Amazon.co.uk have let slip one of the upcoming 2018 Doctor Who, Classic Series DVD releases.

The Enemy Of The World: Special Edition will be released on 19th March 2018, and whilst more information on the special features is yet to be forthcoming, we believe there with be a whole host of new features and commentaries. The next issue of Doctor Who Magazine (#522 - released this Thursday), should have more information on the releasee

As it happens, DWO got in touch with BBC Worldwide today to ask about the future of the range, and we still have the same (3-year-old) statement:

“We're hoping to release more classic Doctor Who and we'll let you know when we have news.”

Owing to the fact that this is to be released next month, it is odd that there has been very little fanfare for the DVD, and whilst we expect there to be other Classic Series DVD (and possibly Blu-ray) releases later this year, it is hard to read what BBC Worldwide's plan is for the marketing of the range.

UPDATE: 7th February

BBC Worldwide have now confirmed the release and have sent DWO the synopsis and full list of Special Features:

Synopsis:

Recovered and restored – a classic Patrick Troughton adventure!

The TARDIS lands on an Australian beach in the 21st century. But this is no seaside holiday - within minutes, the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria are under attack.

They soon discover that the Doctor bears a startling resemblance to Leader Salamander, a would-be dictator intent on world domination. Before long, the Doctor and his companions are plunged into a dangerous game of intrigue and deceit as they face off against the enemy of the world...

Special Features:

· Remastered episodes.  Even though all episodes were restored in 2013 for the previous DVD release, Peter Crocker from the Restoration Team is using advances in technology since then to go over each one with a fine tooth comb to ensure they are now presented in the best possible quality for this special edition. 

· “Treasures Lost and Found” - produced by Ed Stradling.
With so much information now available about every Doctor Who serial, it's not easy to learn anything new, so Toby Hadoke embarks on an exciting treasure hunt to find out all he can about the production. Along the way he'll interview some of the cast and crew including Frazer Hines, Mary Peach and David Troughton - who made his first TV appearance in this serial as an extra. 

· “Recovering the Past – The Search for The Enemy of the World” - produced by Paul Vanezis.
A brand new interview with the episode hunter Philip Morris, we hear how he tracked down the last surviving film copy of the serial to a dusty room in the African desert.  

· “Remembering Deborah Watling” - produced by Cameron McEwan.
Family, friends and colleagues pay tribute to Debbie Watling who played Victoria Waterfield, companion to Patrick Troughton’s doctor. 

· Audio commentaries on all six episodes produced by John Kelly.  Contributors include Frazer Hines, Mary Peach, Gordon Faith, Milton Johns and Sylvia James.  Moderator is Simon Harries. 

· Production subtitles on all six episodes written by Martin Wiggins.

· Photo gallery produced by Derek Handley.

· Scripts of all six episodes as PDFs.

+  The Enemy Of The World: SE is released on 19th March (DVD), priced £20.42.
+  PREORDER The Enemy Of The World: SE DVD from Amazon.co.uk for £19.99.
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[Source: Amazon.co.uk]

BBC Consumer Products have sent DWO the cover and details for the Doctor Who DVD release of The Green Death: Special Edition.

The Green Death: Special Edition
Featuring: The 3rd Doctor

When a man is found dead with his skin glowing green in an abandoned mine, it’s not long before The Doctor, Jo Grant and UNIT head to Wales to investigate. And while the Doctor becomes suspicious of the nearby Global Chemicals factory and its mysterious owner, Jo gets trapped underground where she finds old mine tunnels crawling with deadly and sinister giant maggots…

Special Features:

Disc One:

•  6 x 25 mins approx colour episodes with mono audio.
•  Commentary with actors Katy Manning (Jo Grant), producer Barry Letts and script editor Terrance Dicks.
•  Bonus commentary with actors Richard Franklin (Captain Yates) and Mitzi McKenzie (Nancy), moderated by Toby Hadoke (episodes 3 – 5); and with actress Katy Manning and writer Russell T Davies (episode 6).

