• Who on DVD - Part I January 20 - 4:46 am

• Who on DVD - Part II December 17 - 10:20 pm

• Commentary Tracks October 08 - 5:25 am

Well seeing as we have a new board- time to go through the motions of listing dvds- only this time instead of listing the ones that are out- I'll list the ones yet to be released....

First Doctor
============
The Sensorites
The Reign Of Terror
Planet Of Giants
The Ark
The Gunfighters
The Tenth Planet

Second Doctor
=============
The Ice Warriors
The Krotons

Third Doctor
============
Ambassadors Of Death
Terror Of The Autons
The Mind Of Evil
Colony In Space
The Daemons
Day Of The Daleks
The Mutants
Invasion Of The Dinosaurs
Death To The Daleks
Planet Of The Spiders

Fourth Doctor
=============
Terror Of The Zygons
The Android Invasion
Face Of Evil
The Sunmakers
Nightmare Of Eden
Shada
Meglos

Fifth Doctor
============
Kinda
Snakedance
The Awakening
Frontios

Seventh Doctor
==============
Paradise Towers
Dragonfire
The Happiness Patrol
The Greatest Show In The Galaxy

Nice to see the collection getting close to completion (only 33 stories to go!). Interesting to note is the number of Pertwee stories to be released- 10! Even our favourite jelly-baby munching scarfed one has less that that! It will be interesting to see what sort of boxsets we'll get from this lot- Already confirmed is a Mara boxset (Kinda/ Snakedance). I suspect we may see a "Lost In Time 2" set for Reign Of Terror/ Tenth Planet and Ice Warriors. Of course "Shada" may not even come out on dvd. It was speculated on the previous board that there will be a final seven story set to bring the dvds to a close with one story from each Doctor- It was suggested these would be "Sensorites", "Krotons", "Daemons", "Zygons", "Frontios", "Varos" (remastered) and "Greatest Show".

But enough of the future let's look to the past (or as matt Smith says "passsssssssssT"

Roll the opening credits and cue the dancing girls (OK, it's only Emily and a few cats but that's all we could afford) as it's time for the eighth (!) annual Whoee awards for Classic Who DVDs...

This last year has seen a staggering amount of output from the Restoration Team. A total of 19 serials consisting of 88 episodes were released for the first time- plus the first of the "Revisitations" boxsets (which added another three serials and 11 episodes to the count if you're being fussy). Pleasing to see that the quality of the restoration work is still at its ridiculously high level and also some really solid extras included. Although the selection of stories has, perhaps, not been the most stellar bunch, it has been interesting to view these stories again after such a long time to see if they held up.

The nominees this year are-

Keys Of Marinus
The Dominators
Seeds Of Doom
Masque Of Madragora
Creature From The Pit
Time And The Rani

plus the boxsets-

Space Museum/ The Chase
"Peladon Tales"- Curse of Peladon/ Monster Of Peladon
"Myths and Legends"- "Time Monster", "Underworld", "Horns Of Nimon"
"Cybermen"- "Revenge Of The Cybermen", "Silver Nemesis"
Dalek War- "Frontier In Space", "Planet Of The Daleks"
Kamelion Tales"- "King's Demons", Planet Of Fire"


BEST COMMENTARY TRACK- There have been some wonderful tracks this year but it's hard to separate the magic combination of the late Barry Letts alongside Terrance Dicks and Katy Manning who trudged through 12 episodes of the Dalek War stories (they keep things really bright and informative) and the team of Tom Baker, Phillip Hinchcliffe and John Challis (and friends) who gave a delightful look at "Seeds Of Doom". Both sets of tracks are well worth the listen.

WORST COMMENTARY TRACK: As tempted as I am to hand this gong to the surprisingly lacklustre commentaries on the series five boxset (seriously- how could you have Stephen Moffat AND Karen Gillan in the one session and STILL be bored???- yet still not be so bad as the mob that narrates "Vampires Of Venice")I'll instead give it to "Creature From The Pit" which shows shows just how bitter Lalla Ward is about Tom. I can't think of a single episode where she isn't doing subtle and not-so-subtle jabs at her former husband, whilst the other participants pat each other on the back about how wonderful they all are...

BEST COMMENTARY PARTICIPANT: Toby Hadoake. Hands Down. Moths may have eaten his Doctor Who scarf but his love of the program is clear. He manages to elicit not only some wonderful anecdotes from his ageing cast and crew members (like Gary Russell used to do in the earlier releases)but he also infects his love of the program onto them as well and the results are never dull. Heck, maybe HE should sit in next year on the series six commentaries...

WORST COMMENTARY PARTICIPANT: Lalla Ward takes out her second gong in this category for once again proving that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. And why is Douggie Camfield's SON in a commentary??? What did HE contribute to the program??

BEST EXTRA: "Cheques, Lies and Videotapes" on the "Revenge Of The Cybermen" disc is an absolute gem. Finding fans who paid 350 pounds in 1983 for a colour Silurians videotape is totally and utterly insane! But GOD I love that kind of dedication. The only downside is the return of that lamentable Aussie talking about Australian broadcasts of Who who had originally appeared in the "Missing Years" doco 12 years previously. He still sounds like he's reading off cuecards... The continuing saga of the comic strips ("Stripped For Action") is also a fascinating sideline and would be most interesting to watch when complete.

BIGGEST "HUH?" RELEASE: Gosh, where do we start??!! Far too many to mention I think but if I was pinned to a wall with a gun to my head I'd probably hand this one to "Creature From The Pit" or "Time And The Rani".

BEST RESTORATION: Episode 3 of "Planet Of The Daleks" in colour for the first time in nearly 40 years. Enough said.

BEST BOXSET: "Dalek War" I thought would be a really long haul but instead it turned out to be quite entertaining. The "Kamelion" set set is also very good.

WORST BOXSET: No surprises here for the misleading "Myths and Legends" boxset. Try as they might to talk this up it's hard to look past the the fact that these three stories rank amongst the worst from the 70's. On their own they might have flown under the radar somewhat but in a flashy boxset it tends to stick out,

BEST EASTER EGG: A tie between John Challis' two easter eggs on the "Seeds Of Doom" DVD and the newly done regeneration scene on "Time And The Rani"


BEST OVERALL RELEASE: Saving the best for last I have to hand it to "Seeds Of Doom". Great story, great commentary, awesome extras.

HONORABLE MENTION: The "Revisitations 1" boxset was a definite winner for me. Not only did we get improved picture from the original release but much, MUCH better extras. In particular, the telemovie really benefits from the extras given it (Two Doctors- One Commentary track!!)

OK- that's it for another year- let's see what 2011 brings- cue Emily and the cats!!

Roll the opening credits and cue the dancing girls (OK, it's only Emily and a few cats but that's all we could afford)

Emily and the cats would like to make it QUITE clear that they aren't dancing for anyone's delectation. Least of all to celebrate DVD releases which, given the existence of the same stories on video, the felines regard as a gross waste of money which would be better spent on tins of tuna.

BEST COMMENTARY PARTICIPANT: Toby Hadoake. Hands Down. Moths may have eaten his Doctor Who scarf but his love of the program is clear. He manages to elicit not only some wonderful anecdotes from his ageing cast and crew members (like Gary Russell used to do in the earlier releases)but he also infects his love of the program onto them as well and the results are never dull. Heck, maybe HE should sit in next year on the series six commentaries...

Oh, I LOVED his Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf...in fact it's probably my favourite Who-related audio aside from the Faction Paradox ones...which commentary did he do?

He has done "The Rescue" and "The Romans" as well as the two Peladon stories.

Oh.

I'm not sure I can face watching Rescue OR Romans, let alone their commentaries...

Not officially announced yet (I don't think), but a full-colour Ambassadors of Death is in the pipeline.

OMIGAWD! Seriously? I thought it was HORRENDOUSLY expensive to colour even a single episode...That's great news! Well, moderately great news. I don't suppose I'll actually ENJOY Ambassadors much more in colour, but that's beside the point.

Major DVD news-

So we pretty much have 2011 dvd releases mapped out...

We've already had Meglos plus "The Mutants" and "The Ark" and "Mara Tales" sets announced plus the second revisitations set (Seeds of Death, Resurrection Of The Daleks and Carnival Of Monsters)..

Now we have more-

Planet of The Spiders
"Mannequin Mania" boxet- Spearhead From Space (new restoration with more bonus features) plus terror Of The Autons (assuming using the same technology they used for Silurians)

Frontios

"Earthstory" boxset- The Gunfighters coupled with The Awakening. Yes- if that isn't the weakest idea for linking stories in a boxset I don't know WHAT is...

Paradise Towers

Revisitations 3- Tomb, Three Doctors, Robots Of Death. Good choices- all need better restoration and extras.

"The Solar System" boxset- Ambassadors Of Death and The Sunmakers- ok I take it back- THAT'S the weakest link for a boxset I've ever seen. It's not even the SAME BLOODY SOLAR SYSTEM!!!

Day Of The Daleks (Special Edition). Not entirely sure why this one gets singled out for the "Special Edition" treatment.

Some thoughts: Pleased to see that Davison's era will finally be all released. Also glad that a number of Pertwee stories are getting released too. I realise that there has been considerably more work done that needed to be done so it's nice to see the fruits of that long labour.

The third revisitations set gets a big thumbs up from me- Tomb VIDfired and Robots cleaned up with better extras as well as Three Doctors getting some decent extras too.

I also like the fact that if you get terror Of The Autons you get Spearhead's new version chucked in as well. Apparently they have a new commentary added (the first one was AWFUL!)

I wonder if "Spiders" will be with new CGI? Maybe then the regeneration won't look like a vision-mixer switching images... Maybe the spiders won't look...well...cr@p....

We'll also see a couple more editions of "Tomorrow's Times" where they look at news reaction in each Doctor's era. This time we'll see a Third Doctor and First Doctor episode.

What this all boils down to is that 14 new stories are going to be sitting our shelves by the end of the year and some more take 'em or leave 'em reissues too.

"The Solar System" boxset- Ambassadors Of Death and The Sunmakers- ok I take it back- THAT'S the weakest link for a boxset I've ever seen. It's not even the SAME BLOODY SOLAR SYSTEM!!!

Uh, dude, the Ambassadors Of Death was set on Earth, Sunmakers was set on Pluto. Last time I checked, they were in the same solar system.

Whoops. Thinking of Underworld. It's still probably the slenderest thread to hang a boxset on....

Oh and Tim, just for the record- I've never been too fond of being called "dude"- which will be the cue for Emily to start calling me that for the next month or so.

Okay, I won't call you that anymore. As for Emily, time will tell.

No, you were right the first time: Gunfighters and Awakening is the weakest excuse for a box.

I actually don't mind Awakening, it's a short two-parter. Gunfighters however....

I'm not complaining about the stories themselves--they gotta be released somehow--only this nonsensical combination.

"Earthstory" boxset- The Gunfighters coupled with The Awakening. Yes- if that isn't the weakest idea for linking stories in a boxset I don't know WHAT is...

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Yeah, as if those are the ONLY Who stories set on good old Earth...Plus wouldn't it have been more sensible from the sales point of view to pair a rubbish story with a GOOD one?

I actually don't mind Awakening, it's a short two-parter.

It always feels like a really, really long two-parter to ME.

What this all boils down to is that 14 new stories are going to be sitting our shelves by the end of the year

They may be sitting on YOUR shelves...I'll be exceedingly lucky if they've all come down in price far enough for ME to buy them by the end of the year. Dude.

They may be sitting on YOUR shelves...I'll be exceedingly lucky if they've all come down in price far enough for ME to buy them by the end of the year. Dude.

And here we go....

Gunfighters however

The BBC trashed countless good stories in the 70's, yet they missed this turkey. There ain't no justice!

Well, I thoroughly disapprove of the Season 5/31 box set. It looks shrunken and out-of-place on the shelf next to its glorious predecessors. It puts the Angels story on two different discs. It has not ONE SINGLE deleted scene. Its Monsters Files extras are pathetic.

Not to mention that the commentaries don't feature Smith and are extremely BORING!

Mind you- the TARDISodes almost make up for it...

..almost...

Also Ambassadors Of Death DVD has been postponed which means we miss out on the "Solar System" boxset.... probably still get Sunmakers though.

"Terror of the Autons" & "Planet of the Spiders" due out in MAY

It's probably April for the British versions. Autons is said to be paired with the remastered Spearhead. But isn't that on the Revisitations 3 box?

Anyway, it'll be my first time to see it in colour. (I presume it will be in colour.)

Colour confirmed. They've combined the b&w version and the NTSC colour edit.

Sun Makers confirmed as a standalone release without Ambassadors.

Not to mention that the commentaries don't feature Smith and are extremely BORING!

I haven't even FACED the Commentaries yet...

Sun Makers confirmed as a standalone release without Ambassadors.

I guess Solar System is out of the running then, and Earthstory can look forward to reigning supreme as the stupidest box set idea EVER. (Or at least since they didn't bother to glue the Season 1/27 box set together properly...)

Frankly, Ambassadors should have been one of the episodes the BBC trashed. It was so confusing and jumbled, even the Script Editor couldn't follow it.

This mess is probably why it was decreed that Who stories run no longer than six episodes, and even some of them were too long.

Four episodes was the right idea.

The American market has announced Frontios for June, so the R2 release should be around the same time.

The Mara box is next month's release. That will leave only Frontios and The Awakening left from Davison's tenure. Frontios has been announced, and I'm surprised The Awakening wasn't included. (Stories have certainly been bundled for less reason than being adjacent.)

So unless it is included nad just hasn't been announced yet (which is possible), either it will get a dedicated release like The Sontaran Experiment, or it will be bundled with something that makes even less sense, like Planet of Giants...

Pays to look at earlier posts Kevin- from me on Jan. 12-

"Earthstory" boxset- The Gunfighters coupled with The Awakening. Yes- if that isn't the weakest idea for linking stories in a boxset I don't know WHAT is...

And which I even commented on. Silly me.

Interestingly, The Awakening DVD will include a deleted scene featuring Kamelion.

