Yesterday we brought you the announcement from BBC Video and distributor Warner Home Video for Doctor Who - Story #058: Colony in Space; the six-episode story starring Jon Pertwee, Katy Manning, Nicholas Courtney and Roger Delgado. In the previous story we had an early list of possible extras for this disc, but now the BBC has provided us with a finalized list of the bonus features on this title. We've also obtained the package art, too, for this November 8th release. You can see both of them just below; check it out:
Audio Commentary IMC Needs You! From the Cutting Room Floor Photo Gallery PDF materials: Radio Times Listings Production Note Subtitles
2Entertain's release of The Sun Makers comprises a single dual-layered DVD encoded for Region 2 only.
The DVD transfer is in the original ratio of 4:3, not anamorphically enhanced. The Sun Makers was shot on two-inch PAL video for ths studio footage and 16mm for the locations and is remastered from the original broadcast tapes. It does look very good, with strong colours. Shadow detail is a bit murky in the darker-lit scenes but that's no doubt down to the originals. Given the inevitable limitations of the SD original materials, this is as good as it is likely to look.
The soundtrack is the original mono, and is clear and well-balanced. Subtitles for the hard-of-hearing are available for the episodes and all the extras except the commentary.
That commentary features Tom Baker, Louise Jameson, Pennant Roberts and Michael Keating. Baker features on all four episodes while Keating sits out Parts One and Four, Roberts Part Two and Jameson Part Three. As ever you sense that with Baker the boring truth shouldn't get in the way of a good story, and there are some things you have to take with a pinch of salt (such as his never having heard of Blake's 7) but he does have some good anecdotes. There is also his usual flirting with the woman in the room. Roberts and Keating get to say their piece. A good if not outstanding commentary.
“Running from the Tax Man” (24:51) is the making-of documentary. Louise Jameson and Pennant Roberts and Michael Keating turn up here too. Writer/historian Dominic Sandbrook is on hand to unpick the serial's ambiguous politics and to give some 70s context, while astronomer Marek Kukula talks about Pluto. It's a solid runthrough, with absent and/or deceased persons being discussed along the way.
“The Doctor's Composer Part 2” (18:06) is the second part (part one is on the DVD of The War Games of an interview with the show's most prolific composer, Dudley Simpson, whose name can be found on the credits of sixty serials, or sixty-one if you include the uncompleted Shada. In a prolific career, he also composed the themes for The Tomorrow People, Moonbase 3 and Blake's 7. Now 89 and retired back to his native Australia, he is interviewed at his home in Sydney. Part One dealt with his work on Sixties Who; here he discusses the Seventies, his use of electronic instruments in collaboration with the Radiophonic Workshop, his use of non-synthetic instruments (such as that organ in Pyramids of Mars) and his eventual laying-off from the show by John Nathan-Turner. His enthusiasm is clearly undimmed.
Other extras are the ever-invaluable information subtitles (provided this time by Jim Smith – why don't DVDs of other shows include these?), a BBC trailer for The Sun Makers (0:43), a self-mavigating stills gallery (4:06), a Coming Soon trailer for September's DVD release of Day of the Daleks (1:23), and some outtakes (0:34) involving a firearm that doesn't fire. There are no Easter Eggs this time.
BBC Worldwide have revealed that the classic Doctor Who stories, Invasion of the Dinosaurs and The Android Invasion will both be released in North America on January 10th 2012.
No UK release date has yet been announced, but it is likely the UK release will be early January.
Invasion of the Dinosaurs Written by Malcolm Hulke Directed by Paddy Russell
Starring Jon Pertwee, Elisabeth Sladen, Nicholas Courtney, John Levene, Richard Franklin, Martin Jarvis,Peter Miles
Doctor Who Story Code: WWW 6 epsiodes: Broadcast: Sat 12 Jan 1974 - Sat 16 Feb 1974 Total Running time: 147 minutes 15 seconds
Episode One of the story only exists in the BBC Archives as a black and white film print. No details have been yet been released of the restoration process or the extras for this story, but it is hoped that the episode has been restored to colour.
The Android Invasion Written by Terry Nation Directed by Barry Letts
Starring Tom Baker, Elisabeth Sladen, Ian Marter, Milton Johns,Martin Friend Doctor Who Story Code: 4J Story Number: 4 epsiodes: Broadcast: Sat 22 Nov 1975 - Sat 13 Dec 1975 Total Running time: 98 minutes 11 seconds
We've already reported on the first two classic-show DVD releases of 2012, the January 6th shipments of Doctor Who - Story #071: Invasion of the Dinosaurs with Jon Pertwee's 3rd Doctor, and Doctor Who - Story #083: The Android Invasion with Tom Baker's 4th Doctor. These titles can be pre-ordered from Amazon.com and have been formally announced by BBC Video and their North American distributor, Warner Home Video (WHV). Neither studio has announced any 2012 releases beyond that, and Amazon.com isn't showing anything further yet, either. But today Amazon.ca (the big e-tailer's Canadian branch) added pre-order listings for 5 more classic titles, shown to be available in February and March!
