Doctor Who: Confirmation on two more releases at last! (1 Viewer)

[Howard Glenn]

According to Outpost Gallifrey, we now have September 2 as an official release date for the Region 1 releases of;

The Dalek Invasion of Earth
and
The Talons of Weng-Chiang

As a Doctor Who fan, I always feel like I'm biting my nails waiting for new releases. It wouldn't be so bad if these annoucements were for box sets, similar to The Key to Time.

Given how many stories exist, I'll probably be on my fourth regeneration by the time all the episodes are out!

Howie

 

[alan halvorson]

Me too - and I wish they were cheaper and in order. I love Doctor Who but because of the way discs are being released, I don't feel compelled to buy all episodes.

 

[Elvie]

Very cool on the release date (scribbles down on calendar so I don't forget). The release order does seem to be a bit odd at times, but I'm just glad they're being released

 

[Randy_M]

Personally, I'm glad of the way they are jumping around in the releases...Gives people a chance to sample all the various incarnations.

I for one just can't bring myself to like many of the early (Hartnell and Troughton) stories. Lord knows, I've tried, but their productions are too primitive for me to enjoy. A notable exception for me is War Games , the final Troughton story.

I'm totally excited for The Talons of Weng-Chiang, though; one of my all-time faves.

For me, price is not an issue, given the excellent commentaries that are on all the discs so far. They just have so much darn fun doing the commentaries, I just have to chuckle time and again.

I'd sure like to see the discs come out mor often than they are now; one or two a month would be fine with me...

Cheers

 

[Howard Glenn]

I think one of the deciding factors effecting the slow release dates has to do the speed with which the restoration team can work. These guys have been doing some pretty nice work (especially considering the condition of much of the existing source material), and their not exactly getting made large sums of money either.

I was very pleased with the results they acheived with The Aztecs, and looks like we'll be getting more of the same with The Dalek Invasion of Earth.

In case you've never visited their site before, you can find it here;


http://www.restoration-team.co.uk/

H

 

[MatthewLouwrens]

One thing that is interesting to note from the Restoration Team website:

It is important to remember that the title 'Doctor Who Restoration Team' is a self-imposed one. Although the team is officially recognised by our clients, the team members all have full time jobs and carry out restoration work in their own time.

According to the Restoration Team, they are also working on:
* The Three Doctors (3rd Doctor - with 1st and 2nd)
* Earthshock (5th Doctor)
* The Two Doctors (6th Doctor - with 2nd)
* The Curse Of Fenric (7th Doctor)

By the way, if you haven't seen Earthshock, do not read the article on the site. They reveal a MAJOR spoiler for that story that you will not want to know.

 

[Sean Campbell]

and I wish they were cheaper and in order

Releasing Dr Who in order would be a financial disaster for the BBC - Hartnell and Troughton aren't the most popular Doctors and besides, it'd be years before I'd get to see some of my favourites. The pick and mix release schedule seems to be the best way of doing things.
I picked up the Dalek Invasion of Earth disc yesterday - look out for the Easter Eggs, some hilarious stuff

 

[Joel Mack]

Whee!

 

[David Lambert]

Sorry guys...that's the wrong date. I just posted the news item with the correct date (10/7) and cover art!

 

[Terry Hickey]

I will be getting both when they come out. I am awaiting the 2 new ones coming out on 7/1, at the moment. I enjoy all the Doctors as each one had their own style. Each Doctor had some very good stories and some not so interesting. I will be looking forward to these 2 when it gets close to October.

 

[alan halvorson]

Sean: Start with Jon Pertwee! I'm not that crazy about William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton Doctors' also - do them last.

Whatever happened to the Dr. Who series? How did it end? Did it even have an end? The last Doctor I saw was Sylvester McCoy, and I wasn't too impressed with him either.

 

[Rollie]

Alan, the show ended in 1989. Rumors crop up about a new series every so often. But, besides the 1996 TV movie, Who is dead as far as television is concerned. It does, however, live on in a number of audio dramas involving the different Doctors. Currently, there is also a web series/remake of Shada which is on the BBC's website. From the parts I saw, it looked fairly well done, and Paul McGann and Lalla Ward are involved. You guys should check it out.

Meanwhile, back on topic...

I am definitely looking forward to Carnival of Monsters and Resurrection of the Daleks, as they are two of my favorites. My most anticipated stories are probably; The War Games, Day of the Daleks, The Deadly Assassin, and Logopolis.

Doctor Who is such a great series, they cannot release the DVDs fast enough IMO. BTW, am I the only one who notices that more and more shows are taking pride in their long running status of 5, 7, or, 10 years. I think that people forget that Doctor Who ran for 26 years. As far as longevity goes, it really is second to none.

