Yesterday it was announced by the BBC's North American distributor, Warner Home Video, that August 13th will see the releases of Doctor Who - Story #051: Spearhead From Space: Special Edition on high-def Blu-ray Disc, and Doctor Who - Story #069: The Green Death: Special Edition on standard DVD format. Now there's more information for each of these titles, as well as package art (which you can look at by scrolling down to the bottom).
For the Spearhead Blu-ray, the first thing fans will want to know is that the video aspect ratio remains in the original 4x3 "full screen" format which these episodes were originally broadcast in at the beginning of 1970. Audio is English DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0, and English subtitles are included. Warner also lists the extras on this item as including the following: "A Dandy and a Clown * Carry On: The Life of Caroline John * Title Sequence Material * Restoration Comparison: Digitally Remastered Picture and Sound Quality."
For the Green Death SE, Warner brings us this list of bonus material: "* Audio Commentary * Bonus Audio Commentary * The One With the Maggots * Global Conspiracy? * Visual Effects * Robert Sloman Interview * Stewart Bevan Interview * Wales Today * Doctor Forever - The Unquiet Dead * What Katy Did Next * The Sarah Jane Adventures - Death of the Doctor-Parts 1 & 2 * Photo Gallery * Easter Eggs (2) * PDF materials: Radio Times Listings * Production Note Subtitles * Digitally Remastered Picture and Sound Quality." Here's the studio description of this title (the one at the top is for Spearhead), followed by an Amazon pre-order button link for both of these, and then the package art:
As we've reported, there are Amazon pre-orders for several Doctor Who titles which don't have any dates formally announced by the BBC for them yet. The most wanted of these titles right now are the DVD and Blu-ray Disc versions of Doctor Who - The Complete 7th Series (the most recently aired season, already available as half-season sets). But there are also 5 items from the classic original program, including the highly anticipated release of Doctor Who - Story #080: Terror of the Zygons. We're still waiting on the official word on that 2-DVD set, along with all the other items mentioned here.
We've previously reported that the folks at BBC Home Entertainment have great plans for classic Doctor Who on DVD during the second half of this year, in time for the show's 50th Anniversary celebration. Today the BBC's distributor of DVDs in North America announced the release dates for which 4 of these upcoming titles have now been scheduled, with two in September and two more in October (each featuring digitally remastered picture and sound):
•September 17th: •Doctor Who - Story #039: The Ice Warriors (Patrick Troughton as the 2nd Doctor) 2 discs, 145 minutes, 6 episodes, full frame video, English mono audio, English subtitles, $34.98 SRP
In the distant future, Earth faces a new Ice Age. While a dedicated team of scientists battle to hold the approaching glaciers at bay, a startling discovery is made deep within the ice: An alien warrior, frozen for millennia. When the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria arrive they soon discover Earth is under threat from the Ice Warriors - fearsome Martians intent on conquering our planet for themselves. This special DVD release contains the existing original episodes plus brand new animated versions of Episodes Two and Three, currently missing from the BBC Archives.Extras: ?To Be Announced
•Doctor Who - The Scream of the Shalka (Richard E. Grant voices the Doctor) 1 disc, approx. 100 minutes, 6 animated episodes, English audio, $24.98 SRP
The TARDIS lands in a small English village in 2003, where the population is living in fear from a malevolent alien force. With the help of UNIT and his new friend Alison, the Doctor discovers that a race called the Shalka are residing underground, preparing to strip away the earth's ozone layer and embark on a full-scale invasion of the planet. Voice cast includes Derek Jacobi as "The Master" and David Tennant in a cameo role as "The Caretaker."Extras: ?To Be Announced (but expected to at least include an Audio Commentary track)
•October 8th: •Doctor Who - Story #080: Terror of the Zygons (Tom Baker as the 4th Doctor) 2 discs, 96 minutes, 4 episodes, full frame video, English mono audio, English subtitles, $34.98 SRP
The Doctor, Sarah Jane and Harry return to Earth in response to the Brigadier's summons. UNIT are investigating a series of attacks on North Sea oil rigs and have set up a temporary HQ in the Scottish village of Tullock. The attacks are the work of a huge cyborg, the Skarasen, controlled by a group of aliens called Zygons whose spaceship lies at the bottom of Loch Ness. The Zygons plan to take over the Earth as a substitute for their own planet, which has been devastated by solar flares. They are using their shape-shifting abilities to take on the identities of locals whose inert bodies are held aboard their ship.Extras: Audio Commentary Extended Episode 1 Scotch Mist in Sussex Remembering Douglas Camfield The UNIT Family - Part Three Doctor Who Stories - Tom Baker Doctor Who Stories - Elisabeth Sladen Merry-Go-Round: The Fuel Fishers Isolated Music Photo Gallery PDF materials: Radio Times Listings Production Note Subtitles
•Doctor Who - The Doctors Revisited: 5-8 (Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, and Paul McGann as the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Doctors) 4 discs, approx. 450 minutes, 4 complete stories, video and audio formats vary by story, $39.98 SRP
In this exceptional commemoration celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who we continue our look back at the actors who have portrayed this iconic hero over its historic past. The years 1981-1996 saw four new actors portray the Doctor, Peter Davison (1981-83), Colin Baker (1984-86), Sylvester McCoy (1987-89) and Paul McGann (1996). Current Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat is joined by actors from Doctor Who's storied past including Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville and others to look back at the unique characteristics that make each actor's portrayal a thrilling new adventure. And each retrospective is followed by one full story for each Doctor, including Earthshock, Vengeance on Varos, Remembrance of the Daleks, and Doctor Who: The Movie, presented in both widescreen, feature-length version and in its episodic, original format. The Doctor's Revisited is a celebration of Doctor Who that true fans won't want to miss! Extras: Specially recorded introduction to each classic story by Steven Moffat
BBC Consumer Products have sent DWO details for the Doctor Who DVD release of The Green Death: Special Edition.