As such, I wish they'd included it on his box set. That may be a stretch, but certainly less of one than the box it is going into.

That scene was just there to remind the audience that Kamelion existed.

Day of the Dalekm in the pipeline, probably in September.

A noteworthy comment:
Reports around the 'net say that this "Special Edition" release will include a version with new video special effect, and new audio that includes updated audio effects AND new voices for the Daleks, by current Doctor Who Dalek voice actor Nicholas Briggs.

You know, that really could help because there is a decent story in here; it just got ruined by blah production.

Also a documentary of UNIT dating, which I'm surprised they never did beofre.

The missing two episodes of Reign of Terror are gonna be animated!

Why am I excited? I haven't even WATCHED the animated bits of The Invasion. I hate animation. And I hate Reign of Terror. But...I'm still excited.

I haven't even watched Reign of Terror in *any* form, so I'm really excited.

Well I enjoyed the invasion animation very much (this is being done by a different company though) so it will be interesting to see what they do with it. Does this mean we'll get an animated "Ice Warriors' and "Tenth planet" as well I wonder?

One more question- shouldn't this discussion be moved to the dvd section?

OK *sigh* given that I've been moving posts around like I'm Borusa-with-a-timescoop, I suppose I'm not in a position to refuse, but...that's EIGHTEEN POSTS poor old Reign is left with. Compared to 744 for Who on DVD. I hope you can live with yourself...

I was just looking a the Doctor Who season 6 part 1 set on Ebay-- and I have a few questions on it.

When I looked it up last month, I found it listed at two stores(Walmart an Best Buy IIRC) which both listed times of 92-94 minutes(roughly 4 episodes).

Now I look it up on Ebay--and they say 7 episodes on 2 discs running at 310 minutes.

The reason I ask is that they also list one episode as being called "The Curst of the Black Spot".

Can anyone tell me what is on this set and what isn't(would I need to buy their story "A Christmas Carol" seperately)???

I'm looking for information on region 1 discs(and yes,I know that to complete the season I'd need to buy part 2).

I'd be thankful for anything anyone could tell me.

Thank you.

http://www.amazon.com/Doctor-Who-Six-Part-1/dp/B004QOB8QG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1314100269&sr=8-3

According to the Amazon review (and I can't imagine why it would be lying), Christmas Carol isn't included. But still...$15.95! BARGAIN! Go on, you KNOW you want to...

Thank you Emily--the link you gave pretty much confirms what I thought.

On the other hand:

If I KNEW I wanted it-I wouldn't have needed to ask the question.

The problem I'm having is this-I came buy the bare-bones version now(Ebay has it for $10.00 or less), The disc for "A Christmas Carol" (I think I'd have to go at least $15.00 for that), and then pay an unknown amount for part 2 after it's shown.

My options,as I see them are:

1) Start buying now and live without most of the bonus features.

2) Wait until after the complete season is released--to both see what the bonus features are,and see how good the best price I can get it for is.

3) Wait until after the second half of the season shows-so I can get a feel for it from the comments here on if I want it at all(with the doubts I've seen here(from some of New Whos true-est fans)I'm not sure I want it).

4) I can wait until I can get it from the library--which means waiting at least a year or two to see it.

At the moment the 2 options I prefer are 2 and 3--if the christmas story had been counted as the first of 14(making 2 seven part halves to the season) odds are I'd go for it; as things are-I think I'll wait awhile.

Thanks again for the info.

JEP- I understand your dilemma- but to be honest because I download the episodes I tend to just wait until the full set is out before splashing the cash. Admittedly I was disappointed with the season 5 set for the boring commentaries and rather lacklustre features, but still it was as complete as it could be. I see no reason to change this practice of mine.

I realise that there is probably a different situation with you then for me but that's what I do.

"Invasion" boxset announced- "Invasion of Dinosaurs" coupled with "The Android Invasion". I believe due around January.

No word on whether episode 1 of Dinosaurs is colourised or if they've fixed up the actual dinosaurs....

Aw, fixing up the dinosaurs would be wrong.

Well they would put it as option so you could still watch it as the original version if you so desired.

It's the Coming Soon feature on the most recent DVD (Colony). It's now called The Unit Box. It's not up on Amazon.co.uk yet, and I *still* can't tell what's going on with episode one (never seen it even if B&W). Dinosaurs don't look like they're replaced though, but I'm sure it'd be touted as a Special Edition if they were.

A few days ago, the American DVD news source listed upcoming releases for Sensorites, plus three separate re-releases (which must mean a Revisitation 3 box for the rest of the world) featuring redone special features of Tomb, Robots of Death and The Three Doctors.

If anyone doesn't know, the Restoration Team website is functioning again, more or less.

From what I understand from various twitter postings, episode 1 has been remastered in Black and White but they've also included their best attempt at a colourised episode 1 if you prefer that. The dinosaurs haven't been replaced- would be far too expensive I think.

When are they going to produce a Terror of the Autons ON ITS OWN so you DON'T have to pay through the nose buy ANOTHER Spearhead WHEN YOU'VE ALREADY GOT ONE, that's what I want to know.

Shada comin'. Coupled with the 30 Years documentary.

I wonder if they'll use the links recorded by Tom Baker way back when for the video release. I also wonder if they'll combine both version of 30 years into one mega-documentary....questions, questions...

So what the heck is the next release (following Colony)? Have they taken November off or something?

The next release is the UNIT boxset in January I believe.

Yeah, that was the last 'coming soon' trailer, but we've never had to wait this long between releases, and I've never heard any announcement about this gap.

I guess because they are getting to the end of the range they'll stagger out the final releases until the 50th aniversary.....another 2 years away!!! By my estimation we only have another 17 or 18 releases to go (not counting the UNIT boxet). We also know there will be a revisitations 3 set sometime next year as well.

In the US, the three titles comprising the Revisitations3 set will be given individual releases in March, along with a new-to-dvd one: Face of Evil.

So I'll presume it's a March release for the rest of us of us as well.

(That's probably confusing since I am American, but because I don't live in a country that sells Doctor Who anything, I get mine from the UK.)

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

Well folks, it's time once again for that point in the year when we look back over 12 months of Classic Who releases. So after JEP sings his new song "It's Not Doctor Who So Don't Watch This Rubbish Parading As It" we shall proceed to the ninth annual Whoee awards!!!

[song performed- Emily throws rotten tomatoes- misses- hits cats perched on set instead]

The nominees this year are-

Meglos
The Mutants
The Ark
Planet Of The Spiders
Frontios
Paradise Towers
The Sun Makers
Colony In Space
Day Of The Daleks

plus the boxsets-
"Mannequin Mania"- Terror Of The Autons/ Spearhead From Space
"Mara Tales"- Kinda/ Snakedance
"Earth Story"- The Gunfighters/ The Awakening


That's 14 previously unreleased serials on dvd or 58 individual episodes. That's not counting the reissues of Spearhead (plus the second revisitation boxset of "Resurrection Of The Daleks, The Seeds Of Death and Carnival Of Monsters)

BEST COMMENTARY TRACK: None particularly standout but I must say that The Ark and The Gunfighters are certainly far more entertaining than I thought they would be.

WORST COMMENTARY TRACK: The Awakening. No Peter Davison and a bunch of participants that clearly have no clue about what they're watching. Sounds like the audience watching it now that I think about it.

BEST COMMENTARY PARTICIPANT: Toby Hadoake once again takes the gong. I love this man's enthusiasm and the way he gets those memories flowing. Nice to see him covering a few more recent eras (including the aforementioned The Awakening) as well which allows him the opportunity to discuss his own experiences of watching the program as a kid. Peter Puirves also is an invaluable participant on his stories. He has some wonderful insights into the world of Hartnell Who.

WORST COMMENTARY PARTICIPANT: Morris Perry on "Colony In Space". In fact, I would like to offer this timely piece of advice. Whilst it's cute to have some 80+ y.o. sitting in a booth watching something they filmed 40-odd years ago, you aren't going to get much out of them. Seriously, all Morris does is sit there and talk about his feelings from when he watched it a couple days before taping the track!!!

Best Extra: The retrospective documentaries are all up to their usual standard but my favourite one is "The Final Curtain" from the "Spiders" disc. A really awesome doco not just on that serial but on how the Pertwee era ended. My favourite bit is when they show Pertwee explaining why he left followed by Barry Letts talking about what a load of bulls**t that story was. Some other good docos include "The End Of The Line" from the gunfighters disc and "Jacqueline Hill- A Life In Pictures" on the Meglos disc.

BIGGEST "HUH?" RELEASE: Paradise Towers. More ham than a pig farm.

BEST RESTORATION: I love the work on "Day Of The Daleks". The special edition is an outstanding improvement on the original. In terms of original serial being restored, the look of the new version of Spearhead is remarkable.

BEST BOXSET: Honorable mention to the second revisitations boxset- especially "Carnival Of Monsters" which looks superb and has much better features but I'll give it to the remarkable Mannequin Mania set.

WORST BOXSET: "Earth Story"- because it's a $tupid title for a boxset for a show which is 80% set on Earth and because the stories on them are far from outstanding.

BEST OVERALL RELEASE: "Day Of The Daleks" hands down- brilliant restoration on both the original and special editions plus a slew of excellent features.

Ok- time for JEP to return with "That's Not The Sarah-Jane I Remember!" as we see it off for another year!!

Rodney:So after JEP sings his new song "It's Not Doctor Who So Don't Watch This Rubbish Parading As It" we shall proceed to the ninth annual Whoee awards!!!

Huh-what the...??? How'd this happen????

Are you telling me that the dark-haired man with the goatee named Tremas was on the level with his offer--do the show and win a TARDIS and a 6-month paid vacation with his daughter Nyssa????

(Although I will admit being a little hurt by his comment-this will give those Who fans what they deserve!!!!).

Rodney:[song performed- Emily throws rotten tomatoes- misses- hits cats perched on set instead]

Bad Emily-leave my back-up singers(okay yowlers)alone, they're part of the show!!!!

By the way Rodney--you forgot me mid-show song "I haven't seen that yet, so I can't comment on it".

Rodney: Ok- time for JEP to return with "That's Not The Sarah-Jane I Remember!" as we see it off for another year!!

O.K. people-lets do this right--I expect a lot from my audience.

I'm expecting screams of pain,bleeding ears and total chaos from this--never again will Shatner be called the worst singer on Earth!!!!!

And remember-if we don't get that prize this year-there's always next year(BWAAHAAHAA)!!!

6-month paid vacation with his daughter Nyssa????

Where do I sign up?

Sorry Tim-I already took the only opening.

Hey, back off, Nyssa is MINE

Not for at least 6 months--and if I don't mess up, maybe for much longer!!!!

Sorry dude, I staked my claim to Nyssa long before you got here. Plenty of other female companions, but Nyssa is mine.

Hey-all you did was claim her--her father Tremas has okayed me.

(Although I did expect him to look older that he did.)

I want to make it PERFECTLY CLEAR that no imaginary cats were harmed by my imaginary tomatoes.

Aren't you two forgetting that Nyssa is married with two kids? (Well, according to the audios, and it's definitely her REAL VOICE giving us this bizarre piece of information.) Do you REALLY love her enough to be a step-dad to two kids called ADRIC and TEGAN...?

And I want to make it perfectly clear that I don't smegging care what an imaginary Nyssa does in a smegging imaginary story on a lousy phony audio disc--I'd rather believe in the attack of the smegging 50-foot Ace.(Naming one of her rug-rats after the woman she joined a leper colony to excape--yeah right.)

And anyway--the joke doesn't work if it's not Nyssa!!!!

Clearly you're a Red Dwarf fan.

Whoa-did someone finally notice one of the references I've made to other shows--I've been dropping references from other shows almost since I started here.

While I have to cut Emily some leeway- I have expected better from the rest of you....

And yes-I am a Red Dwarf fan--I've been waiting for the new moderator there(was it Kitten???) to stir things up there(with my skill at starting trouble I wanted to be kind to a new moderator)..

Judi is the Red Dwarf moderator I believe.

I got the smegging reference JEP- have no fear...

Yes I'm the Red Dwarf moderator. Already had to restrict posting to registered members thanks to a spam attack

Spammers are smegheads!

Hey Tim,don't be so cruel and unkind--to the smegheads!!!

I must say, I quite approve of the Season 6 DVD box set. Moffat actually LEARNS from his mistakes, and the trailers for the next episode are baaaaaaaaaaaack! And we have FIVE glorious specially-written-for-DVD scenes (even if one of 'em is total rubbish...and NOTHING makes up for THE LACK OF DELETED SCENES! WHAT THE **** IS YOUR PROBLEM, PEOPLE!). Plus, Season 5 no longer looks so pathetic and shrunken sitting next to the RTG Golden Age DVDs now it has an equally shrunken pal.

Though I have to lunge for the volume control every time the menu comes on and blasts my eardrums...

Can't say I have the volume problem on the blu-ray edition, but yeah, the extra scenes are wonderful. I assume the one you call rubbish is the last one. I don't really see why he split one story into a two-parter--it's not as if he had a broadcast timeframe to make it fit into--and really, it's rather derivative of last year's with multiple versions of our main characters converging at the same time in the TARDIS (itself reminiscent of Day of the Daleks), but these are minor squabbles. They were all excellent.What is she did see him this day?

And is the Blinovitch Limitation Effect a relic of the old series? Sure we haven't seen any touching yet (save Rose touching her infant self), but no one seems particularly worried about it either.

But the one about Amy's saddest day (also with multiple versions of a character, but happening offscreen this time) has me wondering. Isn't it awfully risky that the Doctor could be spotted by the young Emilia? It's pretty well established that from the time she encountered him just after his regeneration that she never saw him again until he appeared later, a few minutes later in his time stream.

I assume the one you call rubbish is the last one.

Yup.

It's an INSULT to our wonderful Closing Time!

and really, it's rather derivative of last year's with multiple versions of our main characters converging at the same time in the TARDIS

I suspect this is what happens when you don't have a BUDGET.

