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Koch Media have released the third in their collection of interviews from Reeltime Pictures with stars from Doctor Who, this time focussing on the fourth Doctor, Tom Baker's era.
The Doctors: The Tom Baker Years (Credit: Koch Media)The Doctors: The Tom Baker Years
Produced by Keith Barnfather
A new double-DVD release in the highly regarded series exploring the world of TV’s Doctor Who in what will build into a complete work on The Doctors.
Forget any previous releases, this is the most complete collection of cast & crew interviews ever assembled from the Tom Baker era of Doctor Who, offering viewers unparalleled access into the world of the sci-fi classic.
Includes six documentaries making it the definitive set of interviews with the team of actors who brought the TOM BAKER era of DOCTOR WHO to life.
Presented by voice of the Daleks Nicholas Briggs.
Quality in-depth interviews with Tom Baker (the Fourth Doctor), Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane), Ian Marter (Harry), Louise Jameson (Leela), Mary Tamm (Romana) and John Leeson (Voice of K9)
This 2 DISC special collectors edition is 5 hours of pure nostalgia, which will give you a whole new insight into the making of Doctor Who.
Includes special feature: Introduction by Nicholas Briggs & Producer Keith Barnfather.
http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2017/09/tom-baker-years-240917140008.html
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For the first time ever, BBC Worldwide will release a completed version of the previously unbroadcast 1970s Doctor Who story SHADA, written by Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency) and featuring the return of Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor!
In 1979,SHADA was set to be the celebratory end to the seventeenth season of Doctor Who. Critically acclaimed writer Douglas Adams had completed the script, Tom Baker's Doctor was at the height of his popularity, and the series had bigger audiences than ever before. But a strike at the BBC in November 1979 interrupted production and the adventure was abandoned. The story became legendary among fans.
Now, thirty-eight years later, SHADA will be seen at last in a new version combining remastered original footage with brand new, hand-drawn colour animation to complete the story. The animation will feature the newly-recorded voices of the original cast, including Tom Baker as the Doctor and Lalla Ward as Romana, performing the original script.
Tom Baker says, "SHADA was one of my favorite Doctor Who stories. I have many fond memories of shooting the location scenes in Cambridge, and it was disappointing not to finish the story in studio. I'm so glad that BBC Worldwide have found a way to bring fans a complete visual version."
SHADA finds the Doctor in Cambridge working alongside companion and retired Time Lord, Professor Chronotis, to defeat the evil alien Skagra who is attempting to steal the secrets to the prison planet, Shada.
In the summer of 1979, Douglas Adams began work on a script for what was initially called "Sunburst"...intended to air in January 1980 as the final serial arc for the 17th season of the original Doctor Who program. It was eventually renamed, and shooting began in mid-October for Doctor Who - Story #109: Shada, starring Tom Baker as the 4th Doctor and Lalla Ward as his companion, Romana (also a Time Lord...or Time Lady, if you prefer).
Unfortunately, at the same time in October 1979 as Shada production began, the BBC began dealing with a union strike, and as a result there was no lighting available for Doctor Who to film on location with. They tried to continue as best as possible, only getting around half of the filming done. The strike dragged on until November, and then December. When it became clear that the production couldn't be continued until at least January (when the first of 6 episodes was supposed to have been airing!), the production was shut down permanently (leaving Story #108: The Horns of Nimon) as the season seventeen finale).
In 1983, a scene from the produced portion of Shada was taken and re-purposed for the 4th Doctor's appearance (becoming frozen on a gondola) in the 20th Anniversary special, Doctor Who - Story #130: The Five Doctors. That wouldn't be the last we would see of that Shada footage, however! In 1992, a VHS version of Doctor Who - Story #109: Shada was released, with Tom Baker narrating from the original script for the parts which had never been produced on film. In 2013, BBC Home Entertainment released a DVD set titled Doctor Who - Story #109: Shada: More Than 30 Years In The TARDIS. Besides the VHS version of Shada, it also contained the documentary "More Than 30 Years in the TARDIS," along with a Flash (computer) version of Shada (starring Paul McGann, the 8th Doctor, and Lalla Ward as "Romana"), and a long list of other bonus material (many Doctor Who fans bought it for the extras, rather than the feature!).
Now, however, Shada is getting finished at long last! Several weeks ago the BBC News reported that "Tom Baker finishes abandoned 1979 Shada serial," explaining in the details that "It will be released on BBC Worldwide with the original footage combined with new colour animations and voiceovers to complete the story. The newly-recorded lines from Baker as the Doctor and Lalla Ward as his companion, Romana, will follow the original script by Douglas Adams, the creator of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." In the UK, Shada will be released on both DVD and Blu-ray Disc on December 4th, following a digital release less than two weeks prior.
