Re, your first point, I think there's an interesting short doco about this on the DVD release on it being the first VHS DW release, how well it sold (it was loved at one point in time!), & how much it sold for -30 pounds or something -? a lot of money back then.
Re your second point I think you confusing this story with Attack of the Cybermen & the return of the Cyber leader (who had obviously consumed too much oil since Tomb of the Cybermen). ;-)
See? Hadn't seen either in ages. I suppose this means I'm going to have to watch it now. >:(
Revenge of the Cybermen was the first BBC Doctor Who video.
I believe they ran a poll at the big Longleat 20th anniversary gathering, asking fans which stories they'd like to see on the fledgling BBC Video imprint. Dalek stories were immediately discounted because of copyright issues with Terry Nation. And so Tomb Of The Cybermen came top of the polls. Unfortunately it hadn't been made clear quite how many stories were missing from the archives and thus unable to be issued...
BBC Video, quite reasonably, decided that as Tomb was so popular, then perhaps another Cyberman tale would be a decent substitute. With Earthshock deemed too recent, the only other complete Cyber story was Revenge. And it had Tom Baker in it too, and he was popular; a no-brainer for BBC video then - so it came to pass that Revenge of the Cybermen spearheaded Doctor Who on BBC video - on VHS, Betamax and Laserdisc! Ok it was edited down, with the episodes run together, and an Earthshock Cyb on the original cover (this was changed for later releases). But this was fantastic back in 1983. Even if it did cost about £40.
The thing that really irks me about this story is the scenes where the two Cybermen battle with the Vogan troops. Surely the Vogans could have simply used gold bullets or weapons utilising gold (seeing that most of the planet was made of gold)and the Cybermen would have been destroyed very easily! 😠
The thing that really irks me about this story is the scenes where the two Cybermen battle with the Vogan troops. Surely the Vogans could have simply used gold bullets or weapons utilising gold (seeing that most of the planet was made of gold)and the Cybermen would have been destroyed very easily! ��
Its a classic case of later writers not understanding (or bothering) to get the details of what went before.
The breathing systems of Revenge cybermen get clogged up by gold particles and they suffocate. Vogans had the gold, but it was humans who invented a gun that could "fire" the particles... presumably a good distance?
By the mid-80's that had become "an allergy to gold", hence a couple of flakes from Adric's badge taking them down
And sadly, by Silver Nemesis that had become hit them with a gold coin (or arrow tip) and watch them explode.
Just like the other story set on Nerva Beacon, the first episode is a excellent introduction, the corpses strewn about the corridors. Then Warner's conversation with the approaching ship, is an excellent bit of universe building. Then later some throwaway lines I noticed like "they discovered your weakness and invented the glitter gun", and "banned by the armageddon convention" are effective in helping this.
Enjoyable throughout despite some flawed plotting, the main enjoyment is the unrelenting pace filled with bits of action, humour, world building in the Vogans even though they are a little bit generic realisation wise. I do chuckle at the Guardians haircuts being short and the City militia having longer hair, like a Roundheads and Cavaliers being emulated.
For me the Doctor's performance in particular his humour, is one of the finest of his tenure nevermind Season 12. Season 12 is almost my favourite in his era for a number of reasons, but his performances are so fresh without the more zany aspects of later seasons, but having all the qualities which I would associate with the Fourth Doctor. He is so serious and in turns humorous so seamlessly. Of course the Doctor's Harry Sullivan is an imbecile line, but some other examples of this in this story are: his smile at Sarah Jane after being dragged back and forth by the door then gives Harry a stern look.
Saying to the commander about Kellman: 'Who's the homicidal maniac?"
His glibness when asking the Cybermen what Kellman will get out of him working for them, winding them up with his superb lines about them being a bunch of tin soldiers to playing with his yo-yo when being trans matted down to Voga with a Cyber Bomb strapped to him. I also like the Doctor's grinning when operating the Cyberman at Kellman to get him to tell where the drive for the transmat is.
