North America DVD Covers

Friday, 28 May 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
Outpost Gallifrey has received the cover illustrations for the forthcoming late-summer North American DVD releases ofEarthshock and Pyramids of Mars; click on each cover for a larger version. "Earthshock" bears the Warner Home Video catalog #E2022 while "Pyramids of Mars" bears catalog #E2023.




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

1996 Movie: New US Airings

Monday, 24 May 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
The 1996 Doctor Who TV Movie starring Paul McGann will soon air on the Starz/Encore suite of premium channels in the US starting in June. This may mean that the US Sci-Fi Channel's rights to the movie (where it aired a few times over the past couple years) have expired. Nine broadcasts are scheduled on the Starz Mystery Channel, and three on Starz' MOVIEPlex channel. The following are the scheduled airdates and times; if you have one or both of these channels, remember to determine which Feed(s) you have access to and adjust for local time. (Thanks to Benjamin Elliott at "This Week in Doctor Who")

Thursday 3 June 9:30AM EDT East Feed / PDT West Feed - Mystery
Thursday 3 June 4:45PM EDT East Feed / PDT West Feed - Mystery
Wednesday 9 June 7:30AM EDT East Feed / PDT West Feed - Mystery
Wednesday 9 June 3:20PM EDT East Feed / PDT West Feed - Mystery
Sunday 13 June 11:45AM EDT East Feed / PDT West Feed - Mystery
Friday 18 June 7:45AM EDT East Feed / PDT West Feed - Mystery
Friday 18 June 8:45AM EDT East Feed / PDT West Feed - MOVIEplex
Friday 18 June 4:50PM EDT East Feed / PDT West Feed - Mystery
Friday 18 June 5:50PM EDT East Feed / PDT West Feed - MOVIEplex
Friday 18 June 11:10PM EDT East Feed / PDT West Feed - Mystery
Late Friday 18 June 12:10AM EDT East Feed / PDT West Feed - MOVIEplex
Tuesday 29 June 2:40PM EDT East Feed / PDT West Feed - Mystery




FILTER: - USA - Broadcasting

north america dvd update

Saturday, 24 April 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
Outpost Gallifrey has learned, from BBC America's online shop, that the next two DVD releases -- after the forthcoming June releases of "The Curse of Fenric" and "The Two Doctors -- will be the Peter Davison serial Earthshock and the Tom Baker serial Pyramids of Mars, both due out the first Tuesday of September. Official confirmation of these is expected shortly. Meanwhile, BBC America Shop has also reported that they have tentatively slated two special releases in for late in the year:The Missing Adventures: The William Hartnell Years and The Missing Adventures: The Patrick Troughton Years, two DVD releases that we expect have some sort of connection to the rumored DVD box set likely being released late in the year in the UK by BBC Video. We'll keep you posted with more details, and cover illustrations for "Pyramids" and "Earthshock," when we receive them.




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

Faulty NA DVD releases?

Tuesday, 9 March 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
There have been a few reports of faults and problems with playing the March North America DVD releases, The Seeds of Death and The Three Doctors. If you have trouble with your DVDs, send email tocustomerservice@bbc.co.uk and let them know, whether you bought the discs from BBC America Shop or not. Let them know where you bought the DVD from, in what way it's faulty, and what make and brand of DVD player you use; any information given them to help narrow down this problem will help avoid problems in future and they may be able to tell you how to get a replacement disc. (Thanks to Steve Manfred)




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

North America DVD: Update

Tuesday, 27 January 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
We've learned more about the DVD releases coming in 2004 and early 2005, as Outpost Gallifrey noted in our Sunday news report. Both The Curse of Fenric and The Two Doctors will indeed be out on June 1 (we hope to bring you the cover illustrations as soon as they're available, possibly tomorrow.) Meanwhile, we have been told that Earthshock is indeed on the list of probable releases for the next twelve months, though it was accidentally left off the email BBCAmericaShop sent out to enquiring parties. The DVDs that haven't been "officially" confirmed in the UK -- namely,The Green Death and The Beginning Boxed Set -- should be taken as "potential," in that they would follow UK releases that haven't been officially confirmed yet by BBC Worldwide (but which have been mentioned as possible releases by UK-based retailers). As always, we will continue to report things as we hear them.




