DVD Update

Saturday, 14 January 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster

BBC Worldwide and 2|Entertain have released a synopsis for the forthcoming DVD of First Doctor adventure The Sensorites, which is due to be released on 23rd January.

The Doctor and his companions land on a spaceship orbiting a distant and mysterious world, where a human crew lie frozen somewhere between life and death. The planet is the Sense-Sphere, home of the Sensorites, beings of immense intelligence and power. Unable to leave, the Doctor and his companions must deduce the Sensorites’ intentions: are they friendly, hostile, or frightened? And what is the deadly secret at the heart of the Sense-Sphere?

The DVD's commentary features William Russell (Ian Chesterton), Carole Ann Ford (Susan), Joe Grieg (Second Sensorite), Martyn Huntley (First Human), Giles Phipps (Second Human), Frank Cox (director), Raymond Cusick (designer), and Sonia Markham (makeup).

Other extras on the DVD include Secret Voices of the Sensorites, Vision On, Looking for Peter, plus the usual production notes, photo gallery, and PDF extras.

The DVD is available to pre-order via our Amazon shop.

The latest edition of Doctor Who Magazine has confirmed the commentary participants for the stories currently due out in March.

Fourth Doctor adventure The Face of Evil (5th March) features Louise Jameson (Leela), Leslie Schofield (Calib), David Garfield (Neeva), Michael Elles (Gentek), Harry H. Fielder (tribesman), Philip Hinchcliffe (producer) and John McGlashan (film cameraman).
Eighth season finale The Dæmons (26th March) features Katy Manning (Jo Grant), Richard Franklin (Mike Yates), Damaris Hayman (Olive Hawthorne) and Christopher Barry (director).

A number of feature clips from the U.N.I.T. Files Boxed Set (released last week) have been made available online via the BBC's Classic Doctor Who YouTube channel. From Invasion of the Dinosaurs, presenter Matthew Sweet discusses politics in the story, director Paddy Russell discusses capturing a deserted London on film, and Jon Pertwee talks about the creation of the Whomobile. From The Android Invasion, Philip Hinchcliffe discusses making a cliffhanger more effective, reflects upon the Kraal costumes, and Milton Johns reflects upon his own eyepatch story!

FILTER: - Tom Baker - Jon Pertwee - William Hartnell - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

Sarah Jane DVD Release

Tuesday, 3 January 2012 - Reported by Marcus

The fifth and final series of The Sarah Jane Adventures will be released in the UK on DVD and Blu-ray on Monday 6th February 2012.

The set will contain a special tribute to the late Elisabeth Sladen featuring contributions from those who worked closely with her, including the Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith. Goodbye Bannerman Road was filmed on location and also features Sladen's co-stars Daniel Anthony & Anjli Mohindra.

Also released on the same day is a 12 disc Box Set containing the entire five series of The Sarah Jane Adventures.

Doctor Who News Shop. Series 5 / Box Set

FILTER: - UK - Sarah Jane - Blu-ray/DVD

The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe: DVD details

Sunday, 1 January 2012 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The 2011 Christmas Special, The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe is to be released on DVD and Blu-ray in the United Kingdom on the 16th January:

Set during World War II, Madge Arwell receives tragic news that her husband Reg has died in combat. Unable to break the news to her two children, Cyril and Lily, she takes them away to a country home for Christmas. But there’s something familiar about the caretaker – a man with a bow tie who seems to bring Christmas spirit and other strange things with him.

Most exciting of all there’s a big blue box sitting under the Christmas tree, but is it really a present or a gateway to a magical, mysterious adventure...

The release also includes the special BBC "prequel" that precedes the story's start, and also three 45 minute specials commissioned by BBC America to showcase the favourite moments from the Eleventh Doctor's era: Best of the Doctor, Best of the Monsters and Best of the Companions.

Both the DVD and Blu-ray releases are available for pre-order.

Meanwhile, the USA/Canada DVD and Blu-ray releases are planned for 14th February, whilst Australia will see the release of the episode on 1st March.

FILTER: - Specials - Blu-ray/DVD

DVD Release Dates (R2 2012)

Friday, 16 December 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The BBC have now confirmed the dates for the first five DVD releases of 2012, along with the Region 2 cover art.

The U.N.I.T. Files
9th January 2012
pre-order

The Sensorites
23rd January 2012
pre-order

Revisitations 3
13th February 2012
pre-order

The Face of Evil
5th March 2012
pre-order

The Dæmons
26th March 2012
pre-order

Since our last update, the extras for Tomb of the Cybermen have now been classified by the BBFC: The Lost Giants - Making of Tomb of the Cybermen (26m51s), The Curse of the Cybermen's Tomb (14m24s), The Magic of Vidfire (5m56s), Cybermen - Extended Edition (32m25s), Sky Ray Advert (30s), Photo Gallery (3m23s), plus an easter egg (1m8s).