The Green Death: Special Edition Featuring: The 3rd Doctor
When a man is found dead with his skin glowing green in an abandoned mine, it’s not long before The Doctor, Jo Grant and UNIT head to Wales to investigate. And while the Doctor becomes suspicious of the nearby Global Chemicals factory and its mysterious owner, Jo gets trapped underground where she finds old mine tunnels crawling with deadly and sinister giant maggots…
Special Features:
Disc One:
• 6 x 25 mins approx colour episodes with mono audio. • Commentary with actors Katy Manning (Jo Grant), producer Barry Letts and script editor Terrance Dicks. • Bonus commentary with actors Richard Franklin (Captain Yates) and Mitzi McKenzie (Nancy), moderated by Toby Hadoke (episodes 3 – 5); and with actress Katy Manning and writer Russell T Davies (episode 6).
Disc Two:
• The One With the Maggots - Cast and crew look back at the making of this story. • Global Conspiracy? - A spoof investigative report looks at the strange happenings in the village of Llanfairfach. • Visual Effects - An interview with the story’s visual effects designer, Colin Mapson. • Robert Sloman Interview. • Stewart Bevan Interview. • Wales Today - Two pieces from the BBC Wales news programme – a mute 1973 film insert from the filming of The Green Death, and a 1994 item with Jon Pertwee opening the new country park that was built on the site of the colliery used in the story. • Doctor Forever – The Unquiet Dead - In this unique interview, new series creator Russell T Davies and then BBC Controller of Drama, Jane Tranter, talk about the genesis of Doctor Who’s rebirth on television in 2005. • What Katy Did Next - A look at Serendipity, the TV series that Katy Manning presented after leaving Doctor Who. • The Sarah Jane Adventures – Death of the Doctor - This two-part story from 2010 sees Katy Manning reprising her role as Jo Grant and a guest appearance by Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor. Optional Commentary with actress Katy Manning and series creator Russell T Davies. • Radio Times listings (DVD-ROM). • Programme subtitles. • Production information subtitles. • Photo gallery. • Easter Eggs. • Coming soon trailer. • Digitally remastered picture and sound quality.
Just the other day we reported the big news that September 17th will see the BBC Home Entertainment releases of Doctor Who - Story #039: The Ice Warriors and the animated 40th-anniversary special production Doctor Who - The Scream of the Shalka, while October 8th would get the DVDs for Doctor Who - Story #080: Terror of the Zygons as well as the four-disc collection of Doctor Who - The Doctors Revisited: 5-8.
Artwork for Zygons has previously been available (shown again at bottom), but today the BBC kindly began distributing the package images for Shalka and Revisted: 5-8 as well (but we're still waiting on Ice Warriors art, though). You can see those by scrolling down. But first up, we have lists of the Extras now for both Ice Warriors and Shalka! Take a look: •Doctor Who - Story #039: The Ice Warriors ?Animated Episodes Two and Three Audio Commentaries Cold Fusion Beneath the Ice VHS Links Blue Peter Design-A-Monster Doctor Who Stories - Frazer Hines, Part 2 Photo Gallery PDF materials: Radio Times Listings Production Note Subtitles
•Doctor Who - The Scream of the Shalka ?Audio Commentary Carry on Screaming The Screaming Sessions Interweb of Fear Photo Gallery Soundtrack album Production Note Subtitles
“The Time Lords have this little trick. It’s sort of a way of cheating death. Except, it means I’m gonna change.” - The Ninth Doctor, The Parting Of The Ways
This beautifully-packaged and limited edition coffee table book-styled collectors’ album is every Doctor Who fan’s dream possession.
Individually numbered and boasting six DVDs with over 1000 minutes of Doctor Who footage, it brings together every Doctor’s regeneration episode: from the first Doctor, exhausted from battling the Cyberman, to Jon Pertwee’s Third Doctor suffering from radiation unleashed by the Great One (a giant spider); and from the spectacular transformation of the Ninth Doctor to David Tennant’s emotional farewell as the Tenth.
The album is adorned with superb photography from across the era and features detailed and informative accounts of every regeneration. And if that wasn’t enough, new to DVD is The Tenth Planet featuring the Doctor’s first regeneration – beautifully restored with the missing fourth episode now brought to life with stunning animation. Utilising the original soundtrack, off-screen photographs and a short surviving sequence of the Doctor’s regeneration the episode has been now reconstructed in animated form, incorporating the restored version of the surviving sequence.
