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Posted: |
Mar 31, 2011 - 2:21 PM
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By: |
johnjohnson
(Member)
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2|Entertain have sent DWO the cover and details for the 9th May Doctor Who DVD Box-set release of Mannequin Mania.
Spearhead from Space
The Doctor is exiled to Earth in the late 20th Century by his own people - the Time Lords. The newly regenerated Doctor finds himself in Oxley Woods alongside a shower of mysterious meteorites.
Investigating these unusual occurrences is the newly-formed United Nations Intelligence Taskfoce led by Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart. UNIT are soon called into action when people and meteorites start going missing but puzzling of all is the attempted kidnapping of a strange hospital patient - a man with two hearts, who insists that he knows the Brigadier... The new Doctor soon joins forces with his old friends, UNIT and the recently recruited Dr Liz Shaw, but time is running out.
Special Features:
• Two Commentaries – One with actors Caroline John and Nicholas Courtney and another with producer Derrick Sherwin and script editor Terrance Dicks.
• Down to Earth – Cast and crew look back at the making of this story and how a strike at the BBC studios inadvertently created the only classic series story to be made entirely on film. With actor Jon Pertwee, producers Derrick Sherwin and Barry Letts, script editor Terrance Dicks, costume designer Christine Rawlins and assistant script editor (and inadvertent Auton actor) Robin Squire. Narrated by Carl Kennedy.
• Regenerations - From Black and White to Colour – ‘Spearhead from Space’ marked not only the arrival of a new Doctor but also the transition from black and white to colour. This documentary looks at the challenges faced by programme makers during this period. With actors Frazer Hines and Wendy Padbury, producer Derrick Sherwin, script editor Terrance Dicks, directors Timothy Combe, Christopher Barry and Michael Ferguson, designer Roger Cheveley and graphic designer Bernard Lodge.
• UNIT Recruitment Film (dur. 4’ 48”) – a spoof army recruitment film put together for BBC transmission during Doctor Who’s 30th anniversary celebrations in 1993.
• Trailers – two trailers for the 1999 BBC2 transmission of the story and for ‘Doctor Who Night’from the same year.?• Photo Gallery - production, design and publicity photos from the story.
• Coming Soon - a trailer for a forthcoming DVD release.
• Radio Times Listings in Adobe PDF format.
Terror of the Autons
Earth is in terrible danger. The Master has arrived with an evil scheme to destroy humanity and silence the Doctor forever by awakening the awesome power of the Nestene - a ruthlessly aggressive alien life form. With their control over all types of plastic, they form into faceless automatons, a willing army of destruction easily controlled by the evil Time Lord himself.
Aided by the Brigadier and his enthusiastic new assistant, Jo Grant, only the Doctor can combat their evil power, but this is easier said than done when every plastic doll, phone flex, or chair can be turned against him. First, however, he must defeat the Master.
Special Features:
• Commentary - With actors Katy Manning and Nicolas Courtney, producer Barry Letts.
• Life on Earth – In this documentary, cast and crew look back at the making of the story and the differences in the way Doctor Who was made in the seventies compared to now. With actors Jon Pertwee, Katy Manning and Richard Franklin, producer Barry Letts, script editor Terrance Dicks and new series producer Phil Collinson.
• The Doctor’s Moriarty– with the introduction of the Master, the Doctor now had his very own Moriarty, who would be the dark figure behind every story in season eight, and many more beyond that. This featurette discusses the enduring appeal of the character. With actor Katy Manning, producer Barry Letts, script editors Terrance Dicks and Christopher H Bidmead and writers Robert Shearman and Joe Lidster.
• Plastic Fantastic – how did the writers of Doctor Who and other programmes take something as everyday as plastic and turn it against us? With writers Francesca Gavin, Robert Shearman and new series designer Matthew Savage.
• Photo Gallery - production, design and publicity photos from the story.
• Coming Soon - a trailer for a forthcoming DVD release.
• Radio Times Listings and promotional material for Sugar Smacks and Nestle products in Adobe PDF format.
+ Mannequin Mania is released on 9th May 2011, priced £30.63
http://news.drwho-online.co.uk/
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Posted: |
Apr 1, 2011 - 12:30 PM
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By: |
johnjohnson
(Member)
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Recently we've posted news stories concerning BBC/Warner announcements for DVD releases of classic-show titles Doctor Who - Story #132: The Awakening (Peter Davison's 5th Doctor), Doctor Who - Story #025: The Gunfighters (William Hartnell's 1st Doctor), and Doctor Who - Story #149: Paradise Towers (Sylvester McCoy's 7th Doctor). Today we've got an update for you about all three of these! The first part is simple: in our most recent report about the July releases of The Gunfighters and The Awakening, we mentioned that there were conflicting dates provided by the studio: one said the 5th and the other said the 12th. We've now confirmed that both those titles will be out on July 12th.
