Doctor Who: Battlefield (Story 156)

Product Description Doctor Who: Battlefield (DVD)Responding to a distress signal, the Doctor and Ace arrive near the village of Carbury, where a nuclear missile convoy has run into difficulties. The peace of the English countryside is shattered as UNIT troops are besieged by armored knights from another dimension. As the crisis deepens, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart is called out of retirement to join the battle. Together, he and the Doctor must face the Destroyer, a fearsome demon summoned by the witch queen Morgaine to devour the world.]]> Amazon.com The Sylvester McCoy era of Doctor Who tends to get a rough ride from some, but Battlefield is proof that even in some of the darker days for the show, and with the budget seemingly vanishing into thin air, it could deliver a very good story. Penned by Ben Aaronovitch, who also scribed the underrated adventure Remembrance of the Daleks from the same era, Battlefield instantly wins favor by bringing back Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, played with his usual dignity and class by Nicholas Courtney. Along with companion Ace, they then find themselves caught up in an Arthurian adventure, with nods to Merlin, Excalibur, and the Lady in the Lake. It’s a good yarn, with an impressive monster waiting near the end. And while it does stretch the story a little thin, it’s one of the better adventures of the McCoy era. While Battlefield isn’t vintage Doctor Who, it is a whole lot better than the assorted naysayers would have you believe. As usual, the DVD release is packed with many hours of extras to sort through. Battlefield benefits from a packed commentary track, and a host of behind-the-scenes extras (that recall, among other things, the moment when a water tank shattered with Sophie Aldred still inside it). And on disc 2 is an extended version of the feature. Well worth picking up. --Simon Brew