Doctor Who DVD releases
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This is a list of Doctor Who serials that are available on DVD. Most Doctor Who DVDs have been released first in the United Kingdom with Region 2 coding, and released later in Australia and New Zealand (coded Region 4) and in North America (coded Region 1) coding. Aside from differences in the external packaging, special features and commentaries are mostly identical in all versions. The Region 1 release of The Five Doctors contains a commentary track featuring Peter Davison and Terrance Dicks not available on the earlier Region 2 release. All Region 1 releases prior to September 2005 also included a "Who's Who" feature that identified key cast members and gave brief biographies and filmographies. The Region 1 releases of Robots of Death, The Ark in Space, The Talons of Weng-Chiang, and Pyramids of Mars also include a featurette with the syndicated Time-Life introductions and closings narrated by Howard da Silva.
There are also minor variations having to do with technical glitches that occurred in the Region 2 discs but were corrected in time for the Region 1 release (The Caves of Androzani, Remembrance of the Daleks, Complete Series Two Box Set).
The Region 2 discs are also dual coded with Region 4, so the two are identical. The only exceptions are Vengeance on Varos, which fixed an error on the Region 2 version in episode 2, and Remembrance of the Daleks, which used the NTSC master due to errors on the UK version and issues about music clearance.
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[edit] Schedule
Prior to autumn 2006, the standard Region 2 release pattern was one release approximately every two months, for six releases a year. Starting in 2004, one of those releases (eventually standardized as the January one) would consist of a box set. Beginning in late 2006, four new release slots were added to account for a new category of "standard" edition releases — comparably budget-priced DVDs that would contain fewer extras than the "special edition" DVDs that make up the rest of the line. Likewise, the definition of "special editions" was expanded to include sets of two or more related serials.[1] This rate increase brings the typical R2 schedule up to ten releases (of one or more serials apiece): one a month, excepting February and December.
Although Region 1 initially lagged somewhat behind Region 2, its release rate (up until the R2 schedule change in late 2006) was typically somewhat faster: seven releases, spread across four release slots. The yearly box set was typically slotted for March, while June, September, and November are each scheduled for two releases. By March 2007, the Region 1 catalogue had essentially caught up with Region 2. BBC Worldwide America has yet to clarify how it intends to respond to the quickened Region 2 release pattern.
[edit] Features
With few exceptions (noted below), each of the 'classic series' stories have been carefully restored by the Doctor Who Restoration Team from the best available materials, and are presented as originally broadcast — in episodic format, where applicable. Other features present on every, or nearly every, DVD include cast and crew commentary, subtitles, production notes, and a photo gallery.
"Special edition" releases (which make up the bulk of the line; see above) also typically include one or more documentaries relating to the serial in question, any relevant archive material, and — where applicable — the occasional highlight such as a Dolby 5.1 mix or enhanced movie edit. The precise features vary, depending on the available resources and the nature of the story.
[edit] Releases
This is a complete list of Doctor Who DVD releases which either have been released, or which have announced their release.
[edit] Incomplete Serials
Many of the Doctor Who serials from the 1960s have missing episodes, and in some cases, entire serials have been lost. However, only three serials have no footage remaining at all, with various orphaned episodes, clips recorded off-air, and censored clips being returned to the BBC from both fans and overseas broadcasters. Four incomplete serials have more than 50% of their content remaining.
[edit] Marco Polo
Although no clips from this serial survive, a condensed 30-minute reconstruction was included on The Beginning, using production photographs, telesnaps and parts of the soundtrack (which survives and has been released in its entirety).
[edit] The Reign of Terror
This serial, missing episodes 4 and 5 (of 6) was released on VHS in November 2003, with linking narration from Carole Ann Ford. The surviving clips from episodes 4 and 5 were then released on Lost in Time the following year.
[edit] The Tenth Planet
This serial, missing only its fourth and final episode, was released on VHS in 2000. It contained a Loose Cannon-style reconstruction of the missing fourth episode, using surviving pictures, clips, and the soundtrack to reconstruct the episode. The surviving episode 4 clips, including the First Doctor's regeneration, were included on Lost in Time.
[edit] The Ice Warriors
This serial was released on VHS in 1998, with both a condensed telesnap and soundtrack reconstruction of the missing episodes 2 and 3 (of 6), as well as the episodes' full soundtracks on a CD.