FILTER: - USA - Blu-ray/DVD

Seeds and Three Docs DVDs

Wednesday, 5 November 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
As Outpost Gallifrey announced only a week ago, the first two DVDs in release in North America in 2004 are The Seeds of Death starring Patrick Troughton and The Three Doctors starring Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton and William Hartnell; the only change to our announcement is the date: they're due on March 2, not in early February. The following are the official press blurbs from BBC Worldwide Americas, plus the cover illustrations for each (click for a larger version).

The Seeds of Death

In the late 21st century the human race has become totally dependent on T-Mat, a revolutionary form of instant travel. The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe arrive on Earth just as T-Mat is suffering a malfunction. Sinister Ice Warriors from Mars have seized the lunar T-Mat Station to launch an invasion of Earth. Their preliminary plan is to transport deadly seedpods that will unleash a fungus capable of absorbing the world's oxygen. The Doctor must race against time to defeat the invaders - or the human race will be doomed to suffocation.
    Features audio commentary by actors Frazer Hines and Wendy Padbury, director Michael Ferguson and script editor Terrance Dicks; cast biographies; original 8mm footage of the filming of the lost classic The Evil of the Daleks; newly discovered footage from the missing episodes of The Web of Fear and The Wheel in Space; "Sssowing the Ssseedsss," a new 25-minute featurette on the Ice Warriors; production notes; photo gallery. Two-disc set. Warner Home Video catalog #E1924.

The Three Doctors

The Doctor and UNIT are called upon to investigate strange events surrounding Dr. Tyler's research into cosmic rays. UNIT HQ comes under attack by an alien force, and the Doctor has no other option but to call on the Time Lords for help. The Time Lords, too, are under attack - from a mysterious power emanating from a black hole in space. With power reserves falling, the only way they can help the Doctor is to break the First Law of Time and allow him to help himself. The First and Second Doctors are lifted out of their time streams and sent to Earth to help the Third. Between the three of them, they must find a solution to the threat that not only endangers UNIT and Earth, but also the future of the Time Lords themselves.
    Features audio commentary by Katy Manning and Nicholas Courtney and producer Barry Letts; cast biographies; interviews with Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Katy Manning, Nicholas Courtney and writers Bob Baker and Dave Martin; production notes; photo gallery. Warner Home Video catalog #E1925.




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

More North America Video

Wednesday, 25 June 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
Updated twice! Some additional details on this fall's Doctor Who video and DVD releases in North America are available today. First, contrary to our report yesterday, the DVDs of Talons of Weng-Chiang and The Dalek Invasion of Earth are due October 7, not September 2; there was an error on Warner's vendor site which listed the order date instead of street availability date for the two, and we've since verified this with BBC America. Both releases are two-disc sets (the story and then a separate extras disc) and will retail for $34.98 US each. Better versions of the cover illustrations for both are available below in our June 24 news item. Meanwhile, BBC America has released the cover illustrations for ten of the eleven VHS videos in the End of the Universe Collection (which we also have a better version of the cover in the June 24 item as well); the only one missing is Invasion of the Dinosaurs which has also not yet been given a release date in the UK. While these covers are mostly the same as the ones in the UK, the cover illustration for The Reign of Terror Boxed Set is a specific-to-North-America design (according to BBCA, the same will be true for the "Invasion of the Dinosaurs" cover when it's released). We've also managed to clarify that it is indeed true that the "Reign" boxed set will be out in North America an entire month prior to the UK release. The covers attached are for: top row, The Reign of Terror Boxed Set, The Sensorites, The Time Meddler, The Gunfighters and The Ambassadors of Death; bottom row, The Mutants, The Invisible Enemy, The Creature from the Pit, The Horns of Nimon and Meglos. (Thanks to WHV, BBC America/Laura Palmer)




FILTER: - USA - Blu-ray/DVD

North America DVD and Video Update

Tuesday, 24 June 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon
Updated June 25: BBC America and Warner Home Video have revealed further details and cover illustrations for the forthcoming North American versions of The Talons of Weng-Chiang starring Tom Baker and The Dalek Invasion of Earth starring William Hartnell, both due out September 2, as well as a collectors' box cover and details for The End of the Universe Collection, the massive 11-story, 13 tape VHS release that will mark the end of Doctor Who on video, scheduled for October 7. Details and covers are below (click each thumbnail for a larger version). The tapes in the "End of the Universe" collection will be sold separately as well as in the box set, which retails for $149.98. Meanwhile, BBC America has also announced that, later this year, Warner Home Video will reprice all existing VHS tapes; single tapes will be $9.95, double tapes $14.95 and the triple tape "Trial of a Time Lord" $29.95, all while supplies last (but not including this year's new releases). Details are below. (Thanks to Warner Home Video and Laura Palmer/BBCA) Cover illustrations below are updated with better versions!