Disc Two:

•  The One With the Maggots - Cast and crew look back at the making of this story.
•  Global Conspiracy? - A spoof investigative report looks at the strange happenings in the village of Llanfairfach.
•  Visual Effects - An interview with the story’s visual effects designer, Colin Mapson.
•  Robert Sloman Interview.
•  Stewart Bevan Interview.
•  Wales Today - Two pieces from the BBC Wales news programme – a mute 1973 film insert from the filming of The Green Death, and a 1994 item with Jon Pertwee opening the new country park that was built on the site of the colliery used in the story.
•  Doctor Forever – The Unquiet Dead - In this unique interview, new series creator Russell T Davies and then BBC Controller of Drama, Jane Tranter, talk about the genesis of Doctor Who’s rebirth on television in 2005.
•  What Katy Did Next - A look at Serendipity, the TV series that Katy Manning presented after leaving Doctor Who.
•  The Sarah Jane Adventures – Death of the Doctor - This two-part story from 2010 sees Katy Manning reprising her role as Jo Grant and a guest appearance by Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor. Optional Commentary with actress Katy Manning and series creator Russell T Davies.
•  Radio Times listings (DVD-ROM).
•  Programme subtitles.
•  Production information subtitles.
•  Photo gallery.
•  Easter Eggs.
•  Coming soon trailer.
•  Digitally remastered picture and sound quality. 

+  The Green Death: Special Edition is released on 5th August 2013, priced £20.42.

+  Compare Prices for this product on CompareTheDalek.com.

[Source: BBC Consumer Products]

Manufacturer: BBC Worldwide Consumer Products

Written By: John Lucarotti

RRP: £20.42

Release Date: 11th March 2013

Reviewed By: Dale Who for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 7th March 2013

The TARDIS arrives in fifteenth century Mexico inside the tomb of Aztec High Priest Yetaxa. The travellers become cut off from the ship after the tomb door closes behind them and Barbara is proclaimed as Yetaxa's divine reincarnation.

However, she incurs the enmity of the High Priest of Sacrifice, when - against the Doctor's advice - she attempts to use her new-found authority to put an end to the Aztec practice of human sacrifice.

* * *

It's time for a history lesson, courtesy of a time travelling Police Box and her crew. However, you may also get a strong feeling of "deja-Who"; that strange feeling that you've seen this DVD before. This is another of the BBC's 'Special Edition' releases, aka the same release with an extra disc of new stuff tacked onto the end. In the case of The Aztecs: Special Edition, it's that second disc that provides the excitement... However, here's a rundown of the extras on Disc One - the original release:

Disc One

Commentary - William Russell (Ian), Carole Ann Ford (Susan) and original series showrunner Verity Lambert (now sadly in the great hereafter) come together to discuss their memories of the story, with many anecdotes and stories along the way.

Arabic Soundtrack - Episode Four only features an alternate audio experience that can be selected via the Audio Options section, with the soundtrack dubbed into Arabic.  An interesting curio!

Remembering The Aztecs - The making of the story, with Ian Cullen, John Ringham and Walter Randall (all Aztecs in the serial itself) discuss the early days of television, and changing from theatre to television. William Hartnell's moods are discussed in somewhat less than glowing terms by Ringham and Randall.  Mostly it seems to be a somewhat vitriolic wander down memory lane for them, but thankfully Ian Cullen keeps the featurette light.

Designing The Aztecs - Barry Newbery (who's name is now ever associated with the second TARDIS prop, called "The Newbery Box") talks about how he designed the story; with a glorious wealth of production drawings and photographs - most of which have never been seen as they're from Barry's personal collection.  Newbery is very interesting to listen to, and it's obvious frm the outset that this man knows his craft inside out.  An informative and gentle look back, and suitably entertaining.

Cortez and Montezuma - It's Blue Peter! A wonderfully vintage and aged piece of BBC educational children's programming. Valerie Singleton narrates the story of the fall of the Aztec Empire. It's actually really rather good, and explained very nicely for kids - although Singleton mentioning on more than one occasion about cannons "blowing people to bits" is perhaps more gruesomely amusing than it should be!

Restoring The Aztecs - A regeneration that a Time Lord would be proud of. The restoration and cleaning up of the original film, shown in several before and after examples, that makes the antique material suitable for release onto DVD.  Short, and with no voiceover or real explanations, but still fascinating. It's not just The Aztecs on display here, Jo Grant and the Third Doctor put in a brief cameo appearance too, from 'Terror of the Autons', and The Second Doctor, Jamie and Zoe turn up in a clip from The Krotons. Oh, and there's a web address for more information in the end titles!

