The Seeds of Doom - Episode 1

There have been so many four part stories recently that it feels weird that I am about to watch a six parter. This is the first six parter since ‘Genesis of the Daleks’ and this is the final story of Tom Baker’s second season. I haven’t been a particularly fan of this story but I am hoping that this will change over the course of the next six episodes.

The episode starts off with a photo and some fake snow, this might look impressive in 1976 but now it looks a little lacklustre. This scene set in Antarctica is a good opening scene because it introduces the setting and the supporting characters. I like the setting because it feels remote and claustrophobic. It harks back to the days of a base under siege story.

World Ecology Bereau (WEB) is the organisation that mentioned at the beginning of the episode and they have lured the Doctor into what’s been going on at the Antartic base. The villain of the episode is Harrison Chase (played by Tony Beckley) comes across as a horrible person from the moment that he appears. He walks around with gloves on and on baddies do that don’t they? He seems like he has the W.E.B in his back pocket which just confounds the idea that he’s a baddie. Although he does come across as a baddie with a soul.

John Challis appears in this episode as Scorby who is a thug of Chase’s. He would go on to play Boycie in the BBC classic ‘Only Fools and Horses’ and its spin-off ‘The Green Green Grass’. Michael Barrington plays Sir Colin Thackeray and he played the Governor in the BBC sitcom ‘Porridge’.  Two very recognisable (to me) comedy actors in one Doctor Who story isn’t something that happens very often and in the case of Challis, its hard to see him as a baddie but I just wonder where Marlene is.

Winlett becomes the first person to be infected by the pod and it doesn’t take long for him to be completely covered by the green stuff. He has quite the tough time in this episode and I think that he drew the short straw when it came to casting.

It’s eleven minutes before Elisabeth Sladen appears on screen after the Doctor appeared briefly at the beginning of the episode. Sladen doesn’t really do very much as the story doesn’t really allow her to get too involved. Tom Baker’s Doctor is very grumpy in this episode. There isn’t much in the way of humour for him which isn’t normal for his character.

The episode ends on rather a violent note and it doesn’t even feature the Doctor or Sarah. It’s an odd opening episode but still a good episode and I think that this six episode run might be a good one.