story finished off the awesome series 13 which is a front runner for best season ever along with Season 14 and just ahead of Season 12. This Hinchcliffe & Holmes run era is simply incredible standard. 23 out of the 26 episodes of Season 13 got the full 10/10 from me which is unbelievable standards over a season. Only Parts 2 to 4 of The Android Invasion failed to get full 10/10 with only Part 4 being a real disappointment for me. Any Doctor Who 'show-runner' now or in the future should aim to copy the qualities of this era as it is as good as TV gets.

My Season 13 Average Rating: 9.67/10!