Making Cocoa - A woeful sub-par South Park rip-off on how to make cocoa the Aztec way. Simply dire.

TARDIS Cam 3 - Another brief look at the TARDIS, this time sitting in the middle of a sandstorm on an alien planet.  Again, from the 2002 BBC Fictionlab team. Short, but pretty.

Intro Sequences - A random selection of introductions to the story via the three actors playing the main Aztec roles in the story. There are six in total, and it plays a random message when "Play All" is selected from the main menu. Fairly pointless.

Adding on the Photo Gallery, Subtitles, Audio Description and new Info Text rounds off the original release - and that's just disc one!

Disc Two

Galaxy Four - Or to be more accurate: Galaxy Four the telesnap archive and episode three. Using a little CGI, remaining video footage, lots of telesnaps and the audio recordings of the original transmissions, here's a rather fabulous tale from later on in the Hartnell era. We've got Steven Taylor (Peter Purves), Vicki (Maureen O'Brien) and the wonderful William Hartnell as The Doctor.

Episode Three was recently discovered and recovered, and that's the main reason for this condensed version of the story. It is, however, completely wonderful to see any part of this Classic adventure. It's a very strong and well told story, and a complete joy to watch. Worth the re-release by itself!

Chronicle - The BBC Radiophonic Workshop lends its expertise to this 1969 telling of the Spanish Conquest of Mexico. It's rather dated, and to be completely honest, the Blue Peter version was much more interesting and accessible. It's very pretty to look at, the filming is really rather exquisite, but it's very old school BBC. It is amusing however that the presenter, John Julius Norwich bears more than a passing resemblance to George Reeves' portrayal of Clark Kent in the 1950s Adventures of Suprerman TV series in the US. Norwich's voice though is pure 1950s BBC, with perfect ennunciation and a very plummy tone.

Doctor Forever: The Celestial Toyroom - The series continues with a look at Doctor Who toys over the last 50 years. From the birth of BBC Licensing. From Daleks in the 1960s to Tom Baker dollies to Dapol and onwards into the present day. Presented in a very flippant and jokey manner, this really doesn't take itself seriously, but is presented with enough love and affection to keep it funny and the right side of ridicule. Rather brilliant, very silly indeed, and insane fun.

It's A Square World - A very brief glimpse of the first ever Doctor Who skit during the farewell to BBC TV Centre programme in 2012, gave the world a clue that this little gem still existed. Clive Dunn is Doctor Fortheringown (Doctor Who?) in a full Hartnell outfit, talking to Michael Bentine here. With cameos from Patrick Moore and er... Albert Steptoe... The Doctor's newest invention goes a tad wrong and takes the BBC TV Centre for a spin in space.

A Whole Scene Going - An excerpt from the 1960s magazine show featuring some cranky dustbins from the second movie, and a brief interview with the director of Daleks Invasion Earth 2150AD, Gordon Flemyng. Short and very dated, but Gordon's an interesting man, and certainly knew his stuff.

Coming Soon Trailer - SPOILER WARNING!!! In a release that's not at all an obvious tie in to a forthcoming reappearance, Patrick Troughton's Doctor faces off with some reptilian Martians. Also features the *other* instance of the Police Box TARDIS doors opening outwards. The Ice Warriors are coming soon to DVD.

As with disc one, all the features come with Subtitles and Audio Description, and Disc Two features the Radio Times cuttings in the usual PDF format for viewing on a computer.

This is all about disc two, really. The first release of The Aztecs (and a fine Hartnell story it is) was fairly packed with extras already, so I'm not sure we needed another release of it with one or two additional references, to justify the inclusion of Galaxy Four.

However it's that condensed story that's now the undeniable star of this special edition. It's such a rare treat to see a rediscovered Classic episode of the show, especially from the Hartnell era, that it completely negates any misgivings about most of the release being money for stuff we've already seen. Therefore this very special Special Edition can only really have one rating, even if it is almost entirely for Galaxy Four.

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BBC Consumer Products have sent DWO the cover and details for the Doctor Who DVD release of Inferno: Special Edition.

