Doctor Who: The Seeds of Doom

1976 2h 30m EN

🤯

8.8

MASTERPIECE

⭐

8.6

IMDB

★8.8TMDB · 4★8.6IMDB · 616

Science FictionTV Movie

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When scientists in the Antarctic uncover a mysterious seed pod, the Doctor is called in to investigate. He soon realises it is extraterrestrial and extremely dangerous. At the same time, however, ruthless millionaire plant-lover Harrison Chase has learned of the find and decides he must have the pod for his collection of rare and beautiful flora. Meanwhile the pod itself harbours intelligent life with sinister plans of its own...

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Tom Baker
The Doctor
Elisabeth Sladen
Sarah Jane Smith
Tony Beckley
Harrison Chase
Kenneth Gilbert
Richard Dunbar
Michael Barrington
Sir Colin Thackeray
Sylvia Coleridge
Amelia Ducat
John Challis
Scorby
Mark Jones
Arnold Keeler / Krynoid (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Douglas Camfield
Writers: Robert Banks Stewart
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

Clocks in at 150 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

50 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Geoffrey Burgon. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor M.A.C. Adams shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Tom Baker and Elisabeth Sladen and Tony Beckley carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0562952 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 4 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Douglas Camfield directs. Geoffrey Burgon scores. M.A.C. Adams cuts. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Clocks in at 150 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.
250 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Original score by Geoffrey Burgon. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor M.A.C. Adams shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Tom Baker and Elisabeth Sladen and Tony Beckley carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt0562952 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 4 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Original score: Geoffrey Burgon
Editing: M.A.C. Adams
Production design: Jeremy Bear
Costume design: Barbara Lane
Makeup / hair: Ann Briggs
Runtime: 150 min · 2h 30m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: Doctor Who: The Seeds of Doom (1976)
IMDB rating: 8.6/10 · 616 votes
MPAA: TV-PG

Also by

Douglas Camfield

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-06-28
★ 7/10
Well clearly this Antarctic expedition had never watched "The Thing From Another World" (1951) before they set off else they would have known that anything you find buried in the ice ought to be left well alone! The World Ecology Bureau discovers a seed pod - and swiftly the "Doctor" (Tom Baker) and "Sarah Jane" (Elisabeth Sladen) race to the scene only to discover that the thing has been snacking, and growing, and isn't pocket-sized any more. Adding to the challenges for our intrepid time travellers, we also learn that renowned, and slightly bonkers, plant collector "Chase" ("Camp Freddie" himself - Tony Beckley) has engaged the help of "Scorby" (John Challis) to secure the thing for him at any cost. With the plant now growing exponentially and feeding accordingly as well as the increasingly megalomanic collector trying to thwart their plans to destroy the "Krynoid", it's looking like quite a challenge. By now, I felt that these series worked better as four-parters. This one runs to six and the third/fourth episodes tread water a bit too much without really advancing what is quite a well cast and entertainingly written story. It's also one where Sladen takes more of an active role and Beckley proves to be quite an imaginative foil for his antagonist Time Lord.

Production companies