Planet of Evil [TV/1975.9.27 ~ 10.18]

★★★★☆

  I've said it before, but Season 13 was practically tailor-made for a movie fanatic like me, with the general Hammer horror film sensibilities lending themselves to stories which act as a homage to a bunch of cult films, from Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Terror of the Zygons) to The Thing from Another World (The Seeds of Doom). I know nowadays it isn't everybody's cup of tea -- since cult films aren't everybody's cup of tea and this seasons apes them so shamelessly -- but once you get in the groove, you can't have enough. Directors being creative and portraying their serial's horror in multiple different ways, the Doctor being a fatalistic bringer of death (with Tom Baker at his most consistently venomous), and a bunch of lavish, detailed sets and costumes to top it all up... yeah, it's no wonder I have a blast whenever I revisit Season 13.

  Planet of Evil is probably the serial that's least talked about (even The Android Invasion's brought up more because most people are disappointed by it), and I think that's a shame. Sure, it may not have a recognizable monster (the anti-matter monster, by design, is an invisible mass), but it's still a very good homage to Jekyll and Hyde, while also being a Fantastic Voyage-esque journey to a far-off alien (unfamilar to human eyes) world full of the weirdest, most evocative sets. It's like all those Skaro sets, but done better and to their logical conclusion point. It's remarkable how both Louis Marks and David Maloney managed to effortlessly transition from one base-under-siege/planet exploration story to another base-under-siege tale (from Zeta Minor to the spaceship), and it's also remarkable how they brought the Zeta Minor creature to life with the budget back then; rather than looking cheap, it's incredibly effective as this mysterious, untouchable entity. 

  I always rather liked Planet of Evil, and this rewatch proved to me that I don't just like it, I actively love it. With fine performances from Tom Baker and Elisabeth Sladen, immaculate sets and a great atmosphere to boot, it's an easy pick for whenever I want me some evil planets that prevent greedy humans from taking away their minerals.