In our more recent Paradise Towers story, we had a preliminary cobbled-together list of possible bonus material for that August 9th title. But now the BBC has provided their official list of extras for this title, and we've got that for you below. One significant item we've noticed is missing from the formal studio-provided roster of supplements is the "Choice of the "As-Aired" Score (by Keff McCulloch) or the Rejected Score which it replaced (by David Snell) "; it's a shame if this rumor has turned out to be incorrect. Ah, well...stuff happens! Here's the official list of special features for Paradise Towers:
Audio Commentary
Horror on the High Rise
Casting Sylvester
Deleted and Extended Scenes
Continuity
Girls! Girls! Girls! - The Eighties
Photo Gallery
PDF materials: Radio Times Listings
Production Note Subtitles
Digitally remastered picture and sound quality
Finally, we now have large 3D package art for all three titles, where previously we had only had it for The Awakening. Here's all three of them for you below. And before we go, on a completely side note we would like to offer our congrats to David Tennant (the 10th Doctor) and Georgia Moffett ("Jenny" in "The Doctor's Daughter"; "Cassie" in "Dreamland") on the birth of their daughter, Olivia. Further congrats to Georgia's dad, Peter Davison (the 5th Doctor) on having a granddaughter to celebrate...a very happy occasion!
http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Doctor-Awakening-Gunfighters-ParadiseTowers/15199
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2|Entertain have sent DWO the cover and details for the 30th May Doctor Who DVD release of Frontios.
As a strange force takes hold of the TARDIS, the Doctor and his friends find themselves grounded on the inhospitable planet of Frontios, where the last survivors of the human race sc ratch out a desperate existence far away from their long dead home planet.
The colonists are gripped by fear and paranoia as the planet is battered by attacks from space and they watch as the bodies of their dead are sucked into the ground. But the Doctor only appreciates the true gravity of the situation when he finds that the TARDIS has been destroyed...
Special Features:
• Commentary - With actors Peter Davison, Jeff Rawle and John Gillett, script editor Eric Saward and special sounds designer Dick Mills.
• Driven to Distractation – cast and crew look back at the making of ‘Frontios’. With actors Peter Davison, Mark Strickson, Jeff Rawle and John Gillett, script editors Christopher H. Bidmead and Eric Saward, and designer David Buckingham. Narrated by Paul Jones.
• Deleted and Extended Scenes – a chance to see scenes that were cut during editing, many of which are presented before post-production effects had been added.
• Photo Gallery - production, design and publicity photos from the story.
• Isolated Music – option to watch the episodes with the isolated music score.
• Coming Soon - a trailer for a forthcoming DVD release.
• Radio Times Listings in Adobe PDF format.
• Programme subtitles.
• Subtitle Production Notes.
http://news.drwho-online.co.uk/Frontios-DVD-Cover-and-Details.aspx
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2|Entertain have announced release dates for DVDs coming up in the next few months. As well as other recently listed stories, the schedule indicates Earthstory - the boxed set featuring The Awakening and The Gunfighters - for 20th June, followed by Paradise Towers on 18th July, The Sun Makers on 1st August, and Day of the Daleks on 12th September.
http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2011/04/dwn080411125508-uk-dvd-release-update.html
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Posted: |
Apr 20, 2011 - 4:35 PM
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By: |
Jim Phelps
(Member)
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Doctor Who - 'Story #095: The Sun Makers' DVD Announced; Rest In Peace 'Sarah Jane'
The classic 4th Doctor story comes in August, on the same date as 'Paradise Towers'
Posted by David Lambert
4/20/2011
A few weeks ago we brought you the BBC/Warner announcement that Doctor Who - Story #149: Paradise Towers would be coming to DVD in North America on August 9th. Now the studios have announced what the companion title will be on that release date, and it's Tom Baker's 4th Doctor in the classic story Doctor Who - Story #095: The Sun Makers.
Besides Baker, this production also stars Louise Jameson as companion "Leela" and John Leeson as the voice of companion "K-9". The director was Pennant Roberts, who passed away last year but had previously recorded a commentary track with Baker, Jameson and Michael Keating ("Goudry") for this eventual DVD release, so it ought to be included among the extras (see below). Other people involved with this story arc have also passed away within the past year, unfortunately; two which come to mind immediately as I look at the cast list are Richard Leech ("Hade") and Colin McCormack ("The Commander").
