doctor who unbound

Tuesday, 4 February 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

Big Finish has announced plans for Doctor Who Unbound, a brand new series of CD's "that are thematically linked by the question 'What if...?'," according to their website. "In each play the Doctor will be portrayed by an actor completely new to the role. The team of six writers have been presented with a blank canvas and invited to write a story that will diverge dramatically from Doctor Who as we know it. This divergence may manifest itself as an intriguing twist on established Doctor Who continuity or as a stylistic change in the mood of the story or even in the way that it is told." The first CD will be released in May, entitled Auld Mortality by author Marc Platt ("Loups-Garoux"), posing the question "What if the Doctor and Susan never left Gallifrey?" "Marc has written a slightly surreal, melancholic tale of what might have been that draws on some of the concepts and characters that were present in his novel Lungbarrow." Actress Carole Ann Ford reprises her role as Susan, while Geoffrey Bayldon (Organon in "Creature from the Pit") plays the Doctor in the story. Additional stories are Full Fathom Five by David Bishop (June), Sympathy for the Devil by Jonathan Clements (July), Exile by Nicholas Briggs (August), He Jests at Scars by Gary Russell (September) and Deadline by Rob Shearman (October). According to a report in issue 327 of Doctor Who Magazine, one of the stories will feature a female Doctor! The mini-series is produced by John Ainsworth and Jason Haigh-Ellery, and script-edited by Nicholas Briggs. More details as they come in...

FILTER: - Big Finish

reeltime pictures update

Monday, 3 February 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

Reeltime Pictures, the video documentarians with a long history of Doctor Who themed video tape releases, have announced that the entire back catalogue of video releases -- the Myth Makers series of interviews included -- will be re-released on DVD with two titles per disc starting this year. The monthly DVD schedule will begin with Nicola Bryant and Graeme Harper (director) interviews on April 3, followed by William Hartnell and Jack Pitt (May), Mary Tamm and John Leeson (June), Sophie Aldred and Andrew Cartmel (July), Jacqueline Pearce and Stephen Greif of "Blake's 7" (August) and Deborah Watling and Victor Pemberton (September). Meanwhile, newer Reeltime titles will be released simultaneously on VHS and DVD, starting with "Patrick Troughton in America" on April 30, a documentary featuring film footage of his appearances prior to his death in 1987. Most importantly, Reeltime has apparently begun work on what is only called "a Sea Devil drama" for October 2003. (Thanks to Andy Swinden at Galaxy 4)

FILTER: - Documentary

aztecs dvd wins

Monday, 3 February 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

The online journal DVD Times recently posted the results of its 2002 Awards list for excellence in DVD releases. The Doctor Who DVD release of The Aztecs was given the title "Best Picture Restoration", while Tomb of the Cybermen won second prize in the "Best DVD" category. Congratulations to those responsible!

FILTER: - Awards/Nominations - Blu-ray/DVD

talons of weng chiang dvd

Friday, 31 January 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

BBC Worldwide's Tradelink (the release service the BBC uses to issue information to vendors) has finally posted some news about the forthcoming release of The Talons of Weng-Chiang on DVD, with a stated release date of April 28. The information from BBC Worldwide is as follows (with thanks to Chuck Foster of the DWAS):

The inimitable Doctor Who and his assistant Leela are confronted by sinister and seemingly inexplicable occurrences in this gripping thriller set in the shadowy depths of nineteenth century London.
With the help of Professor Litefoot, the Doctor investigates the gruesome murder of a cabbie and the mysterious disappearances of young girls. Whilst being chased by giant rats and forced to pit his wits against an evil doll and a merciless illusionist, he comes face to face with his most deadly enemy to date: Magnus Greel - a fifty-first century war criminal posing as Weng Chiang, an ancient Chinese god.
Can the Doctor thwart his dastardly plans before Leela becomes his next victim….

Two-disc set which includes the following special features: Commentary; Whose Doctor Who, a 1977 documentary from BBC2's 'The Lively Arts' strand, looking back at the history of the programme and its psychological impact on the viewers, particularly children, introduced by Melvyn Bragg; Blue Peter Theatre; Behind the Scenes; Philip Hinchcliffe Interview; plus trails and continuity, 1 Easter Egg, photo gallery and production subtitles.

FILTER: - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

audio release update

Wednesday, 29 January 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

The BBC Radio Collection will reportedly be releasing two audio boxed sets this year, according to the Planet Who website. Amazon.co.uk is already listing a Yeti Box Setcontaining the CD releases of "The Abominable Snowmen" and "The Web of Fear" (which may include MP3 files as an extra), due out April 7. Additionally, a Dalek Box Set is reportedly being released later in the year containing the two stories "Power of the Daleks" and "Evil of the Daleks"; we've heard that these will be the earlier recordings released on cassette but remastered for CD. No official confirmation as yet on either one. (Thanks to Planet Who)

FILTER: - Audio

big finish update

Wednesday, 29 January 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

Big Finish has posted new information on its website about a few forthcoming releases.Dalek Empire II: Dalek War - Part One is now in release after a brief delay, while the January audio Jubilee by Rob Shearman will be issued later in the week; both were delayed due to pressing issues. Meanwhile, Big Finish has posted a trailer for the February audio Nekromanteia by Austen Atkinson starring Peter Davison, Caroline Morris and Nicola Bryant, on its site, and issued the cover blurb for the forthcomingProject: Lazarus, the sequel to its earlier Project: Twilight by Cavan Scott & Mark Wright, starring Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Maggie Stables. Finally, a brief update to their Short Trips hardcover anthology series; the third installment will be called "A Universe of Terrors," edited by John Binns (due out in June), and the fourth book is "The Muses" edited by Jacqueline Rayner (due out in September). (Thanks to Big Finish)

PROJECT: LAZARUS
by Cavan Scott & Mark Wright

"I'll survive Doctor. I always do."