* * * As a special release to celebrate Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary, the Regeneration Box-set may seem something of an odd choice. While it highlights the process which has allowed the show to survive for all this time, it also means that the Doctor’s aren’t all given a fair crack of the whip. Patrick Troughton’s Second Doctor bows out at the end of the 10-part epic The War Games, while Colin Baker and the Sixth Doctor are relegated to just two short scenes - hardly the best example of his Doctor - and Matt Smith only gets the final few minutes of The End of Time while we wait for his impending departure from the programme.
Six of the nine stories presented here (The War Games, Planet Of The Spiders, Logopolis, The Caves of Androzani, Time and the Rani, and The TV Movie) have previously seen release as stand-alone DVDs, each packed with a bumper crop of special features, all of which have been removed for this release, allowing the stories to be spread across fewer discs. Bad Wolf / The Parting Of The Ways and The End of Time have also seen prior release in a couple of different forms.
The versions of these stories used for the set are the same as those seen in their last DVD release, meaning that The Caves of Androzani and The TV Movie are both the higher-quality prints previously seen as part of the Revisitations box sets, as opposed to their earlier release.
For many fans whose interest has been raised by this release, though, it’s not those later regenerations that they’re keen to see again - it’s the very first one, in the form of The Tenth Planet, available here for the first time on DVD, complete with animated Episode Four, several months before it’s standalone release in November. The restoration of the three surviving episodes is up to the high standard that we’ve come to expect from the Restoration Team’s work, presenting the story in the best quality that could be hoped for.
Episode Four, newly animated to complete the story, builds on the success of the team’s earlier efforts on The Reign of Terror, and rectifies some of the complaints that the earlier release generated. Here, the shots chosen are far closer in style to the surviving episodes, and while there is still the occasional extreme close up of a character, it’s a device used far less on this occasion. The atmosphere of the story holds firm throughout this new version, and it’s a great way to experience this story as close to ‘complete’ as possible. You can see some examples from the animation in the sidebar to the right.
With all nine stories spread across just six discs, there’s some unusual choices of how to split them, meaning that picture quality on the stories can be compromised in some instances. Disc One is home to the entirety of The Tenth Planet, alongside the first half of The War Games, with that story’s remaining episodes given Disc Two all to themselves. Planet of the Spiders occupies Disc Three while Disc Four holds Logopolis and The Caves of Androzani. Time and the Rani sits alongside The TV Movie for Disc Five, with the two new series stories - Bad Wolf / The Parting of the Ways and The End of Time filling up Disc Six.
The discs are housed in a gorgeous presentation book, giving each of the Doctors their own double page spread, alongside information about both that specific incarnation and the story that represents them in the set. The book really is a work of art, and certainly one of the nicest pieces of 50th anniversary merchandise produced this year. It will no doubt take pride of place on many fan’s shelves before November hits. You can see some examples of pages for the First, Fourth, and Ninth Doctors throughout this review.
In all, the Regeneration Box-set achieves its aims - it provides a lovely collectable (each set is a numbered limited edition), and serves as a great introduction to the older Doctors on DVD. While many fans of the series are likely already own at least some of the stories contained within, this set would make a brilliant gift for a casual fan, or someone looking to take their first steps into the classic series.
FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER! CLASSIC DOCTOR WHO COMING TO BLU-RAY AUGUST 13, 2013
Restored From Original Film Elements
DOCTOR WHO: SPEARHEAD FROM SPACE
Makes Its Hi Def Debut
Also coming out in August:
DOCTOR WHO: THE GREEN DEATH (SPECIAL EDITION)
New York; July 31, 2013 - On August 13, 2013, leading up to the highly anticipated Doctor Who 50th Anniversary, BBC Home Entertainment is celebrating another landmark: the first classic Doctor Who story ever to be released on Blu-Ray. Doctor Who: Spearhead From Space achieved many firsts long before its high definition debut: it was the first story of Jon Pertwee's tenure as the Third Doctor, was the first Doctor Who story to be presented in color, and the first to be shot entirely on film. Now it's making history once again as the first classic Doctor Who Blu-ray, made possible by scanning in the original film elements to create a stunning, true high definition picture.
As punishment for breaking the laws of time, the Time Lords have forced the Doctor to change his appearance, taken away his ability to time travel, and exiled him to Earth. But newly regenerated Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee) isn't the only alien to have arrived, as a swarm of meteorites have crashed into the sleepy English countryside, bringing with them a terrible new threat to mankind: the Nestene consciousness, a disembodied alien intelligence with an affinity for plastic. The Doctor and his newly appointed scientific advisor, Liz Shaw (Caroline John), join UNIT in a race against time to stop humanity from being replaced by a terrifying plastic facsimile race.
