"The Caves of Androzani DVD" Published in CT Number 285
This story is regarded by many as being one of the "classics" of Dr Who, indeed, the BBC have chosen to mention this on the box. However, there are so many "classics" produced by our Time-travelling friend, that the term has lost a lot of its meaning. Even so, Caves is incredibly good, and I intend to show why, and why you should buy this DVD, even if you have the VHS original. Caves is similar in terms of setting to The Silurians, particularly with regards to the monster, but it has more in common with the successful Earthshock. Consider the similarities: androids wondering around some caves protecting something, a group of humans trying to break in and the Doctor thrown into the middle. Coupled with this, Caves introduces political intrigues, a sense of urgency with Peri's illness and the complex character of Sharez Jek.
As for the plot itself, what more could we ask from Robert Holmes? For a moment, consider what would have happened had the Doctor and Peri not been there: pretty much the same as what really occurred. The plot does not revolve around the Doctor and is strong enough to sustain itself (having said that, Remembrance of Daleks shows how good a plot which does revolve around the Doctor can be.) The Doctor has but two aims throughout this adventure: find a cure for Peri and get the hell off the planet- there is no ulterior motive, such as removing a corrupt leadership, or ending the war between Sharez Jek and his enemies, just simple survival. Also shown is how fine the line is between good and evil: Sharez Jek begins as the villain, but his concern for Peri turns him into an ally, in fact, Jek is a more likeable version of Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi, in that he wins through in the end. Caves instead has the standard good guys, the humans from Androzani Major and the gun-runners, and turns them into the villains at the end of the story and is one of the major upsets of Who, and it works extremely well too.
The actors in this story all work well and allow the scripts to be fully exploited, Christopher Gelbe in particular is magnificent as Sharez Jek. The scheming politicians and the mercenary gun-runners are also well-portrayed. The regeneration sequence is well-done, and it was nice to see return appearances of Adric, Nyssa, Tegan, Turlough and the Master, even if it was only briefly! Nicola Bryant gives a strong portrayal of Peri and Peter Davison bows out of Who with his strongest performance of the Doctor. I rate the story at 94%, the best Dr Who story of all-time save Remembrance and Power of the Daleks, and is well-worth buying.
But is it worth buying as a DVD? Let me put it this way: it is worth buying a DVD-player for! We get to see the actual behind-the-scenes recording of the regeneration, with close-ups of Nicola Bryant, Peter Davison and Colin Baker. Also included are three news reports of Davison leaving, an extended scene, a photo-gallery (which, had this adventure been "lost" would have provided the telesnaps for it), how Sharez Jek was created (voiced by Christopher Gelbe before his untimely death) as well as an interview with Graeme Harper. What more could you ask for? You also get improved picture quality (and a cut of the original episode to show this), easy access-playback, a very nice menu selection and (finally!) a good DVD cover. Now get out there and buy the Caves of Androzani now!
By Peter Witney