The Talons of Weng Chiang
The Doctor brings Leela to Victorian London to meet her ancestors (though Agincourt might have been more her style). The TARDIS materializes in the darkest heart of the city, where life - and death - is anything but dull. A hapless cabbie is slain by agents of a secret Chinese cult. Young women are disappearing at an alarming rate, and Li H'sen Chang, the Palace Theatre's celebrated magician, may know more about that than he admits. Li H'sen's ventriloquist dummy, Mr. Sin, appears to have a life of its own, and the rat problem in the sewers is bigger than anyone can imagine. With Tom Baker and Louise Jameson. WHV catalog #E1814.

The Dalek Invasion of Earth
Radiation nil, oxygen normal, pressure normal, yet London is deserted, with no sign of life and no sense of normality. Exploring the decaying city sometime after 2164AD, the Doctor and his companions soon learn that it is not as empty as it seems. The Daleks - far from having been destroyed on Skaro - have conquered the world. Nearly wiped out by storm and plague, the Earth's population has been commandeered by the Daleks into huge mining operations. Some humans have suffered the further indignity of being transformed into Robomen to serve the Daleks in their diabolical plans. Humanity's only hope for survival lies with a small band of resistance fighters who need all the help they can get. With William Hartnell, Carole Ann Ford, Jacqueline Hill and William Russell. WHV catalog #E1813.

The End of the Universe Collection
On November 23, 1963, the BBC launched the world's longest running science fiction television series when it aired the premiere episode of Doctor Who. To celebrate the Doctor's 40th Anniversary, BBC Video presents the largest Doctor Who video collection ever assembled. On home video for the first time, these eleven adventures span 16 of Doctor Who's 26 seasons. With four Doctors, 19 companions, 56 episodes and 46 cliffhangers, fans will agree that this cosmic collection is "bigger on the inside." WHV catalog #E1840. This set contains:
  • The Sensorites starring William Hartnell (#E1852)
  • Meglos starring Tom Baker (#E1862)
  • The Mutants starring Jon Pertwee (#E1857)
  • The Horns of Nimon starring Tom Baker (#E1861)
  • The Ambassadors of Death starring Jon Pertwee (#E1856), a double-tape set
  • The Gunfighters starring William Hartnell (#E1855)
  • The Invisible Enemy starring Tom Baker (#E1859)
  • The Time Meddler starring William Hartnell (#E1854)
  • Invasion of the Dinosaurs starring Jon Pertwee (#E1858)
  • The Creature from the Pit starring Tom Baker (#E1860)
  • The Reign of Terror Collectors Set starring William Hartnell (#E1853), a double-tape set that includes linking material and the standalone extant episodes "The Faceless Ones" parts 1 & 3 and "The Web of Fear" part 1, starring Patrick Troughton




FILTER: - USA - Blu-ray/DVD

Broadcasting

Tuesday, 28 November 2000 - Reported by Marcus
Compiled by:
Shaun Lyon with Mark Phippen
National Dr. Who Night: Several US PBS stations are showing a "National Doctor Who Night" broadcast (the same episodes at the same time), including stations in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Ohio, Iowa, Maryland, Indiana, Washington State and Colorado. Sylvester McCoy was the evening's host for the taping. (The Pennsylania airing on WQED, where it was taped, already occurred in late October.) Showings include WCET Cincinnati OH (November 18), KBTC/KCKA/K65BU Tacoma WA (December 2), MPT Maryland (December 2), NHPTV New Hampshire (December 10), iPTV Iowa (March 2001), and WYIN Gary IN and KBDI/K32EO Denver/Colorado Springs CO (date unknown). For more specific information, read the This Week in Doctor Who column.