Unfinished business. A frightened girl is stalked in a land of eternal night. A hunter longs for recognition and power. A traveller in time returns to correct the mistakes of the past and faces a danger that could rob him of his future. Unless his future intervenes. And in the shadows stands Nimrod. Waiting...

Welcome to the Forge.

Starring Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy (the Doctors) and Maggie Stables (Evelyn Smythe); with Stephen Chance (Nimrod), Rosie Cavaliero (Cassie), Emma Collier (Oracle), Adam Woodroffe (Sergeant Frith), Ingrid Evans (Dr. Crumpton) and Vidar Magnussen (Professor Harket).

FILTER: - Big Finish

uk gold broadcasts

Friday, 24 January 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

The Third Doctor returns on February 9 to the British channel UK Gold, which starts rescreenings with the first Jon Pertwee story "Spearhead from Space". There were hopes that UK Gold would return to the start of the series, but instead are opting this time for only the colour package. According to Sue Cowley in a post on the Restoration Team forum, UK Gold were recently supplied with information needed to retrieve new (much clearer) masters from BBC Worldwide for some of the stories that remain somewhat deteriorated in their library, although no word if they will actually do so. The show will air in both late night and early morning weekend screenings. (Thanks to BBCi, Sue Cowley, Steve Trevor)

FILTER: - Classic Series - Broadcasting

dwm 327

Friday, 24 January 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

BBCi has posted a preview of the next issue of Doctor Who Magazine, #327, on sale February 6. In the issue, Christopher Bailey (author of "Kinda" and "Snakedance") is interviewed; an article on the National Viewers and Listeners Association and its matron, Mary Whitehouse; "Guess Who?" with the Fifth and Sixth Doctors; "Full Circle" in the Archives; plus previews, reviews and so forth. At right is a thumbnail of the cover. For more details go to the BBCi website. (And speaking of BBCi... they've now launched both the photonovel of "The Smugglers" as well as a new birthday salute to Tom Baker called Doctor What... check them out!)

FILTER: - DWM

quick dvd update

Friday, 24 January 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

The still-unconfirmed-by-BBC DVD release of The Talons of Weng Chiang will likely be out on April 28, says a representative of Technicolor, the UK distributor of BBC Worldwide products (according to Ben Keywood of the Galaxy 4 shop). Meanwhile, further to the report of the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) extras on the disc: "the extra listed as 'Blue Peter Theatre' should be a compilation of the segments from Blue Peter," says reader Jim Sangster, "where viewers were shown how to build their own Doctor Who puppet theatre... in the style of those old victorian ones where the 'puppets' (cardboard cutouts) were on a horizontal stick and they entered from the wings of a large box-theatre. At the time, the Radio Times published the black and white photos of the Doctor and Leela for kids to cut out, mount on thin card and stick to a straw or piece of thin dowling. They also (I think) included cut-outs of the sets the kids could make for their theatre." Again, BBC Worldwide has not yet officially announced this release. (As an aside... Ben from the Galaxy 4 shop also let us know that release of the Blake's 7 Series 1 DVD set -- again, still apparently unconfirmed by the BBC -- was delayed again, until June 2.) (Thanks to Ben Keywood, Jim Sangster)

FILTER: - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

talons extras!

Monday, 20 January 2003 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

Though we emphasize that The Talons of Weng-Chiang is still unconfirmed for release on DVD in April (or May) by BBC Video -- even though retailers have received some notice -- the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has released details about this theoretical DVD's extras on its website, including the hour-long documentary "Whose Doctor Who" and an additional hour of other material. (This information does classify the release, like "Seeds of Death," as a two-disc set.)

DOCTOR WHO - THE TALONS OF WENG-CHIANG DVD EXTRAS 1

00:58:42:01 | WHOSE DOCTOR WHO
00:25:57:15 | BLUE PETER THEATRE
00:23:58:22 | BEHIND THE SCENES
00:11:28:08 | PHILIP HINCHCLIFFE INTERVIEW

DOCTOR WHO - THE TALONS OF WENG-CHIANG DVD EXTRAS 2

00:02:22:10 | TRAILS AND CONTINUITY
00:00:39:10 | EASTER EGG NO. 1

Meanwhile, there are rumors circulating that there will be only four Doctor Who DVDs released in 2004 in the UK. This is incorrect; it is based on information taken out of context in a post on the Outpost Gallifrey Forum from a member of the Restoration Team, but was merely speculative on the consequences of further drop-off of DVD sales. At no time has information been issued from the BBC or otherwise that a decision has been made to reduce Doctor Who DVD output.

FILTER: - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

Previous 10 Stories

doctor who unbound

reeltime pictures update

aztecs dvd wins

talons of weng chiang dvd

audio release update

big finish update

uk gold broadcasts

dwm 327

quick dvd update

talons extras!

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