This morning we've discovered that both Amazon.com and the BBC Shop have added listings for a January 9th DVD release in the USA for this new version of Doctor Who - Story #109: Shada. There are only DVD listings for now; no Blu-ray entries have been located at either seller. And the Amazon listing isn't accepting pre-orders at this time, although the BBC Shop is taking them now! The discounted cost at the BBC Shop is $19.98, for a 2-disc set. Extras, if any, aren't listed.
http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Doctor-Shada/23773
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"The Power of Kroll" from the Key to Time season was initially transmitted on December 23rd, 1978 - 40 years ago this weekend.
While this is not a serial I like that much, I'm bumping this story in this thread to discuss a curio which I didn't realize until now:
On December 17th, 1978 (6 days prior to "Kroll"), a segment of The Return of the Saint entitled "The Debt Collectors" was broadcast featuring in its guest cast Mary Tamm and ... Neil McCarthy! Is this a coincidence or were these 2 shows made around the same time?
I would have thought that Mary Tamm's work schedule during the Key to Time season (26 episodes in a row) would not permit her to appear in other productions simultaneously.
Perhaps Tamm's scenes for The Return of the Saint were filmed before she commenced work on "The Ribos Operation".
Any Whovian thoughts on this?
I don't recall this tidbit being mentioned before ...
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Please ignore if I've said this too many times already BUT! It's all about how or when we're introduced to stuff isn't it? In Who circles the actor you grew up with at just the right age is known as 'my Doctor'. Mine is Jon Pertwee.
I'm old enough to remember watching Hartnell, but my actual memory is of the monsters. Indeed my earliest genuine memory is The Chase Episode 6, which features a battle between the Daleks and the Mechanoids, which is what I remember. Then Batman came to the UK on the rival ITV channel. By the time I caught up with Who again Troughton was the star, and I remember him well, but it's mainly the monsters again that I watched it for.
When Pertwee came aboard I was nine years old, and an avid American superhero fan, and when I saw the cover of the new Radio Times one day I flipped. The new Doctor was wearing a cape! He looked amazing and I REALLY loved this new star. I was gutted when he was replaced by Tom Baker. And my initial reaction was 'too jokey', and that we'd already had a humorous Doctor: Troughton. But I soon warmed to Tom. Like Troughton he had his serious side.
But the middle Tom Baker period took it's toll. Overly comedic, I started giving up and was becoming an adult and had 'other' interests. But then I came back to the fold when I saw that everything was relative in the show. It was during the eighties that organised fandom became part of my life and the rest is history.
Looking back on that Key to Time season on dvd I realise how good it was. Proper sf concepts, obviously due to a certain Douglas Adams, and as usual for Classic Who, only the sfx get in the way occasionally. Otherwise Tom's years in Doctor Who are sublime. Only the dreaded Horns of Nimon in Season 17 still tests my patience.
But good as the New Who (male) Doctors are, no one beats the Classic four. Hartnell who created the part, Troughton who created the part as MANY would follow, Pertwee who made me truly sit up and take notice, and Tom for simply being Tom! To me this is the golden age of my favourite series.
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This whole thread makes me nostalgic for the days when PBS was the place for sci-fi. Doctor Who, Tripods, Hitchhiker's Guide and, my favorite, Blakes 7 were exciting to me as a young American fan. Even Star Trek and Lost in Space got commercial free airings on some of these stations.
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First off, I didn't know that Graham Williams had died of a shooting accident until very recently. It might have even been on here! Great shame. Would love to have heard more from him at the cons etc. I think he did have a fair bit of hassle with Tom B. He earned his money just for that. Wonderful Doctor but he does have a reputation.
And it wasn't Williams' fault that the people 'from above' insisted on the curtailing of the more gripping stuff because of what was felt as the excesses of his predecessor. He did the best he could with the slim resources that the Beeb provided back then, and not being able to thrill he and his team decided to try and amuse. The results varied, but Horror of Fang Rock and Image of the Fendahl had plenty of atmosphere not out of place with what had gone before.
The Troughton (as in 'Trowton' or 'power'.... my daughter as a little kid called him Patnick Troughton and on one occasion Chocolate Poughton!) era pretty much set the pattern for the future I think along with that Doctor. He's one of the perfect Doctors, and his era's peak includes some of the greatest and sadly missing classic stories. I'm looking at you Ice Warriors-Evil of the Daleks-The Abominable Snowmen-Web of Fear-Tomb of the Cybermen-Wheel in Space.
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