The Web Planet, which was due out this month in the UK on DVD, has apparently been delayed for a month, and is now being listed on various retail sites like Play.com as being out in early October. The discs have already been pressed and packaged, according to a post on the Restoration Team forum, and there is currently no official word as to the delay. We'll keep you posted...

Roadshow Entertainment has announced that Series One Volume 4 of their DVD releases of the new series' first season is due out on 6 October, with the full boxed set of the first season due in December. Meanwhile, The Web Planet will be out in Australia on DVD in November, while City of Death is due in December. (Thanks to John Hatfield)

While recent indications have suggested otherwise, the new release of "Revelation of the Daleks" in Australia contains an advertisement for the Doctor Who Series One Boxed Set which includes, as one of the listed 'special features', "Doctor Who Confidential - 14 x 15 minute episodes behind the scenes of production of Series 1". This seems to suggest the inclusion of the thirteen "Doctor Who Confidential: Cut Down" documentaries, the shortened versions of the documentary which excludes clips and interviews reminiscing about the original series, which aired on select weekends on BBC3 during the initial run of the show and during recent rebroadcasts. Roadshow, the distributor of Doctor Who on DVD in Australia, creates its prints from the BBC's in the UK, so there's no reason to believe that they would be different than the UK version, but recent UK press has indicated that they weren't supposed to be part of the package... only a special for the DVD release produced by the same group. The rights issues were likely behind the use of the 'cut down' installments, if in fact they're on the discs; the reference to "fourteen 15-minute episodes" could indicate the thirteen episodes of the documentary and the special release, though there's no indication as yet as to whether this would also include the two specials, "A New Dimension" or "The Ultimate Guide" that bookended the series. (Thanks to "The13thDoctor" for letting us know about the advert flyer)

At long last, the UK's City of Death DVD release has some official information attached to it. The release will be two discs, as mentioned in an article at the Restoration Team website which discusses the restoration of the footage, including audio repairs, and notes the large number of extras being included on it (hence the double disc set). Unfortunately neither Tom Baker or Lalla Ward were able to take part in the commentary or featurettes, it says, but the commentary is done by two of the story's main guest stars, Julian Glover (Count Scarlioni/Scaroth) and Tom Chadbon (Duggan), along with the story's director, Michael Hayes. The 45-minute featurette "Paris in the Springtime", written by Jonathan Morris and produced by Ed Stradling, and narrated by Toby Longworth, "goes behind the scenes on the production of the story, with a particular emphasis on the contribution of Douglas Adams" and features interview clips with Adams, Glover, Chadbon, Hayes, Catherine Schell, script editor Anthony Read, writer David Fisher, director Pennant Roberts, and writers Steven Moffat and Rob Shearman. The documentary also includes illustration by Jason Lythgoe-Hay to reproduce the original storyline, "A Gamble With Time." A 20-minute featurette, "Paris, W12" is also included, with extracts from the recording sessions; "Prehistoric Landscapes," a montage of landscape and effects for the story; "Eye on... Blatchford," a regional-interest program; plus the 1980 Doctor Who Annual in PDF format, photo gallery, floorplans, easter eggs and production notes. The story is due out on DVD in November in the UK.

BBC America's webshop have announced the final two Doctor Who DVD releases this year: City of Death starring Tom Baker and Lalla Ward, and The Claws of Axos starring Jon Pertwee and Katy Manning. Both discs will be out on November 1. More details and cover illustrations when available.

Amazon.co.uk now has the large-sized cover illustration for the fourth UK Doctor Who new series DVD release set, featuring the final three episodes of the season: "Boom Town," "Bad Wolf" and "The Parting of the Ways". Click on the thumbnail at right for a larger version.

Some updates for Australian readers on the forthcoming DVD schedule. Volume Two of the New Doctor Who Series individual releases is due out August 4, with Volume Three on September 1 and Volume Four on October 6. "Revelation of the Daleks" will be released on September 1, while "The Web Planet" is due out November 3 and "City of Death" on December 1, the same day as the release of the new series Season One Boxed Set.

As reported by Radio Times yesterday, all thirteen episodes of Series One on the forthcoming Doctor Who: Series One Boxed Set DVD release in the UK in November will feature commentaries. The commentary for "The Unquiet Dead" will be by Mark Gatiss, Simon Callow and Euros Lynn; other commentaries as noted in the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine will include Russell T. Davies, Julie Gardner and Phil Collinson, although more specific details are not yet available. DVD extras will include "Russell T. Davies' video diary of the first week of filming" and "Billie Piper's own camcorder footage". "Episode-specific featurettes" will include "Deconstructing Big Ben", "Destroying the Lair", "Blitzing London", "Designing Doctor Who" and "Building the Emperor Dalek". The DVD-exclusive episode of Doctor Who Confidential will appear on the fifth disc and will include a "sneak preview" of Series Two alongside highlights of the first series of Confidential.