In addition, three intriguing items have also been classified as additional material for a future release: Best of the Doctor (43m29s), Best of the Companions (43m21s), and Best of the Monsters (43m31s). A recent press statement from Warner Home Video indicated that these three titles would appear as extras on the Region One release of The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe (due 14th February), and were previously broadcast by BBC America in the run-up to Let's Kill Hitler, so it is possible the BBFC classification is for the UK release as well.

FILTER: - UK - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

The Dæmons DVD Release

Thursday, 15 December 2011 - Reported by Marcus

The 1971 story The Dæmons has been confirmed for DVD release at the end of March.

The five part story stars the third Doctor, Jon Pertwee in one of the stories most loved by fans and production staff alike, with Jon Pertwee often naming it as his favorite Doctor Who story.

The Doctor is joined by Katy Manning playing Jo Grant as well as UNIT regulars Nicholas Courtney, Richard Franklin and John Levene with Roger Delgado appearing as the main villan of the piece.

Christopher Barry directed the story which was written by Barry Letts and Robert Sloman

The story was originally screened between 22nd May and 19th June in 1971, where it brought to an end the eighth season of the show. Its popularity saw it repeated the following Christmas in an omnibus form. It received a further repeat in 1992 when restored versions of each episode were repeated on BBC2 on consecutive Fridays.

Extras on the disc include:

The Devil Rides Out - A documentary on the making of the story. (29 mins)
Episode One Colourisation Test. (25 mins)
Tomorrow's World Extract (5 mins)
The BBC's Dr Who - On Location - At Aldbourne (7 Min)
Photo Gallery (6 Min)
Remembering Barry Letts. Feature on the much loved Doctor Who Producer. (33 mins)

The DVD is released in the UK on 26th March and around the world shortly afterwards.

Full Release Guide

FILTER: - Jon Pertwee - Blu-ray/DVD

The Android Invasion: talking Kraals

Friday, 2 December 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster

A clip from the forthcoming DVD of The Android Invasion has been released on the BBC Classic Doctor Who YouTube channel, featuring producer Philip Hinchcliffe discussing the design of the Kraals' costumes in the story.

Talking Kraals, 2Entertain, via YouTube

Several clips from the accompanying Pertwee story in the UNIT Files Boxed Set, Invasion of the Dinosaurs, are also available to watch via the company's YouTube channel.

FILTER: - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

Forthcoming DVD features update

Saturday, 26 November 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The BBFC have classified several features for forthcoming DVDs in the Doctor Who range.

January's release of the UNIT Boxed set has been reported before, but the feature lengths have now been confirmed as follows. The Android Invasion (classified 11th November): The Village That Came To Life (30m56s), Life After Who - Philip Hinchcliffe (29m35s), Weetabix advert (31s), Photo Gallery (4m51s), Easter Egg (7m48s). Invasion of the Dinosaurs (classified 9th November): People, Power and Puppetry - Remembering Invasion of the Dinosaurs (32m41s), Now and Then (13m40s), Billy Smart's Circus (1m41s), Doctor Who Stories - Elisabeth Sladen (13m58s), Deleted Scenes - Episode One (44s), Deleted Scenes - Episode Three (3m59s), John Levene Commentary - Part Five (10m13s), Photo Gallery (6m10s), Easter Egg (26s)

The Sensorites is believed to be released in February, and its features were classified on 9th November as: Secret Voices of the Sensorites (2m3s), Vision On (7m2s), Looking for Peter (21m17s), Photo Gallery (4m35s)

March is the expected date for the next Revisitations boxed set, which contains the following three stories. The Robots of Death (classified 23rd/25th November): The Sandmine Murders (32m22s), Robophobia (11m47s), Studio Sound (1m1s), Model Shots (7m38s), Continuity (42s), and Photo Gallery (5m35s). The Three Doctors (classified 23rd November): Happy Birthday To Who (23m10s), Girls, Girls, Girls - the 1970s (21m15s), and Was Doctor Who Rubbish? (13m59s). No features have been classified for Tomb of the Cybermen at this time, though two audio commentaries were passed for the story on the 25th November.