And is the Blinovitch Limitation Effect a relic of the old series? Sure we haven't seen any touching yet (save Rose touching her infant self)

And Amy/Amelia (Big Bang), and quite a lot of other occasions that temporarily slip my mind (though the two Amys in Space/Time certainly LOOKED as if they wanted to touch). It's been convincingly suggested that it was those wretched Time Lords who enforced the Blinovitch Limitation Effect by making things explode whenever people touched their past/future selves, and now the Doc's blown 'em to smithereens there's nothing to prevent such behaviour.

Isn't it awfully risky that the Doctor could be spotted by the young Emilia?

Ooh, good point!

It WAS a bit risky, the Doctor assuming that she'd be so busy scoffing her ice-cream that she wouldn't notice him.

And anyway, how can dropping an ice-cream possibly be Amy's saddest memory, compared with waiting all night (and twelve/fourteen years) for Raggedy GIT to show up?

They were all excellent.What is (sic) she did see him this day?
Ah, that's where that sentence went. Sorry--my laptop has an annoying habit of making the cursor jump to wherever the mouse is pointing.

It's been convincingly suggested that it was those wretched Time Lords who enforced the Blinovitch Limitation Effect
That's one of those explanations I don't particularly like but kind of have to accept.

It's been convincingly suggested that it was those wretched Time Lords who enforced the Blinovitch Limitation Effect

Gosh- what a wonderful catch-all for anything the Doctor does that he wasn't able to do in the classic series. The same for the sonic screwdriver. If I was executive producer I'd have the Tereleptils repeat its Visitation fate.

so coming up we have-

Face Of Evil
The Daemons
Nightmare Of Eden
Ace boxset (Dragonfire/ Happiness Patrol)

These are to be released up until may- any thoughts as to what they'll do in the second half of the year?

What's left?
Planet of the Giants
Krotons
Ambassadors of Death
Mind of Evil
Zygons

That's it for the in-tact stories unless I missed something.

Greatest Show
Death To The Daleks

plus recon of Reign Of Terror, 10th Planet and Ice Warriors plus Shada

Ok, so seven in-tact stories. They could easily finish them off in the year, especially given their penchant for combing stories into odd boxsets.

I suspect the incomplete stories will be dealt with afterwards.

I get the impression they're releasing Our Glorious Happinesses, Our Newly-Discovered Precious Ones, The Light Of Our Lives separately, attached to two different stories...what would be the most appropriate DVDs to stick 'em on? I suppose Galaxy 4 shares the theme of being stuck powerlessly on an alien planet with Death to the Daleks. And, um, I suppose Giants and Menace both have home-grown, well, menaces...

Not that I CARE, I just WANT THEM NOW.

Would it not be more logical (and admittedly logic hasn't always played a part in these matters) to place the Galaxy 4 ep "Planet Of Giants" and the Underwater Menace ep with The Krotons?

Hadn't heard any announcement about it, but Amazon.co.uk has Death to the Daleks up for pre-order for a June release. The list of extras is that of Day of the Daleks though (thought it strange that this would get a two-disc release).

RODNEY in Original Series: Season Six: War Games section:

(the docos are great on this- watch "talkin' about regeneration"- it's a MUST SEE!!!)

Hey, that WAS rather good.

Except for Lidster stating the bleeding obvious in an 'I'm being so profound!' way.

And the fact the Tennant-Matt regeneration was snubbed - SNUBBED I tell you!

And the gushing about what a wonderful idea it was for people to regenerate standing up - well, I'm sure it was, FIRST TIME ROUND.

Are they right that there's not a single Colin story that doesn't mention other Doctors...?

And the fact the Tennant-Matt regeneration was snubbed - SNUBBED I tell you!

Or it was recorded BEFORE that regeneration maybe??

My favourite line was Rob Shearman- "Time and the Rani... that's a funny one..."

Or it was recorded BEFORE that regeneration maybe??

Entirely irrelevant.

Come to think of it, I want the Eleven-to-Twelve regeneration, too...

from doctorwhonews.net

Future History ...
The number of unreleased adventures is diminishing rapidly, with three of the above stories {Krotons, Greatest Show, Planet of Giants} drawing eras to a close - at least for complete serials; here are the remaining adventures of the Doctor to be seen on DVD:

The First Doctor: The Reign Of Terror - to be released with animated episodes 4+5, currently expected for release in late 2012
The First Doctor: Galaxy 4: Air Lock - recently recovered episode alongside The Underwater Menace to feature on a forthcoming release. Dan Hall told DWM: "There's one release that hasn't been announced yet which will provide a home for one of them. And there's a potential release that will provide a home for the other one as well. People aren't going to see them out on DVD in 2012, though. But they are on our schedule."
The First Doctor: The Tenth Planet - missing episode four, current release status unannounced
The Second Doctor: The Underwater Menace: Episode 2 - see Galaxy 4 above
The Second Doctor: The Ice Warriors - missing episodes 2+3, current release status unannounced. Michael Troughton reported at GallifreyOne in February that he had recorded a commentary on the life of his father for the story
The Third Doctor: The Ambassadors of Death - originally to be released with The Sunmakers, but delayed due to colour recovery issues for episodes 2-7. Current release status unannounced
The Third Doctor: The Mind of Evil - originally mooted to be released with Terror of the Autons, but dropped due to colour recovery issues for episodes 1-6. In February Steve Roberts reported to Radio Free Skaro that episode one (which does not have a print containing the chromadot information used for the colour recovery process) will be colourised by Babelcolour, using motion-estimation techniques to aid the process
The Fourth Doctor: Terror of the Zygons, currently expected for release in 2013
The Fourth Doctor: Shada - existing footage to form part of the provisionally entitled Legacy Boxed Set alongside documentary More Than Thirty Years In The TARDIS

In the meantime- the same article lists what is coming up next-

Krotons
Greatest Show
Planet Of Giants (featuring a redoing of episode 3 into the original episodes 3 AND 4)
Vengeance On Varos: SE

One interesting feature on this disc which I'm sure will please Emily no end-
"The "acid bath" scene from episode two with alternative music". Quite why THAT scene deserves different music is beyond me....

Planet Of Giants (featuring a redoing of episode 3 into the original episodes 3 AND 4)

You're kidding! That's so exciting!

(I'm not sure WHY it's so exciting, it just IS.)

"The "acid bath" scene from episode two with alternative music". Quite why THAT scene deserves different music is beyond me....

Ha ha ha ha ha!

THAT'S what's wrong with the Acid Bath Scene! All these years it's just had the wrong music!!!

At last! I love it when people admit they screwed up! More here

At least we learn there was supposed to be more to the story, but it got cut. It looks utterly ridiculous now.

Ambassadors of Death in the works, as is a remastering of Inferno.

http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2012/05/dwn230512212008-dvd-update-ambassadors.html

Inferno is PERFECTLY GOOD as it is. They should just concentrating on colouring-up Ambassadors.

I agree totally, Emily- I love the look of the 2006 Inferno- so much better than the muddy VHS version with sound like it was heard through a pillow.

It may have been an improvement (never had the VHS), but there's still a lot of room for improvement in the picture. Regardless, I'll agree it's not all that necessary of a (re-)release.

But then, neither is Varos. I never really thought this story offered much other than a well-realised villain--admittedly a rarity for its era.

Quite. A well-realised villain = Best Colin Baker Story EVER.

We will never get a crystal clear version of the Pertwee stories for the simple fact that the video masters are destroyed. Everything they do is nothing but a compromise. It's a shame but it's a cold, hard fact.

'Expectations weren't high for the DVDs - the BBC muttering darkly that the extra costs would eclipse any profits' - DWM 304. Ah, the dear old BBC...never exactly at the cutting-edge of commercialism...

'Now Get Out Of That!' documentary on Vervoids disc:

Great fun. Aside from Joseph Lidster, who predictably got on my nerves, LIKING a Vervoids cliffhanger, saying with staggering condescension that the Caves ep 3 cliffhanger is 'like proper drama!' AND referring to my Doctor as 'Doctor Who'.

'Doctor Who: Origins' on Edge of Destruction:

I didn't enjoy it as much as I should have, due to reading a hell of a lot of this stuff while working my way through several million back issues of DWM. But still, a seriously good documentary - my GOD the number of MIRACLES that had to occur...but then of course Who is obviously a Fixed Point In Space And Time...

Confirmed that Ambassadors Of Death will be released in full colour by the end of the year. Yay!!

Well, at least the total WEIRDNESS of a colour Ambassadors might help keep me awake...

Poor Ambassadors. Gets such a bad rap around here. Not the greatest Pertwee story for sure, but nowhere near the worst....

In Who it helps to separate bad stories from boring stories. Probably only Gunfighters manages to be both.

But I don't find Ambassadors bad OR boring. Funnily enough, despite it's 7-episode length, I find the ending a little rushed.
As I said, I'm not saying it's perfect or couldn't benefit from a little pruning here and there but I still find it enjoyable and am really looking forward to the full-colour DVD (which will be a great tribute to the late Caroline John).

I don't remember it well enough to comment. My only copy was an off-the-air recording where the local station broadcast it (in movie format) with audio problems, and this on betamax yet. But I actually am looking forward to seeing it again. I would take a well-written but slow movie over a fast one, even a well-written fast one, almost every time. Plus this is a contender for my favourite Pertwee season, and this could be the deciding factor.

I haven't heard anything about it, but I just noticed amazon.co.uk has an Axos Special Edition up for pre-order...

From http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2012/10/legacy-shada-181012095008.html

The Legacy Box has now been confirmed to be the first DVD release for 2013, coming out in the UK(R2) on 7th January and in North America(R1) on the 8th. As previously reported, the two-disc boxed set will feature the 'lost' story Shada from Season 17 and the 30th Anniversary celebratory documentary More Than Thirty Years in the TARDIS.

After months of speculation, the new issue of Doctor Who Magazine has confirmed that the main version of Shada presented will be the 102 minute, 1992 VHS release, which included added effects, music, and linking narration by Tom Baker. Though no other R2 information has been released at present, the R1 details indicate that the set will also contain the re-interpreted version of Shada featuring Paul McGann that was produced by Big Finish and released as a Flash animation during the 40th Anniversary for (and still available from) the BBC's official Doctor Who website.

Other features (R1 details) include a documentary on the troubled history of Shada's production, Taken Out of Time, a look at the story's locations in Now and Then, the first part of a feature on Doctor Who's first producer Verity Lambert in The Lambert Tapes - Part 1, memories of the Doctor's honorary companion in Remembering Nicholas Courtney, another companion profile with Doctor Who Stories - Peter Purves, plus Strike! Strike! Strike!, Being a Girl - Women in Doctor Who, and Those Deadly Divas.

I have to confess, though it may cost me my True Fan Membership Card, that I've never seen Shada in any form, so here's one person in South Korea doing a happy dance.

I would, of course, subject you to the Test of the Horda, the seven holy rituals of death AND vaporisation without representation, only...it dawned on me recently that I'm a Marco Polo virgin. I have no memory of EVER reading the novelisation, listening to the audio or watching the telesnap reconstruction. OBVIOUSLY I'm gonna rush off to do all three any minute now. Though I don't think my video's even WORKING any more...

Just listen to the audio- it's more than adequate- there may even be a version on YouTube somewhere....

Oh, I'm sure I've GOT the audio, somewhere...I've just never taken to listening to the mutilated remnants of once-great stories.

And there's the highly abbreviated reconstruction on the The Beginning box.

Ooh! Highly abbreviated sounds like my kind of thing...

yeah but that's cheating. A REAL Who fan would listen to all 7 episodes.

A REAL Who Fan would be too busy scouring the Nigerian jungle, basement of Mormon Churches, Hong Kong, BBC filing cabinets etc etc in search of the REAL Marco Polo to waste time with its...what was it called in Silence in the Library - ghosting?

(Sadly I'm the OTHER type of True Fan - the 'How many Doctor Who fans does it take to change a lightbulb?' 'None. They just sit around waiting for it to come back on' type. But I STILL don't feel like picking over the dishonoured corpse.)

Look at it this way Em- 7 NEW EPISODES OF WHO!!!!

Am TRYING to look at it this way.

SO not working.

If I ever get around to building a TARDIS, I promise to travel back to the 1970's and save those Doctor Who stories those morons destroyed.

You may have already done it and not known about it because it hasn't happened in your timeline yet....

Does anyone know if Series 7 will be released in one box set? Usually they do cheapie releases followed by the big box set, but the part 1 set is not a cheapie. In fact, 23 quid for only two discs (albeit blu-ray not DVD) is quite expensive, making me wonder if this is it.

I waited and waited for the Torchwood series 1 set and when it didn't come, I ended buying the individual releases; then they realised they needed a box set and came out with it much later.

Yes they will- because those disc do not have any bonus features OR last years christmas special. My guess is they'll do part 2 following the conclusion and then release the full box set around midyear next year.

You're probably right, but the description on amazon.co.uk does indeed list some special features:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-Weeping-Limited-Blu-ray/dp/B009IRQOTW/
Though they are oddly mixed in with plot descriptions.

Some odd subtitle nits on the Three Doctors Redux disc.

When confronting Omega (when Doc2 is testing the limits of their host's self-control), the subtitles have Doc3 asking his earlier self: 'What the hell do you think you're doing?' Taken somewhat aback by the strong language, I had to rewind (or whatever you do with DVDs) only to hear the much tamer 'What do you think you're doing?'

Odder yet was on the Five Faces of Doctor Who trailer, the scene from Logopolis where Nyssa first sees the Ainley Master and cries out, 'Father!' The Doctor, according to the subs, informs her that that's not her father. 'Pitrimas is dead.'

And now it's....Who on Blu-Ray.

Fortunately (so we don't have to buy them all again), this might be the only title to appear in the high-def format, and it's just for a 50th anniversary thing.

It happens to be this particular title because it's the only all-film story, but why, Why, WHY does it have to be one they've already *re*released?!?!

I was thinking the same thing. Seems like gratuitous overkill....