Inferno: Special Edition
Featuring: The 3rd Doctor

An experiment gone awry sends the Doctor (Jon Pertwee) to a parallel universe where his friends and companions are members of a fascist regime in this thrilling and popular episode from the long-running science fiction series Doctor Who.

Inferno is the name of a project designed to drill into the Earth's core and release a powerful energy source called Stahlman's Gas; what's yielded instead is an insidious substance that transforms men into monsters.

The resulting chaos interrupts the Doctor's travel in the TARDIS and knocks him into an alternate Earth run by a military dictatorship, and where Project Inferno's progress threatens to bring about an apocalypse.

Special Features:

To be updated later today...

+  Inferno: Special Edition is released on 27th May 2013, priced £20.42.

+  Compare Prices for this product on CompareTheDalek.com.

+  Check Out the DWO Release Guide entry for this product.

[Source: BBC Consumer Products]

BBC Consumer Products have sent DWO the cover and details for the Doctor Who DVD release of The Visitation: Special Edition.

The Visitation: Special Edition
Featuring: The 5th Doctor

It’s 1666, and medieval England is in the grip of the Great Plague. But when the Doctor and his companions arrive, they discover an even greater threat: the entire planet is in danger.

As the Grim Reaper stalks the countryside, the Doctor uncovers an alien menace intent on wiping out humanity and claiming our planet for themselves.

The Terileptils have arrived – and only the Doctor can stop them…

Special Features:

Disc One: 

•  Commentary with Peter Davison (the Fifth Doctor), Janet Fielding (Tegan), Sarah Sutton (Nyssa), Matthew Waterhouse (Adric) and director Peter Moffatt.
•  Grim Tales - Brand-new 45-minute documentary. Former companion Mark Strickson takes Peter Davison, Janet Fielding and Sarah Sutton back to the original filming locations while other cast and crew discuss their memories of the story.
•  The Television Centre of the Universe: Part One - Peter Davison, Mark Strickson and Janet Fielding return to BBC Television Centre and meet up with old friends and colleagues to reminisce on their time in the iconic building.
•  Doctor Forever: The Apocalypse Element - Examining the world of Doctor Who on audio. Including interviews with Colin Baker, Russell T Davies, Mark Gatiss and many others.
•  Film Trims Shots and sequences cut from the finished programme.
•  Directing Who: Peter Moffatt.
•  Writing A Final Visitation.
•  Scoring The Visitation - Interview with composer Paddy Kingsland.
•  Subtitle Production Notes.
•  Radio Times listings and BBC Sales Sheet.
•  Photo Gallery.
•  Coming soon trailer.
•  Isolated Music Score.
•  Easter Egg.
•  Digitally remastered picture and sound quality

+  The Visitstion: Special Edition is released on 6th May 2013, priced £20.42.

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+  Check Out the DWO Release Guide entry for this product.

[Source: BBC Consumer Products]

Manufacturer: BBC Worldwide Consumer Products

Written By: Robert Holmes

RRP: £20.42

Release Date: 25th February 2013

Reviewed By: Dale Who for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 13th February 2013

The TARDIS arrives on an apparently deserted and deactivated space station Nerva, otherwise known as the Ark, orbiting Earth in the far future.

There the Doctor, Sarah and Harry discover the last survivors of the human race held in suspended animation, Earth having been evacuated thousands of years earlier when solar flares threatened to destroy all life.

* * *

It's another re-release; this time on the tale of the Wirrn and Nerva Beacon. The picture and sound quality have been remastered again, and are as sharp as you're going to get.

Disc One is the original release, complete with two Easter Eggs, and optional CGI effects, and goes as follows.

Disc One:

Commentary - A feature commentary, with Tom Baker (The Doctor), Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith), and Philip Hinchcliffe, discussing the story with many memories and anecdotes.

A New Frontier - From ideas, via many rewrites, to screen; the making of The Ark In Space. Philip Hinchcliffe, Rodney Bennett, and various cast members come together to discuss the serial. Wendy Williams (Vira in the story) is especially entertaining looking back at her role.

It's fairly obvious that the cast and crew loved the story, from the warm and glowing way they relate their experiences. From popping bubblewrap to a lack of slime, it's all covered in this entertaining little featurette.

