Stories Television Doctor Who (1963-1996) Classic Who S6 Serial: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 The Seeds of Death 1 image Overview Episodes Characters How to Watch Reviews 5 Statistics Related Stories Quotes 2 Transcript Overview First aired Saturday, January 25, 1969 Production Code XX Written by Brian Hayles, Terrance Dicks Directed by Michael Ferguson Runtime 150 minutes Time Travel Future Tropes (Potential Spoilers!) Earth Invasion, Base Under Siege, Evil Vegetation, Transmat Location (Potential Spoilers!) Earth, England, London, The Moon Synopsis The TARDIS lands in a space museum on Earth in the late 21st century, where the Second Doctor, Jamie and Zoe learn that contact has been lost between Earth and the Moon. In this era, instant travel — T-Mat — has revolutionised the Earth. Its people have lost interest in space travel. The Doctor and his companions travel to the Moon in an old-style rocket and reach the Moonbase, control centre for T-Mat, only to find a squad of Ice Warriors have commandeered the base and plan to use the T-Mat network to their advantage. Watch Watched Favourite Favourited Add Review Edit Review Log a repeat Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Owned Save to my list Saved 6 Episodes Episode One First aired Saturday, January 25, 1969 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Brian Hayles Directed by Michael Ferguson UK Viewers 6.6 million Appreciation Index 57 Synopsis 21st century Earth is entirely dependent on the T-Mat transport system but the control centre on the moon has stopped functioning. Meanwhile, the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe meet the one man who can solve the crisis. Episode Two First aired Saturday, February 1, 1969 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Brian Hayles Directed by Michael Ferguson UK Viewers 6.8 million Appreciation Index 59 Synopsis Eldred agrees to supply a rocket for travel to the moon and the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe volunteer to crew it. Episode Three First aired Saturday, February 8, 1969 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Brian Hayles Terrance Dicks Directed by Michael Ferguson UK Viewers 7.5 million Appreciation Index 55 Synopsis The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe make it to the moon and join forces with Phipps but the Ice Warriors have gained control of T-mat. Episode Four First aired Saturday, February 15, 1969 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Brian Hayles Terrance Dicks Directed by Michael Ferguson UK Viewers 7.1 million Appreciation Index 55 Synopsis The Ice Warriors' seed pods beginning materialising all over the globe while Slaar decides to kill the Doctor by T-matting him into space. Episode Five First aired Saturday, February 22, 1969 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Brian Hayles Terrance Dicks Directed by Michael Ferguson UK Viewers 7.6 million Appreciation Index 57 Synopsis The Doctor and his allies manage to return to Earth via T-mat only to find the Ice Warrior has attacked the weather control station. Episode Six First aired Saturday, March 1, 1969 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Brian Hayles Terrance Dicks Directed by Michael Ferguson UK Viewers 7.7 million Appreciation Index 59 Synopsis The Doctor manages to create a rain storm to destroy the Martian fungus before trying to find a way to stop the Ice Warriors' invasion fleet. Show All Episodes Characters Second Doctor Patrick Troughton Jamie McCrimmon Frazer Hines Zoe Heriot Wendy Padbury Ice Warriors Show All Characters (4) How to watch The Seeds of Death: Watch on iPlayer Revisitations 2 (The Seeds of Death, Carnival of Monsters & Resurrection of the Daleks) The Seeds of Death VHS The Seeds of Death (VHS) (1st edition) VHS The Seeds of Death (VHS) (2nd edition) Reviews Add Review Edit Review Sort: Newest First Oldest First Most Likes Highest Rating Lowest Rating Username (A-Z) Username (Z-A) Spoilers First Spoilers Last 5 reviews 17 November 2024 · 31 words Review by Rock_Angel 1 Love this story it starts out perfectly and becomes a fun romp after I do wish the villain wasn’t ok the cover though as it ruins the ice warriors reveal Like Liked 1 26 October 2024 · 76 words Review by Bongo50 I feel like this serial got worse as it went on. When it started, I enjoyed it as a relatively claustrophobic and tense story. However, as it went on, I felt that it moved away from this, becoming a more traditional invasion-style story. As such, it did begin to interest me less and less as it progressed and, while it never became bad, I feel that the later parts weren't as good as the earlier ones. Like Liked 0 13 September 2024 · 78 words Review by ItsR0b0tNinja 1 Is this the most action packed, adventure filled serial ever produced? No. But it is a personal favourite, and has been since I first saw it on VHS. The Ice Warriors actually feel like a threat in this story, unlike appearances in other serials by different 'monsters'. Mainly, I like that they are using a smart plan. The guest cast is excellent throughout the serial. As is constantly mention by me, the costume department does another excellent job. Like Liked 1 21 August 2024 · 306 words Review by 15thDoctor Spoilers This review contains spoilers! 