Stories Television Doctor Who Season 13 Serial: 1 2 3 4 5 6 The Brain of Morbius 1 image Overview Episodes Characters How to Watch Reviews 9 Statistics Related Stories Quotes 2 Transcript Overview First aired Saturday, January 3, 1976 Production Code 4K Written by Robin Bland (Pseudonym), Robert Holmes, Terrance Dicks Directed by Christopher Barry Runtime 100 minutes Time Travel Future Location (Potential Spoilers!) Karn Synopsis Mad scientist Mehendri Solon is building a body from spare parts to house the disembodied brain of the evil Time Lord Morbius. He fancies the Doctor's head as the final piece... Watch Watched Favourite Favourited Add Review Edit Review Log a repeat Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Owned Save to my list Saved Edit date completed Custom Date Release Date Archive (no date) Save 4 Episodes Part One First aired Saturday, January 3, 1976 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Terrance Dicks Robert Holmes Directed by Christopher Barry UK Viewers 9.5 million Synopsis The storm-lashed planet Karn. Near a graveyard of crashed starships, the demented surgeon Solon hides in his castle, the last acolyte of the Time Lord despot Morbius. He only needs one final item to make his master live again... and then the Doctor and Sarah arrive... Part Two First aired Saturday, January 10, 1976 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Terrance Dicks Robert Holmes Directed by Christopher Barry UK Viewers 9.3 million Synopsis The Doctor is captured by the Sisterhood, and Sarah Jane is blinded freeing him. The Doctor has no choice but to go back for a cure, unaware that he is leaving Sarah Jane in the hands of a treacherous Dr. Solon and the renegade Time Lord Morbius. Part Three First aired Saturday, January 17, 1976 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Terrance Dicks Robert Holmes Directed by Christopher Barry UK Viewers 10.1 million Appreciation Index 57 Synopsis While the Doctor goes to confront the Sisterhood to seek a cure for Sarah Jane's blindness, Solon realizes that he must transfer Morbius' brain into a new body before it is too late. Part Four First aired Saturday, January 24, 1976 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Terrance Dicks Robert Holmes Directed by Christopher Barry UK Viewers 10.2 million Synopsis Morbius lives once more, but as a rampaging beast. The Doctor is forced to ally with Dr. Solon to bring him to heel, but the two disagree about what should happen to Morbius. Show All Episodes Characters Fourth Doctor Tom Baker Sarah Jane Smith Elisabeth Sladen Morbius First Appearance Morbius Monster Sisterhood of Karn First Appearance Mehendri Solon Show All Characters (6) How to watch The Brain of Morbius: Watch on iPlayer DVD The Brain of Morbius VHS The Brain of Morbius (VHS) (1st edition) VHS The Brain of Morbius (VHS) (2nd edition) Reviews Add Review Edit Review Sort: Date (Newest First) Date (Oldest First) Likes (High-Low) Likes (Low-High) Rating (High-Low) Rating (Low-High) Word count (High-Low) Word count (Low-High) Username (A-Z) Username (Z-A) Spoilers First Spoilers Last 9 reviews 3 June 2025 · 41 words Review by greenLetterT Possibly the best serial of this season. I loved the Frankenstein (1931) atmosphere, the Fourth Doctor's character has been really well established by now, and Solon is serving face every single time he's on screen. Just, fantastic. I had a great time greenLetterT View profile Like Liked 0 26 May 2025 · 61 words Review by Scottybguud I think this has replaced Terror of the Zygons as my favourite of season 13. Moves along at a good pace, never slow. We get some good Time lord lore, the sisterhood of Khan and the elixir of life, which will both return in the future. Solon was a good villain and his servant, both very much dr frankenstein and his monster. Scottybguud View profile Like Liked 0 13 May 2025 · 33 words Review by Azurillkirby 1 the meme man!! GREAT Serial, largely carried by Philip Murdoc's SPECTACULAR performance as Solon. Perhaps my favorite classic Who villain yet, or he at least gives Salamander a run for his money. A+. Azurillkirby View profile Like Liked 1 24 January 2025 · 182 words Review by spuriousmorality Spoilers 2 This review contains spoilers! a dark gothic sci-fi fairy tale about timeless beings of limitless power. being taped entirely in the studio on creaky-floored sets actually enhances the atmosphere (for once) as the stageniess heightens this feeling of unreality. sarah being blinded and forced to help solon's experiment is given a genuinely morbid (lol) undertone by sladen and madoc's performances; conversely, sladen and baker's playful dynamic is exemplified more than in any other story. the morbius doctors aren't a continuity niggle but just one element of the story's downplayed epicness, making the doctor as legendary as the sisterhood or morbius himself: he suddenly feels more unknowable than any other time since 1963. when people throw around phrases like "gothic" and "hammer horror" to describe the hinchcliffe era, this is really the story they have in mind. the shotgun marriage of two of the show's all-time great writers creates what is for my money the best story of the entire classic series, with dicks' tight plotting enhanced by holmes' wit, maturity and above all his midas touch for characterisation and dialogue ("you chicken-brained biological disaster" comes to mind). spuriousmorality View profile Like Liked 2 4 January 2025 · 43 words Review by BSCTDrayden 3 Beautifully paced, atmospheric mood piece with everyone on top form and great effects for the era. Sarah Jane gets tonnes to do and it rules! Honestly a low key pretty much perfect story. Not my favourite of 4's era, but certainly up there. BSCTDrayden View profile Like Liked 3 Show All Reviews (9) Open in new window Statistics AVG. Rating485 members 4.02 / 5 Member Statistics Watched 903 Favourited 109 Reviewed 9 Saved 7 Skipped 1 Related Stories The Eighth Doctor Adventures S2 • Episode 8 The Vengeance of Morbius Rating: 3.36 Story Skipped Audio Drama Reviews(6) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: The Eighth Doctor Adventures Set of Stories: The Eighth Doctor Adventures (Series 1-4) Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Doctor Who S12 • Episode 10 The Timeless Children Rating: 2.62 Story Skipped Television Reviews(12) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Doctor Who Series 12 Set of Stories: Doctor Who (2005-2022) Set of Stories: Thirteenth Doctor Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved The Blogs of Doom Mehendri Solon Rating: 1.33 Story Skipped Short Story Reviews(2) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: The Blogs of Doom Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Other adaptations of this story: We define an adaptation as a recreation of a similar story but on a different medium or with different characters. Target Collection Doctor Who and the Brain of Morbius Rating: 3.72 Story Skipped Book Reviews(1) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Target Collection Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Target Collection Junior Doctor Who and the Brain of Morbius Rating: 3.45 Story Skipped Book More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Target Collection Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Quotes Add Quote Link to Quote Favourite MORBIUS: I am a Time Lord of the first rank. What are you? DOCTOR: Oh, nothing, nothing. A mere nobody, but I don't think you're in the first rank any more. — The Brain of Morbius Show All Quotes (2) Open in new window Transcript Needs checking Part One (On a distant planet, an alien, insectoid by the looks of it, crawls through some ruins towards a small craft with a bubble dome. A humanoid with a hook instead of one hand watches, draws a knife then pounces. The alien squeals as it is stabbed.) [Solon's parlour] (Philip Madoc is putting the final touches to a bust he is sculpting when the man with the hook enters carrying something covered in a sack.) SOLON: You were quick, Condo. Were there no survivors?CONDO: One, an oxygen breather.SOLON: Humanoid? Excellent. Let me see. Show Full Transcript Open in new window
