Doctor Who The Space Pirates: Episode 4 (1963–1989) watch online HD

Review of all 6 episodes:

This story is one of the lower points of Doctor Who for me. It does not have a reputation as a great story but according to many commentators it is reasonably OK. In my opinion though it is surely one of the 20 weakest entries in the series first 50 years. Bear in mind that I am comparing it to the immensely high standards of what I think is one of the finest TV series of all time. This story is not terrible compared to the average TV show or even the average science fiction show - compared to a lot of dross on TV this is reasonably acceptable. For Doctor Who though this is very disappointing. Mostly it is the cheesy delivery of dialogue with often unimpressive American accents and some weak performances. As well as that the story lacks any real excitement or cleverness. I was a bit bored at times.

This is a 'space opera' similar to some 60s Star Trek, based around Western motifs. It has 'Space Pirates' who are like bandits, a mining company and an old prospector type, 'Milo Clancey', who some fans see as a fun and interesting character. I see him as an embarrassment with his dodgy accent, over the top acting and poor, sometimes laughable delivery of strange Western style dialogue. There is nothing of great quality or interest in any of the guest characters. The acting and direction is pretty poor by Doctor Who's standards. One thing which is of good quality according to what evidence remains is the special effects. Almost Gerry Anderson style space ships and space stations all done very well giving some great visuals. The story and script are OK, if unexceptional, but the delivery by the actors is what makes it dull and really cheesy.

Apart from the good effects, this is in my opinion one of the weaker stories in the series' rich history.

My Ratings: Episodes 1, 4 and 6 - 4/10, Episodes 2 & 5 - 4.5/10, Episode 3 - 3/10

Overall: 4/10