"Ace" boxed set in the works

Sunday, 27 February 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
2|Entertain have announced a new boxed set via their @ClassicDW Twitter feed:
The Ace Box commissioned and in production.
Whilst no other details have been revealed at present, it seems likely that the set will be themed around the Seventh Doctor's sidekick, Dorothy "Ace" McShane.

At this late stage in the release schedule, there are only three other stories featuring the character that have yet to come out on DVD: Dragonfire, Ace's introductory story; The Happiness Patrol, with Helen A, Fifi, and the Kandyman; and The Greatest Show in the Galaxy with the Psychic Circus and the Gods of Ragnarok.




FILTER: - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

BroaDWcast launched

Monday, 21 February 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster

BroaDWcast is a new online resource that traces and catalogues the broadcasting of 20th Century Doctor Who throughout the world.

It is the brainchild of prominent New Zealand fan Jon Preddle, and is the culmination of many years work travelling and collating information from broadcasters etc. to create a site providing comprehensive coverage of 20th Century Doctor Who, with airdates and screening schedules from 1964 onwards for more than 70 fully-profiled countries.

Have you ever wanted to explore exciting foreign worlds? Worlds where El Doctor Misterio battles with the Dalekios; where Hombres Metalicos seek venganza; where the Sechst Doktor encounters Zweimel Einstein and Kybermanner; where Le Docteur Who is trapped by L'Araignee whilst seeking Les Yeux de Maurinius?

And have you have ever wondered:
  • when The Tomb of the Cybermen screened in Hong Kong?
  • why Carin C. Tietze is ace?
  • what is a Senorita Sistema Solar?
  • which city in America was the first ever to screen Doctor Who?
  • what is a Witchmaster from Gallifrey?
  • how many countries screened The Claws of Axos?
  • where Rhodesia sent its film prints?
  • who Gonzalo Uriarte provided the voicefor?
  • what was on television at 5.01pm on 14 March 1987 in the Seychelles?
The answers to those questions - and much, much more - can befound at BROADWCAST - the ultimate online index, directory and history of foreign broadcasts of DOCTOR WHO.
The site was launched at the weekend's GallifreyOne convention in Los Angeles, with layout design by Preddle, John Lavalie and Steven Warren Hill.


It is still a work in progress - currently estimated to be around 75% complete - and the site has a plea for further assistance and information in order to create the most complete record of Doctor Who's broadcast possible:
As with any research of this nature, there are gaps in the information - and perhaps even errors. If you can assist us in any way by filling in any of the gaps, or if you've got additional information, such as foreign newspaper articles, clippings, copies of TV listings, or sales literature that we can use, or if you spot something that is wrong or you plain just disagree with, please drop us a line


Jon Preddle is not shy of long-term projects, he is also the author of Timelink: The Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to the Continuity of Doctor Who, a two volume book exploring the complex continuity of the show, which has taken the author some fifteen years to compile! The books are due to be published by Telos Publishing at the end of February.




FILTER: - Classic Series - Broadcasting

Tweetview3: The War Machines

Thursday, 17 February 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
2|Entertain's Classic Doctor Who have released a trailer for their upcoming Tweetview3 for the William Hartnell adventure The War Machines, which takes place this coming Saturday (19th) at 8:00pm (UK time).


The War Machines: Tweetview trailer via the Classic Doctor Who YouTube channel

Tweetviews are an organised viewing of a particular Doctor Who story on DVD, where everybody can participate by tweeting comments as they watch the show simultaneously. Previous Tweetviews have seen Earthshock and The Horror of Fang Rock viewed and discussed in this fashion.

More details can be found by following @classicdw on Twitter.




FILTER: - Classic Series

T.P. McKenna 1929–2011

Wednesday, 16 February 2011 - Reported by Harry Ward
T.P. McKennaThe actor T.P. McKenna has died, aged 81.

He appeared in the Season 25, seventh Doctor story, The Greatest Show in the Galaxy, playing the intergalactic explorer, Captain Cook.

Born Thomas Patrick McKenna, he made his stage debut in Summer and Smoke by Tennessee Williams at the Pike Theatre in Dublin 1954. He continued to appear in therater productions with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre Company.