Blu-ray Bonus Features Include: A Dandy and a Clown, an exclusive profile of Jon Pertwee Carry On: The Life of Caroline John, a tribute to the actress who played companion Liz Shaw Title Sequence Material Restoration Comparison, a featurette that looks at the restoration process for this version and compares the results with previous versions
Another Pertwee-era tale arriving in August is the digitally remastered Special Edition DVD of Doctor Who: The Green Death, with over 2 hours of bonus material. The story itself, part of Doctor Who's 10th anniversary year, included the departure of companion Jo Grant (played by Katy Manning).
When a man is found dead with his skin glowing green in an abandoned mine, it's not long before the Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee), Jo Grant and UNIT head to Wales to investigate. And while the Doctor becomes suspicious of the nearby Global Chemicals factory and its mysterious owner, Jo gets trapped underground where she finds old mine tunnels crawling with deadly and sinister giant maggots.
Bonus features include: Audio Commentary with actress Katy Manning, producer Barry Letts and script editor Terrance Dicks Bonus Audio Commentary with actors Richard Franklin and Mitzi McKenzie, moderated by Toby Hadoke (episodes 3 - 5); with actress Katy Manning and new series executive producer Russell T Davies (episode 6) Global Conspiracy?, a spoof investigative report looks at the strange happenings in the village of Llanfairfach, written by and starring Mark Gatiss The One With the Maggots, a making-of featurette Robert Sloman Interview Stewart Bevan Interview The Sarah Jane Adventures - "Death of the Doctor," Parts 1 and 2 with Optional Commentary with actress Katy Manning and series creator Russell T Davies More...
A TV interview with William Hartnell dating from 1967 has been unearthed and will feature on the DVD release of The Tenth Planet.
The news broke today following the BBFC's classification of extras, which included an interview with Hartnell among them.
Doctor Who Restoration Team member Steve Roberts confirmed that it was an in-vision interview - meaning that it was on screen as opposed to just being audio - and stated that it was fellow team member Richard Bignell who had discovered it.
The interview was conducted by Roger Mills for Points West - the BBC's regional news show - and was held in the dressing room of the Gaumont Theatre in Taunton, where Hartnell was appearing in the panto Puss In Boots less than three months after last being seen in Doctor Who. The interview aired on Tuesday 17th January 1967.
The extra runs for 3 min 16 sec, and Bignell detailed the discovery of what is now the only known on-screen interview with Hartnell to exist:
A few years ago, I was doing research into the article I was preparing for Issue 3 of Nothing at the End of the Lane on Hartnell's rather disastrous performance as Buskin the Fairy Cobbler in the pantomime Puss In Boots, which toured around four different venues in December 1966 and January 1967, just three months after he had completed work on The Tenth Planet.
Whilst doing some work at the BBC Written Archive Centre, I checked the respective Programme-as-Broadcast sheets for the period, looking specifically at the local BBC news programmes to see if Hartnell's appearance in panto was deemed worthy of a television report.
He was in fact interviewed twice. Once in the first week of the tour in Ipswich (shown on Look East on 27th December 1966) and again during the final week in Taunton for Points West, shown on 17th January 1967. As I'd built up some contacts in the BBC's regional news libraries working on the DVDs, I dropped the respective archives a line to see if there was any chance the two interviews survived.
The first interview for Look East had long gone, but the ladies in the Bristol News Library very quickly got back to me to say that the interview done in Taunton still survived. We arranged for the footage to be sent over to London, where it was duly transferred. It shows Hartnell in his dressing room doing his make-up for one of his performances, with his "Doctor's ring" on the table and a Berwick Dalek playsuit stuffed in the corner. Hartnell speaks about his problems acting against the Daleks and how pantomime isn't "legitimate" theatre! Enjoy!! Roberts also revealed that David Bradley was shown the footage as part of his preparation for playing the role of Hartnell in the upcoming BBC Two drama An Adventure In Space and Time.
The Region 2 DVD will be released on Monday 18th November and is available to pre-order.
Lost for over four decades, a newly rediscovered filmed interview with the original star of the BBC's Doctor Who series is set to shed new light on the early years of the show. William Hartnell played the first Doctor from the programme's inception in 1963 through to the start of its fourth season in 1966. In those days, the show regularly had up to 12 million viewers but for years it was believed that not a single TV interview with Hartnell, who died in 1975, had survived.
Now, as the programme's 50th anniversary approaches, candid film of the actor has finally come to light in a local news archive in Bristol.
The interview was filmed for the BBC regional news programme, Points West, and broadcast on 17 January 1967, mere months after an enforced retirement from Doctor Who because of ill health. It was shot in Hartnell's dressing room at the Gaumont Theatre in Taunton, where the actor was appearing in the panto Puss in Boots.
The three-minute-long black-and-white film was actually discovered in 2009 by researcher Richard Bignell, working on behalf of BBC DVD. "While I was over at the [BBC] Written Archives [Centre], doing some stuff for the DVDs, I thought it would be worth going through the programme logs for regional news programmes," explains Bignell. "So, I had a look through for the four weeks [that Hartnell toured with Puss in Boots] and there were two interviews. There was one for Look East, for the first week of the pantomime at Ipswich and one for Points West from the last week when he was at Taunton … I got in contact with the Look East archive and found that their stuff didn't exist anymore… So, that one's definitely gone. But, I dropped the Bristol library an email, and about 20 minutes later, they got back to me with an email: 'Yes, we've still got it. I've got the can of film sitting on my desk here. What would you like me to do with it?'"
