The upcoming Doctor Who DVD range! (1 Viewer)

[Mark Talmadge]

You know, for a time I had thought about picking up this series but with over 700 episodes and only one or two episodes per DVD, it would take way too much room to store not to mention the fact that the DVD's are only released in single DVD form and not boxed sets, to conserve on space.

Too bad BBC hasn't figured this out yet.

 

[Tory]

These are released by Serial which contain episodes ranging fron 2 -10 or maybe more per story but generally 4-6. There are 159 stories made in the original series of which 27 or so are lost either partially or entirely, what survives of these stories have been released. I believe 58 complete serials have been released or have release dates in the US and there have been some boxsets. With 5 more out in the UK and 8 rereleases of better versions coming. The 90's fox film is in limbo and the season sets of the new one are coming regularly. Of the original series of what there isn't out or known to be coming and can be released there are 69 more releases coming and a number of those will be in boxsets.
What I really want to know is, when is the animated Doctor Who is getting a US DVD release.

 

[Roger_R]

There have been rumours going about that 2|Entertain will start releasing completed seasons in boxsets as digipacks, like the Davros collection.

 

[Mark Talmadge]

Season sets would introduce the show to newer fans but considering that over 700 episodes of the series have been released in single DVD form, there are a lot of poeple staying clear away from this series, me included.

This was the main reason why the original Star Trek series wasn't being bought up by fans when Paramount was releasing the series on siungle DVD at the rate of two episodes per DVD.

 

[RickER]

I am more than fine with the Doctor Who releases. You get a great restoration, replaced effects at times, and the best extras for any TV show. Seasons dont interest me, and as has been said more than once, are impossible to do since so many episodes from the first 6 or 7 years are missing. I am a Tom Baker, and Peter Davison fan. I would be waiting a damn long time if they were done season sets. These are not like the 40 Volume Trek sets. The extras alone are worth the $16 Amazon price for a single disc. I have movies that cost more, and had less for the price.

 

[Tony J Case]

You know, for a time I had thought about picking up this series but with over 700 episodes and only one or two episodes per DVD, it would take way too much room to store not to mention the fact that the DVD's are only released in single DVD form and not boxed sets, to conserve on space.
Too bad BBC hasn't figured this out yet.

Can't be done for a number of reasons.
* There's too many missing episodes from the first six years.
* The black and white episodes traditionaly sell less than the color
* Starting from the beginning and releasing one season set every six months, it would be three years of nothing but Bill and Pat and Jon before we get to the Doctor that everyone remembers.
* Consecuitive sets screw the fans of Colin and Sylvester, who would be forced to wait until the end of the range to get their Doctor.
* And you just cant start jumping around in releases. Lets say you release season 12 (the first Tom season), and someone picks up "The complete Season 12" set in the store, thinks "I need to get the other 11 seasons? Ok, where are they?" if they havent been turned off by having to buy the other (non-existant) sets anyway.
The BBC has been selling videos for years, they know what they are doing and what the market can support. And frankly the show is a nitch market anyway. Random people off the street are not going to drop 30, 40 or 50 bucks on show they have never, ever heard of regardless of it's just Genesis of the Daleks or the entirity of season 12.
'Sides, the show has been consistanty a best seller - at least according to amazon and sendit. So someone out there must be buying them.

 

[Mark Talmadge]

Still, I think it would be nice if the BBC could release those seasons to which they have complete episodes for and release them in boxed sets ... not simply packaged together.

 

[Tim Tucker]

Season sets would introduce the show to newer fans but considering that over 700 episodes of the series have been released in single DVD form, there are a lot of people staying clear away from this series, me included.

Mark, I do not understand where you are coming from.
True, over 700 episodes of classic Who were produced (though 108 episodes are missing, presumed destroyed), but you're making it sound like that the whole series is out on DVD, and that each individual episode was released on its own disc. This is definitely not the case.
Currently, 273 episodes have been, or are scheduled to be, released in the US. These releases include 5 box sets, whose episode count ranges from 12 to 26 episodes. The remaining DVDs each contain a complete serial, the length of which can range from 2 to 8 episodes, but most often is either 4 or 6 episodes. This works out as 48 separate releases, not counting the releases that were broken out of the boxsets. A bit unwieldy, but more manageable than you are implying.
Also, the primary market for these DVDs is the UK, and the current marketing strategy was chosen to suit that country. And further, most of these serials are complete stories, with little or no connection to the serial before or after. Therefore, a individual release of each serial does make some sort of sense.
Finally, it is planned that once a season has been completely released on DVD, a boxset of that season will be released. I suspect that Tom Baker's debut season would be the first of those.