Looks like I neglected to say which story it is. It's Spearhead in Space if anyone hasn't heard and doesn't want to google it.

So some more DVD releases confirmed:

February 25: The Ark in Space: Special Edition
March 11: The Aztecs: Special Edition (plus Galaxy 4 reconstruction)
May 6: The Visitation: Special Edition
May 27: Inferno: Special Edition
June 3: The Mind of Evil
June 24: Terror of the Zygons
July 15: Spearhead from Space Blu-Ray
August 5: The Green Death: Special Edition
August 26: The Ice Warriors
September 16: Scream of the Shalka

Some thoughts on this- I am not sure why so many "re imagining" releases are coming out (let's face it, it's only "re-releasing" with a fancy name). I will, obviously, be getting The Aztecs for the bonus episode of Galaxy 4 and I'll probably get Ark In Space but I'll certainly not be rushing out for the others.

Mind Of Evil will be in colour for the first time since its original broadcast- the first episode has been recolourised by Babelcolour (who did some outstanding colour work on YouTube which landed him the gig).

The Ice Warriors is basically going to be the VHS release (remastered of course) so no animated eps 2 and 3 which is a huge disappointment (will they at least give us the audio???)

and "Scream of the Shalka"????? REALLY???!!!!

That only then leaves the 10th Planet to be released and all the classic eps will be done.

I'll do my final Who-ee awards when that comes out (I didn't do one last year because there were so few left I thought I'd wait)....

What the smegging heck is a "Scream of the Shalka"?

I will, obviously, be getting The Aztecs for the bonus episode of Galaxy 4

But if we give in to that sort of blackmail, what's to stop 'em putting our precious new Underwater Menace episode on the end of a rereleased TIMELASH or something?

What the smegging heck is a "Scream of the Shalka"?

See Apocrypha: Webcasts for a vague idea of the rubbbishness of this misfortunate thing, and Novels: Miscellaneous: Audio Novelisations: Scream of the Shalka for a full in-depth analysis of the direness of its novelisation.

But if we give in to that sort of blackmail, what's to stop 'em putting our precious new Underwater Menace episode on the end of a rereleased TIMELASH or something?

I see your point, but I suspect that it will be tacked onto a re-release of another Troughton (although, logically, one would think of putting on the Ice Warriors disc but that ain't gonna happen!).

What the smegging heck is a "Scream of the Shalka"?
There are some corners of the Whoniverse that have bred the most terrible things....

So this, like the Cushing movies, is no doubt an alternate reality.

Even in an alternate reality, ECCY IS THE NINTH DOCTOR! ECCY ECCY ECCY! NOT a cartoon Richard E Grant with a robot Master (though I have to admit that him spending his life moping over some lost love-of-his-life Companion is sounding considerably less stupid than when Shalka first came out)...

Don't knock Scream of the Shalka. It was the big event in the Doctor Who calendar that year. It's just unfortunate that its appearance happened to coincide with the announcement of a bigger event in the Doctor Who calendar for 18 months later...

(Actually that makes me wonder why there wasn't a reprise of 'Doctor in Distress': "Eighteen months is too long wait/With only books and CDs that we all hate!")

Don't knock Scream of the Shalka. It was the big event in the Doctor Who calendar that year. It's just unfortunate that its appearance happened to coincide with the announcement of a bigger event in the Doctor Who calendar for 18 months later...

Ah yes *snigger* the 'Making Of' part of the novelisation makes amusingly clear the depths of Cornell's 'I'm making real live Doctor Who!' delusions...

(Actually that makes me wonder why there wasn't a reprise of 'Doctor in Distress': "Eighteen months is too long wait/With only books and CDs that we all hate!")

Possibly because everyone had heard the FIRST Doctor in Distress record by then? We Fans can occasionally learn from our mistakes...

Episode 4 of The Tenth Planet has been animated for the DVD and already shown at an Australian convention.

And contrary to popular belief, the missing episodes of The Ice Warriors have indeed been animated.

http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2013/02/icewarriors-280213160008.html

awwww....poor Ian Levine.... He'll be so upset that his ranting and salviating at the thought of no animated Ice Warriors episodes was for naught. Of course, now he can whinge that HIS reconstruction is so much better....

I have to confess, though it may cost me my True Fan Membership Card, that I've never seen Shada in any form, so here's one person in South Korea doing a happy dance.

Okay, I had this sent to my office despite it being far away from my home and that I was on winter break so didn't get to pick it up for 2.5 months, but I've had stuff stolen out of my home mailbox. Anyway, I finally got it, watched it, and quite enjoyed it.

Next up is Reign of Terror. Two Whocherries in a row for me!

Kevin, are you in the U.S. Military? I know they have troops stationed in South Korea. I'm just wondering why else would you want to live in a country that could be under attack at a moments notice.

Unlike the rest of the world, where the Cold War is something you read in the history books, in Korea, it's alive and well. SK has been on a war footing for over sixty years now (technically the war never ended, what was signed in 1953 is a cease-fire, not a peace treaty). It seems it's only a matter of time before North Korea attacks.

Now, as I said, if your military, it's understandable, you go where you're sent. But if you're a civilian, aren't you worried that one day you're gonna wake up and find yourself in the middle of a North Korean occupation.

Maybe it's just me, but I would never live there. I would feel too much like living in the middle of a giant bulls-eye target.

Just curious.

The newly-discovered Hartnell interview is quite interesting. He's just not someone you've ever seen speak off-the-cuff and it takes sone getting used to.

Tim, although we've discussed the question elsewhere recently, sorry to have missed it here.

That's okay, Kevin.

Hey, Rodney, how about another DVD package review. It's been a long since your last one.

I have been thinking about it, and thought I would wait until the series had finished up...then of course they went and discovered two Troughton stories and have been dribbling the last couple out. Last I've heard is that there may be an animated Crusade release as well.

Why the hell would there be an animated Crusade when they've found the real thing?

At least, they'd BETTER have found the real thing...

It's a shame we can never have a DVD commentary from Patrick Troughton or any of the other key cast that died before the DVD era.

The Regeneration box set forgets to include the clip of Hartnell actually...regenerating?

Cretins.

My Season 8/34 DVD box set is not so much a box as a slender rectangle. I suppose a Who Fan shouldn't complain about something being bigger-on-the-inside, but still...I don't like the way all my Seasons have been growing slimmer and slimmer over the years...

Whereas I HATE the giant Tardis boxset that is my season 1/27 set. Bloody Ecclestraitor....

Well, yes, I certainly have a love/hate relationship with it too - on the one hand, it literally contains the greatest joy in the universe, on the other, I practically had to SUPERGLUE its stupid door shut to stop it hanging down (not to mention HE LEFT ME MUM HE LEFT ME MUM) - but I reckon Seasons 2-Specials got it about right. Matt's years look a bit shrunken and THIS thing - well, I'd kinda like to gaze across a crowed room and SEE 'The Complete Eighth Series' emblazoned clearly on a spine so I can have a little gloat every now and then...

Yes, I should make it clear, no problem with SHOW, just the PACKAGING...

At least the classic series were somewhat similar across the board....

"The Underwater Menace" DVD- one of the laziest and shoddiest packages for the range. The restoration of the two eps is fine as is the documentary but instead of animations we get an unnarrated eps 1 and 4 with telesnaps (not even a subtitle to let us know what is going on).

I doubt we'll see any more of dvds now (regardless of what Phil Morris may find hidden away in outer mongolia) and it's a sad way to end the series.

Ouch.

'Oh a petition to get this out right away instead of us doing it right, huh? This'll teach them a lesson!'

Still, the packaging is better than the story itself.

Kevin- they had the episodes in their hot little hands for several years and even announced it as far back as 2013 (I think). No, this smacks of a giant middle finger to the "whinging fans" who dared to ask (after being EXTREMELY PATIENT) where the official release of those episodes were.

DWM has an unexpectedly interesting 'Doctor Who on Home Video' article (about the DVDs):

For Ambassadors of Death Episode One, 'Colourist Stuart Humphryes and SVS Resources' Peter Crocker spent over a year hand-colouring thousands of individual frames' - blimey. Well, at least, unlike the rest of us, they'll never have to wonder what their lives have been FOR...

'Jonathan Powell - we had to basically hoodwink. I knew that if we asked him just to do an interview about Doctor Who, he'd basically say no. So, I spent two-and-a-half hours talking to him about his whole career, and I've got this fantastic interview with him in my flat, which has never seen the light of day apart from the three minutes in which he talked about Doctor Who' - brilliant!

'I think if you're not having a 10% failure rate in a creative industry, then you're not doing your job properly, because it shows that you're not taking risks' - Dan Hall, following several paragraphs of his colleagues slagging off the spectacular incompetence of anything he commissioned after taking over the DVDs.

Interesting that Cardiff grabbed control of New Who DVD releases after Season One. I.e. after we were presented with a gigantic (and unshuttable) extras-free box of Ecclestonian delights.

Re The Sensorites Looking for Peter documentary: 'A week before production we didn't have a film, as Richard hadn't found anything - but he pulled it off in the nick of time' - Phew! A universe without a 'Who was Pewter R Newman' documentary scarcely bears thinking about...

'There are quite a few minutes of deleted scenes from Time and the Rani which have never been seen before, and they're not on the disc' - I'm torn between relief and outrage...

There's loads of material from The Happiness Patrol too. A lot of the McCoy stories had loads of material available, and if the material had been available for the Tom Baker era, they probably would have spent the money to include it all - but because it was McCoy, they weren't prepared to put in the resource' - OK, outrage has DEFINITELY won.

'Jonathan Powell - we had to basically hoodwink. I knew that if we asked him just to do an interview about Doctor Who, he'd basically say no. So, I spent two-and-a-half hours talking to him about his whole career, and I've got this fantastic interview with him in my flat, which has never seen the light of day apart from the three minutes in which he talked about Doctor Who' - brilliant!

If I was Powell, I'd be rather miffed about that.

He DESERVES to be rather miffed.

Actually he deserves to get nailed to a tree or something but we Fans are just MUCH TOO NICE.

I doubt he'd be that miffed. Who fandom always seems to be turning up previously interviews from people - often now deceased and not published during their lifetimes* - so it's not unusual for these things not to get into print. It may not even have been pitched as an interview for publication.

* In the case of those interviews by Adrian Riglesford, they were often not conducted during their subject's lifetime.

In the case of those interviews by Adrian Riglesford, they were often not conducted during their subject's lifetime.

Who are we to say that he couldn't have acquired a really good ouija board...

After all, even THE DOCTOR isn't above conducting a seance, every now and then...

acquired a really good ouija board

I wish i had one of those. So i could ask Alistair Cooke to do a Letter from America from heaven on Donald Trump.

The DVDs 'represented a key shift in [Who's] appreciation, for not only did the DVDs come with restored picture quality and sound, they came with commentaries, features, and documentaries. This changed the way we experienced the program and moreover what it meant. It made a leap from contemporary broadcast media to historical artifact. I can't begin to tell you how odd it feels to experience relatively recent parts of one's life as commodified history, as a commercial concern...the experience of having one's own childhood replayed as a historical document is strange' - Queers Dig Time Lords. Frankly all this historical significance went whoosh over my head. Mainly because I usually skip all those boring documentaries and commentaries and stuff.

They seem not have noticed JN-T's not particularly ept attempts to do what now seem like DVD-style features on VHS, with the Years Tapes. (The Tom Baker one in particular feels like its fumbling towards inventing the commentary a few years early and on a completely inappropriate platform.)

And Kevin Davies' documentaries and BBC theme evenings now feel like something slouching towards Bethlehem to be born.

That wasn't the one with the adorable anorak?

No, you're thinking of 'Resistance Is Useless' (1992). I don't think anyone involved with making that has emerged from hiding yet.

Or the first "missing episode" doco. Badly read links by Frazer Hines and Deb Watling, Ian Levine screaming that no more eps will ever be found (about 12 have been found since), and the most droll Aussie talking like he's reading off an auto cue-badly.....

you're thinking of 'Resistance Is Useless' (1992). I don't think anyone involved with making that has emerged from hiding yet.

Oi!

Some of us LIKED that documentary.

It was about the ONLY THING WE HAD during The Sixteen Long And Barren Years Of Despair aside from Lawrence Miles auctioning off the Doctor's corpse, Daniel O'Mahony giving Dodo a sexually transmitted disease, and Paul McGann running around an American hospital for no readily apparent reason.

Or the first "missing episode" doco. Badly read links by Frazer Hines and Deb Watling

DON'T MENTION THE DEBORAH WATLING LINKS!!

Have you NO IDEA how many DECADES of self-medication (aka alcohol) I've inflicted on myself in an attempt to DENY THAT REALITY? To TRY to cling to the belief that no one, NO ONE IN ZE VORLD, could deliver lines WORSE than Neska-in-Planet-of-the-Spiders...?

Oh come on, Em, Deb Watling makes us *all* want to visit "HONG KONG"!

What is Hong Kong a euphemism for?

I believe that Natalie is referring to one of the links that went something like....

"The episodes....were found.....in a tv station....in....HONG KONG!!"

Here is the documentary and at 11.47 is the "Hong Kong" moment....

Watch if you dare!

*Reproachful look*

You just HAD to post that link, didn't you.

And I just HAD to click on it, didn't I...

Is she reading cue cards?

They're not cue cards, they're idiot boards.

Sounds like Sarah Palin!

Is this really necessary?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07B82S1CT

They had Spearhead would be the only BR release from the classic series and for good reason.

(Technically this doesn't belong on this board, but there is no Who on Blu Ray board.)

They *said* Spearhead...

In The Troughton Years VHS, the Pert's delivery of "the struggle against Hitler" when talking of Pat's wartime service just makes one giggle. It makes one imagine Troughton physically struggling with Hitler personally...

And tossing him into the nearest closet.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xh2gao

I really want Sutton's earrings in this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQEvPJC8AEI

Brilliant! I might actually get this set!

The power of advertising in action!

Very powerful i agree. That skit's got Peter Davison's "Five-ish Doctors" fingerprints all over it.

