Canadian Series Sale and DVD Release

According to a BBC press release today, BBC Worldwide Canada has concluded a raft of programming deals and ventures with major networks at this year's MIPCOM conference including a "major licensing deal with CBC Television for the second series of the latest Doctor Who adventures following the critical success of the first series. The deal includes a Christmas special, hosted by Billie Piper exclusively for CBC viewers that air on Boxing Day. The new 13 part adventure is currently filming in Wales and is due to air on CBC in 2006."

Noted within the press release is the fact that "BBC Video is planning to release series one on DVD in February 2006." Outpost Gallifrey has checked with BBC Video today and has been told that they will be releasing the Series One Boxed Set in Canada on February 14. (While there are no US distribution plans for this boxed set due to a lack of a broadcaster, the fact that the DVD is in Canada's NTSC format, shared with the US, suggests there should be a relative ease in acquiring it.)

Update: the official BBC press release and the Doctor Who website have now revised their information to include the February 14 date. The Doctor Who website also states that "It will be a five disc box set, with the same extras as the UK (but with no audio description tracks or subtitles for the commentaries)."

The broadcast of "The Christmas Invasion" on December 26 is expected to be a day after it airs in the UK; the current expected date of transmission of the story in the UK is currently December 25. (Thanks to Benjamin Elliott, Christopher Yonge and Martin Hoscik/Unit News)