Science and magic, cultism and archaeology, digital Gothic, illusions of fidelity, horror, Holmes, and Hinchcliffe…what makes Pyramids of Mars persist, over fifty years later? We dive into this Tom Baker classic, along with its many revisitations.
https://archive.org/download/2026-03-pyramids-of-mars/2026%20%2303%20Pyramids%20of%20Mars.mp3
00:00:00 First experiences with the story
00:10:59 Design of the mummies
00:14:34 Daytime shoots and tone
00:16:44 Reinventing the historical format
00:21:20 Egyptology and Orientalism in the story
00:30:45 Episode Four’s tonal shift
00:40:03 Resonance of the ending + emotional moments
00:47:30 Laurence’s rationality
00:53:00 Terrance Dicks’ characterisation of the Fourth Doctor
01:02:46 Alternate future scene
01:09:32 Holistic storytelling of the Holmes and Hinchcliffe era
01:18:05 Portrayal of Sarah Jane
01:23:38 Gabriel Woolf’s performance as Sutekh
01:29:38 Visuals of Sutekh
01:33:16 Greifer’s grain: the unusual writing situation
01:51:35 Novelisation differences: ancient aliens
01:57:25 Novelisation differences: prologue and epilogue
02:09:33 2024 Tales of the TARDIS: editing and music changes
02:21:50 2024 Tales of the TARDIS: VFX and story changes
02:26:13 2024 Tales of the TARDIS: Fifteenth Doctor wraparound scenes
02:33:31 Dudley Simpson’s score
02:38:43 Rationalism and anti-imperialism
02:44:08 2025 AI Pyramids blu-ray release
02:52:32 Archaeology and AI restoration
02:56:45 Inverting science vs magic
03:07:23 Break points of restoration and editorialisation
Terror of the Zygons being a leftover from Season 12
Doctor Who: The Complete History #24. Stories 81-84: Planet of Evil, Pyramids of Mars, The Android Invasion and The Brain of Morbius. Panini UK, 10 Aug. 2016, p. 42, 49.
Hinchcliffe on mummies being like the Cybermen
Hinchcliffe, Philip. Audio commentary. Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars [episode 3]. BBC, 1 March 2004, ~20m7s. DVD.
Hinchcliffe not having seen Hammer Horror films
Hinchcliffe, Philip. Audio commentary [for Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars, episode 2]. Who Talk: Pyramids of Mars. Fantom Publishing, 2 Nov. 2020, ~12m12s. Audio download.
Pyramids of Mars originally being planned for the British Museum
Doctor Who: The Complete History #24. Stories 81-84: Planet of Evil, Pyramids of Mars, The Android Invasion and The Brain of Morbius. Panini UK, 10 Aug. 2016, p. 24, 43.
Hinchliffe synthesising the historical formula
Hinchcliffe, Philip. Audio commentary [for Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars, episode 2]. Who Talk: Pyramids of Mars. Fantom Publishing, 2 Nov. 2020, ~7m. Audio download.
Robert Holmes being bored of historicals
Hinchcliffe, Philip. “Serial Thrillers” [Hinchcliffe era documentary/special feature]. Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars. BBC, 1 March 2004, ~0m-4m6s. DVD.
Hinchcliffe, Philip. Audio commentary [for Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars, episode 2]. Who Talk: Pyramids of Mars. Fantom Publishing, 2 Nov. 2020, ~7m. Audio download.
Hinchcliffe triumph of rationalism focus
Hinchcliffe, Philip. “Serial Thrillers” [Hinchcliffe era documentary/special feature]. Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars. BBC, 1 March 2004, ~12m9s-14m45s. DVD.
Boris Johnson’s (21st century) position on the Parthenon marbles
“Boris Johnson rules out return of Parthenon marbles to Greece”. The Guardian, 13 March 2021, https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2021/mar/12/boris-johnson-rules-out-return-of-parthenon-marbles-to-greece
Director Paddy Russell and Tom Baker friction
Russell, Paddy. Audio commentary. Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars [episode 4]. BBC, 1 March 2004, ~1m40s-1m58s. DVD.
Russell, Paddy. “Directing Who — Paddy Russell — A Life in Television” [director retrospective/special feature]. Doctor Who: Horror of Fang Rock. BBC, 17 Jan. 2005, ~5m28s-6m25s. DVD.