Finally in this round of classifications comes The Face of Evil, which on 25th November saw the following features passed: Into The Wild - The Making of The Face of Evil (25m9s), From The Cutting Room Floor (9m2s), Multi-Coloured Swap Shop (4m26s), Doctor Who Stories - Louise Jameson (17m19s), Denys Fisher Toys advert (30m11s), Tomorrow's Times - The Fourth Doctor (14m4s), Photo Gallery (5m40s)

(with thanks to Gavin Salkeld)

The latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine provides more detail on the features, and also confirms the commentaries: The Sensorites features William Russell (Ian), Carole Ann Ford (Susan), Joe Grieg (Second Sensorite), Martyn Huntley (First Human), Giles Phipps (Second Human), Frank Cox (director), Raymond Cusick (director), Sonia Markham (makeup); The Tomb of the Cybermen's new commentary features Deborah Watling (Victoria), Frazer Hines (Jamie), Bernard Holley (Haydon), Shirley Cooklin (Kaftan), Reg Whitehead (Cyberman), Victor Pemberton (script editor); The Robots of Death also features a new commentary with Tom Baker (The Doctor), Louise Jameson (Leela), Pamela Salem (Toos), and Michael E. Briant (director).

Some other DVD tidbits that have been mentioned on Twitter over the last couple of months include:

People interviewed for The Face of Evil documentary Into The Wild include producer Philip Hinchcliffe, designer Austin Ruddy and visual effects designer Mat Irvine.
The Shada documentary has been renamed from Death Comes to Time to Taken Out of Time
Other forthcoming feature titles include The Military Mind, Battle for Mars Probe 7.
Nicholas Briggs has provided Dalek voices for a forthcoming feature.
There are no current plans for a CGI Skarasen for Terror of the Zygons

FILTER: - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

TARDIS lands at Westfield

Monday, 21 November 2011 - Reported by Marcus

The TARDIS has landed at Westfield Stratford City bringing the Doctor and his companions to the shopping complex to launch the Series 6 Box Set released in the UK today.

Matt Smith, Karen Gillian and Arthur Darvill will all be attending the event held at the brand new mega complex adjoining the 2012 Olympic site in east London.

The three stars will be signing copies of the box-set at HMV before attending a question and answer session in the Gallery Area. Fans around the world can view the experience via the BBC Worldwide YouTube channel from 1600GMT (4PM UK, 11am ET) today. The three stars will be answering questions in a panel hosted by DJ Jo Whiley.

They'll also be updates from the event on the BBC Facebook page and Doctor Who is also taking over the BBC Worldwide Twitter channel. Fans are encouraged to tweet with the hashtag #doctorwho all day.

FILTER: - Arthur Darvill - UK - Series 6/32 - Karen Gillan - Matt Smith - Press - Blu-ray/DVD

Series Six DVD - Official Doctor Who themed Parties

Thursday, 27 October 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster

2|Entertain is launching the first official range of themed parties to celebrate the release of the Complete Doctor Who Series 6 on DVD and Blu-ray:

Scores of fans can sign up to host a Doctor Who themed party in their own home when the new initiative put together by marketing company Come Round launches this week. For aspiring young Doctors, Amys and Rorys these official party packages will the perfect way to celebrate their love of the show.

The first 400 to sign-up will receive an exclusive party pack containing official Doctor Who merchandise, tailored game suggestions, posters and more – the perfect kit to host the perfect party.

Furthermore, all the first 400 will be given exclusive access to stream special never-seen-before DVD extras before the DVD becomes available to the British public. The four Monster File previews are 10 to 15 minutes each and will be part of the exclusive pack given to the winners to share with guests of their party.

Launched just before the much anticipated boxset hits the shops, the first-ever official Doctor Who parties will take place on the 19th and 20th November 2011. For those not lucky enough to get a hosting pack, special ‘print at home’ kits will be available so anyone can don a bow tie or a River Song mask to join in the fun in their own home.

The Parties are only available to UK residents, who can sign up to join via the Come Round website. Full terms and conditions can be found on the website.

FILTER: - Special Events - UK - Blu-ray/DVD

Potential Shada DVD release for 2012

Wednesday, 26 October 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster

2|Entertain, via @ClassicDW

2|Entertain have revealed plans for the DVD release of the incomplete Fourth Doctor adventure Shada, which would have been the finale to the seventeenth season back in 1980; commenting on Twitter via ClassicDW:

Plans are to release the SHADA fragments together with MORE THAN THIRTY YEARS in a box filled with other content goodies! Likely 2012.

Development for this DVD includes the usual making-of feature (as illustrated), with Chris Chapman reporting: "To further whet your appetites, our Shada doco is called Death Comes to Time and was shot (mostly) on location in Cambridge!"

