"Doctor Who" Pyramids of Mars: Part 4 (1975)

User Rating:

8.7/10   

Director:

Paddy Russell

Writers:

Lewis Greifer (writer) and
Robert Holmes (writer)

TV Series:

"Doctor Who" (1963)

Original Air Date:

15 November 1975 (Season 13, Episode 12)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Space Hero | Man With No Name | Scientist Hero | Multiple Actors For One Character | Extraterrestrial Hero

Cast

Tom Baker	...	Doctor Who
Elisabeth Sladen	...	Sarah Jane Smith
Bernard Archard	...	Marcus Scarman
Gabriel Woolf	...	Sutekh
Nick Burnell	...	Mummy
Melvyn Bedford	...	Mummy
Kevin Selway	...	Mummy

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

"It can't have vanished, it's just not visible."

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars: Part 4 starts as the evil Sutekh (Gabriel Woolf) realises his only hope of destroying the Eye of Horus in the pyramid of Mars is to use the Doctor's (Tom Baker) TARDIS to travel there. Sutekh controls Professor Scarman (Bernard Archard) to navigate the trap filled pyramid & to the eye, Scarman destroys it & Sutekh is released. Has the Doctor failed? Is it too late or does he have one last trick left up his sleeve?

Episode 12 from season 13 this Doctor Who adventure was originally aired here in the UK during November 1975, directed by Paddy Russell Pyramids of Mars has been a great story. The script written under the pseudonym Stephen Harris by Lewis Griefer & Robert Holmes has run it's course in a satisfactory manner & this final part felt like an episode of The Crystal Maze (1990 - 1995) at times with it's puzzled filled rooms! That's not necessarily a criticism though so don't take it as one. Pyramids of Mars has moved along at a nice pace, it hasn't been boring, it's had some trademark Tom Baker humour, a good chemistry between the Doctor & Sarah Jane along with some memorable villains & a nice period setting. There's even a little nod towards the fire that Peter Davison's Doctor started in 1666 during The Visiation (1982) even though that was 7 years down the line! Freaky time travel paradox's eh? It's enough to scramble your mind...

The acting has been pretty good during Pyramids of Mars although there has been a lack of human character's, the special effects have been alright although hardly what one would call impressive. The Mummies have looked OK & the model work has been efficient, the optical effects have been kept to a minimum so they don't distract from the story much. Overall this has been a fairly scary episode with some creepy moments & sinister villains.

Pyramids of Mars: Part 4 is the last part in a great Tom Baker story, what more can I say? Across it's four parts I'll give Pyramids of Mars a solidly entertaining 7 stars out of 10, definitely worth a watch.