Power of The Daleks at the BFI

Monday, 19 September 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The British Film Institute has now released details about its forthcoming special event based around the new, animated version of Patrick Troughton's premiere story, The Power of the Daleks:

The Power of the Daleks (animated) - The Doctor (Credit: BBC Worldwide)

Preview: Doctor Who – The Power of the Daleks (animated)

We are delighted to preview the first three episodes of the new animated version of this classic story.

The TARDIS lands on the planet Vulcan where the crew discover a crashed space capsule containing some very dangerous visitors. This classic story containing the historic TV moment when the First Doctor regenerated into the Second is completely missing from the archives, but the audio recording still exists. We are delighted to preview the first three episodes of this specially commissioned, animated version of the story, painstakingly recreated for BBC Worldwide for release on DVD. The first episode was originally broadcast 50 years ago, on 5 November 1966.

The event also includes a Q&A with Troughton era actors Anneke Wills and Frazer Hines.

Tickets go on sale from the 4th October at 11:30am, and will be priced at £22.70, which includes a copy of the DVD which will posted once released. There is a maximum of two tickets per booker. More details can be found via the BFI website.

FILTER: - Classic Series - Second Doctor - Special Events

The Power of the Daleks: 50th Anniversary animation

Wednesday, 7 September 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

BBC Worldwide and BBC America have officially announced the first full story featuring Patrick Troughton as the Doctor, The Power of the Daleks is to be released as a new animated version on the 50th anniversary of its first broadcast.

The Power of the Daleks (animated) - The Daleks (Credit: BBC Worldwide)

It's one of the Doctor’s most celebrated adventures and yet no complete film recordings of The Power of the Daleks are known to have survived. The master negatives were destroyed in an archive purge in 1974.

BBC Worldwide and BBC America have announced that a brand new black and white animation based on audio recordings of the programme using the original cast, surviving photographs and film clips will be released via the BBC Store 50 years to the minute after its only UK broadcast on BBC One, with its television premiere on BBC America taking place a week later.

The six half hour episodes feature the regeneration, or as it was then called ‘renewal’, of First Doctor William Hartnell into Second Doctor Patrick Troughton, as the Time Lord and his companions Polly (Anneke Wills) and Ben (Michael Craze) do battle with the Daleks on the planet Vulcan.

Doctor Who: The Power of the Daleks was a joint commission by both BBC Worldwide and BBC America, and is produced by the team behind the highly successful animation of lost Dad’s Army episode A Stripe For Frazer - first released on the UK's BBC Store in February this year. The producer and director is Charles Norton, with character designs from acclaimed comic book artists Martin Geraghty and Adrian Salmon.

Charles Norton says:

The Power of the Daleks animation is the most ambitious Doctor Who archive restoration ever attempted and we’re all very honoured to be a part of such a an exciting project. Intelligent, suspenseful and magnificently staged, Power of the Daleks is one of the great lost classics of 1960s television and a superb example of the black and white era at its finest.

Paul Hembury, Executive Producer, BBC Worldwide says:

Charles and his team are remarkably talented and passionate about Doctor Who and we are thrilled that fans will soon be able to enjoy this rather sinister but wonderful, classic story.

Doctor Who: The Power Of The Daleks will initially be exclusively released on BBC Store, with episode one available from Saturday 5th November at 5:50pm, and the others released on consecutive days thereafter. It will then be shown on BBC America on the 12th November.

The story will become available to stream from BBC America's website and via their app from the 13rth November, and more widely in the United Kingdom from the 14th November, plus the story will be released on DVD in the United Kingdom on the 21st November (no other regions have been announced at present). UK readers can register their interest in the digital download at the BBC Store.

BBC Trailer, via YouTube

In addition to the story's release on the 5th November, there will be a special screening of the first three episodes at the BFI in London, which will include a Q&A with Anneke Wills, Charles Norton and Frazer Hines. Further information will be available from the BFI website from Monday 19th September.