I love Davison’s First season. Far more than TB’s. I’m just curious whether this means we will see CB’s first season next time? The reason I’m keen to get this one is the picture quality will be much better than the DVD releases. The very tongue-in-cheek ad is the icing on the cake.

The reason I’m keen to get this one is the picture quality will be much better than the DVD releases. The very tongue-in-cheek ad is the icing on the cake.

That's just what Jovanka Airlines WANTS you to think!

Apart from the new effects, why would the picture quality be better? These were shot on video.

Season 19 has the most available film elements.

Yeah. High-def Plasmatons!

There's something intimate about Doctor Who on VHS. The "Years" tapes were a bridge between the no-frills VHS days and the extras and story commentaries of DVD.

Ahh, the BBC are doing another of their cute Blu-Ray adverts, this time for Season Eighteen.

I like the extra called "Phoning It In: How Tom slept through his last awful season".....

Will the Blu-Ray advert for Season 10 feature Katy Manning, i wonder? in-character as Jo?

I like the extra called "Phoning It In: How Tom slept through his last awful season".....

Alternately - how Tom transformed the Fourth Doctor's character into a melancholy figure of burgundy depression whilst retaining his essential Doctorishness, and how this affected our glorious* Season Eighteen of Blessed Memory...

*Well, except Meglos. And Leisure Hive. And Logopolis. But, y'know, ASIDE from that JNT's first season is surprisingly great...

Well, Tom was ill during his final season.

Good old Tom Boozealot...

What's wrong with boozing a lot? It didn't affect how brilliantly he was the Doctor, it didn't affect how responsibly he acted in public so that no child would ever be disillusioned about the Doctor, it didn't affect his health as he's still going strong in his mid-eighties, it didn't stop him having a successful marriage for the past several decades...

It's surprising how he managed to outlive Boris Yeltsin, yeah...

Hey, Rodney, how about a list of your nominees for Doctor Who releases. It's been seven years now, since your last. Far too long...

Well Tim from what I've heard the following seasons are in preparation-

Season 10 (Pertwee's 4th season)
Season 26 (McCoy's- and Classic Who's-last)
I also believe they are going to do either Season 1 or 2 with new animations for the missing episodes.

Thank you, Rodney - as far as i know only two episodes are missing from Season 2 - Parts Two and Four of The Crusade.

And no doubt, Rodney, you'll do your nomination thing when they come out. I look forward to it.

You’ll find that the sound problem on those seasons released on Blu-Ray was called ‘the 1970s’.

Are they taking the ••••, releasing Resolution separately from the Season Eleven DVD box set? It was broadcast LESS THAN A MONTH after the season! BEFORE the box set was released! And it's a bit rubbish, who'd want to pay just for Resolution! And Season Eleven has way fewer episodes than the other seasons even including the Ch - sorry, New Year Special!

My guess is they'll tack it onto the start of the season 12 boxset when they air that season is 2025

Season 26 (McCoy's- and Classic Who's-last)

Be fitting to release that this year, the 30th Anniversary of said season.

I hope that when they did the Season 18 Blu Ray promo with Tom that they recorded him voicing Blu Ray promos for his other seasons. Just in case RIP happens in the next year or two.

Rumour has it that the next blu ray release is Season Ten - 1972-1973. For those that may not remember off the top of their heads, here is a list of episodes from that season.

The Three Doctors
Carnival of Monsters
Frontier In Space
Planet of the Daleks
The Green Death

what extras/new effects, i wonder?

---

quote:

So I've been watching Classic Doctor Who, and I just finished the Hartnell years.

1. F*&k those morons at the BBC that destroyed all those old Doctor Who episodes. As a future library science student (with a specific focus in archives), I'm just horrified at how anyone seriously thought it was a good idea to deliberately destroy years of British television.

2. Susan was unfortunately boring, and she shouldn't have been left on that desolate planet with the first boy she liked, but at least we got the best goodbye scene in the Hartnell era. Ian and Barbara were kind of meh. Vicki was the best companion by far, but it's bull how she was unceremoniously abandoned in Troy. Steven was the second best companion, although it sucks we didn't get to properly see his goodbye. I didn't care much for Dodo, but it's criminal how she was hastily waved away without a proper goodbye. Polly and Ben seem good so far, but I'm guessing I'll have a better idea of them in the Troughton episodes.

3. Verity Lambert was the best thing to happen to Doctor Who, and should be named the patron saint of the show. John Wiles is an awful jerk in every way (from writing out Vicki over a dumb spat to the racist undertones of The Ark). I'm not particular about Innes Lloyd. And later I should look carefully at the main writers and script editors to see how I should feel about them.

4. I hated Hartnell as first, he was a cowardly, mean-spirited moron. But he did get better, I feel bad for his declining health and memory, and I actually grew strangely fond of his flubbed lines. His *hmm*s did great grating after a while. All in all, while I can't say I'm particularly fond of him, I respect him as the First Doctor and his role in making the show.

5. The Daleks were a lot different than what I'm used to. While I prefer the more modern version, these Daleks were interesting enough, and I can get how they would become such a key part in Doctor Who culture.

6. Other than the Cybermen (who were cool enough for the one episode they actually got to do stuff), the aliens tended to be from unimpressive to downright awful.

7. Why can't the show do more of those purely historical, sci-fi-free episodes? It can be fun to watch the Doctor in the past without robots or aliens showing up.

8. The best episode was The Time Meddler by far, followed by The Gunfighters. The worst is The Celestial Toymaker.

9. All in all, it was better watching it than I thought it was going to be. Worse in some ways, but still an interesting experience.

---

So who wrote that little diatribe?

Someone on a closed message board. I put it in a quote box to indicate it wasn't mine.

Yes, and that's much appreciated, but try not to overdo other-people's-quotes, at least without responding to some of their points yourself.

Admittedly I can't really think of anything to say, if I could be bothered I might take issue with Barbara n'Ian being 'kind of meh' but I can't.

Natalie, I keep telling your to cite your sources. Have the common decency to give the original author the proper credit, after all, they wrote it. All you did was Copy And Paste it.

Whenever Emily quotes something from somewhere else, like DWM, for example, she always cites that source.

I'm just horrified at how anyone seriously thought it was a good idea to deliberately destroy years of British television.
I totally understand the sentiment but you have to remember the times and the pressure the BBC was under (and still IS under) to keep costs down. There was no home video market for about a decade after the policy was started and nobody was buying black and white episodes anymore. I'm still at a loss, however to explain the destruction of the Pertwee stories then....

she shouldn't have been left on that desolate planet with the first boy she liked
You mean.....Earth??

Ian and Barbara were kind of meh.
That's like a polite version of Emily talking about the current Ian and Barbara.

Steven was the second best companion, although it sucks we didn't get to properly see his goodbye.
Well we DID- just not anymore.... (cue wailing and gnashing of teeth from our moderator)

Polly and Ben seem good so far, but I'm guessing I'll have a better idea of them in the Troughton episodes.
Is this poster listening to the audios or just watching the remaining eps because quite frankly, if they're doing the latter then they won't see much Ben and Polly AT ALL.

I hated Hartnell as first, he was a cowardly, mean-spirited moron.
mean-spirited I can almost live with. Cowardly and moron I think is a little harsh.

Other than the Cybermen (who were cool enough for the one episode they actually got to do stuff), the aliens tended to be from unimpressive to downright awful.
Yeah small budgets will do that....

Verity Lambert was the best thing to happen to Doctor Who, and should be named the patron saint of the show
Well she was the Doctor's mum in "Human Nature/ Family Of Blood". Does that count?

Why can't the show do more of those purely historical, sci-fi-free episodes? It can be fun to watch the Doctor in the past without robots or aliens showing up.
YES!!

Natalie, I keep telling your to cite your sources. Have the common decency to give the original author the proper credit, after all, they wrote it. All you did was Copy And Paste it.
And now long quotes without citation on the Star Trek boards ARE BANNED FROM NOW ON!!

So are you quoting us on other boards too?

So are you quoting us on other boards too?

Not any more. stopped that after the last time Em told me not too. God thing i found the NitC quote formatting too.

Why would Em tell you not to? What right has she got to tell you what can and cannot quote from anywhere other an tis board she moderates.

Quote away I say.

Rodney, if you look at my rules for the Star Trek TOS forum, please note that the words "BANNED FROM NOW ON" do not appear anywhere in said rules.

I believe I've stated on more than one occasion that I do not like having words put into my mouth. Kindly refrain from doing so in the future, okay.

As I said, Natalie can quote all she likes, however, I don't think it's asking much that she cite her source and the original author of the quote. Once again, I point out that Emily does that all the time here, when she quotes something.

It's not rocket science, folks.

Random post in a Doctor Who Facebook group isn't much of an authority i know.

Try to find that sense of humour that I know is in there, Tim.

Why would Em tell you not to? What right has she got to tell you what can and cannot quote from anywhere other an tis board she moderates.

I think I've got the right to tell her not to steal quotes from Kate on here and pass them off as her own on Gallifrey Base.

Dammit, it's stealing from the poor and giving to the rich...

I was banned from GB back in October so it doesn't really matter anymore.

Blimey, why? Those moderators REALLY like throwing their weight around, don't they.

I think I've got the right to tell her not to steal quotes from Kate on here and pass them off as her own on Gallifrey Base.

Again, all she has to do is say "Kate, at Nitcentral, said" and then post the quote itself. Problem solved!


I was banned from GB back in October

You seem to keep getting banned and/or kicked off places, Natalie. Based on some of the posts you've made her, I can see why this keeps happening to you.

You really need to starting thinking before posting sometimes.

Halfway through Genesis and season 18's arrived, so my nitpicking spree is going to continue for quite a while.

Just noticed it includes K9 and Company, which, well, at least it's not a dedicated release.

Halfway through Genesis and season 18's arrived, so my nitpicking spree is going to continue for quite a while.

Excellent!

Just noticed it includes K9 and Company

Ouch.

K9 and Company sounds like a really interesting brand of gin. No wonder the Fourth Doctor was involved...

season 18's arrived, so my nitpicking spree is going to continue for quite a while.

Just noticed it includes K9 and Company

No doubt because K9 And Company was made around that time.

Well, that ill fated show did answer one question, yes, Sarah Jane was capable of carrying a show on her own. An idea RTD picked up and ran with, over 20 years later.

Given that season 18 is listed as (Tom Baker's) season 7 on they box, I wonder how they'll do Davison's last season and Colin Baker's first. Ditto Hartnell and Troughton which they are apparently planning to do eventually.

Oh for god's sake, we've already GOT two Season Sevens we don't need ANOTHER one.

Apparently it depends on what side of the Pond you buy it.

US:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-Complete-Season-Blu-ray/dp/6317626030/

UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-Collection-Limited-Packaging/dp/B07KTKVLT2/

Since Korea uses the same coding for blu-rays as the US, I have to get that one.

Time was, as a (transplanted) American, I'd've been embarrassed by this. But it takes much, much more than that now. Thanks, Trump.

Time was, as a (transplanted) American, I'd've been embarrassed by this. But it takes much, much more than that now. Thanks, Trump.

One wonders why the Doctor considers us his/her favourite species at times.

---

quote:

Rhaegar I
Uncle of Dragons
Joined:Nov 28, 2011
Location:Right Behind you...

Just finished the Troughton era in my insane quest to see all of Old Doctor Who.

1. As I said before, everyone who thought it was a good idea to destroy all those old Doctor Who episodes should be shot. And if the rumors are true and that one missing episode of The Web of Fear (with the first appearance of Lethbridge-Stewart) are in the hands of some private collector, then shame on the bastard for not giving it back. The animated reconstructions was adequate at best, and I despised the non-animated ones. I'm just happy that going forward all the episodes (other than a few in black and white) are perfectly intact.

2. Ben and Polly were ultimately boring with a lousy goodbye (not showing up for 3 3/4 episodes, get a hurried goodbye, and Polly's big farewell is to "look after Ben"). After 3 seasons, I'd say Jamie's kilt is the most interesting part of his character. Victoria was pretty good when she wasn't screaming. Zoe was the best of the lot (and my second favorite Classic Who Companion so far after Vicki). I rather liked Lethbridge-Stewart: I know he isn't quite a companion and I'll be seeing a lot more of him in the Third Doctor era, but I can already tell how he became a beloved, long-running character.

3. Incidentally, why did New Who stop including companions from across space and time? Not counting Captain Jack Harkness and Nardle, every long-term companion involves a 21st century Brit. And considering how interesting Old Who's been when it had people from the past and future, it kind of bothers me that New Who is so unwilling to do the same (especially when they had a great opportunity to that that with Victorian Clara, who was arguably better than modern-day Clara).

4. The "Base Under Siege" shtick got pretty boring pretty quickly. But at least they eventually realized it was a dumb, repetitive plot.

5. The Daleks are getting better and better. It's fun seeing the Cybermen keep changing designs. The other aliens/monsters ranged from alright (Ice Warriors) to incredibly dumb (Dominators).

6. I wasn't a big far of Troughton's Doctor at first, but by the end of his first season he began to grow on me. He can be a lot of fun, and it's a shame he didn't last long enough for the BBC to switch to color (although to be fair I'd want to quit Doctor Who too after doing The Dominators). I rank him higher than Hartnell.

7. In terms of favorite story, I think The War Games was the best, with The Invasion a very close second. The Dominators was the worst, hands down.

And now, Pertwee. Which means color, Sarah Jane, and more Brigadier. Oh, and no more missing episodes, thank God.

---

Season 10 confirmed as the next blu-ray release.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8WBpPWy7jB8

Wonder who the Season 26 trailer will have?

Millington and Judson are dead. So is Courtney and Ainley. Marsh is too poorly. The guy who played Light is also dead.

Yeah but both the Doctor and his companion are still kicking around.

the number of people still alive from the "Third Man" era, and able to contribute, is dwindling rapidly (hardly surprising, when you consider that it won't be long before it's fifty years since Pertwee became the Doctor).

I'm still blown away occasionally to think that I have most of Doctor Who in my pocket, on a memory card the size of my fingernail.

