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.

Doctor Who on Facebook

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:

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

The Classic Doctor Who DVD Compendium

Monday, 14 July 2014 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Full details of the forthcoming The Classic Doctor Who DVD Compendium are now available, with the book due to be published on the 4th August 2014:

The Classic Doctor Who DVD Compendium (Credit: Wonderful Books)

THE CLASSIC DOCTOR WHO DVD COMPENDIUM
The complete guide to every DVD release of the original 'classic' series of Doctor Who

August 2014 sees the publication in print and ebook of THE CLASSIC DOCTOR WHO DVD COMPENDIUM, a guide to the entire range on DVD of the show's original run from 1963 to 1996.

When the range began in 2000 many Doctor Who adventures were still being issued on fuzzy old VHS. But the DVDs were on a whole new level unmatched in archive television releases before or since. Not only did they offer the superior picture quality and playback flexibility of the then-burgeoning medium; not only were the episodes digitally restored from the best surviving source materials to bring them back to (or even exceed) their original broadcast quality; but they also included an increasingly sophisticated range of additional features that examined the programme's production and legacy.

THE CLASSIC DOCTOR WHO DVD COMPENDIUM chronicles every detail of the range. It's part buying guide for those new to or still collecting the discs, helping them compare releases and select which one they want to get next, and part catalogue for long-time buyers whose collection is complete, enabling them to quickly find any item to watch again. The book provides summaries of the stories, without giving away spoilers for those yet to see the episodes; connections to other adventures to help viewers decide what to buy or watch next; outlines of the restoration techniques used for each release; and more comprehensive descriptions of every extra than can be found elsewhere.

There are also five appendices covering supplementary releases of Classic Who episodes and related programmes; a full list of items hidden on the discs as easter eggs and how to find them; details of the DVDs' releases in other countries; and more. Plus to help collectors find specific contents, there are multiple indexes cataloguing the more frequent extras, key participants in the audio commentaries, recurring features, and a full index of contributors to the special features.

Whether you're only just discovering the long history of Doctor Who's original incarnation or have been a fan and collector for years, THE CLASSIC DOCTOR WHO DVD COMPENDIUM is the ultimate companion to the complete DVD range, celebrating the most comprehensive and detailed release of a television series there has ever been.

Paul Smith is the author and designer of last year's "Time and Space Visualiser: The Story and History of Doctor Who as Data Visualisations", which presents a wealth of information about the show in a unique way using eye-catching graphs and charts. He also produced "The Wonderful Book of Dr Who 1965", a tongue-in-cheek look at the early days of the series in a modern style.

THE CLASSIC DOCTOR WHO DVD COMPENDIUM by Paul Smith is due to be published on 4 August 2014. Available print-on-demand from Amazon (436 pages, 6x9in), or as an ebook.

FILTER: - Books - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD - Merchandise

Reeltime Pictures to withdraw double-production titles

Sunday, 13 July 2014 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Reeltime Pictures have announced that they are to withdraw a number of its DVD releases which feature more than one production on the discs. The releases affected include a number of specials and their popular Myth Makers interviews, which will no longer be available to trade and mail order purchasers from the 30th September 2014.

Producer Keith Barnfather said:

We’re in the process of repositioning the company and its product range and double DVD packages will not work in our future plans.

In an effort to soften the blow to customers, we have agreed with one of our main stockists, Galaxy 4, to offer these titles in a final 3 for 2 offer. Hopefully this will allow anyone wanting to complete their collection to do so.

Reeltime are promising new titles and better access to its programming from 2015.

FILTER: - Blu-ray/DVD - Fan Productions

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