FILTER: - Blu-ray/DVD - Leading News - Online - Second Doctor - Special Events

Target re-issues in 2016

Saturday, 13 February 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

BBC Books have announced that seven of the original Doctor Who Target novelisations are to be re-issued on 28th April, reflecting each of the seven Doctors from the range:

Doctor Who and the Zarbi by Bill Strutton
Doctor Who and the Web of Fear by Terrance Dicks
Doctor Who and the Dinosaur Invasion by Malcolm Hulke
Doctor Who and the Genesis of the Daleks by Terrance Dicks
Doctor Who: The Visitation by Eric Saward
Doctor Who: Vengeance on Varos by Philip Martin
Doctor Who: Battlefield by Marc Platt

All of the books feature cover illustrations by Chris Achilleos, who was commissioned to create new covers for the latter books in the range. He said:

I am delighted to be back on board after so many years. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, illustrating the jackets in the original old style – it felt just the same, and I am looking forward to signing them for the fans. I'm so pleased that people still want to revisit these books.

Albert DePetrillo, senior editorial director at BBC Books, said

The Target novelisations hold a special place in the hearts of Doctor Who fans. When we published our first set of reissues in 2012, the response was overwhelming, and we’re delighted to continue bringing these classic books to a new generation of readers.

The three original novels that launched the range back in 1972, Doctor Who and The Daleks and Doctor Who and The Crusaders by David Whitaker, and Doctor Who and the Zarbi by Bill Strutton, are also set to be re-released as hardback facsimile editions on 3rd November.

FILTER: - BBC - Books - Fifth Doctor - First Doctor - Fourth Doctor - Second Doctor - Seventh Doctor

The Underwater Menace: North American Release Update

Friday, 4 December 2015 - Reported by Dan Collins

In a previous article Doctor Who News reported that The Underwater Menace would be getting a January 19, 2016 release date in North America. At the time BBC Home Entertainment and Warner Home Video, the North American distrubutor for Doctor Who, hadn't confirmed a release date. Tvshowsondvd.com is now reporting that Amazon.com has updated The Underwater Menace page to show a March 1, 2016 release. No official confirmation has been received from the BBC or Warner Home Video so all release dates will be considered tentative.

FILTER: - Canada - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD - Patrick Troughton - Second Doctor - USA

Underwater Menace gets North American Release

Saturday, 21 November 2015 - Reported by Dan Collins

North American Doctor Who fans may be able to purchase The Underwater Menace in the new year.

Tvshowsondvd.com has reported that it will be on sale January 19, 2016. The BBC has not yet confirmed the date. No cover art or special features for the R1 version have been announced yet.

The R2 version of The Underwater Menace was released October 26 2015. It featured previously missing episode two whose recovery was announced in December 2011, the extant episode three as well as reconstructions of episode one and four.

FILTER: - Canada - Blu-ray/DVD - Second Doctor - USA

The Underwater Menace surfaces on iTunes

Tuesday, 27 October 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The Underwater Menace, the (currently) last "classic" Doctor Who story which was officially released on DVD yesterday in the United Kingdom, has also been made available digitally via iTunes.

In addition to the story itself (which comprises of the two existing episodes two and three and reconstruction of the first and last), the package also includes the behind-the-scenes documentary A Fishy Tale, and also both parts of Television Centre of the Universe (the first part of which originally featured on The Vistitation: Special Edition). The package is rounded off with the Photo Gallery.

The DVD itself also features commentaries and interviews presented on an alternative audio-track, and also includes the existing scenes from the two missing episodes that were recovered from Australian censor clips in 1998. The episodes themselves are presented after being restored via the VidFire process (which is not present in the digital versions).

You can read our review of the DVD here, and also purchase it via our Amazon Shop.

(with thanks to Julian Bashford)

Competition

To be in with a chance to win a copy of the DVD of The Underwater Menace, courtesy of BBC Worldwide, simply answer the following question:

Who was the director originally slated to make The Underwater Menace?

Please send your answers along with your name, address and where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-fishy@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "You're not turning me into a fish!". The competition is open to UK residents only, closing date: 8th November 2015. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

FILTER: - Classic Series - Competitions - Blu-ray/DVD - Online - Second Doctor

Photograph of the complete Web of Fear and Enemy of the World film cans released

Sunday, 11 October 2015 - Reported by Pascal Salzmann

Philip Morris of Television International Enterprises Archives (TIEA), who returned nine previously missing episodes of Doctor Who to the BBC Archives in 2013, recently revealed that he had found all episodes of The Web of Fear back then. Episode 3, featuring the first appearance of Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart, went missing again shortly after the discovery, presumably stolen and sold to a private collector.