You do?

My brother also put the whole of Ecclestraitor's season on an portable hard drive for my birthday.

Fingers crossed for new CGI effects in The Three Doctors, with Omega's palace and the singularity to match the description in the book.

I suspect I will be disappointed. ;)

I agree.

Both that's it's a good idea and that you'll be disappointed.

I don't think believe they've added any new effects for the BRs. Just documentaries for the ones that didn't have any (Sontaran Experiment) and the fairly entertaining Behind the Sofa series.

Direct-to-VHS memories:

Peter Stephens is underrated in "The Final Test".

The Troughton Years in 1991 was my first introduction to the missing episodes phenomenon. Jon Pertwee looks like he wants a blanket and a hot water bottle.

They should have done The Pertwee Years in the style of the Tom Baker tape.

Perhaps they should remaster the old Who episodes like they did with Star Trek in the 00's.

In a way they did when they added some better FX, but it worked better in TOS because it was shot on film and not (largely) on videotape.

I'll also hazard a guess that adding special effects is cheaper for a show with three season than for one with 26.

Though at least they have all of their episodes.

I'll also hazard a guess that adding special effects is cheaper for a show with three season than for one with 26.

*Smirks with smug complacency*

Though at least they have all of their episodes.

*Abruptly stops smirking*

Clearly Paramount had more intelligence than the Bonehead Broadcasting Corporation did.

Well I think in general, American TV stations had more $$$ and so they did not need to record over anything. Also American stations are not government funded like the BBC is (certainly not the major studios anyway).

But there were times where American studios did stupidly destroy old films.

I think back in the '30s they would burn old films to recover the silver from the film stock.

There was a minor animation studio in the '60s that apparently threw away films. A cartoon series called The Beagles is mostly lost because of this.

IIRC most of the Dumont Network's output is lost because of similar boneheaded decisions.

If only we had actual time machines. We could save all those old shows and such that are lost forever because some morons thought they wouldn't be worth anything.

Even if just for the point and laugh factor. ;-)

I remember reading about the Captain Video series. The Dumont Network facilities was over a department store. One day the prop guys went downstairs to buy some (toy) guns for an episode, only to discover the store didn't sell any kind of guns, so they went to the automotive department, bought some odds and ends to make sci-fi device. And to think people make fun of Dr. Who's cheap effects. ;-) Sadly I believe this episode is lost.

Even if just for the point and laugh factor. ;-)


Can't help thinking of this:


https://i.pinimg.com/564x/f9/35/1a/f9351ab4cc6506314a495765b895b70a.jpg

The Dumont Network facilities was over a department store. One day the prop guys went downstairs to buy some (toy) guns for an episode, only to discover the store didn't sell any kind of guns, so they went to the automotive department, bought some odds and ends to make sci-fi device. And to think people make fun of Dr. Who's cheap effects. ;-) Sadly I believe this episode is lost.


The Dumont Network lasted from 1946 to 1956. Of course, the F/X will be laughably primitive.

Their budget was probably next to nothing.

Phil Collinson said a few years ago in a DVD documentary that it was unfair for 21st century fans to criticise stories for not using technology and resources not even developed 40 years earlier.

As for the BBC, double the licence fee and give them real power to keep the commercial channels in their place (underfoot).

Phil Collinson said a few years ago in a DVD documentary that it was unfair for 21st century fans to criticise stories for not using technology and resources not even developed 40 years earlier.

Well duh!

So I went and got the Season 19 blu-ray set. The picture quality (especially the film sequences) are much better (although the studio stuff still isn't quite as crisp as I'd like it to be- but I think that would be impossible)
I'm really pleased at it appears all the VAM from the dvds is on the discs as well as new extras.

I don't think I want to get the whole series again- I probably will get all the 80's stuff (minus Tom's phone-it-in season 18) and maybe the first two Pertwee seasons. Not sure about the Hartnell/Troughton material though. Depends how they do the missing episodes.

Actually now I'm starting to think about future blu-ray releases I reckon it's about time the Beeb thought about re-issuing Season 1 of the new series. Maybe with more contributions from Eccleston (even if just an extended interview) or a behind the sofa style extra with John Barrowman, Billie Piper et al. They can finally fix the sound mix on the discs and make it a worthy release. It's nearly 15 YEARS (!!) since that season first aired...

Ah gods yes, have they found the deleted scenes yet? I NEED THEM. Also, the outtakes - specifically, the one where Captain Jack just carries on kissing the Doctor until they're rolling around on the floor together...

---

quote:

Well, I just finished the Pertwee Era of Doctor Who, and boy do I have some thoughts:

1. Color! I didn't realize how much I missed it before. Although does anyone have any idea how many British homes in the early to mid 70s actually had color televisions? How long did it take before people watching the show in color was actually the norm?

2. Now that I've spent ten seasons with the older style credits, made with the camera pointed at its own monitor, it actually made me appreciate the newest opening credits all the more. I grew strangely fond of it, and now I think of the new credits as a glorious update to the older ones.

3. I was not a fan of the UNIT era. Everything about it just felt wrong, no longer Doctor Who. The Doctor working with the military over a long period of time, staying almost entirely on Earth, even that ridiculous car Bessie and the even sillier WhoMobile, it all rubbed me the wrong way. We didn't even get to see in the Tardis for over a season and a half! At its best, there were hints of a proto-Torchwood, but even that just reminds me of how much that part of the show's history had very little to do with the Doctor I know and love. UNIT in small doses is perfectly fine, this was not. And yes, I know the show did it to help save money, but that doesn't mean I have to particularly care for it.

4. Ironically, despite my feelings towards UNIT, I love Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, now one of my favorite Who characters ever, Old and New. He was the perfect straight man for the Doctor, the one person I could possibly buy having any real control over him. Hell, anyone who can make a line as silly as "chap with the wings there, five rounds rapid" come out as badass as him earned his place as one of the show's finest characters. I think Sergeant Benton was an amazing background character, if that makes sense. As for Captain Yates, he was just awful in every way, even before he randomly betrays everyone in that dinosaur story.

5. Liz was a wasted companion. She only appeared in four stories, never got a chance to do anything, and was never given the chance to say goodbye. Jo was a bit dense, but she was a pretty good companion who got the best goodbye for any companion since Susan. And after only one season of Sarah Jane, I'm already a big fan and am eager to see her in the Tom Baker years.

6. Ah, the first Master. He started out quietly menacing at first, but the show overused him really quickly. It got a bit ridiculous how he kept showing up every story in a season, and his schemes and plotting became less and less impressive overtime. And I know the actor who played him, Roger Delgado, died in that accident and Turkey, and it sucked both that he died so tragically and he never got a proper goodbye in the show. Apparently, they were planning on having him sacrifice himself to save the Third Doctor in the later's last story, which would have been pretty cool. But in any case, now I'm just curious how the other Masters will compare to him.

7. To be blunt, I didn't like Pertwee's Doctor. Too mean, too arrogant, and so conservative I've read two separate blogs refer to him as a Tory. Considering how there were no less than two stories (The Curse/Monster of Peladon) that were partly about why the UK shouldn't join the EEC (which became unfortunately relevant today thanks to Brexit), I kind of agree with that verdict about the Third Doctor. The fact his outfit is suspiciously similar to Austin Powers doesn't do him any favors for me either. Maybe it's just because I'm against his era as a whole, or he came right after Troughton (my favorite Classic Doctor so far), but at the moment he's my least favorite Doctor, both all the New Doctors and the old ones I've seen so far. Congratulations Matt Smith, I now hate Pertwee's Doctor more than yours.

8. I'd have to say my favorite episode was Carnival of Monsters, followed by The Three Doctors. My least favorite would have to be The Monster of Peladon.

And now, Tom Baker. I've been looking forward to him for ages, since he's considered the best Classic Doctor of the bunch. And as he had a seven year run, he better be just as good as everybody says.

---

Hey, Natalie, why don't you post your own thoughts and observations for a change, rather than this constant parroting of what someone else says.

Fine. People coming to Three will feel vaguely ripped off by the fact that it is a show about a guy with a time machine - that he hardly ever uses!

See, that wasn't so hard.

I don't mind her posting these things. I would just appreciate it if she also told us from where and who those quotes are from.

Has JODIE been released on DVD/Blue Ray yet?

Yes. I saw a copy in Walmart a few weeks ago.

Been out for a while but they have cheekily made "Resolution" a seperate release. I'll be curious to see if they tack it onto the start of season 12/The final season set when they finally get around to releasing it....

Well I’m not sure how Emily will react to this announcement. The last gag, btw, is priceless.

Love the vest.

They made it...longer...?

Colin Baker was in the wrong place at the wrong time - in front of a BBC camera making "Doctor Who". I'm sure he's a lovely person... but Harold Holt was a lovely person and he was a weak Prime Minister.

Well I’m not sure how Emily will react to this announcement.

It's all most amusing (well, more amusing than Trial of a Time Lord anyway).

I mean, it IS all a joke, right?

They did NOT just choose Season Twenty-Three of all seasons to re-unleash in Blu-Ray glory to the PUBLIC?

Love the vest.

Compared to anything else I've ever seen Colin Baker wearing, I will accept said vest without demur.

They made it...longer...?

Extended scenes! OVER TEN HOURS of bonus footage!

Like I say, hilarious joke.

Colin Baker was in the wrong place at the wrong time - in front of a BBC camera making "Doctor Who".

Yeah. This.

I'm sure he's a lovely person...

I dunno, he seems prone to sulks and hysterical outbursts.

Obviously so do I, but very few people have tried to claim that I'm a lovely person.

Can't wait until they do Season 24. Hire whoever was Billy and the adult woman who was the Chimeron child Princess?

I for one will be getting it. I mean- extra scenes to nitpick. C'mon Emily! You can't just let THAT one through to the keeper. A chance to kick Colin and Tomato a little more???

Tomato? Not Carrot Top? Poor Bonnie...

Hmmm....slowly starting to despise Autocorrect. It can go duck itself and tuck right off.

What it SHOULD say is "A chance to kick Colin and ToaTL a little more????"

I mean- extra scenes to nitpick. C'mon Emily! You can't just let THAT one through to the keeper.

What Keeper? Of Traken?

Sadly* I don't have a Blu-Ray player.

Also, the humble DVDs had plenty of deleted scenes. All of which I have faithfully watched. (They're even in italics in the Trial Doctor Who Transcripts.)

*I may be stretching the definition of the word 'sadly' slightly**.

**I may be stretching the definition of the word 'slightly' quite a lot.

Shame old Ainley ain't around for this.

I like how they released Classic Who on DVD, story by story.

That way, I can get the stories I like (Horror Of Fang Rock and Arc Of Infinity, for example), while rejecting the stories I hate (Ambassadors Of Death, Dude, Where's My Nyssa?).

The DVD subtitles for Sleep No More has a subtitle for Female Electronic Voice.

Why emphasise that the voice is female.

If it was voiced by a man would it have said Male Electronic Voice.

Yeah, people are still acting like 'male' is the default state of humanity and of course this extends to computers (in point of fact, 'female' is the default state of humanity but then something weird happens to some of those foeuses.)

Though of course there have been questions about whether NOT defaulting to male for the Alexa-voice is sexist, as it may make men assume females exist to serve them. Plus they're sexually harassing it...

She's The Man had the best comeback ever to sexist boyfriends:

"Viola, end of discussion!"

'Fine. End of relationship!"

Looks like this is coming soon.

The way the seasons are numbered on the American releases aren't the main reason I don't live in that country anymore, but it makes it even easier.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81ANZY2zyQL._SX425_.jpg

Amazon.co.uk has now added a pre-order for Doctor Who - The Collection Season 26 with a release date of December 23, 2019.



Here's the link: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07XBMC4Q2/ref=sr_1_1?crid=37TPA789X1Y0T&keywords=doctor+who+the+collection&qid=1567480471&s=dvd&sprefix=doctor%2Caps%2C227&sr=1-1

and the trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgHRLi02JAc

Amazing how quickly they have these collections ready to go. That old British efficiency in action. ;-)

Peter Capaldi would have made an interesting Rev. Wainwright. He was considered for the part before they went for an older actor.

Blimey, wonder what convoluted excuse Moffat would have come up with to explain why the Doc subconsciously chose the body of an exsanguinated god-botherer.

Wainwright is meant by a newly arrived young vicar , newly appointed to his first vicarage, which is why the human Jean and Phyllis act all "ooh, that dishy Vicar!" and also why Wainwright has a see in northern England, and not a bigger plum like somewhere near London.

Well, the Season 26 trailer isn't exactly going for comedy like the rest of 'em.

'He let me go so I could make this world a better place' - so not to go to the Gallifreyan Academy, then...?

She picks up her old bomber jacket at one point in the the trailer. There's nothing more pathetic than an aging hipster...

Well, the Season 26 trailer isn't exactly going for comedy like the rest of 'em.
I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing.

Potentially they should have made it an incomprehensible mess and very much on the cheap to properly reflect the season (for example the "walls" of her office are actually curtains to replicate the only shot of the TARDIS we see in Season 26...)

Yes, I will join Rodney in bashing Season 26!

Whoever wrote Squeak's part in Survival doesn't know how to write for children as "bad cat man" sounds like it should be said by a preschooler not the grade three primary school student we see on screen.

By Season 26, the Bonehead Broadcasting Corporation wasn't even pretending they cared about Who anymore.

Well, I was glad to see Ace again. I disagree on the "aging hipster" part. She's picking up the jacket as a part of her time with the Doctor, not as a sign of rebellion.

Also, really surprised at how little response there is to the clip--I tried the "Companions" section first!

Well, the Season 26 trailer isn't exactly going for comedy like the rest of 'em.
Yeah, well, the rest of them didn't go for comedy very successfully. I just hope they're not going for canon.

Potentially they should have made it an incomprehensible mess and very much on the cheap to properly reflect the season
Or her jacket could come to life and move menacingly near her. She screams. Music sting. Cut.

And the next time they release these, they can include a documentary in which they say they didn't want to include that but JNT made them.

