Doctor Who - Peladon Tales 3 Disc Box Set
12:01pm Friday 8th January 2010 in TV By Martin Hutchinson
TAKEN from the Third Doctor’s tenure in the TARDIS, we have here two adventures set on the planet Peladon.
The first, ‘The Curse Of Peladon’ is from 1972 and had The Doctor (Jon Pertwee) and Jo Grant (Katy Manning) landing on the planet Peladon just as talks are taking place in order for the planet to join the Galactic Federation.
During the four-part adventure, The Doctor comes up against his old adversaries, The Ice Warriors, and when King Peladon’s advisor is killed the Ice Warriors are suspected.
The Doctor and Jo have to discover who it is who is trying to sabotage the talks and who is trying to keep Peladon apart from the rest of the galaxy.
Also, they have the curse of Aggedor to contend with.
The second adventure is a six-parter from 1976 and this time The Doctor has Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) along for the ride.
It is 50 years later and trouble is brewing amongst the miners of Peladon which Queen Thalira, the new ruler, is having trouble keeping under control.
The galaxy is at war and a mineral found on the planet – trisilicate – is needed in vast quantities.
However, the miners are not happy about their conditions, having been promised a better life when Peladon joined the Federation.
The Doctor again has to cross swords with The Ice Warriors and their secret ally and help the miners and queen regain control of their own destinies.
Echoes of Britain’s own miner’s unrest bring the story to life as well as Sarah Jane’s attempts at introducing Women’s Lib to the planet.
Pertwee was near the end of his reign in the TARDIS with only one more adventure to do and he is at his most relaxed in the role.
Replete with interesting extras, this reasonably priced box set is a must for any classic Who collection.
