Doctor Who - The Sun Makers [1977]

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Primary Contributor : Tom Baker
Primary Contributor : Louise Jameson

Product Details

Director : Pennant Roberts
Actor : Tom Baker, Louise Jameson
Format : PAL
Binding : VHS Tape
EAN : 5014503713324
Product Group : Video
Release Date : 2001-07-09
Running Time : 90minutes
Studio : 2 Entertain Video

ASIN : B00005CC0B

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review

Tom Baker's fourth season of Doctor Who marked a change from the exploration of Gothic horror. The unusually satirical "The Sun Makers" finds the Doctor, Leela (Louise Jameson) and robot dog K9 involved in a struggle against capitalism-gone-mad at the outer limits of the solar system. The Earth exhausted, mankind has colonised Pluto and lives in six vast "megropoli" lit by artificial suns. These colonies are run by The Company, with drugged human "work units" slaving simply to pay their funeral expenses. With video monitors, brain-washing and ruthless repression there is an obvious a debt to 1984, the white corridors echoing George Lucas' THX 1138 (1970) and the action a low-rent Star Wars. Michael Keating, who played a rebel in Dalek creator Terry Nation's Blake's 7 (1978-1981), is similarly cast as a reluctant freedom fighter. There are plentiful pot-shots at over-zealous taxation and bureaucracy--Robert Holmes wrote the story as revenge on the Inland Revenue after a frustrating VAT audit--and splendidly theatrical performances from Richard Leech and Henry Woolf as the ultra-capitalist villains. With no monsters and little conventional horror, Baker is on fine form in a briskly directed four-part comedy-thriller distinguished by its political edge. --Gary S Dalkin

Synopsis

The Doctor and Leela join forces with a band of rebels on the planet Pluto where the Tardis has arrived far into the future.

From the Back Cover

Far in the distant future, Earth has become uninhabitable, forcing mankind to colonise first Mars and then Pluto...

No longer the coldest planet in the solar system , Pluto is now warmed by a series of artificial suns. But access to the sunlight is limited to a select few...The majority of the citizens of the vast Megropolis cities are being overworked and overtaxed by the ruling elite, led by the Gatherer, and the sinister Collector.

The Doctor, Leela and K9 arrive, and discover that all is not well on Pluto. The human population is being totally exploited, whilst deep in the Undercity, a small band of rebels seek to overthrow the mysterious 'Company' that controls all aspects of everyday life.

As the situation gets more desperate, the Doctor is forced to fight the oppression of the evil corporate rulers of Pluto. And their taxes..!

This story was broadcast on BBC1 between 26 November - 17 December 1977.

Customer Reviews

A brill class flaming cool story, one of the best ever... (2007-08-23)

Bob Holmes always was a great Doctor Who writer, in my opinion still better than Russel T Davies, and he always had memorable characters in every single one of his scripts. Well, who would have thought that a story about tax could be so flaming cool! But as i said, you can be assured that with Rob Holmes, you will always get a brilliant story with funny dialogue but also some great horror touches. And isnt Henry Woolf flipping brilliant as the Collector? One of the best villians ever on Doctor Who! And Louise Jameson is as strong as ever, and has a lot to do for once! A flaming cool Doctor Who story!!!!

Doctor Who at its multi-layered best! (2001-07-11)

Writer Robert Holmes came up with one of his wittiest Doctor Who stories here, a much neglected gem littered with references to the tax system and assorted financial shenanigans - "P45 return route" indeed!. The whole story is perfectly played by the cast and helped by some very effective location work. This is a classic example of how Doctor Who could work at several different levels at once. High budget it is not, but who cares?

A Flawed Classic (2001-05-22)

Robert Holmes is a name associated with all the greatest and most loved Doctor Who stories, however even on his worst day he can still produce stories better than most others. The Sun Makers is a richly ploted story with wry satire about taxation and dictatorial state control. However there are a lot of stock cliches too, including the longest corridor chase sequence in the show's history. The Doctor's assistant Leela gets captured and menaced and almost steamed to death before being rescued. The ending although original is a bit disappointing but the Doctor's critisism of Leela's violent activities makes the ending believeble and laudable. If this isn't enough Michael Keating makes a pre-Blake's 7 appearance :)

All in all this story's strengths out weigh their weaknesses to make an enjoyable 100 minutes of British sci-fi.

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