[edit] The Invasion
This serial is unique in that it is the only Doctor Who serial to be reconstructed with animation and the off-air soundtracks. Episodes 1 and 4 were animated by the same team that animated the BBC webcast The Scream of the Shalka.[19]
[edit] Lost in Time
The remainder of the surviving episodes and a number of clips were released in 2004 on a 3-disc DVD set, Doctor Who: Lost in Time. Two serials, The Crusade and The Moonbase contain both the surviving episodes (two each) as well as the soundtracks to their missing episodes, and both may be watched as "complete" serials. The set also contains an updated version of The Missing Years, a 1998 BBC documentary on the missing episodes. In Region 1, the collection was released both in parts (Hartnell and Troughton getting separate releases) and as a set.
William Hartnell:
- The Crusade — episodes 1 and 3; soundtracks to episodes 2 and 4; linking narration by William Russell from the VHS release
- The Daleks' Master Plan — episodes 2, 5, and 10; surviving clips
- The Celestial Toymaker — episode 4
- The Smugglers — surviving clips; location film
- The Tenth Planet — surviving clips
- Various off-air clips
Patrick Troughton — Disc 1:
- The Power of the Daleks — BBC1 trailer; surviving clips
- The Highlanders — surviving clips
- The Underwater Menace — episode 3; surviving clips
- The Moonbase — episodes 2 and 4; soundtracks to episodes 1 and 3
- The Macra Terror — surviving clips
- The Faceless Ones — episodes 1 and 3
- The Evil of the Daleks — episode 2
- The Last Dalek — an 8mm in-studio film on The Evil of the Daleks
- Various off-air clips
Patrick Troughton — Disc 2:
- The Abominable Snowmen — episode 2; surviving clips; location film
- The Enemy of the World — episode 3
- The Web of Fear — episode 1; surviving clips
- Fury from the Deep — surviving clips; 8mm in-studio film; raw film trims from episode 6
- The Wheel in Space — episodes 3 and 6; surviving clips
- The Space Pirates — episode 2; surviving clips
- The Missing Years
[edit] Special Releases
[edit] Boxed sets
Several serials have been released in boxed sets:
- The Beginning — Contains the first four serials: An Unearthly Child, The Daleks, The Edge of Destruction, and a condensed reconstruction of Marco Polo (see above for details on this). All regions received the boxed set only.
- New Beginnings — Contains The Keeper of Traken, Logopolis, and Castrovalva. The set only was released in Regions 2 and 4, while Region 1 received both the boxed set and individual releases.
- Time-Flight and Arc of Infinity were released in a boxed set in Regions 2 and 4, but separately in Region 1.
- Beneath the Surface — Contains the three serials Doctor Who and the Silurians, The Sea Devils, and Warriors of the Deep and was released as a boxed set in Region 2 January 14, 2008 and in R4 on March 5, 2008. In Region 1, the serials will be released both separatedly and in the boxed set on June 3, 2008.
- Bred for War — Contains the four Sontaran serials from the classic series (The Time Warrior, The Sontaran Experiment, The Invasion of Time, and The Two Doctors). It was released on May 5, 2008 to coincide with the return of the Sontarans in the new series.
- K9 Tales — Contains K-9's debut story The Invisible Enemy as well as the spin-off show K-9 and Company. It will be released on June 16, 2008 in Region 2. It will be released on September 2, 2008 in Region 1.
- Trial of a Timelord This Sixth Doctor Adventure will be released on August 18, 2008.
[edit] The Curse of Fenric
The Curse of Fenric contains two discs, one with the original four-part version and a 104-minute special edition with additional footage and new special effects. To date, this is the only serial with an omnibus DVD edition available. (The Five Doctors was made as a 90-minute movie.)
[edit] The Key to Time
The Key to Time was released in Region 1 only in 2002 with a minimal restoration effort, as BBC Worldwide believed a full season boxed set would sell better than the individual releases. It received a "proper" restoration and Region 2 release in 2007.[20] It was originally slated for a March 2008 Region 1 release, however, this slot has since been allocated to two other serials, and a new date has not yet been scheduled.[21] It has been confirmed that the serials will be re-released in a simple slipcase and unlimited number, for those who didn't get the limited edition.[22]
[edit] The Infinite Quest
The Infinite Quest is a 13-part animated serial, originally shown on Totally Doctor Who. Although the serial is not a part of series 3, it features the Doctor and Martha Jones. It was run as a complete 45 minute episode at the end of the series. It was released on DVD in Region 2 on November 12, 2007 and is scheduled for an Australian (Region 4) release on Jun 5, 2008[23]. There is no current information on a Region 1 release.
[edit] The Complete Davros Collection
2|entertain released the first Doctor Who boxed set with exclusive content, The Complete Davros Collection, on November 26, 2007 in Region 2, while it was released in Region 4 on February 6, 2008. There were originally plans to release it on March 4, 2008 in Region 1, but it was later put on hold indefinitely. This boxed set collects the five serials featuring Davros, including Destiny of the Daleks, which was released separately on the same day, as well as a remastered version of Remembrance of the Daleks which both corrects the errors in the first release and adds a number of new special features. At this time the special edition of this story will be exclusive to the boxed set. The boxed set also contains all seven Davros-related Big Finish audio plays, as well as a new play, The Davros Mission, which will not be available separately.
