AAAAAAAAAAA

Manufacturer: BBC Worldwide Consumer Products

Written By: Ian Briggs & Graeme Curry

RRP: £30.63

Release Date: 7th May 2012

Reviewed By: Dale Who for Doctor Who Online

Disc One: Dragonfire

We're off to the dark side of the planet Svartos with The Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) and Mel (Bonnie Langford) on this single story release as part of the Ace Adventures set. Sophie Aldred's inaugural story pits the seventh incarnation of the Time Lord reuniting with Glitz (Tony Selby) to fight against the cold hearted Kane (Edward Peel) and his deep frozen band of mercenaries, and the somewhat violent staff of an intergalactic branch of Iceland...

This story from 1987, is spectacular and memorable for many reasons, and the wonderful Belazs (Patricia Quinn, of The Rocky Horror Picture Show fame) steals every scene she's in with effortless ease. Ace is the wonderfully explosive-obsessed teenage tearaway who joins the TARDIS crew, Mel gets a really amazing leaving scene, and Kane gets possibly the most gloriously gruesome and gory death scene in the history of Classic Doctor Who... and an extra ten points if you can spot the cameo by Batman!

Special Features:

Commentary - Toby Hadoke presides over a full house of commentators: Sophie Aldred (Ace), Edward Peel (Kane), Ian Briggs (writer), Andrew Cartmel (script editor), and Mark Ayres (musical genius!). The pace is calm and quite informative, and it's very evident that Aldred and Peel enjoyed this story and the making of it. Good humoured and entertaining, it doesn't drag or have to try too hard, as the people assembled all know their trade and craft very well indeed. There's also an isolated score feature in the audio options section, if you like the music.

Fire And Ice - The obligatory retrospective of Dragonfire. Like the recent Nightmare Of Eden release, it's all filmed against a stark white background - and again it's too harsh to have as a background. Unlike the previous release, this is a great, positive look back at the show, with contributions from most of the cast and crew, including Sylvester McCoy (archive footage culled from The Story of Doctor Who), director Chris Clough, and Sophie Aldred who seems to have a thing for red and snoods.

There's a great look at Mel's departure and how that scene came together, which has some great footage of McCoy's audition for the role of The Doctor. Like the commentary, the pace and feel of the look back at the story is very calm and sedate, but no less enjoyable for that; in fact it lends a very confident and positive air to the extra. Great stuff!

Deleted & Extended Scenes - A "does what it says on the tin" reasonably short extra; including a great alternative to Belazs' first run in with Glitz, and various trims and edits from the story. Including some fun one liners, and some truly dreadful polystyrene ice shards threatening Tony Selby... a rather entertaining collection of clips that sometimes puts an entirely different spin on the scenes they were culled from.

The Doctor's Strange Love - Oh Lord, it's them again! Simon Guerrier, Josie Long and Joe Lidster on camping chairs, sitting in the current TARDIS control room to discuss Dragonfire. Complete with dreadful "comedy" moment of Sylvester McCoy falling off the titles, this trio witter on aimlessly, much like they did in their previous outing on the Nightmare of Eden release, although thankfully this time they're a lot less sneering about the show. Josie comes to the somewhat astounding conclusion that she's based her life on Ace, and again the scenery is much more entertaining than this 'talking heads' trio's aimless witterings.

The Big Bang Theory - Our whole Universe was in a hot dense state, then nearly fourteen billion years ago expansion started... wait... hold on half a millisecond (as Glitz would say), that's the other Big Bang Theory! In one of those extras that will have you wondering why someone thought this was a good idea for a DVD extra, Doctor Who special (physical) effects pyrotechnics expert Danny Hargreaves sits in the TARDIS looking at some Classic Series explosions and big bangs on a laptop and talks about them.

Odd thing is, Hargreaves is so wonderfully unassuming and genial he manages to hold the attention very well, and it's very easy to get engrossed in this short extra. From The Daleks in 1964 to The Parting of the Ways in 2005, Danny shows he's a master of his profession, and there's a wonderful nod of respect to Jack Kine, BBC FX supremo in the the early days of Doctor Who. Utilising a lot of clips from old and new Who, this piece holds the attention effortlessly and turns out to be highly entertaining.

Coming Soon Trailer - "Doctor, should that red light be flashing?" - no, it's just the TARDIS playing up again. Sarah and the Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee) come up against some overly silver cranky dustbins on the planet Exxilon; that is, if he can get past hostile natives and weird snaky robotic roots that kill. Death To The Daleks is out soon!

The sound and picture quality, as usual with the Classic series releases, is optimal, and the disc has the usual standard included special features: a Photo Gallery of publicity and behind the scenes shots, the Radio Times PDF segments for the serial, and the on-screen Info Text, which in this story seems to be all about cut lines and rearranged scenes. There's also Audio Navigation and Subtitles as standard for those who may want or need them.  

Dragonfire is a great punchy three part story, and is happily backed up by a series of decent, positive extras that enhance the good memories the story leaves you with. Even the chronic witterering threesome are more positive. From iconic icemen to the argumentative Ace, this release has masses of appeal and is a great addition to the range.

Disc Two: The Happiness Patrol

What happens when you cross a time travelling television series about a killjoy Time Lord who battles evil, and a parody of the happy, lovely Margaret Thatcher led Conservative government? You get The Happiness Patrol, in which the Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) and Ace (Sophie Aldred) arrive on Terra Alpha on the trail of something sinister. Soon they're up to their necks in sweets, lies, fake Tories and Bertie Bassett's evil doppelganger. Helen A (Sheila Hancock) rules the roost in this single disc story from BBC Worldwide as part of the Ace Adventures Box-set; and we hope you're very happy about it.

An overlooked gem of a story, The Happiness Patrol is obviously political and satirical, and it's OTT performances and tacky sweetie sets simply add to the artificial feel of the story, an unsettling and creepy place where enforced happiness is the norm. The Kandy Man - often maligned - is perfectly wonderful as the needed maniacal villain, and then there's the infamous pink TARDIS that's caused many a fan debate! It's rare that a lack of budget actually works for a story, but the whole fake feel of the place seems to fit perfectly, I'm happy to say.

Special Features:

Commentary - Toby's talking over the credits again. Gathered round the table this time are Sophie Aldred (Ace), Graeme Curry (writer), Andrew Cartmel (script editor) and Dominic Glynn (composer). It's another sedate and pedestrian one, but again it's a welcome piece that builds up and promotes the story. There's also, in a terribly modern and technical move, the results of a Twitter competition! As with the other story in the Ace Adventures Box-set, there's also an isolated music option so you can listen to Dominic Glynn's glorious blues based score.

Happiness Will Prevail - That white background's back again for this retrospective of the story. Andrew Cartmel and Graeme Curry discuss the origins of this serial and how there's a lot of truth in the ideas in the tale. The whole "Thatcher" influence comes up again, and the design of The Kandy Man is explored. Sophie's back in the red snood and praise is heaped upon the wonderful portrayal of Helen A from Sheila Hancock.  

A somewhat neutral piece that seems to be happy (I'm glad you're happy) to stick to the details, but the surprise of the piece is actually seeing what David John Pope (The Kandy Man) actually looks like, and happily it's nothing like a giant liqorice allsort. Nicely understated, and although this featurette is remarkably neutral, there's a gentle positive vibe that lingers from it. 

Deleted & Extended Scenes - A plethora of extended and deleted snippets from the production, including some great scenes between the Doctor and Ace, and the wonderful Gilbert M upsets the Kandy Man yet again. Great stuff. Helen A's televised broadcast is uncut, and Evil Bertie Bassett cuts his thumb off. As with all the extras of this nature, it's got some real hidden gems that never made it to air, and holds the attention effortlessly. This collection, therefore, should be enough to keep you very happy.

When Worlds Collide - The politics of Doctor Who is explored, using archive footage from both Classic and New Who. Shaun Ley presents this featurette looking at The Doctor's battles with the status quo (that's the environment of the time, not the rock band you understand).

An interesting look at how politics seeps into all our lives, whether it happens through Doctor Who or not, with contributions from such Doctor Who luminaries as Terrance Dicks, Gareth Roberts, and of course Andrew Cartmel himself, whose mis-quote made the BBC news in 2010 and ended up with said writer on the BBC's flagship news programme "Newsnight".

A well thought out and very entertaining extra; interesting and enlightening, and the presentation and approach of the piece gives it a great deal of weight and a lot of credence.

Coming Soon Trailer - "Doctor, should that red light be flashing?" - no, it's just the TARDIS playing up again. Sarah and the Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee) come up against some overly silver cranky dustbins on the planet Exxilon; that is, if he can get past hostile natives and weird snaky robotic roots that kill. Death To The Daleks is out soon!

As always with the Classic Series releases, the disc comes with the usual additions of a Photo Gallery of happy shots behind the scenes and jolly publicity stills. There's the info text, which of course is all positive, and the Radio Times joyous announcements of the story's airing, in PDF format. There's also Audio Navigation and Subtitles as standard for those who may want or need them.  

Overall the sound and vision are at their tweaked and superbly enhanced best, matched by the anarchic imagination that came up with the Kandy Man (possibly the most wonderfully eloquent and funny villain of eighties Doctor Who, and certainly better than dustbins with attitude problems), and for a team of "ratbags with guns", The Happiness Patrol really does have an enjoyable flavour - it's strawberry. Remember when you watch the DVD that above all else, happiness WILL prevail!

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Manufacturer: BBC Worldwide Consumer Products

Written By: Bob Baker

RRP: £20.42

Release Date: 2nd April 2012

Reviewed By: Dale Who for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 30th March 2012

It's a well known fact in science fiction programmes that some stories work better than others. In the case of Classic Doctor Who, there are some that are held up as being deserving of fan worship, whilst others are often looked down upon as being somewhat less than successful. Nightmare Of Eden sadly falls into the latter camp for many people. Derided over the years for it's studio-bound action and it's rather lovable monsters, this release should be a perfect opportunity to redress the balance and defend what's both a fine story and, for a meagrely budgeted television show in 1979, a determined, spirited, damn good try at getting that story on-screen.

In a move that's saddening and infuriating in equal measure, that's not how it's treated. It's derided still further, and talked about so negatively, someone should have thrown the supposedly "special" features into the bin and started again. Please remove all sharp objects from your vicinity and if possible have a great deal of chocolate or tea to try and improve your mood whilst sitting through the extras.

When the commercial starliner Empress rematerialses from warp speed and collides with the Hecate, the passengers and crews of both craft are put in mortal peril. Drug smuggling, unstable projection devices and huge marauding monsters are all in the mix. When the TARDIS materialises in the vicinity, it's up to The Doctor (Tom Baker), with Romana (Lalla Ward) and robot superdog K-9 (voiced here by David Brierly) to save the day. Can The Doctor seperate the ships, stop the smugglers, recapture the menacing Mandrels, and fix the shonky CET machine?

This single disc release from BBC Worldwide has done the usual magic with sound and picture quality so they're both amazing, and has audio navigation and subtitles available. Also included on the release are the Info Text and Radio Times PDF extras and a Photo Gallery of behind the scenes and publicity shots from the serial.

Special Features:

Commentary - Firstly, someone needs to tell Toby Hadoke you do not talk over the episode one titles of a Doctor Who story, you need to let the programme start before you do. In this commentary he is joined by Lalla Ward (Romana), Colin Mapson (visual effects designer) and story writer Bob Baker. It lacks the wit and warmth of many of the commentaries, and although Lalla somewhat defends the show and its budget, it does seem the only person who seems to remember what it's like to actually enjoy Doctor Who is host Hadoke himself.

The Nightmare of Television Centre - A negative, and disparaging piece, starting with severely lacking titles and everyone being filmed against a stark white background. Colin Mapson, the visual effects designer, does nothing but moan about the whole story from start to finish, calling it "a disaster" - apart from his models of course which were apparently the best things ever made. AJ "Mitch" Mitchell, video effects designer, gives a very half hearted defence of some of the technology used and million pound slow-motion video machines belonging to BBC Sport being available for twenty minutes, and Assistant Floor Manager Val McCrimmon tells of stroppy directors getting fired, Tom Baker being loud and mouthy, and Lalla being over picky and playing up. The cast and crew and the sets and monsters are mocked, laughed at, and spoken badly of. Honesty is fine, and of course necessary, but this crosses the line into a complete hatchet job of what's not the worst story in history, even with the hystrionics in the studio, despite what these people would have you believe.

Going Solo - More unimaginative white titles, followed by Bob Baker also being filmed against a white background.  aker will probably be best remembered for his work with two dogs: Gromit, of Wallace and Gromit fame, and as co-creator of K-9, one of the most endearing/irritating (depending on your view!) science fiction robots in TV history. Here, he's talking about his first solo writing task for Doctor Who, his ideas and research for the CET machine. You can tell he's less than enthusiastic about The Mandrels and a certain Germanic accent, but he's got the right attitude about these things ("What can you do?") and Bob easily comes across to the viewer as the best advocate of the story. Hardly surprising considering he wrote it, but at least he's positive and defends it very well indeed.

The Doctor's Strange Love - Simon Guerrier presents this piece from Sarah Jane's attic.  Mister Smith is out and all lit up, and the set looks glorious, which causes a small flutter of love lost in the heart. Joining him in this piece to mock and laugh at Nightmare Of Eden are Josie Long and Joseph Lidster. It starts off quite nicely... but in under two minutes it's poking fun and being generally unpleasant about it all. It's all far too fannish and jokey, and seems like we're watching a group of fans just laughing at things in their own private mocking party. A few funny lines from the pair on the chaise longue lighten it up a little, but mostly it's a case of very few valid points being made, against far too much "look at this, it's rubbish" and "let's laugh at this bit now". By far the most intelligent input in the whole extra comes from Mister Smith himself, who wisely opts to remain silent the whole time. Another negatively slanted mess that could have reinforced the story's many good qualities rather than just poking fun at the show.

Ask Aspel - A 1979 edition of the children's show in which the wonderfully calm and affable Michael Aspel asks viewers' questions to his guest; in this case the second Romana - Lalla Ward. The questions from the youngsters who've written in are entertaining enough in this light and fluffy piece, and there's a rather fabulous clip from The Creature From The Pit. Lalla is honest and open and rambles on at great speed with much laughter and smiling. It also showcases Lalla's artwork for two books from that era, and there's one or two clips of Ms. Ward in other TV appearances, followed by another lengthy Doctor Who clip, this time from The Horns of Nimon. A lovely little piece, and would have benefitted greatly from being put on a disc with much better support from the other extras. A hidden gem.

Coming Soon Trailer - Nitro-9 at the ready, Doctor Who's next box-set is all about the teenage tearway from Perivale! Featuring her introduction into the series in the story Dragonfire and further adventures on Terra Alpha in The Happiness Patrol, the next DVD releases can truly be described as Ace Adventures!

Nightmare of Eden is not a bad story. It's not in the same league as Terror of the Zygons, but it doesn't deserve the unending scorn poured on it in this release. With the exception of Bob Baker there's very little done to defend the tale from any of it's critics, mostly of whom seem to have an axe to grind against the tale. The extras filmed for this disc seem designed to make you take a real dislike to the story, and although we can all agree that it's not exactly at the top of its game, it really deserves a lot better than the sorry back-up features its given here, which are both limited and woeful.

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Manufacturer: BBC Worldwide Consumer Products

Written By: Guy Leopold

RRP: £20.42

Release Date: 26th March 2012

Reviewed By: Dale Who for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 29th February 2012

It's not often in Doctor Who's long history that a story is great, then great again, and then great for a third time, but this is very much the case with The Daemons. The original story was a triumph, but due to the infamous BBC junkings and burnings, only a black and white print of this tale existed... until a terrible quality NTSC (that's American Television) copy turned up courtesy of a fan. In 1993 BBC Video made a valiant attempt to restore the episodes, as featured in an extra on this release - more of that later. Now it's all been re-restored again, and beautiful it looks too.

The Doctor (Jon Pertwee) and Jo (Katy Manning) must battle to save the Earth from the alien Daemons, aided, abetted and very badly controlled by The Master (Roger Delgado), in the quaint little village of Devil's End. With BBC Three on location and UNIT stuck behind a heat barrier, time is running out for the Time Lord...

This double disc release from BBC Worldwide has superb restoration of the picture and sound quality - in fact the five-part story takes up all of Disc One (bar the Info Text and Commentary options) with all the Special Features on Disc Two. There are of course both Subtitles and Audio Navigation available on both discs, and the previously mentioned Info Text joins the Radio Times PDF Listings, and the Photo Gallery as standard included extras. 

Special Features - Disc One:

Commentary - Sitting around the table to discuss The Daemons this time are Christopher Barry, Katy Manning, Damaris Hayman, and Richard Franklin. The conversation is fun, loose and friendly, with plenty of laughs and lots of interesting and amusing reminiscences about the making of the story. Tales of theme tunes, Margaret Rutherford's cape, and warm fuzzy feelings abound. Great to listen to and thoroughly entertaining.

Special Features - Disc Two:

The Devil Rides Out - A look back at the making of The Daemons, with Christopher Barry and Katy Manning joining Terrance Dicks, some previously recorded footage of Barry Letts, and many more faces to look back at Aldbourne's finest hour. Discussed are the story's origins, Damaris Hayman's white witch being very switched on, and one or two displays of impatience from leading man; Jon Pertwee. It's an honest look at the show, but not a negative one, and it's clear that both cast and crew thought (and still think) the story is special and deserving of the 'Classic' status that The Daemons holds. They are, of course, absolutely right.