The 6-part adventure from the program's first year of transmission, Doctor Who - Story #007: The Sensorites, stars William Hartnell as the 1st Doctor, Carole Ann Ford as his granddaughter Susan Foremen, and William Russell and Jacqueline Hill as companions Ian and Barbara. Amazon.ca's pre-order listing shows a sweetheart of a release date, on February 14th (Valentine's Day). Cost is CA$30.98 SRP there in Canada; we therefore expect the USA pricing to likely be $24.98 SRP. No other information, nor box art, is provided there.
Available on the same date of February 14th is Doctor Who - Story #136: The Caves Of Androzani: Special Edition, a newly-remastered release of the farewell story for Peter Davison's 5th Doctor. The 4-part arc co-stars Nicola Bryant as "Peri", and you'll also see Anthony Ainley as "The Master", Janet Fielding as "Tegan", Sarah Sutton as "Nyssa", Matthew Waterhouse as "Adric" and of course Colin Baker's introduction as the 5th Doctor. Cost shown at the Amazon.ca entry is CA$43.98 SRP for Canadians, indicating that a state-side list price is probably going to clock in at $34.98 SRP. So far there is no word on details, packaging, or bonus material.
The final 3 items newly listed at Amazon.ca aren't actually up for pre-order as of this writing; they each simply say "Sign up to be notified when this item becomes available." However, the entries for Doctor Who - Story #037: The Tomb Of The Cybermen: Special Edition (Patrick Troughton's 2nd Doctor), Doctor Who - Story #065: The Three Doctors: Special Edition (Jon Pertwee's 3rd Doctor joining forces with the 1st and 2nd Doctors against Omega) and Doctor Who - Story #090: The Robots Of Death: Special Edition (Tom Baker's 4th Doctor) each show a release date of March 13th in the "product details" section, No pricing, packaging, specs or supplements have been revealed in Amazon.ca's entries at this time, but stay tuned for updates! Our thanks to reader Matthew Ryan for his vital assistance with this story.
Yesterday we brought you BBC Video's official announcement for their February 14th (Valentine's Day) releases of Doctor Who - Story #007: The Sensorites and Doctor Who - Story #136: The Caves Of Androzani: Special Edition. At the time we didn't have finalized box art for these titles, nor any info about the extras. Today the BBC has provided both of those, for both titles, and we've got copies-and-pastes of that info and artwork for you below. We've also got a link for Canadians to pre-order these titles from Amazon.ca, and Americans to pre-order from DVDEmpire.com (Amazon.com isn't listing these titles so far, but we expect them to shortly). Check it out: Doctor Who - Story #007: The Sensorites extras: Audio Commentary Looking for Peter Vision On Secret Voices of the Sense Sphere Photo Gallery PDF materials: Radio Times Listings, original design drawings Production Note Subtitles Digitally remastered picture and sound quality
Doctor Who - Story #136: The Caves Of Androzani: Special Edition extras: Audio Commentary Chain Reaction Directing Who: Then & Now Russell Harty Behind the Scenes - The Regeneration Behind the Scenes - Creating Sharaz Jek Extended Scenes News Trailer Easter egg Photo Gallery Isolated Music Score PDF materials: Radio Times Listings Production Note Subtitles Digitally remastered picture and sound quality
Early in October we revealed that - according to word at Amazon.ca, the Canadian branch of the mega e-tailer - the classic Who titles on the March slate would start with 3 "revisitation" titles: Doctor Who - Story #037: The Tomb Of The Cybermen: Special Edition (Patrick Troughton's 2nd Doctor), Doctor Who - Story #065: The Three Doctors: Special Edition (Jon Pertwee's 3rd Doctor joining forces with the 1st and 2nd Doctors against Omega) and Doctor Who - Story #090: The Robots Of Death: Special Edition (Tom Baker's 4th Doctor. Today the BBC has confirmed that these will indeed be released on March 13th, exactly as we previously reported. But we've learned that they will be joined by a fourth title as well: the new-to-DVD release of Doctor Who - Story #089: The Face of Evil, starring Tom Baker as the 4th Doctor and introducing the character of companion "Leela", played by Louise Jameson.
The cost is $34.98 SRP for the 2-disc sets of The Tomb Of The Cybermen: Special Edition and The Three Doctors: Special Edition, while the list price is $24.98 SRP for the single-disc releases of both The Robots Of Death: Special Edition and The Face of Evil. The running time is approximately 100 minutes for all 4 of these classic releases, and each of them are restored and remastered in both audio and video. The complete list of bonus material for each of these items hasn't been fully disclosed yet by the studio, but below we've got a list of the release descriptions and any extras which have been revealed so far. Further down is high-res 3D package art for all four titles!