 

[David Lambert]

I meant in my last post to address the issue of "skipping around" on the episodes order of release. All I wanted to do was to point out that, for many of the older episodes especially, the BBC *and* the restoration team have to use whatever episodes actually have work-with-able materials available. If you're not familiar with the story of the loss of most of the early Doctor Who episodes, then shame on you. There are a gazillion DW fans sites that tell the story better than I can, so go find one of them. But it's impossible to start with Story #1 on DVD, if you don't HAVE any of the video from Story #1. And so on.

I saw that the discussion had skirted around this issue, but I just wanted to directly point toward it. No Material = No DVD. For that reason, I'm grateful for the early ones we DO have. And we get story #10 this October? Wonderful! Story #6 (The Aztecs) was brilliant, and seeing one from the same era will be sheer ectasy.

And I, for one, am also glad that we get to see a bit from each incarnation of the Doctor. Every actor contributed to the role, and it would be a crime for fans of each one to have to wait long to see at least SOME of their favorite version. For once I applaud a TV show being released out-of order!!

Hey, for every rule there IS an exception. :wink:

 

[Mark_Wilson]

I like the skipping around. My PBS station only showed Tom Baker episodes so that was all I saw. Its nice to see the episodes from the other doctors.

 

[Anthony Neilson]

With regards to the slow release of the DR WHO series,you should know (if you don't already) that the most recent releases here are two-disc sets. Seriously impressive work has been done by the restoration teams and the vaults have obviously been scoured for every available bit of material.
I'm not a huge Dr Who fan (though I once was)but I have THE TALONS OF WENG CHIANG, and it's one of the most loaded TV discs I've ever seen. Some of the extras may be a little baffling to non-UK residents but I'm sure you'll love the doc, the BTS footage and the commentary track. I also think they're actually trying to release the stories most highly coveted by the fans. Anyway, hold tight ; if you're Dr Who fans, you're in for a treat !

 

[Howard Glenn]

David,

Thanks for your update...the slightly later release date is not all that bad, considering how out of control September is getting for new releases!

Regarding the "out of order" release of episodes;
I can't say as I can really argue with the way the episodes are being released. After all this time, I still keep hoping that more "lost episodes" will turn up somewhere. It's such a terrible shame that so many great stories are no longer existing.

What would be nice, is to have more of the branching episodes between each doctor be released sooner, rather than later. Some of the early William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton episodes that are available, are some of my favorites, including The Time Meddler, and The War Games.

Another interesting bit of information recently released are the results of Doctor Who Magazine's 2004 DVD release poll. Here are the results:

1. Pyramids of Mars
2. City of Death
3. Talons of Weng-Chiang
4. An Unearthly Child
5. The Seeds of Doom
6. The Curse of Fenric
7. Genesis of the Daleks
8. Inferno
9. Logopolis
10. The Dalek Invasion of Earth

The simple fact that we are getting this great show on dvd at all is something to be thankful for.

H

 

[GaryEA]

Why is the list price $34.98? That seems pretty steep to me, unless they have more than one disc.

I'm sure discounts will be available, but I'm stunned at the prices for these discs...

Gary

 

[David Lambert]

Why is the list price $34.98? That seems pretty steep to me, unless they have more than one disc.

I'm sure discounts will be available, but I'm stunned at the prices for these discs...

Both of those releases are 2-disc sets in the UK (check Amazon.co.uk if you want to verify). At the higher SRP in North America, I can't imagine anything else but a 2-disc release.

Right now WB doesn't say either way, and BBC America's site isn't listing these two yet (which is not abnormal).

 

[MatthewLouwrens]

Another interesting bit of information recently released are the results of Doctor Who Magazine's 2004 DVD release poll. Here are the results:

1. Pyramids of Mars
2. City of Death
3. Talons of Weng-Chiang
4. An Unearthly Child
5. The Seeds of Doom
6. The Curse of Fenric
7. Genesis of the Daleks
8. Inferno
9. Logopolis
10. The Dalek Invasion of Earth

And of these ten, four have been or will be released in the in the future.

But why is An Unearthly Child so high? Other than the significance of being the first Dr Who story, it really is an awful story. Honestly, if I didn't know about the 26 years of fine television that followed, I would never have made it past the second episode.

 

[GaryEA]

Both of those releases are 2-disc sets in the UK (check Amazon.co.uk if you want to verify). At the higher SRP in North America, I can't imagine anything else but a 2-disc release.

Thanks David. It's still pricey, but what you've said makes more sense to me.

Gary