Roger Murray-Leach Interview - The set designed sits on a white sofa and discusses how to make an Ark for Who out of "two and sixpence". Construction of ingenious corridors, multi-level sets, and how to take The Doctor to hospital. Roger's tenure on Doctor Who consists of The Ark In Space, The Sontaran Experiment, The Deadly Assassin, Planet of Evil and The Talons of Weng-Chiang. There's also Blake's Seven, but he doesn't want to talk abut that...

Model Effects Roll - A model of Nerva Beacon, and a particularly troublesome scout ship that simply will NOT take off properly! A short-ish extra, featuring the many tries and takes recorded for the blast off. Seems oddly reminiscent of Button Moon in some parts...

CGI Effects Roll - An altogether more impressive view of the Beacon, courtesy of some computer wizardry from the first release of this story. Beautiful graphics and a very different rocket ship departure from the Model version. It's glorious to look at, but slightly jarring when viewed in the story, which is an option available on this disc.

3D Technical Schematics - More CGI gloriousness, this time showing the layout and specs of Nerva Beacon. Again, beautiful graphics, and a few in-jokes in the names of the devices. Short, but very pretty.

Trail - A proper old school BBC1 trailer for Doctor Who, with Ark's first episode. A short clip, a *huge* lime green logo and a remind that the episode will be on at "5.35, tomorrow, on BBC1."  Wonderful nostalgia trip.  So very different from how it's done these days...

Alternate titles - A few different slide and tunnel effects, and a dreadful version of the TARDIS  leading into a slight variant of the first Tom Baker era title sequence.  

Alternate CGI sequences - Choose between the original model sequences, or the updated, beautiful CGI created for the release.  As previously noted, it might jar a little seeing it in the story but it's only a momentary thing, it never detracts from the story or makes you lose where you were.

TARDIS Cam No.1 - From the "BBC Fictionlab" back in 2002 comes the TARDIS Cam, odd little snippets of footage of the trusty old Police Box in various locations. A lovely model TARDIS, very similar to the ones later sold by ARC models in a limited run.

Photo Gallery - It's time for the usual mix of behind the scenes and publicity stills from the show, set to a variety of weird background FX noises. Particularly enjoyable are the stills with the look of disgust on Sarah's face and she's holding bits of Wirrn innards.

...and that's disc one wrapped up. No "Coming Soon Trailer" on this disc, which is slightly unusual. However that's only half of the story, as there's a helping of new extras on Disc Two!

Disc Two:

TV Movie version - A revised repeat from 1975, cut down to seventy minutes. The BBC used to screen these when live sporting fixtures went awry, due to bad weather or industrial action; or as "Christmas treats" - where this particular edit comes in. Those were the days, when there'd be an unscheduled Doctor Who story on a Saturday afternoon!!

Doctor Forever: Love & War - The story of Doctor Who books from Virgin's New Adventures onwards. When Doctor Who went off-screen in 1989 the books continued to take the TARDIS into new territory, with a new adult take on the Time Lord and his adventures. Talking heads contributing to this history of the New Adventures include Gary Russell, Paul Cornell, and Russell T. Davies. Mark Gatiss reads an excerpt from his book "Nightshade", and reminds us of just why he's SO good at writing Doctor Who and Sherlock; and RTD gives us a glimpse of "Damaged Goods", and then examines how it's inter-related to post 2005 Doctor Who.

The series didn't end terribly happily, and that too is looked at in this featurette. It's an honest look and a worthy new extra. Brilliant.

Scene Around Six - Footage from what happens when a Time Lord is let loose in Ireland. Tom Baker on both sides of the then divide, lighting Christmas trees, bewitching primary schools, and being treated like an absolute hero by hordes of kids. The power of Doctor Who. Tom Baker obviously adores it all, and it's all very light, fun, and heartwarming. Awesome footage of an awesome Time Lord.

Robot 8mm Location Footage - Silent film of behind the scenes filming for Tom Baker's first story. There's Bessie, and UNIT, and rather brilliantly there's the Brigadier in sunglasses. Short, but raises a smile.

Coming soon Trailer - It's another special edition - this time with the original TARDIS crew. When the time travellers arrive in the temple of Yetaxa, Barbara is mistaken for a reincarnation of the Aztec deity; and that's where there troubles really begin. William Hartnell stars in The Aztecs: Special Edition is out soon!

There are, as always, the usual Info Text and PDF Radio Times options, and Subtitles and Audio Navigation are included as standard.