Following several years on the stage with, he began appearing in popular television dramas from the 1960s including Dangerman, Adam Adamant, The Avengers, The Saint, Jason King, The Sweeney, Blakes 7 and Minder.

He also featured prominently in other television dramas including The Duchess of Malfi, The Changeling, Napoleon and Love, Holocaust, The Manions of America, To The Lighthouse, Bleak House, Strong Medicine, Jack the Ripper, and the final episode of Inspector Morse. McKenna had fulfilled a long-held ambition to appear with John Thaw in Inspector Morse.

He had film roles in Ulysses, Straw Dogs, and A Portrait of the Artist As A Young Man. In 1985 he appeared in The Doctor and the Devils alongside Timothy Dalton (Rassilon, The End of Time).

He died on 13th February in London following a long illness. He will be laid to rest in Mullagh, County Cavan, Ireland alongside his wife May, who died five years ago. He is survived by his sons Rafe, Killian, Breffní and Stephen and his daughter Sally.

Thomas Patrick McKenna (7th September 1929 – 13th February 2011)


Media coverage by: BBC News, The Irish Times, The Telegraph.




FILTER: - Obituary - Classic Series

Frontios in June

Thursday, 3 February 2011 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor WhoThe June Classic DVD release will be Frontios, the Fifth Doctor story first shown in 1984.

The show has been confirmed by Warner Home Video for release in North America on June 14th, with a UK release expected shortly before. The story includes a commentary with actors Peter Davison, Jeff Rawle and John Gillett, as well as script editor Eric Saward and special sounds designer Dick Mills.

Also available on June 14th will be the North American release of the first story for the Seventh Doctor, Time and the Rani. The story was released in the UK last September.

2|Entertain have confirmed via their twitter feed, that the classic Third Doctor story, The Daemons, has now been officially commissioned and is in production. It is expected sometime in 2012

For full details of the global DVD release schedule see our product page.




FILTER: - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

Mara Tales: DVD release details

Wednesday, 2 February 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The two tales featuring the Mara are to be released in the United Kingdom by 2|Entertain on the 7th March 2011 (see here for the North American release date). Details for the two stories in the Mara Tales boxed set, Kinda and Snakedance, are listed below.

2|Entertain released a trailer online last year to promote the set, featuring some of the new special effects that have been especially created for the two tales; this can be viewed in our earlier article about the DVD.
 
Kinda

Written by Christopher Bailey
Directed by Peter Grimwade
Broadcast: 1st-9th February 1982

 
On a beautiful, paradise planet, Deva Loka, its inhabitants, the Kinda, are a gentle and seemingly primitive people. On the surface, a perfect place to colonise. But if it is so perfect, why are the colonisation team disappearing one by one?

Unaware of this, the Doctor and his companions choose to rest on Deva Loka. Enchanted by the beautiful Chimes, "the place of dreams", Tegan sleeps and falls prey to the Mara, a malevolent force out to steal her mind. But just what are its ultimate evil intentions?

Meanwhile, the Doctor and Adric are captured by the surviving colonisation team's officers, Sanders and the unstable Hindle. When Sanders disappears, Hindle collapses into a world of paranoid delusions and suddenly the security of the entire base is at risk.

Can the Doctor rescue Tegan from the Mara and defeat it - before it pushes Hindle over the edge? And who is the mysterious blind woman who appears in visions? Will she help the Doctor or ultimately impede him...

Special Features
  • Commentary - stereo. With actors Peter Davison, Janet Fielding, Matthew Waterhouse and Nerys Hughes.
  • Dream Time (dur. 34’ 05”) – cast and crew look back at the making of the story. With actors Janet Fielding, Nerys Hughes, Simon Rouse and Adrian Mills, director Peter Grimwade, writer Christopher Bailey, script editors Christopher H. Bidmead, Eric Saward and Antony Root, designer Malcolm Thornton, new series writer Robert Shearman.
  • Peter Grimwade - Directing with Attitude (dur. 22’ 57”) – a look at the Doctor Who career of writer and director Peter Grimwade. With Peter Grimwade, actors Janet Fielding and Nerys Hughes, writer Christopher Bailey, script editor Eric Saward, production assistant Margot Hayhoe, designer Malcolm Thornton, production secretary Jane Judge, script consultant Ian Levine, and Target Books editor Nigel Robinson. Presented by Mark Strickson.
  • Deleted and Extended Scenes (dur. 14’ 36”) – a fascinating collection of deleted sequences taken from timecoded domestic videotape copies of the story’s early edits.
  • Optional CGI Effects Sequence – option to view episode four with the original giant puppet snake replaced by a CGI snake
  • CGI Effects Comparison (dur. 1’ 34”) – a side by side comparison of the original puppet and new CGI snake shots.
  • Trails & Continuity (dur. 4’ 13”) – BBC trails and continuity announcements from the story’s original transmission.
  • Photo Gallery (dur. 4’ 42”) - production, design and publicity photos from the story.
  • Isolated Music – option to watch the story with the isolated music score.

