Ronald Reagan is president, Margaret Thatcher is prime minister, and Doctor Who is 25 years old. The year is 1988, and it’s the silver anniversary of Doctor Who. Throughout the year, products and specials are released to celebrate the momentous occasion, such as a 25th Anniversary soundtrack and a 25th Anniversary special Magazine. Fans of the series were celebrating Doctor Who all across England. It seems that for the silver anniversary then, that “Silver Nemesis” would be an apropos title for the 25th anniversary serial, which this one happens to be. This serial was also part of a darker turn in the storyline of the series, with an intention of revealing who the Doctor really was. This episode featured the inevitable return of the Cybermen, as they were one of the most popular alien villains, next to the Daleks.
Now you can own Doctor Who: Silver Nemesis on DVD!
“Silver Nemesis” takes place on earth in 1988, almost exclusively. A meteor is going to land on earth with a Gallifreyan super weapon. If any one person reunites the weapons parts, they will gain the power of life and Death. Three factions are vying for the weapon: the Cybermen, Herr de Flores, the leader of a Neo-Nazi group who wants to bring about the Fourth Reich, and Lady Peinforte – a seventeenth century sorceress who uses black magic to travel to the present time. The Seventh Doctor, and his companion Ace must come between all three factions to stop any and every one of these factions from putting all three parts of the weapon together, even if they have to put it together themselves, to save Earth, and even the universe itself.
Special Features:
Audio Commentary: Actors Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred, and script editor Andrew Cartmel talk about their experiences making this serial.
“Industrial Action”: The half hour making of documentary featurette
Deleted and Extended Scenes: 2 minutes of trimmed, and removed scenes from the Episode.
Trailers and Continuity: 5 minutes of commercials, and continuity for this serial.
Isolated Score: This feature lets us watch the story arc with only the score. No sound effects! No dialogue!
Optional Dolby Digital 5.1 Mix: Now you can enjoy late 80’s Doctor Who in glorious 5.1 Surround!
Photo Gallery: This one is a video gallery of photos from the production of the story arc.
PDF Materials: The BBC always adds a little something extra for the fans, this time it’s the listings in the Radio Times.
Overall:
“Silver Nemesis” is a standard story for the era of the Seventh Doctor, as they were playing with the truth about who he really was. With this in mind, it makes the story even more interesting than it already was. The story has him dealing with a problem that he created 300 or so years earlier that could destroy the universe. It seems that the stakes were high as usual, and we profited from it, as this serial was pretty good. The Cybermen make a welcomed return here, and it improves the serial as it raises the stakes even higher than they already were, before they landed in England. It’s nice to see a release of a Seventh Doctor serial, as we mostly get to see the previous Doctors on DVD. Once again, This one isn’t the best to introduce someone to Doctor Who, but is a great watch if you are already a fan of the series.
Comics online gives Doctor Who: Silver Nemesis – 4 autographed jazz tapes out of 5.
Get your copy of Doctor Who: Silver Nemesis on DVD at Amazon.
Stay tuned to ComicsOnline for more Doctor Who news and for everything geek pop culture!