There's a lot to love about The Ark In Space: Special Edition, however most of it was covered on the original release. This special edition re-release doesn't have masses from the era in which it was made added to it, so they've bulked it out with various miscellania (such as the featurette on the New Adventures). The footage of Tom Baker in Ireland is excellent though, and almost justifies the revamp by itself. It's not a stellar DVD release, but a good one all the same.

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BBC Consumer Products have sent DWO the cover and details for the Doctor Who DVD release of The Aztecs: Special Edition.

The Aztecs: Special Edition
Featuring: The 1st Doctor

The TARDIS arrives in fifteenth century Mexico inside the tomb of Aztec High Priest Yetaxa. The travellers become cut off from the ship after the tomb door closes behind them and Barbara is proclaimed as Yetaxa's divine reincarnation.

However, she incurs the enmity of the High Priest of Sacrifice, when - against the Doctor's advice - she attempts to use her new-found authority to put an end to the Aztec practice of human sacrifice.

Special Features:

Disc One: 

•  4 x 25 mins approx monochrome episodes with mono audio. Optional Arabic soundtrack for episode four only.
•  Commentary - stereo. With actors William Russell and Carole Ann Ford, producer Verity Lambert OBE.
•  Remembering The Aztecs - Actors John Ringham, Ian Cullen and Walter Randall recall the production of the story and of television production in the sixties in general.
•  Designing The Aztecs - Designer Barry Newbery talks about his work on the story, illustrated with many never-before-seen production drawings and photographs from his personal collection.
•  Cortez and Monezuma - An extract from a 1970 Blue Peter, introduced by Valerie Singleton on location in Mexico, giving historical background to the Aztec belief in human sacrifice.
•  Restoring The Aztecs - A short featurette demonstrating the restoration and videoisation effects used for the release. With subtitles.
•  Making Cocoa - An animated guide to making cocoa the Aztec way, voiced in character by John Ringham as Tlotoxl and Walter Randall as Tonila, with both characters animated and presented in South Park style.
•  TARDIS-Cam no.3 - The third of BBCi’s TARDIS-Cam shots.
•  Photo Gallery - production, design and publicity photos from the story.
•  Easter Egg - An animated BBC Enterprises logo recovered from the end of one of the prints sold overseas.
•  Intro Sequences - The umbrella story title The Aztecs does not appear on any of the episodes, so for (outdated now) BBFC compliance a caption card with the title has been provided. To add interest, six versions have been provided, each with a different voiceover, in character, from three of the actors involved in the production. The intention is that the disc will randomly select one of these six sequences and play it out at the appropriate point.
•  PDF Material – Radio Times listings in Adobe PDF format for viewing on PC or Mac.
•  Programme subtitles.

Disc Two:

•  Galaxy 4 (dur. 64’ 43”) – a shortened reconstruction of the missing story Galaxy 4, using off-screen stills, audio recordings and animation plus the recently recovered complete episode three to tell the story.
•  Chronicle – The Realms of Gold – John Julius Norwich’s superlative 1969 retelling of the story of the Spanish conquest of Mexico and the Aztecs, which also features music by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.
•  Dr. Forever! – Celestial Toyroom – the first of a new five-part series introduced by Ayesha Antoine looks at Doctor Who toys. With original series producer Verity Lambert, new series creator Russell T Davies, writers Mark Gatiss, Rob Shearman, Paul Cornell and Joseph Lidster, BBC Worldwide product licensing executive Richard Hollis, product approval executive Dave Turbitt and ex- range editor Steve Cole, AudioGO commissioning editor Michael Stevens, Character Options’ Alasdair Dewar, DWM’s toy reviewer Jim Sangster and last, but by no means least, Doctor Who’s very own Winston Churchill, actor Ian McNiece.
•  It’s a Square World – the very first Doctor Who skit (as far as we can ascertain), with Clive Dunn in full First Doctor costume as a scientist demonstrating his new space rocket to Michael Bentine, resulting in Television Centre being launched into space! Features cameo appearances by Patrick Moore and Albert Steptoe.
•  A Whole Scene Going – an excerpt from a recently recovered edition of the sixties music and arts programme, featuring an interview with director Gordon Flemyng and a behind the scenes look at filming of his movie Daleks’ Invasion Earth: 2150 AD.
•  Coming Soon - a trailer for a forthcoming DVD release.
•  Radio Times Listings in Adobe PDF format.
•  Programme subtitles.

