⭐9/10

😍 Superb! → Light recommendation!

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!

PRIMARY NOTES:

This Tales of the TARDIS episode presents an omnibus edit of the 1976 four-part adventure Pyramids of Mars, with roughly 15 minutes’ worth of material cut, updated visual effects, and a fresh musical score. Two short bookend scenes featuring the Doctor and Ruby discussing the story precede and succeed the serial.

The bookend scenes alone are not worth watching because they are brief, add no value to the serial, and are readily available online.

This new edit retains the essence of the story, although some argue it flows more effectively due to the removal of unnecessary padding. However, new viewers or those who aren't fans of the story may find this more appealing, while old fans may still prefer the original version.

The editors have eliminated the cliffhangers and cliffhanger repeats, ensuring a smooth transition. They've also substituted the original time vortex effect with the one from Season 1, which, despite its distracting appearance, perfectly complements the story.

One of the better edits comes at the tail end of the story, which sufficiently shortens the puzzle-solving sequence on Mars leading up to the climax. This makes for a swifter conclusion.