An atmospheric story, with production values that have stood the test of time admirably, truly kicks off the Gothic horror era of the show.
Story: 8
The overall idea of a planet on the edge of the Universe, with a lost scientific expedition and a mysterious force slaughtering people, is a great one. It's imaginative, yet simple enough to make gripping. It's also depicting the dangers of scientific exploration without taking into account all possible consequences.
The setting of the story is quickly established, and the menace introduced, but after that, the story does quite little with this premise for a while. The Movestrans spend two episodes trying to get away from Zeta Minor, while the Doctor tries to find out more without risking everybody's lives. The menace doesn't even get palpable until well into the third episode.
The plot moves back and forth between the Doctor being seen as hostile and as an ally. That's not very interesting for viewers since we know it's Sorenson who is contaminated and behind the killings.
Acting: 7
The main cast is great, and it's wonderful to see both Tom Baker and Elisabeth Sladen act scared and desperate for a change. Frederick Jaeger from The Savages makes his most well-known turn on Doctor Who here, as Sorenson. And that's no wonder since he's very good. He was great in The Savages, but he's even better here. The Morestran actors are a bit shoddy at times, which is a shame since they're a big part of the story.
The Doctor: 9
It's great to see the Fourth Doctor more vulnerable and less brilliant for a change. While he tries to convince the Morestrans of his innocence, they won't believe him until it is too late.
The Companions: 7
Sarah Jane doesn't do very much in this story, other than sitting around waiting for the Doctor to do some cool stuff or believing that the Doctor has died again. It's a bit of a shame, but Liz Sladen does the best she can with what she is given.
The Monster/Villain: 9
The anti-matter force of Zeta Minor and the anti-man Sorenson becomes is a great idea not utilized to its full potential. It has a creepy factor but doesn't seem to stir as much trouble as you'd think. It remains one of the scarier Doctor Who monsters though, thanks to its unexpected behaviour.
Production: 12
I love the atmospheric, dark and murky set design of Zeta Minor. It looks expensive and very realistic. It's one of the better alien planet sets on Classic Who. It was reportedly so well-made that it was impossible to disassemble without ruining the set.
The overall production values are great, including the simple visual effects, the direction and the cinematography. The dark atmosphere is supported by the incidental music, another great score by Dudley Simpson.
Pacing: 9
The pacing is fine during the first half, then slows down a little during the second and until the climax.
Atmosphere: 10
This story is another great example of the rather intricate body horror of the Philip Hinchcliffe era. It's not overly horrifying by today's standards but works incredibly effectively to set the tone of the story.
The initially dark and tense atmosphere, unfortunately, loses some of its magic after the halfway point, when more focus is put on the characters accusing each other than the planet being evil. That being said though, the contaminated Sorenson is pretty creepy.
The final episode turns creepy and intense again, and I can easily see how this era of the show was sometimes seen as too dark and violent at times.
Impact: 11
If I should pick one story that truly begins the Gothic horror era of the show, it's Planet of Evil. It's so distinctively different to everything that has come before and different to many other stories going forward, that it's memorable just because of that.
Replay Value: 9
While not the best Gothic horror four-parter to come out of the Hinchcliffe era, this is an atmospheric adventure well worth multiple rewatches.
Random Observations:
The Doctor mentions having met Shakespeare once. That means he's met him at least twice since the Tenth Doctor also meets him in The Shakespeare Code (2007).
This is only the second story to deal with anti-matter as an evil force, the first one being The Three Doctors (1972-1973).
Is it just me, or does the anti-matter force turn Sorenson into a similar beast creature that the forces released by the drilling project in Inferno (1970) do with the people there?
Review by Theo KallströmVIP 6BlockedParent2020-06-22T15:36:49Z
An atmospheric story, with production values that have stood the test of time admirably, truly kicks off the Gothic horror era of the show.
Story: 8
The overall idea of a planet on the edge of the Universe, with a lost scientific expedition and a mysterious force slaughtering people, is a great one. It's imaginative, yet simple enough to make gripping. It's also depicting the dangers of scientific exploration without taking into account all possible consequences.
The setting of the story is quickly established, and the menace introduced, but after that, the story does quite little with this premise for a while. The Movestrans spend two episodes trying to get away from Zeta Minor, while the Doctor tries to find out more without risking everybody's lives. The menace doesn't even get palpable until well into the third episode.
The plot moves back and forth between the Doctor being seen as hostile and as an ally. That's not very interesting for viewers since we know it's Sorenson who is contaminated and behind the killings.
Acting: 7
The main cast is great, and it's wonderful to see both Tom Baker and Elisabeth Sladen act scared and desperate for a change. Frederick Jaeger from The Savages makes his most well-known turn on Doctor Who here, as Sorenson. And that's no wonder since he's very good. He was great in The Savages, but he's even better here. The Morestran actors are a bit shoddy at times, which is a shame since they're a big part of the story.
The Doctor: 9
It's great to see the Fourth Doctor more vulnerable and less brilliant for a change. While he tries to convince the Morestrans of his innocence, they won't believe him until it is too late.
The Companions: 7
Sarah Jane doesn't do very much in this story, other than sitting around waiting for the Doctor to do some cool stuff or believing that the Doctor has died again. It's a bit of a shame, but Liz Sladen does the best she can with what she is given.
The Monster/Villain: 9
The anti-matter force of Zeta Minor and the anti-man Sorenson becomes is a great idea not utilized to its full potential. It has a creepy factor but doesn't seem to stir as much trouble as you'd think. It remains one of the scarier Doctor Who monsters though, thanks to its unexpected behaviour.
Production: 12
I love the atmospheric, dark and murky set design of Zeta Minor. It looks expensive and very realistic. It's one of the better alien planet sets on Classic Who. It was reportedly so well-made that it was impossible to disassemble without ruining the set.
The overall production values are great, including the simple visual effects, the direction and the cinematography. The dark atmosphere is supported by the incidental music, another great score by Dudley Simpson.
Pacing: 9
The pacing is fine during the first half, then slows down a little during the second and until the climax.
Atmosphere: 10
This story is another great example of the rather intricate body horror of the Philip Hinchcliffe era. It's not overly horrifying by today's standards but works incredibly effectively to set the tone of the story.
The initially dark and tense atmosphere, unfortunately, loses some of its magic after the halfway point, when more focus is put on the characters accusing each other than the planet being evil. That being said though, the contaminated Sorenson is pretty creepy.
The final episode turns creepy and intense again, and I can easily see how this era of the show was sometimes seen as too dark and violent at times.
Impact: 11
If I should pick one story that truly begins the Gothic horror era of the show, it's Planet of Evil. It's so distinctively different to everything that has come before and different to many other stories going forward, that it's memorable just because of that.
Replay Value: 9
While not the best Gothic horror four-parter to come out of the Hinchcliffe era, this is an atmospheric adventure well worth multiple rewatches.
Random Observations:
The Doctor mentions having met Shakespeare once. That means he's met him at least twice since the Tenth Doctor also meets him in The Shakespeare Code (2007).
This is only the second story to deal with anti-matter as an evil force, the first one being The Three Doctors (1972-1973).
Is it just me, or does the anti-matter force turn Sorenson into a similar beast creature that the forces released by the drilling project in Inferno (1970) do with the people there?
Score: 91/120