Remembering Barry Letts - Barry's sons, Dominic and Crispin Letts, discuss their late father's long career in film and television as an actor, director and producer. A fascinating glimpse at the life, outside of Doctor Who, of a man who is held in very high regard by family, friends and colleagues. Not cloying, or over-sentimental, this is a lovely piece giving a much more complete picture of Barry, who may be best known for producing the Pertwee era of Doctor Who; but who also had a lot more strings to his bow than Time Lords and Daleks. Featuring everything from green issues, to Zen Buddhism and The Navy, to BBC directing courses, right through to his final years. Truly a wonderful look back at an amazing man, who is much missed by friends, family and fans alike. A great, great piece.

Location Film - A reasonably short piece, but suitably nostalgic for this release. This is simply dome, mute, 8mm camera footage of Aldbourne, filmed during the location shooting of The Daemons. Not a great deal to say about it, because there's not a lot of it, but it holds the attention and isn't long enough to get boring. Very nice indeed.

Colourisation Test - The first attempt to recolour episode one in it's entirety. The slipping Doctor Who theme is enough to make you wince, but the recolourising is rather great if not of the quality that we now get as standard on these Classic Who releases. Interesting and holds the attention easily, and the colour looks great - even if it's a little brighter than it possibly should be.  

Tomorrow's World - A Doctor Who themed segment from 1993 looking at the first restoration of The Daemons, and how it was produced. Tomorrow's World was always very good at presenting these sort of explanations in an accessible and friendly way. Judith Hann introduces, and Howard Stableford walks us through how the first restoration was brought together via some spiffy TV technology. It's nice to see the TARDIS and the console turn up from an era when Doctor Who had already been off the air for four years, and it's a great look at how the restoration came to life.

Coming Soon Trailer - Silver cagouls!  Of course we should interfere; always do what you're best at!  Good boy K-9! Vraxoin! Name and date of birth! It's inexplicable! My arms, my legs, my everything! A veritable symphony of silliness, The Nightmare of Eden is the next release. it's time to play the music, it's time to light the lights...

It's hard to beat a Classic story, but a Classic story restored twice over and then given a great set of extras as an accompaniment wins hands down. The restoration is top notch and with the retrospective of The Daemons ticking all the right boxes, a look at how the first restoration was achieved, and a perfectly pitched look back at Barry Letts' life and career - this release is an absolute must for fans!

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Manufacturer: BBC Worldwide Consumer Products

Written By: Chris Boucher

RRP: £20.42

Release Date: 5th March 2012

Reviewed By: Dale Who for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 28th February 2012

The TARDIS lands in Hyde Park... oh wait. That's not Hyde Park. Could be a nexial discontinuity. Anyway, The Doctor (Tom Baker) walks into trouble between the tribes of the Tesh and the Sevateem in the latest single disc release from BBC Worldwide. Teaming up with local friendly savage Leela (Louise Jameson), the Time Lord must pit his wits against local mad deity Xoanon; a demented creature with a very familiar appearance.

Special Features:

Feature Commentary - This time, the title music leads us into Toby Hadoke presiding over Louise Jameson, Leslie Schofield (Caleb), David Garfield, (Neeva), Harry H. Fielder (bloke who gets shot whilst trying to kill Leela) and John McGlashan (cameraman) round the table. Lots of talking here this time in a very busy commentary, but it's never too much, and Toby moderates very well, as usual. Entertaining, and informative, but Louise rightly steals the show.

Into The Wild - A look at the making of The Face Of Evil.  A remarkably strange opening using the mountain model of Tom Baker's head and some remarkably fun 3D text, leading into Philip Hinchcliffe talking into what led into the story's origins. Taking in the departure of Elisabeth Sladen, and Tom's desire to be assistant-less in the show.

Louise Jameson and Pennant Roberts talk abouth their long, intermeshed careers (see "Tenko"). Also covered are *that* costume, Mat Irvine's first run as Visual FX Designer, and how to make an impressive jungle out of ventilation hoses. An informative, calm but fun retropsective, with a rather fun cameo by Anthony Frieze; who, you may ask, is he? Watch and find out!! There's also a very touching and deserving tribute to the late Pennant Roberts, director extraordinaire, who died in 2010.

From The Cutting Room Floor - A short series of film trims from the story, very cleverly shown in context using the episodes themselves. The film itself and the camera angles used are archive in nature so somewhat scratchy and jumpy, but it's a nice chance to see how things were filmed and trimmed to make the episodes work in the best possible way. A couple of filming clangers make it onto the screen as well; and the music in the background is wonderfully epic, and really makes the piece fly.

Tomorrow's Times: The Fourth Doctor - The occasional series returns for a look at Tom Baker's Doctor. Starting with the tones of the late great, Nicholas Courtney, the Points of View style show is this time hosted by the lovely, and very calm Wendy Padbury (Zoe Herriot from the Patrick Troughton era of Doctor Who). The wonderfully cliched and hackneyed accents paraded out are hilarious. It does show just how ridiculous and venomous some of the tabloid press have been over the years to Tom Baker's Doctor. A very interesting look at the show's coverage in the press; notably for the press' negative reactions when audience figures were on the rise.

Doctor Who Stories: Louise Jameson - Taken from the 2003 documentary "The Story of Doctor Who", Louise Jameson talks about her casting as Leela. As laways, Louise is witty and very switched on as to her time on Who and is always lovely to listen to and watch, and her memories are fun-filled and thoroughly entertaining. To be completely honest, some of this is covered in the Into The Wild retrospective elsewhere on the disc, but Louise is so terribly sweet and enchanting you won't mind. This woman could read the phonebook aloud and it'd be a hit! Thankfully, this is a great deal more entertaining than the phone book! Robert Homes, Tom Baker, and as always, the costume, get mentions, and a glorious defence of robot superdog K-9.  

Swap Shop - The other perennial Saturday programme from the BBC in the mid 1970s was Multi Coloured Swap Shop. A three hour mix of cartoons, interviews and pop music helmed by Noel Edmonds, ably assisted by Posh Paws the dinosaur. Here, Louise Jameson joins Noel on the sofa to discuss energy levels, life with the Royal Theatre Company, and possibly the best fan letter I've ever seen from a young girl called Catherine. Great stuff, if very, very dated.  

Denys Fisher Toys Advert - Oh good Lord.  From an era when you could buy a large toy for £5.99 (that being "the famous TARDIS") comes this advert for the Denys Fisher range of Doctor Who toys. Ranging from an excellent Giant Robot to a dreadful Cyberman, complete with nose; and whilst Doctor Who leaves Leela in the lurch  by disappearing in the TARDIS in the face on an impending Dalek attack. Great stuff!

Coming Soon Trailer - BBC Three! As thy will so mote it be! Miss Hawthorn! The Cloven Hoof! "Jenkins, chap with the wings there; five rounds rapid!" - The Daemons is out on the 19th March, re-re-mastered and on a double disc release!

As always with the Classic Series releases, the sound and vision are spot on thanks to digital remastering, and comes complete with the usual regular features of Audio Navigation and Subtitles for those who may want or need them, and the usual Radio Times PDF listings. Also included as standard are a Photo Gallery of behind the scenes and publicity shots, and the Info Text option to bring up on-screen facts, figures and trivia  during the programme's run.

Thirty five years after its original airing on television, The Face Of Evil stands up incredibly well as a good solid story, and with some great moments from Tom Baker and Louise Jameson stealing the show. The DVD showcases the story perfectly with a great remastering, and the extras on the disc expand very nicely on the story, rightly focussing on the introduction of Leela; and giving the firm fan favourite a great chance to shine and enchant us all over again.

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Manufacturer: BBC DVD / 2|Entertain

Written By: Kit Pedler, Gerry Davis, Bob Baker, Dave Martin & Chris Boucher

RRP: £35.75

Release Date: 13th February 2012

Reviewed By: Dale Who for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 2nd February 2012

The Tomb of the Cybermen: Special Edition

Disc One:

Looking pin-sharp and sounding rich and vibrant on this two-disc BBC / 2|entertain release, as part of the Revisitations Box 3 set, Patrick Troughton's incarnation of The Doctor lands the TARDIS on Telos. He and his companions Jamie (Frazer Hines) and new arrival Victoria (Deborah Watling) run into an archaeological expedition and a lot of deep frozen, large silver chaps with handles on their heads with an arsenal of Cyberguns and robotic pets. However, even when the dreaded Cybermen start to awaken there's more danger to come, when the Cyber Controller arrives on the scene. Can the Doctor and his friends overcome the Telosian menaces and the hostile intentions of Kaftan and Klieg? Or will the Cyber Controller have his way and be able to put a converted Time Lord into his deep freeze Tomb?

Special Features:

Commentary 1 - Deborah Watling and Frazer Hines give a gentle, calm and yet engrossing and enthralling voice-over to the story. It's all very calm and understated, and the two stars are entertaining, informative and give a unique perspective on the story. Simply lovely, and from the original release of this story.

Commentary 2 - The new commentary for this disc features Toby Hadoke in the captain's chair, with Victor Pemberton (Script Editor) and Bernard Holley (Peter Haydon) for episode one only, and then replaces them with Shirley Cooklin (Kaftan), Deborah Watling (Victoria) and Frazer Hines (Jamie) to discuss the story, behind the scenes, Cybermat chases and short skirts. A great new addition to the story, and filled with fun, laughter and insights into the production of The Tomb of the Cybermen.  

Morris Barry Introduction - Morris Barry (Director) talks about the trials of casting Cyber Controllers with no lines and explicit foam effects that upset the bosses. A short piece to camera that does exactly what it says on the tin, set in the middle of a Cyber head display.

Title Sequence Tests - Another 'does exactly what it says on the tin' piece. This time, test logos, howl-around sequences and photos of Patrick Troughton being messed around with to produce the second glorious opening to the world's longest running science fiction series. Simple (relatively!), but oh-so-effective, and set to the full original theme tune. Who needs CGI, hmm?

Late Night Line Up - The BBC2 magazine show takes a brief look a look at the visual effects department's output. With a very young Joan Bakewell looking at "children's science fiction" show Doctor Who - as opposed to "adult" science fiction and horror. Featuring Cyber Controllers and Cybermats, and a very familiar looking fly that was later repainted for The Green Death! Head of department Jack Kine shows us around in a short but fun piece.

The Final End - The Daleks manage to get a look-in here too, as the model and FX shots of the epic battle at the climax of The Evil of the Daleks get another airing. Featuring a lot of Louis Marx "Tricky Action" toy Daleks milling around, and some full size Dalek props - and the Emperor Dalek - meeting a large amount of explosives, and losing convincingly. Set to the original soundtrack taken from the story. Another short, fun piece taken from the original DVD release.

Info Text - Production notes, facts, figures and trivia along with actor biographies and behind the scenes snippets stream on-screen whilst the drama plays, and adds more fun to the story.  

Coming Soon Trailer - Not Hyde Park. Leela. Horda. Lots of men wearing very little indeed, and a mad computer called Xoanon. The next release is The Face of Evil, starring Tom Baker's Doctor and introducing Louise Jameson as the 'savage' Leela. Jelly babies and janis thorns not included.

Easter Egg - A little hidden gem hiding behind an emerald green Doctor Who logo on one of the menus that's guaranteed to raise a smile. Short but very, very sweet. 

As always. there's the usual Radio Times PDFs, and an extensive Photo Gallery of publicity and behind the scenes shots on the disc as well; with Subtitles and Audio Navigation for those who may want or need it.

But wait!! That's JUST disc one - and while that alone would be a top notch release with the amount crammed onto the DVD, there's a whole second disc to contend with!

Disc Two:

The Lost Giants - The making of Tomb is explored in this retrospective, with clips, and talking heads galore including Shirley Cooklin and Victor Pemberton. A fascinating look at where the story's origins lie, the direction and energy from Morris Barry, his methods of conducting people and much more. Covered in this half hour featurette are the production crew, the casting on the story, the evolution and the look of the 'Tomb' Cybermen and why the imagery has endured so well.

The backdrops used in the interviews - animated CGI from Rob Semenoff - are terribly clever and well done, with the Cyber energising room and the main control chamber being recreated very faithfully and cleverly... and then they start moving and doing little unexpected things that make you stop and stare.

This look back at how the Tomb was created and put together is both enterrtaining and informative, and a great new extra for this story.

The Curse of the Cybermen's Tomb - A look at the story's parallels with Egyptology and King Tut's tomb being discovered. It's very telling at just how close The Tomb of the Cybermen and the Tomb of King Tut are, design wise. Cybermats are scarab beetles, and of course the mummies (who would star in their own right much later on with the Pyramids of Mars) are the Cybermen. And then there's George Pastell who stars in the Hammer Horror Mummy films.

An interesting look at the origins of the story, curses of Pharoahs that may or may not exist, and where the Cybermen fit in, presented by two Egyptology experts who are engaging and affable.

Cybermen Extended Edition - With an opening shot that looks like it was taken straight out of the BBC's Sherlock, that then morphs into The Invasion's Cyber invasion in London. Matthew Sweet writes, narrates and presents this look at how the Cybermen evolved from humans to Cyber form in both Classic and New Who.  

Some very nice CGI work and what looks like the predecssor to Mister Smith from The Sarah Jane Adventures, help demonstrate the process graphically, which really [and possibly inadvertently] look like they could be taken from the old 1970s BBC version of The Hitch-Hikers Guide To The Galaxy.

Utilising clips from The Tenth Planet right through to the Pandorica's Cybermen and all inbetween, this should be a fun and interesting look at the Cybermen.. but there's a weak link here, and sadly, it's presenter Sweet himself and his supposedly clever and witty script. It's not great it has to be said. His narration is somewhat condescending and too self indulgent, and takes away from the true greatness and horror of these metallic giants. It pokes fun at, instead of being suitably reverential to Doctor Who's second most-memorable baddies. Perhaps if someone Cyber converted the presenter it would be rather more entertaining. Can't fault the clips, the graphics or the history, but the sardonic tone really lets this piece down.

As always. there's the usual Radio Times PDFs, and an extensive Photo Gallery of publicity and behind the scenes shots on the disc as well; with Subtitles and Audio Navigation for those who may want or need it.

The Tomb of the Cybermen: Special Edition is great, with excellent restoration and some amazing extras to back up the release. The story is strong and all but one of the extras are perfectly pitched and set out; it's just a real shame that the one piece that should have been the jewel in it's crown is let down by ridiculing rather than lauding these iconic men of steel, and as it's the last item on the disc, it may leave a slightly bitter taste to what is otherwise a perfect release.

The Three Doctors: Special Edition

Disc One:

Something large and sinister is hunting The Doctor whilst threatening Gallifrey and the rest of the Universe in this two-disc release as part of the Revisitatons Box 3 set from the BBC / 2|entertain stable. With Gallifrey unable to assist the Time Lord, they organise a time stream merger so the Time Lord can help himself...several times over. Can three Doctors overcome the greatest threat they've ever faced?

Special Features:

Commentary - Oh, this one will tug at the heart strings as well and amusing and entertaining. Two dearly departed voices and one very much alive and kicking voice; Barry Letts, Nicholas Courtney and the ever fun Katy Manning discuss locations, trivia and filming of the story. It's light, fun, and not afraid to point out the somewhat less successful aspects of the production...like the Gel Guards movement. Thoroughly entertaining and informative, and a great remembrance for both Barry and Nick. Makes you very grateful Katy's still around, with that infectious laugh of hers!

Pebble Mill At One - Bernard Wilkie is the guest on this BBC lunchtime magazine show to talk about props, monsters and costumes, and brings with him a Death to the Daleks-style Dalek, a Cyberman, Spiridons, Gel Guards, a Draconian and various other rubber uglies from that era. An oft screened piece that shows the level of work that goes into the monsters, and showcases them rather well.

Blue Peter - Peter Purves (one Steven Taylor from the Hartnell era) introduces Jon Pertwee and his Whomobile in this 1973 edition of the children's show. Once Pertwee's been and gone in that insane car, there's a retrospective look back at ten years of Doctor Who with the previous Doctors, companions, monsters, and gadgets. Now infamous in Who fandom, as this was supposedly when The Tenth Planet episode four was lost, having been loaned to the Blue Peter office for use in clips.

BSB Highlights - 31 Who - The long since defunct Galaxy Channel of BSB (shortly after this it was taken over by the Murdoch empire) did a weekend-long marathon of Doctor Who, and here's the section relating to The Three Doctors. There's nothing new here, really, old facts recycled, and a taped interview with Jon Pertwee. Bob Baker and Dave Martin are there with their most famous creation, K-9, although it's not the original prop - it's the same one that's now in the Doctor Who Experience. They briefly discuss writing The Three Doctors, and the late John Nathan-Turner fills us in on the details. 31 Who's linking material has really not dated well...

The Five Faces Of Doctor Who Trailer - Fraud!  It's four faces and a team-up story!! The BBC2 season of repeats is plugged, almost to death, with this insanely overlong and boring trail. Running at around five minutes, the trail seems to pick the oddest moments to use as showcases for the stories themselves, and by the time it's gotten back to The Krotons you're losing the will to live.

BBC1 trailer - Unusual trailer in that it uses the Delaware version of the Doctor Who theme as the background music. A brief trailer for Episode One of The Three Doctors (at 5:45pm, after The Basil Brush Show at 5:15pm!).

40th Anniversary Promo Trail - Oh joy, another trailer. And in this case an entirely pointless one. Over-long, competely self-indulgent tosh made to advertise the DW40 video releases in 2003. Set to a rather badly edited version of Orbital's Doctor Who tribute (which, when not cut up and mucked around with, is a great piece). Frankly dreadful.