The Tomb of the Cybermen - Special Edition: For centuries, the disappearance of the Cybermen from the universe has been a mystery. The Doctor, Jamie and Victoria arrive on Telos - once the Cyber home world - just as an Earth expedition uncovers the entrance to a long-lost control center filled with baffling technology. With the Doctor's help, the archaeological party discovers the last of the Cybermen, frozen and entombed in a vast underground cavern. But by entering the tombs, the humans have sprung a fiendish trap. All around them, the Cybermen begin to rise from the dead. Audio Commentary: by actors Frazer Hines and Deborah Watling Documentaries: Tombwatch (panel of the cast and crew). Behind the scenes at BBC Visual Effects Outtakes: unused title sequence and 8mm cine footage Production Notes: Optional caption stream
The Three Doctors - Special Edition: The Time Lords are in crisis. A powerful force is draining their energy into a mysterious Black Hole - and they must recruit the Doctor to save them. But one Doctor isn't enough for this mission. All three of the Doctor's incarnations, aided by Jo Grant and UNIT, must face the wrath of Omega - a fallen Time Lord trapped in a universe of anti-matter, with one thing on his mind: revenge. Audio Commentary: Actors Katy Manning and Nicholas Courtney and producer Barry Letts Biographies: Cast Interviews: with actors Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Katy Manning, Nicholas Courtney and writers Bob Baker and Dave Martin
The Face of Evil: When the TARDIS arrives on a jungle planet, the Doctor encounters two warring tribes, the Sevateem and the Tesh. The Sevateem worship a god called Xoanon and the Tesh are supposedly keeping Xoanon prisoner... But why do the Sevateem call the Doctor the Evil One? And what are the invisible creatures in the jungle? The Time Lord, with the help of a girl called Leela, is about to find out.
The Robots of Death - Special Edition: The TARDIS, carrying the Doctor and his new companion Leela, arrives aboard a huge sandminer on a deserted world. The small human crew relies almost entirely on robots to carry out their every task and whim while they mine the planet's rich minerals. Suddenly, one by one, members of the team start to disappear. The time travelers discover that someone or something is murdering the crew - but, of course, nobody believes it could be the robots. Audio Commentary Photo gallery
the new-to-DVD release of Doctor Who - Story #089: The Face of Evil, starring Tom Baker as the 4th Doctor and introducing the character of companion "Leela", played by Louise Jameson.
Last week we reported about the BBC Video announcement that March 13 will see the release of FOUR classic DVD titles with Doctor Who - Story #037: The Tomb Of The Cybermen: Special Edition, Doctor Who - Story #065: The Three Doctors: Special Edition, Doctor Who - Story #089: The Face of Evil and Doctor Who - Story #090: The Robots Of Death: Special Edition. At the time we had a limited, early look at a few of the extras on some of these titles. Now the studio has supplied a more complete list of bonus material on all 4 releases! We've got those lists copied-and-pasted from the BBC for you immediately below. Underneath that is the previously-shown package art for each title, and between the list of DVD supplements and the box art you'll find an Amazon button link to pre-order all four of these must-have items!
The Tomb of the Cybermen: Special Edition Audio Commentary 1 Audio Commentary 2 Morris Barry Introduction Title Sequence Tests Late Night Line-Up The Final End Abominable Snowmen Audio Trailer The Lost Giants The Curse of the Cybermen's Tomb Cybermen - Extended Edition The Magic of VidFIRE Sky Ray Advert Easter Eggs (2) Photo Gallery PDF materials: Radio Times Listings, Walls Sky Ray promotions Production Note Subtitles Digitally remastered picture and sound quality
The Three Doctors: Special Edition Audio Commentary Pebble Mill at One Blue Peter BSB Highlights 'Five Faces of Doctor Who' trailer BBC1 Trailer 40th Anniversary Promo Happy Birthday to Who Was Doctor Who Rubbish? Girls, Girls, Girls - 1970s Photo Gallery PDF materials: Radio Times Listings Production Note Subtitles Digitally remastered picture and sound quality
The Face of Evil Audio Commentary Into the Wild From the Cutting Room Floor Tomorrow's Times - The Fourth Doctor Doctor Who Stories: Louise Jameson Swap Shop Denys Fisher Toys Advert Photo Gallery PDF materials: Radio Times Listings Production Note Subtitles Digitally remastered picture and sound quality
The Robots of Death: Special Edition Audio Commentary 1 Audio Commentary 2 The Sandmine Murders Robophobia Studio Sound Model Shots Studio Floor Plan Continuity Photo Gallery PDF materials: Radio Times Listings Production Note Subtitles Digitally remastered picture and sound quality
Finally! One of the true greats of Doctor Who makes it to DVD.
The 1971 story The Dæmons has been confirmed for DVD release at the end of March.
The five part story stars the third Doctor, Jon Pertwee in one of the stories most loved by fans and production staff alike, with Jon Pertwee often naming it as his favorite Doctor Who story.
