Close Menu
Doctor Who's Tragical History TourDoctor Who's Tragical History Tour
  • Nu-Who
    • Ncuti Gatwa
    • Jodie Whittaker
    • Peter Capaldi
    • Matt Smith
    • David Tennant
    • Christopher Eccleston
  • Tweeners
    • John Hurt
    • Paul McGann
    • The Master List
    • Regeneration X
    • The Mystery Guest
    • The Hand of Fear
  • Colo(u)r
    • Sylvester McCoy
    • Colin Baker
    • Peter Davison
    • Tom Baker
    • Jon Pertwee
  • Monochrome
    • Patrick Troughton
    • William Hartnell
  • Tour du Jour
    • On This Day in Doctor Who History
    • The House of Holmes
    • 60 for 60
    • 50 for 50
    • The Randomizer
    • THT Rand-o-pix of the Day
    • The Feast of Steven
    • Tour Notz
    • The Watcher
    • Contact the Tour
X (Twitter) Instagram Tumblr RSS
Doctor Who's Tragical History TourDoctor Who's Tragical History Tour
X (Twitter) Instagram Tumblr RSS
  • Nu-Who
    1. Ncuti Gatwa
    2. Jodie Whittaker
    3. Peter Capaldi
    4. Matt Smith
    5. David Tennant
    6. Christopher Eccleston
    7. View All

    Wish It All Away, and Back Again

    May 25, 2025

    Sold For a Song

    May 21, 2025

    The Demon Barber of Story Beats

    May 12, 2025

    The Sunday Stratagem

    May 4, 2025

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (24→19)

    November 10, 2023

    Who Told You There Wouldn’t Be Any Math?

    December 5, 2022

    B-Bye Bradley

    October 6, 2022

    Svelte 16

    May 8, 2022

    2024Kristmas #4 – Twice Upon the First

    December 21, 2024

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (18→13)

    November 13, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (36→31)

    October 12, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (42→37)

    October 5, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (12→7)

    November 17, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (24→19)

    November 10, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (30→25)

    October 28, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (48→43)

    September 28, 2023

    2024Kristmas #3 – The Man With All The Toys

    December 16, 2024

    2024Kristmas #2 – It’ll Be a Wild Blue Christmas

    December 10, 2024

    2024Kristmas #1 – Seasons Beastings

    December 3, 2024

    Pre-Embering the Fireplace

    May 5, 2024

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (24→19)

    November 10, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (42→37)

    October 5, 2023

    The Dark Jacket Dimension

    November 13, 2021

    The (W)hole Ruth

    January 31, 2020

    The Night of the Precious Stones

    June 19, 2025

    Wish It All Away, and Back Again

    May 25, 2025

    Mark II of The Rani

    May 24, 2025

    Sold For a Song

    May 21, 2025
  • Tweeners
    1. John Hurt
    2. Paul McGann
    3. The Master List
    4. Regeneration X
    5. The Mystery Guest
    6. The Hand of Fear
    7. View All

    Hurt So Good: A Doctor and His Umbrella

    April 27, 2023

    Who Told You There Wouldn’t Be Any Math?

    December 5, 2022

    Svelte 16

    May 8, 2022

    Ten’ll Get You Five

    September 4, 2020

    Double Doctor Dastardly Danger

    April 25, 2024

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (60→55)

    September 15, 2023

    McGann Before McGann

    May 26, 2023

    … And All That Yaz

    November 16, 2022

    The Night of the Precious Stones

    June 19, 2025

    Wish It All Away, and Back Again

    May 25, 2025

    Mark II of The Rani

    May 24, 2025

    Sold For a Song

    May 21, 2025

    Ghost Re-Write

    November 16, 2021

    The (W)hole Ruth

    January 31, 2020

    Dup-topia

    January 29, 2020

    The Glue Guy

    June 24, 2018

    Doctor on Doctor ACTION!

    November 19, 2017

    The Wheel in Cheese

    August 10, 2014

    The Hurt Locker

    May 25, 2013

    The Night of the Precious Stones

    June 19, 2025

    Wish It All Away, and Back Again

    May 25, 2025

    Mark II of The Rani

    May 24, 2025

    Sold For a Song

    May 21, 2025

    The Night of the Precious Stones

    June 19, 2025

    Wish It All Away, and Back Again

    May 25, 2025

    Mark II of The Rani

    May 24, 2025

    Sold For a Song

    May 21, 2025
  • Colo(u)r
    1. Sylvester McCoy
    2. Colin Baker
    3. Peter Davison
    4. Tom Baker
    5. Jon Pertwee
    6. View All

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (36→31)

    October 12, 2023

    A Studio Film (or rather a film in the studio)

    June 9, 2023

    … And All That Yaz

    November 16, 2022

    Fivey at Forty: The First Companion Death of 1982

    March 16, 2022

    Sweet, not Effete

    April 5, 2025

    Arguably Arguable

    August 19, 2024

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (48→43)

    September 28, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (60→55)

