Sil and the Devil Seeds of Arodor

Cheap Sets, Bad Acting, Terrible Makeup. Not an official spin off but a independent one using the character of Sil who was in two stories in the 80's. This was only made to take advantage of Doctor Who fans who didn't like the last series and will accept anything. They've been doing this for years at this point. Watch the Old Lady sitting in a chair reading lines of Devil's End to see what else they've been doing with other licenses.

First and foremost, this is a series that is targeted towards fans of the classic era of Doctor Who, especially the 80's and Sil himself. Simply put, if you don't care for Doctor Who, the classic series, or Sil himself, this is not the series for you.

Now that the explanation that shouldn't have to be stated (but sadly has to be given how most mainstream audiences view things),I have to say that I am really impressed with this series. If I'm being completely honest, I went into this expecting nothing more than a cheesy B-film I could do nothing but tear holes in and laugh at, but what I received was a stellar script and cast, only limited by a lack of resources. The best way to describe it is that it was like watching a recording of a stage performance rather than a TV show or movie, and when I think of it in those terms I'm a bit more impressed with the costuming and set, not to mention the CGI for the city, which may not be what you'd see in a cinema, but is above par for most lower budget projects like this one.

Not only is it light years ahead of other Doctor Who spin-offs released by Reeltime (Wartime, Daemos Rising, and The White Witch of Devil's End just to name a few), but in my opinion, it was genuinely better than the average episode of Doctor Who in the classic or modern era.

What it lacks in costuming or special effects (given that it is a company with a lower budget), it very quickly makes up for in its writing, and the acting is surprisingly convincing for the most part. The actions, reactions, motives, and strategies in court not only make sense in the universe of the series and for Sil himself, but is pretty sound for real life more or less.

While it may not be the film of the year, the cast and crew should feel nothing but pride when they think of Sil and the Devil Seeds of Arodor. At the end of the day, the only thing that's missing is an appearance from Colin Baker and his technicolor dream coat.

If you're looking for a deep plot or heavy emotional storyline then this isn't the film for you however if you go into this expecting a retro, 80's Doctor Who like experience then this is the film for you. It has the same runtime as an 80's Doctor who, is divided into four "episodes" and is full of Rubery monster goodness. I would definitely recommend to old school Doctor Who fans.

It was great fun seeing Sil at it again. There are some real fun lines. I was a little surprised that it was as good as it is. I remember the quality of the spin-offs in the late 80s and early 90s and they have really advanced the genre.

A fun excursion back into classic Sci-Fi with Sil, allowing for a new perspective on the possibilities within the worlds of Doctor Who.

I was taken aback by the quality of the FX makeup on Mistress Na and Sil. Indeed, Mr. Shaban has never looked better in the role.

Easily the most ambitious production for an independent spin-off. Determined to rise above any of their limitations. Keith Barnfather and his entire crew should be very proud of themselves.

These films are of course never without their flaws but in this production's case it has something of the ultimate "get out of jail free" card; the script is to the same standard as Sil's previous stories and the sets are (broadly) to the same.