The Doctor is joined by Katy Manning playing Jo Grant as well as UNIT regulars Nicholas Courtney, Richard Franklin and John Levene with Roger Delgado appearing as the main villan of the piece.
Christopher Barry directed the story which was written by Barry Letts and Robert Sloman
The story was originally screened between 22nd May and 19th June in 1971, where it brought to an end the eighth season of the show. Its popularity saw it repeated the following Christmas in an omnibus form. It received a further repeat in 1992 when restored versions of each episode were repeated on BBC2 on consecutive Fridays.
Extras on the disc include: •The Devil Rides Out - A documentary on the making of the story. (29 mins) •Episode One Colourisation Test. (25 mins) •Tomorrow's World Extract (5 mins) •The BBC's Dr Who - On Location - At Aldbourne (7 Min) •Photo Gallery (6 Min) •Remembering Barry Letts. Feature on the much loved Doctor Who Producer. (33 mins)
The DVD is released in the UK on 26th March and around the world shortly afterwards.
Sadly, it doesn't look Return to Devil's End documentary has been included.
Has only one episode of "The Daemons" been colourised by the restoration team? Or are all 5 episodes colourised?
I recall reading that the colourisation efforts on "The Ambassadors Of Death" have been delayed (or suspended altogether) ... is this true?
Did the restoration team need to stop work on "The Ambassadors Of Death" due to lack of funds, or is their worlkoad stretched thin by providing us with a color episode 1 of "Invasion Of The Dinosaurs", and this apparently all-colour restoration of "The Daemons", slated for March?
Has only one episode of "The Daemons" been colourised by the restoration team? Or are all 5 episodes colourised?
I recall reading that the colourisation efforts on "The Ambassadors Of Death" have been delayed (or suspended altogether) ... is this true?
Did the restoration team need to stop work on "The Ambassadors Of Death" due to lack of funds, or is their worlkoad stretched thin by providing us with a color episode 1 of "Invasion Of The Dinosaurs", and this apparently all-colour restoration of "The Daemons", slated for March?
I believe all five episodes are in colour. The story has been restored using VidFIRE. As for Ambassadors and Invasion, we will get them all in good time.
2|Entertain have sent DWO the cover and details for the Doctor Who DVD release of The Face Of Evil.
The Face Of Evil
Featuring: Tom Baker as The 4th Doctor
When the Tardis arrives on a jungle planet, the Doctor encounters two warring tribes, the Sevateem and the Tesh. The Sevateem worship a god called Xoanon and the Tesh are supposedly keeping Xoanon prisoner...
But why do the Sevateem call the Doctor the Evil One? And what are the invisible creatures in the jungle? The Time Lord, with the help of a girl called Leela, is about to find out.
Special Features:
• Commentary
• Into the Wild Cast and crew talk about the making of The Face of Evil.
• From the Cutting Room Floor Film trims provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the film shoot.
• Tomorrow's Times - The Fourth Doctor A look at press coverage of Doctor Who during the Tom Baker era.
• Doctor Who Stories: Louise Jameson talks about her role on the programme in this interview shot for 2003's The Story of Doctor Who.
• Swap Shop An extract from Louise Jameson's appearance on The Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, interviewed by Noel Edmonds.
• Denys Fisher Toys Advert
• 1976 Typhoo Tea Doctor Who Promotion
• Radio Times listingsProgramme subtitles
• Production information subtitles
• Photo gallery
• Coming soon trailer
• Digitally remastered picture and sound quality
+ The Face Of Evil is released on 5th March 2012, priced £20.42.
The TARDIS arrives back in present day London, bringing The Doctor (Jon Pertwee) to a deserted capital city. However the TARDIS isn't the only time machine operating in the area; and it's up to the Time Lord and his companion Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) to work out who's responsible for the rather large stegasaurus in the middle of Pall Mall in this two disc release from the BBC / 2|Entertain stable; forming one of the two stories making up the U.N.I.T Files Box-set.
Special Features:
Disc One is almost entirely devoted to the six part story, but there are a few little buttons to press that do things...
Episode One in Colour - Episode one is now presented in both formats - both the black and white version that existed in the archives, and now, a re-coloured version. It's a very nice feeling being able to see the story entirely in colour, and even though the restoration can be a little patchy in parts, it serves well as an option for viewing. Having said that, the black and white version does lend a touch more credibility to the programme's dinosaur shaped co-stars.
Commentary - One of the highlights of recent Doctor Who DVDs is listening to the very smooth tones of Toby Hadoke introducing the commentary; and this time we hear more of him, as well as Paddy Russell; the director of this six part story. The pair work very well together, and Paddy is never less than entertainingly honest and forthright. A welcome addition to the story as it diverts the attention from some of the less successful elements featured, and a great extra.
Coming Soon Trailer - The original TARDIS crew have to keep their cool, their wits, and their voices down when the Sensorites steal the lock of the time machine. Can the Doctor save the Humans, broker peace, and get the TARDIS restored? The Sensorites DVD is the next release.