Snakedance

Written by Christopher Bailey
Directed by Fiona Cumming
Broadcast: 18th-26th January 1983

 
Surely Tegan must have made a mistake when she set the TARDIS' co-ordinates, because the Doctor certainly hadn't intended landing on Manussa? But upon learning that Manussa was once home of the Sumaran Empire, the Doctor knows that their arrival has been no accident but has been orchestrated by a hostile force - a force which is rapidly gaining control of Tegan's will.

By first infiltrating Tegan's subconscious mind, through strange and disturbing dreams dominated by the image of a huge snake's skull, this force - the Mara - is planning on as a vehicle for its return to power on the planet Manussa.

So just as Manussa prepares festivities to commemorate the destruction of the Sumaran Empire by the ruling Federation, it seems that the Legend of the Mara could be about to come true. According to this Legend, the Mara was never destroyed by the Federation but merely banished.

Furthermore, the Legend claims that the Mara will return in a dream - a precursor to its gaining control of all their minds... It is clear to the Doctor that the first steps in the Mara's return have already been taken...

Special Features
  • Commentary - stereo. With actors Peter Davison, Janet Fielding and Sarah Sutton.
  • Snake Charmer (dur. 24’ 37”) – cast and crew look back at the making of the story. With actors Peter Davison and Janet Fielding, director Fiona Cumming, writer Christopher Bailey, script editor Eric Saward, designer Jan Spoczynski, and new series writer Robert Shearman.
  • Deleted Scenes (dur. 3’ 05”) – scenes from the original ending of episode four, courtesy of a timecoded recording kept by producer John Nathan-Turner.
  • In Studio (dur. 6’ 12”) – a rare glimpse inside the studio during recording of effects sequences for the story, including the infamous ‘farting Mara’!
  • Saturday Superstore (dur. 14’ 16”) – Peter Davison guests on the Saturday morning children’s show, where he plays cricket with Mike Read and John Craven and takes questions from callers.
  • Photo Gallery (dur. 5’ 21”) - production, design and publicity photos from the story.
  • Isolated Music – option to watch the story with the isolated music score.
  • Radio Times Listings in Adobe PDF format.


(Mara Tales is available to pre-order from our Amazon Shop)




FILTER: - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD - Peter Davison

Sun Makers goes Solo

Friday, 28 January 2011 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor WhoFollowing the announcement of the delay to the DVD release of Ambassadors of Death, 2|Entertain have confirmed that the original idea of a Solar System Box Set has been abandoned.

The release of the 1977 Fourth Doctor story, The Sun Makers will go ahead as planned with the story being released in the same slot, but as a stand-alone story.

For full details of the global DVD release schedule see our product page.




FILTER: - Tom Baker - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

Ambassadors Delayed

Wednesday, 26 January 2011 - Reported by Marcus
2|Entertain have announced that the DVD release of the Third Doctor story The Ambassadors of Death has been delayed due to ongoing restoration issues.

It was hoped that the story would be out later this year and it was due to be released along with the 1977 story The Sun Makers. However the company confirmed via their twitter account that the story will not now be released this year.

The story only existed in the BBC Archives in a mixture of formats. Although the original Transmission Master of Episode One exists, the rest of the story was only kept as 16mm black and white film. A second generation colour copy exists as an off air recording from WNED Channel 17 in Buffalo, and this was used to restore episodes five and six to colour for the 2002 Video release. However the quality of the colour recording was not good enough to allow for the restoration of the rest of the story.

Earlier this year it was reported that the remaining episodes were being restored to colour using the same technique applied to Episode Three of the 1973 story Planet of the Daleks. However it appears this process has run into problems and the release date has been delayed to give the restoration team more time to work on the project.




