"The Power of Kroll"

The Power of Kroll
 (Special Edition)
(DVD)
 

Starring Tom Baker
4 Episodes
1978
91 minutes (color)
Single Disc
 

 
"The Key to Time" Special Edition Box Set



 

 

Production Notes
Doctor Who
Tom Baker

Romana
Mary Tamm

Voice of K9
John Leeson

Written by
Robert Holmes

Directed by
Norman Stewart
Produced by
Graham Williams

Original Airdate
Dec 23, 1978 -Jan 13, 1979

US Video Release Date
March 2009

Warner Home Video
#3000017541

U.K. Key To Time Box Set




 

 

Cover Blurb
Searching for the fifth segment of the Key to Time, the tracer brings the TARDIS to treacherous swamps on the third moon of the planet Delta Magna.  The Doctor and Romana soon uncover a plot to wipe out the Swampies, the local inhabitants, by the duplicitous crew of a gas refinery.

Meanwhile, a massive creature is stirring beneath the waters, and the primitive Swampies believe the only way to calm the powerful monster is human sacrifice.




 

 

DVD Features
  • In Studio:
 This featurette offers a rare glimpse into the behind the scenes filming of this story.  Eleven minutes of black and white, time coded material are offered up here.
 

 
  • Variations:
 A BBC news program that visited the marshy Doctor Who locations as filming was taking place back in 1978.
 

 
  • There's Something About Mary:
 A brief 10 minute documentary featuring Mary Tamm (Romana) discussing her single season with the program.
 

 
  • Philip Madoc - A Villain for All Seasons:
 This time the spotlight is on recurring character actor Philip Madoc and his many associations with Doctor Who throughout the years.
 

 
  • Continuities:
 Original continuity announcements from the 1978 transmission of the story.
 

 
  • Information Text:
 Lots of trivia and tidbits of Whovian detail are provided.  The text appears intermittently along the bottom of the screen and is written by members of the Doctor Who Restoration Team.
 

 
  • Audio Options:
 The commentary included here is identical to the original 2002 release.  Commentary is provided by Tom Baker (4th Doctor) and John Leeson (voice of K-9) who both offer up an entertaining 90 minutes.
 

 
  • Photo Gallery:
 Photographs showing many publicity stills from the production of this story.  Many of the pictures are rare or even never before seen.
 

 
  • Radio Times:
 Accessible from any computer with a DVD drive, a PDF of some of the original Radio Times press clippings.
 

 
  • Easter Eggs:
 None.  For a full list of known Easter Eggs and screen grabs of them click HERE.

 


 

 

Additional Notes
  • Probably the least liked of the Key to Time stories, "The Power of Kroll" is the fifth adventure in the season long arc.
  • John Leeson (voice of K9) gets to stretch his legs and act on camera for a change.   He plays one of the plant technicians, Dugeen.
  • Watch for an amusing scene in episode 3 when the Doctor, Romana, and Rohm-Dutt are tied on a stretching plank.  The Doctor begins singing different high pitched notes trying to break the glass above them. 
  • Watch for the appearance of John Abineri (playing the part of Swampy leader Ranquin).  He is a regular to Doctor Who.  He first appeared as the character Van Lutyens in the Patrick Troughton story "Fury from the Deep".  He returned two seasons later as General Carrington in "The Ambassadors of Death" and appeared again alongside Pertwee in the 1974 tale "Death to the Daleks".  This story marks his final time on Doctor Who.
  • In a twist of irony, during episode 1 of "The Power of Kroll" Romana drops the locator when she is abducted.  By the end of filming on this story, the prop itself was lost and a replacement had to be hastily created for the last story of the season, "The Armageddon Factor."
  • Philip Madoc puts in his final appearance in Doctor Who as Fenner.  Due to a misunderstanding, Madoc arrived to rehearsals with the impression that he would be playing the much larger role of Thawn.  Madoc's first role in Doctor Who was tht of Eelek in the Patrick Troughton story "The Krotons."  He returned later that season with his eerie performance as the War Lord in "The War Games."  He would later return and play the mad scientist Solon in "The Brain of Morbius."
  • In a break with tradition, this story (along with all of the stories from the Key To Time umbrella season) was released on DVD here in North America BEFORE the U.K.  Apparently, the North American market was much more focused on Tom Baker's era of Doctor Who.  This initial release (back in 2002) had minimal restoration and bare bones extras.
     
  • When the Key To Time box set was released in the U.K. six years later, many additional features were created for it, along with new restoration.  This new Region 1 "Special Edition" boxset reflects these changes.