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May 3rd, 2012 55 comments

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Doctor Who The Krotons DVD

Doctor Who The Krotons DVD

The TARDIS arrives on the unnamed planet of the Gonds, who are ruled and taught in a form of self-perpetuating slavery by the alien Krotons – crystalline beings whose ship, the Dynatrope, crash-landed there thousands of years ago after being damaged in a space battle.

The Krotons are at present in suspended animation, in a crystalline slurry form, awaiting a time when they can be reconstituted by absorbtion of mental energy. Periodically, the two most brilliant Gond students are received into the Dynatrope, apparently to become ‘companions of the Krotons’ but in truth to have their mental energy drained, after which they are killed.

When the Doctor and Zoe take the students’ test, their mental power is sufficient to reanimate the Krotons. The Doctor discovers that their life system is based on tellurium and, with help from the Gond scientist Beta, he is then able to destroy them and their ship using an impure form of sulphuric acid.

Special Features:

• Audio Commentary
• Second Time Around
• Doctor Who Stories – Frazer Hines (part one)
• The Doctor’s Strange Love
• Photo Gallery
• PDF materials: Radio Times Listings
• Production Note Subtitles
• Digitally remastered picture and sound quality

Original VHS cover and information…

As the tardis door opens onto a barren planet, the Doctor steps straight into a struggle to destroy the merciless Krotons, the unseen rulers of the Gond people.

Conditioned to obey by teaching machines the Gonds put up no resistance until, with the Doctor’s help, they discover exactly what has been happening to their best students.

Battling against the Krotons’ vast scientific knowledge the Doctor and Zoe must stop them turning mental power into pure energy.

With a brave band of Gonds and Jamie, prepared to fight to the^end, it may be defeat for the Krotons, but ultimately it will be a test of knowledge that only Doctor Who can match…

First transmitted December 28th 1968 – January 18th 1969


Categorised under: Doctor Who DVDs, DVD

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55 comments

  • Exterminator

    September 24th, 2016 - 11:29am

    I watched the Krotons for the first time ever last night.

    The Kroton voices were good (they spoke with South African accents for some reason) and I really liked their spinning heads.

    A good 2nd dr story and worth watching.

    Reply
  • Connor

    May 14th, 2012 - 8:17am

    I think they should release the underwater menace on single DVD release and animate the 2 episodes that are missing.we need more Patrick troughton DVDs on our shelfs.also The Moonbase should be released as well because we need more cybermen story’s and this is a good one at that!and this would be good as well because this follows on from The underwater menace and we need more Patrick throughton episodes.both stories have 2 episodes surviving and 2 episodes missing.

    Reply
    • A. Walters

      May 16th, 2012 - 8:04am

      I agree. Was pretty much thinking the same thing. Maybe even give stories their own release with only 1 episode surviving (if the story is 4 parts?) they could definitely animate “mission to the unknown”, which has some of the best atmosphere doctor who has ever had! They could do a beautiful job with animation there!

    • Blake

      June 2nd, 2012 - 1:55am

      And maybe the crusade

  • Blink

    May 12th, 2012 - 2:20pm

    They should try to reconstruct all the missing episodes.
    I wonder how they’re going to reconstruct Shada.

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      May 12th, 2012 - 2:38pm

      Shada is due out in a box set in a few months time apparently so hopefully it shouldn”t be too long until we find out how it is being released.

    • Gordon

      May 12th, 2012 - 9:52pm

      Its been hinted that its the tom baker narration that appeared on the vhs version

  • thedoctorwhositeisamazin

    May 10th, 2012 - 7:01am

    i reckon the underwater menace ,the ice warriors , the crusades and the moonbase should be anamited

    Reply
    • Gordon

      May 10th, 2012 - 10:18am

      I think ice warriors is expected to get animated and so is 10th planet but has yet to be confirmed. But for Crusade and moonbase It all depends on whether or not reign of terror is a big enough seller. They have said future animations depends on the sales of reign. I do believe dan hall would like Underwater menace animated but whether or not he can persuade the higher ups is another question.