The film was transferred to a digital format at the BBC's Television Centre in the summer of 2011. However, it wasn't until this year that a suitable window arose for the material to be released. It will appear on November's BBC DVD release of The Tenth Planet – Hartnell's final Doctor Who story. "It's been quite a difficult thing not to say anything about it," says Bignell.
The interview was conducted by the director, Roger Mills, who, in 1967 was reporting for Points West. Mills recalls: "I wasn't really a reporter – I was more of a behind-the-camera man – but down in the regions you do everything."
"It's a fascinating insight into Hartnell as a person," says Bignell of the newly recovered film. "You get to appreciate that Hartnell was very much just playing a character. Just like [Patrick] Troughton … Because we're very used to [Hartnell's] very fluffy bumbly first Doctor character, I think that there's a tendency to think that perhaps that's what Bill was like – especially when you hear all the stories about how he fluffed his lines etc. But on this, he's quite lucid and quite clear and quite well-spoken."
Hartnell played the Doctor as an impossibly elderly man, with long white hair and a habit of forgetting people's names. However, in reality, the actor was just 55 when he was cast, with his own short greying hair covered by a long white wig. In fact, when new Doctor Peter Capaldi begins shooting the next series of Doctor Who in the new year, he will in fact be a little older than Hartnell was when he first started on the show.
The interview is an occasionally terse one. "I do remember that he didn't want to be interviewed. He was extremely grumpy," recalls Mills. "He really wanted us out as quickly as possible …I don't think he liked the press very much."
"His reputation for being a grumpy old so-and-so really does come over in this particular interview," adds Bignell. "The interviewer says to him at one point, something along the lines of: 'Is pantomime something you'd like to continue doing in the future?' And he sort of goes: 'Ooh, no, no, no, no, no.' So, he says: 'Oh, why not?' And he says: 'Well, I'm a legitimate actor. Pantomime is for the sort of person who is used to variety and going on the front of the stage, but I'm a legitimate actor. I do legitimate things.' He very much comes over with that sort of gruff manner. In fact, towards the end of the interview, the actual interviewer says to him: 'You're actually quite a grumpy man. Why do you think that people like the Doctor so much?'"
"I was someone who didn't hold back," explains Mills.
Doctor Who's gruelling production schedule produced up to 46 weeks of broadcast television a season and eventually proved too much for Hartnell, who was in the early stages of a debilitating form of arteriosclerosis.
When his Doctor returned to Doctor Who as a one-off guest-star in 1972, his health had noticeably deteriorated further and he died less than three years later.
Doctor Who - DVD for the Cybermen's First Episode, and the 1st Doctor's Last: 'Story #029: The Tenth Planet' Multi-DVD set will materialize in stores late this year Posted by David Lambert 8/28/2013
New to DVD! Digitally remastered Doctor Who classic The Tenth Planet! The TARDIS brings the Doctor and his friends Ben and Polly to the South Pole in 1986. Their arrival coincides with the appearance of Earth's forgotten twin planet Mondas and visitors from that world: emotionless beings called Cybermen. It's up to the Doctor and his friends to stop these creatures before they convert Earth's population into similar cyber creations...but the encounter will have a devastating effect on the Doctor. We've known it was in-the-works, and now it's been officially scheduled: BBC Home Entertainment and their North American distributor, Warner Home Video, has informed retailers that Doctor Who - Story #029: The Tenth Planet will arrive on DVD November 19th. Featuring digitally remastered picture and sound quality, this 4-part story - the first one with the Cyberman and the final one starring William Hartnell as the 1st Doctor - is missing the fourth and last episode in the story arc. For this DVD release, the BBC is replacing the lost installment with an animated reconstruction. You'll also get this bonus material: Audio Commentary Frozen Out Episode 4 VHS Reconstruction Photo Gallery William Hartnell Interview Doctor Who Stories - Anneke Wills The Golden Age Boys! Boys! Boys! Companion Piece Blue Peter PDF materials: Radio Times Listings Production Note Subtitles Warner Home Video's information shows this to be 93 minutes for the featured episode, and a 3-DVD set overall, costing $34.98 SRP. You can pre-order it from Amazon right away, though, and at a discount! Package art isn't available yet.
