"The Pirate Planet"

The Pirate Planet
(Special Edition)
(DVD)
 

Starring Tom Baker
4 Episodes
1978
100 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
Douglas Adams

Directed by
Pennant Roberts
Produced by
Graham Williams

Original Airdate
Sept 30, 1978 - Oct 21, 1978

US Video Release Date
March 2009

Warner Home Video
#3000017538

U.K. Key To Time Box Set


 

 



Cover Blurb
The Doctor and Romana arrive on the planet Zanak, looking for the second segment of the Key to Time.  Although priceless gems are scattered on the streets, and the night sky changes with the dawn of each new prosperous age, the townsfolk live in fear.

For in a fortress overlooking the city, the terrifying pirate captain is in control of the most destructive force in the galaxy.



 


 

DVD Features
  • Parrot Fashion:
 A 30 minute documentary on the making of "The Pirate Planet".  Included are interviews with writer Douglas Adams as well as Mary Tamm (Romana), Bruce Purchase (The Captain), John Leeson (voice of K-9), Rosalind Lloyd (Queen Xanxia), and Primi Townsend (Mula).
 

 
  • Weird Science:
 A spoof in the style of 1970's children's science shows.  This featurette looks into the science of "The Key to Time".
 

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

 
  • Film Inserts, Deleted Scenes and Outtakes.
 Some footage was included in the original 2002 release, but this version is expanded out to 13 minutes worth of footage.
 

 
  • 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 first option is to listen to the commentary included with the original 2002 release.  The participants on this commentary are Pennant Roberts (director) and Bruce Purchase (the Captain).

The second option is for an all new commentary by Tom Baker (4th Doctor), Mary Tamm (Romana), and Anthony Read (script editor).
 

 
  • Photo Gallery:
 Color stills 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 included in this release.  For a full list of known Easter Eggs and screen grabs of them click HERE.



 

 

Additional Notes

  • The second story in the Key to Time arc, "The Pirate Planet" was written by Douglas Adams who was gaining attention at that time for his radio comedy series "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."

  • Tom Baker's lip injury had become increasingly worse during the filming of the previous story (the makeup used in the first story inflamed the injury and made it even more noticeable for this story.  A short scene was written to explain Tom Baker's injured lip (which had originally occurred prior to filming the new season).  In it, the Doctor smacks his face on the console, thus causing the injury.
  • Douglas Adams would later go on to become script editor for the next season of Doctor Who and would pen two other adventures before he left.
  • 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.