Into Text - More trivia and factoids, biographies and interesting tidbits served up onscreen during the story.

As always. there's the usual Radio Times PDFs, with Subtitles and Audio Navigation for those who may want or need it.

Disc Two:

Happy Birthday to Who - A 25 minute, new retrospctive of the anniversary adventure that reunited Doctors One, Two and Three. Terrance Dicks and the late, great Barry Letts discuss the problems faced with getting William Hartnell's performance, and what happen when the Doctor that was a stickler for lines and cues met the Doctor that liked things a little more free and flexible. Entertaining and despite the obvious negative elements that need to be addressed in the show, it never dwells or lets itself get too maudlin. 

Was Doctor Who Rubbish? - [sarcasm] Yes, of course it was. That's why we're buying the DVDs and still watching it almost fifty years later [/sarcasm]. Possibly the single most pointless extra ever to materialise on a Doctor Who DVD. In one of the worst cases witnessed of preaching to the converted, some fans of the show defend it against the criticism it has faced over the years relating to bad monsters, bad acting and wobbly sets; whilst shooting itself in the foot by running the footage of The Myrka from Warriors of the Deep being spectacularly awful. Doctor Who is not awful, but this lamentable fifteen minute list of 'things that don't suck about Doctor Who' (if you'll pardon the modern vernacular) most definitely is rubbish. Really, really rubbish.

Girls, Girls, Girls - the 1970s - And from the worst extra ever to one of the absolute best. The 1970s episode of this occasional series (started elsewhere on another DVD with the 1980s edition) has the scientist, the spy and the savage sitting together to discuss feminism, outfits, casting and Doctors. Caroline John (Liz Shaw), Katy Manning (Jo Grant) and Louise Jameson (Leela) provide a quality discussion that's always fun and light-hearted but clever, insightful and raises some valid points about not just Doctor Who, but acting in general. As with the 1980s edition, the simple format is magical in it's results, and shows that those lovely ladies who tagged along with The Doctor are far, far more than just a pretty woman to keep the Dads watching after Grandstand. Easily the best extra of the release. Nothing short of outstanding.

Photo Gallery - It's big, it's pretty, and it's been shunted to disc two this time. The promos, publicity and private shots of the tenth anniversary story. Plenty of shots of the Time Lords, those wonderfully daft Gel Guards, and the Doctors. Set to lots of lovely sound effects that will set your teeth on edge.

As always. there's the usual Radio Times PDFs, with Subtitles and Audio Navigation for those who may want or need it.

The Three Doctors works well as a story, however there's not as much that's new to watch on this release. Whilst it has one of the very best extras available, it also has one of the very worst, and you'll need to be a real trailer afficionado to work your way through some parts of this re-release. Honestly, however, it would be worth getting even if it was simply the story, the commentary and the 'Girls, Girls, Girls' segment. Less impressive than the other two stories in this set, but still a good release, rather than a great one.

The Robots Of Death: Special Edition

The Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) and Leela (Louise Jameson) arrive on a Sandminer - a trundling behemoth of a vehicle designed to extract minerals from the surface of any given planet. However, something sinister is going on inside the miner, and the human crew are being killed one at a time, whilst their robot cohabitants carry on calmly with their duties of extracting minerals and being reprogrammed by an on-board traitor. This single disc release from the BBC / 2|Entertain, forms part of the Revisitations Box 3 set, with a raft of new and fun extras guaranteed to delight anyone (providing they're not a Voc).

Special Features:

Commentary 1 - Philip Hinchcliffe (Producer) and Chris Boucher (Writer) provide quite a serious voice-over track for this tale, taken from the original release of this DVD. Not much larking around in this commentary, it's all very calm and professional; however...

Commentary 2 - Tom Baker (The Doctor), Louise Jameson (Leela), Pamela Salem (Toos) and Michael Briant (Director) have a lot more fun in the second commentary; newly recorded for this special edition re-release. There's laughs and love a-plenty, and the warmth for the story shows through easily. Entertaining and slightly less informative than the first commentary, but it doesn't matter due to the wonderful atmosphere created, you can help but get lost in the mood. It's also evident that the cast hold Michael Briant in high esteem, from their recollections here and elsewhre on the disc.

The Sandmine Murders - A new retrospective of The Robots of Death, using many clips - very nicely framed on the TARDIS scanner of the time, with Tom Baker, Louise Jameson, Philip Hinchcliffe and a whole slew of other faces queue up to discuss the ups and downs of filming. The story's roots in Agatha Christie are also explored, as well as how the Sandminer came about.

There's an evident amount of affection for this story from all involved, both at the time and retrospectively. Costumes and set design, robot manufacturing and how to mollycoddle difficult leading men all come up in the course of this half hour featurette, but it's all kept very light and happy and holds the attention very well indeed.

Robophobia - Toby Hadoke presents a ridiculously funny look at the robot, as he puts it, "more specifically the Doctor Who variety". Unlike the attempts at humour on The Tomb of the Cybermen DVD, which came across as snide, this is a fun and affectionate look at the robot menaces in Doctor Who - mentioning, of course, the goodies too (who's a good dog?) as a balance. It's only a short piece at ten minutes or so, but it proves that some extras can be insanely funny when done properly, and Toby Hadoke pitches this one perfectly.

Hadoke's reverential yet very precisely silly humour is bang on target, and you get to see why it is that Hadoke's Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf is such an ongoing favourite wth fans, cast and crew alike; for Toby has a great line in comedy and an obvious love for the subject matter.  

Studio Sound - A short, interesting comparison of the sound as recorded in studio, with the original voice of SV7 as recorded on set from the actor inside the mask. The level in sound quality between the segment and the finished product is remarkable, as is the reduction in the background noise and things like doors shutting noisily before the sound effects are added. A very short piece at around two minutes, but it gives a rare insight into just how much work goes into making the most mundane everyday noises sound clear and crisp for television.

Model Shots - Unused model footage from The Robots of Death, including mute footage of the Sandminer in various views and zooms. The footage, being vintage itself, isn't of the best quality any more, but it's interesting to see various planetary views and shots of the mining vessel we didn't get to see on-screen. It's also very apparent that someone liked to be very liberal and generous with the dry ice machine...although as it creeps and rolls forward in one scene it's eerily reminiscent of the 1980 movie version of James Herbert's The Fog! There's around five or six minutes of this silent timecoded footage to sit through, but it's not too painful to endure.

Studio Floor Plan - A weird one, this. The studio floor plan that tells you what was where (for example the TARDIS control room set) and then lets you zoom into it for a closer look. Certainly something never done on these DVDs before, but really not that enthralling unless you're heavily into your sets and placing of consoles. An interesting curio however, and yet more information to the wealth already on the DVD.

Continuity - The 1970s BBC1 globe with voice over announces the start of a new four part adventure (this one!) and a caption slide as used for Season Fourteen of the show. Entertaining in showing the technology the spinning globe employed at the time in vivid blue and yellow. Short and wonderfully dated.

Photo Library - The usual range of publicity and behind the scenes stills from the story, shedding some light and some new angles on what was a very clever and novel design for the interiors of the Sandminer and the crew living quarters, and the robots themselves.  Nicely presented as always.

With the usual Radio Times PDFs and Audio Navigation and Subtitles for those who may need them, this repackaged and re-released DVD works really well on its own but as part of the Revisitations Box 3 set, slots very nicely into a growing range of exceptionally well-covered Doctor Who stories.

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Manufacturer: BBC DVD / 2|Entertain

Written By: Peter R. Newman

RRP: £20.42

Release Date: 23rd January 2012

Reviewed By: Dale Who for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 26th January 2012

The original TARDIS crew land aboard a spaceship in this latest single disc release from the BBC / 2|Entertain stable.  The Doctor (William Hartnell), his granddaughter (Carole Ann Ford) and that remarkably cool pair of school teachers Barbara (Jacqueline Hill) and Ian (William Russell) walk into a mystery of reanimatng corpses and strange atmospheres. Prevented from leaving by the theft of the entire TARDIS lock mechanism, the travellers must join forces with an Earth crew to do very quiet battle with a species that really don't like it when you shout...

As always, the print is fresh and sharp, and the audio quality excellent, and this often overlooked and undervalued story is a tight, claustrophobic and clever tale that's highly enjoyable - and is now backed up by a series of great extras.

Special Features:

Commentary - Toby Hadoke is once more in the Captain's Chair for this commentary with William Russell (Ian Chesterton), Carole Ann Ford (Susan Foreman) and designer and Dalek co-creator Ray Cusick as they gather together to discuss the story, the sets and the atmosphere. There's many giggles and laughs from Carole and William, with a little more serious talk from Mr Cusick. Always interesting, and informative - a really well brought together team enrich the release with ease. Very nicely done.

Looking For Peter - The always engaging Toby Hadoke (yes, him again!) embarks upon a hunt for the Doctor Who writer Peter R Newman. Not going to be easy, considering there's not a lot written online - or aywhere else about the man. Calling in everyone from Rob Shearman (Dalek) to the mighty Doctor Who Magazine, Toby turns detective to look at this enigma in the Doctor Who world... Their results... well, you'll have to watch it and find out!  Little visual treats include a few Daleks and the occasional TARDIS in Toby's place, a split second glimpse of the Doctor Who scarf (sans moths) from his one-man show, and visual proof that he needs to clean his DVD remote control...

Vision On: Clive Doig - he of Jigsaw, and the aforenamed Vision On, talks about his time as a vision mixer on Doctor Who in the 1960s. With mentions on fluffed lines and things that didn't work (we're looking at you, TARDIS doors!) and producers' quirks to discussing Who's successes with the late, great Verity Lambert. A fun little piece on early Doctor Who, with possibly the best title music available. If you ever sent in a piece of artwork to The Gallery from Vision On or Take Hart; or if you remember Morph or the wonderful, much-missed Tony Hart, you'll recognise the music instantly!

Secret Voices of the Sense Sphere - A very short piece on a mystery voice talking behind Susan in The Sensorites, and what caused the technical blunder that let us hear her... quite interesting for a two minute featurette, really. Also lets you know just what the equipment was like in the studio during the early years of Who. Hardly vitally important information we all need to know, but like all the best little snippets of Doctor Who infomation, it sheds light on something fromt he show's past in a fun, entertaining way.

Coming Soon Trailer - Not one story, but three!  Revisitions Box 3: The Robots of Death, The Three Doctors, and The Tomb of the Cybermen all get a refreshed release with new extras and new techniques of restoration applied to them; and from the clips shown, all three look amazing!

Info Text - The usual on-screen text during the story gives facts, figures, biographies and trivia whilst the drama plays out; including in Episode One, a breakdown of a visually stunning and unique piece of camera trickery and scene cutting in classic Doctor Who, that lends a huge amount of credence to the idea of the TARDIS' dimensional properties.

Photo Gallery - The usual selection of publicity shots and behind the scenes shots of the cast, crew and sets from The Sensorites, all looking sharp and wonderful, and sets to a variety of strange and wonderful noises from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop that sound like a mix of the TARDIS going haywire mixed with a Hoover heading for a breakdown. The pictures also show how wonderfully daft the Sensorites' costumes are...especially their feet!

The usual Subtitles and Audio Navigation for those who may want or need it, and the PDF Radio Times clippings and programme segments finish off this release nicely.

The Sensorites DVD does a lot to redress the various injustices thrown at the story over the years, giving it a smart new makeover so it looks and sounds great, and some solid backup featurettes. It may never be the huge fan favourite it deserves to be, but there's a lot of love about this story, and indeed this release. A great addition to the First Doctor stories, and a worthwhile purchase for any fan of Doctor Who and it's early years.

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Manufacturer: BBC DVD / 2|Entertain

Written By: Malcolm Hulke & Terry Nation

RRP: £30.63

Release Date: 9th January 2012

Reviewed By: Dale Who for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 8th January 2012

Invasion Of The Dinosaurs

Disc One:

The TARDIS arrives back in present day London, bringing The Doctor (Jon Pertwee) to a deserted capital city. However the TARDIS isn't the only time machine operating in the area; and it's up to the Time Lord and his companion Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) to work out who's responsible for the rather large stegasaurus in the middle of Pall Mall in this two disc release from the BBC / 2|Entertain stable; forming one of the two stories making up the U.N.I.T Files Box-set.

Special Features:

Disc One is almost entirely devoted to the six part story, but there are a few little buttons to press that do things...

Episode One in Colour - Episode one is now presented in both formats - both the black and white version that existed in the archives, and now, a re-coloured version.  It's a very nice feeling being able to see the story entirely in colour, and even though the restoration can be a little patchy in parts, it serves well as an option for viewing. Having said that, the black and white version does lend a touch more credibility to the programme's dinosaur shaped co-stars.

Commentary - One of the highlights of recent Doctor Who DVDs is listening to the very smooth tones of Toby Hadoke introducing the commentary; and this time we hear more of him, as well as Paddy Russell; the director of this six part story. The pair work very well together, and Paddy is never less than entertainingly honest and forthright. A welcome addition to the story as it diverts the attention from some of the less successful elements featured, and a great extra.

Coming Soon Trailer - The original TARDIS crew have to keep their cool, their wits, and their voices down when the Sensorites steal the lock of the time machine. Can the Doctor save the Humans, broker peace, and get the TARDIS restored? The Sensorites DVD is the next release.

Production Notes - Behind the scenes information, actors careers and of course those all-conquering dinosaurs are discussed in the on-screen trivia text featured on the disc. As usual with these notes, they're informative, entertaining and always good for raising a smile or two.

Easter Egg - The Doctor vs the Floor Manager in an entirely boring ten second extra... find the hidden light up green Doctor Who logo!

Disc Two:

Special Featres:

Power, People and Puppetry - A half hour look back at the people and production of the story, featuring both cast and crew. Particularly entertaining are Barry Letts and Paddy Russell - especially when it comes to the introduction of the Whomobile. Also with previously taped interview excerpts of interviews with the late, great Jon Pertwee, including a riotously funny account of the Police vs Doctor Who in his super space car.

The featurette, for all it's great interviews, isn't presented that well, and you're really never sure whether the host of the piece is for or against the story - if he's for, then his choice of launguage used to describe the story is lacking. One of the major plusses however is that it doesn't dwell on the dinosaurs too long - we all know they weren't the greatest models ever used in Doctor Who, and it's good that the documentary doesn't linger unnecessarily over this fact. It's touched upon honestly and with humour, but it never overshadows the rest of the featurette.

Doctor Who Stories: Elisabeth Sladen: Part One - Culled from "The Story Of Doctor Who", this featurette does two things: it makes you remember just how great Sarah Jane Smith was, and it breaks your heart when you think that Lis Sladen is no longer with us to reprise that great character. Featured in part one are her experiences with the Third Doctor, from her meeting with Barry Letts and Jon Pertwee, through her memories of Daleks, Exxilons and Whomobiles. It's hardly new material, or in most cases new stories and anecdotes, but it's just great to see such a wonderful Doctor Who legend on screen looking so full of life, even if knowing there'll be no more new stories adds a piquancy to the featurette.

Now And Then - A guide to the various London shooting locations used in the story as they appeared in 1973, and as they are now. Some very nice footage comparison via picture in picture and some great clips used from the show, but with a voice over that sounds like the narrator would rather be elsewhere... and he can't say the word "nuclear", opting instead for "new-kew-lar".

John Levene Commentary - A ten minute featurette of Sergeant Benton's alter ego - John Levene - giving his thoughts on this story. Not terribly long, but if you're a fan of Levene you'll probably enjoy this short piece.

Billy Smart's Circus - There are very few programmes in television history where the star's minute long cameo could send thousands of children into paroxysms of delight. Doctor Who is definitely one of those programmes, as this brief clip of Jon Pertwee [turning up in the Whomobile at this televised circus extravaganza] shows. Jon is clearly amused by his child hosts and their inability to remember their lines or stage directions; but there are few things quite as memorable to a child as hearing the Doctor Who theme start up and the Doctor himself arriving a few feet away from you. Great little piece of telly trivia and nostalgia. Nice of the BBC to caption Jon as "Dr. Who" onscreen, too...

On Disc Two the usual Photo Gallery of cast and production stills and the PDF Radio Times listings are included, and on Disc One there are Subtitles and Audio Description Facilities for those who may want or need them for the main story.

Invasion of the Dinosaurs, whilst not being the most obvious choice for a UNIT story is nonetheless very entertaining, and the recolourisation of episode one is especially welcome. The extras are for the most part well thought out and devised. It's a great DVD release overall, and works well when twinned with the other story in this set, The Android Invasion starring Tom Baker's Doctor.

The Android invasion

In the second part of this two story set, the errant Time Lord (this time Tom Baker in the title role) lands the TARDIS in Devesham, not far away from the Space Defence Station. However as the Doctor and Sarah (Elisabeth Sladen) explore their surroundings, it becomes increasingly obvious that all is not what it seems; with fake trees, people and a set of grumpy space rhinos out to conquer the Earth.

Long before the Judoon, there were the Kraals. The original grumpy space rhino in a manic string vest/1960s dress combo - no wonder they were so annoyed! In a story that borrows rather a lot from Invasion of the Bodysnatchers there's a lot of tension and drama that plays out well. It's a great story, well-plotted, paced and acted, and the extras on this release really support that theme well.

Special Features:

Life After Who: Philip Hinchcliffe - Presented and perfectly pitched by BBC News presenter and daughter of the interviewee Celina Hinchcliffe; this featurette shows just what a versatile producer Philip Hinchcliffe was, and showcases some of the work that kept us glued to our screens away from the TARDIS. A very well paced segment that's interesting and convivial, Life After Who showcases the career of a talented witty man who, although mostly remembered for working on Doctor Who, had a hand in many other memorable programmes. Great piece!