    • A. Walters

      May 16th, 2012 - 8:06am

      Let’s hope the sales are high then! 🙂

  • Ryan

    May 3rd, 2012 - 8:04pm

    Ah! It say’s that this has Frazer Hines Doctor Who Stories, part one, and therefore with only one more release of a Troughton left, part two must be on The Ice Warriors DVD, meaning that Ice Warriors will get a single reconstructed release, and not be shoved on the second volume of lost in time with undewater menace 2 and galaxy 4, 3! Hooray!

    Reply
    • Gordon

      May 3rd, 2012 - 9:40pm

      I think that 2nd volume of lost in time is just a rumour

    • Ryan

      May 4th, 2012 - 5:56am

      I know, but, here’s hoping, the rumour may have an inkling of fact surrounding it…

    • Gordon

      May 4th, 2012 - 9:55am

      Personally instead of a lost in time 2 box set with just 2 episodes on it id rather have galaxy 4 as an extra on tenth planet and underwater menace ep2 as an extra on ice warriors

    • Ryan

      May 4th, 2012 - 4:59pm

      Yeah, that would be cool. But the only reason I want another lost in time is so they can record some new commentaries for the stories that didn’t have them on the original, it would also be cool to have a photo gallery for each lost story on a new edition…

    • Anonymous

      May 4th, 2012 - 9:38pm

      One of the episodes has found a place on an upcoming release, and another is awaiting a release on a possible future release.

      Given that they’ve started work on The Ice Warriors and hope to do The Tenth Planet, that would seem to be the most likely options.

  • SAMDAVERN

    May 3rd, 2012 - 12:57pm

    want want want want

    Reply
  • Gordon

    April 29th, 2012 - 9:43pm

    Couple of dvds up for preorder on galaxy 4 website.
    Krotons listed for july 2nd. http://www.galaxy4.co.uk/product.thtml?id=1858&vts=1RMAAw

    Greatest show in the Galaxy listed forJuly 30: http://www.galaxy4.co.uk/product.thtml?id=1564&vts=1RMAAw
    Planet of Giants listed for 20th of August: http://www.galaxy4.co.uk/product.thtml?id=1140&vts=1RMAAw

    Reply
    • booboo

      April 30th, 2012 - 8:11am

      strange no one else has these release dates up

    • Gordon

      April 30th, 2012 - 10:18am

      play.com has all 3 up for preorder on those dates mentioned

  • Tim M

    April 29th, 2012 - 4:23pm

    ‘The Krotons’ is a fairly good story. Some of the Gonds are a bit poorly realised, but the Krotons themselves have an original appearance and I quite like their voices. The cliffhanger to Part One is a classic from the Troughton era. ‘The Krotons’ is very underrated and well worthy of 7/10.

    Reply
  • thedoctorwhositeisamazin

    April 29th, 2012 - 8:17am

    i reckon that the krotons are like the donminaters

    Reply
    • Gordon

      April 29th, 2012 - 12:15pm

      You mean the quarks. The quarks were used by the dominators.They look nothing alike

  • stewie

    April 27th, 2012 - 7:50am

    the krotons should return to doctor who, but more high tech

    i think the story should be called metal harvest or the last kroton

    Reply
  • gordon

    April 25th, 2012 - 1:11pm

    Looks like the next release after the krotons will be greatest show in the galaxy as the bbfc have just passed the trailer for it http://www.bbfc.co.uk/ATAVV158073/ and the trailer should appear on the krotons

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      April 26th, 2012 - 1:55pm

      I REALLY LIKE ‘GREATEST SHOW’. THE GODS OF RAGNAROK,ROBOTIC BUS CONDUCTORS,KILLER CLOWNS,NORD AND ADRIAN MOLE. WHY IS IT ALWAYS ONE OF MCCOYS TO BE RELEASED LAST? GIVE ME THIS BEFORE DELTA AND THE BANNERMAN,DRAGONFIRE AND BATTLEFIELD ANY DAY. OH DEAR, IFEEL I MAY HAVE STIRRED THE HORNETS NEST AGAIN.

    • Gordon

      April 27th, 2012 - 11:49am

      They all have to be released at somepoint and it just so happened that Greatest show was left till last of the mcoy stories. At least they have left a good one till last unlike Colin Baker who had the worst story ever (according to a poll in doctor who magazine) Twin dilema as his last (excluding revisits) story.