The Doctor Who Missing Episodes Discussion Group on Facebook has now been given a photo of all 12 film cans found in Africa. They posted the picture on the Facebook group with permission by Philip Morris. On the photo you can see the production code PP (The Enemy of the World) written on the side of one of the cans, the further eleven cans are also part of that serial and of the following story The Web of Fear (Code QQ). Among them is the now once again missing episode 3 of the classic "Yeti's in the Underground"-story.

The following statement was released on Facebook:

On the second anniversary of the release of the newly-recovered and restored “Enemy Of The World” and “Web Of Fear”, Philip Morris, Executive Director of TIEA has authorized us (The Doctor Who Missing Episodes Group on Facebook) to release this photograph of the twelve film cans which he originally discovered in Jos, Nigeria.

This photo was taken immediately after Phil had discovered the film cans and verified that the film reels inside matched what was on the labels.

As you are no doubt aware, one of these film cans - the one containing Episode 3 of “The Web Of Fear” – went missing in between when this photo was taken (in late 2011) and when the cans were delivered to the central collection point in Abuja, Nigeria. The location and disposition of this film can and its contents is currently unknown.

Film Cans found in Jos, Africa (Credit: Doctor Who Missing Episodes Discussion Group & TIEA Ltd)

Philip Morris put out the following statement:

The picture you see is one I took after checking the 12 Doctor Who film cans in Jos in 2011. All film leaders were checked to ensure cans matched their contents, this is a practice we follow in fine detail with due care shown. All programmes held at this station were physically checked by myself and my own team. No undue attention was drawn to the Doctor Who prints by myself or any of my staff, however I instructed one of my trusted team to ensure the Doctor Who prints were hidden until authorisation for retrieval could be obtained.

However two prints, one QQ3 Web of Fear 3 and another spare print were taken from one of my guys by a guy at the station who took the two prints to his office. This was reported to me within hours. I was not unduly concerned I knew their location. I have to admit I was really excited and told somebody I thought would not leak any sensitive information - big big mistake. Within 4/5 days the station had been named online. Fortunately by this time our job was done, however what of Web 3? I physically searched Jos again, asked the guy who took the films where they were. Initially he denied all knowledge until I produced the picture-he just looked at the floor and said he put them back on the shelf.

I didn't believe a word, and took the pictures and with one of my collegues and went straight to the top of the NTA, however the guy simply denied it. That is until earlier this year when I returned to Nigeria. I met the same guy again so I asked him directly - he just laughed and said "I don't know anything about missing episodes."
I firmly believe this episode is in the hands of a fan and we will trace it. I hope this goes someway to explain why I must maintain a certain level of security around TIEA and its work.

Thanks to the Doctor Who Missing Episodes Group and to Philip Morris for the kind permission to publish the picture on DWN.

FILTER: - Classic Series - Missing episodes - Patrick Troughton - Second Doctor

Commentaries to be released for The Enemy of the World and The Web Of Fear

Friday, 9 October 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster

On the eve of the second anniversary of their publicised recovery, Fantom Films have announced a special project to provide commentaries for The Enemy of the World and The Web of Fear, the two returned Season Five stories starring Patrick Troughton that were released 'vanilla' on DVD and via iTunes. Who Talk! will see cast and crew brought together to discuss the two stories, under the guidance of commentary moderation stalwart Toby Hadoke.

Toby Hadoke with Milton Johns and Mary Peach for The Enemy of the World 5 (Credit: Fantom Films)

Toby Hadoke with John Levene and Syvlia James for The Web of Fear 6 (Credit: Fantom Films)

The commentaries will be released on both CD and download formats, and will feature Deborah Watling for both stories, with Enemy represented by Mary Peach, Milton Johns, Carmen Munroe and Bill Lyons, and Web by Ralph Watson, John Levene, and Derek Martin; production reminiscences are provided by Sylvia James and Roger Bunce. In addition, the still unaccounted for episode three of the latter story will feature former BBC Archivist Sue Malden, who gives insight into the BBC policies of wiping and archiving material, as well as missing television in general.