1969: the year of space travel. But in Doctor Who they are marking the end of the space age, with rockets being replaced by "T-Mat", a teleportation technology. To mark this contrast, The Doctor, Zoe and Jamie land in a space travel museum at the start of this story (The Doctor's comfort zone). When the T-Mat route to the moon breaks down, Commander Radnor and his assistant Gia Kelly (who are responsible for the T-Mat system) turn to Professor Eldred who runs the museum and is an expert in antiquated technology. It of course turns out that a menacing force behind this breakdown. The Seeds of Death is quintessential Patrick Troughton, no other Doctor has stories quite like this. Like many Second Doctor stories the ominous foam makes another appearance (how many times is that now?!). The Ice Warriors are back. Whilst there is nothing quite as satisfying as the excellent reveal in their debut story, there are some intriguing elements. The monsters are trying to change the atmosphere of Earth through transporting these inventive (and brilliant) exploding seedpods around the planet as well as intercepting weather control centres. Whilst I loved the seedpods and the satisfying set up, it really annoyed me that these were able to be destroyed by water - this was a weak and easy get out. On watching the extras of this DVD I learnt that the ending has a re-write; which makes sense. There are plenty of good elements to this though. Fewsham's story arc is satisfying; the coward who ends up almost destroying the Earth to save his skin, but who then redeems himself through actions of selflessness. Whilst this story can be a little pedestrian in places, it is bright concepts like these that make it a hell of a lot better than The Krotons. Like Liked 0 6 June 2024 · 112 words Review by dema1020 Spoilers This review contains spoilers! I think Seeds of Death is quite strong, on the whole. Though weakest around its plot, Jaime, Zoe, and the Doctor are all in form here, and there's a lot of little moments I found entertaining along the way. Definitely a pretty easy watch even if some parts drag on a little more than others. The Ice Warriors are fairly well done, though I definitely think they have better content elsewhere. I definitely think this is one of the stronger Second Doctor television stories. Though certainly not the best, I enjoyed these episodes and found Seeds of Death to be a nice bright moment before the end of the Second Doctor's time. Like Liked 0 Open in new window Statistics AVG. Rating277 members 3.54 / 5 Trakt.tv AVG. Rating423 votes 3.55 / 5 The Time Scales AVG. Rating161 votes 3.70 / 5 Member Statistics Watched 525 Favourited 25 Reviewed 5 Saved 4 Skipped 0 Owned 9 Related Stories 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: The Seeds of Death Rating: 3.58 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 DOCTOR: No, of course not. We haven't come to take anything. We genuinely are interested in space travel. Why, especially a thing like this. This is superb. ELDRED: Yes, magnificent. It was to have been the vehicle to take man beyond the moon. T-Mat put an end to all that. DOCTOR: You mean this model's been abandoned? But it's speed and stability concept alone, it's a tremendous advance in rocket design. ELDRED: Exactly! Exactly! Here, let me show it to you. Let me show it to you. (Eldred puts down his gun and helps the Doctor with the ion jet rocket model.) DOCTOR: I'll give you an hand, here we are. Oh yes, this is superb. My word. ELDRED: And the secret, the real breakthrough, was a compact generator of enormous power. DOCTOR: I see. And these must be the secondary electrode accelerators. ELDRED: Yes. You see it beat the problem of the neutral caesium ions. And incidentally, it magnified the g-thrust to fantastic proportions! DOCTOR: That was awkward. What did you do about that? ELDRED: Well, I'll show you. Come with me, I'll show you. Look. (Eldred and the Doctor go to the back of the room.) DOCTOR: What have we go here? Ah, blueprints! JAMIE: Look at them, like a couple of kids. ZOE: Yes. You can tell he's almost in love with that rocket. JAMIE: Shush! ELDRED: That's not surprising. I designed it. I've been in rocketry all my life. My father engineered the first lunar passenger module, and I travelled on the last trip back to Earth. Before it all finished. ZOE: Before all what finished? ELDRED: Space travel. — The Seeds of Death Show All Quotes (2) Open in new window Transcript Needs checking Episode One [T Mat Earth Control] COMPUTER: Bombay Tokyo shipment activated. Bombay sending now. Tokyo receiving now. Dispatch completed. New York to Moscow delayed. Moonbase clearance awaited. Stockholm Washington personnel transportation. Stockholm sending now. Washington receiving now. Dispatch completed. Non-arrival shipment of synthetic protein New York to Moscow. Moonbase clearance awaited.KELLY: Brent?BRENT: Yes, Miss Kelly?KELLY: Why is there a delay at Moon Control?BRENT: There's some mix up with the Moscow shipment. It seems to have landed up in Canberra.KELLY: Fewsham again, I suppose? Take Moscow out of phase while they sort it out.BRENT: Moscow pending. Moonbase clear.COMPUTER: Toronto Calcutta shipment activated. Toronto sending now. Calcutta receiving now. Dispatch completed.BRENT: Moscow ready now, Miss Kelly.KELLY: Report Canberra Moscow situation, please.COMPUTER: Canberra Moscow clear.KELLY: Brent, tell them to activate.BRENT: Canberra Moscow, go ahead please.COMPUTER: Canberra sending now. Moscow receiving now. Dispatch completed. (A man beams into a teleport cubicle and there is a chime. He strides across the floor swinging his briefcase.) OSGOOD: Good morning, Gia.KELLY: Morning. Just as well you've arrived.OSGOOD: Why, what's up?KELLY: The sooner you take over from Fewsham on Moon Control, the better.OSGOOD: Oh, not again!KELLY: All T-Mat consignments are five minutes behind schedule.OSGOOD: What?KELLY: Fewsham routed a large Moscow consignment through to Canberra.OSGOOD: Oh, he's a lunatic.KELLY: You should never have recommended him for an Assistant Controller's job in the first place.OSGOOD: Yes, I know now, but I thought he deserved a break.KELLY: Sentimental. He'll do something really disastrous one day and you'll have to answer for it.OSGOOD: So, I'll go and work in a synthetics factory.KELLY: It's your career.OSGOOD: So it is. Hey, have you got a T-Mat cubicle ready for me?KELLY: Yes. Number six.OSGOOD: See you later. Show Full Transcript Open in new window