The Restoration Team have also continued to reveal tantalising glimpses of DVD development via Twitter; news snippets include:

The Sensorites will contain a feature entitles Looking for Peter, a "Who Do You Think You Are?" style documentary on the writer of the story, Peter R. Newman.
The Nicholas Courtney documentary will be presented by Michael McManus, friend and co-writer for the actor's auto-biography Still Getting Away With It.
Terror of the Zygons is not expected to be released during 2012.

THE REIGN OF TERROR

10 Oct Chris Chapman Editing our Reign of Terror doco today - a particularly
gripping behind the scenes story to tell! Poor old Henric...
10 Oct Chris Chapman Reign of Terror making-of (aka Don't Lose Your Head) coming
together nicely. Now if only I can find a photo of Henric Hirsch!
11 Oct Chris Chapman Back into the Reign of Terror edit - Tim Combe always
fantastic value as an interviewee!
11 Oct Chris Chapman Off-off-line edit of doco 'Don't Lose Your Head' is all done
and now winging its way to my editor Richard Alderson in Newcastle!
18 Oct Chris Chapman My notes on our rough cut of the Reign of Terror doco
include "MORE GUILLOTINE!"
21 Oct Chris Chapman Our Reign of Terror making-of is looking lovely! Really happy
with the story on this one - and all the chopping. :-)
24 Oct Chris Chapman Reign of Terror doco 'Don't Lose Your Head' will go over to ClassicDW
tomorrow - it's turned out a lot better than I thought it would!
26 Oct ClassicDW Further rough cuts to view. This one is from Chris Chapman.
For what revolutionary title it might be for. :) http://t.co/l8w8VtAR
26 Oct Chris Chapman Lovely notes back from ClassicDW for our Reign of Terror doco
'Don't Lose Your Head' - all signed off! :-)

VENGEANCE ON VAROS SE

26 Oct ClassicDW Viewing rough-cut of main VAM for Vengeance on Varos SE, made by
Thomas and Simon Guerrier. http://t.co/gme51Rv2

THE SENSORITES

21 Oct Chris Chapman The Sensorites contents has been announced - including our
new doco 'Looking for Peter' - presented by Toby Hadoke.
21 Oct Chris Chapman It's not a making of... more of a Doctor Who Do You Think You Are!
21 Oct Ed Stradling "Looking for Peter", just announced for The Sensorites
is one of the best DVD docs yet. So Buy it!
25 Oct ClassicDW Moving menus for SENSORITES looking great and signed-off. Oh, no!
Region 4 test discs for UNIT won't play in DVD player. :-)
25 Oct ClassicDW Here's a quick look at one of the menus for THE SENSORITES! http://t.co/Yp4u7HXF

UNIT

25 Oct ClassicDW Crikey! UNIT box test discs arrived today. :) http://t.co/7ylukdbq

THE DÆMONS

8 Oct Restoration Team Grading 'The Daemons' at TV Centre, looks fantastic in
its VidFIREd glory!
8 Oct Restoration Team Jonathan Wood is valiantly struggling with poor quality film inserts
as he fights to make The Daemons look magnificent!
8 Oct Restoration Team http://t.co/kUuDyfr8 Grading The Daemons, Mr Pertwee in
all his Technicolor glory!
8 Oct Restoration Team http://t.co/FJNbFB30 Delgado becomes Marty Feldman, split-screening
real VT against restoration during grade.
8 Oct ClassicDW Restoration Team report that restored DAEMONS looks fantastic.
Can't wait to take a look and report back. Hope to post a screen grab or two!
9 Oct Restoration Team Fantastic wobbly set about 11 mins into ep5 of Daemons
when Doctor slams church door! :)
9 Oct Restoration Team Just finishing off Barry Letts obit doc amends and noted he died
exactly two years ago today. A great loss.
11 Oct Mark Ayres Audio restoration for The Daemons complete. Tricky, particularly ep5's
noisy 16mm optical. Look forward to seeing final master.
11 Oct ClassicDW DAEMONS commentaries from Mark Ayres ready for review.
Looking forward to signing this one off. Fabulous story!
15 Oct Restoration Team Potential Daemons disaster averted at the expense of my weekend
lie-in. Now heading to Peter Crocker for coffee.
15 Oct ClassicDW Early restoration test disc looking lovely! http://t.co/J0EttWIT
18 Oct Chris Chapman My Daemons doco features Katy Manning, Christopher Barry,
Richard Franklin, Terrance Dicks, Sue Hedden, Damaris Hayman and Barry Letts!
18 Oct Chris Chapman And it's called The Devil Rides Out.
18 Oct ClassicDW Great early artwork samplers from Lee Binding for THE DÆMONS and
THE FACE OF EVIL. Looking good!
18 Oct ClassicDW A quick look at today's work screen! :-) http://t.co/5j434rau
18 Oct ClassicDW "Return to Devils End" will not be on the DVD release.
20 Oct ClassicDW Screen grab from the restored edition of The Daemons! http://t.co/WUVPmpHJ