Production Notes - Behind the scenes information, actors careers and of course those all-conquering dinosaurs are discussed in the on-screen trivia text featured on the disc. As usual with these notes, they're informative, entertaining and always good for raising a smile or two.
Easter Egg - The Doctor vs the Floor Manager in an entirely boring ten second extra... find the hidden light up green Doctor Who logo!
Disc Two:
Special Featres:
Power, People and Puppetry - A half hour look back at the people and production of the story, featuring both cast and crew. Particularly entertaining are Barry Letts and Paddy Russell - especially when it comes to the introduction of the Whomobile. Also with previously taped interview excerpts of interviews with the late, great Jon Pertwee, including a riotously funny account of the Police vs Doctor Who in his super space car.
The featurette, for all it's great interviews, isn't presented that well, and you're really never sure whether the host of the piece is for or against the story - if he's for, then his choice of launguage used to describe the story is lacking. One of the major plusses however is that it doesn't dwell on the dinosaurs too long - we all know they weren't the greatest models ever used in Doctor Who, and it's good that the documentary doesn't linger unnecessarily over this fact. It's touched upon honestly and with humour, but it never overshadows the rest of the featurette.
Doctor Who Stories: Elisabeth Sladen: Part One - Culled from "The Story Of Doctor Who", this featurette does two things: it makes you remember just how great Sarah Jane Smith was, and it breaks your heart when you think that Lis Sladen is no longer with us to reprise that great character. Featured in part one are her experiences with the Third Doctor, from her meeting with Barry Letts and Jon Pertwee, through her memories of Daleks, Exxilons and Whomobiles. It's hardly new material, or in most cases new stories and anecdotes, but it's just great to see such a wonderful Doctor Who legend on screen looking so full of life, even if knowing there'll be no more new stories adds a piquancy to the featurette.
Now And Then - A guide to the various London shooting locations used in the story as they appeared in 1973, and as they are now. Some very nice footage comparison via picture in picture and some great clips used from the show, but with a voice over that sounds like the narrator would rather be elsewhere... and he can't say the word "nuclear", opting instead for "new-kew-lar".
John Levene Commentary - A ten minute featurette of Sergeant Benton's alter ego - John Levene - giving his thoughts on this story. Not terribly long, but if you're a fan of Levene you'll probably enjoy this short piece.
Billy Smart's Circus - There are very few programmes in television history where the star's minute long cameo could send thousands of children into paroxysms of delight. Doctor Who is definitely one of those programmes, as this brief clip of Jon Pertwee [turning up in the Whomobile at this televised circus extravaganza] shows. Jon is clearly amused by his child hosts and their inability to remember their lines or stage directions; but there are few things quite as memorable to a child as hearing the Doctor Who theme start up and the Doctor himself arriving a few feet away from you. Great little piece of telly trivia and nostalgia. Nice of the BBC to caption Jon as "Dr. Who" onscreen, too...
On Disc Two the usual Photo Gallery of cast and production stills and the PDF Radio Times listings are included, and on Disc One there are Subtitles and Audio Description Facilities for those who may want or need them for the main story.
Invasion of the Dinosaurs, whilst not being the most obvious choice for a UNIT story is nonetheless very entertaining, and the recolourisation of episode one is especially welcome. The extras are for the most part well thought out and devised. It's a great DVD release overall, and works well when twinned with the other story in this set, The Android Invasion starring Tom Baker's Doctor.
The Android invasion
In the second part of this two story set, the errant Time Lord (this time Tom Baker in the title role) lands the TARDIS in Devesham, not far away from the Space Defence Station. However as the Doctor and Sarah (Elisabeth Sladen) explore their surroundings, it becomes increasingly obvious that all is not what it seems; with fake trees, people and a set of grumpy space rhinos out to conquer the Earth.
Long before the Judoon, there were the Kraals. The original grumpy space rhino in a manic string vest/1960s dress combo - no wonder they were so annoyed! In a story that borrows rather a lot from Invasion of the Bodysnatchers there's a lot of tension and drama that plays out well. It's a great story, well-plotted, paced and acted, and the extras on this release really support that theme well.
Special Features:
Life After Who: Philip Hinchcliffe - Presented and perfectly pitched by BBC News presenter and daughter of the interviewee Celina Hinchcliffe; this featurette shows just what a versatile producer Philip Hinchcliffe was, and showcases some of the work that kept us glued to our screens away from the TARDIS. A very well paced segment that's interesting and convivial, Life After Who showcases the career of a talented witty man who, although mostly remembered for working on Doctor Who, had a hand in many other memorable programmes. Great piece!
Commentary - Toby Hadoke is in the command chair once more, this time with Philip Hinchcliffe (producer), Milton Johns (Guy Crayford in the story) and Marion McDougall, the Production Assistant on this story. Quite a gentle commentary but always interesting and amusing to listen to. Hadoke is, as always, a very engaging host and the commentary on this story is never forced and strung out. Very nicely done.
