The Two Doctors: revised release clarification

Monday, 22 September 2014 - Reported by Alex Frazer-Harrison and Chuck Foster
The Two Doctors (R2) (Credit: BBC Worldwide)After receiving recent reports that the DVD of The Two Doctors no longer includes A Fix With Sontarans as an extra, we checked with BBC Worldwide over the status of the story's release and they have verified:

The Fix It special master copy has been amended from all further DVD sales after the Savile issues came to light. The sleeves and menus on the amended release should have been changed to reflect that.

We’ve now notified the online distributors so this will be amended.

At the time of writing, online retailers such as the BBC Shop and Amazon still list the extra; purchasers of the story should verify which version they are buying as retailers may hold either version in stock at present.





FILTER: - Blu-ray/DVD - Classic Series

The Complete Matt Smith - Blu-ray Gift Set

Monday, 22 September 2014 - Reported by Marcus
BBC Home Entertainment in the United States, has announced a massive collection in honour of the Eleventh Doctor and the man who portrayed him with the release of Doctor Who: The Complete Matt Smith Years Limited Edition Blu-ray Gift Set, which will be released in time for the holidays on November 4, 2014.

Matt Smith made his first appearance as the Doctor in 2010, and went on to star in three seasons of Doctor Who, written and executive produced by Steven Moffat.

The set features the complete adventures of the Eleventh Doctor – every season, every special, every episode. It also includes, for the very first time on a special bonus disc, Doctor Who Proms 2013, The Day of the Doctor: From Script to Screen, The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot and Doctor Who: The Ultimate Guide. It also includes the two part special The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Death of the Doctor and the docu-drama An Adventure in Space and Time.

Doctor Who at the Proms 2013 – It’s always a thrilling night when the BBC’s annual classical music festival, the Proms, features the music of Doctor Who. Hosted by none other than the 11th Doctor himself, Matt Smith, plus companion Clara (Jenna Coleman) and a fantastic assortment of special guests (and monsters), Murry Gold’s iconic music from the program has never sounded better than in this live concert, which was a highlight of the build-up to DoctorWho’s 50th Anniversary.
The Day of the Doctor: From Script to Screen – Witness the initial table read for Doctor Who’s legendary 50th Annivesary episode, The Day of the Doctor, and then see the episode come to life on screen through interviews with Matt Smith, David Tennant, Steven Moffat and others as well as footage from the filming. It’s an exciting look inside the process of bringing Doctor Who to life.
The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot – In the build-up to Doctor Who’s 50th Anniversary, rumors were swirling wildly about which former Doctors would be featured in the anniversary episode itself. In this hilarious comic spoof, former Doctors Peter Davison, Sylvester McCoy, Colin Baker, and Paul McGann poke fun at the mystery and themselves in hysterical fashion. With cameos from Matt Smith, David Tennant, Jenna Coleman, Steven Moffat, Russell T Davies and others.
Doctor Who: The Ultimate Guide – Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith and companion Clara (Jenna Coleman) introduce this insightful look back at the remarkable 50-year history of Doctor Who featuring interviews with the cast and the people behind the scenes, past and present, plus a host of celebrity fans. Doctor Who – The Ultimate Guide delves deep into the history of the Doctor, profiling his many incarnations and charting the progression of his character from his old-fashioned, black and white origins to his more complex, many-layered, modern-day persona and the multi-faceted menaces he has faced through the years. This is the defining documentary of Doctor Who, the perfect way to celebrate a rich 50-year old marvel.
Sarah Janes Adventures: The Death of the Doctor - The Eleventh Doctor makes a special appearance in the spin-off series Sarah Janes Adventure. In the two part special written by Russell T Davies, Sarah Jane is reunited with another of the Doctor’s former companions, Jo Grant (Katy Manning), as they investigate the fate of the Doctor at his own funeral. Things get more complicated when they’re joined by the Eleventh Doctor himself in an alien-busting adventure featuring brand-new vulture aliens, the mysterious Shansheeth and a trip to an alien planet.
The set is available for pre-order from Amazon.




FILTER: - Blu-ray/DVD - Matt Smith - USA

Deep Breath released on DVD/Blu-ray

Wednesday, 17 September 2014 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Peter Capaldi's debut story Deep Breath is now available to buy on Blu-ray and DVD, and the BBC have release a short clip from the story's 'prequel' which was originally shown alongside the episode in cinemas last month.


Deep Breath (Blu-ray) (Credit: BBC)The release also includes behind-the-scenes material and the live programme Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor which introduced the world to Capaldi as the latest incarnation.

The episode is available to buy from our Amazon shop on Blu-ray (UK/US/CA) or DVD (UK/US/CA).

The Complete Series Eight boxed set is also available for pre-order, due out on the 17th November in the UK (BD/DVD) and on the 9th December in the US (BD/DVD) and Canada (BD/DVD).