And we would be remiss here if we failed to mention that yesterday we lost one of the most beloved actors in all the history of the Doctor Who franchise. As you may already have heard, Elisabeth Sladen died of cancer yesterday at age 63. She played, of course, "Sarah Jane Smith" in Doctor Who for the 3rd Doctor (Jon Pertwee) and the 4th Doctor (Tom Baker, though not in the serial whose DVD release we're discussing today). She reappeared in the role for the attempted spin-off series K-9 and Company, returned for the 5th Doctor special story "The Five Doctors" and again for the 30th Anniversary special Dimensions in Time.
When the revived program reached its second season, Elisabeth Sladen's "Sarah Jane" (and K-9, too!) reappeared once more in the episode "School Reunion", where the 10th Doctor urged her to continue saving the planet. This led to her spin-off show, The Sarah Jane Adventures, and various cross-overs where she appeared in Who and the 10th and 11th Doctors (and also The Brigadier and Jo Grant!) have appeared in her show. Four complete seasons of TSJA have aired, and the production was halfway through the fifth series (season) when Sladen became too ill to continue. Many people have given their tributes to Lis Sladen, but in my opinion none could be more touching than Tom Baker's. Godspeed, Elisabeth Sladen...we'll miss you!
Doctor Who - Story #095: The Sun Makers (Tom Baker as the 4th Doctor)
1 disc, approx. 100 minutes, 4 episodes, full frame video, English mono audio, English subtitles, $24.98 SRP
The TARDIS arrives in the future on the planet Pluto where there are now six suns, a breathable atmosphere and a large industrial community. The workers are being exploited by The Company and the Doctor and Leela join forces with a band of rebels to fight the oppressors.
Extras, per our friends at DoctorWhoNews.net (probably not the complete, final list):
Audio Commentary with Tom Baker, Louise Jameson and Michael Keating and Director Pennant Roberts
TX Trail
Running from the Tax Man: Documentary
Doctor's Composer: Dudley Simpson
Package art is not yet available for Doctor Who - Story #095: The Sun Makers, but stay tuned and we'll bring it to you just as soon as we're able!
http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Doctor-The-Sun-Makers/15283
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Posted: |
Apr 21, 2011 - 7:59 PM
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By: |
johnjohnson
(Member)
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Doctor Who - 'Story #095: The Sun Makers' DVD Announced; Rest In Peace 'Sarah Jane'
The classic 4th Doctor story comes in August, on the same date as 'Paradise Towers'
Posted by David Lambert
4/20/2011
A few weeks ago we brought you the BBC/Warner announcement that Doctor Who - Story #149: Paradise Towers would be coming to DVD in North America on August 9th. Now the studios have announced what the companion title will be on that release date, and it's Tom Baker's 4th Doctor in the classic story Doctor Who - Story #095: The Sun Makers.
Besides Baker, this production also stars Louise Jameson as companion "Leela" and John Leeson as the voice of companion "K-9". The director was Pennant Roberts, who passed away last year but had previously recorded a commentary track with Baker, Jameson and Michael Keating ("Goudry") for this eventual DVD release, so it ought to be included among the extras (see below). Other people involved with this story arc have also passed away within the past year, unfortunately; two which come to mind immediately as I look at the cast list are Richard Leech ("Hade") and Colin McCormack ("The Commander").
And we would be remiss here if we failed to mention that yesterday we lost one of the most beloved actors in all the history of the Doctor Who franchise. As you may already have heard, Elisabeth Sladen died of cancer yesterday at age 63. She played, of course, "Sarah Jane Smith" in Doctor Who for the 3rd Doctor (Jon Pertwee) and the 4th Doctor (Tom Baker, though not in the serial whose DVD release we're discussing today). She reappeared in the role for the attempted spin-off series K-9 and Company, returned for the 5th Doctor special story "The Five Doctors" and again for the 30th Anniversary special Dimensions in Time.
When the revived program reached its second season, Elisabeth Sladen's "Sarah Jane" (and K-9, too!) reappeared once more in the episode "School Reunion", where the 10th Doctor urged her to continue saving the planet. This led to her spin-off show, The Sarah Jane Adventures, and various cross-overs where she appeared in Who and the 10th and 11th Doctors (and also The Brigadier and Jo Grant!) have appeared in her show. Four complete seasons of TSJA have aired, and the production was halfway through the fifth series (season) when Sladen became too ill to continue. Many people have given their tributes to Lis Sladen, but in my opinion none could be more touching than Tom Baker's. Godspeed, Elisabeth Sladen...we'll miss you!