Weetabix Advert - John Scott Martin inside what looks like a repainted Supreme Dalek from Planet of the Daleks, and sounding like the voice is his too! Made to promote the range of cut out and keep figures, this entertaining short piece of televisual fluff from the 1970's diverts the attention for a minute or so, and leaves you wondering where a Dalek found a red plunger...
The Village That Came To Life - Nick Briggs; the voice of everything these days - presents this behind the scenes look at the origins, filming and story behind The Android Invasion. Some locals in a pub are interviewed (one of whom has a worryingly prophetic name...) and Hinchcliffe et al provide their thoughts and opinions on what worked, what didn't, and... Tom Baker. There's a very nice bit in this retrospective from Hinchcliffe about a lacklustre episode ending he spiced up into one of the Classic Series' most frightening and remembered cliffhangers. Very well put together and a lot of interesting talking heads.
Photo Gallery - Set to a bizarre mix of incidental music and weird Kraal noises, the sets, actors and locations for The Android Invasion captured in photographs. Black and white and colour photos, publicity shots, and a particularly charming picture of the late Lis Sladen, signing autographs for kids on location, with Tom Baker behind her doing the same. Lis looks very happy and content, and it's a lovely picture to remember her with.
Info Text - The usual on-screen subtitle trivia section. Facts, figures, audience shares and suchlike are paraded across your screen in a friendly and accessible format. As always, the trivia text even comes up with what the Radio Times was saying about each episode. Frivolous fun that holds the attention well.
Easter Egg - Yes, there's another one on this disc, and it's marginally more interesting than the one on the Invasion of the Dinosaurs disc...Marginally.
With the usual Subtitles for those who may want or need them, and the PDF Radio Times excerpts included on this disc, The Android Invasion is a fantasitc story and the disc can still easily engross the viewer, many years later from the original showing.
The U.N.I.T Files Box-set as a whole works well, even if the stories chosen (especially The Android Invasion) aren't what you'd usually expect for a set about the Doctor's friends and allies in the Armed Forces. However, on a different level, the stories do work very well as tributes for two of the Whoniverse's most-loved and much-missed actors, who passed away in 2011. Nick Courtney and the glorious Elisabeth Sladen are both showcased by this set, and that alone would be reason enough for buying it - even if the rest wasn't up to scratch. Happily, the extras on U.N.I.T Files do both stories proud, and make a great addition to the explanding Doctor Who library available on DVD.
The BBC has announced a pair of classic DVD releases from the early '70s, starring Jon Pertwee as the 3rd Doctor. One's new-to-DVD, and one's a "rerun" of a title released back in 2003! On April 10th you'll get 1971's Doctor Who - Story #059: The Daemons, and 1973's Doctor Who - Story #066: Carnival Of Monsters: Special Edition. Both of these include Katy Manning as companion Jo Grant, and the Daemons also features Roger Delgado as The Master and Nicholas Courtney as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. As usual, these DVDs are digitally remastered in both picture and sound. Package art for both can be seen at the bottom. A finalized list of bonus material hasn't been provided by the studio yet, but here is all the available information we have for each title at this time:
Doctor Who - Story #059: The Daemons (Jon Pertwee as the 3rd Doctor) 2 discs, 122 minutes, 5 episodes, full frame video, English mono audio, English subtitles, $34.98 SRP
In the peaceful village of Devil's End something very strange is happening. A professor is preparing to open a nearby burial mound, and a local white witch foresees death and disaster. Meanwhile, the new vicar looks suspiciously like the Master, and he is using black magic to conjure up an ancient Daemon. Can the Doctor, Jo and UNIT stop their old enemy before he succeeds? Extras: Audio Commentary Tracks The Devil Rides Out (Making-Of Featurette) Episode 1 Colorization Test Tomorrow's World (TV program extract) The BBC's Doctor Who: On Location - Aldbourne Remembering Barry Letts Featurette Photo Gallery Trailers DVD-ROM Material
Doctor Who - Story #066: Carnival Of Monsters: Special Edition (Jon Pertwee as the 3rd Doctor) 2 discs, 98 minutes, 4 episodes, full frame video, English mono audio, English subtitles, $34.98 SRP
Freed from his exile on Earth, the Doctor takes Jo on a test flight in the TARDIS, landing aboard SS Bernice, a cargo ship crossing the Indian Ocean in 1926. As events take a dangerous and unexpected twist, it seems that their fate lies in the hands of a traveling showman named Vorg and his assistant Shirna, who have just arrived on the distant planet of Inter Minor with an amazing intergalactic peepshow called the Miniscope. Extras: Original Audio Commentary Tracks from Previous DVD New Audio Commentary Tracks Extended/Deleted/Alternate Scenes, including Alternate Endings: Episode 4 Featurettes: Behind-the-Scenes, Model Sequences, Archival Featurette by Barry Letts on CSO (blue screen) Production Notes TARDIS-Cam sequence #2 Trailer: "The Five Faces of Doctor Who" DVD-ROM Material Photo Gallery "Destroy All Monsters!" Featurette "On Target" Ian Marter Featurette "The A to Z of Gadgets & Gizmos" Featurette "Mary Celeste and Other Maritime Mysteries" Featurette
The DVD releases of Nightmare of Eden, Dragonfire and The Happiness Patrol have been cleared by the British Board of Film Classification.
