Despite being mechanised, logic-obsessed killing machines, the Cybermen have never been amongst the scariest of Doctor Whos adversaries, even if they have been pretty persistent. Sadly, its hard not to feel these two Cyberman-themed stories separated by a gap of 13 years, have been lumped together here simply because neither are strong enough to stand up on their own.
The four part Revenge of the Cybermen from 1975 comes first. An early outing for the legendary Tom Baker/Elisabeth Sladen partnership, this sees the duo (plus Harry, played by Ian Marter) arriving on Nerva, a space station that has been recently devastated by a deadly space plague. They soon find themselves at the forefront of an effort to defend the nearby planet of gold, Voga, which is facing a threat from a familiar enemy (youve guessed it), the Cybermen. This was the Cybermens first appearance in colour but even ignoring the usual appalling effects and Elisabeth Sladens inability to act, this is still a relatively dull story.
First broadcast to commemorate the series 25th anniversary in 1988, Silver Nemesis (silver anniversary = Silver Nemesis = Cybermen are silver. Geddit?) includes a heady mix of 17th century time travellers, elderly Boys From Brazil style Nazis and a cameo by jazz musician Courtney Pine, long before the Cybermen even appear. In truth its not a lot better than Revenge of the Cybermen, but despite some terrible incidental music, the higher production values (relatively speaking) make it a lot more watchable, as Sylvester McCoys seventh doctor, accompanied by Sophie Aldreds Ace, attempt to prevent a Cyberman- fuelled meteorite hitting the Earth. Ultimately, theres probably a bit too much going on for three episodes – theres even a cameo from the Queen (played by Mary Reynolds). The series was canned the following year.
Although the extras on classic Who releases usually shore up even the weaker stories, the Revenge of the Cybermen commentary and The Tin Man and the Witch production featurette are duller than usual, simply because Tom Baker is absent. Better is Cheques, Lies and Videoatpe, a better-than-it-sounds feature on the VHS release of the story in 1983 (the first ever Who story to get this treatment). Theres also some excellent archive footage of a typically wide eyed and eccentric Baker on location in Wookey Hole, at one point randomly offering his interviewer a jelly baby.
The Silver Nemesis extras are generally better. Writer Kevin Clarke is particularly good value on the Industrial Action production featurette, revealing that having agreed to do the story and despite never having seen a Cyberman before, he was forced to largely make up the storyline for producers on the spot. And contrary to my earlier assertion, Sophie Aldred reveals she has always been terrified of Cybermen. So there.
Overall Verdict: A harsh reminder that even without any appearances from Colin Baker, Doctor Who can still be rubbish.
Special Features:
Audio Commentary on Revenge of the Cybermen with Actors Elisabeth Sladen and David Collings and Producer Philip Hinchcliffe
The Tin Man and the Witch Featurette
Location Report Featurette
Cheques, Lies and Videotape Featurette
Revenge of the Cybermen Photo Gallery
Audio Commentary On Silver Nemesis with Actors Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred, Director Chris Clough and Script Editor Andrew Cartmel
Industrial Action Featurette
Deleted and Extended Scenes
Trails and Continuity
Silver Nemesis Photo Gallery
Reviewer: Chris Hallam