    September 15, 2023

    The End of Enlightenment

    January 13, 2025

    What’s in a Number? Occasionally Everything

    November 23, 2024

    A Spot of Gray in a Sea of Color

    November 19, 2024

    ⅔ of a Magic Number, but None Too Shabby Either

    October 1, 2024

    The Truth That Supports the Lie

    March 15, 2025

    The Golden Sweep of Tom Baker Begins

    December 28, 2024

    Déjà Who, All Over Again

    February 8, 2024

    XCited for Tom

    January 27, 2024

    Living Day-to-Day with The Candy Man

    July 31, 2024

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (6→1)

    November 23, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (30→25)

    October 28, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (48→43)

    September 28, 2023

    The Night of the Precious Stones

    June 19, 2025

    Wish It All Away, and Back Again

    May 25, 2025

    Mark II of The Rani

    May 24, 2025

    Sold For a Song

    May 21, 2025
  • Monochrome
    1. Patrick Troughton
    2. William Hartnell
    3. View All

    Stock(s) Company

    September 9, 2024

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (18→13)

    November 13, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (24→19)

    November 10, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (36→31)

    October 12, 2023

    The TARDIS whirled on it’s way again…

    December 24, 2024

    Have a Feast @ Doctor Who’s Tragical History Tour!

    December 6, 2024

    Quarter Zip

    July 21, 2024

    Roll Without the Rock, or the Schlock

    July 15, 2024

    The Night of the Precious Stones

    June 19, 2025

    Wish It All Away, and Back Again

    May 25, 2025

    Mark II of The Rani

    May 24, 2025

    Sold For a Song

    May 21, 2025
  • Tour du Jour
    • On This Day in Doctor Who History
    • The House of Holmes
    • 60 for 60
    • 50 for 50
    • The Randomizer
    • THT Rand-o-pix of the Day
    • The Feast of Steven
    • Tour Notz
    • The Watcher
    • Contact the Tour
Doctor Who's Tragical History TourDoctor Who's Tragical History Tour
50 for 50 Tom Baker

50 for 50 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — #29

By -- DSWMay 8, 201303 Mins Read
Share
Twitter Tumblr

Aliens frozen in the permafrost. Plants that kill. Alien parasite infecting scientist. An evil sociopath who plays music to flowers. And Sarah Jane Smith getting all Mrs. Peel.

The Seeds of Doom, our Number 29, owes everything to the stories that it shamelessly borrows from. The Thing From Another World gives us the brilliantly realized Antarctic setting. The Krynoid and it’s pods is a direct nod to The Day of the Triffids. The infection of scientists by the very alien organism they are studying is pure The Quatermass Experiment. And the Doctor and “Miss Smith” are excessively violent in this one, and it comes across more like an episode of The Avengers at times (it should be noted that the author Robert Banks Stewart wrote an eerily similar episode of the Avengers called Man-Eater of Surrey Green  –DW). And Prince Charles was busy singing to plants at this time, so is Harrison Chase a parody of our future king? (Another debate for another time!)
The story is well constructed, with exciting locations like the Antarctic base and also gives us Tom Baker at his laconic best:

Harrison Chase: “What do you do for an encore, Doctor?”
The Doctor : “I win.”

Sarah Jane is in her best plucky companion mode here with, as mentioned, some very Emma Peel moments.

And it has a wonderfully eccentric villain in Harrison Chase. Apart from having a name that sounds like a setting for an American soap opera, he prefers the company of plants to humans and believes he needs to experiment on us and give us the best of all things fauna. He is wonderfully underplayed all the more chilling for it. And he plays a mean Hammond Organ.

The only real let down of The Seeds of Doom is the the fact that it features the last time we see UNIT for a very long time and it doesn’t feel quite right. No regulars are present and it makes you wonder why they even used UNIT at all.

But apart from this, The Seeds of Doom is a wonderful homage to all the great Science Fiction classics and does it with style and panache. Douglas Camfield’s direction is superb. The giant Krynoid enveloping the house is one that will remain with me forever.

The Day of the Thing From Another Experiment. What’s not to like?  — Steve

Alan’s #29 — The Enemy Within
Andy’s #29 — Logopolis
David’s #29 — The Ribos Operation

The Doctor may have a name, but the name of our game is #28, which comes next week.