Commentary - Toby Hadoke is in the command chair once more, this time with Philip Hinchcliffe (producer), Milton Johns (Guy Crayford in the story) and Marion McDougall, the Production Assistant on this story. Quite a gentle commentary but always interesting and amusing to listen to. Hadoke is, as always, a very engaging host and the commentary on this story is never forced and strung out. Very nicely done.

Weetabix Advert - John Scott Martin inside what looks like a repainted Supreme Dalek from Planet of the Daleks, and sounding like the voice is his too! Made to promote the range of cut out and keep figures, this entertaining short piece of televisual fluff from the 1970's diverts the attention for a minute or so, and leaves you wondering where a Dalek found a red plunger...

The Village That Came To Life - Nick Briggs; the voice of everything these days - presents this behind the scenes look at the origins, filming and story behind The Android Invasion. Some locals in a pub are interviewed (one of whom has a worryingly prophetic name...) and Hinchcliffe et al provide their thoughts and opinions on what worked, what didn't, and... Tom Baker.  There's a very nice bit in this retrospective from Hinchcliffe about a lacklustre episode ending he spiced up into one of the Classic Series' most frightening and remembered cliffhangers. Very well put together and a lot of interesting talking heads.

Photo Gallery - Set to a bizarre mix of incidental music and weird Kraal noises, the sets, actors and locations for The Android Invasion captured in photographs. Black and white and colour photos, publicity shots, and a particularly charming picture of the late Lis Sladen, signing autographs for kids on location, with Tom Baker behind her doing the same. Lis looks very happy and content, and it's a lovely picture to remember her with.

Info Text - The usual on-screen subtitle trivia section. Facts, figures, audience shares and suchlike are paraded across your screen in a friendly and accessible format. As always, the trivia text even comes up with what the Radio Times was saying about each episode. Frivolous fun that holds the attention well.

Easter Egg - Yes, there's another one on this disc, and it's marginally more interesting than the one on the Invasion of the Dinosaurs disc...Marginally.

With the usual Subtitles for those who may want or need them, and the PDF Radio Times excerpts included on this disc, The Android Invasion is a fantasitc story and the disc can still easily engross the viewer, many years later from the original showing.

The U.N.I.T Files Box-set as a whole works well, even if the stories chosen (especially The Android Invasion) aren't what you'd usually expect for a set about the Doctor's friends and allies in the Armed Forces. However, on a different level, the stories do work very well as tributes for two of the Whoniverse's most-loved and much-missed actors, who passed away in 2011. Nick Courtney and the glorious Elisabeth Sladen are both showcased by this set, and that alone would be reason enough for buying it - even if the rest wasn't up to scratch. Happily, the extras on U.N.I.T Files do both stories proud, and make a great addition to the explanding Doctor Who library available on DVD.

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Manufacturer: BBC DVD / 2|Entertain

Written By: Malcolm Hulke

RRP: £20.42

Release Date: 3rd October 2011

Reviewed By: Dale Who for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 17th October 2011

The Doctor (Jon Pertwee) manages to get the TARDIS working... almost, and he and his companion Jo Grant (Katy Manning) arrive on the planet Uxarieus in the middle of a feud between a band of Colonists and a division of the Interplanetary Mining Corporation. En route to sort out the dispute is an Adjudicator from Earth, who may not be all he seems either. Can The Doctor overcome killer robots, giant lizards, primitive tribesmen, prune headed priests and Gail from Coronation Street, save the day and get Miss Grant safely back to Earth, or will an old adversary win the day?  You can find out on this new single disc DVD release from BBC DVD / 2|Entertain, out now.  With all six episodes looking sharp and sounding great and some entertaining and fun extras to compliment the story, it's time to step inside the TARDIS for her first flight of the Pertwee era...

Commentary - It's a very busy commentary this time round as Toby Hadoke guides his six guests through the story. Katy Manning (Jo), Bernard Kay (Caldwell), and Morris Perry (Captain Dent and no relation to Arthur Dent) join up with script editor Terrance Dicks, director Michael Briant and assistant floor manager Graeme Harper to relive their memories of the adventure.  Vey enertaining, and Katy is always very entertaining to listen to.

From The Cutting Room Floor - Annotated edits and trims from the filming of the story; location filming and model filming trims are used.  You do get the idea of just how appalling some of the conditions on locations actually were.  Mud, anyone?  There's almost thirteen mintes of trims and edits and shots, and it does tend to drag on somewhat, unless you're a real fan of these things.

IMC Needs You! - As an extra, this deserves prizes for keeping you entertained and giggling at the behind the scenes view. From seas of clay in freezing temperatures, via very unusual TARDIS landings and a spectacular and funny animation inviting you to grow a moustache. Most of the same crew as in the commentary are here on-screen giving life to the trials and tribulations of IMC robots and the problems of getting them through an average doorway...

By far the funniest revelation from director Michael Briant is why the TARDIS behaves so oddly when she materialises; an effect that has sparked many a fan debate over the decades. Was the landing due to the Time Lords controlling the TARDIS, or because of the shaky rebuilt dematerialisation circuit the Doctor's put together? Nope. To find out what it is... you'll have to watch.

A very light, fun, and well handled twenty five minute look back at Colony In Space, and it tackles the problems of the shoot without crossing over into regret or bitterness. Great stuff. And kust when you think it can't get any better, Briant re-appears on screen to talk about realising the diminutive alien hidden inside the wall, and the poor actor trying to give a performance with his neck almost breaking...

Photo Gallery - A selection of stills in colour and black and white, featuring the story's production, design and some well known publicity shots set to some background music/atmospheres, and the noise of that battered old blue box arriving.  Some very interesting pictures in there, no mater how much you know about the serial!

Coming Soon Trailer - Dinosaurs! Styggron! More dinosaurs! Dopplegangers and replica pubs! Two Doctors, one amazing assistant (tip of the hat to the glorious, and much much missed Lis Sladen), an irreplaceable and also greatly missed Brigadier (another hat tip to the wonderful Nicholas Courtney) and UNIT soldiers. Lots of UNIT soldiers. But then this is... The UNIT Box Set. Out in January! Oh, and there's dinosaurs. Did I mention there's dinosaurs? And UNIT soldiers.

With the usual production notes filling you in on trivia and factoids via their onscreen subtitles, subtitles for anyone who many want or need them, and the Radio Times listings for the story presented in PDF format for those on computers to peruse, Colony is a slightly long, but very rewarding story with a wealth of great performances, and the ever watchable Roger Delgado as the first incarnation of The Master. The characters are well rounded, and The Doctor, Jo, and a TARDIS exterior that had definitely seen better days have a blast. Well worth buying.

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Manufacturer: BBC DVD / 2|Entertain

Written By: Louis Marks

RRP: £20.42

Release Date: 12th September 2011

Reviewed By: Dale Who for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 31st August 2011

The Doctor (Jon Pertwee) is called on by UNIT to investigate a particularly murderous ghost; and from there he and his assistant Jo Grant (Katy Manning) are drawn into a web of time paradoxes, guerilla warfare and history changing events, all sponsored by those persistent perambulating pests...The Daleks! Can our intrepid hero, aided by UNIT, save Earth from World War Three and invasion by the cantankerous Kaleds?

Every now and again, something very special comes along on a Doctor Who DVD that stops you in your tracks and leaves you slack-jawed as to it's brilliance. This is one of those instances. This story has one of the most ambitious, well-done and ridiculously brilliant extras you could ever wish for...more of that in a moment.

The two disc set, from the BBC / 2|Entertain stable has the usual hallmarks of Classic Who as it is now presented; the original programme has been cleaned up and looks pin sharp and sounds clear and crisp, and there's a raft load of extras that really should not be missed. Incidentally, for those of you who like inane trivia, the original version of the story is the only one in Who history that keeps the sting (that's the electronic howl from the cliffhanger into the Who theme) on the recaps of episodes two and three.

Disc One:

Commentary - Anna Barry and Jimmy Winston (Anat and Shura respectively) talk us through the story with the late, great Barry Letts, and script editor Terrance Dicks. Also on hand to talk technicalities is vision mixer Mike Catherwood. The whole commentary is nicely paced, fun, and very entertaining to listen to.

Blasting the Past - Cast and crew old and new look back at the original story, it's strengths and weaknesses and what made it so successful. On hand are Katy Manning, Anna Barry and Jimmy Winston who were there at the time, being menaced by Rick Newby, who was inside one of the Daleks. Also contributing to this look back are Barry Letts and Terrance Dicks, John Friedlander (maker of monsters), and with further commentary from Dave Owen from DWM, new series writer Paul Cornell, Classic Series writer Ben Aaronovitch, and voice of pretty much everything these days Nicholas Briggs. Again, this half hour documentary has been handled with a lightness of touch that makes it flow very easily, and is very enjoyable to watch. It happily wallows in nostalgia without getting bogged down in it.

A View From The Gallery - Mike Catherwood and Barry Letts talk about the changing way Doctor Who was filmed and vision mixed over the years, as well as the technology then compared with now. This twenty minute piece shows just how well the two men know their craft, and can talk about it without getting monotonous. An illuminating little feature, that gives a clue into just how much technical expertise went into producing television in the 1970s.

Nationwide - A short piece from the BBC's flagship magazine programme of the time about a junior school that made the silly, silly mistake of winning the Radio Times writing competition...first prize: one working, crabby, angry Dalek. This report shows the somewhat smaller than expected pepperpot arriving at the school and the kids' reactions to it. Amusing nostalgia...you'll see the Dalek and nearly die laughing.

Blue Peter - Peter Purves is joined in the BP studio by the original TARDIS prop (looking in an absolutely terrible state!) and three Daleks to look back on his time during Doctor Who. Again, it's all amusing nostalgia, and a rare glimpse of how BBC Children's TV communicated to their audience over thirty years ago. Do wear sunglasses whilst watching this, as some of the fashions on display could easily burn out your eyes.

Coming Soon Trailer - Courtesy of the Time Lords remotely steering the TARDIS, The Doctor and Jo pitch up on the planet Uxarieus to face off with Reverend Magister, a walking prune, a rather violent IMC robot and some terribly unhappy miners. Colony In Space is next month's Classic Doctor Who release!

With the usual Info Text (which this month tells you where to spot edits and bloopers and gives an exhaustive rundown of Dudley Simpson's score for the show), a Photo Gallery and Subtitles for those who may want or need them, it's a great DVD...but wait...that's JUST Disc One!

Disc Two:

Day of the Daleks: Special Edition - New FX! New scenes! New Music! More Daleks! More Ogrons! More UNIT troops! New Dalek Voices! It's Doctor Who, Jim, but not as we know it!

Now although it's obviously the same story, it really doesn't feel like it. The team have done a stunning job in fixing things that could have been done better with more time and money (e.g: the Daleks' floating monitor has been stabilised, so it no longer looks like the start of "Victoria Wood As Seen On TV"), and they've tackled the big issues people have had with the show over the years - they've also addressed in the extras on the second disc.

The Making of Day of the Daleks: Special Edition - The producer of this Special Edition shows us what prompted the upgrade, what's been done, and how. Very entertaining and clever, this documentary showcases the level of love and interest that's gone into the package - even to the extent of making a brand new Day-era Dalek for help with filming some scenes! With contributions from all those involved, this is a must see, and gives a great insight into the level of dedication given to this revamp of a Classic story.

Now And Then - The latest in the series of "How much has it changed since we filmed Doctor Who there?" gives us an overview of what became Auderly House, and the tunnel, to see what, if anything, has changed. Toby Hadoke narrates the short piece.

The UNIT Family: Part Two - In the second part of this series, we get to see the strong "family" that was UNIT. Featuring contributions from the three UNIT regulars (including the much missed Nicholas Courtney), as well as Barry Letts, Katy Manning, and Derek Ware amongst others, this goes a long way to explaining the logic and thought into giving the Third Doctor a decent backup team. It also has some rather entertaining admissions and anecdotes from the cast and crew, which endears it no end to the viewer - Richard Franklin in particular being remarkably entertaining and witty.

The UNIT Dating Conundrum - Apparently, there are some people in fandom who want to know the dates/time frame of UNIT's involvement in Doctor Who. Why they would want to know such a thing is a matter for discussion somewhere else, but in case you are one of those people, Toby Hadoke tries to piece it all together using the very few dates there are to go on. Terrance Dicks, Ben Aaronovitch, and Dave Owen don't help at all, and by the end of it poor Toby is being carted off in one of those special dinner jackets with the wrap around arms.

The Cheating Memory - Steve Broster goes on a journey to try and find out why Day of the Daleks was so different in reality from the memory of his six year old self. A fascinating extra, with input from a psychologist as well as the usual talking heads featured on this DVD; namely Nicholas Briggs and Ben Aaronovitch. It is something that most Doctor Who fans can relate to, having memories of something being insanely epic, scary, and frightening when you were little, only to watch it again and feel yourself deflate as the second viewing doesn't live up to your memories of the first. A wonderfully worthwhile piece, and very enlightening.

Day of the Daleks: Special Edition is a masterpiece. With both the original and the frankly amazing redux of the story on the release, it's bound to keep all parties happy. The new version is simply stunning, and well worth the time, money and effort spent on the release. This is a must buy, a simply-cannot-miss DVD, and bears repeated watching to find just what's been changed and updated. It's not all CGI Dalek rays, there's some very subtle tiny touches as well that make the release even more enjoyable when you discover them.

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Manufacturer: BBC DVD / 2|Entertain

Written By: Robert Holmes

RRP: £20.42

Release Date: 1st August 2011

Reviewed By: Dale Who for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 16th July 2011

The Doctor (Tom Baker) lands the ever unreliable TARDIS on Pluto, a dwarf planet on the outermost reaches of our solar system, where he finds it isn't the cold, barren, lifeless rock he was expecting. Someone's been very busy; Pluto now has a breathable atmosphere, it's warm and very humid, and has six suns. It also has an overly efficient taxation system, oppressed work units who live underground, and public executions. Can the Time Lord, Leela (Louise Jameson), and a small robot dog free the people and bring down the sinister Collector and his Internal Retinue? This single disc release from the BBC and 2|Entertain will let you find out... all praise the Company!

The Sun Makers is an enjoyably daft romp; a satire on taxation and bureaucracy. Two characters steal the show from start to finish; Leela, as played by fan favourite Louise Jameson, and Henry Woolf's delightfully odious and fiscally-obsessed Collector. Leela has all the best heroic lines - including a beautifully withering put-down of the less than brave rebels - and The Collector has all the best villainous lines, backed up with a characterisation that's hard not to warm to. It's all small fry by Whoniverse standards, and isn't an especially memorable story for plot reasons, but it's diverting and fun. The K-9 prop is so noisy it's untrue, the TARDIS door doesn't want to lock, and The Doctor no longer knows what a jelly baby looks like.

Annoyingly, the DVD is let down by a lack of decent extras, with only a few things holding the interest for any length of time; mostly because the rest of the extras are very, very short.

Commentary - This time, the commentary boasts both main cast members sitting in as both Tom Baker and Louise Jameson join Michael Keating and The Sun Makers director Pennant Roberts to talk about the story, the production and life during and after Doctor Who. Tom is always great fun to listen to, and teamed up with Louise again, the commentary provided is both entertaining and informative.

Running From The Tax Man - Louise Jameson is one of those people you instantly adore. She's very gentle and calm, witty and warm. She's also honest - but in a nice way that doesn't tread on people's toes. She's easily the best reason to watch this retrospective of The Sun Makers, and she reveals why this story above any other is her particular favourite. Also in the mini-documentary discussing the story are Michael Keating, (best known as "Vila" from "Blake's 7"), director Pennant Roberts, and an astronomer and a historian have been drafted in as well, partially to explain about Pluto and it's new status as a dwarf planet rather than a planet. It's an odd extra as it seems to repeat the same information several times, especially when it comes to the astronomy parts; but it's entertaining enough for that.

Outtakes - Citizen Cordo's gun fails to go off twice...No, really, that's it. Hardly an interesting or justifiable extra in itself, but would have been better used hidden away as an Easter Egg on the DVD, perhaps.

Trailer - The original BBC1 trailer for The Sun Makers.  Again, nothing else, just the one trailer.

The Doctor's Composer: Part Two - The second and final part of the series on one of Doctor Who's most prolific composers, the fantastic Dudley Simpson. This segment concentrates on his Doctor Who work from the seventies with the man himself talking us through much of his work and utilising many examples of his famous compositions through a wealth of clips. It's a delight to watch, as you try and figure out which music came from what story. A nice piece, with a genuine affection for one of Doctor Who's often unsung but most deserving behind the scenes heroes. This brilliant featurette gives a warm nostalgic glow and it's hard not to be drawn down memory lane for an enjoyably exciting jaunt.

Coming Soon Trailer - This one will blow your socks off. The Doctor (Jon Pertwee) and his assistant Jo Grant (Katy Manning) team up with UNIT to help save a peace conference being hosted by Sir Reginald Styles. However, those tinpot terrors The Daleks have other ideas... With new Dalek voices, and a wealth of new special effects and CGI, the Day of the Daleks Special Edition is out in September.

With the usual Photo Gallery of production and publicity stills, the Radio Times Listings in PDF format, and Subtitles available for those who might need them, and the usual information text on hand with trivia and viewing figures, The Sun Makers is a worthy enough story, rather badly supported by the extras available on the disc, and it all feels a bit empty as a result.