+  The Aztecs: Special Edition is released on 11th March 2013, priced £20.42.

+  Compare Prices for this product on CompareTheDalek.com.

[Source: BBC Consumer Products]

Manufacturer: BBC Worldwide Consumer Products

Written By: Bob Baker & Dave Martin

RRP: £20.42

Release Date: 22nd October 2012

Reviewed By: Sebastian J. Brook for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 28th October 2012

When a damaged spaceship containing beautiful humanoid creatures called Axons lands on Earth, The Doctor, Jo and UNIT are sent to investigate. In return for their help, the Axons offer the gift of Axonite, which would end world famine.

It all appears too good to be true - so what secrets are the Axons hiding on board their ship? And why is The Doctor's old enemy The Master involved?

* * * * *

This is a story that breaks new ground in a number of ways, but perhaps chiefly in some of the technological wizardry discovered and used at the time. The Claws of Axos is very much a product of its time, with the psychedelic nature of some of the FX and, ahem, costumes, but rather than leave the story behind in the 1970's, it carries through and is still as enjoyable today. 

When one hears the words 'Special Edition' attributed to a previously released Doctor Who DVD, you can't help wondering just how much more 'special' it can be.

The picture and audio quality is sharper and cleaner, perhaps not as noticeable as some of the recent restorations, but still worthy of note - especially considering the sheer amount of work that goes into them. But it is the extras, however, that make this edition particularly 'special'. As well as having the special features included on the previous release (Commentary, Deleted and Extended Scenes, Now And Then & Easter Egg) we are treated to over an hour of bonus material, with one being among the finest ever produced for the range. More on that later.

Disc 1

Special Features:

Commentary - Featuring Katy Manning (Jo Grant), Richard Franklin (Captain Mike Yates) and Barry Letts (Producer). There's great atmosphere between the trio, with Barry's soft, almost Mr.Kipling-esque tones, Katy's boundless energy, and Richard's gentlemanly manner. The pace doesn't really drop, and Letts takes the mantle of directing the commentary successfully.

Deleted and Extended Scenes - The original but annotated version of the studio recording which is included on this release in it's entirety. Text commentary is an optional extra. This is particularly special owing to the fact it includes the only surviving behind-the-scenes footage of Roger Delgado.

Disc 2

Special Features:

Axon Stations! - The feature kicks off with a great CGI sequence that literally pulls you into the process of how The Claws of Axos was made. Featuring interviews with Katy Manning (Jo Grant), Bob Baker (Co-Writer), Terrance Dicks (Script Editor), Michael Ferguson (Director), Derek Ware (Pigbin Josh), Paul Grist (Agent Bill Filer) & Bernard Holley (Axon Man). An insightful and amusing documentary - look out for Katy Manning's priceless description of the Axon ship! Kudos to the Director of the piece, Chris Chapman, who can add another string to his bow of inventive, engaging and ultimately successful additions to the Doctor Who DVD range.

Now and Then - Richard Bignell provides us with another of his location comparisons, contrasting the original footage from 1971 with that of modern day. In most cases, it's surprising at how little has changed in the 41 years since the story was filmed. Warmfully narrated by Katy Manning, we're taken through the chronological order of shooting locations.

Directing Who: Michael Ferguson on The Claws of Axos - A more focused insight into Michael Ferguson's role as Director for the story. Michael recalls some of the technical advantages and disadvantages with The Claws of Axos, as well as opinions of his fellow colleagues. There is some repetition of recollections, previously featured in the 'Axon Stations!' extra, but as a whole it's great to see and hear a more linear collection of Michael's memories on the show.

Studio Recording - A surviving example of how BBC studio drama's used to be made, featuring the complete unedited recording, with studio chatter, VT run-ups and recording breaks. This is definitely a feature for the hardcore fans, or those with an interest in media production. We just so happen to be both, so naturally loved it!