Short Hops:

60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (12→7) 50 for 50 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — #9 50 for 50 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — #24
The Seeds of Doom 50 for 50 Tom Baker Elizabeth Sladen Logopolis The Ribos Operation The Enemy WIthin
Share. Twitter Tumblr
Previous ArticleGo Big Red!
Next Article 50 for 50 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — #28
THT Rand-o-Pix of the Day
THT Rand-o-Pix of the Day THT Rand-o-Pix of the Day
Gallery Gateway

David Tennant

Peter Davison

Paul McGann

Matt Smith

Jon Pertwee

Peter Capaldi

Christopher Eccleston

Richard E Grant

Tom Baker

Patrick Troughton

Jodie Whittaker

John Hurt

Sylvester McCoy

Jo Martin

Colin Baker

Ncuti Gatwa

William Hartnell

The Master List

THT on Instagram
THT Rand-o-Pix of the Day THT Rand-o-Pix of the Day
THT Rand-o-Pix of the Day THT Rand-o-Pix of the Day
THT Rand-o-Pix of the Day THT Rand-o-Pix of the Day
THT Rand-o-Pix of the Day THT Rand-o-Pix of the Day
THT Rand-o-Pix of the Day THT Rand-o-Pix of the Day
THT Rand-o-Pix of the Day THT Rand-o-Pix of the Day
THT Rand-o-Pix of the Day THT Rand-o-Pix of the Day
THT Rand-o-Pix of the Day THT Rand-o-Pix of the Day
THT Rand-o-Pix of the Day THT Rand-o-Pix of the Day
THT Rand-o-Pix of the Day THT Rand-o-Pix of the Day
Series 15 Dynamic Ratings Table
  1. 1. The Story & The Engine
  2. 2. The Well
  3. 3. The Interstellar Song Contest
  4. 4. Lucky Day
  5. 5. The Robot Revolution
  6. 6. Joy to the World
  7. 7. Lux
  8. 8. Wish World
  9. 9. The Reality War
On This Day in Doctor Who History

July 2025

Tuesday July 8

2006: Doomsday
Recurs yearly

Wednesday July 9

1966: The War Machines [3]
Recurs yearly

Thursday July 10

1965: The Time Meddler [2--The Meddling Monk]
Recurs yearly

Friday July 11

1964: The Sensorites [3--Hidden Danger]
Recurs yearly

Wednesday July 16

1966: The War Machines [4]
Recurs yearly

Thursday July 17

1965: The Time Meddler [3--A Battle of Wits]
Recurs yearly

Friday July 18

1964: The Sensorites [4--A Race Against Death]
Recurs yearly

Thursday July 24

1965: The Time Meddler [4--Checkmate]
Recurs yearly

Friday July 25

1964: The Sensorites [5--Kidnap]
Recurs yearly

August 2025

Friday August 1

1964: The Sensorites [6--A Desperate Venture]
Recurs yearly

Friday August 8

1964: The Reign of Terror [1--A Land of Fear]
Recurs yearly

Sunday August 10

1968: The Dominators [1]
Recurs yearly

Friday August 15

1964: The Reign of Terror [2--Guests of Madame Guillotine]
Recurs yearly

Sunday August 17

1968: The Dominators [2]
Recurs yearly

Friday August 22

1964: The Reign of Terror [3--A Change of Identity]
Recurs yearly
Random Thoughts

Yer’Classic Lark

By -- DSWSeptember 9, 2012 Tour Updates 1 Min Read

The Dark Jacket Dimension

By -- DSWNovember 13, 2021 Roundel Roundabouts 3 Mins Read

11/23/2007 – 10th Anniversary

By -- DSWNovember 23, 2007 Tour Updates 1 Min Read
X (Twitter) Instagram Tumblr RSS
Last Ten Updated Galleries
  1. ► The Ncuti Gatwa Miscellany
  2. ► Ncuti Gatwa -- Who Not Who!
  3. ► Varada Sethu -- Who Not Who!
  4. ► Millie Gibson -- Who Not Who!
  5. ► Wish World
  6. ► The Interstellar Song Contest
  7. ► The Story and the Engine
  8. ► Lucky Day
  9. ► The Well
  10. ► The Robot Revolution
Tour Categories
  • Tour Updates (486)
  • New Who for You (189)
  • Roundel Roundabouts (241)
  • Tangential Tardis (41)
  • HD Re-classic-ation (45)
  • Modern Recap-itulation (46)
  • Classic Capitology (101)
  • Who Not Who! (43)
  • Xmas Marks the Spot (86)
  • 60 for 60 (11)
  • 50 for 50 (58)
  • Off the Reservation (16)
  • Ncuti Gatwa (24)
  • Jodie Whittaker (46)
  • Peter Capaldi (91)
  • Matt Smith (121)
  • David Tennant (126)
  • Christopher Eccleston (38)
  • John Hurt (14)
  • Paul McGann (28)
  • Sylvester McCoy (40)
  • Colin Baker (40)
  • Peter Davison (71)
  • Tom Baker (107)
  • Jon Pertwee (67)
  • Patrick Troughton (68)
  • William Hartnell (88)
  • Richard E Grant (7)
  • Jo Martin (3)
  • Series 15 (8)
  • Series 14 (20)
  • Series 13 (16)
  • Series 12 (13)
  • Series 11 (9)
  • Series 10 (21)
  • Series 9 (17)
  • Series 8 (25)
  • Series 7 (17)
  • Series 6 (20)
  • Series 5 (14)
  • Series 4 (25)
  • Series 3 (9)
  • Series 2 (15)
  • Series 1 (19)

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.