Producer Paul WT Ballard says:

Commentaries have long been a favourite part of my viewing of any of the classic Who DVDs, and we thought it was a huge shame to let these two brilliant stories pass under the radar, and set about gathering quite a stellar line-up to commentate on them.

He also advised:

The only way we can make these and future releases viable is by fans supporting the project and buying copies, rather than bootlegging them. Were there to be any future returns - and I'm sure we're all hopeful of that - then we would want to be able to look at repeating the exercise because it's a hugely culturally important one.

The two releases will be published in November 2015, and will be available to pre-order at a discounted price. See the Fantom Films website for full details.

Who Talk: The Enemy of the World (Credit: Fantom Films)

Who Talk: The Web of Fear (Credit: Fantom Films)

Please note: these commentaries contain no BBC copyrighted elements and do not feature audio from the episodes themselves - these are designed to be played alongside the official DVD/iTunes releases.

FILTER: - Audio - Blu-ray/DVD - Fantom - Second Doctor

The Underwater Menace

Monday, 5 October 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster

BBC Worldwide have now confirmed the details for the forthcoming release of The Underwater Menace on DVD, due on the 26th October 2015:

The Underwater Menace
Release date: 26 Oct 2015 UK (available for pre-order)

The Underwater Menace - DVD cover (Credit: BBC Worldwide)

Starring Patrick Troughton as Doctor Who, with Michael Craze as Ben Jackson, Anneke Wills as Polly, and Frazer Hines as Jamie McCrimmon
Written by Geoffrey Orme
Directed by Julia Smith

Broadcast: 14 Jan - 4 Feb 1967

The TARDIS lands in the lost city of Atlantis, where the crazed Professor Zaroff has convinced the Atlanteans that he can raise their city from beneath the sea. But the Doctor discovers the terrible truth behind Zaroff’s plan – he intends to destroy the entire planet. With the doomsday clock ticking, the Doctor and his companions must battle to prevent the apocalypse...

The Underwater Menace is the fifth serial of the fourth season, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 14 January 1967 to 4 February 1967. The story introduces Jamie McCrimmon's (Frazer Hines) on his first journey with the Doctor as a travelling companion. This special release will contain the two re-mastered existing episodes, with the two missing episodes represented with restored audio and surviving stills, as well as over an hour of extras.

Special Features:

Commentary - For episode 1, Interview with actor Michael Troughton Part 2 (from The Ice Warriors). For episodes 2 and 3, a commentary with actors Anneke Wills, Frazer Hines and Catherine Howe, special sounds supervisor Brian Hodgson and floor assistant Quentin Mann. For episode 4, archive material featuring Patrick Troughton, directors Julia Smith and Hugh David, and producer Innes Lloyd. Moderated and linked by Toby Hadoke.
A Fishy Tale (Feature, dur. 28’ 30”) – cast and crew look back on the making of the story. With actors Anneke Wills, Frazer Hines and Catherine Howe, AFM Gareth Gwenlan, production assistant Berry Butler and new series writer Robert Shearman. Narrated by Peter Davison.
The Television Centre of the Universe – Part Two (dur. 32’ 10” ) – Yvette Fielding continues her tour of BBC Television Centre in the company of actors Peter Davison, Janet Fielding and Mark Strickson, with contributions from former colleagues along the way. With senior camera supervisor Alec Wheal, AFM Sue Hedden, former BBC producer and writer Richard Marson, exhibitions assistant Bob Richardson, production assistant Jane Ashford and videotape engineer Simon Anthony.

FILTER: - Blu-ray/DVD - Patrick Troughton - Second Doctor

Big Finish releases for September

Thursday, 10 September 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Today sees the launch of Big Finish's latest series of tie-in adventures, this time focussing on the Doctor Who spin-off, Torchwood; the first in the series, The Conspiracy, features John Barrowman, reprising his role as Captain Jack Harkness. Meanwhile, the three earliest Doctors all have an outing this month, with the First and Vicki's perceptions tested in Short Trips: Etheria, the Second, Ben, Polly and Jamie encounter The Yes Men, and the Third returns (in the form of Tim Treloar) alongside Jo and Mike Yates in the Third Doctor Adventures (Vol 1). Finally, the Seventh Doctor and Mel are caught up in diminutive shenanigans in Terror of the Sontarans ...

