| Doctor Who - The Sun Makers [VHS] [1977] | ![Doctor Who - The Sun Makers [VHS] [1977]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51D3GF8YCGL._SL160_.jpg) | Director: Pennant Roberts
Actors: Tom Baker, Louise Jameson
Studio: 2 Entertain Video
Category: Video
Buy New: £14.90
as of 6/9/2010 06:48 BST details
New (3) Used (4) from £6.50
Seller: jj1978j
Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 2,042
Format: PAL
Rating: Universal, suitable for all
Media: VHS Tape
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 90 Minutes
EAN: 5014503713324
ASIN: B00005CC0B
Theatrical Release Date: 1977
Release Date: July 9, 2001
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
Tom Baker's fourth season of Doctor Who marked a change from the exploration of Gothic horror. The unusually satirical "The Sun Makers" finds the Doctor, Leela (Louise Jameson) and robot dog K9 involved in a struggle against capitalism-gone-mad at the outer limits of the solar system. The Earth exhausted, mankind has colonised Pluto and lives in six vast "megropoli" lit by artificial suns. These colonies are run by The Company, with drugged human "work units" slaving simply to pay their funeral expenses. With video monitors, brain-washing and ruthless repression there is an obvious a debt to 1984, the white corridors echoing George Lucas' THX 1138 (1970) and the action a low-rent Star Wars. Michael Keating, who played a rebel in Dalek creator Terry Nation's Blake's 7 (1978-1981), is similarly cast as a reluctant freedom fighter. There are plentiful pot-shots at over-zealous taxation and bureaucracy--Robert Holmes wrote the story as revenge on the Inland Revenue after a frustrating VAT audit--and splendidly theatrical performances from Richard Leech and Henry Woolf as the ultra-capitalist villains. With no monsters and little conventional horror, Baker is on fine form in a briskly directed four-part comedy-thriller distinguished by its political edge. --Gary S Dalkin
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| Customer Reviews:
 Does everyone run from the taxman Doctor? July 12, 2010
James Richardson (UK)
rating 5.5/10
A complete change in style for Doctor Who with comedy firmly in charge. However this is no City of Death and the Inland Revenue in-jokes are not really that funny over four episodes.
Everything looks rather drab, the death of the Tax Collector at the end lacks any sense of reality or drama. As he gets carried off he looks mildly annoyed, not in terror of his death.
 Staring at the sun April 19, 2009
Captain Pugwash (UK)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This political satire probably won't rate that highly on most fans' lists of favourite stories; often dismissed as a generic 'running down corridors' story from the mid-70s, it features Tom Baker's Doctor and his companion Leela. However, I really like it; The Collector is a great character and his demise is brilliantly executed. Leela narrowly avoids being flattened and The Doctor outwits the corporation; K9 does his bit too and the results are great fun.
A brill class flaming cool story, one of the best ever... August 23, 2007
big mad doctor who guy (Poole, Dorset)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Bob Holmes always was a great Doctor Who writer, in my opinion still better than Russel T Davies, and he always had memorable characters in every single one of his scripts.
Well, who would have thought that a story about tax could be so flaming cool! But as i said, you can be assured that with Rob Holmes, you will always get a brilliant story with funny dialogue but also some great horror touches. And isnt Henry Woolf flipping brilliant as the Collector? One of the best villians ever on Doctor Who! And Louise Jameson is as strong as ever, and has a lot to do for once! A flaming cool Doctor Who story!!!!
Doctor Who at its multi-layered best! July 10, 2001
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Writer Robert Holmes came up with one of his wittiest Doctor Who stories here, a much neglected gem littered with references to the tax system and assorted financial shenanigans - "P45 return route" indeed!. The whole story is perfectly played by the cast and helped by some very effective location work. This is a classic example of how Doctor Who could work at several different levels at once. High budget it is not, but who cares?
 A Flawed Classic May 21, 2001
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Robert Holmes is a name associated with all the greatest and most loved Doctor Who stories, however even on his worst day he can still produce stories better than most others. The Sun Makers is a richly ploted story with wry satire about taxation and dictatorial state control. However there are a lot of stock cliches too, including the longest corridor chase sequence in the show's history. The Doctor's assistant Leela gets captured and menaced and almost steamed to death before being rescued. The ending although original is a bit disappointing but the Doctor's critisism of Leela's violent activities makes the ending believeble and laudable. If this isn't enough Michael Keating makes a pre-Blake's 7 appearance :)All in all this story's strengths out weigh their weaknesses to make an enjoyable 100 minutes of British sci-fi.
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