Written by Chris Boucher, Sydney Newman, and Donald Wilson
Directed by George Spenton-Foster

Doctor Who is a British science fiction television series which has been around off and on since 1963. The main character is just known as “The Doctor” and is a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. This means he travels through time to various places. One of his favorite places to visit is Earth. Typically, he has a companion traveling with him, usually female, sometimes male, sometimes one of each. He travels in a time machine known as a TARDIS which is disguised as a British Police booth. 

A Time Lord can regenerate if fatally wounded, which has accounted for all the different actors who have played The Doctor throughout the years. In this story-arc, the Doctor is portrayed by Tom Baker. He is traveling the universe with Leela (portrayed by Louise Jameson).

Near the village of Fetchborough, anthropologists are trying to figure out a mystery behind a skull found buried near a volcano in Kenya, which dates back considerably earlier than it should.  When a body is found in the woods nearby, one of the scientists argues for the death to be covered up, fearing the impact it will have on their research.

Meanwhile, the TARDIS with the Doctor and Leela inside has been drawn by a hole in time to the area.  The Doctor fears whatever is going on could have disastrous implications.  He and Leela separate, and Leela encounters a modern-day witch in Ma Tyler (portrayed by Daphne Heard).  Ma Tyler is nearly killed by a creature that has been created by the skull but escapes thanks to the Doctor.  The Doctor has figured out that it is a supposedly mythological creature known as the Fendahleen, which was also supposedly destroyed.

The scientists think they can control the energy from the skull for their own purposes and attempt to do just this.  It is up to the Doctor to defeat them.

Image of the Fendahl was really the last of the good gothic horror stories in the series.  It had everything going for it that fans enjoyed at the time.  Sure, the villains were a bit cheesy in their costumes, along with the effects, but the story had a good degree of suspense as well as a clear good versus evil.  This was the era I was introduced to the Doctor and watching it again it’s just as much fun, even with the dated setting and effects that pale in comparison to the modern-day CGI.  Still, with the budget the show had at the time and the technology they were working with, it still manages to be creepy.

Tom Baker was in his prime, and Image of the Fendahl represents a time when he was at his best.  He could be funny one moment, dramatic the next and wasn’t too over the top just yet.  Louise Jameson as Leela is one of my favorite companions from the original series, right up there with Sarah Jane.  She’s great here as well, being the consummate warrior and a good companion.  There really was no hint of anything other than a friendship and possibly mentor attitude between the two and it made for quite a good story-play between them.  Leela is quite often funny without intending to be and yet it’s not so overplayed that it becomes over-done and unbelievable.  Watching her is a lot of fun and Jameson is really a great actress.

The DVD contains less than the usual slew of extras we’ve come to expect from the BBC.  I loved the commentary and it was well worth listening to.  Tom Baker and Louise Jameson together are a joy.  There was just one featurette and some deleted and extended scenes.  It’s not a whole lot by other Doctor Who DVD standards, but it’s still a lot of fun.

Image of the Fendahl is one of the great classic who story-arcs.  It was a grand time to be a fan of the series and to be brought into this world.  By today’s standards, the effects and aliens might be lacking, but if you can put it into the proper context, the story is quite a bit of fun and has the right degree of creepiness and peril.


SPECIAL FEATURES:

• Commentary by Tom Baker, Louise Jameson, Wanda Ventham, Edward Arthur
• Information Text
• After Image
• Deleted & Extended Scenes
• Trailer
• Photo Gallery