Extras for all three stories were also cleared, with the details as below.
Nightmare of Eden will have the following extras:
THE DOCTOR'S STRANGE LOVE: NIGHTMARE OF EDEN (15:41:12) THE NIGHTMARE OF TV CENTRE (13:22:03) ASK ASPEL (11:01:05 ) GOING SOLO - BOB BAKER REMEMBERS NIGHTMARE OF EDEN (07:42:23) PHOTO GALLERY (05:47:00)
Dragonfire's extras comprise:
FIRE AND ICE - THE MAKING OF DRAGONFIRE (35:04:23) THE DOCTOR'S STRANGE LOVE - DRAGONFIRE (15:40:14) THE BIG BANG THEORY (12:31:19) DELETED AND EXTENDED SCENES (09:55:15) PHOTO GALLERY (04:46:06)
while those for The Happiness Patrol are:
WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE (46:03:04) HAPPINESS WILL PREVAIL (23:44:08) DELETED AND EXTENDED SCENES (23:18:03) PHOTO GALLERY (05:46:01)
Release dates for the DVDs have yet to be confirmed. A trailer for Dragonfire that was cleared on 18th January states that the story will form part of The Ace Box.
(If you don't know - but if you're reading this thread you *should* - Dimensions In Time was a group of shorts produced in 3D for an annual BBC charity night, Children In Need, in 1993, where various not-dead Doctors interacted with the cast of long running (STILL running) BBC soap opera EastEnders.)
Sadly, this was the BBC's celebration for the show's 30th anniversary. I would have gladly accepted another Sylvester McCoy season than this piece of garbage.
Just a week after announcing their April slate of classic Doctor Who DVD titles, the BBC has this morning announced a trio of original-program releases to come out the month after, on May 8th. All three are story arcs which are new-to-DVD! You'll get Tom Baker in the 4th Doctor adventure from 1979, Doctor Who - Story #107: Nightmare of Eden, with Romana and K-9. You'll also get Sylvester McCoy in a pair of 7th Doctor stories, 1987's Doctor Who - Story #151: Dragonfire (which marks the departure of Mel and the introduction of Ace) and 1988's Doctor Who - Story #153: The Happiness Patrol (with Ace). The DVD sets contain these arcs with digitally remastered picture and sound, of course. Package art and pricing haven't been revealed yet, although we do expect all three of these single-disc titles to clock in at $24.98 SRP (the usual price point for 1-DVD classic Doctor Who releases when they first come out). We don't have a finalized list of bonus material for any of these items, either, but we do have a short list for each of them with a few of the expected extras:
Doctor Who - Story #107: Nightmare of Eden (Tom Baker as the 4th Doctor) 1 disc, 96 minutes, 4 episodes, full frame video, English mono audio, English subtitles
Two spacecraft fuse in a hyperspace collision. Fortunately the Doctor, Romana and K-9 arrive to help. But when a crew member is found clawed by a ferocious animal, it seems there's something even more frightening stalking the corridors. The answers lie with zoologist Professor Tryst, his CET protection machine, and a planet called Eden - the home of the ferocious Mandrels. Extras: Audio Commentary Tracks "Going Solo: Bob Baker Remembers Nightmare of Eden" Featurette The Nightmare of TV Centre The Doctor's Strange Love: Nightmare of Eden (Featurette) Clip from the Ask Aspel program Photo Gallery DVD-ROM Material
Doctor Who - Story #151: Dragonfire (Sylvester McCoy as the 7th Doctor) 1 disc, 73 minutes, 3 episodes, full frame video, English mono audio, English subtitles
At the Iceworld Space Trading Colony on Svartos, the Doctor and Mel unexpectedly encounter an old 'friend.' The penniless and desperate Sabalom Glitz has only one option to leave Svartos: find the fabled 'Dragonfire' treasure concealed somewhere in the depths of the planet. Joined by Ace, a teenage waitress with a love for explosives, the group ventures off to uncover lost riches, not knowing that Kane, Iceworld's ruthlessly intimidating overlord, will gladly murder them all to gain possession of the Dragonfire himself. Before long the Doctor finds himself playing a deadly game of cat and mouse with Kane's mercenaries, descending through the ice caverns ever closer towards the deadly gaze of the monstrous dragon that lurks below. Extras: Audio Commentary Tracks Fire And Ice (Making-Of Featurette) The Doctor's Strange Love: Dragonfire (Featurette) The Big Bang Theory Deleted and Extended Scenes Photo Gallery DVD-ROM Material
Doctor Who - Story #153: The Happiness Patrol (Sylvester McCoy as the 7th Doctor) 1 disc, 74 minutes, 3 episodes, full frame video, English mono audio, English subtitles
