Doctor Who: The Ambassadors of Death: Episode 3 starts as the Recovery 7 spacecraft is cut open only to reveal that it's empty, the Doctor (Jon Pertwee) realises that the three astronauts have already been taken. The Doctor & Brigadier Lethbrigde Stewart (Nicholas Courtney) go straight to Government minister Sir James Quinlan (Dallas Cavell) who explains that his man General Carrington (John Abineri) took the astronauts to a safe place & that they are alive & well, the Doctor isn't convinced & insists on seeing the astronauts for himself but they discover they have been taken yet again by an unknown group...
This Doctor Who adventure was episode 14 from season 7 that aired here in the UK during early 1970, directed by Michael Ferguson my fear that The Ambassadors of Death cannot sustain it's story over a mammoth seven episodes is sadly proving to be the case. The script by David Whitaker has pretty much gone into padding mode as there is lots of running around without that much actually happening, so the astronauts who were stolen from the Recovery 7 spacecraft are stolen again from the people who stole them & that's what this episode basically adds up to. The Doctor once again knows just about everything while Liz just sort of stands around until the end when the episode comes to life & she is involved in the best cliffhanger ending of this story so far. The Ambassadors of Death really does feel like a spy flick & there's even a shot of an enemy vehicle with rotating number plates a la James Bond's Aston Martin. As a story it's OK but one is starting to wish it would get to it's point & put some meat on it's bones.
This one looks pretty good with impressive production values, the space suited astronauts look pretty menacing. The shot on film location shooting helps give The Ambassadors of Death a cinematic look at times & there is some nice incidental music in this story.
The Ambassadors of Death is a measured, slow going, adult orientated Doctor Who that I'm liking so far but after a great opening it is starting to outstay it's welcome & there are another four episodes to go.
This Doctor Who adventure was episode 14 from season 7 that aired here in the UK during early 1970, directed by Michael Ferguson my fear that The Ambassadors of Death cannot sustain it's story over a mammoth seven episodes is sadly proving to be the case. The script by David Whitaker has pretty much gone into padding mode as there is lots of running around without that much actually happening, so the astronauts who were stolen from the Recovery 7 spacecraft are stolen again from the people who stole them & that's what this episode basically adds up to. The Doctor once again knows just about everything while Liz just sort of stands around until the end when the episode comes to life & she is involved in the best cliffhanger ending of this story so far. The Ambassadors of Death really does feel like a spy flick & there's even a shot of an enemy vehicle with rotating number plates a la James Bond's Aston Martin. As a story it's OK but one is starting to wish it would get to it's point & put some meat on it's bones.
This one looks pretty good with impressive production values, the space suited astronauts look pretty menacing. The shot on film location shooting helps give The Ambassadors of Death a cinematic look at times & there is some nice incidental music in this story.
The Ambassadors of Death is a measured, slow going, adult orientated Doctor Who that I'm liking so far but after a great opening it is starting to outstay it's welcome & there are another four episodes to go.