FILTER: - Blu-ray/DVD - Series 8/34

Classic DVD release schedule for Germany announced

Tuesday, 16 September 2014 - Reported by Pascal Salzmann
Siebter Doktor: Volume 1 (Credit: Pandastorm)German DVD distributor Pandastorm Pictures announced today the upcoming plans for DVD releases of the classic series in a newsletter sent out to fans. As previously reported the first volume of seventh Doctor stories includes the complete Season 24 on four discs, all the bonus features of the UK DVD's and will be released on 28th November 2015.

Additionally, Pandastorm Pictures is going to release the following sets:

  • Siebter Doktor Volume 2 (Season 25, 5 discs, release date: 27th February 2015)
  • Siebter Doktor Volume 3 (Season 26, 7 discs, release date: 24th April 2015)
  •  Die Fünf Doktoren (The Five Doctors, 2 discs, release date: tba)
  • Sechster Doktor Volume 1 (The Twin Dilemma & Season 22, 7 discs, release date: tba)
  • Sechster Doktor Volume 2 (Season 23, 4 discs, release date: tba)
  • Doctor Who - The Movie (2 discs, release date: tba)

According to the newsletter there are currently rights issues that need to be resolved before the TV Movie can be released.

There are no German dubs to any other episodes available, so further releases are unlikely. However, the distributor has told fans that it would consider dubbing more classic episodes if the DVD's are going to sell extremely well.

Der Siebte Doktor Volume 1 can be pre-ordered from Amazon Germany.






FILTER: - Blu-ray/DVD - Classic Series - Eighth Doctor - Fifth Doctor - Germany - Seventh Doctor

UK DVD: The Complete David Tennant Years

Monday, 15 September 2014 - Reported by Chuck Foster
BBC Worldwide are to release a DVD boxed set for the United Kingdom featuring all of the (regular) adventures of the tenth Doctor, as played by David Tennant:

The Complete David Tennant Years (Credit: BBC Worldwide)The Complete David Tennant Years

In this massive 26-disc collection, the BBC brings together the complete David Tennant Years! David Tennant made his debut as the Doctor in 2005 in “The Christmas Invasion” and in the four years that followed, Doctor Who grew to new heights of popularity. This collection celebrates Tennant’s tenure by bringing together every David Tennant Doctor Who episode including The Complete Second Series (co-starring Billie Piper as Rose Tyler), The Complete Third Series (co-starring Freema Agyeman as Martha Jones) and The Complete Fourth Series (co-starring Catherine Tate as Donna Noble), all eight specials and two spin-off animated adventures, totalling over 38 hours of Doctor Who plus hours of extras. This is a must-own collection for the legion of devoted Doctor Who fans.

The boxed set was originally released for the North American region (R1) in 2011.




FILTER: - Blu-ray/DVD - David Tennant - Tenth Doctor - UK

Series 5 to receive Japanese DVD release

Tuesday, 9 September 2014 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Doctor Who: New Generation (Credit: BBC Worldwide/ Kadokawa Shoten Co. Ltd.)Though the modern series of Doctor Who has yet to be established as essential viewing on television in Japan, fans in the country will now be able to enjoy the series in their native language thanks to an initiative announced by production company Kadokawa for this Autumn.

Doctor Who: New Generation will see the Matt Smith era released in the country starting with his debut series on 3rd October 2014, with the sixth and seventh series following over the next few months. The episodes will be fully dubbed into Japanese, with the voice of the eleventh Doctor portrayed by Tokuyoshi Kawashima, Amy by Kana Uetake, Rory by Yoshiki Nakajima, and River Song by Kozue Harashima.

The Series 5 Boxed set will be presented with Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo soundtracks in Japanese and the original English, plus Japanese subtitles; as well as the thirteen episodes of the series, the seven disc set will also include the 2010 Christmas special, A Christmas Carol:

  • Disc 1: 11番目の時間 (The Eleventh Hour); 眼下の獣 (The Beast Below)
  • Disc 2: ダーレクの勝利 (Victory of the Daleks); 天使の時間 (The Time of Angels)
  • Disc 3: 肉体と石 (Flesh and Stone); ヴェネチアの吸血鬼 (The Vampires of Venice)
  • Disc 4: エイミーの選択 (Amy's Choice); ハングリー・アース (The Hungry Earth)
  • Disc 5: 冷血 (Cold Blood); ゴッホとドクター (Vincent and the Doctor)
  • Disc 6: 下宿人 (The Lodger); パンドリカが開く (The Pandorica Opens)
  • Disc 7: ビッグバン (The Big Bang); クリスマス・キャロル (A Christmas Carol)
The DVD is available to pre-order via Amazon.




FILTER: - Blu-ray/DVD - Japan - Series 5/31

Germany: Complete Season 24 DVD boxed set in November

Saturday, 6 September 2014 - Written by Pascal Salzmann
German DVD distributor Pandastorm have announced the release of the DVD boxed set Siebter Doctor Volume 1 (Seventh Doctor Volume 1).