Doctor Who - DVD for the Cybermen's First Episode, and the 1st Doctor's Last: 'Story #029: The Tenth Planet' Multi-DVD set will materialize in stores late this year Posted by David Lambert 8/28/2013
New to DVD! Digitally remastered Doctor Who classic The Tenth Planet! The TARDIS brings the Doctor and his friends Ben and Polly to the South Pole in 1986. Their arrival coincides with the appearance of Earth's forgotten twin planet Mondas and visitors from that world: emotionless beings called Cybermen. It's up to the Doctor and his friends to stop these creatures before they convert Earth's population into similar cyber creations...but the encounter will have a devastating effect on the Doctor. We've known it was in-the-works, and now it's been officially scheduled: BBC Home Entertainment and their North American distributor, Warner Home Video, has informed retailers that Doctor Who - Story #029: The Tenth Planet will arrive on DVD November 19th. Featuring digitally remastered picture and sound quality, this 4-part story - the first one with the Cyberman and the final one starring William Hartnell as the 1st Doctor - is missing the fourth and last episode in the story arc. For this DVD release, the BBC is replacing the lost installment with an animated reconstruction. You'll also get this bonus material: Audio Commentary Frozen Out Episode 4 VHS Reconstruction Photo Gallery William Hartnell Interview Doctor Who Stories - Anneke Wills The Golden Age Boys! Boys! Boys! Companion Piece Blue Peter PDF materials: Radio Times Listings Production Note Subtitles Warner Home Video's information shows this to be 93 minutes for the featured episode, and a 3-DVD set overall, costing $34.98 SRP. You can pre-order it from Amazon right away, though, and at a discount! Package art isn't available yet.
It's been a while since I last viewed The Tenth Planet. Looking forward to watching it again, although tinged with some sadness as it's Hartnell's final story. Ben and Polly were two of my favourite companions from the 60s and the first time we see the Cybermen. Surely an inspiration for the Borg. I'm especially interested to see the Hartnell interview, as I hear these things were quite rare for him.
BBC Worldwide have announced details for the forthcoming release of The Tenth Planet on DVD. The two-disc set has been provisionally scheduled for release on 18th November August 2013 for R2, 19th November for R1, and 20th November for R4.
The Tenth Planet Release date: 18 Nov 2013 UK
The TARDIS brings the Doctor and his friends Ben and Polly to the South Pole in 1986. Their arrival coincides with the appearance of Earth’s forgotten twin planet Mondas and visitors from that world – emotionless beings called Cybermen. It’s up to the Doctor and his friends to stop these creatures before they convert Earth’s population into similar cyber creations – but the encounter will have a devastating effect on the Doctor...
Special Features: Disc One •Commentary, with actors Anneke Wills (Polly), Christopher Matthews (Radar Technician), Earl Cameron (Williams), Alan White (Schultz), Donald Van Der Maaten (Cybermen Shav and Gern), Christopher Dunham (R/T Technician) and designer Peter Kindred. Moderated by Toby Hadoke. •Frozen Out - Cast and crew look back on the making of the story. With actors Anneke Wills, Earl Cameron and Reg Whitehead, designer Peter Kindred and vision mixer Shirley Coward. •Episode 4 VHS Reconstruction - The reconstruction of the missing fourth episode using audio, stills and surviving clips, which featured on the BBC Video VHS release of the story back in 2000. Radio Times listings - Episode listings for The Tenth Planet from the BBC listings magazine Radio Times (DVD-ROM only – to be viewed on PC/Mac). •Production subtitles - Subtitles provide the viewer with cast details, script development and other information related to the production of The Tenth Planet. •Photo gallery - A selection of production, design and publicity photographs from this story. •Coming soon - An exclusive new trailer for a forthcoming DVD release.
Special Features: Disc Two •William Hartnell Interview - Shortly after leaving Doctor Who, star William Hartnell joined the 1966 Christmas pantomime tour of Puss in Boots. Interviewed in his dressing room for the BBC Bristol’s Points West programme, Hartnell talks frankly about Daleks, the merits of pantomime and his own thoughts on his future career in this extremely rare glimpse into the mind of the man who first brought the role of the Doctor to life... •Doctor Who Stories – Anneke Wills - Anneke Wills look back on her role as Polly in the series, in an interview recorded for the BBC’s Story of Doctor Who in 2003. •The Golden Age - Historian Dominic Sandbrook examines the myth of a ‘Golden Age’ of Doctor Who. •Boys! Boys! Boys! - Peter Purves, Frazer Hines and Mark Strickson reminisce about their time as companions to the First, Second and Fifth Doctors respectively. •Companion Piece - A psychologist, writers and some of the Doctor’s companions over the years examine what it means to be a Time Lord’s fellow traveller . With actors William Russell, Elisabeth Sladen, Louise Jameson, Nicola Bryant and Arthur Darvill, writers Nev Fountain and Joseph Lidster, and psychologist Dr Tomas Charmorro-Premuzic. •Blue Peter: Doctor Who's Tenth Anniversary - Two weeks before the show’s tenth anniversary, the Blue Peter team take a look back at Doctor Who’s history. Ironically, the strict preservation of Blue Peter’s history means that the clip of the first regeneration has been preserved, but the final episode of The Tenth Planet that it came from was never again seen after its use here.
Next month sees two DVDs released: 16th September will see the 2003 animated adventure Scream of the Shalka, featuring the 'forgotten' Ninth Doctor as played by Richard E Grant; then on 30th September the final complete Doctor Who story arrives on the shelves with Fourth Doctor adventure Terror of the Zygons. Internationally, Shalka is released in R1 on 17th September, and Zygons in R1 on 8th October.
Scream of the Shalka Release date: 16 Sep 2013 UK
The TARDIS lands in a small English village in 2003, where the population are living in fear of a malevoelent alien force. With the help of UNIT and his new friend Alison, the Doctor discovers that a race called the Shalka are residing underground, preparing to strip away the earth's ozone layer and embark on a full-scale invasion of the planet ...