Serials:
- Genesis of the Daleks
- Destiny of the Daleks
- Resurrection of the Daleks
- Revelation of the Daleks
- Remembrance of the Daleks
Big Finish audio plays:
- Davros
- The Juggernauts
- Terror Firma
- I, Davros: Innocence
- I, Davros: Purity
- I, Davros: Corruption
- I, Davros: Guilt
- The Davros Mission
The boxed set also contains two documentaries — Davros Connections, a new documentary exclusive to this boxed set, and Big Finish's audio documentary on the making of I, Davros.
[edit] The Five Doctors
The Five Doctors was the very first Doctor Who DVD release, and as such, it is rather lacking compared to later releases in the range. This release contains a straight transfer of the 1995 Special Edition, which recut the story, added several scenes, and replaced the original effects with CGI. The Region 2 version had no commentary track, but one with Peter Davison and writer Terrance Dicks was added for the Region 1 release nearly two years later. The Doctor Who Restoration Team has repeatedly stated that neither they nor 2|entertain considers this to be part of the 'official' release range.
The release has subtitles in six European languages. This multi-language feature was not continued on releases of other stories.
A new version of the story was therefore released in R2 on March 3, 2008, containing remastered versions of both the special edition and the story as originally transmitted. It also features both the R1 commentary track, a newly recorded commentary, and a number of special features.
To separate it from the previous release, this new DVD is subtitled 25th Anniversary Edition.[24]
[edit] Notes
- ^ The Frequently Asked Questions Lists for Doctor Who Home Videos and DVDs in the United States and Canada — LATEST NEWS. Retrieved on 2007-02-28.
- ^ The TARDIS Library: The Brain of Morbius
- ^ The Doctor Who News Page
- ^ THE K9 FILES rated PG by the BBFC
- ^ a b c www.ezydvd.com.au
- ^ The DVD release of The Five Doctors is a 100-minute "special edition" with restored footage and new special effects. The story as originally broadcast is 90 minutes long, and is not currently available on DVD.
- ^ Resurrection of the Daleks was originally made in 4 25-minute episodes, but broadcast as 2 46-minute episodes due to the BBC's coverage of the 1984 Winter Olympics. The DVD contains the story in its intended 4-part format.
- ^ Due to complex licensing issues, there are currently no plans for a Region 1 DVD release of the 1996 Doctor Who television movie.
- ^ The Region 1 release of Doctor Who: The Complete First Series had originally been scheduled for February 14, 2006, but due to the series' broadcast by the American Sci Fi Channel, the US release was then delayed to July 4, 2006. [1], [2] The box set was released in Canada on February 14 as scheduled.
- ^ An exclusive box was made available at amazon.co.uk
- ^ The set includes the 2005 Children in Need special.
- ^ Canadian release was originally announced as the same day as the US issue, but the decision by the CBC to schedule a two-month mid-season hiatus led to the release date being pushed back; ultimately, it was released before the CBC was able to air the final two episodes of the season.
- ^ a b The Christmas specials are considered introduction to the series, without actually being part of it.
- ^ The TARDIS Library: New Series 4: Volume 1
- ^ The TARDIS Library: New Series 4: Volume 2
- ^ The TARDIS Library: New Series 4: Volume 3
- ^ The TARDIS Library: New Series 4: Volume 4
- ^ The Release has been announced on [3]
- ^ DW Restoration Team - The Invasion
- ^ Doctor Who Restoration Team - The Key to Time article.
- ^ Outpost Gallifrey DVD forum
- ^ "Time Crash joins Voyage of the Damned on DVD", Doctor Who Magazine (no. 392): p.8, 2008-3-5 (cover date)
- ^ Doctor Who - The Infinite Quest @ EzyDVD
- ^ Doctor Who - The Time Meddler DVD Extras
[edit] See also
- List of Doctor Who serials
- List of incomplete Doctor Who serials
- Doctor Who Restoration Team
- Lost in Time
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[edit] External links
- Steve Manfred's Doctor Who DVD FAQ, with full details on all North American releases. Frequently updated.
- Steve Manfred's Doctor Who Video FAQ, with full details on all North American VHS Home Video releases.
- The TARDIS Library — Guide to Doctor Who books, videos and audios.
- The DVD & Video Vault — An area of the Doctor Who Forum (formerly Outpost Gallifrey) dedicated to Doctor Who DVD releases.