    • doctorwhofan27

      April 29th, 2012 - 7:27pm

      I liked the twin dilemma. People just didn’t want to watch with Peter Davison gone! I saw the twin dilemma before I saw peter davison so I actually saw the talents of Colin Baker which people who loved Peter Davison so much turned a blind eye at.

  • Alan Dobbie

    April 24th, 2012 - 11:54am

    Well, just seen pictures of the DVD commentary for The Krotons featuring Toby Hadoke doing his moderating with Gilbert Wynne (who played Thara), Philip Maodc and costume designer, Bobi Barlett.

    Interesting to see that the commentary for Reign of Terror is Carole Ann Ford, Timothy Combe and Ronald Pickup.

    Excited I is!!

    Reply
  • Alan Dobbie

    April 23rd, 2012 - 1:34pm

    This may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but actually on a rainy day I don’t mind it. As for the comment why couldn’t this be lost – it’s a shame that ANY episode is lost and I wouldn’t want to swap any episode of The Krotons for something else (like the majority of fans, I’d rather have them all), but as it is, we have it and we’ll be able to see Philip Madoc in action one last time and hopefully hear his tones on the DVD commentary. So role on July….

    Reply
  • Paul Castle

    April 23rd, 2012 - 9:54am

    There is no such thing as a ‘not much cop’ Patrick Troughton episode. I watched this story about six months ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. I remember my first viewing on video back in the late nineties and being surprised at how much fun these greatly dismissed episodes can be.

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      April 26th, 2012 - 2:03pm

      I,M SORRY TO DISAGREE BUT WITH EVERY ERA IN DOCTOR WHOS FORTY NINE YEAR HISTORY YOU CAN ALWAYS SEPARATE THE GOOD FROM THE BAD,THAT DOES,NT NECESSARILY MEAN THAT SOMEONE SOMEWHERE ISN,T ENJOYING THEM. AFTER ALL,ONE MANS TIMELASH IS ANOTHER MANS TERROR OF THE ZYGONS.

    • Anonymous

      April 26th, 2012 - 2:31pm

      P.S-I,M NOT SAYING THAT THE KROTONS IS BAD WHO,JUST NOT UP THERE WITH THE BEST OF THEM. THE LIKES OF WE,LL PROBABLY NEVER SEE AGAIN.PAT TROUGHTON WAS AND ALWAYS WILL BE A GIFTED CHARACTER ACTOR AND THIS STORY DISPLAYED A LOT OF HIS TALENT,AND THERE ARE LESSER STORIES,THIS JUST ISN,T ONE OF HIS BEST.

  • Anonymous

    April 21st, 2012 - 11:06am

    NOT MUCH COP,ASIDE FROM PATRICK TROUGHTONS MIND GAMES WITH THE KROTONS COMPUTER AND ZOES MINISCULE DRESS SENSE. THE GONDS ARE AS DULL AS THE DULCIANS FROM THE DOMINATORS STORY. IF ONLY THE BBC HADN,T JUNKED THOSE OTHER TROUGHTON CLASSICS LIKE THE WEB OF FEAR,THE FACELESS ONES,EVIL/POWER OF THE DALEKS OR FURY FROM THE DEEP. I,D GLADLY EXCHANGE THIS FOR ANY OF THOSE STORIES,WHO WOULDN,T?

    Reply
    • gordon

      April 21st, 2012 - 12:15pm

      I totally disagree with it not being much cop. There is a lot going for it. The story whizzes along and the only let down of the story being the Krotons themselves being difficult to move about.The actors playing the gonds couldnt help being dull as that it was the way they were written for. Lets just be thankful we have this at all instead of wanting to swap round what we dont and may possibly never find

    • Anonymous

      April 21st, 2012 - 12:27pm

      Actually, episode four of The Krotons was missing at one point but was thankfully recovered so I wouldn’t go around saying what deserves to be recovered and what does not.

    • Anonymous

      April 21st, 2012 - 6:10pm

      JUST AN HUMBLE OPINION.ITS ONE OF TROUGHTONS LESSER STORIES. IT IS BETTER THAN THE DOMINATORS THATS FOR SURE.

    • Anonymous

      April 21st, 2012 - 7:04pm

      Just remember though, they said the same thing about THe Tomb of the Cybermen. Many people saw it as the greatest story ever made, and people were desperate to be able to see it.

