In a new documentary, Mark Gatiss explores the history of the incredibly popular Target book range.

In the days before domestic video players and multi channel Television, the only way for fans to relive Doctor Who episodes, or catch up with stories they had missed, was through the hugely popular Doctor Who novelisations, published throughout the 70's and 80's.

Gatiss, a self-confessed Doctor Who fan, who has written and stared in the revived series, presents On the Outside it Looked Like an Old Fashioned Police Box. The documentary features some of the best excerpts from the books and interviews with publishers, house writers, illustrators and the actors whose adventures the books depicted.

The programme is on Radio Four on Tuesday 23rd June at 1130 BST. Radio Four can be heard across the UK and around the world via the BBC iPlayer. Once broadcast the programme will be availabe to listen again for seven days.

The Restoration Team has posted details of the upcoming DVD box set release of the final Patrick Troughton adventure The War Games on its website. The extras include:

• Commentary, with contributions from actors Frazer Hines, Wendy Padbury, Philip Madoc, Jane Sherwin and Graham Weston, co-writer Terrance Dicks and script editor Derrick Sherwin.

• War Zone (dur. 36' 23") - cast and crew recall the making of Patrick Troughton's epic swansong. With actors Frazer Hines, Wendy Padbury, Bernard Horsfall, Jane Sherwin and Graham Weston, director David Maloney, producer Derrick Sherwin, co-writer Terrance Dicks, designer Roger Cheveley, Doctor Who Magazine editor Tom Spilsbury , new series writers Paul Cornell, James Moran and Joseph Lidster. Narrated by Gerard Murphy.

• Shades of Grey (dur. 21' 45") - just how did the technical and artistic constraints of monochrome television conspire to effect the unique look and feel of early productions? With actors Frazer Hines, Wendy Padbury and Jane Sherwin, script editors Terrance Dicks and Derrick Sherwin, director Timothy Combe, production designer Roger Cheveley, graphic designer Bernard Lodge and sound designer Brian Hodgson. Narrated by Gerard Murphy.

• Now and Then (dur. 9' 35") - the ongoing series visits the locations of 'The War Games' forty years on…

• The Doctor's Composer (dur. 17'32") - prolific composer Dudley Simpson looks back at his first five years of work on Doctor Who.

• Sylvia James - In Conversation (dur. 8' 27") - make-up designer Sylvia James talks about her work on Patrick Troughton's Doctor Who stories.

• Talking About Regeneration (dur. 24' 12") - the concept of regenerating a show's main character into an entirely new physical form proved to be both a lifesaver for the show and an increasingly important part of its mythos. This feature explores the ideas involved and takes a closer look at each of the Doctor's regenerations. With actors Peter Davison and Kate O'Mara, writers Rob Shearman, Joseph Lidster and Gareth Roberts.

• Time Zones (dur. 15' 21") - historians discuss the reality behind the various time zones featured in 'The War Games'. With political historian Dr. Martin Farr, military historian Crispin Swayne, Newcastle University's Lindsay Allison-Jones and author Prof. Susan-Mary Grant.

• Stripped for Action - The Second Doctor (dur. 13' 46") - the continuing series of features focussing on the Doctor's comic strip adventures looks at the Second Doctor. With former Doctor Who Magazine editors Alan Barnes and Gary Russell, comics historians Jeremy Bentham and John Ainsworth.

• On Target - Malcolm Hulke (dur. 20' 00") - the first in a series of features on the Target range of TV story novelizations looks at the work of writer Malcolm Hulke. With authors Terrance Dicks, Gary Russell and David J Howe, artist Chris Achilleos.

• Devious (dur. 12' 15") - for over a decade, a group of friends on England's south coast met on weekends to shoot an amateur Doctor Who film - 'Devious' - which takes place between the events of Patrick Troughton's swansong 'The War Games' and Jon Pertwee's introduction in 'Spearhead from Space', and features their own previously unknown incarnation of the Doctor. To segue back into 'Spearhead', the team decided to put up the money to employ Jon Pertwee for a day… in what was to become his last ever appearance as the Third Doctor. This feature also has a commentary from the production team.

Plus of course the usual Photo Gallery, Subtitle Production Notes, PDF material and Coming Soon trailer. If you look carefully on all three discs, you might find some interesting Easter Eggs hiding away, including a somewhat different take on 'The Trial of Doctor Who'. And so might I! And so might he!

The Restoration Team has released details of the upcoming Delta and the Bannermen DVD starring Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor and Bonnie Langford as Mel. Included in the set are:

• Commentary with actors Sylvester McCoy and Sara Griffiths, director Chris Clough and script editor Andrew Cartmel.

• But First This (dur. 6' 07") - Andy Crane presents a behind-the-scenes report from the location shoot, including interviews with Sylvester McCoy, Bonnie Langford and Ken Dodd.

• Wales Today (dur. 2' 15") - a location report from the BBC Wales news programme, featuring behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with Sylvester McCoy and producer John Nathan-Turner.