Northern Ireland Showings at Queen's Film Theatre: Several Doctor Who stories are being shown on Saturday afternoons in Belfast, Northern Ireland in the run up to Christmas at the Queen's Film Theatre. These include "The Five Doctors," "The Daemons," "The Web of Fear" and 4 mystery episodes, "Attack of the Cybermen" and "Destiny of the Daleks." For more information, visit the website athttp://www.qub.ac.uk/qft/latest.html. (Thanks to Stephen Law)

Who Returns to Dallas: KERA 13 in Dallas, TX is going to air Doctor Who for the first time in years, starting Saturday, December 2nd. KERA will air the episode versions of the Jon Pertwee stories, beginning with Spearhead From Space.

New Zealand Renewal: Prime TV in New Zealand is ordering 142 more episodes of the series , from The Time Monster through Image Of The Fendahl. This is certainly good news. One of the episodes will be episode 1 of Invasion Of The Dinosaurs, which has never aired before in New Zealand (likely to air early in 2001.)

Canada Film Showing: Though the series no longer airs in Canada, SPACE wil be running the 1966 movie "Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.", an adaptation of The Dalek Invasion Of Earth starring Peter Cushing, on Saturday, November 25th at 2PM EST (3:30PM Newfoundland Time, 11AM PST). For one day at least, the Doctor will be back.

BBC Canada?: In April 2000, the BBC and Alliance Atlantis productions submitted a bid to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to launch BBC Canada, a digital Cable network. The station was approved by the CRTC in late November. Doctor Who would theoretically be one possibility for broadcast on this new network, likely to be in operation in late 2001, as it is on BBC America. (Thanks to Benjamin Elliott and Jamie Howse)

New Word on the TV Movie Rights in America: Some curious news about the rights to rebroadcast the Doctor Who 1996 TV movie with Paul McGann in America. Sources indicate that the US rights to the 1996 film are held by Studios USA (formerly Universal.) FOX's rights to the program apparently expired in May 2000 -- not the previously rumored New Year's eve 1999 expiration. The cost to purchase the rights to the program are, unfortunately, prohibitive for PBS stations (somewhere in the ball park of half a million dollars.) Studios USA, however, is owned by Barry Diller, who also owns the USA Network and the Sci Fi Channel, so it is possible that the movie could turn up on one of those two outlets. (Information courtesy Benjamin Elliott)




FILTER: - USA - Broadcasting

BROADCASTING / DOCTOR WHO ON TV

Saturday, 19 August 2000 - Reported by Marcus
Compiled by:
Shaun Lyon with Mark Phippen
Who Across America 2000: Plans are underway for a national "Whovians across America" Doctor Who pledge event to be recorded and fed live from Pittsburgh's WQED in October. The marathon may be made available to all the public television stations that carry Dr.Who in the U.S. in late October. (Due to licensing restrictions, only current stations airing Dr.Who in the U.S. are eligible to air the special being packaged exclusively by WQED and BBC syndication sales.) The format calls for two special guests from the classic series to pick two of their own episodes, and fans across the net to vote for their all time favorite episodes with the same actors via an exclusive web-poll.

BBC Canada?: As of early April 2000, the BBC and Alliance Atlantis productions submitted a bid to the CRTC to launch BBC Canada, a digital Cable network. If the bid is approved, BBC Canada would try to launch sometime in 2001. Doctor Who would theoretically be one possibility for broadcast on this station, as it is on BBC America. (Thanks to Benjamin Elliott)

New Word on the TV Movie Rights in America: Some curious news about the rights to rebroadcast the Doctor Who 1996 TV movie with Paul McGann in America. Sources indicate that the US rights to the 1996 film are held by Studios USA (formerly Universal.) FOX's rights to the program expire May, 2000 -- not the previously rumored New Year's eve 1999 expiration. The cost to purchase the rights to the program are, unfortunately, prohibitive for PBS stations (somewhere in the ball park of half a million dollars.) Studios USA, however, is owned by Barry Diller, who also owns the USA Network and the Sci Fi Channel, so it is possible that the movie could turn up on one of those two outlets. (Information courtesy Benjamin Elliott)




FILTER: - Canada - USA - Broadcasting