DoctorWhoHorrorofFangRock

Dr Who: Horror of Fang Rock (1977)

Dr. Who and his companion Leela end up on a rocky island right after a mysterious light streaks overhead. After they meet up with the crew of the lighthouse, the only building on the isolated island, strange things begin to happen. Someone or something is killing everyone. When a ship deposits even more stranded travelers they too become victims. Soon the Doctor figures out that outside in the fog is an alien creature determined to wipe them all out. But why is the creature there and will anyone survive? You will just have to watch this one to find out.

You know Dr. Who can be an acquired taste. This is especially true of the classic shows before the recent relaunch of the franchise. Of those classic doctors my absolute favorite has to be Tom Baker. Baker brings something interesting to the character, which really didn’t have an edge until Baker took over the role. This particular story is one of the better ones and stretches over 4 episodes, though they have been brought together to make a single movie. This is a very creepy story with a ton of atmosphere. You have the characters trapped in a lighthouse without any chance of getting help. They are picked off one at a time by something they don’t understand. The story unfolds in a manner that keeps you wondering who is going to make it and who isn’t. Of course fans realize that the good Doctor is going to make it, but it is still fun to wonder about the other characters. Plus you never knew when they were going to get rid of his companion, so that was always fun.

Even when I was first watching this stuff back on PBS in the early ‘80s the effects really didn’t hold up that well. This is unfortunately even more obvious to me now. As cool as the story is I was a bit let down at the big reveal of the alien. I mean it is a blob of green jello sitting on the stairs talking in a deep voice. But then again is was the ‘70s and it wasn’t like the BBC was going to toss a ton of money on production values (pay attention to how many of these episode arcs avoid showing you the inside of the Tardis) or special effects. Still as much as I want to give them a pass it does hurt the show.

There are a lot of reasons that fans don’t get into Dr. Who. I’ve already mentioned that it is an acquired taste, as are many British shows. I don’t know if it is cultural differences or just different sensibilities. Hell I’m surprised how many people really hate Red Dwarf (which I love). I mention this again because Horror of Fang Rock is one of the more accessible stories from the Tom Baker years as the doctor and if you want to try out some killer British science fiction this is where you should start. I recommend Dr. Who: Horror of Fang Rock.

3 out of 4

reviewed by John Shatzer