Doctor Who - Story #095: The Sun Makers (Tom Baker as the 4th Doctor)
1 disc, approx. 100 minutes, 4 episodes, full frame video, English mono audio, English subtitles, $24.98 SRP
The TARDIS arrives in the future on the planet Pluto where there are now six suns, a breathable atmosphere and a large industrial community. The workers are being exploited by The Company and the Doctor and Leela join forces with a band of rebels to fight the oppressors.
Extras, per our friends at DoctorWhoNews.net (probably not the complete, final list):
Audio Commentary with Tom Baker, Louise Jameson and Michael Keating and Director Pennant Roberts
TX Trail
Running from the Tax Man: Documentary
Doctor's Composer: Dudley Simpson
Package art is not yet available for Doctor Who - Story #095: The Sun Makers, but stay tuned and we'll bring it to you just as soon as we're able!
http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Doctor-The-Sun-Makers/15283
Michael Keating, who plays one of the rebels, was subsequently to star as a series regular in Blake's 7. He also appeared in the audio play The Twilight Kingdom as Major Koth and in Year of the Pig as Inspector Chardalot. Louise Jameson stated in the DVD commentary of The Talons of Weng-Chiang that this was her favourite serial.
Part Two contains a rare false cliffhanger, where Cordo, Bisham, Leela and K-9 spot an oncoming guard vehicle and Cordo says, "It's no good, they've seen us." The reprise at the beginning of Part Three omits Cordo's remark, and continues with Leela ordering K-9 to hide, allowing it to easily disable the guards.
Leela refers to her tribe, the Sevateem, seen in The Face of Evil. The Company computer correctly guesses the etymology of the name.
The Usurians are aware of the Time Lords and Gallifrey, having graded the former as "Grade 3" in their "latest market survey."
Robert Holmes intended the serial to be a satire of his own experiences with the Inland Revenue services. However, much of the political content was toned down by order of producer Graham Williams, who feared it would be controversial among viewers. Many of the letters and numbers used to denote the labyrinth of corridors in the city, for example P45, allude to well-known tax and Governmental forms. The actor who played the Gatherer had deep bushy eyebrows, very reminiscent of the then-Chancellor of the Exchequer, Denis Healey. However, Holmes presented the villains of the piece as working for a private corporation rather than a government.
Some of the features of this serial bear a striking resemblance to the film Soylent Green, including the 'deathday' and the tax refund being based on the weight at the time of death, or the capability for 'recycling'.
Near the end of Part Two, when prompted by Mandrel for a story, the Doctor begins, "Once upon a time, there were three sisters ..." mirroring the same story he started telling Sarah Jane Smith near the end of Part Three in The Android Invasion.
The Doctor refers to Galileo Galilei in passing, saying "Galileo will be pleased."
When one of the rebels rhetorically asks the Doctor, "What have we got to lose?" he replies, "Only your claims!" This is a playful paraphrase of the famous slogan derived from the last lines of The Communist Manifesto.
K-9 refers to Pluto as "the ninth planet." It was regarded as such at the time the programme was written and broadcast; in 2006, Pluto lost that distinction when it was downgraded to the status of dwarf planet.
This story is echoed in The Simpsons episode Treehouse of Horror X in which Comic Book Guy's alter ego "The Collector" kidnaps the Fourth Doctor for his collection.
In this episode, Leela and the Doctor are identified as "terrorists." In real life, Leela's character was partially based on Palestinian terrorist Leila Khaled.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sun_Makers
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Posted: |
Apr 22, 2011 - 5:48 PM
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By: |
johnjohnson
(Member)
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This past Wednesday saw the BBC/Warner announcement that Doctor Who - Story #095: The Sun Makers (starring Tom Baker as the 4th Doctor) will be out on DVD in North America on August 9th, the same day they are releasing Doctor Who - Story #149: Paradise Towers (with Sylvester McCoy's 7th Doctor). At the time we didn't have the package art for The Sun Makers, and only had a preliminary list of bonus material. Now the BBC has provided us with both a picture of the box, and a complete list of all the extras. Both of those are found below.
On a side note: quite a bit of appeal for tomorrow's Series 6 season debut with Matt Smith as the 11th Doctor ("The Impossible Astronaut") is that in this two-part story we're supposed to find out more about who "River Song" really is. She's played wonderfully by Alex Kingston, known to most of us for her longtime role as ER's surgeon, "Dr. Elizabeth Corday". In case you would like to see Kingston in quite a different role, from just prior to the time she joined ER, then we wanted to mention our story today about a new DVD release of The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders. Kingston plays the title role in the mini-series based on Daniel Defoe's classic book, and co-stars include Casino Royale's "007", Daniel Craig, and The Avengers' "Emma Peel", Diana Rigg. It's not at all a story for the kids, but we thought it was worth mentioning!