Living With Levene - As the opening line explains, Toby Hadoke spends the weekend with one of the most unusual figures in Doctor Who; John Levene (Sergeant Benton in the Classic Series). We're introduced to John's early work on the show as a Cyberman extra in 'The Moonbase' and then as a Yeti in 'The Web of Fear'. We're then incorrectly informed his next appearance was as Sergeant Benton in 'The Invasion' - [that should have been Corporal Benton] - but minor factual niggle aside, it covers Levene's life quite thoroughly and entertainingly. Hadoke, as always, helps guide the feature smoothly coupled with his knowledge of Doctor Who and obvious love for the show.

But this feature, which is a little out of the ordinary for a Doctor Who DVD extra, sets itself as the jewel in the Claws of Axos: Special Edition release. Whether deliberately or by accident, Living with Levene doesn't just tell the story of one man's brush with Doctor Who, but how that brush affected his entire life, and in doing so, creates a warm, touching and very real documentary, blanketed by the beautiful surrounding of Levene's hometown of Salisbury.

There's no denying that some of John's stories and recollections seem fantastical, but the irony here is that through Hadoke's numerous attempts to unmask the 'real' John Levene, one can't help feel that, akin to the movie 'Big Fish', what we have here is a larger than life man, who has truly lived a life larger than himself. One can't help being captivated by his infectious personality and obvious love for the life he has lived and lives.

This extra is well worth the price of the DVD itself, and could easily be enjoyed by a non-Doctor Who loving audience. It's wonderfully constructed and is arguably the finest extra ever produced for the Doctor Who DVD range. The production is of the quality of some of the BBC's renowned 'Wonderland' series, and sets a new bar for the (few remaining) future releases.

Coming Soon Trailer - 'The Legacy Box' is the subject of the trailer, and features both 'Shada' and the 'More than 30 years in the TARDIS' documentary.

Easter Egg - There's a rather informative Easter Egg on this release that has a rather amusing connection to The Claws of Axos.

As with previous releases there is the usual Photo Gallery, PDF Marerials, Subtitles and Info Text for those who want or need them.

The Claws of Axos: Special Edition ticks all the boxes for any fan of this story. The restoration, quality of extras and overall value for money definitely warrant the purchase - even if you bought the non-Special Edition first time round. With a few more Special Editions on the horizon as the end of the Doctor Who DVD range is in sight, this release sets a new standard that will have us double-dipping with no questions asked.

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BBC Consumer Products have sent DWO the cover and details for the Doctor Who DVD release of Vengeance on Varos: Special Edition.

Vengeance on Varos: Special Edition

Featuring: The 6th Doctor

The Doctor visits the planet Varos to obtain supplies of a rare ore called zeiton 7, vital to the functioning of the TARDIS. Varos was once a colony for the criminally insane and the descedants of the orginal guards still rule over the rest poverty-striken population. The Doctor and Peri meet two rebels, Jondar and Areta, and Peri and Areta are captured by Qullam, the Dome's sadistic commandant... 

Cleared Special Feautres:

•  00:44:42:11 - DOCTOR WHO - VENGEANCE ON VAROS - PART ONE (WITH AUDIO COMMENTARY)
•  00:44:45:02 - DOCTOR WHO - VENGEANCE ON VAROS - PART TWO (WITH AUDIO COMMENTARY)
•  00:01:37:07 - (ACID BATH SCENE) (ALTERNATE MUSIC TRACK)
•  00:29:37:17 - NICE OR NASTY? - THE MAKING OF VENGEANCE ON VAROS
•  00:07:29:11 - THE IDIOT'S LANTERN (FEATURETTE)
•  00:12:54:03 - TOMORROW'S TIMES - THE SIXTH DOCTOR (FEATURETTE)
•  00:07:31:05 - (FRENCH AND SAUNDERS) (TELEVISION CLIP)
•  00:17:42:04 - (EXTENDED & DELETED SCENES)
•  00:06:38:08 - VENGEANCE ON VAROS - PHOTO GALLERY
•  00:01:07:01 - (NEWS) (TELEVISION NEWS CLIP)
•  00:15:07:11 - (SATURDAY SUPERSTORE) (TELEVISION CLIP)
•  00:05:41:15 - BBC BREAKFAST TIME (TELEVISION CLIP)

+  Vengeance on Varos: Special Edition is released on 10th September 2012, priced £20.42.

+  Compare Prices for this product on CompareTheDalek.com.

[Source: BBC Consumer Products]