Torchwood: The Conspiracy [order]
Written by David Llewellyn
Directed by Scott Handcock
Starring John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness

Captain Jack Harkness has always had his suspicions about the Committee. And now Wilson is also talking about the Committee. Apparently the world really is under the control of alien lizards. That’s what Wilson says. People have died, disasters have been staged, the suspicious have disappeared.

It’s outrageous.

Only Jack knows that Wilson is right. The Committee has arrived.

Competition

We're pleased to be able to offer readers with an active Big Finish registration the chance to win a digital download of Torchwood: The Conspiracy: to enter, simply answer the following question:

Jack has been 'reborn' many times over the course of his career with Torchwood, but name a colleague to similarly 'return from the grave'.

Please send your answer along with your name and the email address you have registered with Big Finish, plus where you heard about the competition (news site, news app, other website, etc.) to comp-conspiracy@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Committed to the cause". The competition is open worldwide, closing date: 30th September 2015. Note: entrants must have an active registration with Big Finish in order to be eligible to receive the prize - new registrations can be easily created on the website for free and with no financial obligation.

Short Trips: Etheria (Credit: Big Finish)

Short Trips: Etheria [pre-order]
Written by Nick Wallace
Directed by Lisa Bowerman
Narrated by Peter Purves

Having escaped an ambush by pirates, the Doctor and Vicki are stranded on a strange world, in the shadow of vast rock formations and islands in the sky. The only way home is through the treacherous Etherlands, where the invisible Ether alters the perception of anyone who enters...

The Early Adventures: The Yes Men [pre-order]
Written by Simon Guerrier
Directed by Lisa Bowerman
Starring Anneke Wills as Polly Wright/Narrator, Frazer Hines as Jamie McCrimmon/The Doctor), and Elliot Chapman as Ben Jackson

The Doctor, Jamie, Polly and Ben arrive on New Houston, an Earth colony in the Fourth Sector, which the Doctor previously saved from an alien invasion. He wishes to pay his respects to his late friend Meg Carvossa, but something is not quite right with New Houston’s subservient robots...

The Third Doctor Adventures: Volume 1 (Credit: Big Finish)

The Third Doctor Adventures: Volume One [pre-order]
Written by: Justin Richards and Andy Lane
Directed by Nicholas Briggs
Starring Tim Treloar as the Narrator/The Doctor, Katy Manning as Jo Grant, and Richard Franklin as Mike Yates

Prisoners of the Lake

Captain Mike Yates is investigating the disappearance of artefacts from an archaeological site deep below Dunstanton Lake. It’s hardly a job for UNIT. But when the team discover a mysterious ancient structure buried deep underwater, all that changes.

When chief archaeologist Freda Mattingly ventures inside, she soon realises that her skills do not begin to equip her to deal with what she finds. As an ancient menace begins to stir the Doctor, Jo Grant and Mike Yates must dive down to the lake bed and discover the secrets hidden there. Secrets that could mean the end of all life on Earth…

The Havoc of Empires

The Doctor and Jo take Mike Yates on his first trip in the TARDIS, but instead of the historical cricket match they were aiming for they end up on a futuristic space station in the middle of a diplomatic crisis that might escalate into galactic war.

The alien leader of the Chalnoth Hegemony is marrying the human Director of the Teklarn Incorporation, but there are forces that will stop at nothing to disrupt the ceremony. The Doctor is accused of murder while explosions occur across the station, and only Jo Grant, pretending to be a security consultant, can save the day.

But then, there’s the Eels to consider…

Terror of the Sontarans (Credit: Big Finish)

Terror of the Sontarans [pre-order]
Written by John Dorney and Dan Starkey
Directed by Ken Bentley
Starring Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor and Bonnie Langford as Melanie Bush

Once it was a mining facility. Then later its corridors rang with screams generated by grotesque military experiments. However when the Doctor and Mel arrive on a hostile alien world after detecting a distress signal, the base they find themselves in is almost deserted.

But not for long. Soon the Doctor's old enemies, the Sontarans, have landed, and are searching for the remnants of their previous research team. Before long they uncover evidence of strange occurrences on the planet. Of madness and death.

They are warriors bred for war, strong of spirit and unafraid of death. To fear the enemy is an act of betrayal. Nothing holds terror for the Sontarans.

Until now...