There are others also, in particular taunting the cyber leader about having hydraulic muscles and of course hydraulic brains, mimicking them in saying "oh a second campaign" and turning around to launch into some poetry or quatation after killing a cyberman with the cybermat before being interrupted by Sarah Jane
Harry and Sarah much like their scenes together in The Sontaran Experiment I enjoy very much, again humourous touches when chained up together, Harry saying: "fetlocks like a carthorse" and then "maimed for life" when being freed from the chains by her
The Vogans maybe easily and gormlessly beaten by two Cybermen (gold tipped bullets anyone!) and equally niggly their poor generically realised appearance, But there is actually some decent characterisation from the excellent David Gollings as Vorus and Kevin Stoney as Tyrum with some decent dialogue throughout.
Kellman the mercenary also comes out of it well, playing the ruthless double agent. He really panders in a sickly way to the Cybermen when they arrive on the Beacon also
I maintain this is in large parts well put together and enjoyable at every turn, a decent science-fiction type story I find with some good moments of peril, such as Sarah Jane being attacked by the Cybermat and getting the plague. The plague seen infecting Warner and Sarah is really quite good, with it's glowing vein type appearance. If not that then chases through Voga, the Doctor trying to save Sarah Jane in the transmat, the rocket aimed at the Beacon and the Beacon heading towards Voga. Hence from start to finish the pace and peril/threat levels keep me zoned into it.
Any misgivings about the main couple of plot holes are overcome easily by it's enjoyability factor. A decent conclusion to Season 12 I would say.
Its a classic case of later writers not understanding (or bothering) to get the details of what went before.
The breathing systems of Revenge cybermen get clogged up by gold particles and they suffocate. Vogans had the gold, but it was humans who invented a gun that could "fire" the particles... presumably a good distance?
By the mid-80's that had become "an allergy to gold", hence a couple of flakes from Adric's badge taking them down
And sadly, by Silver Nemesis that had become hit them with a gold coin (or arrow tip) and watch them explode.
It's such a shame that the "weakness" became some sort of crazy-sensitive allergy - it's like if once some alien saw a guy choke on a ham sandwich, and from that point on decided that every human died from ham sandwiches and just started lobbing them at people indiscriminately - and it working.
Hell, for all the "death by gold started in Revenge" stuff, it's well worth noting that every time The Doctor and pals try to use gold dust to kill Cybermen in this story it doesn't even work. The first attempt went so badly that Lester [or Lesterson, I can never recall] had to blow himself up to get The Doctor and Harry away, and the second time The Doctor tries it the Cybermen are all like "Lolnope" and just smack it out of his hands.
Comments
See? Hadn't seen either in ages. I suppose this means I'm going to have to watch it now. >:(
I believe they ran a poll at the big Longleat 20th anniversary gathering, asking fans which stories they'd like to see on the fledgling BBC Video imprint. Dalek stories were immediately discounted because of copyright issues with Terry Nation. And so Tomb Of The Cybermen came top of the polls. Unfortunately it hadn't been made clear quite how many stories were missing from the archives and thus unable to be issued...
BBC Video, quite reasonably, decided that as Tomb was so popular, then perhaps another Cyberman tale would be a decent substitute. With Earthshock deemed too recent, the only other complete Cyber story was Revenge. And it had Tom Baker in it too, and he was popular; a no-brainer for BBC video then - so it came to pass that Revenge of the Cybermen spearheaded Doctor Who on BBC video - on VHS, Betamax and Laserdisc! Ok it was edited down, with the episodes run together, and an Earthshock Cyb on the original cover (this was changed for later releases). But this was fantastic back in 1983. Even if it did cost about £40.
One of my favourite designs for them, along with the Earthshock version.
It is a shame that the modern show has managed to make their "look" ever duller - they are just stormtrooper/iron man/generic robots now.
