Tag: Louis Marks

Doctor Who: The Masque of Mandragora

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Doctor Who: The Masque of Mandragora

by Louis Marks; dir. Rodney Bennett (BBC, 1976)

DVD cover: “Doctor Who: The Masque of Mandragora” by Louis Marks; dir. Rodney Bennett (BBC, 1976)

Tom Baker is in fine fettle as the Doctor swashbuckles around a rather small-looking historical adventure, countering an alien threat that he himself has enabled. Elisabeth Sladen brings matchless nuance to her performance. Giuliano narrowly survives a foreshadowing of Blackadder’s Lord Percy.

Doctor Who: Planet of Evil

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Doctor Who: Planet of Evil

by Louis Marks; dir. David Maloney (BBC, 1975)

Marks_Planet of Evil

The overlooked classic of the Tom Baker years. Planet of Evil makes the most of its premise, combining a nuanced script with tight direction and some seriously good acting (particularly from its leads). Roger Murray-Leach’s alien jungle set constitutes a series highpoint.