      When it was recovered in the early 90s it was seen as one of the greatest moments in Doctor Who history…

      …then people saw it, and decided that it was better to listen to than it was to watch.

      Part of the reasoning behind these stories being “great” is that they are missing, absence makes the heart grow fonder as the old saying goes.

    • gordon

      April 21st, 2012 - 9:45pm

      “I wouldn’t go around saying what deserves to be recovered and what does not”. I think you misinterpriated me. I wasnt meaning that. S there is no more misinterpritation I was meaning lets celebrate what we do have instead of wanting to swap something we do have for something we may never find. I disagree with the comment on tomb. i think its Pats best and is a brilliant story

    • Anonymous

      April 22nd, 2012 - 1:52pm

      I was talking to the other Anonymous user there, not you sorry for the confusion.

      But the changes in opinion of Tomb are a very notable thing in Doctor Who history, it might be one of Troughton’s best but many fans at the time felt let down by the episodes, having spent years with just the soundtracks and pictures to go by what the story was like.

      There are 105 episodes potentially still out there, it is a better idea trying to find them than spend time saying which ones we would like back, after all we’ve lost The Feast of Steven forever

    • the TARDIS

      April 22nd, 2012 - 5:08pm

      It is possible that someone could have made a recording of it at home, possibly with a video recorder they got for Christmas?

    • booboo

      April 22nd, 2012 - 5:21pm

      there were no domestic video recorders until the 1970’s. i think i read somewhere we only have the audio recordings because one individual recorded them from the tv when they were being broadcast

    • Anonymous

      April 22nd, 2012 - 5:30pm

      Several fans recorded them for various periods of time, most of the audio tapes we have today are a mixture of those tapes, made from people who fitted an audio recording device into the audio output of the TV or just held a microphone very close to the TV.

      For recording the TV, there were video recorders around but the cost was astronomical, they became “affordable” into the 70s, but by that point they cost about a quarter of the annual average wage. The only option if you wanted to record it were to either use a microphone,

    • Anonymous

      April 22nd, 2012 - 5:33pm

      *continued*

      or just get a camera and try to take as many pictures as possible in the broadcast time (which resulted in what we today call the telesnaps).

      A few better off people could make an off-air recording using a film camera, but these were very rare and even then they only ever took a few seconds of footage, but it has provided us with many clips from otherwise totally lost episodes.

  • glock

    April 21st, 2012 - 4:02am

    I hope they make doctor who kroton action figures

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      April 21st, 2012 - 6:35pm

      I second that notion. 🙂

    • dalek galt

      June 30th, 2012 - 10:51pm

      3rd

  • Classic Who Is Cool

    April 20th, 2012 - 10:15am

    I hope that this will be released in the uk soon we havnt had a new patrick troughton episode ofr a while 😀

    Reply
    • gordon

      April 20th, 2012 - 10:50am

      Its expected 2nd or 9th of july due to america getting it on the 10th

  • Judooning

    April 20th, 2012 - 8:39am

    Good. Another 2nd Doctor story 🙂

    Reply
  • The Monitor

    April 20th, 2012 - 5:48am

    Very nice cover. Welcome release.

    Reply
  • gordon

    April 20th, 2012 - 12:26am

    Looking forward to the documentary on this dvd called second time around. Its a 52 minute documentary covering the whole pat troughton era in who.

    Reply
  • matparks08

    April 19th, 2012 - 10:51pm

    Interesting cover. Krotons is far from the best Troughton story but is far more watchable than Dominators. I really expected the returned Underwater Menace to be on this disc release – perhaps it’ll be on a future release of Ice Warriors?

    Reply
    • gordon

      April 20th, 2012 - 12:32am

      There is no room for Underwater menace episode 2 on this disc due to the second time around documentary.

    • Anonymous

      April 20th, 2012 - 6:39pm

      Also, they only found the episode six months ago and they did not begin restoration work until December so that’s even less time.

      It might just be one episode but it will take a while to get the episode ready and they’ve already confirmed that one of the recovered episodes is definetly coming out next year (and given they’ve started working on documentries relating to The Ice Warriors it will likely be THe Underwater Menace they were referign to).

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