Its a classic case of later writers not understanding (or bothering) to get the details of what went before.
The breathing systems of Revenge cybermen get clogged up by gold particles and they suffocate. Vogans had the gold, but it was humans who invented a gun that could "fire" the particles... presumably a good distance?
By the mid-80's that had become "an allergy to gold", hence a couple of flakes from Adric's badge taking them down
And sadly, by Silver Nemesis that had become hit them with a gold coin (or arrow tip) and watch them explode.
For this line alone, Revenge should be forgiven its many sins...:)
Enjoyable throughout despite some flawed plotting, the main enjoyment is the unrelenting pace filled with bits of action, humour, world building in the Vogans even though they are a little bit generic realisation wise. I do chuckle at the Guardians haircuts being short and the City militia having longer hair, like a Roundheads and Cavaliers being emulated.
For me the Doctor's performance in particular his humour, is one of the finest of his tenure nevermind Season 12. Season 12 is almost my favourite in his era for a number of reasons, but his performances are so fresh without the more zany aspects of later seasons, but having all the qualities which I would associate with the Fourth Doctor. He is so serious and in turns humorous so seamlessly. Of course the Doctor's Harry Sullivan is an imbecile line, but some other examples of this in this story are: his smile at Sarah Jane after being dragged back and forth by the door then gives Harry a stern look.
Saying to the commander about Kellman: 'Who's the homicidal maniac?"
His glibness when asking the Cybermen what Kellman will get out of him working for them, winding them up with his superb lines about them being a bunch of tin soldiers to playing with his yo-yo when being trans matted down to Voga with a Cyber Bomb strapped to him. I also like the Doctor's grinning when operating the Cyberman at Kellman to get him to tell where the drive for the transmat is.
There are others also, in particular taunting the cyber leader about having hydraulic muscles and of course hydraulic brains, mimicking them in saying "oh a second campaign" and turning around to launch into some poetry or quatation after killing a cyberman with the cybermat before being interrupted by Sarah Jane
Harry and Sarah much like their scenes together in The Sontaran Experiment I enjoy very much, again humourous touches when chained up together, Harry saying: "fetlocks like a carthorse" and then "maimed for life" when being freed from the chains by her
The Vogans maybe easily and gormlessly beaten by two Cybermen (gold tipped bullets anyone!) and equally niggly their poor generically realised appearance, But there is actually some decent characterisation from the excellent David Gollings as Vorus and Kevin Stoney as Tyrum with some decent dialogue throughout.
Kellman the mercenary also comes out of it well, playing the ruthless double agent. He really panders in a sickly way to the Cybermen when they arrive on the Beacon also
I maintain this is in large parts well put together and enjoyable at every turn, a decent science-fiction type story I find with some good moments of peril, such as Sarah Jane being attacked by the Cybermat and getting the plague. The plague seen infecting Warner and Sarah is really quite good, with it's glowing vein type appearance. If not that then chases through Voga, the Doctor trying to save Sarah Jane in the transmat, the rocket aimed at the Beacon and the Beacon heading towards Voga. Hence from start to finish the pace and peril/threat levels keep me zoned into it.
Any misgivings about the main couple of plot holes are overcome easily by it's enjoyability factor. A decent conclusion to Season 12 I would say.
It's such a shame that the "weakness" became some sort of crazy-sensitive allergy - it's like if once some alien saw a guy choke on a ham sandwich, and from that point on decided that every human died from ham sandwiches and just started lobbing them at people indiscriminately - and it working.
Hell, for all the "death by gold started in Revenge" stuff, it's well worth noting that every time The Doctor and pals try to use gold dust to kill Cybermen in this story it doesn't even work. The first attempt went so badly that Lester [or Lesterson, I can never recall] had to blow himself up to get The Doctor and Harry away, and the second time The Doctor tries it the Cybermen are all like "Lolnope" and just smack it out of his hands.