Director Paddy Russell considering Ibrahim actors; considered other ethnicities
DVD infotext [episode 1]. Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars. BBC, 1 March 2004, ~6m36s. DVD.
Issues with Episode Four; pulling from Kafka for the puzzles
Hinchcliffe, Philip. Audio commentary [for Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars, episode 4]. Who Talk: Pyramids of Mars. Fantom Publishing, 2 Nov. 2020, ~1m46s-5m8s. Audio download.
Rebroadcasts of this story having huge ratings, and being trimmed down
Doctor Who: The Complete History #24. Stories 81-84: Planet of Evil, Pyramids of Mars, The Android Invasion and The Brain of Morbius. Panini UK, 10 Aug. 2016, p. 63.
Novelisation: emotional flippancy; Sarah empathising with the Fourth Doctor
Dicks, Terrance. “Doctor Who and the Pyramids of Mars” [audiobook]. BBC Audio. Read by Tom Baker. ~2h16m. 14 Aug. 2008.
Dicks, Terrance. “Doctor Who and the Pyramids of Mars”. Target Books, 16 Dec. 1976.
Planned establishing shot of the TARDIS in the ruined future
Russell, Paddy. Audio commentary. Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars [episode 2]. BBC, 1 March 2004, ~15m55s-16m53s. DVD.
Hinchcliffe on the alternate future idea’s origin
Hinchcliffe, Philip. Audio commentary [for Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars, episode 2]. Who Talk: Pyramids of Mars. Fantom Publishing, 2 Nov. 2020, ~17m39s-19m34s. Audio download.
The Unquiet Dead having planned a Pyramids of Mars-esque alternate future scene
Doctor Who: The Complete History #48. Stories 157-159: Rose, The End of the World and The Unquiet Dead. Panini UK, 10 Feb. 2016, p. 125, 128.
Hinchcliffe on why they did possession storytelling so much
Hinchcliffe, Philip. Audio commentary. Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars [episode 2]. BBC, 1 March 2004, ~1m33s-2m19s. DVD.
Hinchcliffe, Philip. Audio commentary [for Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars, episode 2]. Who Talk: Pyramids of Mars. Fantom Publishing, 2 Nov. 2020, ~2m6s-3m26s. Audio download.
Hinchliffe wanting to expand the show to older audiences; Holmes bringing in black humour
Hinchcliffe, Philip. “Serial Thrillers” [Hinchcliffe era documentary/special feature]. Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars. BBC, 1 March 2004, ~4m6s-5m32s. DVD.
Hinchliffe bemoaning the sonic wand
Hinchcliffe, Philip. Audio commentary [for Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars, episode 2]. Cutaway Comics: Omega & Sutekh — Gods & Monsters bonus material. Cutaway Comics, Sep. 2023, ~58s-4m16s. Audio download.
Hinchcliffe and Holmes wanting a distinct storytelling era
Hinchcliffe, Philip. “Serial Thrillers” [Hinchcliffe era documentary/special feature]. Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars. BBC, 1 March 2004, ~9m27s-10m45s. DVD.
Paddy Russell’s influence on Sarah Jane being experienced with the gun
Hinchcliffe, Philip, and Elisabeth Sladen. Audio commentary. Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars [episode 1]. BBC, 1 March 2004, ~9m6s-9m16s. DVD.
Sladen, Elisabeth. “Osirian Gothic” [making of/special feature]. Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars. BBC, 1 March 2004, ~8m53s-9m30s. DVD.
Rewrites to make Sarah more active in the story; Tom Baker not liking weak companions, thinking it reflects badly on the Doctor
DVD infotext [episode 1]. Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars. BBC, 1 March 2004, ~20m28s. DVD.
Phillip Hinchcliffe initial issues with Gabriel Woolf
Hinchcliffe, Philip. Audio commentary. Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars [episode 3]. BBC, 1 March 2004, ~7m55s-8m26s. DVD.
Russell, Paddy, Gabriel Woolf, and Peter Hinchcliffe. “Osirian Gothic” [making of/special feature]. Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars. BBC, 1 March 2004, ~13m28s-15m16s. DVD.
