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	Doctor Who: The Curse of Peladon (Story 61)
	Release Date: 2010-05-04
	Amazon Price: $18.49 (26% off the list price of $24.98) Sales Rank: 17077
	Lowest Prices from Amazon Merchants: New $17.92 Used $15.95

Average Customer Rating:

(17 reviews)

Reviews from Amazon customers:

Review by: Donna B. Walker, NE United States
Rating:

Good story
 "The Curse of Peladon" is a story that encourages critical thinking skills. While watching this tale, you consider different cultures, as well as thoughts about war and peace between planets. One of the reasons I enjoy Doctor Who shows is because good wins out over evil.

Review by: Jero Briggs
Rating:

"Doctor Who" meets "Star Trek" and "Flash Gordon"
"The Curse of Peladon" is great fun. The Doctor and Jo take a test flight in the TARDIS, but are intercepted by the Time Lords, and arrive on the planet Peladon which is entering the mighty Galactic Federation. But all is not well, the King's advisor is killed in mysterious circumstances. The High Priest believes it's a warning from the great god Aggador that this entering into the Federation should not take place. However, the Doctor believes otherwise. There is a conspiracy at work on Peladon to prevent its entry. The Doctor suspects the alien delicates from Mars, his old enemies, the Ice Warriors. But are they the real culprit? Although the story is kind of a cheap one, the script and acting is so well done that it keeps you hooked from begining to end. This story has everything in it - murder, consiracy, mystery, action, drama, a palace revolution, and some humorous moments too. And many parts in it also reminded me of "Star Trek" and "Flash Gordon" so you know this has to be a good one. Highly recommended!

Review by: Crazy Fox, Chicago, IL USA
Rating:

"Your future, which you set so much store by, is yours now."
"The Curse of Peladon" is a prime specimen of vintage "Doctor Who" from the early 1970's. On one level, it functions as a recognizably faithful example of the quintessentially British murder mystery ("Hound of the Baskervilles" in fact easily comes to mind) but skillfully displaced into the sci-fi genre and somewhat warped thereby. The oddly medieval planet Peladon stands poised either to join a galactic federation and so pitch its interests with the wider universe or else pursue an isolationist course and turn in upon itself. Right at this critical juncture the young and inexperienced Peladonian king's advisor in favor of the alliance is found dead under mysterious circumstances, of course, at which point the Doctor and Jo inadvertently wander into the situation, their impromptu decisions in response to this tense environment of complicated political entanglements serving to thicken the plot ever further. So who is the culprit? One of the colorfully diverse and unforgettable federation delegates (including some prior enemies, the Ice Warriors), the king's rather xenophobic high priest, or (as the latter claims) the offended zoomorphic deity Aggedor himself? The plausibly motivated and believable conflicts and concords among these unusual suspects marks one of the chief strong points of this story--just as the fact that the answer is clumsily revealed rather sooner than necessary, defusing the suspense somewhat, is one of its weakest. That said, the subsequent twists and turns (including a botched coup d'état) keep the viewer engaged regardless. On a more general level, this tale is at its core a strongly felt parable in favor of the values of science and progress along with the open-mindedly receptive attitude to the universe this entails. This dovetails with a notable tendency in "Doctor Who" more generally. After all, one of the initial purposes of the program was to educate youngsters in the wonders of science (and history). Sadly this noble aim has often been regrettably undercut by the writers' shaky grasp of scientific concepts and terminology (the recurring misuse of the word "constellation" for instance). Even at its most giddily inaccurate, though, the show's basic attitude towards science as an abstract ideal has remained firmly in force as an undercurrent. Here in "The Curse of Peladon" however this orientation is dramatically foregrounded and given probably its most vociferous and unambiguous expression in the history of the show. How they manage to do this in a way that's vastly entertaining and enjoyable rather than drearily preachy and pedantic is, perhaps we should say, just an inexplicable part of the alchemy of this perennial science fiction classic.

