90.75%

Dripping with atmosphere, this is one of those stories that truly deserves the title of classic. It is well written, well directed and well-acted. I have come across the odd criticism here and there - one person found it hard to accept that Sutekh was a formidable opponent, still another thought the ending was a bit of a cheat. Endings are hard to write at the best of times, especially if the story structure builds towards a crescendo. Still, I think it works and shudder at the thought of a movie-budget version. I'm sure the temptation then would have been for some huge battle with plenty of explosions.

Not to put too fine a point on it, I enjoyed this story first time around and it lived up to expectations when I saw it again some 11 years later. Viewing it again and again over the past 15 years have not diminished it in anyway. Instead I have come to enjoy its consistency and brilliance. There are touches that elevate Pyramids of Mars above the average but there is far more to the story than moments. A good example is George Tovey (Ernie Clements in the story), though a minor player he still manages to turn in wonderful performances from his first encounter with the energy barrier through to his demise. It is well crafted and is a fine addition to the series.

It is interesting to note, the Doctor mentions being blamed for starting the great fire of London. Whether by design or an act of serendipity (the more likely option) the Doctor is indeed the cuplrit, as revealed in The Visitation.