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The Stones of Blood is the third part in the "Key to Time" story arc that comprised the 16th season of the BBC's long-running Doctor Who series, but it also marks the program's 15th anniversary and the Time Lord's 100th adventure. And as befitting such an occasion, the four-part serial is solid science fiction entertainment with a heavy dose of mystery and supernatural suspense. The Doctor (Tom Baker) and his Time Lady assistant Romana (Mary Tamm) arrive in modern-day Cornwall in pursuit of the third piece to the Key to Time, and encounter a druid cult conducting blood sacrifices to a Celtic goddess at an ancient stone circle known as the Nine Travellers. The circle and the goddess are not what they seem, and the Doctor must travel into hyperspace to rescue Romana from an insidious alien force. Baker and Tamm's charismatic performances and atmospheric direction (which makes fine use of the Oxfordshire locations) by Darrol Blake (helming his first Who episode) help to make this serial a satisfying one for fans of the series and the Baker episodes in particular. --Paul Gaita
Description
The TARDIS lands on Earth close to the Nine Travellers, an ancient stone circle. Professor Amelia Rumford and her associate Vivien Fay, who are studying the stones, explain that whenever the circle has been surveyed, the number of stones has changed. Also interested in the circle are a group of druids-dedicated followers of the Cailleach, the Celtic goddess of war, death and magic-who are prepared to perform human sacrifice to satisfy her demands for blood. The Doctor soon learns that there is more to the Nine Travellers, the Cailleach, and the druids than meets the eye. How can the stones apparently move around the countryside? Why has the area around the circle always been owned by a woman? After Romana discovers the true identity of the evil Cailleach, the Doctor finds that he must travel into hyperspace to solve the mystery of the Nine Travellers and save his companion from the blood-hungry alien life-forms known as the Ogri. DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Biographies
Photo gallery
Production Notes
(Review copyright Amazon.co.uk)