Hinchcliffe issues with Sutekh imagery (dog collar, mask)
Hinchcliffe, Philip. Audio commentary. Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars [episode 4]. BBC, 1 March 2004, ~19m12s-19m41s. DVD.
Hinchcliffe, Philip. “Osirian Gothic” [making of/special feature]. Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars. BBC, 1 March 2004, ~16m-16m55s. DVD.
Unusual writing situation: Griefer, rewrites
Hinchcliffe, Philip. “Serial Thrillers” [Hinchcliffe era documentary/special feature]. Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars. BBC, 1 March 2004, ~9m36s. DVD.
Hinchcliffe, Philip. Audio commentary [for Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars, episode 4]. Who Talk: Pyramids of Mars. Fantom Publishing, 2 Nov. 2020, ~1m46s-5m8s. Audio download.
Doctor Who: The Complete History #24. Stories 81-84: Planet of Evil, Pyramids of Mars, The Android Invasion and The Brain of Morbius. Panini UK, 10 Aug. 2016, pp. 42-51, p. 55
Director Paddy Russell’s strong influence
Sladen, Elisabeth. “Osirian Gothic” [making of/special feature]. Doctor Who: Pyramids of Mars. BBC, 1 March 2004, ~3m5s-3m48s. DVD.
Hinchliffe developing and sending the script
Doctor Who: The Complete History #24. Stories 81-84: Planet of Evil, Pyramids of Mars, The Android Invasion and The Brain of Morbius. Panini UK, 10 Aug. 2016, pp. 42-51.
Midnight being written by Russell T Davies at the eleventh hour
Doctor Who: The Complete History #59. Stories 195-197: Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead, Midnight and Turn Left. Panini UK, 8 March 2017, pp. 59-62.
Novelisation; ‘ancient aliens’
Dicks, Terrance. “Doctor Who and the Pyramids of Mars” [audiobook]. BBC Audio. Read by Tom Baker. ~1h34m. 14 Aug. 2008.
Dicks, Terrance. “Doctor Who and the Pyramids of Mars”. Target Books, 16 Dec. 1976.
Dicks, Terrance. “Doctor Who and the Pyramids of Mars” [audiobook]. BBC Audio. Read by Tom Baker. ~49s. 14 Aug. 2008.
Dicks, Terrance. “Doctor Who and the Pyramids of Mars”. Target Books, 16 Dec. 1976.
Dicks, Terrance. “Doctor Who and the Pyramids of Mars” [audiobook]. BBC Audio. Read by Tom Baker. ~3h12m. 14 Aug. 2008.
Dicks, Terrance. “Doctor Who and the Pyramids of Mars”. Target Books, 16 Dec. 1976.
Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat interviewing each other; RTD wanting to do a sequel to a Classic Who story and re-air the Classic Who story
Moffat, Steven, and Russell T Davies. “Showrunner Showdown.” Doctor Who Magazine, vol. 551, 30 April 2020, p. 24.
Sam Watts composing new music for the Tales of the TARDIS new scenes
Cook, Benjamin [@benjamin_cook]. “TONIGHT! 8PM. BBC Four. PYRAMIDS OF MARS. A new, 75-minute blockbuster edit (by me – sorry!) of one of the greatest DOCTOR WHO stories ever. Starring Tom Baker & Elisabeth Sladen! Brand-new scenes with Ncuti Gatwa & Millie Gibson!! Updated music and VFX! SUTEKH RISES!!! ” Twitter, 20 June 2024, https://archive.vn/4Lpxz
Cook, Benjamin [@benjamin_cook]. “Don’t worry. I think (hope!) you’ll like it. We’ve Tales of the TARDIS music by the brilliant Sam Watts, then “Pyramids” itself is almost all Dudley Simpson – just a bit more Dudley before.” Twitter, 20 June 2024, https://archive.vn/zB20o
[@DazBear1969]. “Noooo. Leave the music alone.” Twitter, 21 June 2024, https://archive.vn/onX0V
And also a quote tweet of:
Watts, Sam [@i_is_sam]. “didn’t write new music for Pyramids of Mars. Just for Ncuti and Mille in the little bookends. But Lis was very much in my thoughts.” Twitter, 18 June 2024, https://archive.vn/9bfIv
Music in the Tales of the TARDIS (1975 scenes) including the 1990s score album