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Manufacturer: BBC DVD / 2|Entertain

Written By: Stephen Wyatt

RRP: £20.42

Release Date: 18th July 2011

Reviewed By: Dale Who for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 23rd June 2011

Mel, as played by Bonnie Langford, wants to go for a 453 appendix 1 subsection 6 swim. If this were everyday drama, she would, and that would be that. However this is Doctor Who and things rarely go according to any sort of plan the main characters have, in this 1987 story, remastered and released on this single disc DVD from the BBC / 2|Entertain team of Caretakers.

The Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) pilots the TARDIS to Paradise Towers - a "remarkable architectural achievment" promising a clean, lovely, comfortable living experience, and with a swimming pool on the roof.  Accordingly, Mel can paddle whilst the Time Lord can have a (512 appendix 2 subsection 9) look around and investigate things. However upon exiting the now materialised time machine they discover a much different world of uncared for spaces, unexplained disappearances, and unfriendly inhabitants in all shapes and sizes… and something truly horrific in the basement.

Paradise Towers is one of those stories that you may remember as being not terribly good; but happily it's not the case at all. Despite a few cases of acting so wooden it puts the section 9/41, subsection 12c props to shame, it's a clever tale of high-rise horror and society meltdown in a confined area. It manages to feel tight and claustrophobic, and the script and wordplay used are first rate. Cleaned up and remastered in a way the Towers never were, this first season McCoy story manages to succeed on many levels - probably due to the Kangs pressing the buttons for all the floors on the alleviator again..

The special features on this release are well thought out and worthy of a 178 appendix 13 subsection 7 round of applause:

Horror on the High Rise - Mark Ayres takes a look at the making of the story, with contributions from writer Stephen Wyatt, script editor Andrew Cartmel, incidental music composers Keff McCulloch and David Snell, and actors Richard Briers, Catherine Cusack, and Howard Cooke. Clever, insightful and revealing, it shows the story's roots, along with the strengths and weaknesses of the tale.  Entertaining and informative, with some accurate and amusing views on the way some of the actors chose to protray their characters.

Girls! Girls! Girls!: The Eighties - Presented by Doctor Who stalwart Peter Purves, this riotously funny and entertaining featurette has Sophie Aldred, Sarah Sutton and Janet Fielding discussing the highs and lows, the trials and tribulations, and the ins and outs of being a Doctor Who assistant. Fielding especially is brilliantly funny, her acidic humour never crossing the line into nastiness, but still demonstrating some of the slightly less eviable things the 80s female companions were expected to put up with, from high fabshion disasters to stereotyping after leaving the show. Defintely a winner, and a team that should be assembled again to discuss all things Who.

Deleted and Extended Scenes - From the first edit of the story, some trims and edited sequences that never made the transmitted version of the show; and there are some very good scenes in there too.

Audio Options - Not only does this DVD have the usual available 304 subsection 12 commentary, hosted by Mark Ayres again, with Judy Cornwell, Stephen Wyatt and Dick Mills, it also has something of a rarity - an entire second incidental music score.

The original score by David Snell was vetoed by showrunner John Nathan-Turner back in the day, and Keff McCulloch was commissioned to do a very quick replacement.  Both of these versions are available on the DVD, with Snell's score in particular giving a dark, more menacing feel to the story.  

Continuity - The linking announcements for the BBC1 transmission, together with plugs for some of the Doctor Who VHS tapes avaialbe at the time.  Notable for an announcer getting the name of one story wrong, and for one link cutting off a mere second before being exposed to the "hilarity" that was "Hi-De-Hi".

Casting Sylvester - A very short piece from Clive Doig explaining his working relationshop with Sylvester McCoy and how he helped with Sylvester being chosen to play the seventh incarnation of The Doctor.

Coming Soon Trailer - The Coming Soon section itself has had a 915 appendinx 8 subsection 2 makeover. Gone is the vworping TARDIS, and in it's place is a slick little end sequence after a great trailer for the next release.

The TARDIS arrives on Pluto, to find Citizen Cordo about to take a header off the roof as he can't pay the taxes levied by Gatherer Hade and a small venomous leech called "The Collector".  Can the Fourth Doctor, Leela and K-9 lead a work unit revolution, or has the Time Lord's life expectancy overdrawn? The Sunmakers DVD is out in August.

With the usual Photo Gallery, Radio Times listings, Subtitles for those who may need them and the Production Notes and Info Text giving you facts and trivia along the way, Paradise Towers is an enjoyable Doctor Who story well worth watching again, on pain of a 327 appendix 3 subsection 9 death.

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Manufacturer: BBC DVD / 2|Entertain

Written By: Donald Cotton & Eric Pringle

RRP: £30.63

Release Date: 20th June 2011

Reviewed By: Dale Who for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 16th June 2011

The Gunfighters

Disc One of the EarthStory double release from the BBC and 2|Entertain is this 1966 adventure, in which the TARDIS materialises in Tombstone, Arizona; so The Doctor can find a dentist.  Unfortunately, the dentist is one Doc Holliday and not far behind him are the Clanton brothers, Wyatt Earp, and Johnny Ringo.  It's time for the gunfight at the OK Corrall...

The Gunfighters is a very difficult story to judge. The series regulars all put in smashing performances - Hartnell in particular having some great moments and lines; his constant renaming of Wyatt Earp to "Mr Werp" is guaranteed to raise a smile, and his reaction to his introduction to the Clanton brothers is simply priceless. The rest of the story is actually fairly enjoyable if a little pedestrian; and boasts some nifty camerawork and ideas, and, for a 1960s television serial, a great set with a great cast inhabiting it. Marred only by the incessant caterwauling of "The Ballad of the Last Chance Saloo n" at every given opportunity. It's a very different view of how historical events played out, with large portions of the show seemingly lifted from a number of Western films, but it's no less enjoyable for that.

As usual, the DVD version has been cleaned up considerably, and the qual ity of the presented material is top rate.  The DVD also has some great extras, although it is sadly lacking a mute function to save you from the constant high pitched wailing of Lynda Baron singing that wretched ballad.

The End of the Line - An honest, truthful and sometimes uncomfortable documentary about the end of William Hartnell's time as the First Doctor.  Fascinating to watch, it's a tale of constantly changing writers and editors, forced cast changes and Bill Hartnell's deteriorating health as ateriosclerosis took a toll.  With contributions from Donald Tosh, Maureen O'Brien, Peter Purves and Anneke Wills, "End of the Line" shows just how much of a complete slog it was getting Doctor Who out every week on an almost impossibly long production run.  

If you're a strong fan of William Hartnell it can be a tad unsettling to listen to the less than glowing remarks made of his irascibilty due to illness, but happily Maureen O'Brien and Peter Purves share the other side of the original Time Lord, a deeply passionate and caring man who was very protective of the show itself.  It also sheds a somewhat harsh, if truthful, light on Vicki and Dodo's departures from Doctor Who and just how much of an impact The Daleks had on the production of the show.

Tomorrow's Times - Mary Tamm adds a great deal of effortless glamour to the First Doctor edition of "Tomorrow's Times", which shows the the brief flirtation the British Press (notably the Daily Mail) had with Daleks and the earlier days of Doctor Who.  Very reminiscent of an episode of Points of View in styling, this fun little extra begins the story - already continued on other DVDs for other eras of the show - of the love-hate relationship between journalists and The Doctor and his trusty TARDIS.

Commentary - Toby Hadoke sits in the captain's chair once more; as Peter Purves, Shane Rimmer, David Graham, Richard Beale, and production assistant at the time Tristan de Vere Cole talk us through The Gunfighters.  Always fascinating to listen to anecdotes and gems from a production made forty five years ago, this entertaining and useful extra on the DVD serves double duty; as switching on the commentary drowns out a great deal of the Ballad of the Last Chance Saloon.

Photo Gallery - An amazing selection of vintage photographs of the set, cast, and production of The Gunfighters.  The photo's have been cleaned up amazingly and there's some glorious views of the whole, from the TARDIS sans lamp to the camera tower erected in the middle of the studio to give some innovative camera angles to the production.  Set to the full length version of The Ballad of the Last Chance Saloon.  Brilliant if you know where the mute button is.

Coming Soon Trailer - The death of Caretaker 345/12 Subsection B informs us that the TARDIS will soon be arriving at Paradise Towers, home of the Kangs, the Rezzies, and Pex (who puts the world of Paradise Towers to rights...).  There's something nasty and very hungry in the basement... and on most other floors of the high rise building as well. Can The Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) and Mel (Bonnie Langford) find their way to the swimming pool without being put to a 327 appendix 3 subsection 9 death?

The Gunfighters DVD also has the listings from the Radio Times in PDF format, subtitles available, and the usual production notes are also included.  

A great package and well worth watching for some excellent performances and moments of genuinely funny comedy in a competent and well made Who story; if you can get past the singing.

The Awakening

In the second of the 2|Entertain / BBC two disc DVD release EarthStory, the Fifth Doctor, Tegan and Turlough arrive in Little Hodcombe to visit Andrew Verney the local historian - also Tegan's grandfather. However something's affecting the locals and their re-enactment of the local War Games is getting rather too realistic...

The Awakening is a short, punchy story that's a deserved fan favourite in the history of Classic Who. The cast are superb, the locations and sets stunning, and The Malus is one of the most memorable Doctor Who monsters for several reasons; notably because it works so well and it really does look creepy. Everything from the incidental music to the costumes seem to fit together seamlessly, and make a thoroughly enjoyable two part adventure.

Stealing the show are Polly James as Jane, and Keith Jayne as Will Chandler, both of whom work so well in the story. Jane is the single voice of reason before The Doctor arrives, and Will is simply one of the most endearing and innocent supporting characters in Who's long history. And of course, The Awakening does have one of the most iconic monsters on hand in the shape of the Malus - even more remarkable when you consider it was only onscreen for a couple of minutes in total.

The DVD release also has a number of very well thought out and produced extras that seem to exude a warm, happy glow about the story; and as always, sound and vision throughout the DVD are crisp and bright.

Return to Little Hodcombe - A twenty minute look at the area, as Little Hodcombe was a gestalt of three villages, with the director Michael Owen Morris, script editor Eric Saward, and Janet Fielding (Tegan) and Keith Jayne (Will). From the outset of this piece, Morris brings senses of warmth and fondness to proceedings that are hard to ignore. He obviously enjoys his work - both on Doctor Who and his other projects - and it clearly shows.  

There's some fun snippets of locals talking about when Doctor Who came to their village, an event that still seems to be a subject of local pride, and Janet Fielding remembers the cast being quite protective of the new director on his first TV work. Keith Jayne discusses Will Chandler, and Eric Saward chimes in on how the story was re-written and whether Will would have made a good addition to the TARDIS crew. A nice sweet old lady tells us about lame horses on set, and her husband tells us how to spot Doctor Who fans on location...

Making the Malus - A fun look at the giant face in the wall, with designer Tony Harding and model-maker Richard Gregory.  A short piece on how the Malus was conceived and built, with a rare look behind the face to see how the different parts of the monster were controlled.  To finish, there's a short interview with Paul Burrows who bought the Malus at auction and what happens when utilites workmen find giant stone monsters mounted on your living room wall...  Another fun and entertaining short, and again, with some warmth and affection for the subject matter leaving you with a very positive feeling.

Commentary - Toby Hadoke once again chairs the commentary team, this time with director Michael Owen Morris and Eric Saward as their share knowledge and opinions of the serial as an audio option on the DVD. Again, Morris' obvious fondness for his work shows through easily and keeps the mood light.

Now & Then - The three villages used as locations in The Awakening are revisited to find that not a lot has changed. There's still thatched cottages and farm buildings, and there's still a ford across the road, even if it is now somewhat waterless...  clips and photographs are used effectively, and the linking narration fills in any blanks nicely.  

From the Cutting Room Floor - Some extended and deleted scenes from the story, including an appearance by Kamelion. There's also some of the film rushes from the location shoots, and some timecoded VHS sequences that were trimmed.

The Golden Egg Awards - Taken from another BBC1 staple of the time, this excerpt from The Late Late Breakfast Show hosted by Noel Edmonds shows the now infamous outtake featuring a horse, a cart, and a prop lychgate being unexpectedly demolished.  Peter Davison is on hand to collect the trophy from Noel Edmonds.

Isolated Music - The Awakening has some excellent incidental music, and this option of the DVD gives you a chance to view the story with the isolated music score. Well worth a listen if you're a fan of the somewhat under-appreciated composers on Classic Doctor Who.

As usual, the DVD also features a photo gallery of production and publicity shots, the Radio Times listings from the story in PDF format, subtitles for those that may need them, and the Production Notes Info Text available to have onscreen as the story plays out.

The Awakening is a great addition to Classic Doctor Who on DVD, and if you're a fan then the EarthStory DVD set is a must-have for your collection.

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Manufacturer: BBC DVD / 2|Entertain

Written By: Christopher H. Bidmead

RRP: £20.42

Release Date: 30th May 2011

Reviewed By: Dale Who for D octor Who Online

Review Posted: 18th April 2011

Let's get something straight and out in the open right from the outset...  There is a type of creature that is made scarier by making it larger.  In Doctor Who's long history, they would be giant maggots and giant spiders.  They work with an already present fear or revulsion of the creatures to produce a memorably scary Doctor Who monster.  In the not scary bracket are giant ants and butterflies (the Zarbi and Menoptera from 1965's "The Web Planet")... and woodlice.  Woodlice are not scary.  Not even remotely.

Frontios is a polarised story.  Some parts of it work brilliantly, and some parts of it really don't; and this new BBC / 2|Entertain DVD showcases both these aspects and examines them in the special features on the single disc release.

Starting with the story itself, Frontios is a fairly low budget studio bound Doctor Who, coming towards the end of Peter Davison's tenure as The Doctor.  The regular cast continue to shine, with Davison and Janet Fielding especially stealing every scene they're in; and there are some brilliant guest stars in Jeff Rawle as Plantagenet and Lesley Dunlop in the role of Norna.  There are some great lines and jokes along the way, and the Doctor is in one of those "grouchy professor" moods that suited his young persona so very well.  

Sadly for Frontios, that's about where the good ends.  The sets - although you can see an awful lot of effort and thought went into them - don't work in convincing that the studio is the surface of an alien planet, some of the performances really aren't great, and then there's the Tractators.  Giant flapping woodlice that fail in just about every way possible to be even remotely thrilling.

This story will be remembered for two main reasons; firstly this is the one where the previously indestructible TARDIS was destroyed (albeit briefly!), and secondly for the unpleasant infestation of some particularly large  and rubbish woodlice that hung around for two (and a bit) episodes.  Its failures certainly aren't for the lack of trying: the direction, the handling and the production all work well with what they've got.  However it looks cheap and rushed and all a little too hurried to carry off what still wouldn't have been a great story with a budget ten times larger.

It is also worth noting that several of the concepts shown in this story (the colonists being pulled down through the ground, and witnesses referring to this as the Earth being hungry) were re-used and utilised to much better effect in the 2010 series of Doctor Who, in the Silurian episode "The Hungry Earth"... now where did they get that title from?

Special Features:

Driven To Distractation - There are many reasons to love this half hour featurette; it has a lot of frank honesty, a lot of humour, and gives a robust defence of the story itself.  It almost succeeds in making you like the story more.  Almost.  What it definitely succeeds at is showing the rush-job that the Doctor Who cast and crew faced to get the story in the can, in the face of several tragedies and setbacks; and it shows the thought processes behind the writing of the serial.  It's nicely put together, uses relevant footage from the time and is decidedly non-judgemental and supportive in what comes across in quite a sweet way.  The writers and stars do admit where there were mistakes made, and it's very brave of them to do so, even if Christopher H. Bidmead neatly places the blame on everyone but himself.

Extra / Deleted Scenes - Minor trims and one or two scenes that play rather well but didn't make it into the final cut of the programme.  There's a brilliant bit about the Doctor's spectacles, and Tegan being an android that really should have been aired; they're funny, clever, and give Tegan and the Doctor some great lines.

Commentary - Peter Davison, Jeff Rawle, Dick Mills and Eric Saward sit around a red table and give opinions, anecdotes, memories and an overall view of how the show holds up for them twenty seven years on.  It's all quite pleasant and jovial and Rawle and Mills especially give some new angles on how the guest stars, and the "special sound" on Doctor Who were used.

Info Text - The usual trivia packed information is available on this disc as well, although most of it seems obsessed in pointing out where anything over two seconds of cuts were made to trim episodes down from over running.  It also points out a couple of continuity errors and the careers and times of the guests stars that appeared in Frontios.

Coming Soon Trailer - The next absurdly themed boxed set: Earthstory, in which William Hartnell's Doctor lands in Tombstone in search of a dentist and gets rather caught up with "The Gunfighters", and Peter Davison's Doctor lands in Little Hodcombe and discovers a centuries old evil lurking in the local church in "The Awakening".

With the usual fripperies as well, such as the Radio Times PDF files, and the Photo Gallery from Frontios, these features help buoy a story that's not as strong as it might have been; however it's certainly not for the lack of trying.

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Manufacturer: BBC DVD / 2|Entertain

Written By: Robert Holmes

RRP: £30.63

Release Date: 9th May 2011

Reviewed By: Dale Who for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 16th April 2011

The Classic Series Auton stories get a paired release in this two disc set from the BBC / 2|Entertain.

Spearhead from Space: Special Edition

Starting off the Third Doctor's era is Spearhead From Space; and with the show now in colour and set on Earth in contemporary Britain, the whole feel of the programme changes radically.