• Episode One - First Edit (dur. 30' 28") - the first edit of episode one, without music and sound effects, runs six minutes longer than the transmitted version and many scenes were significantly re-ordered between the two.

• Interview Rushes (dur. 16' 31") - raw location interviews with Sylvester McCoy, Bonnie Langford and Ken Dodd, conducted for the 'But First This' item.

• Hugh and Us (dur. 7' 13") - actor Hugh Lloyd interviewed about his career and his part in the story.

• Clown Court (dur. 5' 40") - The Seventh Doctor is called to the dock by judge Noel Edmonds to view out-takes and answer charges of "impersonating a Time Lord", in this extract from The Noel Edmonds Saturday Roadshow. Also includes out-takes from the recording of the sketch.

• Stripped for Action (dur. 21' 32") - the ongoing look at the Doctor Who comic strips focuses on the Seventh Doctor's appearances. With writer and editor Scott Gray, writers Simon Furman, Paul Cornell and Andrew Cartmel, artist Lee Sullivan, former Doctor Who Magazine editors John Freeman, Gary Russell and Alan Barnes.

• Trails and Continuity (dur. 3' 17") - BBC1 trails and continuity announcements from the story's original transmission.

• Plus of course the usual Radio Times Listing PDF, Coming Soon trailer, Programme Subtitles, Subtitle Production Notes and Photo Gallery.

DVD sales sites have begun listing release dates for several stories for DVD release in the UK.

The second Doctor swan song, The War Games, is due for release on July 6th. The ten part story, staring Patrick Troughton is released on 3 discs. First shown in 1969, it also features Frazer Hines and Wendy Padbury.
Extras cleared for release at the BBFC website include a feature on the truth behind the War Games, Timezones; a feature on Malcolme Hulke; a 'Now and Then' on the Locations used in the story; a feature on Dudley Simpson; and a look at the Second Doctor in Comic strips.

August 10th sees the release of a box set entitled The Black Guardian Trilogy which contains three stories from the fifth Doctor.Mawdryn Undead, Terminus and Enlightenment were originally broadcast in the winter of 1983. They cover the arrival of Mark Strickson as Turlough and the departure of Sarah Sutton as Nyssa as well as featuring Janet Fielding as Tegan Jovanka.

Listed for release in September are two stories. The first Colin Baker story, The Twin Dilemma is listed for release on September 7th. This is the first conformation that the story will be released this year. It completes the DVD releases for the sixth Doctor. Just two weeks later sees the release of the first Doctor story, The Keys of Marinus.

In addition, a special edition of the 1988 Sylvester McCoy story Remembrance of the Daleks is being issued on July 20th.

The current expected UK DVD release schedule is therefore as follows:

• 22 June 2009 - Delta And The Bannermen
• 6 July 2009 - The War Games
• 20 July 2009 - Remembrance Of The Daleks - Special Edition 
• 10 August 2009 - The Black Guardian Trilogy
• 7 September 2009 - The Twin Dilemma
• 21 September 2009 - The Keys of Marinus

The Dalek War box set (Frontier in Space / Planet of the Daleks) is still expected later this year.

All dates are subject to change.

In addition to the previously reported DVD extras for Enlightenment, the BBFC has classified DVD extras forMawdryn Undead and Terminus. The three stories, starring Fifth Doctor Peter Davison, are listed as part of The Guardian Trilogy box set. The extras indicate that there will be an option to view these stories with new CGI effects.
Mawdryn Undead:

00:00:55:03 (CONTINUITY)
00:05:13:15 MAWDRYN UNDEAD - DELETED AND EXTENDED SCENES
00:03:25:14 (FILM TRIMS)
00:05:33:02 MAWDRYN UNDEAD - OUT TAKES
00:00:47:23 (EASTER EGG 1)
00:00:32:10 (EASTER EGG 2)
00:24:29:11 (WHO WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER?)
00:01:25:10 MAWDRYN UNDEAD SET PHOTO GALLERY
00:07:18:24 (LIBERTY HALL)
00:07:28:08 MAWDRYN UNDEAD PHOTO GALLERY

Terminus:
00:03:25:16 TERMINUS - UNUSED MODEL SHOTS
00:01:50:07 DR WHO - TERMINUS
00:00:30:04 (EASTER EGG 1)
00:00:51:16 (EASTER EGG 2)
00:06:26:05 ORIGINS OF THE UNIVERSE
00:22:49:17 BREAKING POINT

Additional Disk:
00:02:08:22 BBC 1 - DOCTOR WHO - ENLIGHTENMENT (CONTINUITY)
00:03:30:11 RUSSELL HARTY: CHRISTMAS PARTY - BROADCAST - 21 DECEMBER 1982
00:05:32:00 ENLIGHTENMENT - FILM TRIMS
00:14:20:09 RE-ENLIGHTENMENT (FEATURETTE)
00:02:33:18 ORIGINAL EDIT COMPARISON - ENLIGHTENMENT - PART THREE
00:08:28:00 FINDING MARK STRICKSON (INTERVIEW)
00:07:44:21 FINDING SARAH SUTTON (INTERVIEW)
00:01:57:15 PHOTO GALLERY - MAKING THE GUARDIAN TRILOGY DVD BOX SET (EASTER EGG)

No release date has been announced for this set.

