Doctor Who: Planet of the Spiders main backdrop
Doctor Who: Planet of the Spiders main poster

Doctor Who: Planet of the Spiders

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7.3/10 • 6

1974-06-082h 30m

DramaActionAdventureScience FictionTV Movie

The blue crystal that the Doctor took from Metebelis III in a previous adventure is desperately sought by the Eight Legs, a race of mutated spiders, as the final element in their plan for universal domination. With help from an old mentor, the Doctor realises the only way to foil the plot is to make the ultimate sacrifice. The Doctor must risk death to return to the cave of the Great One and save the universe.

Directors
Barry Letts
Writters
Barry Letts, Robert Sloman

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Jon Pertwee

    Jon Pertwee

    The Doctor

  2. Tom Baker

    Tom Baker

    The Doctor

  3. Elisabeth Sladen

    Elisabeth Sladen

    Sarah Jane Smith

  4. Nicholas Courtney

    Nicholas Courtney

    Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart

  5. Richard Franklin

    Richard Franklin

    Mike Yates

  6. John Levene

    John Levene

    Sergeant Benton

  7. John Dearth

    John Dearth

    Lupton

  8. Carl Forgione

    Carl Forgione

    Land

  9. Andrew Staines

    Andrew Staines

    Keaver

Reviews1

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CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

Jun 24, 2024

7/10

Whilst the "Doctor" (Jon Pertwee) and the "Brigadier" (Nicholas Courtney) are doing some experimentation with a scientist with strong clairvoyant skills, "Capt. Yates" (Richard Franklin) manages to interest "Sarah Jane" (Elisabeth Sladen) in some curious goings on at a country retreat run by a kindly old Buddhist. Of course, the two topics soon become one as those doing the meditation manage to tap into some intergalactic spiders whose aim is to find a missing blue crystal - that the "Doctor" has had for years - so as to augment the power of their supreme leader and enable her to rule the cosmos. The spiders are wily old things and they manage to use the ambitious "Lupton" (John Dearth) to try to track down their missing gemstone and the rest of this six part drama sees our dynamic duo try to find a way to deal with the conspiratorial arachnids, loads of ESP and some serious amounts of voltage. It's good to (briefly) see the return of "Bessie" and there's plenty of outdoor action with car and helicopter chases and even an hovercraft. Whatever happened to them? The spiders are not the most realistic, no, but the production designer has managed to do quite well hiding the strings and the magnets and the use of electricity is a tad reminiscent of the duel at the end of the "Raven" (1963). The denouement is tinged with sadness and opportunity - and this is one of the better stories from series eleven.

Media

  • Doctor Who: Planet of the Spiders poster
  • Doctor Who: Planet of the Spiders poster
  • Doctor Who: Planet of the Spiders poster
  • Doctor Who: Planet of the Spiders poster
  • Doctor Who: Planet of the Spiders poster
  • Doctor Who: Planet of the Spiders poster
  • Doctor Who: Planet of the Spiders poster

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
time travel