Special Features: •Commentary, with writer Paul Cornell, director Wilson Milam and producer James Goss. •Carry on Screaming - behind-the-scenes personnel discuss the making of Scream of the Shalka •The Screaming Sessions - cast and crew interviews recorded at the time of production in 2003 •Interweb of Fear - a brief history of the BBC website and the important role that Doctor Who has played over the years •Soundtrack Album •Production information subtitles •Photo gallery •Coming Soon trailer
Terror of the Zygons Release date: 30 Sep 2013 UK
Returning to Earth, the Doctor, Sarah and Harry arrive in the Scottish Highlands to investigate the mysterious destruction of several oil rigs in the North Sea. Local superstition speaks of a deadly threat that lurks in the mists on Tulloch Moor, but the truth is even more disturbing: the legendary Loch Ness Monster is a terrifying cyborg beast which is controlled by the Zygons, an advanced alien race who are desperate to ensure their own survival, at any cost...
Special Features: •Commentary, by producer Philip Hinchcliffe, writer Robert Banks Stewart, production unit manager George Gallaccio, make-up artist Sylvia James and sound effect producer Dick Mills, moderated by Mark Ayres. •Scotch Mist in Sussex - Cast and crew look back at the making of this story. With actors John Levene and John Woodnutt, Philip Hinchcliffe, Robert Banks Stewart, designer Nigel Curzon, costume designer James Acheson, visual effects assistant Steve Bowman, writer and historian Simon Farquar and the director’s son, Joggs Camfield. •Remembering Douglas Camfield - The life and work of respected director Douglas Camfield is remembered in this documentary. With actors Celia Imrie, Peter Purves, Jonathan Newth and John Levene, Philip Hinchcliffe, Robert Banks Stewart, director Graeme Harper and Joggs Camfield. Narrated by Glen Allen. •The UNIT Family Part 3 - The concluding part of the series looking at the stories featuring the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. With actors Tom Baker, Nicholas Courtney, Katy Manning, John Levene and Richard Franklin, producer Barry Letts and script editor Terrance Dicks. •Doctor Who Stories: Tom Baker - Tom Baker talks about his work on the series in this interview originally recorded for 2003’s The Story of Doctor Who. •Doctor Who Stories: Elisabeth Sladen - Elisabeth Sladen remembers her time as Sarah Jane Smith in this interview recorded for The Story of Doctor Who. •Merry-Go-Round: The Fuel Fishers - Elisabeth Sladen flies out to visit North Sea oil rigs and learn about the process of oil exploration in this schools programme from 1977. •South Today - Tom Baker interviewed on location in Sussex during the Terror of the Zygons filming by the BBC’s regional news programme South Today. •Isolated Score •Photo Gallery •Radio Times Billings •Coming Soon •Production Subtitles
The Moonbase
It has now been confirmed that the Second Doctor adventure The Moonbase will be released in 2014, enabling animation work to be completed. The animation is once again being undertaken by Planet 55, who rendered the missing episodes for both First Doctor adventures The Reign of Terror and The Tenth Planet; Pup Ltd have released two headshot images to illustrate how the principal characters will look:
Two days ago BBC Home Entertainment's North American distributor, Warner Home Entertainment, announced the November 19th DVD release of Doctor Who - Story #029: The Tenth Planet. Box art wasn't available at the time, but today our Canadian retail contacts forwarded us the below package image which came to them from Warner Canada (the title will be available there the same day).
In the initial announcement info, Warner Home Video shows a count of 3 discs for this title, but as you can see on the box art it says - both on the front and on the spine - that this is a 2-disc set rather than three. That makes more sense, given the list of contents (relayed in yesterday's report) and the $34.98 SRP price point. It's surely just a typo, and we've all been there, so no big thing. Just wanted to set the record straight! This title is definitely going to be high on the must-buy list for many Whovians, me among them.
The complete 7th series will have both Amy and Clara on the cover with the Doctor. Interesting to note since someone brought up the fact Clara is not illustrated on the 7th series soundtrack.
BBC Worldwide have released details on their collection of DVDs featuring the monstrous foes of the Doctor.
Doctor Who: The Monster Collection
These six real "hide behind the sofa" collections bring together episodes of the scariest and most iconic monsters from Doctor Who's classic and recent series.
Each title concentrates on a deadly enemy - The Daleks, Cybermen, Sontarans, The Master, Davros and The Silurians - and features two separate stories from popular incarnations of the Doctor, including Matt Smith, David Tennant, Tom Baker and Jon Pertwee. These collections are perfect for younger viewers just discovering the scary delights of fifty years of Doctor Who.
Monster Collection: The Daleks (Credit: BBC Worldwide)The Monster Collection: The Daleks (pre-order)
THE DALEKS are the most feared race in the entire universe. The hideous mutant creatures contained inside almost indestructible casings conquer and exterminate wherever they go...
The Daleks (1963): On the planet Skaro, the mutated Daleks plan a final assault on the Thals. Starring William Hartnell as the First Doctor.