As with previous older releases, it looks like the recording has been cleaned up considerably, and the print is fresh, sharp, and looking and sounding first class.  Spearhead from Space also benefits from being on location and film, as opposed to the studio based scenes and with the usual videotape recordings.  The story looks more expensive and runs more smoothly as a result.

A swarm of meteorites land on Earth drawing attention from UNIT and a new and deadly alien menace emerges; and at the same time an old blue Police Box lands in the middle of Oxley Woods, and a strange man with an odd metabolism emerges and passes out...

Featuring an amazing debut from the unstoppably charismatic Jon Pertwee, a perfectly pitched and suitably sceptical Liz Shaw arriving on the scene with Hugh Burden being amazingly creepy as the not-quite-what-he-seems Channing.  Also missing shoes, overly sticky blood platelets, and a Hoover 913 Commercial...

The Spearhead from Space Special Features focus, understandably, on the changes that Doctor Who as a programme was going through.

Special Features:

Down To Earth - A clever look at the problems facing the show at the end of the Troughton era, how it narrowly avoided being cancelled, and how a new team in front of and behind the camera and the advent of colour television turned the show's fortunes around.  It's easy to see the level on love and passion for Doctor Who here, especially from Terrance Dicks and the late - and much missed - Barry Letts.  A smart set up to keep the narrative flowing, Down To Earth works very well indeed.

Regenerations - A closer look at the introduction of colour and how it affected Doctor Who.  From colour test transmissions to getting round the tricky problem that colour cameras didn't replicate the show's "howlaround" title sequence effects, this enlightening little documentary demonstrates all the changes behind the scenes that the entertained Who viewer never knew anything about.  

UNIT Recruitment Film - Serving as a timely, if unintended tribute to the recently deceased Nicholas Courtney, this spoof film about the life of a soldier in UNIT now mixes the humour with a twinge of sadness.  Narrated by Adam Woodyatt (EastEnders' Ian Beale) and the aforementioned Brigadier himself, it's a short, warm tribute to the Earth-bound Pertwee years with the UNIT family.

Trailers - The BBC Two trails for the mid 1990s repeats for Spearhead From Space, and one for BBC Two's Doctor Who Night; the latter featuring a traumatised child on the sofa and evil possessed goldfish.  Fun fluff, if nothing else, good for raising a smile.

Commentaries - With this release there are two commentaries available, one with Caroline John (Liz Shaw, who debuts in this story) and Nicholas Courtney, and one with story producer Derrick Sherwin and script editor Terrance Dicks. 

Trailer - The TARDIS, with the Fifth Doctor, Tegan and Turlough on board, is heading for a rather bumpy arrival on the planet Frontios.

Terror of the Autons:

It's the return of the Plastic People!  In a story with another few firsts, smart and sassy Liz Shaw has been replaced by small and screaming Jo Grant (Katy Manning), as Terror of the Autons heralds the debut of one of Doctor Who's major player villains; the only person who's managed to cause the Doctor to regenerate not once but twice... fellow Time Lord and all round bad egg; The Master.  Here played by the absolutely glorious Roger Delgado, this incarnation was impeccably mannered, unstoppably suave... and as black hearted as they come.  UNIT has also expanded with Mike Yates (Richard Franklin) on the crew, and there's some memorably monstrous moments from the Nestenes causing pandemonium once more.

Doctor Who stalwart (and later to be Davros), Michael Wisher puts in a great performance alongside the major cast members, but the scenes are stolen by the ingenious ways in which the writers came up with to kill people... notably scarily faceless Policemen and murderous clammy black plastic sofas…

In a step beyond its coloured VHS release, the BBC / 2|Entertain release has been fully restored so the colour looks a lot more natural this time around.  Again the restoration looks pin sharp, with top quality sound and visuals.  The story justifies the amount of love and attention given to the release, and it's all top quality entertainment paired with its earlier Auton outing.

Special Features:

Life On Earth - Another, wider look at Doctor Who being set on Earth and its implications.  This time around there's talk around the newer, post-2005 Doctor Who as well as the influences and origins of the Russell T. Davies era Autons.  It's a very interesting and entertaining documentary, with a really clever visual style, some really honest interviews, and again, it all goes to show the level of commitment shown to Doctor Who past and present.

The Doctor's Moriarty - A look at The Master, who turns up to meddle in the Doctor's affairs for the very first time in this story.  Quite naturally this little retrospective focusses mostly on Roger Delgado's era of The Master, but mention is made of the Master's later incarnations as well, right up to John Simm's recent outings as the character.  A decent featurette looking at the origins of the character, uses and overuses, and what made Roger Delgado so good as the Doctor's Nemesis.

Plastic Fantastic - A short look at the Autons, their creation, uses and the society they were unleashed upon, with writers and historians shedding some light on the Nestenes' favourite substance to inhabit. 

With a highly entertaining Commentary from Barry Letts, Nicholas Courtney and Katy Manning, the usual info text option to divulge trivia, audience figures and bloopers and the same Coming Soon Trailer for Frontios, this rounds off an appallingly titled, but absolutely stunning Auton double feature that should feature in anyone's collection.  Brilliant.

just remember DVDs are made of plastic... 

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Manufacturer: BBC DVD / 2|Entertain

Written By: Robert Sloman and Barry Letts

RRP: £20.42

Release Date: 18th April 2011

Reviewed By: Dale Who for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 20th March 2011

The epic, six part conclusion to Jon Pertwee's era of Doctor Who arrives with this double disc DVD from BBC DVD / 2|Entertain.  Disc one is the episodic version of Planet of the Spiders, complete with an optional commentary from Elisabeth Sladen, Richard Franklin and the now sadly passed away and much loved and missed Nicholas Courtney. All the info usual text is available and it's a great romp; one hundred and fifty minutes of classic science fantasy television.  The giant spiders of Metebelis Three are after the blue crystal The Doctor removed from the planet back in The Green Death, and will stop at nothing to get it back in their webby little legs...

Pertwee's swansong adventure is a long, but very entertaining affair.  It features every form of transport you can think of, and even some dashing about in the TARDIS - something or a rarity for this incarnation of the Time Lord.  The UNIT family are all together one last time, and it's a celebration of the Third Doctor, and all handled in precisely the way that had made the first colour season of Doctor Who work so well.  It's fun, exciting and worth every second.  You'll never look at those big spiders in your bathroom the same way again...

On disc two there's the extras, and something quite surprising.  There's a really nicely put together look back over Pertwee's time as the Doctor, and an equally warm feature with Barry Letts looking back on his time with Doctor Who; both of which show just how much work and love went into the show from start to finish.  Both featurettes have contributions from a variety of sources, including Jon Pertwee, Terrance Dicks, and of course Barry Letts himself.  There are also some great anecdotes from people like Mat Irvine on the spider props and the lesson of telling people what you need in good time; and from John Kane, the immensely likeable and gentle Tommy in the story, on his memories of Who and what he's done since.

Then there's the longest television trailer ever for a repeat run of Planet of the Spiders shown as one long story on a Saturday afternoon in December on BBC1 - the trailer just rambles on and on and on, with clips upon clips; it looked like the BBC had a lot of time to fill that Christmas!

And then, the surprising thing is... they included the abridged story itself!  The unrestored and very long edited together version is here too for your enjoyment, which slightly mystifies me, as there's no extra material as there was with the Battlefield release for example, but if you're a completist it's all good for the collection.

The story gets 10/10 for being suitably epic and wrapping up the UNIT years with panache and style, and the extras get 10/10 for leaving you with a warm glow that Doctor Who was genuinely loved and cared for during Pertwee's tenure as the Time Lord.

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Manufacturer: BBC DVD / 2|Entertain

Written By: Paul Erickson and Lesley Scott

RRP: £19.99

Release Date: 14th February 2011

Reviewed By: Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 20th January 2011

Right from the off, The Ark is a story that grips the viewer, owing to the magnificent jungle set that gives us a sense of scale - not to mention the striking sight of the eventual villain, all within the first 60 seconds.

But all is not what it seems in this serial, that packs some shocking twists and suspenseful builds, to what turns out to be an incredibly intelligently constructed adventure.

The twist that comes at the end of Episode Two in particular is a direct example of the intelligence in the script. Throughout the first two episodes, the viewer simply accepts the fact that the Monoids are essentially slaves to the humans of the Ark. And only when the situation is flipped in Episode Three, do you suddenly realise the poignancy of this acceptance and how actions have consequences.

There are several morals within the story, but perhaps the most painstakingly obvious one is never time travel if you have a cold!

The DVD is rounded off with some connecting features that compliment the story.

The 'Commentary' is moderated by Toby Hadoke and features Peter Purves (Steven) & Michael Imison (Director). Toby does an excellent job of guiding the guests, of which both contribute evenly with some great stories and memories. One such story tells us how unaccommodating the BBC was to the Elephant (seen in Episode One) at the time, and how the director had to keep it in a van outside of his house, overnight.

'All's Wells That Ends Wells' looks at Doctor Who's connection to H.G. Wells, and the inspiration taken from his work. In particular looking at the similarities between The Ark, and H.G. Wells' The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, The Sleeper Awakes and The War of the Worlds. It includes interviews with Matthew Sweet (Historian & Writer), Kim Newman (Novelist & Critic), Dominic Sandbrook (Historian & Writer), Tony Keen (Research Associate, Open University) & Graham Sleight (Editor, "Foundation").

Even fans of Wells' work will be surprised at just how much influence he appears to have given to this story.

'One Hit Wonder' casts a light on why some Doctor Who monsters only appeared once, with a spotlight on The Monoids, in particular. The feature includes interviews with Jacqueline Rayner (Author), Dominic Sandbrook (Historian & Writer), Kim Newman (Novelist & Critic) & Matthew Sweet (Writer & Historian).

This feature could have been a little longer, perhaps focusing on some of the other 'one hit wonders' such as The Zygons, The Sensorites or The Axons.

'Riverside Story' is a 20-minute feature that looks at London's Riverside Studios; Doctor Who's temporary home from 1964-1968.

Presented by Matthew Sweet as he brings Peter Purves back to the location, we learn about some of the challenges that The Ark faced, not to mention, how to build a Jungle within a spaceship!

The documentary also features sit-down interviews with Peter Purves and Michael Imison (Director).

Apart from the main story itself, this documentary is the set piece in The Ark DVD, adding newfound respect for a building that was instrumental in one of Doctor Who's most important periods.

The 'Coming Soon Trailer' is for the Mara Tales box-set. It's a terrific trailer, cut perfectly together with a slick soundtrack and CGI titles that will have you counting down the days until its release. The final spoken line in the trailer sums up the imminent release perfectly... "The Mara's waited a long time for this return, I think it plans to be spectacular".

As with previous releases, there are the usual 'Radio Times Billings', 'Photo Gallery' and 'Production Information Subtitles'.

Overall another solid release from 2|Entertain, with some excellent value added material. If the DVD could benefit from one thing, it would be a feature on the costume and make-up behind the visually stunning Monoids.

A more than worthwhile purchase for any fan of Doctor Who, H.G Wells or big wigs and one-eyed monsters!

Manufacturer: BBC DVD / 2|Entertain

Written By: John Flanagan and Andrew McCulloch

RRP: £19.99

Release Date: 10th January 2011

Reviewed by: Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 19th January 2011

Meglos, despite some of its negative points, is, in essence, a Doctor Who story that was before its time. It is a story that, at its heart, deals with the struggle between religion and science.

As a viewer, you can't help feeling a struggle off-screen as well. You almost feel the tug of war between the writers, the script editor and the director, as they fight it out to gain their own narrative. And what we're left with, through sheer luck, is a melding of the three, that essentially benefits the story in a way that no single party could have done on their own.

Once you get past the dodgy wigs, and the tiresome time loop scenes, there are many elements that make this a rather enjoyable story.

Tom Baker, nearing the end of his tenure as The Doctor, puts in a sterling performance as Meglos, not to mention the welcome return of Jacqueline Hill as Lexa who bookends her Doctor Who career here. 

Then there is the truly fantastic make-up which makes the characterisation of Meglos even more villainous and believable. There are also some great FX shots in the story, combined with highly detailed models, that work together using the new Scene Sync technology - yet another example of the story being ahead of its time.

The DVD is rounded off with some excellent features that compliment the story.

The 'Commentary' features Lalla Ward (Romana II), John Flanagan (Writer), Christopher Owen (Earthling / Meglos) and Paddy Kingsland (Composer). John and Lalla seem to take turns guiding, but understandably, Christopher Owen tends to get lost in the background, and doesn't really seem to contribute much until the final episode. Peter Howell (Composer) joins the commentary for Episode Three and offers an insight into some of his cues, as well as providing a refreshing critique to his own work. All in all, a fairly run of the mill commentary, that could have really benefited from Tom Baker's presence.

'Meglos Men'  is an 18-minute documentary that follows Writers; Andy McCulloch and John Flanagan as they retrace their steps into the past, into the genesis of Meglos. Checking out their old haunts, through to a modern-day meeting with Script Editor; Christopher H. Bidmead.

It's a fantastic little feature that is written, produced and directed by the fabulous Chris Chapman, who has risen the calibre of Doctor Who DVD documentaries to a whole new level.

'The Scene Sync Story' looks at how the pitfalls and limitations of Chroma Key gave way to research into the newly discovered Scene Sync technology - a process that ties two cameras together to pan in unison. 

The eye-opening documentary shows us how Meglos was a test run for the process, which has evolved and can now be seen in many modern day film and television productions. The feature includes Interviews with Peter Leverick and Roger Bunce (Cameramen) and Stephen Drewett (Visual Effects Designer).

'Jacqueline Hill: A Life in Pictures' looks at the life of Doctor Who Actress, Jacqueline Hill (Barbara, Lexa). It's a wonderful tribute to the woman whom we all know from Doctor Who, but paints the wider, and to most of us, unknown picture of her life through to her untimely death. It was surprising to learn that Jacqueline was responsible for Sean Connery getting his first leading role, thanks to a suggestion to her Director husband, Alvin Rakoff. The feature includes interviews with William Russell (Actor), Verity Lambert (Producer), Alvin Rakoff (Director / Husband) and Ann Davies (Friend / Actress).

'Entropy Explained' is presented by Dr. Phillip Trowoga from the University of Westminster, and takes a scientific look at the running theme through Season 18 of Doctor Who - Entropy; the measure of disorder of a system. Picking through the laws of thermodynamics, it breaks down the technical speech into easy to understand explanations and situations.

The 'Coming Soon Trailer' features The Mutants, and isn't as well put together as previous trailers, too many fast cuts and no real energy behind the trailer music leads to it failing to really sell the story.

As with previous releases, there are the usual 'Radio Times Billings', 'Photo Gallery' and 'Production Information Subtitles', as well as an 'Easter Egg' that gives us a clean version of the final Fourth Doctor title sequence.

The extra content that we have here, is certainly of a high quality, but going on past form, it does feel a little feature-light. It was surprising to find no feature on the stunning make-up that gave this story such a visual impact, and Tom Baker's involvement, apart from the story itself is non-existent - despite being a Baker-heavy serial.

It is most definitely worth its retail price, with both 'Meglos Men' and 'Jacqueline Hill: A Life in Pictures' taking the main stage.

Manufacturer: BBC DVD / 2|Entertain

Written By: Louis Marks

RRP: £19.99

Release Date: 8th February 2010

Reviewed by: Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 14th February 2010

The Masque of Mandragora takes us to 15th Century Italy, where part of the Mandragora Helix (unbeknownst to The Doctor) has hitched a lift aboard the TARDIS and poses a threat to human civilisation. It's a great story that takes the deadly cult plot device to a new level, whilst incorporating history and a simple, yet, terrifying alien menace.

The features included on the disc, are quite varied, and even though not all are specific to the story, they fit right in and offer excellent value to the release.

The 'Commentary' features Tom Baker (The 4th Doctor), Chris D'Oyly-John (Production Unit Manager), Philip Hinchcliffe (Producer) and Gareth Armstrong (Giuliano). Unusually, Tom seems to take a bit of a back seat, allowing for Philip to take the role of moderator for the commentary. There's a great juxtaposition between Philip and John's informative take on the story, with Tom's hilarious observations and side stories.

'The Secret of the Labyrinth' is an informative and vibrant behind-the-scenes look at the making of The Masque of Mandragora. Set in the Welsh village of Portmeirion, which doubled for the filming of the story, it starts off with Philip Hinchcliffe (Producer) explaining his reasons for the filming at the location.

All aspects of the production are covered, from casting and costumes to set design, giving a well-rounded understanding for the serial. It's backed up with interviews from Gareth Armstrong (Giuliano), Rodney Bennett (Director), Antony Carrick (Captain Rossini), Chris D'Oyly-John (Production Unit Manager), Jon Laurimore (Count Federico), Barry Newbery (Production Designer), Tim Piggott-Smith (Marco), Steve O'Brien (Writer, SFX Magazine) and Jim Sangster (Film and TV Historian). Kudos to Rob Semenoff for the fantastic CGI introduction to the feature.

'Bigger on the inside' is totally unconnected to The Masque of Mandragora, but provides a thoroughly detailed, yet concise history of the TARDIS. Featuring interviews with Tom Baker (The 4th Doctor), Robert Shearman (New Series Writer), Francesca Gavin (Art Writer & Editor), Matthew Savage (New Series Designer), Barry Newbury (Classic Series Designer) and Christopher H Bidmead (Writer & Script Editor 1980-81).

'Now and Then' looks at the locations of The Masque of Mandragora, showing original shots to the modern day comparisons. It feels a little different to previous Now and Then documentaries, as this time, we follow the locations through a map of Portmeirion. As a result of the style and nature of the location, there are very few actual changes that can be noticed, but it's interesting to see where all the action happened in context.

'Beneath the Masque' offers Clayton Hickman (Ex Doctor Who Magazine Editor) and Gareth Roberts' (New Series Writer), rather amusing take of the events surrounding and including the production of The Masque of Mandragora. The pair are clearly a double-act to be reckoned with. Even Hickman's Cathy come home impersonation which also resembled a 1980's Dot Branning, can't fail to resound a palpable hit amongst the hugely entertaining feature. It's pretty much utter nonsense, but who cares? It's produced with such sheer brilliance, and will have you chuckling away at the subtle and not-so-subtle digs at the show. Oh, and Gareth Roberts as a Blue Peter presenter was...priceless. Here's to future offerings from the pair!

The 'Coming Soon' trailer is for The Space Museum / The Chase DVD release, and is a clever twist on the usual trailers by incorporating a viewscreen from one of the episodes to promote the box-set. Definitely one of the most original trailers to date.

As with previous DVD releases, there are the usual 'Trails and Continuity', 'PDF Material', 'Photo Gallery' and 'Production Subtitles' included.

Overall, it's another tidy and well-thought-out package from 2|Entertain, and although there could have been room for one or two more extras, you can't help but feel totally satisfied with the finished package.

Manufacturer: BBC DVD / 2|Entertain

Written By: Brian Hayles

RRP: £29.99

Release Date: 18 th January 2010

Reviewed by: Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 9th February 2010

The Curse of Peladon

The Curse of Peladon, for many, is a textbook Doctor Who adventure. With a healthy mix of mystery, deception, villainy and suspense, the story is as entertaining as any new series offering, and has held up well to the test of time. With secret passages, allies who are villains and villains who are allies, there are more twists and turns than the underground tunnels of Peladon itself.

The selection of features for this release is adequate, and compared to previous DVD releases like 'Black Orchid', you can't help feeling there is more distance for extra content.

The 'Commentary' is moderated seamlessly by Toby Hadoke, who also provides some informative facts connected with the story. Joining Toby is Barry Letts (Producer), Terrance Dicks (Script Editor), Katy Manning (Jo Grant) and Chris D'Oyly-John (Production Assistant). It proves to be a rather amusing commentary, with all parties contributing equally, together with a great selection of amusing and revealing stories.

'The Peladon Saga - Part One', is by far the highlight of the extras on this disc, providing a behind-the-scenes look at the making of The Curse of Peladon. Although it's not as in-depth as previous 'making of' documentaries, it looks at the production of the adventure as well as putting it in political context with the time.

'Warriors of Mars', gives us a history of The Ice Warriors. There's a chronological look at their appearances in Doctor Who, as well as the different classes of Ice Warrior. Narrated by Donald Gee, the feature provides interviews with Sonny Caldinez (Ice Warrior), Bernard Bresslaw (Ice Warrior), Sylvia James (Make-Up Supervisor) Michael Ferguson (Director), Terrance Dicks (Script Editor) Alan Bennion (Ice Lord), Barry Letts (Producer) and Brian Hodgson (BBC Radiophonic Workshop).

'Jon and Katy', looks at the pairing of Jon Pertwee (The Doctor) and Katy Manning (Jo Grant), with interviews from Katy Manning, Terrance Dicks and Barry Letts. In the feature, Katy looks back with genuine love for both her character, and John as an actor and friend.

The 'Storyboard Comparison' compares design sketches with the final shot, together with soundtrack excerpts that lead up to the clips.

As with previous DVD releases, there are the usual 'PDF Material', 'Photo Gallery' and 'Production Subtitles' included.

The Monster of Peladon

The Monster of Peladon heralds the second (and final) chapter in the Peladon Saga - albeit a slightly long-winded story, weighing in at six episodes. There's a wonderful sense of continuity mixed with enough fresh elements to rejuvenate the settings and situations, and with a rather feisty Sarah Jane Smith, helps add another level to the Doctor / Companion dynamic.

As with The Curse of Peladon, this release is a little feature light - even though there is one disc for the story and another for the features, that being said, the quality of the extras is in no way compromised, and adds value to an already worthwhile box-set.

The 'Commentary' is again moderated by Toby Hadoke, and features Terrance Dicks (Script Editor), Barry Letts (Producer), Nina Thomas (Queen Thalira), Donald Gee (Eckersley), Ralph Watson (Ettis) and Stuart Fell (Alpha Centauri). Once more, Toby does a great job with the direction coupled with his Doctor Who knowledge, and both Terrance and Barry add some entertaining memories, but it can't help feeling a little overshadowed by the Curse commentary, owing to vacancy of Katy Manning and her boundless energy.

There's also a 'Fan Commentary' for episode Four of the story, featuring Rob Shearman, Mark Aldridge, Kate Du-Rose and Philip Newman. The commentary is well placed as it breaks up the pace and dynamic of the commentary thus far, and it's nice to hear a take on the story from a fans perspective - or in this case four!

'The Peladon Saga - Part Two', follows on from the previous part with additional interviews from Donald Gee (Eckersley), Nick Hobbs (Aggedor), Stuart Fell (Alpha Centauri), Sonny Caldinez (Ice Warrior) and Ralph Watson (Ettis the Miner). The second installment goes more into the production of the story, and we also learn from cast and crew what it was like working with Jon Pertwee. The crowning moment, though, has to be Terrance Dicks' hilarious breakdown of Alpha Centauri's physical appearance.

There's a 'Deleted Scene' in the form of photos and off-air recordings featuring Eckersley trying to convince Gebek to get the miners to continue mining for the trisilicate.

'Where are They Now?' features an interview with Ysanne Churchman, conducted by David Jacobs. Ysanne is asked about providing her voicework for the Hermaphrodite exopod; Alpha Centauri, before treating us to a rather alarming Birmingham accent!

'On Target: Terrance Dicks', offers an in-depth look at the writer's work off the screen, with the Doctor Who Book range. Featuring interviews with Alan Barnes (Ex Doctor Who Magazine Editor), Paul Cornell (Writer), as well as input from Terrance himself. This is the most significant feature on The Monster of Peladon disc, as everything about it from the titles, down to the concise information and text readings from Katy Manning, smacks of sheer quality.

As with previous DVD releases, there are the usual 'PDF Material', 'Photo Gallery' and 'Production Subtitles' included.

Peladon Tales is a great box-set, well worth the £29.99 RRP, but with 2|Entertain's previous history of quality extras, the bar has been raised so high, that the viewer is spoiled, and can’t help feeling a little deflated with anything less than two screens of features per story.

That being said, the quality of the features for both stories are as high as ever, and act as a great companion to the Peladon saga.

Manufacturer: BBC DVD / 2|Entertain

Written By: Terrance Dicks & Malcolm Hulke

RRP: £19.99

Release Date: 6th July 2009

Reviewed by: Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 14th July 2009

The War Games is firmly regarded as a favourite amongst many Doctor Who fans, and the announcement earlier this year of the proposed DVD release was fuelled with much excitement, hype and expectation.

But with so much riding on what could arguably be one of the most important DVD releases from the Classic Series so far, could the BBC / 2|entertain deliver?

The answer, quite simply, is a big resounding YES!

The War Games presents Doctor Who's first and only 10-part adventure. Although a lengthy story, totaling over 4 hours, the storyline, cast, pace and suspense keep you entertained all the way through, and watching in straight succession is by no means a chore.

It contains some of the best villainy in Doctor Who history, with some truly engaging performances from Philip Madoc (The War Lord), Edward Brayshaw (The War Chief), David Garfield (Captain von Weich) and James Bree (Security Chief).

It is also clear from this story that the chemistry-fuelled partnership between Patrick Troughton, Frazer Hines and Wendy Padbury was coming to a close, as the adventure marks the end of The Second Doctor's tenure on the show. But what better way to bow out than on the high that this story provides.

The War Games succeeds on so many levels. From the underlying message of War and its consequences, the gripping cliffhangers (which count for some of the best seen in Doctor Who), to the amazing way in which the cast and crew worked together to pull off a thoroughly entertaining piece of Science Fiction Television history. 

The DVD package is rounded off with a cavernous collection of Special Features that each compliment and support the story.

The 'Commentary' features Frazer Hines (Actor 'Jamie'), Wendy Padbury (Actor 'Zoe), Philip Madoc (Actor 'The War Lord'), Jane Sherwin (Actor 'Lady Jennifer'), Graham Weston (Actor 'Russell'), Terrance Dicks (Writer) and Derrick Sherwin (Producer). Although, as commentaries go, there are a lot of guests, they are spread out over the 10 episodes, giving balance whilst coming and going fluidly. Terrance and Frazer, in particular, offer some extremely entertaining anecdotes.

'War Zone' looks at the genesis of the story, together with some of the cast and crew's stories from filming. With interviews from Terrance Dicks, James Moran (Writer), Paul Cornell (Writer), Tom Spilsbury (DWM Editor), Graham Weston, Frazer Hines, Wendy Padbury, Jane Sherwin, Bernard Horsfall (Actor 'Time Lord), Derrick Sherwin, David Maloney (Director), Roger Cheveley (Production Designer) and Joseph Lidster (Writer).

Paul Cornell's input in the documentary, is particularly worthy of note, due to his accurate and thought provoking dissection of some of the plot points in the story.

'Shades of Grey' focuses on the limitations and considerations of black and white television. The documentary casts a light on Producing, Designing, Graphic Designing, Performing and Sound Design for monochrome television production and features interviews with Frazer Hines, Wendy Padbury, Jane Sherwin, Terrance Dicks, Derrick Sherwin, Timothy Combe (Director), Roger Cheveley, Bernard Lodge (Graphic Designer) and Brian Hodgson (Sound Designer).

'Now and Then' offers a look at the locations used in The War Games, and compares the locations as they were used 40 years ago, with footage recorded recently. This is quite possibly one of the best Now and Then features produced to date, owing to the accuracy of location positioning coupled with the informative narration and supporting music.

'The Doctor's Composer' gives us a long-overdue and well-presented look at Dudley Simpson's musical contribution to Doctor Who. The documentary provides a chronological look at stories and scenes from the Classic Series that Dudley provided music for, connected with interview footage of Dudley himself.

'Sylvia James - In Conversation', offers a chronological look at the Make-up Designer's work during the Patrick Troughton era of Doctor Who, with clips from episodes as well as stills of her work, as she describes the processes involved.

'Talking about Regeneration' does exactly what it says on the tin! It's a clear, concise, and informative guide to The Doctor's regenerations to date. Featuring interviews with Kate O'Mara (Actor 'The Rani'), Peter Davison (Actor 'The 5th Doctor'), Gareth Roberts (Writer), Rob Shearman (Writer), Joseph Lidster and Clayton Hickman (former DWM Editor).

'Time Zones', kicks off with a neat little CGI sequence, and focuses on the historical truth behind The War Games, with detailed information on some of the major points surrounding the First World War, Roman Warfare and The American Civil War. The feature adds a good grounding behind the story, and includes interviews from Martin Farr (Political Historian), Crispin Swayne (Military Historian), Lindsay Allison-Jones (of Newcastle University) and Susan-Mary Grant (Author).

'Stripped for Action - The Second Doctor', looks at the Second Doctor comics, and how some of the companions and villains changed from the TV episodes to the comic strips, not to mention some of the bizarre storylines. The feature includes contributions from Gary Russell (former DWM Editor), Alan Barnes (former DWM Editor), John Ainsworth (Comics Historian) and Jeremy Bentham (Comics Historian).

'On Target - Malcolm Hulke'; shows us how the cherished Doctor Who Writer got into writing for the show, as well as his impact on some of the other members of the production team associated with the show, such as Terrance Dicks and Gary Russell. The documentary includes interviews with Terrance Dicks, Gary Russell, Alan Barnes, David J Howe (Author) and Chris Achilleos (Illustrator). Terrance Dicks' memories in particular, make up some of the best moments in this feature.

'Devious' is a Fan film that attempts to bridge the 'alleged' gap between The War Games and Spearhead from Space with 'The 2nd and a half Doctor', played by Tony Garner . The film includes scenes recorded with Jon Pertwee (playing The 3rd Doctor) as well as Peter Tuddenham and Hugh Lloyd (playing Time Lords). There's also a commentary option featuring the cast and crew that offers some behind the scenes tidbits, including an explanation of how Jon Pertwee was persuaded to take part.

This feature was a real surprise, and makes a genuinely pleasant and bold (on the BBC's part) addition to the DVD.

The 'Coming Soon Trailer' features a trailer promoting the forthcoming Black Guardian Trilogy DVD box-set. Although it's not one of the best trailers to date, it certainly packs a lot of energy and seems to sell the main plot points. One can't help feeling though, after a release such as The War Games, that the DVD features should also be highlighted in the trailers.

As with previous DVD releases, there are the usual 'Easter Eggs', 'PDF Material', 'Photo Gallery' and 'Production Subtitles' included.

It's easy to get swept away with positive comments when reviewing a DVD like this, especially when it contains a story as successful as The War Games, but the variety and quality of the supporting features are what help to make this package shine with utter brilliance. Well... that and Clayton Hickman's vividly eye-catching cover!

Overall, this is quite clearly, and most definitely the finest Doctor Who DVD release thus far, and will surely take some beating.

Manufacturer: BBC DVD / 2|Entertain

Written By: Paula Moore

RRP: £19.99

Release Date: 16th March 2009

Reviewed by: Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 18th March 2009

Attack of the Cybermen offers a bold and ambitious start to Colin Baker's first full season as The 6th Doctor. With some great locations, acting and nods to the shows past, the serial is a generally enjoyable 88 minutes.

There are, however, a few let-downs, which prevented the story from reaching its full potential.

The role of the Cyber Controller didn't really work, as David Banks' Cyber Leader had already been established within the story, and is more than a powerful enough adversary for The Doctor to face off with.

The musical score for the story, has to be one of the worst in the shows entire history, and ends up sounding both messy and terribly dated. That being said, the brief theme for The Cryons had great potential and was sadly underused.

The script also had its fair share of pitfalls, with most of the meatier dialogue given to Maurice Colbourne, who, to be fair, was instrumental in most of the areas that this story succeeds in.

The DVD release is packed with some top quality features that not only compliment, but help to mend the way for those who may feel a little short-changed by the serial itself.

'The Cold War' looks at the making of Attack of the Cybermen, and features interviews with Actors; Colin Baker (The Doctor), Nicola Bryant (Peri), Terry Molloy (Russell) and Sarah Berger (Rost), Writer; Eric Saward, Director; Matthew Robinson, Continuity Advisor; Ian Levine, and Film Cameraman; Godfrey Johnson.

It proves to be an insightful breakdown of the genesis of the story, and may even surprise some fans when the authorship of the story comes into discussion.

'The Cyber Story' blasts off with an awesome CGI introductory title sequence, and offers an in-depth look at the genesis of the Cybermen, and how there is a basis of plausibility behind their concept. Featuring interviews with Director; Morris Barry, Writer; Eric Saward, Designers; Sandra Reid and Dinah Collins, Cybermen Actor; Mark Hardy, Cybermen Voice Artist; Roy Skelton and Professor Kevin Warwick.

'Human Cyborg' features an extended version of the interview with Kevin Warwick (Professor of Cybernetics at Reading University), from the previous feature, who, as well as being a self-proclaimed Doctor Who fan, is heralded as the worlds first Human Cyborg.

The feature looks at the possibility of whether Cybermen could exist, as Kevin unveils some of his experiments, beliefs and ideas. This is a DVD extra that is bound to capture the minds of all fans of The Cybermen, as well as educating with surprising clarity.

'The Cyber-Generations' is a pictorial guide to the different types of Cybermen throughout the year s, displayed in chronological order. With photos from lost stories that some fans will never have seen before, it is great to have such a concise guide to one of The Doctors greatest villains. (The title sequence isn't quite as mind-blowing as 'The Cyber Story', however).

The 'Coming Soon Trailer' is for the forthcoming Image of the Fendahl DVD release. As with the other trailers, it fails to disappoint, with tight scene cutting and an energetic music track that work well together.

The 'Audio Commentary' features Colin Baker (The Doctor), Nicola Bryant (Peri) and Terry Molloy (Russell) for Part One, with Sarah Berger (Rost) replacing Terry Molloy for Part Two. Colin in particular, provides a thoroughly entertaining narrative, thanks to his knowledge of the show, coupled with some choice one-liners - he also directs the conversation perfectly. Colin and Nicola's on-screen chemistry, carries itself off-screen for this commentary, as the pair share both affection and memories which are a genuine joy to hear.

As with previous DVD releases, the usual Photo Gallery, Info Text, Trails & Continuity and Radio Times Listings are included. There's also a Dalek related Easter Egg hidden somewhere within the menu system.

Although this release may not house the best example of Classic Who, the features are representative of some of the best examples of the impressive quality and effort that goes into the Doctor Who DVD range.

Manufacturer: BBC DVD / 2|Entertain

Written By: Andrew Smith, Terrance Dicks & Stephen Gallagher

RRP: £34.99

Release Date: 26th January 2009

Reviewed by: Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 2nd February 2009

Full Circle

Full Circle kicks off The E-Space Trilogy to a flying start. The story, which is the brainchild of 17-year-old Doctor Who fan, Andrew Smith, is well paced, well placed, and features some great location shots together with some generally good acting.

Compared to the other stories in this box-set, Full Circle is definitely the tidiest DVD, with just the right amount of features to compliment the story.