Here is that list of special features for Story #095: The Sun Makers, followed by the packaging. You can now pre-order this title from Amazon.com at a discount, and lock in your copy!
Audio Commentary
Running from the Tax Man
Outtakes
Original BBC1 Trailer
The Doctor's Composer - Part Two
Photo Gallery
PDF materials: Radio Times Listings
Production Note Subtitles
Digitally remastered picture and sound quality
http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Doctor-The-Sun-Makers/15301
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Doctor Who Magazine has issued a provisional schedule for the remaining stories to be released in the classic Doctor Who DVD range.
There are 24 stories still existing which are not yet available on DVD, all of which should be released by the show's 50th anniversary in 2013.
2011
•June - The Gunfighters
•June - The Awakening
•July - Paradise Towers
•August - The Sun Makers
•September - Day of the Daleks
2012
•The Sensorites
•Planet of the Giants
•The Reign of Terror
4/6 episodes still exist
•The Krotons
•Death to the Daleks
•Terror of the Zygons
•The Android Invasion
•The Face of Evil
•Nightmare of Eden
•Dragonfire
•The Happiness Patrol
•The Greatest Show in the Galaxy
Unplaced
•The Tenth Planet
3/4 episodes exist
•The Ice Warriors
3/6 episodes exist
•The Ambassadors of Death
Requires extensive restoration
•The Mind of Evil
Currently exists in Black and White only
•Colony in Space
•The Daemons
•Invasion of the Dinosaurs
Part One exists in Black and White Only
http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2011/05/dwn030511125312-dvd-schedule-update.html
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Posted: |
May 20, 2011 - 6:52 AM
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By: |
johnjohnson
(Member)
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Last October we passed along word that the folks at BBC Video and DVD producers 2|entertain's had revealed that in 2011 they would release the classic story Doctor Who - Story #060: Day of the Daleks, in a "special edition" DVD release. Today the BBC and North American distributor Warner Home Video have revealed that the specific street date for this story is September 13th, at a cost of $34.98 SRP for a 2-disc title.
The 4-episode story arc, running approximately 96 minutes long, stars Jon Pertwee as the 3rd Doctor, Katy Manning as Jo Grant, and Nicholas Courtney as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. Reports around the 'net say that this "Special Edition" release will include a version with new video special effect, and new audio that includes updated audio effects AND new voices for the Daleks, by current Doctor Who Dalek voice actor Nicholas Briggs. Also, according to the folks at the "Doctor Who Online" fansite, you can expect to see the following bonus material:
Blasting Past documentary
Blue Peter
Cheating Memory documentary
Nationwide: Win A Dalek
UNIT: Dating Conundrum
View From the Gallery
New FX - Making-Of
Day of the Daleks teaser trailer, cut exclusively for the "Now and Then" Doctor Who Appreciation Society ("DWAS") event
Online teaser promo
Package art isn't available yet, nor is there word so far of a companion classic Doctor Who DVD release for the same month (all throughout 2011, USA/Canadian classic Who DVD titles have been released, or announced for release, in pairs for the same street date). Stay tuned, however, and we'll update you as soon as we can!
http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Doctor-Day-of-the-Daleks/15409
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The folks at the Twitter account for Classic Doctor Who (@classicdw) have been busy tweeting yesterday and today, breaking the news that a DVD release of Doctor Who - Story #008: The Reign of Terror, which is in the works for next year, will have "missing eps to be animated for DVD". Fans of the original program that collect the DVD releases will recall that this was previously done with a 2007 title, Doctor Who - Story #046 The Invasion. That one was with the 2nd Doctor, Patrick Troughton, but Reign of Terror - the story about the TARDIS materializing during the darkest period in French history - features the 1st Doctor (William Hartnell) and companions "Susan" (Carole), "Barbara" (Jacqueline Hill) and "Ian" (William Russell).
The 6-episode story arc was originally broadcast in 1964, and the tapes containing this entire production was wiped/junked on BBC order in the '70s. Overseas copies of episodes 1, 2, 3, and 6 were later located and have been remastered, restored, but episodes 4 ("The Tyrant of France") and 5 ("A Bargain of Necessity") remain unfound. So according to one tweet yesterday, the BBC and 2|entertain has commissioned Theta-Sigma/Thetamation and Big Finish Studios to take the existing audio (lovingly saved from the broadcasts on tape recorders by fansall these years!) and restore/remaster it, and marry it up to new animation that will re-create the scenes of the live-action broadcast. They also have said that Mark Ayres, of the Doctor Who Restoration Team, will be involved.