THE GREATEST SHOW IN THE GALAXY

18 Oct Chris Chapman Greatest Show in the Galaxy line-up is (at least) Sophie Aldred,
Alan Wareing, Ian Reddington, David Laskey, Mike Tucker and Andrew Cartmel.

MISC

11 Oct Chris Chapman Now starting content cut on my next doco - this one
not quite announced yet. Great interviewees on this and a great story to tell!
12 Oct Chris Chapman Currently working on three Doctor Who edits at the same time!
Have a good feeling about all three - proper meaty stories to tell!
12 Oct Chris Chapman Just editing one AMAZING interviewee for a doco - this gentleman
is a massively impressive 94 years old!
12 Oct Chris Chapman here's a clue: none of them are Delta and the Bannermen.
I can also confirm that they all feature a human cast.
12 Oct Chris Chapman we've done Death to the Daleks already.:-)
13 Oct Chris Chapman A fun day ahead! I'm off to the BBC's written archives at Caversham
to examine old production documents and memos for two docos.
13 Oct Chris Chapman The fact that the BBC kept so much paperwork is AMAZING -
but odd as they junked the episodes themselves!
13 Oct Chris Chapman both docos are for previously unreleased DVDs - not Revisitations.
And they're both 1960s adventures.
13 Oct Chris Chapman Trip to the archives concluded - one story particularly well-served,
the other not so much. Still, always a worthwhile trip!
13 Oct Chris Chapman Did I mention that classic Doctor Who production goddess Margot Hayhoe
is now on Twitter? Follow her!
13 Oct ClassicDW To stop the rumour here and now, Zygons is not scheduled for 2012.
Too much other great content to fit it in that year!
13 Oct Chris Chapman Are we going to reveal the year's schedule in DWM again this year?
14 Oct Ed Stradling Off for a run and then it's back to editing the Nick Courtney
tribute doc, presented by Michael McManus
14 Oct Restoration Team lunch with ClassicDW - forward planning!
14 Oct ClassicDW Working lunch with the Restoration Team to discuss 2012 and 2013.
If you're sitting behind us, sssssh! Don't tell. :-)
15 Oct ClassicDW Home of 5 Docs, City of Death, 3 Docs, Genesis... TC6!!! http://t.co/GupjkJPk
15 Oct Ed Stradling Terror of the Zygons DVD taking shape, Main work due early 2012.
It will be my last work on the range after 9 years.
15 Oct Ed Stradling no plans for a CGI Skarasen at this stage I'm afraid
15 Oct Ed Stradling the DVD range comes to an end soon and Zygons is my last commission.
Then it's time for me to do something else!
17 Oct Chris Chapman Back on the edit for our new doco (a secret one for now) -
coming together nicely and it now has a title!
17 Oct ClassicDW Signed off sleeve text for Special Editions of TOMB OF THE CYBERMEN
and THE THREE DOCTORS
17 Oct Chris Chapman So our three docos continue through the edit! Secret number 1
nearly done, Reign of Terror looking good and Secret 2 shaping up!
18 Oct Chris Chapman I'm all done on the Secret 2 rough cut now - running to
around 33 minutes at present, quite a story to tell! :-)
19 Oct ClassicDW Just found in the DVD archives whilst having a clear-out.
Thought you'd enjoy! http://t.co/zPpcZh4d
20 Oct Chris Chapman I reckon I'll be starting work on the edit tomorrow for our
25th doco... Mental!
25 Oct Chris Chapman Today's ClassicDW titbits... Reign of Terror doc's grade is rendering,
Dan Hall is viewing SecretProject1 and archive is capturing for SP2!
25 Oct Chris Chapman I wonder if ClassicDW has watched our new doco yet... (SP1)
what happens if he hates it...? I guess I could redo it with puppets...
25 Oct Chris Chapman Busy Who day tomorrow - hoping to master SP-1, upload Reign of Terror
doco to the boss, sound mix SP-0 and begin the main edit on SP-2!
26 Oct Chris Chapman So with Reign and Shada done, our remaining production slate
for Doctor Who is Secret Project 2, SP3 and Greatest Show in the Galaxy!

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

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