Cook, Benjamin [@benjamin_cook]. “Thank you! And yes, we added about eight minutes of Heathcliff Blair’s 1993 re-recording of Dudley Simpson’s original “Pyramids” score.” Twitter, 20 June 2024, https://archive.vn/fb1Ev
[@_hiero]. “Excellent edit, I have to say…I’ve watched Pyramids countless times and I don’t think you cut anything I’d have missed. Can you confirm if you added some Dudley-Simpson-alike incidental music in a few places, particularly where it was edited more heavily?” Twitter, 21 June 2024, https://archive.vn/ledvK
Musical gag of Logopolis music playing
Cook, Benjamin [@benjamin_cook]. “It’s a radio telescope gag. ” Twitter, 21 June 2024, https://archive.vn/vroXC
[@CobraEagle42]. “You did a great job :) I did miss the puzzles but I seem to be the only one. Lol. May I ask why you put the logopolis music in?” Twitter, 21 June 2024, https://archive.vn/BeoGH
Cook, Benjamin [@benjamin_cook]. “Thank you. And I’m sorry you didn’t vibe with the “Logopolis” cue. It’s only a few seconds – a little musical gag, which mostly seems to have gone down well.” Twitter, 20 June 2024, https://archive.vn/yznZH
[@Rob_Watkins]. “Hi Ben, nice edit and great effects, one minor criticism is that the logopolis music didn’t fit with Dudley’s original music” Twitter, 21 June 2024, https://archive.vn/ucJc6
RTD’s youthful misconception of the time corridor in Pyramids of Mars
Davies, Russell T, Bonnie Langford, and Vicki Delow. In-vision commentary. Doctor Who, Empire of Death with commentary, 22 June 2024, ~7m14s-7m31s, https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0020m9n/doctor-who-video-commentaries-empire-of-death-with-commentary
“Doctor Who Unleashed: Empire of Death” Doctor Who Unleashed, BBC iPlayer, 22 June 2024, ~8m40s-9m28s, https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0020krr
Richard Dawkins loving Claude AI
Dawkins, Richard. “When Dawkins met Claude: Could this AI be conscious?”. UnHerd, 30 April 2026, https://archive.vn/wZtts
Dawkins, Richard [@RichardDawkins]. “I spent three days trying to persuade myself that Claudia is not conscious. I failed.”. Twitter, 30 April 2026, https://archive.vn/Y8Fqi
Husk IRL. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@HuskIRL
‘This is the future’ for the Fourteenth Doctor
Doctor Who Magazine, vol. 584, 10 Nov. 2022, [cover page].
The quote itself comes from David Tennant:
Tennant, David. “Reach Up For the Sunrise.” Doctor Who Magazine, vol. 584, 10 Nov. 2022, p. 22.
Dissatisfaction with AI in The Collection: Season 13
[@TheCyberdevil]. “I do think the AI upscaling on S13 to my eyes is overdone, particularly on the film sequences. It’s all a matter of personal taste, but I think some areas of the picture are oversharp, particularity during movement. It’s nowhere near as bad as the YouTube screening of Zygons.” Twitter, 18 Oct. 2025, https://archive.vn/dfkRK
“AI on Classic Doctor Who. Why it’s bad.” Cyberdevil’s – Doctor Who DVD & Blu-Ray Blog, 18 March 2026, https://archive.vn/mF63
“Is A.I. worth it?” YouTube, uploaded by Pip Madeley, 22 Oct. 2025, https://youtu.be/24hwN1NyMs4
“Doctor Who: The Collection – Season 13 blu-ray is full of the laziest AI upscaling I’ve ever seen.” Reddit, 19 Oct. 2025, https://archive.vn/CSFg6
“Buyer beware – Season 13 Collection features lazy, bad AI upscaling “. Reddit, 23 Oct. 2025, https://archive.vn/AVJwN
“Doctor Who Season 13 Blu Ray Review – Part 2 (Unboxing, Technical and Special Features)”. Reverbrium, 3 Nov. 2025, https://archive.vn/00gN8
Burden, Colin. “Did the BBC Apply AI Too Early on the Doctor Who: The Collection Blu-ray Box Sets?”. The Doctor Who Companion, 26 April 2026, https://archive.vn/S6bAz