Season 24's trailer will be interesting if they use Bonnie Langford.

Yeah, well, the rest of them didn't go for comedy very successfully.
The season 23 trailer was hilarious, thank you very much!

The season 19 trailer was mildly amusing.

Not sure if the season 10 set was supposed to be funny or not.

Season 24's trailer will be interesting if they use Bonnie Langford.

SCENE: GP's OFFICE. MELANIE BUSH is seated reading a magazine entitled "Bannermen Beat". Muzak is playing in the room. A door opens. NURSE appears.

NURSE: Miss Bush? The Doctor will see you now.

MEL smiles and nods and walks past the NURSE into the consultation room

Scene: CONSULTATION ROOM
DOCTOR SHARP (played by actor Michael Craig): Miss Bush? Welcome. How can I help you today?

MEL: (hoarsely) I'm having a problem with my throat.

SHARP: Yes I can hear that! Let's take a look.

MEL opens her mouth and SHARP flashes his light into her throat.

SHARP: (concerned) My god, woman. What have you been up to?? Have you been screaming or shouting a lot?

(Cut to season 24 scenes of Mel screaming)

SHARP: Yes well that explains it. You need a change of pace. Stay on the sofa and gargle some salt or something similar. (sits at his computer and starts typing) Now I can recommend an excellent Ear, Nose and Throat specialist...

MEL: Ummmm....I think that will be fine all the same!

SHARP: My dear, your throat is red, there may be severe damage to your vocal cords. You need them checked out by a specialist doctor!

MEL: I have one already thanks.

SHARP: Really? What's his name? Would I have heard of him?

MEL: Maybe- he does get around....

(cut to more scenes of season 24- continue with voice overs bragging about all the special features)

Back to to the S 26 trailer - "I was just a kid when i met him" - Yeesss, we couldn't believe you were just a kid, either ;)

I genuinely thought she was around 19 or 20 when she did the show but she was, in fact, 25 when she started.

Wow. No wonder my 14-year old self thought she was drop-dead gorgeous.

Kid can be relative in a person's memories.

A few times recently I've thought/wrote/said "I was just a kid when..." and then realizing that no, I was a legal adult at the time.

Then again kid isn't a specific age term like teen or baby, just a general one. Heck, cowboys were big on nicknaming people kid (Ringo Kid, Sundance Kid, etc.) and most of them were probably adults.

Some people do look a few years younger than they actually are.

Bonnie Langford was one such person.

Chris Parott:

"I only really like the Tom Baker Years, I recently rewatched the Colin Baker Years and was struck by just how little thought and money had gone into producing it, for what was quite a sizeable return for BBC Enterprises back then. Being a fan in the 90s often felt like the BBC viewed you as a cash cow".

Well duh...

Another great trailer for the next Blu-ray set

Aw, that WAS rather fun.

Just came to post it myself.

Just finished Deadly Assassin (DVD) yesterday, but at least I didn't watch Hand/Assassin/Face in sequence as I had considered doing.

I won't get any of the Tom sets unless they release them in cheaper versions. The DVDs are fine for now. I will get all the seasons from 19 on as well as 7 and 8. I'll be we curious to see what they do with the black and white era though...

I'll will be curious to see what they do with the black and white era though...

seventy-something Wendy Padbury on a recreated console pointing her butt at the camera again ;)

They chose to feature Squeak in this trailer? Given her adult career, bad cat man may END UP her pimp...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBXyGyEwi0Q

I buy the DVD's one at a time myself.

Finally a date for The Faceless Ones. March 16.

So for the Season 2 trailer - 80 year old Peter Purves in a 1960s style "tin foil" space pilot suit... or 95 year old William Russell in a Crusader Knight outfit?

Why should we have to choose? GIMME BOTH!

Drat, the latest Doctor Who The Collection release has sold out already

https://twitter.com/tim42nz/status/1258653423525720064

Be patient, I'm sure they'll restock as soon as they can.

You've obviously missed the joke Tim....

It's one of his Timberly McCree/Dolly Parton moments. No joke is too obvious.

Natalie, what part of name calling is a violation of Phil's Guidelines do you not understand? I mean I've explained it to you, over and over, and yet you don't seem to get it.

And don't bother rolling out one of your stock excuses. Having a disability does not give you carte blanche to break the rules here.

In fact, I'm beginning to wonder if you even have a disability, and it's not just another cry for attention (like those countless sob stories you've posted here, which I think are all rubbish). I mean we have only your word on the issue, and I take absolutely no stock in that.

It's like that story of the boy, who craved attention so much, that he kept crying "Wolf!" to get the villagers to notice him. However, he did it so many times that, when a wolf really came, no one believed him anymore. Result, the wolf ate most of the sheep the boy was guarding (and sometimes the boy himself, depending on which version you read).

The same applies to you, Natalie, you've given so many sob stories (at least three different accounts of being molested, for example), that you're either the unluckiest woman to ever come down the pike, or it's all rubbish and you're just seeking attention. I can't speak for the others, but I believe the latter.

Anyway, crave all the attention you want, Natalie, I can't stop you (at least not in this forum), but kindly leave me out of it from now on.

Comparing you to Dolly Parton is so obviously a joke that.... no, there's point explaining it to you/

I sent you a JPG of my blood sugar monitor some weeks back.

I sent you a JPG of my blood sugar monitor some weeks back.

That proves nothing. For all I know, you just got that picture off the Internet.

My warning stands.

That proves nothing. For all I know, you just got that picture off the Internet.

Not entirely without precedent for Natalie.....

Next blu-ray trailer:

https://youtu.be/w2NID_9KcWw

Hang, on...Jo NEVER TOLD Cliff about the Autons? The daffodils? Her suffocation and setting-off-a-bomb-at-UNIT-HQ and MEETING THE DOCTOR?!

What kind of marriage IS this! If I was married MY husband would get treated to regular discussions about the entirety of The Auton Invasion and I wasn't even ALIVE when it happened!

Autons have pink smoke coming out of their gun-hands?

It's a preview done on a budget... let's not overthink things... your poor old addled brain won't cope....

I think twenty-two years of overthinking things on Nitcentral has proved that my poor old addled brain can cope JUST FINE.

Yes but you hadn't had the joy of life sucked from you by countless awful novels and BF audios....

Whatever the novels and audios have done to me, New Who has MORE than atoned...

JODIE! JODIE! JODIE!

Anyway, Sacha Dhawan is in the Behind the Sofa features. Looking forward to this.

I'm debating whether I'll get the set. I like the season but I've already got all the dvds.

I want to get all the 80's seasons from Davison onwards because the picture will look so much better (Ghostlight looks the best I've ever seen it- even if it still is an incomprehensible mess)

No amount of good F/X can fix bad writing.

I would leap to Ghost Light's defence but you know what? Several dozen excruciatingly tedious gibberish Marc Platt audios later...I just can't be bothered.

Figures, given that I just watched most of the season.

https://youtu.be/cLb-rlZQA9k

Very well done trailer.

Yeah I’ll get this set.

A...bold choice to centre an advert around MEL.

I s'pose the novels n'audios have given her so many different and mutually-exclusive fates that one more won't make any difference.

Blimey, does the BBC have spare Tetrap costumes lying around? They surely wouldn't have made one for the occasion...even if it WOULD probably be rather cheap to do so...

An ancient Seventh Doctor is still REALLY...Seventh-Doctor-ish.

They've done a very good job but there's simply no way in hell a Season Twenty-Four trailer is gonna give us the warm fuzziness of, say, a Jo n'Cliff one...

They've done a very good job but there's simply no way in hell a Season Twenty-Four trailer is gonna give us the warm fuzziness of, say, a Jo n'Cliff one...
Honestly, the Jo and Cliff one was the worst of the bunch. I mean it was fine but it's no Leela and the robots or Tegan the air hostess.

Extended editions of every story

Noooooooooooo!!!

;-)

I actually can't wait to see an extended Dragonfire. Time and the Rani notsomuch.

And the sight of McCoy in his seventh Doctor gear made me surprisingly happy!

Blimey, does the BBC have spare Tetrap costumes lying around?
If not I suspect it was a fan made version- wouldn't be the first time a fan creation was borrowed for such a thing.

I actually can't wait to see an extended Dragonfire. Time and the Rani notsomuch.

Even the trailer for season 24 was practically advising everyone not to watch Time and the Rani...

And the sight of McCoy in his seventh Doctor gear made me surprisingly happy!

Yes, 'surprisingly happy' is EXACTLY the phrase I was looking for.

This is interesting, and fun to see all together:

https://youtu.be/y0q45-Puayk

The Season 12/38 box set's a bit disappointing, isn't it. I know shelf-space is at a premium so don't need any more shed-sized box sets a la Season 1/27 Of Blessed Memory, but an entire SEASON shouldn't be the same width as a single DVD. And it's impossible to tell which DVD has which episodes on it. They all have the same picture and no names on 'em. And it splits one story over more than one •••• disc. Oh, and the holographic photos are a generous touch, and Bill/CyberBill and Missy/Simm-Master are lovely, but why the hell does the Capaldi one just shut and open his eyes instead of, say, blessing us with Capaldi/JODIE!?

Galaxy 4 is the next animation to be released after "Evil". I believe "Abominable Snowmen" is after that one.

First Hartnell is a long time.

Is a long time what?

Sorry. *in a long time.

No smug comment from our moderator? Can someone make sure she is ok?

Why the hell would I be smug about having to watch an animated Galaxy 4?

Sorry- I meant snarky because it’s a bad story…..

Well at least you can't ruin a BAD story with rubbish* animation...

And at least Galaxy 4 has one REALLY GOOD line...

*Admittedly ALL animation looks rubbish to ME.

Ok.... I'll bite.... what's the line?

'Oh, we have a small number of men, as many as we need. The rest we kill. They consume valuable food and fulfil no particular function.'

(I'm sorry! I'm a terrible human! Truly, as a feminist I DO believe men are equal to women! Some of my best friends are men! Three-quarters of my favourite Doctors are men! I just...really like that line...)

Season 17 has been announced as the next blu-ray season set.

I suppose this means a new version of Shada...

Trailer:
https://youtu.be/Fwv3-PGCw8o

I suppose this means a new version of Shada...

NOT FUNNY.

Mercifully it sounds like it's just the latest version...*drumroll*...divided into episodes!

Well they're certainly not going for a light amusing trailer this time, are they...

While the intro was good it does contradict the idea that Davros was in some form of suspended animation in the actual episode.

Tom says that it's the first time Shada has been released in six episodes.
Um, no. The original VHS release of Shada was broken up into six episodes.

Blimey Tom looks like he’s about to fall off the perch doesn’t he? I’m angry over the six-part Shada. I’m not buying a full set of stories just to get the separate episode version of the animation. They better not pull a stunt like that with the Hartnell/Troughton seasons.

Blimey Tom looks like he’s about to fall off the perch doesn’t he?

No. He really doesn't. There was one Big Finish photo a while back where he looked so fragile I kept thinking of a dandelion seed head and actually started wondering whether all the skies of all the worlds would just turn dark and your ludicrous and oft-repeated prophecies of Tom's demise might actually COME TRUE one day but he looks a helluvalot better here, PERFECTLY capable of becoming OUR FOURTEENTH DOCTOR-CURATOR UNDER RUSSELL T GOD HIMSELF.

You keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better. I certainly don’t wish death on the man but death comes to us all.
I also doubt he’ll be playing the curator anytime soon except for Big Finish.

OF COURSE you don't wish death on Tom! You just have a fixation with prophesying his death...

...Not that HE'D complain, doesn't he have his own gravestone in his back garden, worship him, but I'm still entitled to say OH NO HE ISN'T every time you come up with this nonsense.

Have a horrible feeling you might possibly be right about me not getting THE CURATOR I'VE BEEN PROMISED DAMMIT for a few seasons but I'm graciously prepared to accept an appearance in our Sixtieth in lieu.

Well maybe the curator can be played by Colin Baker instead?

Mercifully I have a cast-iron guarantee that this will not be the case.

DOCTOR: I never forget a face.
CURATOR: I know you don't. And in years to come, you might find yourself revisiting a few. But just the old favourites, eh?

The next bluray season has been announced. I miss the quirky trailers it must be said…..

So the Doctor has nothing better to do than play taxi driver for ex-companions?

I know, right?

Maybe after seeing what happened to her in Trial (or needing a break while he tried to get his head around when he'd have to drop Mel off for a bit so he could go and meet her for the first time) he decided to go check on Peri, only to land years later (by her timeline) after Ycranos had died?

Good news for me, as I was trying to munster up the courage (stupidity, whatever) to watch and nitpick Timelash again. Now I can safely wait until this is released.

Incidentally, a year or two ago, I tried but never made it to episode 2.

The season 22 trailer was written by Pete McTighe and Rex was played by Leo Flanagan who was Charlie in Kerblam! also written by McTighe.

I don't want to nitpick every little thing I come across on the internet, but I just read this release described as 'the sixth Doctor's penultimate season', and that's the most ridiculous way to describe this without technically being wrong.

Doesn't penultimate mean next to last.

If that's the case, then it is correct that Season 22 was his penultimate season.

I didn't say it was incorrect. But it's silly to call his first session 'penultimate'.

Is season 21 his antepenultimate season?

Peri's KNEELING at statue-Yrcanos's feet?!

'You didn't need a figurehead any more' - she was a lot more than a figurehead. The power vacuum she and Yrcanos left by dying/scarpering must have been of civil-war-causing proportions.

Congratulations. The Peri and the Piscon Paradox Companion Chronicle valiantly managed to reconcile the various mutually-incompatible fates for the poor woman (albeit by creating several Peris), only for this to come up with YET ANOTHER version...

Didn't Peri do the stupid 'Queen' thing in Season 23 not 22?

My gods, that's the way I always picture Michael Grade - cackling like a third-rate Who villain - I didn't realise he actually DID it though.

I can't imagine the colossal restraint it would take to be sat next to Michael Grade, as he laughs about deliberately sabotaging Doctor Who (on a Doctor Who DVD extra!!), and not strangle him with one's bare hands!