On the planet Terra Alpha, bright fluorescent lights and garish candy-striped colors abound. The population constantly displays happy smiles. There's no sadness on Terra Alpha. Anyone feeling remotely glum disappears. Quickly. Having heard disturbing rumors, the Doctor and Ace arrive to topple the entire regime overnight. But they haven't reckoned upon the varied punitive measures enforced by colony leader Helen A. There are many delicious ways in which to vanish on Terra Alpha: you can be hunted down by the omnipresent Happiness Patrol or mauled by Helen A's ravenous pet Fifi. But those especially unlucky few will find themselves entertained in the sweetie factory manned by Helen A's psychotic henchman...the Kandy Man. This time, Happiness will prevail. Extras: Audio Commentary Tracks DVD-ROM Material
Just a week after announcing their April slate of classic Doctor Who DVD titles, the BBC has this morning announced a trio of original-program releases to come out the month after, on May 8th. All three are story arcs which are new-to-DVD! You'll get Tom Baker in the 4th Doctor adventure from 1979, Doctor Who - Story #107: Nightmare of Eden, with Romana and K-9. You'll also get Sylvester McCoy in a pair of 7th Doctor stories, 1987's Doctor Who - Story #151: Dragonfire (which marks the departure of Mel and the introduction of Ace) and 1988's Doctor Who - Story #153: The Happiness Patrol (with Ace). The DVD sets contain these arcs with digitally remastered picture and sound, of course. Package art and pricing haven't been revealed yet, although we do expect all three of these single-disc titles to clock in at $24.98 SRP (the usual price point for 1-DVD classic Doctor Who releases when they first come out). We don't have a finalized list of bonus material for any of these items, either, but we do have a short list for each of them with a few of the expected extras:
Doctor Who - Story #107: Nightmare of Eden (Tom Baker as the 4th Doctor) 1 disc, 96 minutes, 4 episodes, full frame video, English mono audio, English subtitles
Two spacecraft fuse in a hyperspace collision. Fortunately the Doctor, Romana and K-9 arrive to help. But when a crew member is found clawed by a ferocious animal, it seems there's something even more frightening stalking the corridors. The answers lie with zoologist Professor Tryst, his CET protection machine, and a planet called Eden - the home of the ferocious Mandrels. Extras: Audio Commentary Tracks "Going Solo: Bob Baker Remembers Nightmare of Eden" Featurette The Nightmare of TV Centre The Doctor's Strange Love: Nightmare of Eden (Featurette) Clip from the Ask Aspel program Photo Gallery DVD-ROM Material
Doctor Who - Story #151: Dragonfire (Sylvester McCoy as the 7th Doctor) 1 disc, 73 minutes, 3 episodes, full frame video, English mono audio, English subtitles
At the Iceworld Space Trading Colony on Svartos, the Doctor and Mel unexpectedly encounter an old 'friend.' The penniless and desperate Sabalom Glitz has only one option to leave Svartos: find the fabled 'Dragonfire' treasure concealed somewhere in the depths of the planet. Joined by Ace, a teenage waitress with a love for explosives, the group ventures off to uncover lost riches, not knowing that Kane, Iceworld's ruthlessly intimidating overlord, will gladly murder them all to gain possession of the Dragonfire himself. Before long the Doctor finds himself playing a deadly game of cat and mouse with Kane's mercenaries, descending through the ice caverns ever closer towards the deadly gaze of the monstrous dragon that lurks below. Extras: Audio Commentary Tracks Fire And Ice (Making-Of Featurette) The Doctor's Strange Love: Dragonfire (Featurette) The Big Bang Theory Deleted and Extended Scenes Photo Gallery DVD-ROM Material
Doctor Who - Story #153: The Happiness Patrol (Sylvester McCoy as the 7th Doctor) 1 disc, 74 minutes, 3 episodes, full frame video, English mono audio, English subtitles
On the planet Terra Alpha, bright fluorescent lights and garish candy-striped colors abound. The population constantly displays happy smiles. There's no sadness on Terra Alpha. Anyone feeling remotely glum disappears. Quickly. Having heard disturbing rumors, the Doctor and Ace arrive to topple the entire regime overnight. But they haven't reckoned upon the varied punitive measures enforced by colony leader Helen A. There are many delicious ways in which to vanish on Terra Alpha: you can be hunted down by the omnipresent Happiness Patrol or mauled by Helen A's ravenous pet Fifi. But those especially unlucky few will find themselves entertained in the sweetie factory manned by Helen A's psychotic henchman...the Kandy Man. This time, Happiness will prevail. Extras: Audio Commentary Tracks DVD-ROM Material