FILTER: - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

Elisabeth Sladen Autobiography

Wednesday, 26 January 2011 - Reported by Marcus
Who's That Girl? the autobiography of Elisabeth Sladen is due to be published in the UK later this year.

Originally planned for release in April the book is now expected in the Summer or Autumn.

The 320 page hardback book will tell the story of the woman behind one of Doctor Who's most enduring characters, Sarah Jane Smith. Elisabeth Sladen first took on the role of in 1973, playing opposite Third Doctor Jon Pertwee, a role she is still playing today in the hugely successful Sarah Jane Adventures. The book tells the story of her remarkable career: giving a unique, insider’s view of the world’s longest-running science fiction series; and of British television yesterday and today.

The book is published by Aurum Press Ltd on 25 April 2011 and will be priced £16.99

WHO’S THAT GIRL? - The Autobiography of Elisabeth Sladen

When Elisabeth Sladen debuted as journalist Sarah Jane Smith in the Doctor Who story ‘The Time Warrior’, she had no idea the character would become one of the most enduring and popular in the series’ history. The coming years would see Elisabeth traverse time and space alongside classic doctors Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker, whilst a generation of children crouched behind the sofa, terrified but transfixed as their tea-time heroine found herself menaced by Daleks, dinosaurs, Cybermen, Sontarans, Egyptian mummies and even the Loch Ness Monster.

Her decision to quit the TARDIS made front-page news, but it wasn’t the end of Sarah Jane. Elisabeth has reprised the role many times, toured the weird, wonderful world of Doctor Who fandom and regularly tops polls of fans’ favourite companions. Now Elisabeth Sladen tells the story of her remarkable career: a unique, insider’s view of the world’s longest-running science fiction series; and of British television yesterday and today.

Elisabeth Sladen plays companion Sarah Jane Smith in Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures. She has also appeared in Coronation Street, Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em and Z-Cars.

Publishers Aurum have also announced that their biography of Terry Nation, The Man Who Invented the Daleks, will be published in May.

The book, which was first reported last July, looks at the life of the man behind Blake's 7, The Survivors and The Daleks.

THE MAN WHO INVENTED THE DALEKS - The Strange Worlds of Terry Nation by Alwyn W. Turner

Terry Nation was one of the most successful and prolific writers for television and radio that Britain ever produced. His vision of a post-apocalyptic England, Survivors, has been re-made thirty years on, Blake’s 7 endures as a cult sci-fi classic, and his most famous creations, the Daleks, ensured, and at times eclipsed, the success of Doctor Who.

But while those alien ‘pepperpots’ remain at the core of his appeal, Nation also had a role to play in the early days of radio and television comedy – as part of the legendary Associated London Scripts, he wrote for Spike Milligan, Tony Hancock and Frankie Howerd – and he became a key figure in the internationally successful adventure series of the 1960s: The Avengers, The Saint and The Persuaders!

This is the first serious, mainstream account of Terry Nation’s life and contribution to British television and will shed light on a fascinating melting pot of ambitious young writers, producers and performers without whom British culture today would look very different.

Alwyn W. Turner is the author of Crisis? What Crisis?: Britain in the 1970s, Rejoice! Rejoice!: Britain in the 1980s, and The Biba Experience






FILTER: - People - Auto/Biography - Classic Series - Elisabeth Sladen

Fleetwood Mac included on Spearhead

Tuesday, 18 January 2011 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor WhoIt has been confirmed that the upcoming DVD re-release of the Third Doctor's first story, Spearhead from Space, will include the previously missing Fleetwood Mac track, Oh Well Part One.

Steve Roberts of the Doctor Who Restoration Team posted on Gallifrey Base that the track will be included on the soundtrack of the story due for release around the world later this year.

The music was present on the original transmission, during scenes of dolls being manufactured at Auto Plastics. Because of rights issues the track was removed from the 1988 BBC Video release and the 2001 DVD Release. The track is now covered by the PPL agreement, the same agreement which allowed the missing Beatles music to be included on the UK release of The Chase.

However, unlike the release of The Chase, the Fleetwood Mac track is covered internationally and so will be included on all versions of the story.




FILTER: - Jon Pertwee - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD