Doctor Who - K9 and Company [VHS]

Purchased this item from Amazon 25/07/08, checked the disc and found no problem at the end of episode 3 of 'Invisible enemy' as reported by earlier users. It seems that the problem has been sorted and it is now safe to buy this series!

Invisible Enemy is no classic but many aspects have fared the last 3 decades quite well. Sentient viruses, mayfly clones and a Fantastic Voyage ripoff are all imaginative concepts even if they probably stand up to no scientific scrutiny.
There are some lapses in logic such as how the clones acquired their "parent's" memories (how they got their clothes cloned also is easy to explain-this is a family show!)but they tend not to get in the way of the fun.
Uncle Tom gets to vary his performance as he fights infection and does a very doolally turn when 1st infected and Leela gets to play the hunter/fighter in an environment very alien to her.
The guest cast offers 2 decent turns from Dr Who Repetory actors Michael Sheard and Frederick Jaeger. And of course it's K9's debut and a strong 1 where he's at his best-in a hi tech environment.
Sets and modelwork are on the whole very good and the effects were not so bad for their time. Of course you can upgrade these to some improved CGI. A very nice touch is signs in phonetic English (Isolayshun Ward) and the fibrous hairs etc. to show infection work okay.
Why is this story held in such low regard? it probably is due to the Nucleus of the swarm. Unsuccesfully building up to its 1st full appearance by being a tentacle in a box, it's soon seen in its full inglory as an undernourished prawn which needs to be pushed about and has such shaky tentacles it must have OD'd on caffeine!
1 of the worst monsters of the entire decade & it's a shame because otherwise it's a fun story.

K9 & Company was better than I remembered (except for the execrable Hart to Hart on a pocket stylophone theme tune), but will only ever be knockabout Xmas fare. This tale of black magic is done so gently it's like a pre-school edition of the Whicker Man. I kid you not, Mary Whitehouse would have approved!
Amongst the guest cast Colin Jeavons and Linda Polan (Mrs Ploppy from Blackadder 2) are the most memorable making a great deal out of thinly sketched characters.
Elisabeth Sladen shows that she could have carried a series even then, and makes the most of the scripts opportunities. An interesting moment is when she retorts to Brendan that she has no desire to become a "surrogate mum". Hard to imagine that in her current incarnation!
Brendan is Adric mark 2 as Ian Sears tackles a thankless role as another boy genius. he brays like a donkey at K9's name, no wonder Sarah snaps "Stop honking!"
K9 is in a setting where he doesn't belong and it's so obvious that once they find the coven he's going to be able to stun them all, the story's left resting on the hunt itself. Even with its red herrings it just isn't interesting enough.

There's a good documentary about the making of Invisible Enemy with several key players. 2 things jar. 1: If you're going to show the sory to today's audience then please give them a chance to tell us what they think instead of just showing them sitting there and 2: Why do we hear nothing on the rationale behind the prawn? the only mention is Louise Jamieson's witty observation that being menaced by a prawn is like doing a love scene with someone you don't fancy-very Swiss Toni!
The commentary is a chummy and matey one like for Invasion of Time but more entertaining. Louise, John Leeson, Mat Irvine and writer Bob Baker are all fun-Leeson noting that he based his virus voice on a Christmas pudding!
We see K9 on Blue Peter& larry Grayson's Generation Game (that's the easter egg)plus there;s a featurette on FX and some intriguing production studio footage. A good package.

The inadequate documentary on K9 and Company covers the story on 6 minutes plus a further 4-5 on the K9 books and proposed animated series (but without footage or photo of the new look K9)and it's all punctuated by the K9 & Company theme!
K9 telling his own story is another failed attempt at Earth humour and there's a contemporary appearance on Pebble Mill.
The saving grace is the commentary where Eric Saward, Linda Polan, John Leeson and of course Lis Sladen really tell us the story behind K9 & Company & offer their opinions on it.

A good story with good extras and a mediocre story with miserly extras. Big fans only

Hold off from buying this just yet as there are some scenes in the third episode that have been switched around. Once 2Entertain repress the discs that's the time to buy it.