E. A. Redfearn 2002-06-21

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

This is probably my favourite Doctor Who story ever. Set in aresearch establishment run by shady characters (shades of Quatermass II) the Doctor suspects the worse when a drilling operation goes terribly wrong and he finds himself in an alternative universe run by the military. Wonderful production values and acting from Jon Pertwee and his supporting cast Nicholas Courtney and the lovely Caroline John who was making her final appearance in a Doctor Who story. Needs to be on DVD though to be appreciated fully. Cannot wait for that to appear.

2001-03-31

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

Inferno is possibly the best Dr Who story ever. The Doctor ends up in one of the worst situations he has been in and the danger and suspense is non stop thoughout the entire story. Dr Who/Science Fiction fans should not hesitate to buy Inferno.

2001-03-18

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

In essence, 'Inferno' is like many other Pertwee adventures: it is set on Earth, features UNIT and a struggle between the Doctor and the authorities. However, 'Inferno' is certainly one of the best of its time (and in my opinion only 'The Invasion' was a better UNIT story). Much of this is down to the suspense provided by Douglas Camfield's outstanding direction, which builds the tension in every episode. Another asset for 'Inferno' is the script. Pertwee is abrupt, temperamental and argumentative (reminiscent of William Hartnell, in fact) and the confrontations between him and Professor Stahlman (played by Olaf Pooley) are great, with the scene when the Doctor uses his Venusian karate against him being particularly funny.

The story also has plenty of scary moments as well. The Primords are one of the best realised of all Doctor Who's many monsters, and are in fact an early example of the "man into monster" villain of the series. And of course, being Doctor Who, the incidental music is brilliant.

2001-01-31

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

Critics will say that seven episodes is far too long for a Doctor Who and that it inevitably leads to lots of padding. I believe that the length of 'Inferno' allows for much greater character development, dialogue, plotting and wit than most Doctor Who stories.

The story begins with the Doctor and UNIT attending a government drilling project headed by Professor Stahlman (who isn't exactly a villain, just an obsessed scientist). The Doctor suspects that if drilling continues it will lead to disaster and he has found allies in Christopher Benjamin and Derek Newark. The Brigadier, meanwhile, is preoccupied with a brutal murder. The Doctor accidentally slips sideways in time (courtesy of the TARDIS console) to a parellel dimension where his friends are brutal fascists and drilling at the project is at a more advanced stage.

2000-12-08

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

'Inferno' follows a fascinating concept. Imagine that Hitler had won the war and transformed Britain into a police state and you will understand the thinking behind this story. Nicholas Courtney gives the best performance of his time in Doctor Who as the brutal "Brigade Leader" and Olaf Pooley is also excellent as a mad scientist.