Doctor Who - The Green Death (Episode 69) | Jon Pertwee, Katy Manning

Doctor Who - The Green Death (Episode 69) | Jon Pertwee, Katy Manning | "Living dangerously? That's how you get your kicks like the good little Nietzschean you are."

DVDs:

Doctor Who - The G...

	Doctor Who - The Green Death (Episode 69) Jon Pertwee, Katy Manning BBC Warner, 2005 average customer review:based on 21 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

The Doctor (Jon Pertwee) joins the Brigadier and Jo Grant in South Wales to investigate the death of a miner whose fatal disease has left his skin bright green.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Interviews
Other
Photo gallery
Production Notes

The one with the giant maggots

If you were to ask Who fans to name the quintessential Jon Pertwee story, many would answer The Green Death. It has all the characteristics of a Pertwee classic: a contemporary earthbound setting (contemporary for the early 70s that is), a threat to the environment, and ultimately the entire world, overgrown monsters, and UNIT, UNIT and more UNIT! A story like The Green Death is what makes the UNIT era arguably the best in Doctor Who history. This is the story in which Mike Yates finally gets a chance to shine, acting as a UNIT spy inside Global Chemicals, a far cry from the misguided Captain Yates of a couple stories later. This is a story in which we get to see the Doctor in drag, masquerading as the cleaning lady to access information inside Global. For the last time we see the UNIT family working together to dispose of a threat, as sadly, this also includes the departure of one of the most beloved companions in Doctor Who history, the bubbly Jo Grant, who leaves the Doctor to follow a hippie to the Amazon. This is the point that we start seeing UNIT phased out, for better or worse, depending on your point of view (unfortunate as far as I'm concerned). Speaking of the departure of Miss Grant, Green Death features perhaps the most poignant conclusion of any Doctor Who story. As the rest of the characters celebrate the impending marriage of Miss Grant and Professor Hippie, the Doctor sneaks out the door, obviously despondent at losing a close friend, and rides off in Bessie with the setting sun in the background. Like the old western motif, the hero rides off into the sunset. Classic indeed.

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"Living dangerously? That's how you get your kicks like the good little Nietzschean you are."

In "The Green Death" everyone lives dangerously. A dayglo green sludge is infecting and killing miners, and the old mine itself is infested with giant, mutated maggots who begin menacing the local community in Llanfairfach, Wales. The global corporation responsible for all of this environmental havoc in the name of "efficiency" is brainwashing its own employees, and its BOSS seems to have bigger things in mind than profit margins. The Doctor keeps getting into all sorts of trouble investigating these ominous incidents, so that we are treated to some of the most action-packed, convincing stunts yet to be seen in the show courtesy of Jon Pertwee. The Doctor's assistant, Jo Grant, is for once more than just a pretty face at the Doctor's side, setting off on her own with a newfound autonomy and pluck, braving perilous mineshafts and the ever ubiquitous maggots for the sake of her own chosen proto-environmentalist cause. Captain Yates from U.N.I.T. has infiltrated the suspicious corporation, risking detection as he gathers intelligence from within the heart of the beast (an unusually prominent role for this character). And the Brigadier along with his stout and sturdy troops all dare to forgo beef and partake of a hippie community's vegetarian fare.

In many ways this is a quintessential "Third Doctor" storyline. Environmental concerns and worries about sustainable energy sources made for something of a common theme in these years, as seen in the earlier "Inferno" and (to a lesser extent) "The Claws of Axos", but here this theme is foregrounded more clearly and also made more integral to the story's unforgettably gross "monster" element--and its association with a global corporation rather than aliens or government projects seems more realistic and appropriate. A proper level of balance and complexity is introduced as well, for just as science and technology are at the root of these evils, the careful and judicious use of science and technology (the hippie professor's research at the nearby commune) is portrayed as the basis of any plausible alternative. Also quintessential are the Doctor's suave heroics and his firm anti-establishment stance laced with sometimes hilarious sarcasm, U.N.I.T.'s active participation, and embarrassingly lame CSO effects. There is some really fine acting here, too, with especially subtle and moving performances by Pertwee and Manning as their characters, the Doctor and Jo, gradually drift apart, with Jo finally "flying the coop" at the end. Many other neat touches and great moments fill the six episodes featured on this DVD as well--this is a fine "Doctor Who" adventure, thrilling and timely, fun and thought-provoking. And you may never be able to sit down with a good book without looking over your shoulder ever again.

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"I like your handbag..."

UNIT vs the giant maggots & BOSS, the super computer! My wife and kids call this the grossest Doctor Who serial. Very memorable for Jo Grant's emotional send-off, yet could've been a near-classic had the last few episodes had not looked as though they ran out of money. The CSO used for location footage in episodes 5 & 6 undermine what is a decent eco/political adventure. The Doctor having fun while BOSS tries to torture him is good for a few chuckles. The restoration and DVD extras also scores big points. Not to be missed if you're a UNIT fan...

Groovy Baby!

"Too Fab for words" are the words the best describe Jon Pertwee as the third incarnation of the Doctor-in "The Green Death" originally broadcast in May 1973, is painfully dated. Since many of the 3rd Doctor's adventures are set in a specific era, the Doctor's exile in the 70's we accept and expect it to be filled with vegetarian hippies dropping out and sticking it to "the man" of global conspiracies, mad "supercomputers" and the groovy, Doctor encountering green-glowing giant maggots.
This story, along with it's still-timely, prophetic, environmental message and warnings of globalization and pollution overshadowed by the "reasonable for the date" special effects-including the stop-motion photography of the maggots and the front-axial projection used for the pulsating skin on the miners.
Jo Grant, the 3rd Doctor's second assistant, leaves the nest by the end of this one finding her Lennon-ish, soul-mate in what she describes as a sort of younger version of the Doctor, a description which he more or less takes in his stride. This new dynamic makes for some interesting scenes that make this story worth seeing. At times the Doctor seems deeply hurt that Jo has interests outside of his invitation to tour with him in the newly restored TARDIS (since the "3 Doctors", he is able to leave the Earth). Also, the Doctor, almost paternally, runs interference for the grief-stricken Jo when she may do more than stay-up and read with the good Dr. Jones.
We later learn in the Planet of Spiders, the 3rd Doctor's final story, that the Doctor gave Jo and Dr. Jones the Blue Crystal as a wedding gift and they did indeed end up exploring the Amazon. All in all, "Green Death" has a lot to offer fans of the 3rd Doctor.

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Dr Who-Green Death

This was an alright Who show, not one of my favorites, it has a very 70's attitude to it. Some of the bonus fratures were interesting and is a good addition to the collection.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

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