'All aboard the Starliner', offers an in-depth look at the making of Full Circle. Featuring interviews with Andrew Smith (Writer), Christopher H. Bidmead (Script Editor), Max Samett (Cameraman) with Actors; Lalla Ward (Romana), Bernard Padden (Tylos), George Baker (Login) and John Leeson (K9), as well as excepts from an archived interview with Director; Peter Grimwade. The documentary length was just right and made for a thoroughly informative companion to the serial. 

'K9 in E-Space' takes a look at K9's role in The E-Space Trilogy, as well as serving some rather amusing Marmite-esque 'love him or hate him' opinions of the character from the cast and crew. It is clear, however, that this feature was recorded as part of  'All aboard the Starliner', and doesn't entirely feel big enough as a standalone feature.

'Swap Shop' features Matthew Waterhouse as interviewed on the show by Noel Edmonds back in 1980. Matthew takes calls from viewers as well as giving away some prizes for a competition on the programme.

'E-Space - Fact or Fiction?' is an intelligent look at the science and plausibility behind the idea of E-Space. Narrated by Sophie Aldred, the feature includes interviews with Christopher H. Bidmead (Script Editor), Mat Irvine (Visual Effects Designer), Patrick Moore (Presenter and Astronomer), Andrew Ball (Planetary Scientist) as well as Authors; Paul Parsons and Stephen Baxter. Particularly of interest, was Parsons breakdown of the Four different types of Multiverse, which he explains clearly.

The 'Commentary' is provided by Matthew Waterhouse (Adric), Andrew Smith (Writer) and Christopher H. Bidmead (Script Editor), and presents honest, open and entertaining perspectives of their involvement in the story. Waterhouse and Bidmead are particularly good at keeping the energy levels up in moments where conversation appears to dip. The Doctor Who DVD Commentaries seem to work best when guided by someone unconnected to the serial, as it helps bring the viewer/listener in further by not feeling so alienated.

The 'Coming Soon Trailer' gives us a look at the February 2009 release of The Rescue & The Romans box-set, and has been cut together extremely well with a good choice of music overlay that nips along at an energetic pace.

Also included on the disc are the usual Continuity announcements, Photo Galleries, Info Text and Radio Times Listings.

State of Decay

State of Decay, is, quite simply, gothic Doctor Who at its best. It has it all; vampires, creepy woodland, and an underground lair that harbors a gruesome foe. Of the three stories includes in the box-set, it is clearly this one that shines. This second disc is a little feature-heavy, and feels a bit saturated with a couple of items that focus more on themes, rather than the story in hand.

'The Vampire Lovers' looks at the making of State of Decay. Featuring interviews with Terrance Dicks (Writer), Christopher H. Bidmead (Script Editor), Peter Moffatt (Director), Christine Ruscoe (Designer) and Actors; Lalla Ward (Romana), John Leeson (Voice of K9) and Clinton Greyn (Ivo).

It touches on the turbulent relationship between Dicks and Bidmead, with frank accounts from both parties, as well as looking at some of the themes within the story such as Blood and Vampirism. There is some fascinating insight into the Design of the set and how Christine Ruscoe took inspiration from Mont St Michel in France.

The 'Film Trims' feature includes 6 minutes of mute model and effects shots including the Great Vampires' hand and subsequent staking, as well as some alternative takes of the tower.

'Leaves of Blood' is a fantastic feature, presented by Nicholas Briggs, and gives us a history of Vampires in written fiction. Featuring interviews with Dr. Tina Rath (Vampire Fiction specialist), Authors; Simon Clark, Stephen Gallagher, Kim Newman, Ramsey Campbell, Alison L. R. Davies, Chris Fowler and Pete Crowther, as well as excerpts read deliciously by Nick Scovell.

The breakdown and evolution of the Vampire character is laid bare here thanks to the opinions and ideas discussed by the interviewees which have to be the cream of the crop in this subject matter.

'The Blood Show' takes a look at the make-up of blood, as well as its meaning in society. Featuring interviews with Simon Clare (Nurse Specialist in Haematology), Sir Christopher Frayling (Cultural Historian), Stefan Gates (Broadcaster and Food Writer), Emily Richards (Goth Club Promoter), Dr. Lola Martinez (from the Department of Anthropology, SOAS), Fergus Henderson (Chef and Proprietor, St John Restaurant) and Frank Baker (of Frank's Butchers). Although the feature is of interest, it feels too much like padding to a DVD that already has sufficient content.

'The Frayling Reading' offers Christopher Frayling's understanding of the Vampire legend as well as its connection to State of Decay. The feature brings us back to the Doctor Who DVD content, proper, and makes for a welcome addition.

The 'Commentary' is provided by Matthew Waterhouse (Adric), Peter Moffatt (Director) and Terrance Dicks (Writer). Right from the off we are given some detailed information on the genesis of the story from Dicks, which sets the pace for what turns out to be a fact-filled commentary. Waterhouse, however, takes a while to warm into the commentary, and rather annoyingly repeats chunks of text spoken by Tom Baker in parrot fashion.

Also included on the disc are the usual Continuity announcements, Photo Galleries, Info Text and Radio Times Listings.

Warriors' Gate

Warriors' Gate, as a story is quite complex - perhaps a little too ambitious. What is clear, however, is how much effort has gone into the production. Although it was one of the cheapest Doctor Who stories to be made, the attention to detail in many areas, has to be commended. You do get the feeling that so much more could have been made out of the adventure, however, and end up feeling a little short-changed by the end due to Romana's rushed exit.

Warriors' Gate, holds the most rewarding special features in The E-Space Trilogy box set, with some highly entertaining documentaries and interviews that all connect directly to the story.

'The Dreaming' looks at the making of Warriors' Gate, and features interviews with Christopher H. Bidmead (Script Editor), Paul Joyce (Director), Stephen Gallagher (Writer), Mat Irvine (Visual Effects Designer), and Actors; Lalla Ward (Romana), John Leeson (Voice ok K9), Clifford Rose (Rorvik) and David Weston (Biroc).

The documentary, reveals the pitfalls that the production went through before its completion, as well touching on some of the conflicts amongst the cast and crew.

'The Boy with the Golden Star' features an interview with Matthew Waterhouse, as he looks back through his time on the show. A really enjoyable feature that casts Waterhouse in a new light, whilst tackling some of the myths that followed him as a young actor.

'Lalla's Wardrobe' brings us a chronological look at the various costumes Romana wore throughout her tenure on the show. With interviews from June Hudson (Costume Designer), Louise Page (New Series Costume Designer) and Writers; Nev Fountain and Jonathan Morris.

The 'Extended and Deleted Scenes' are barely noticeable, but will no doubt appease completists. Its such a shame a longer farewell scene wasn't recorded between The Doctor and Romana.

The 'Commentary' features Paul Joyce (Director), John Leeson (Voice of K9), Mat Irvine (Effects Designer), Christopher H. Bidmead (Script Editor) and Lalla Ward (Romana).

It becomes obvious quite early on, that five people in a commentary is just too much, and surprisingly, the energy levels are relatively low throughout with some guests tending to fade into the background.

Also included on the disc is an Easter Egg, as well as the usual Continuity announcements, Photo Galleries, Info Text and Radio Times Listings.

Overall, The E-Space Trilogy DVD box set is quite satisfying, with the exception of a couple of red undant features. The commentaries, in general, were good, but needed more direction, which an external presence could have easily provided.

These serials are by no means representative of The Doctor's finest adventures, but they do show how, even with a tight budget, imagination and resourcefulness can pull through to make a trilogy of entertaining science fiction. Together with its feature-laden content, E-Space is a universe you will enjoy coming back to.

Manufacturer: BBC DVD / 2|Entertain

Written By: Terence Dudley

RRP: £12.99

Release Date: 14th April 2008

Reviewed by: Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 14th March 2008

With the 2008 arrival of a brand new episode of Doctor Who set in the 1930's, what better than to see how they tackled the slightly earlier date of 1925 during Davison's time on the show.

Black Orchid as a story, presents itself extremely well, with the period captured authentically and with great success. At just 50 minutes in length it is a relatively short story, that lends itself well in comparison to the new series. The structure of the adventure is incredibly well thought-out, thanks to strong characters, great settings and a tight script, as well as some shocks and surprises along the way.

It does of course have its downsides, namely the character of Latoni. If a character has to talk, don't give them a distracting tribal Indian mouthpiece! There is added distraction in the form of the excessive heavy breathing effects attributed to George Cranleigh.

Niggles aside though, Black Orchid definitely stands the test of time, and typifies how well a period story can be produced in Doctor Who.

The 'Commentary' with Peter Davison & Matthew Waterhouse, Sarah Sutton and Janet Fielding is extremely entertaining. It's great to hear all four actors reminiscing about their time recording the story, and as always with Davison and Fielding, you're guaranteed a light-hearted deconstruction of moments from the story.

The first special feature on the disc; 'Now & Then', is by far the best of the series produced to date. With tremendous detail in the shooting locations, information on alternative choices for the Cranleigh residence, as well as modern-day shots of the locations used.

The 'Deleted Scenes' feature would have fared better if it wasn't for the sepia overlay that randomly appears and disappears throughout the scenes.

'Film Restoration', offers another rare insight into the hard work the Restoration Team put into all the Doctor Who DVD releases. This time we are educated about A-rolls, B-rolls and the differences between graded and ungraded scenes.

The 'Blue Peter' feature looks at Berman's and Nathan's, who provided the costumes for Black Orchid. Although the Doctor Who related portion of the feature is a small one, it proves to be an informative and entertaining piece, especially the line about one of the presenters nick nacks!

With the success of 'Stripped for Action: The 1st Doctor' on The Time Meddler DVD, comes the equally successful 'Stripped for Action: The 5th Doctor'. The feature includes interviews with former DWM Editors; Gary Russell & Alan Barnes, Comic Artist; Dave Gibbons & Comic Editor; Alan McKenzie. The fantastic computer generated comic strip sequences help round-off an already great feature.

'Points of View' looks at some viewer complaints sparked from switching the airdate / time for Doctor Who.

The 'Photo Gallery' provides some great publicity shots of The Doctor in and around the cricket pitch featured in Black Orchid. Amongst other location / set pictures, there are also some amusing images of the The Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Adric in fancy dress.

The 'Coming Soon' trailer features The Trial of a Time Lord and as always, shows off the tremendous editing skills of the team who put it together.

There is also an 'Easter Egg' on the disc featuring continuity announcements for the original airing of the story.

There really isn't much more that could be added to this release that isn't already on the DVD. With the RRP at just £12.99, and with special features lasting just as long as the main feature, this little package is Top Ho!

Manufacturer: BBC DVD / 2|Entertain

Written By: Terrance Dicks

RRP: £19.99

Release Date: 3rd March 2008

Reviewed by: Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 17th February 2008

The Five Doctors: 25th Anniversary Edition, is one of those must-have items that every Doctor Who fan should own. If there is one story that encapsulates the essence of the show whilst allowing newcomers to jump on board, this is it. The biggest question that potential buyers of the DVD will be asking is how does it differ to previous versions and is it worth getting?

The differences are clearly vast, made evident from the staringly obvious picture quality improvements that the Restoration Team have once again provided. The colour is so much richer which is only emphasised more by Tegan's costume. The original DVD release of The Five Doctors (which also happened to be the first ever Doctor Who DVD release) was extremely feature-light. Spread over two discs, this new release includes both the original transmission version and the special edition version, and is laden with more features than you could possibly hope for with an RRP of just £19.99.

Disc One features the Original Transmission version of The Five Doctors, as well as the 'Celebration: Doctor Who in 1983' documentary. This is presented by Colin Baker and features interviews with Doctor Who Actors; Peter Davison, Nicholas Courtney, Mark Stricskon, Richard Franklin, Elisabeth Sladen, Carole Ann Ford, Caroline John & Janet Fielding, Writers; Terrance Dicks, Gareth Roberts & Paul Cornell, Experts; Andrew Beech, James Goss & Ian Levine, Director; Peter Moffatt, DVD Producer; Richard Molesworth and Visual Effects Designer; Mike Kelt. At almost an hour long, this proves to be an unmissable in-depth look at how the story came into production, as well as a look at the 1983 Doctor Who Celebration at Longleat. It also sets up some of the special features on Disc Two perfectly.

There is also an option to hear a 'Companions Commentary', featuring; Carole Ann Ford (Susan), Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith), Mark Strickson (Turlough) & Nicholas Courtney (The Brigadier). The commentary is lively and warm, but lacks the benefit of Clayton Hickman directing, as the voices tend to talk over each other at times.

Also on the disc are the usual 'Trails & Continuity', 'Photo Gallery' and 'Radio Times lisings' extras.

Look away now if you don't want to be spoiled, as this DVD also houses a truly awesome hidden DVD Easter Egg in the form on a Commentary featuring New Series Producer; Phil Collinson, The 10th Doctor; David Tennant and New Series Writer; Helen Raynor. Phil and David in particular are a joy to listen to as they inject their perspectives as fans back when the episode originally aired. It's fresh, funny and different to any of the Classic Doctor Who DVD commentaries to date. 

Disc Two contains the Special Edition version and includes an Audio Commentary featuring Peter Davison and Terrance Dicks. The pair work well together providing an entertaining and informative commentary. Terrance Dicks is on especially fine form, telling us how Tom Baker's scenes would have fit into the story, had he been available. Be sure not to miss his priceless Time Lord urinal observation!

'The Ties That Bind Us' documentary takes a look at what links The Five Doctors to the rest of the Doctor Who universe continuity-wise. Narrated by Paul McGann, and featuring more of Rob Semenoff's fantastic 3D Animation work, this extra is a tightly woven gem, skillfully edited together by Michael Conners and Leanne Sheppard. Look out for the great montage towards the end of the feature.

'Five Doctors, One Studio' features unseen studio footage from the scene where the four Doctors meet in Rassilon's Tomb. Although it runs at a lengthy 19 minutes, it proves addictive viewing, as we see some lovely moments between Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee in-between takes. One such moment, is where Troughton offers Pertwee a Jelly Baby, to which Pertwee jokingly accuses him of trying to sabotage his scene.

The 'Out-takes' feature gives us some great out-takes from the serial, including Davison's hilarious infamous final line from the story.

'[Not So] Special Effects' takes a look at some of the Special Effects shots from the story.

'Saturday Superstore' contains a complete Doctor Who segment which includes interviews with Peter Davison, Mark Strickson and Janet Fielding, who take questions from the show's child callers.

'Blue Peter' includes a look at some of the Doctors previous enemies, and has appearances from Richard Hurndall and Peter Davison.

'Nationwide' offers a complete Doctor Who segment where Sue Lawley interviews Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee and Peter Davison on their roles playing the Doctor. There's a great moment when Troughton produces a bag of Jelly Babies and offers them round.

'Breakfast Time ' features a brief interview with Peter Davison and a mischievous Patrick Troughton, promoting The Five Doctors.

The Invasion of Time is the focus of the latest 'Coming Soon Trailer', and as with previous trailers, proves to be energetic, suspenseful and definitely piques the viewers interest enough to convince them to purchase the story.

Overall, we have another well-thought-out release, that has been produced with care and respect to both fans of the show, and members of the cast and crew. If you're after a complete tribute to The Five Doctors, with all the trimmings - look no further.

Manufacturer: BBC DVD / 2|Entertain

Written By: Dennis Spooner

RRP: £12.99

Release Date: 4th February 2008

Reviewed by: Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 1st February 2008

The Doctor Who DVD range has been a bit Hartnell-light over the past year, but now with the release of The Time Meddler, we're back on form with a great story backed with some fantastic features. 

The Commentary is rich with guests from the serial; Verity Lambert (Producer), Barry Newbury (Designer), Donald Tosh (Script Editor) & Peter Purves (Stevan). It was lovely to hear Verity, almost speaking from beyond the Grave on her final Doctor Who episode as Producer. Kudos to Clayton Hickman, who directs the course of the Commentary with seamless skill, and his bountiful knowledge of Classic Who. 

The main batch of features kicks off with an extremely fitting Verity Lambert Obituary that pays homage to Doctor Who's first Producer. This is cushioned with the next feature in the form of a Verity Lambert Photo Gallery, which offers some unseen images of Verity throughout her Doctor Who tenure. 

'Stripped for Action: The First Doctor' takes a look at the Doctor Who Comic strips featuring William Hartnell's Doctor. With interviews from John Ainsworth, Jeremy Bentham, Alan Barnes, Gary Russell and Bill Mevin, it looks at some of the characters, monsters, and design processes that went into the strips. 

'The Lost Twelve Seconds' features 12 seconds of footage depicting the killing of two Viking Warriors by the Saxons, accompanied with audio and script extracts, it helps make the serial feel that bit more complete. 

Although the story hasn't benefited from the VidFIRE technology, the episodes have been noticeably cleaned up and given a bit of a polish for this DVD release. The 'Restoration' feature shows us some good examples of this from the original VHS transfer to that of the DVD release, thus detailing a clear differentiation between the two. 

The Photo Gallery offers some great shots of the set as well as behind the scenes and promotional images. It is accompanied by a good choice of music from The Time Meddler score. 

The 'Coming Soon Trailer' features a new take on the trailer format, voiced over by Paul McGann and accompanied with some cgi titles. I can't help thinking that the special features should also be promoted to help sell the disc, especially with the quality and hard work that goes into so many of them. 

As always with the BBC Doctor Who DVD's you get the original Radio Times listings included as a DVD ROM extra. 

Also worth a mention is the stunningly fitting DVD cover design which is once again produced by the fabulous Clayton Hickman. 

Overall, a great package with a lot more bang for your buck at just £12.99.