The Seeds of Doom

Directed by

UK Viewers

11.4 million

Appreciation Index

Synopsis

The Antarctic, the near future. A strange seed-pod is unearthed from 20-thousand-year-old ice. The Doctor and Sarah go to investigate, but are too late to prevent the pod infecting a scientist and unleashing a threat to all animal life on Earth...

Part Two

First aired

Saturday, February 7, 1976

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

11.4 million

Synopsis

Two employees of the millionaire Harrison Chase arrive at the Antarctic base, and they will stop at nothing to get hold of the second seed-pod.

Part Three

First aired

Saturday, February 14, 1976

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

10.3 million

Synopsis

The Doctor and Sarah Jane return to England after their Antarctic ordeal and Chase tries to eliminate them, but they escape and track him down at his estate, where he is preparing to open the Krynoid pod.

Part Four

First aired

Saturday, February 21, 1976

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

11.1 million

Synopsis

The Doctor is captured by Chase, who plans to breed the stolen Krynoid pod. He is placed in an automated compost hopper and only Sarah Jane can save him... but will she make it before the Krynoid grows to fruition ?

Part Five

First aired

Saturday, February 28, 1976

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

9.9 million

Synopsis

The Krynoid grows to a monstrous size and traps the Doctor and the others in a cottage. The creature demands they turn over the Doctor, while Chase seeks to make an alliance with the alien vegetation.

Part Six

First aired

Saturday, March 6, 1976

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

11.5 million

Synopsis

The Doctor, Sarah Jane, and Scorby are trapped in the manor as a possessed Chase stalks them from within, while the gigantic Krynoid prepares to crush them from without. Worse, the alien plant is ready to germinate, spreading its seeds across England.

Characters

Fourth Doctor

Tom Baker

Sarah Jane Smith

Elisabeth Sladen

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The Seeds of Doom

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The Seeds of Doom (VHS)

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10 reviews

Seeds of Doom has an incredible first couple of parts, a really fun second couple of parts, and a personally somewhat disappointing final couple of parts. It turns from atmospheric horror to kaiju movie, and while i like both of those seperately, the combination is a bit odd.

The characters here are all spectacular though, henchman, to billionaire, to painter, all have very clear character voices, and you can very easily get invested in all of them.

The Krynoids are also a fascinating concept for an alien, part zombie plague, part godzilla, part venus fly trap. While I've got issues with the tonal shift the story takes, and while the Krynoid's evolution is a part of that, I have abosolutely no issue with the monsters themselves, I think it's really interesting, and the practical effects are a marvel. When the Krynoid first emerges, the combination of the effects and the location/setting reminded me somewhat of John Carpenter's The Thing (though obviously on a much lower budget, much less graphic, and half a decade early.

I think if I had one main critique, it's that the story goes on a touch too long, I think if this had been cut down even just by one episode it would've been a lot tighter, and rather than jarring, the tonal shift could've felt more shocking. Still, it's a classic for a reason!

Also as an aside, wow, season 13 really is stacked, Zygons, Krynoids, Sutekh, Morbius. I'd never really paid attention to what stories were in what season before with classic, but I can see why this one is so well regarded!

JayPea

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Review last edited on 24-06-25

This review contains spoilers!

It’s amazing how well the pacing of a 6 parter fares when the story is split into two distinct sections. Here we are treated to an initial two episode burst at a polar icecap, acting as a tragic origin story for the Krynoid’s discovery on Earth. Satisfyingly for the narrative, The Doctor only achieves a partial victory at the end of part two. The first Krynoid is destroyed, but all the innocent people on the polar base are killed by one of Doctor Who’s all time great henchmen Corby. It’s sister pod is also stolen and makes it’s way back to another top tier villain (Harrison Chase) to the very different setting of the English countryside for parts 3 to 6.

A lot of what occurs in the middle of the story is a runaround, with The Doctor and Sarah-Jane falling in and out of trouble and the establishment of another Krynoid, but it’s written with such skill that you never feel like the story is treading water - there is an propulsive energy to the production. Critically, whereas the first time this threat emerged they were in the middle of nowhere, closer to civilisation, this threat becomes potentially apocalyptic.

Harrison Chase is what makes the last third of this story really shine, giving a human face to the menace. His key character trait is that image is fanatical about plants, an unhealthy obsession that he would put ahead of anything else - even humanity. Whilst your bog standard Who villain would have been rallying guards and begging the monster of the week to not kill them, Chase is fascinated in the developing menace, taking photos of it and delighting in its power.

Whilst Terror of the Zygons was a good story, The Seeds of Doom confirms Robert Banks Stuart to be an absolute master at writing Doctor Who. It is such a pity that we only have one last script left from him to enjoy. This story is another all time classic continuing Tom Baker’s superb run as The Doctor.

15thDoctor

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Review last edited on 8-05-24

This review contains spoilers!

Very cool episode

The Antarctic section of the story is pretty intense, some seed pods are found of alien origin and infects a crewmember while thugs from an eco-terrorist back in England are trying to steal it (and another pod)

The England section of the story is probably less interesting but still pretty good, the villain is actually fairly unique for up to this point. Usually the pro-environmental character is a protagonist of the story, but this one takes it to such an extreme that it is anti-humanitarian (and anti-animal as well tbh). Also he has an organ and plays the most hideous music I have heard in my life.

The Krynoid is pretty scary as a villain as well, it kinda reminds me of a less overpowered Gravemind, especially since it seems to have an intelligence.

Jonathan_

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Review last edited on 22-06-25

Another classic. The first two episodes in Antarctica are quite possibly my favourite in the classic series and the rest of it is extremely good also with some quite impressive effects. Tony Beckley as Harrison Chase and John Challis as Scorby would be a perfect classic Bond villain and henchman duo.

AndyUK

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Review last edited on 23-09-24

My favourite scene in this serial has to be where Chase is going to kill the Doctor and Sarah Jane, but first for some inexplicable reason takes them to his 'green cathedral' and plays the worst synth music I've ever heard in my life. It's so bizarre and is honestly 85% of the reason that Chase works as a villain for me. Most of the special effects are pretty impressive for 1976. Whilst the wandering Krynoid in its early stages is very clearly just some guy in a silly suit, the initial pod special effects look brilliant, as do the initial stages of transformation. I especially like the fact that even Keeler’s bald spot goes green.

kawaii2234

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Review last edited on 16-06-25