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(More customer reviews)Before VHS, before DVD, syndication was the only place to watch DOCTOR WHO and for years (decades even) INFERNO was in black and white. The color masters had either been wiped or lost, leaving us with a complete story - but sans the rainbow - and until a complete color copy had been found in Canada - it looked as if either the story would have to be colorized or remain forever in black and white.
When I picked up INFERNO on DVD I wasn't sure which version I was getting. I knew that a color version had been found, but wasn't positive what condition it would be in - so when I looked at the back of the box for more detail I was surprised to find that all the images from the story were in black and white, while the details listed it as being in color. Curious... but not to worry, INFERNO has been restored and returned to its original broadcast glory... better in fact. This new reworking of this "lost" color print snaps, crackles and pops on screen. The colors are vibrant, the image clean and clear - it looks fantastic, and yet I can't help but miss the old black and white version now.
INFERNO is a great story drawn out just a touch too long. But only just... the story is all countdown, beat the clock, capture and escape and battle against the monsters - add in a dash of romance, scientific hubris (both the Doctor and Professor Stahlman are guilty here - Stahlman with his quest for personal glory, and the Doctor in his quest to escape - both risk all at any cost and both pay a terrible price in the end), and order above reason and you have so much that even at seven episodes it never fits the format, yet leaves you wanting an eighth to complete some of the plots. It's a great story well told, packed with good characters and actors and everyone is having a ball.
As with all these releases they have gone the extra mile in packing it with extras - and again, they are all very good. It's a minor complaint that some of these extras are almost exact copies of other extras also on the disc - the difference between the commentary track and the CAN YOU HEAR THE EARTH SCREAM? MAKING OF... is very narrow. A lot of what you hear there is heard on the commentary track... save for Caroline John, who could make it for the MAKING OF..., but sadly, not for the commentary. Which is a crime, as this was her final full story with DOCTOR WHO (she would cameo in THE FIVE DOCTORS) and from the MAKING OF... it's clear that she still has a wealth of untold tales from her time on DOCTOR WHO (her comments about the quality of location shooting, toilets and rats is hands down one of the best behind the scenes lines from the series ever put to DVD).
Commentary is included - and like the Doctor, it switches between one reality to the other with somewhat more mixed results. WARP 1 contains Nick Courtney, Barry Letts and Terrance Dicks and is very good. Nice background on production, insights and memories - they are having a good time watching INFERNO and remember it fondly. WARP 2 features John Levene all alone - and, while he is vibrant, happy and excited to be talking about his time served on DOCTOR WHO he falls into the old trap of not wanting to talk about something until it appears on screen, name dropping (yes - it's true, he used to live right next door to Anthony Hopkins), and repeating what has already been said in WARP 1 - so, at times it becomes a grind. I'm not sure who or why decided this was the way to go with this commentary - but it must all come down to ego and politics. It should be clear which applies to which when you listen for yourself. Overall though - a better commentary than most. Both Courtney and Dicks shine here. Text commentary is tight and heavily detailed and worth your time.
In the end INFERNO was a groundbreaking piece of work on DOCTOR WHO. While the concept may have been getting old even back then of ANOTHER EARTH it was still fresh enough for DOCTOR WHO to have some fun with it - in fact, it's still fresh enough to be used even now in the new series (Rose - we miss you! We will not stop looking for a way to bring you home!), so we may just see it again... and in fact, we have... a sequel was written to INFERNO by David McIntee.
THE FACE OF THE ENEMY is a DOCTOR WHO story without the Doctor - but instead features The Master, UNIT and Ian and Barbara in a quest to stop some castaways from INFERNO Earth now living on ours. Danger... perils... The Master, a hero? The plot thickens.
I'm happy the color version has been found - it's keen to see it as it was meant to be seen - but at the same time I mourn the loss of the WARP 2 version of INFERNO. While in black and white failed to energize the main story (set in WARP 1), it packs a punch in WARP 2. It matches the hard edges, rough talk and black hearts found on the Brutal Earth - it's like looking into Orwell's 1984 set in the DOCTOR WHO universe - where you could easily see the Doctor as BIG BROTHER.
You won't go wrong in picking up INFERNO - it's top notch and full bore. A must have for any DOCTOR WHO fan.
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An unsuccessful trial run with the Tardis console throws the Doctor into a parallel universe where his old friends are rather nasty characters.
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