 

[Tony J Case]

Speaking of boxed sets:
DVD bonus material listed as classified by the British Board of Film Classification on their website reveals that the 1986 14-episode Doctor Who story The Trial of a Time Lord is to be released on DVD later this year. The serial, which saw the Doctor being placed on trial by his fellow Time Lords, encompassed the entire twenty-third series of Doctor Who, and was the last to star Sixth Doctor Colin Baker.
So far only the extras for the second segment of the serial, popularly known as Mindwarp, have been classified. These include a 20-minute "Making Of" feature; the 1985 Children in Need night feature which saw the largest ever single gathering of regular cast members from the series; and a Lenny Henry Doctor Who sketch.
This makes me happy - I've been wanting trial for some time now. Colin always gets the Stick when people talk about the eighties, but I've always liked him, and I never thought Trial was all that bad.
And - the potential for extras for this set is amazing. Colin getting fired, the 18 months break, the stories that were scrapped when Bob Holmes died, the fallout of Eric Saward - this was such a turbulant time for the show, you could do a 3 hour documentary easy! (oooh, I'd love to hear Micheal Grade record a commentary track )
So taking into account all the sources so far, the year goes:
January: Beneath the Surface
February: The Time Meddler
March: The Five Doctors
April: Black Orchid
May: The Trial of a Time Lord
June: The Invasion of Time
July: The Brain of Morbius
August: The Invisible Enemy / K9 and Company
14 stories and the year is only (slightly over) half done? Wow.

 

[RickER]

What happened with Eric Saward?

 

[Tony J Case]

He and Producer JNT had a huge falling out smack in the middle of the production of the Trial season.
They always had a rough relationship, all kind of tension behind the scenes, with Saward often complained about how JNT's refusal to hiring experienced Doctor Who writers, which led to his having to work on unsuitable scripts submitted by rookie writers.
I'm not sure what the final straw was - although I do know that Eric and Colin Baker dont get along either, to the point we'll probably never see them do commentary togther (at least, without a Ref. ).

 

[AndyMcKinney]

I'm not sure what the final straw was - although I do know that Eric and Colin Baker dont get along either, to the point we'll probably never see them do commentary togther (at least, without a Ref. ).

I was thinking the final straw was that JN-T wanted Saward to change the scripted downbeat ending to the Trial season to a "happy" one with Saward being so disgusted that he withdrew permission for the show to use any elements from his original scripted version of episode 14 (to keep JN-T from ruining it), which is why Pip-n-Jane Baker were essentially "flying blind" when they wrote the version that ultimately made it to air.

 

[RickER]

Thats interesting. I always liked Eric Sayward's stuff. If i recall he had a few good Space:1999 episodes. I would have to say i agree with him about JNT. I always felt that JNT was getting bored with the show. I know i read he wanted out but the BBC wouldnt let him go. So i guess he was tyring to kill the show. The last 2 years with McCoy, are for me, unwatchable.

 

[AndyMcKinney]

Quote:

I always felt the first McCoy season (#24) was the worst of the three (and the worst of the entire programme).

 

[Jonathan Kaye]

Thats interesting. I always liked Eric Sayward's stuff. If i recall he had a few good Space:1999 episodes. I would have to say i agree with him about JNT. I always felt that JNT was getting bored with the show. I know i read he wanted out but the BBC wouldnt let him go. So i guess he was tyring to kill the show. The last 2 years with McCoy, are for me, unwatchable.

There are several writing crossovers between Doctor Who and Space: 1999, but to my knowledge Eric Saward (no y) isn't one of them.
Whatever his perceived faults, I don't think JNT could ever be accused of actively trying to kill the show. Yes, he was looking for a way out, but considering that even by 1985 he'd be doing the job for five years, longer than any of his predecessors, that's hardly surprising.
You're not alone in your view of the final McCoy years, although more people seem to denigrate his first year that his final two. Personally, I think stories like Remembrance of the Daleks (penultimate year) and Survival (final year) were signs that the show was trying to set a new course for itself. Indeed, look at Survival with its themes of bringing the Doctor's companion back home and looking at the emotional impact of that, and you'll find it not too far removed (other than the 16-year differences in special effects and technology available) from the Eccleston/Tennant series.

 

[Lord Dalek]

Season sets would introduce the show to newer fans but considering that over 700 episodes of the series have been released in single DVD form, there are a lot of poeple staying clear away from this series, me included.

Where are you getting these numbers? Only about 80 total stories have been released to date. And even if they wanted to they could never release the complete series because of the junking of many a 60's show.

 

[RickER]

I couldnt remember for a fact Eric Sayward had written for 1999. Now i will wonder who the hell i am confusing him with? Christopher Bidmead maybe...hell if my mind can remember, and i am to beat to look it up tonight. however, it is always interesting to read from those that are in the know with Dr. Who.

 

[AndyMcKinney]

I couldnt remember for a fact Eric Sayward had written for 1999. Now i will wonder who the hell i am confusing him with? Christopher Bidmead maybe

Perhaps you're thinking of Johnny Byrne, who was prolific on both shows.

 

[Jonathan Kaye]

i am to beat to look it up tonight.

...but I'll let you off as you're tired.
Not Bidmead either, as it happens. Looking at the list of those who wrote for Space: 1999, I'd guess you're probably thinking of Terrance Dicks, as all three were script editors at some point on Doctor Who.

 

[Lord Dalek]

There still isn't a 'y' in 'Saward'...

Although it is still pronounced as such. =)