Doctor Who: The Talons of Weng-Chiang (1977)

This six-part adventure, originally broadcast in the spring of 1977, brought the fourteenth season of Doctor Who to a close. The Talons of Weng-Chiang is not only one of Tom Baker's finest outings as the Doctor, it's also one of the greatest Doctor Who adventures to come from the Classic Series. And it marks the end of Phillip Hincliffe's three-year run as producer of Doctor Who, considered by many to have been the program's golden age. Robert Holmes' script draws on a variety of influences from Pygmalion to The Phantom of the Opera; from Jack the Ripper to Sherlock Holmes to The Importance of Being Earnest.

The TARDIS arrives in London during the late nineteenth century where the Doctor and Leela become involved in a murder mystery. A young cabbie has been killed by members of a criminal organization known as The Tong of the Black Scorpion. The Doctor and Leela also learn that several young ladies have recently gone missing. They meet Professor Litefoot (Trevor Baxter), a police pahtologist and assist in his investigation of the murder of the cabbie.

Baker is delightful as the Fourth Doctor, and Louise Jameson puts in a great performance as Leela. Her scenes as the primitive savage girl trying to fit into Victorian London society are priceless! Holmes gives us three great villains in Li H'Sen Chang (John Bennett), the homunculus creature Mr. Sin (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory's Deep Roy) and futuristic criminal Magnus Greel (Michael Spice), a.k.a. Weng-Chiang. Director David Maloney managed to get some great performances from his cast for this story, which was the last of Phillip Hinchcliffe's tenure as the show's producer.

On the DVD commentary track, Hinchcliffe and Maloney are joined by actors Louise Jameson, John Bennett and Christopher Benjamin (Jago). Other bonus features, found on Disc Two, include a photo gallery, an interview with Phillip Hinchcliffe, Whose Doctor Who documentary, plus the segment "Make Your Own Doctor Who Theater," which had originally aired on the BBC children's program Blue Peter. The feature also includes the ever-present pop-up production notes. The Talons of Weng-Chiang is a brilliant DW adventure, and this 2-DVD set does it plenty of justice.

Other Doctor Who releases you might enjoy:

TheHand of Fear

City of Death

The Beginning Collection(First three adventures of the Classic Series)

Pyramids of Mars