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The picture quality is excellent; the sound quality is excellent.
When the TARDIS grinds to an abrupt halt, in between star systems, it looks as if the Doctor and Peri's travelling days have come to a dull end. The TARDIS' supply of Zeiton 7, a vital element which enables the TARDIS to function has run out, without it they are stranded for the rest of their lives. The only solution is to use what little power remains to visit Varos, one of the few planets where they can obtain Zeiton 7.
What the Doctor and Peri find on Varos horrifies them: a former penal colony where little has changed for the descendants. There are the guards who enjoy a good lifestyle (excerpt for the one who is elected Governor); and there are the citizens who must follow every rule without question. They must vote without question, watch TV without question, and must never question the lifestyle of the guards. Those who do are sent into the Punishment Dome where they must survive the various dangers within and make their way to the final area and safety. Except that no-one has ever reached the safe area, if it even exists. Their struggles against the menaces of the Punishment Dome are televised and the citizens sit and watch, enjoying the life and death struglles but also fearing that they may end up in the Dome too unless they obey the rules.
The Doctor and Peri join Jondar, a rebel sent into the Punishment Dome, and his wife as they try to escape the dangers, knowing that their every move is being watched and broadcast. Among the watchers is Sil, a merchant negotiating for Varos' wealth of Zeiton 7, but he intends to get the ore as cheaply as he can and does not care who suffers in the process.
REVIEW BY
(d) D.S.Carlin