The set contains the complete Season 24, featuring Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor, and includes all special features that were present on the single story DVD releases in the UK. According to the website of Pandastorm's distribution partner wvg the discs will run for approximately 350 minutes plus 328 minutes of bonus features. Audio and subtitles will be in English and German.

The description for the DVDs reads as follows:

Complete Season 24 (German DVD Release)Die erfolgreiche Sci-Fi-Kultserie öffnet die Tore zu ihrer Vergangenheit. Die Abenteuer des siebten Doctors erstmalig in Deutschland auf DVD. Mit über 5 Std. Bonusmaterial und Booklet. Sylvester McCoy's (Radagast aus „Der Hobbit“ Trilogie) erste Staffel in der Rolle des siebten Doctors ist ein schriller, bunter und witziger Trip durchs All. Dabei begegnet er einer gefährlichen Widersacherin: Die Rani. Diese hat sich mit einem Volk menschengroßer Fledermauswesen verbündet, um die Macht über das Universum zu übernehmen. Auf einem Eisplaneten muss er zudem gegen den skrupellosen Schatzjäger Sabalom Glitz und den Sklavenhalter Kane kämpfen, der mit einer einzigen Berührung seine Gegner zu Eis gefrieren lassen kann. Und trifft schließlich auf die junge Ausreißerin Ace, die den Doctor fortan auf seinen Reisen begleitet und sich als einer der beliebtesten Companions der Seriengeschichte entpuppen soll.

The most successful Sci-Fi cult series opens the doors to its past. The adventures if the seventh Doctor on DVD for the first time. Featuring over 5 hours of bonus material and a booklet. Sylvester McCoy's (Radagast from "The Hobbit" trilogy) first season in the role of the seventh Doctor is a jarring, colourful and funny trip through the galaxy. On it he meets a dangerous enemy: the Rani. The Rani has an alliance with a race of huge bat-like creatures in her plan to rule the universe. On an Iceplanet he fights against the ruthless treasure hunter Sabalom Glitz and the slave trader Kane, who is able to freeze someone to ice with a single touch. And finally he meets the young runaway Ace, who is going to travel with the Doctor and who is seen as one of the most popular companions in the history of the show.

The DVD boxed set will be released on 28th November 2014 and can be pre-ordered from Amazon Germany.





FILTER: - Blu-ray/DVD - Classic Series - Germany - Seventh Doctor - Sylvester McCoy

Planet 55 statement regarding Doctor Who animations

Thursday, 7 August 2014 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Animation studio Planet 55 have issued the following statement regarding their involvement with creating animated episodes of Doctor Who:

Planet 55 Studios (Credit: Planet 55 Studios)There have been many queries about Planet 55 Studios's work on Doctor Who and whether we are doing any more.

To date, Planet 55 Studios has completed work on three Doctor Who animated reconstructions for BBC Worldwide's DVD range: The Reign of Terror, The Tenth Planet and most recently The Moonbase. We really enjoyed creating those but they are the only Doctor Who stories Planet 55 Studios have worked on and there are no plans to work on any more.

At the moment the company is focused on animation projects completely unconnected to Doctor Who.

The release comes as the status of the last expected classic series DVD, The Underwater Menace, remains uncertain.





FILTER: - Animation - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD - Second Doctor

Deep Breath - Standalone DVD / Blu-Ray Release

Wednesday, 23 July 2014 - Reported by Marcus
Amazon in North America are listing the 2014 Doctor Who series opener, Deep Breath, for DVD/Blu-ray release on September 9, 2014.

The feature-length story is confirmed by Doctor Who Magazine as running at just over 75 minutes.




FILTER: - Blu-ray/DVD - Series 8/34

50th Anniversary Box Set

Wednesday, 23 July 2014 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who Magazine has confirmed that a limited edition 50th Anniversary DVD/Blu-ray box set will be released in the autumn.

6,000 Blu-rays and 4,000 DVDs will be released of the set, which was first rumoured in February, when the BBFC cleared several extras for inclusion on the discs. As well as the 50th Anniversary special, The Day of the Doctor, the disc set will include the episodes The Name of the Doctor and Matt Smith's final story as The Doctor, The Time of the Doctor.

Also included will be the docu-drama on the creation of Doctor Who, An Adventure in Space & Time, available on Blu-ray in the UK for the first time, and the Peter Davison-directed spoof The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot. Other extras include a large number of documentaries shown around the period of the show's 50th Anniversary as well as some behind-the-scenes material.

Full details
  • The Name of the Doctor
  • The Night of the Doctor
  • The Day of the Doctor
  • The Time of the Doctor
  • An Adventure in Space & Time
  • The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot
  • Doctor Who: The Ultimate Guide
  • The Science of Doctor Who
  • Doctor Who Proms 2013
  • The Last Day
  • The Day of the Doctor Readthrough
  • The Day of the Doctor Cinema Intros
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Behind-the-Scenes action
  • BBC America Documentary: Tales from the Tardis
  • BBC America Documentary: Farewell to Matt Smith
The set is due for release in the UK on September 8th.




FILTER: - Blu-ray/DVD - WHO50