Yeah, and what a great DVD - sorry, Blu-Ray - extra THAT would make...

Grade is the only BBC Controller never to receive a Knighthood from HRH Queen Elizabeth.

Well, Mikey, old boy, that's what you get when you •••• off a Who fan (yes, the Queen is One Of Us).

But probably not the Doctor you were expecting...

https://youtu.be/_UaZTZ6qBQo

Aww, that was sweet. Aside from Vicki *shudders* reproducing, but I s'pose I can't claim the planet was overpopulated in those days, especially when most of those Trojans had just been slaughtered...I don't actually remember Frostfire mentioning any kids but then I don't actually remember much about Frostfire...

Dido wasn't a distant and dangerous world! The only danger was right there on HER spaceship with her!

'An orphan, with no hope of rescue' - you knew the rescue ship was about to arrive you liar!

The Dalek Invasion of Earth wasn't the far future...for VICKI!

The Dalek Invasion of Earth wasn't the far future...for VICKI!
True. I was more put off by her talking about it as if she were there.

most of those Trojans had just been slaughtered
Well, a lot of reproduction does come from faulty Trojans even today...

I was more put off by her talking about it as if she were there.

Bear in mind she had a month stuck in a Roman villa with nothing better to do than listen to the Doctor, Ian n'Babs reminisce about that time they heroically managed to save Earth...

I dunno about this new trailer (or the set for that matter- really not interested in getting it as the two missing eps aren't even being animated).

The most recent ones have been far too serious. I miss Colin Baker ranting in a court room (still my absolute favourite of these) or Peter Davison being lectured by Janet Fielding. Heck, I even miss Louise Jamison getting served tea by Robots....

That sounds interesting -could you post a link to the trailer please??

The story could be great, or not so much.

Thank you in advance.

Nice seeing Emily Cook in the season 2 trailer.

I'd love to see it, could you please post it?

Look above - Kevin posted link on 16th.

Thank you Emily, I somehow missed seeing the link.

Based on that trailer I'd happily run right out and buy it.

Sadly I doubt it will be anywhere as good.

Season Two is a joy and a happiness, what are you TALKING about!

(OK, maybe not The Web Planet. And The Chase. And The Space Museum. But APART from that...)

The second season might have been totally awesome.

Then came the purge- and we lost most of it.

To make make they are recreating these stories using animation

We all know how iffy that can be.

Actually Season Two is all-but complete - just two Crusade episodes missing.

Which they said a while ago would probably never be animated. And they're sticking to that.

The only real question here is not can they do it, but should they do it.

I'm not gonna attempt to answer that, given the weird fact I managed to hate the animations AND get pissed off when they were halted.

They said they would probably never animate The Crusade because it required too many elaborate costumes.

Which is pretty frustrating for those of us old enough to remember when the whole point of cartoons was that you could do things you couldn't do in real life. You could, you know, just draw them.

---

Anyway, from the trailer, it looks like Sandifer will get her wish that David Whitaker's contributions to the show be re-evaluated and held in higher esteem.

Excuse me Emily-Is that an agreement or a complaint??

They said they would probably never animate The Crusade because it required too many elaborate costumes.

Which is pretty frustrating for those of us old enough to remember when the whole point of cartoons was that you could do things you couldn't do in real life. You could, you know, just draw them.

Yeah, just draw them, morons! You don't even need to colour 'em in for heaven's sake!

Excuse me Emily-Is that an agreement or a complaint??

I'm not sure. Still working through my feelings vis-a-vis animations. ••••, just realised I accidentally gave up on the Evil of the Daleks one two episodes in...

On that we agree- I'll take your warning about Evil of the Daleks.

It wasn't meant as a warning, I'm sure* it's all my fault not Evil's...I'll let you know if and when I get round to finishing the thing.

*Admittedly not 100% sure.

In this case I'll trust you on it.

If it's tough enough viewing that you can't watch it- there's no smegging way that I'll take the risk.

The teaser is seen through Dido's point of view (could that mean Dodo's?).

Emily in her August 16,2022 post at 8:48 a.m. seemed confused about one thing, that was if the Dido ( I wish they didn't use two such similar names) was a dangerous planet.

From what the footage shows-planet Dido looks to be barren and lifeless.

I'd count that as dangerous.

The teaser is seen through Dido's point of view (could that mean Dodo's?).

No, it's Vicki's.

Emily in her August 16,2022 post at 8:48 a.m. seemed confused about one thing, that was if the Dido ( I wish they didn't use two such similar names) was a dangerous planet.

Nope, I'm perfectly clear: the planet's safe, its native intelligent population is safe (they're dead. Also pacifists. No one point out those spikes they tried to impale Ian on, they must have been a figment of all our imaginations), its native unintelligent population is safe (POOR darling Sandy!) and Vicki is LYING about what a hideously unsafe planet she's stuck on...(Also lying about being stuck. Are the trailers aimed at people who haven't actually seen Who or something?)

From what the footage shows-planet Dido looks to be barren and lifeless.

I'd count that as dangerous.

Why?

Two main reasons. If it is barren and lifeless for the same reason Mars is, you can't live there without extensive protection, and you will always be at risk of being killed by the environment. And if is has been made barren and lifeless through the actions of some destructive force, said force might still be around and consider you something it has to eliminate as well.

Thank you Francois- you beat me to it.

Oh nonsense, half the planets in the universe resemble quarries, never did any of 'em any harm...and of course, like Mars, they're perfectly breathable...

Emily - there might be magic flying sky sharks waiting just beyond the rim of the quarry.

Maybe Dodo is scared of magic flying sky sharks.

It's Vicki, and she took the local dragon-monster as a pet...

Highly recommend the interview with Michael Grade on the season 22 set. He makes a lot of sense and he’s very honest about the decisions he made. Actually seems like a genuinely decent Blake who was just doing his job.

A political aggitator? or a poet?

OMG! The character’s name doesn’t smegging matter! Now I want you to write the phrase “Names aren’t important” or I’ll smash my tablet….

Huh. Doesn't look as if there'll be a proper Season Thirteen DVD release? Don't even look as if there'll be a Flux DVD and a Specials DVD, dammit.

What are you talking about? Flux is out on dvd. So is Daleks and Sea-Devils. I’m sure they’ll put one out for the Power episode too. I imagine they might put out a set with the three specials though.

That's what I'm saying, they're putting out a Blu-Ray with all three Specials but not a DVD. I just wanted a Season Thirteen DVD or failing that, one for Flux and one for the Specials.

Or buy a blu-ray player? They’re pretty cheap nowadays.

Certainly not! They lured me into swapping my perfectly-good videos for DVDs but they're not playing that trick on me AGAIN.

Then only see Flux and the rest when they screen it on the tele. I also find it weird that they aren’t doing a dvd release. Are you sure about that? Source?

Gallifrey Base:

'Fans have two options to commemorate the Thirteenth Doctor’s final battles. A standalone release of the regeneration episode, The Power of the Doctor will be available on DVD and Blu-ray, or alternatively a limited-edition Blu-ray Steelbook made up of the three Series 13 specials, Eve of the Daleks, Legend of the Sea Devils and The Power of the Doctor.'

And of course I've gotta have all JODIE!'s (and for that matter all Colin's) adventures on my shelves, no question about THAT, even if the sight of all those individual DVDs will be a constant source of irritation...

So get the the release of the first two specials on dvd and then power? I mean it’s really not that hard…..

I never said it was hard, I said it was really annoying.

Season 9 appears to be the next bluray set even though there is no trailer yet……

Up now.

https://youtu.be/A1rHwBiVyJQ

I'm so glad Jo got the lipstick!

Not sure how this fits in with UNIT: Assembled when Jo had to fight off the filthy monsters' latest attempt to destroy humanity, but never mind.

Aww, baby-Sea-Devil so cute!

Baby sea devils!! Cuteness overload!

Need a Jo Jones spin off, now! If he does this I might just forgive RTD for his 10th Doctor re-run.

FORGIVE! The only thing to forgive is it being only three episodes long...

Defenders of the Earth?

Where's Flash Gordon, Mandrake the magician, the Phantom?

Obligatory Emily Explanation^TM: That was the title of a cartoon show that featured the stars of long-running action comic strips.


Baby sea devils!!

So Jo Jones is a bounty hunter accompanied by a baby Sea Devil in a new show titled The Jodalarian. ;-)

(Someone else can explain that one to Emily.)

Best theme ever*

*Apart from Doctor Who of course

That would be Land of the Lost.

You get the last laugh though, Rodney. I've never heard of your show, but having watched your link, I'm still trying to convince YouTube not to suggest me any more related videos.

Season 20 just announced. Finally.

Worst kept secret.

The video, if anybody hasn't seen it yet.

https://youtu.be/NMgKaTU9-bQ

Confirmation, via The Mara, that Tegan's "deepest desire" is Nyssa.

Tim will enjoy this trailer immensely. May even buy the set…..

Got mine pre-ordered, but I get them all.

I get them all because I have two apartments, so the BRs aren't just an upgrade but a convenience of having the stories in both places. But the strange thing is that retirement looms, and this whole two-home thing will come to and end soon enough, leaving me with storage issues.

Excellent if somewhat depressing trailer. Poor old Tegan, she really should have raised the STILL GOT THE MARA IN MY HEAD thing when she met the Doc again, still, JODIE! was pretty busy and, let's face it, given her usual level of competence (first the Time Lords then humanity then practically the entire universe) any attempt to help would probably have resulted in Tegan's brain exploding all over the floor...

Confirmation, via The Mara, that Tegan's "deepest desire" is Nyssa.

Well, also to whizz round space n'time with the Doctor...but yeah, mainly Nyssa...

I get them all because I have two apartments, so the BRs aren't just an upgrade but a convenience of having the stories in both places. But the strange thing is that retirement looms, and this whole two-home thing will come to and end soon enough, leaving me with storage issues.

It's WEIRD isn't it, you spend your life amassing your Who collection and suddenly you realise YOU'RE OLD and, well, I'm not saying I've exactly started worried about what'll happen to it when I'm DEAD but the thought has started crossing my mind...

The Mara still aunts Tegan, after forty years. Tat was a dirty trick, Mara. A dirty trick!

Moving on.

That road trip the cast took looked like fun.

Revisiting Amsterdam forty years after Arc Of Infinity. Kind of funny seeing Mark Strickson there, as he had not yet joined the show when Arc was made.

Yes, Rodney, I enjoyed it.

Nyssa should do sonic stuff to melkurize the Mara

And animations are back. Underwater Menace has been announced.

https://www.doctorwho.tv/news-and-features/missing-adventure-the-underwater-menace-to-be-animated-in-2023

Oh god - er, I mean good.

Well that means only three more Troughton stories need animating and it will be done.

Doubtless Ian Levine will bleat about it being inferior to his own animations as sure as night follows day….

Actually Emily will bleat about inferiority as loudly as Levine.

Highlanders
Wheel in Space
Space Pirates

Wheel was at least partly done. I don't know what the conditions are with the resurgence of the animations, but that work might have to be scrapped and re-started by the new house. Again, I really don't know.


I would have liked something more 60th-anniversary-ish, but there's no clear candidate for that. The fact that it isn't Celestial Toymaker might mean certain rumours are false. Maybe Marco Polo?

Anyway, it's Underwater Menace, presumably so the BBC can finally rest their middle finger from the previous release of this story.

The Radio Times recently posted a story about missing episodes, but it was so stupid I won't post it here. The only interesting tidbit is that the Beeb knows of some missing episodes but the owners won't return it.

And animations are back. Underwater Menace has been announced.

Fear the Technicolor Fish People!

Scream as the bright colors burn themselves into your retinas!

Be shocked as you realize the color choices make Starfleet uniforms look restrained by comparison!

Weep as you realize all the tension and drama of the black and white filmmaking is lost!

Gaudy, yes, but the past several releases included the colour episodes and the B&W ones.

Season Fifteen: The Collection

Wow.

Leela was on Gallifrey on the last day of the Time War? I'm pretty sure that contradicts the War Doctor audios. Leela was OLD? I'm very sure that contradicts the Gallifrey and Companion Chronicle audios. Daleks can be taken out with their own gunsticks? Pity no one thought of that when they were all 'One Dalek can destroy an entire Time Lord city!' in Last Day. Old-Time-War-Leela joins up with TOM? (Before, presumably, he gets amnesia like he's MCGANN?!)

Leela was on Gallifrey on the last day of the Time War?

Nah, she's standing in front of a greenscreen. ;-)

Daleks can be taken out with their own gunsticks?

Didn't we see that in Remembrance when the Daleks were fighting each other? And Genesis showed they could be used separated from a Dalek.

Yeah, but I assumed they'd got really beefed-up for the Time War...

Last Day:

'But if just one Dalek made it through, it could destroy this entire city. That's all it would take. One Dalek. One Dalek acting alone and we're finished...'

Notwithstanding Big Finishes, Leela finally gets to meets Daleks on-screen.

“I was amazed I wasn’t fired when Graham took over”- Tom Baker.

If he had then maybe we would have been spared all that goofballing and pratfalling…..

And if only JNT had half Graham Williams' sense, it would have been Tom Forever and we would almost certainly have been spared The Sixteen Long And Barren Years Of Despair...

You keep telling yourself that if it makes you happy everyone else knows that’s almost certainly not true.

It doesn't make me happy! It makes TSLABYOD worse!

Emily, TSLABYOD has been over for almost 20 years.

Let it go.

I'm not a transsexual with a Time Lord metacrisis wrapped around my cortex.

I do not just...let things go.

Transgender is the widely preferred term these days - although some of the older generation who came out/transitioned years back may still use it to describe themselves. And it's an adjective, not a noun: These days Someone (e.g. Yazmin Finney the actress, or Rose Nobel the character) would describe herself as Trans or a Trans Woman (not 'a trans')
(No criticism intended, just clarification in case you were unaware)

Useful lesson in evolution, thanks!

Walked right into that one, Emily.