Review by: A. Shapiro, Fl
Rating:

Endearing Who
I'm an unabashed fan of the Pertwee era of Dr. Who. He brought a uniqueness to the role that no one has ever been able to replicate, and was able to salvage many episodes on the strength of his charm. I have liked this episode since I first saw it over 25 years ago. It is one of the most endearing episodes of Pertwee's run. I can't put my finger of why, but every time I watch it, it just makes me smile. Highly recommended viewing

Review by: Kevin J. Loria, New Orleans, LA USA
Rating:

"I'm very, very fond of you. But I can't stay, really." a.k.a "She's just not that into you, King Peladon"
After ditching poor Captain Mike Yates, with whom Jo has a date, for a test flight of the TARDIS with the Doctor, the pair end up on a cliff face. They then scale a excellently sculpted miniature mountainside to the "Citadel of Peladon. Here they fuel a case of mistaken identity, always a great time saver (like the 2005 invention of the psychic paper), once assuming their roles of the Earth delegates the two are able to immerse themselves in the court conspiracy on a galactic scale. First, Peladon is a planet under a feudal monarchy applying for admission to "Galactic Federation" (no, not that ONE), an application with delegates from Alpha Centauri, Arcturus, and Mars are assessing whether or not to accept Peladon's entry. The good but young King Peladon is torn, his Chancellor Torbis urges towards progress, to bring the Planet from superstitions beliefs, while High Priest of Peladon Hepesh is worried that the ancient ways and traditions will lost with the Federation membership. But the mysterious murder of the Chancellor, is interpreted by the High Priest to be a sign of disapproval from the spirit of the Royal Beast of Peladon, Aggedor. In a very Agatha Christie style "drawing room mystery", we have the Good Doctor and the usual suspects or delegates. Interestingly enough some bigotry influences the Doc's judgment. The Doctor immediately suspects Ice Lord Izlyr, let's be fair, the Ice Warriors in all previous encounters HAVE attempted world domination. So when someone attacks the Arcturus delegate, and some superficial evidence also pointing to this, the Doctor is onboard with the theory. Meanwhile an equal mistrust of the Ice Warriors themselves towards "Princess" Jo evolves inpart because of the young King Peladon's instant attraction for her, and partly his mother's Earthly origins (also an angle Peladon uses to talk game to Jo), also in their eyes any possible union gives unfair political weight in Federation affairs. All are but pawns in some devious political game...What sinster secret lays behind the killings? Is Aggedor seeking his revenge? Maybe, But more importantly, Jon Pertwee's Doctor is at his best here as the courtly King's counselor filling the void left by Torbis' death, lending his sagely advise to an inexperienced king. Also coming to DVD for May the improved sequel aired the following season The Monster of Peladon, in which the Doctor an Sarah return 50 years later to more treacherous plots. Influences of this story arc, other than Shakespeare's histories there are strong similarities to the Classic Star Trek episode "Journey to Babel." In turn it may have influenced some Babylon 5 stories as well. Another important (atleast to me) note: the voice of Alpha Centauri played by Ysanne Churchman worked as an actress on British radio, TV and film (returns as the Voice of Alpha Centauri in The Monster of Peladon and to voice the Spiders in Planet of the Spiders). She is my favorite thing about all three stories, de-lightful! Great bits.... Delagate from Alpha Centauri's high pitched voice may be nearly enough to distract away from the fact that the costume looks like a man-sized one-eyed-member...other high points...the Doc sings the "monster" Aggedor to sleep, the "Venusian" lullaby the Doctor uses in The Daemons. Here, the Doctor uses the tune of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" Another neat fact David Troughton, young King Peladon here, is really the son of the second Doctor, the late Patrick Troughton, but you'd know him as the Prof. in season four's MIDNIGHT, if they new series ever needs a 2nd Doctor stand-in, David is perfect (with a wig & a recorder). Peladon Drinking Game.....Drink whenever: -King Peladon flirts with Princess Josephine of TARDIS. -King Peladon proposes to Princess Josephine of TARDIS -Princess Josephine of TARDIS spurns said flirting & proposal attempts. -The Doctor calls someone "Old Chap" or "My Dear Fellow." -The Doctor or Jo are accused of murder or threatened with execution or just "seized"(it happens quite a lot in these stories, doesn't it? ) -The King is taken hostage. -ALPHA CENTAURI speaks (let's face it, that voice! You gotta have a drink!) -Aggedor shows up, whether it be to maul or purr (shrine statues count, too)..."Here's to Aggedor....cheers!"