Asylum of the Daleks (2012): Kidnapped by his oldest foe, the Doctor is forced on an impossible mission - to a place even the Daleks are too terrified to enter ... the Asylum. Starring Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor.
Monster Collection: The Cybermen (Credit: BBC Worldwide)The Monster Collection: The Cybermen (pre-order)
THE CYBERMEN were once human but chose to replace all living tissue with plastic and steel. Seeing emotions as a weakness, they removed those too and now massive Cyber armies try to upgrade the universe...
The Tomb of the Cybermen (1967): The TARDIS arrives on the planet Telos where an Earth archaeological expedition, led by Professor Parry, is attempting to uncover the lost tombs of the Cybermen. Starring Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor.
Rise of the Cybermen and The Age of Steel (2006): Lurking in the shadows are creatures made to destroy - one of The Doctor's greatest fears have come true ... the Cybermen are reborn. Starring David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor.
Monster Collection: The Sontarans (Credit: BBC Worldwide)The Monster Collection: The Sontarans (pre-order)
THE SONTARANS are a short, battle-loving race from the planet Sontar. Bred for war, these cloned creatures have produced one of the most powerful armies in the universe.
The Time Warrior (1973): Missing scientists have been kidnapped by a Sontaran, Linx, and taken back to medieval England, where they are working under hypnosis to repair his crashed spaceship. Starring Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor.
The Sontaran Stratagem and The Poison Sky (2008): With planet Earth choking under the poison sky, the Doctor must stop the Sontarans' threat to the planet. Starring David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor.
Monster Collection: The Master (Credit: BBC Worldwide)The Monster Collection: The Master (pre-order)
THE MASTER is a dangerous, power-mad Time Lord and one of the Doctor’s deadliest foes. He brings death, danger and chaos to every story in which he appears.
Terror of the Autons (1971): The Master arrives on Earth at a circus run by a man named Rossini and steals a dormant Nestene energy unit from a museum. He reactivates it using a radio telescope and uses his hypnotic abilities to take control of a small plastics firm. Starring Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor.
The End of Time parts one and two (2009-10): With almost everyone on Earth now recast in his image. The Master controls the world. He's shocked however when he realizes that one person hasn't changed... Starring David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor.
DAVROS is a genius scientist responsible for creating the most dangerous races in the universe – the Daleks. Ruthless and dangerous, he is determined that his creations will always win.
Genesis of the Daleks (1975): The Time Lords intercept the transmat beam taking the Doctor, Sarah and Harry back to Nerva and deposit them instead on the planet Skaro at an early point in its history. Starring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor.
The Stolen Earth and Journey's End (2008): The return of an old enemy leaves Earth along with 26 other planets stolen from their places. As the Doctor and Donna look for the whereabouts of Earth, former companions of the Doctor assemble a resistance against the new Dalek Empire. Starring David Tennnant as the Tenth Doctor.
Monster Collection: The Silurians (Credit: BBC Worldwide)The Monster Collection: The Silurians (pre-order)
THE SILURIANS lived on Earth millions of years before humans. This reptile race was forced to hibernate and lay undiscovered for years until they eventually started to wake up...
The Silurians (1970): Investigating a nearby cave system, the Doctor discovers it is the base of a group of intelligent reptiles, termed Silurians, who went into hibernation millions of years ago but have now been revived by power from the research centre. Starring Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor.
The Hungry Earth and Cold Blood (2010): The Doctor tries to get everyone to Rio, but nothing quite goes as planned. They arrive in a small Welsh village where the Doctor immediately senses that the ground isn't quite right. Starring Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor.
BBC Worldwide have confirmed that The Tenth Planet has been moved forward in the release schedule and will now be released on Monday 14th October 2013. This replaces next month's originally planned DVD release of The Moonbase, which the new edition of Doctor Who Magazine has reported is now expected on 20th January 2014.
The release schedule in the United Kingdom now currently looks as follows: 30th September - The Monster Collection 30th September - Terror of the Zygons 14th October - The Tenth Planet 28th October - The Complete Series 7 4th November - The Complete Series 1-7 (Blu Ray) 2nd December - The Day of the Doctor Anniversary release (this will include the drama An Adventure in Space and Time) 20th January - The Moonbase
There are no details at present as to when The Underwater Menace will be released, though it is expected to be during 2014.
The Complete Seventh Series Box Set features three never-before-seen minisodes. Thanks to the earlier US release one of them, entitled Rain Gods, has already found its way online with the others no doubt soon to follow.
Neil Gaiman provides some details on the scene:
For the puzzled and curious. The lost Planet of the Rain Gods sequence from THE DOCTOR’S WIFE, which was drawn by Mark Buckingham as a comic featuring the Doctor and Amy and Rory in the 2012 Doctor Who Brilliant Book, was then rewritten by me as a Doctor/River minisode for the DVD, and then that script was filmed more or less given some limitations of time and budget, does now sort of exist.
(It’s credited to Steven Moffat as writer, but then, they’ve credited me on the box as writer of The Name of the Doctor which he wrote and I didn’t, so there you go.)