In a poll conducted by the Total Sci-Fi Website to find the best sci-fi television theme tune of all time, the Doctor Who theme, originally composed by Ron Grainer and arranged by Delia Derbyshire at the BBC's Radiophonic Workshop in 1963, came top.

The groundbreaking theme was realized by combining a tape loop of a struck piano string with the sound of test oscillators and filters among a whole host of techniques.

Total Sci-Fi editor Matt McAllister comments: "The poll result proves that in addition to being one of the most popular science fiction shows ever created, Doctor Who also boasts the most iconic sci-fi theme tune. Grainer and Derbyshire’s theme manages to convey the outlandish quality of the show and is instantly recognisable to fans throughout the world just by its opening bars."

Other themes in the top 10 include Star Trek, Red Dwarf, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the Thunderbirds. See Total Sci-Fi for the complete list.

The BBFC have now classified DVD extras for the Sylvester McCoy story Delta and the Bannermen; these are listed as:

00:21:31:24 STRIPPED FOR ACTION - THE STORY OF DOCTOR WHO COMICS
00:08:19:11 DELTA AND THE BANNERMEN DVD EXTRAS - PHOTO GALLERY
00:03:16:20 DOCTOR WHO
00:30:28:09 DOCTOR WHO - DELTA AND THE BANNERMEN - PART ONE
00:02:14:14 (DOCTOR WHO - DELTA AND THE BANNERMEN DVD EXTRAS - WALES TODAY)
00:06:06:18 (DOCTOR WHO - DELTA AND THE BANNERMEN DVD EXTRAS - BUT FIRST THIS)
00:07:02:12 (DOCTOR WHO - DELTA AND THE BANNERMEN DVD EXTRAS - HUGH AND US)
00:05:39:20 CLOWN COURT
00:16:31:04 DOCTOR WHO - DELTA AND THE BANNERMEN DVD EXTRAS - INTERVIEW RUSHES)


The story is currently cited for release on 22nd June 2009 on DVD retailer websites

The BBFC have now classified DVD extras for the Peter Davison story Enlightenment, cited as part of "The Guardian Trilogy". Details of the extras are listed as:

00:23:46:07 WINNER TAKES ALL (MAKING OF)
00:10:32:13 CASTING OFF! (FEATURETTE)
00:05:56:05 ENLIGHTENMENT - ORIGINAL STORYBOARDS AND VISUAL EFFECTS SHOTS
(MULTI ANGLE STORYBOARDS AND VFX - ANGLE 1 + COMMENTARY)
00:05:55:18 ENLIGHTENMENT - ORIGINAL STORYBOARDS AND VISUAL EFFECTS SHOTS
(MULTI ANGLE STORYBOARDS AND VFX - ANGLE 2 - MUTE)
00:05:11:23 SINGLE WRITE FEMALE (FEATURETTE)
00:11:52:20 THE STORY OF THE GUARDIANS (FEATURETTE)
00:01:17:14 TARDIS INFORMATION SYSTEM (EASTER EGG 1)
00:01:15:05 NO TITLE ON SCREEN 9EASTER EGG 2)
00:06:49:11 ENLIGHTENMENT - PHOTO GALLERY

There is no information as to when the boxed set may be released.

The Doctor Who Restoration Team have announced the closure of their Technical Forum by 1st April 2009.

The forum has been running for ten years and provided a base for discussion of technical issues related to the restoration of classic Doctor Who episodes for video and DVD release.

In a statement Steve Roberts, who runs the site and is a leading member of the restoration team, cited a number of reasons for the closure. These include incompatibility between the site's original aim of openness and access to the production process and the requirements of operating in a commercial world as well as an increase in the amount of personal abuse in forum postings.

The main Restoration Team site, which features articles on the work undertaken on new DVD releases, will continue as normal.

Various DVD sites are listing the 1976 Tom Baker story The Deadly Assassin for DVD release in early May.

The story, written by Robert Holmes and directed by David Maloney, was the third of Doctor Who's fourteenth season. It features Peter Pratt as the Master, as well as Angus MacKay playing Borusa and Bernard Horsfall as Chancellor Goth.

It is only serial of the original Doctor Who series in which the Doctor does not have a companion.

Some sites also have the 1987 Sylvester McCoy story Delta and the Bannermen listed for release in the later part of June. This story was written byMalcolm Kohll and directed by Chris Clough.

Other stories scheduled for release in 2009 are The Keys of Marinus; The War Games and the Dalek War box set (Frontier in Space / Planet of the Daleks).

An additional box set of three stories, and a stand alone release, are also due in 2009.