By now are you wondering what the results will look like? @ClassicDW tweeted a character study image (shown below) that gives us an idea of how this will look. A good start, in my opinion.
http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Doctor-The-Reign-Of-Terror/15469
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Posted: |
Jun 10, 2011 - 6:38 AM
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By: |
johnjohnson
(Member)
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The BBC and distributor Warner Home Video has announced that Doctor Who - Story #091: Talons of Weng-Chiang: Special Edition, a newly remastered version of the story arc previously released on DVD in 2003, will come home to the USA and Canada on October 11th. You'll get 6 episodes starring Tom Baker as the 4th Doctor and Louise Jameson as companion Leela. Cost is $34.98 SRP. While the studio hasn't announced finalized details yet, reports from our friends at DoctorWhoNews.net say this will be a 3-disc set that largely will have the same bonus material as the previous set, but also new extras on a new disc that include these Featurettes: "The Last Hurrah" (Tom Baker and Philip Hinchcliffe), "Moving On", "The Foe from the Future", "Now & Then", "Look East", "Victoriana and Chinoiserie", "Music Hall" and "Limehouse: A Victorian Chinatown". Full-size package art isn't available yet, but retailers were sent the thumbnail seen on the right. In the U.K., this title was part of a "Revisitations" box set, but in the USA and Canada the titles will each be sold separately. Doctor Who - The Movie: Special Edition came out earlier this year, but Doctor Who - Story #136: The Caves Of Androzani: Special Edition has yet to be announced for North America. We'll let you know when it is, however; stay tuned for updates!
http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Doctor-Talons-of-Weng-Chiang-Special-Edition/15492
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Posted: |
Jun 10, 2011 - 6:54 AM
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By: |
johnjohnson
(Member)
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2|Entertain have sent DWO the cover and details for the Doctor Who DVD release of Paradise Towers.
Paradise Towers
Featuring: Sylvester McCoy as The 7th Doctor
Mel wants to go swimming and, as the TARDIS pool has been jettisoned due to a leak, Paradise Towers seems to fit the bill. However, when she and the Doctor arrive, instead of the bright squares and charming cloisters the brochure promised, they find dark, rat-infested corridors full of uncontrollable cleaning machines, undisciplined street gangs and over-worked and belligerent caretakers. Some of the residents seem to be disappearing in mysterious circumstances, too.
What has caused such terrible decay? How could such perfect accommodation have become so rundown and dangerous? And why do the street-wise Kangs, apathetic caretakers, sinister Rezzies and Pex – the self-appointed warrior who puts the world of Paradise Towers to rights – all fear whatever terrible force dwells in the basement? Only the unpredictable Chief Caretaker knows what is down there – and the real secret behind the disappearances…
Special Features:
• Commentary – with actress Judy Cornwell, writer Stephen Wyatt, special sounds supervisor Dick Mills and moderated by Mark Ayres.
• Horror on the High Rise – Doctor Who composer Mark Ayres presents a look at the making of Paradise Towers. With actors Richard Briers, Howard Cooke and Catherine Cusack, writer Stephen Wyatt, script editor Andrew Cartmel, original score composer David Snell and replacement score composer Keff McCulloch.
• Deleted and Extended Scenes – deleted and extended scenes from the first edit of the story.
• Continuity – continuity announcements from the story’s original transmission.
• Girls! Girls! Girls! – The Eighties – three actresses who played companions in the 1980s – Sophie Aldred, Janet Fielding and Sarah Sutton – discuss the trials and tribulations of being a Doctor Who girl. Introduced by Peter Purves.
• Casting Sylvester – Jigsaw producer Clive Doig explains his relationship with Sylvester McCoy and his role in the actor’s casting as the Seventh Doctor.
• Photo Gallery – production, design and publicity photos from the story.
• Coming Soon – a trailer for a forthcoming DVD release.
• Radio Times Listings in Adobe PDF format.
• Programme subtitles.
• Subtitle Production Notes.
+ Paradise Towers is released on 18th July 2011, priced £20.42.
+ Compare Prices for this product on CompareTheDalek.com.
http://news.drwho-online.co.uk/Paradise-Towers-DVD-Cover-and-Details.aspx
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Posted: |
Jun 17, 2011 - 6:51 AM
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By: |
johnjohnson
(Member)
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Review: EarthStory - DVD
The Gunfighters
Disc One of the EarthStory double release from the BBC and 2|Entertain is this 1966 adventure, in which the TARDIS materialises in Tombstone, Arizona; so The Doctor can find a dentist. Unfortunately, the dentist is one Doc Holliday and not far behind him are the Clanton brothers, Wyatt Earp, and Johnny Ringo. It's time for the gunfight at the OK Corrall...
The Gunfighters is a very difficult story to judge. The series regulars all put in smashing performances - Hartnell in particular having some great moments and lines; his constant renaming of Wyatt Earp to "Mr Werp" is guaranteed to raise a smile, and his reaction to his introduction to the Clanton brothers is simply priceless. The rest of the story is actually fairly enjoyable if a little pedestrian; and boasts some nifty camerawork and ideas, and, for a 1960s television serial, a great set with a great cast inhabiting it. Marred only by the incessant caterwauling of "The Ballad of the Last Chance Saloon" at every given opportunity. It's a very different view of how historical events played out, with large portions of the show seemingly lifted from a number of Western films, but it's no less enjoyable for that.
As usual, the DVD version has been cleaned up considerably, and the quality of the presented material is top rate. The DVD also has some great extras, although it is sadly lacking a mute function to save you from the constant high pitched wailing of Lynda Baron singing that wretched ballad.
The End of the Line - An honest, truthful and sometimes uncomfortable documentary about the end of William Hartnell's time as the First Doctor. Fascinating to watch, it's a tale of constantly changing writers and editors, forced cast changes and Bill Hartnell's deteriorating health as ateriosclerosis took a toll. With contributions from Donald Tosh, Maureen O'Brien, Peter Purves and Anneke Wills, "End of the Line" shows just how much of a complete slog it was getting Doctor Who out every week on an almost impossibly long production run.
If you're a strong fan of William Hartnell it can be a tad unsettling to listen to the less than glowing remarks made of his irascibilty due to illness, but happily Maureen O'Brien and Peter Purves share the other side of the original Time Lord, a deeply passionate and caring man who was very protective of the show itself. It also sheds a somewhat harsh, if truthful, light on Vicki and Dodo's departures from Doctor Who and just how much of an impact The Daleks had on the production of the show.
Tomorrow's Times - Mary Tamm adds a great deal of effortless glamour to the First Doctor edition of "Tomorrow's Times", which shows the the brief flirtation the British Press (notably the Daily Mail) had with Daleks and the earlier days of Doctor Who. Very reminiscent of an episode of Points of View in styling, this fun little extra begins the story - already continued on other DVDs for other eras of the show - of the love-hate relationship between journalists and The Doctor and his trusty TARDIS.
Commentary - Toby Hadoke sits in the captain's chair once more; as Peter Purves, Shane Rimmer, David Graham, Richard Beale, and production assistant at the time Tristan de Vere Cole talk us through The Gunfighters. Always fascinating to listen to anecdotes and gems from a production made forty five years ago, this entertaining and useful extra on the DVD serves double duty; as switching on the commentary drowns out a great deal of the Ballad of the Last Chance Saloon.
Photo Gallery - An amazing selection of vintage photographs of the set, cast, and production of The Gunfighters. The photo's have been cleaned up amazingly and there's some glorious views of the whole, from the TARDIS sans lamp to the camera tower erected in the middle of the studio to give some innovative camera angles to the production. Set to the full length version of The Ballad of the Last Chance Saloon. Brilliant if you know where the mute button is.
Coming Soon Trailer - The death of Caretaker 345/12 Subsection B informs us that the TARDIS will soon be arriving at Paradise Towers, home of the Kangs, the Rezzies, and Pex (who puts the world of Paradise Towers to rights...). There's something nasty and very hungry in the basement... and on most other floors of the high rise building as well. Can The Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) and Mel (Bonnie Langford) find their way to the swimming pool without being put to a 327 appendix 3 subsection 9 death?
The Gunfighters DVD also has the listings from the Radio Times in PDF format, subtitles available, and the usual production notes are also included.
A great package and well worth watching for some excellent performances and moments of genuinely funny comedy in a competent and well made Who story; if you can get past the singing.
The Awakening
In the second of the 2|Entertain / BBC two disc DVD release EarthStory, the Fifth Doctor, Tegan and Turlough arrive in Little Hodcombe to visit Andrew Verney the local historian - also Tegan's grandfather. However something's affecting the locals and their re-enactment of the local War Games is getting rather too realistic...
The Awakening is a short, punchy story that's a deserved fan favourite in the history of Classic Who. The cast are superb, the locations and sets stunning, and The Malus is one of the most memorable Doctor Who monsters for several reasons; notably because it works so well and it really does look creepy. Everything from the incidental music to the costumes seem to fit together seamlessly, and make a thoroughly enjoyable two part adventure.
Stealing the show are Polly James as Jane, and Keith Jayne as Will Chandler, both of whom work so well in the story. Jane is the single voice of reason before The Doctor arrives, and Will is simply one of the most endearing and innocent supporting characters in Who's long history. And of course, The Awakening does have one of the most iconic monsters on hand in the shape of the Malus - even more remarkable when you consider it was only onscreen for a couple of minutes in total.
The DVD release also has a number of very well thought out and produced extras that seem to exude a warm, happy glow about the story; and as always, sound and vision throughout the DVD are crisp and bright.
Return to Little Hodcombe - A twenty minute look at the area, as Little Hodcombe was a gestalt of three villages, with the director Michael Owen Morris, script editor Eric Saward, and Janet Fielding (Tegan) and Keith Jayne (Will). From the outset of this piece, Morris brings senses of warmth and fondness to proceedings that are hard to ignore. He obviously enjoys his work - both on Doctor Who and his other projects - and it clearly shows.
There's some fun snippets of locals talking about when Doctor Who came to their village, an event that still seems to be a subject of local pride, and Janet Fielding remembers the cast being quite protective of the new director on his first TV work. Keith Jayne discusses Will Chandler, and Eric Saward chimes in on how the story was re-written and whether Will would have made a good addition to the TARDIS crew. A nice sweet old lady tells us about lame horses on set, and her husband tells us how to spot Doctor Who fans on location...
Making the Malus - A fun look at the giant face in the wall, with designer Tony Harding and model-maker Richard Gregory. A short piece on how the Malus was conceived and built, with a rare look behind the face to see how the different parts of the monster were controlled. To finish, there's a short interview with Paul Burrows who bought the Malus at auction and what happens when utilites workmen find giant stone monsters mounted on your living room wall... Another fun and entertaining short, and again, with some warmth and affection for the subject matter leaving you with a very positive feeling.
Commentary - Toby Hadoke once again chairs the commentary team, this time with director Michael Owen Morris and Eric Saward as their share knowledge and opinions of the serial as an audio option on the DVD. Again, Morris' obvious fondness for his work shows through easily and keeps the mood light.
Now & Then - The three villages used as locations in The Awakening are revisited to find that not a lot has changed. There's still thatched cottages and farm buildings, and there's still a ford across the road, even if it is now somewhat waterless... clips and photographs are used effectively, and the linking narration fills in any blanks nicely.
From the Cutting Room Floor - Some extended and deleted scenes from the story, including an appearance by Kamelion. There's also some of the film rushes from the location shoots, and some timecoded VHS sequences that were trimmed.
The Golden Egg Awards - Taken from another BBC1 staple of the time, this excerpt from The Late Late Breakfast Show hosted by Noel Edmonds shows the now infamous outtake featuring a horse, a cart, and a prop lychgate being unexpectedly demolished. Peter Davison is on hand to collect the trophy from Noel Edmonds.
Isolated Music - The Awakening has some excellent incidental music, and this option of the DVD gives you a chance to view the story with the isolated music score. Well worth a listen if you're a fan of the somewhat under-appreciated composers on Classic Doctor Who.
As usual, the DVD also features a photo gallery of production and publicity shots, the Radio Times listings from the story in PDF format, subtitles for those that may need them, and the Production Notes Info Text available to have onscreen as the story plays out.
The Awakening is a great addition to Classic Doctor Who on DVD, and if you're a fan then the EarthStory DVD set is a must-have for your collection.
http://news.drwho-online.co.uk/Review-EarthStory-DVD.aspx
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Posted: |
Jul 10, 2011 - 8:39 AM
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By: |
johnjohnson
(Member)
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2|Entertain have now released details on next month's DVD release, The Sun Makers; this story marks the completion of Season 15 on DVD, the penultimate adventure under producership of Graham Williams, and brings the remaining list of Fourth Doctor adventures still to be released down to four (five if the incomplete Shada is included).
Special Features
•Commentary with actors Tom Baker, Louise Jameson and Michael Keating, director Pennant Roberts.
•Running from the Tax Man – a retrospective look at the making of the story and the science behind it. With actors Louise Jameson and Michael Keating, director Pennant Roberts, writer and historian Dominic Sandbrook and astronomer Marek Kukula.
•Outtakes
•Trailer – the original BBC1 trailer for the story.
•The Doctor’s Composer – Part Two – the concluding part of the series looking at the career of prolific composer Dudley Simpson, covering his work on the show in the seventies.
•Photo Gallery – production, design and publicity photos from the story.
•Coming Soon – a trailer for a forthcoming DVD release.
•Radio Times Listings in Adobe PDF format.
•Programme subtitles
•Subtitle Production Notes
http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2011/07/dwn080711192508-uk-classic-dvd-update.html
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