DVD May and June releases
DVD and Video
March 7, 2008 • Posted By Marcus
A number of DVD websites are now listing the 1978 Tom Baker story The Invasion of Time for release in the UK on 5th May 2008. This follows the previously announced release of the Peter Davison story, Black Orchid, on the 14th April 2008.

We now understand that June 16th will see a double issue entitled K9 Tales, comprising of the 1977 story The Invisible Enemy and the 1981 special K-9 and Company.

Other stories cleared for release, but currently unscheduled, are The Brain of Morbius and The Trial of a TimeLord.

NB: The release schedule is unconfirmed and may change.

Last of the Time Lords Commentary
DVD and VideoApril 13, 2008 • Posted By Jarrod Cooper
The commentary track for The Last of the Time Lords featuring David Tennant, Freema Agyeman, and John Barrowman, is currently available for download from BBC America. The track was available on the Region 2 release of the Series Three DVD set, but was left off of the Region 1 release due to rights issues. There is also a feature on the site that will allow fans to run the commentary in sync to the episode as it airs on April 19th.

The Invasion of Time, The Invisible Enemy & K-9 and Company in September

Posted by David Lambert
5/28/2008

Doctor Who - Story #097: The Invasion of Time and Doctor Who - Story #093: The Invisible Enemy have been announced as the next two planned North American DVD releases of the classic Doctor Who program, coming on September 2nd. Both stories are from the 15th series (season) of the original show, having first broadcast in 1977-78, and star Tom Baker as the 4th Doctor. Both of these serials also include Louise Jameson as companion "Leela," and the voice of John Leeson as robotic dog companion "K-9" (or "K9,", if you prefer.).

Also, Doctor Who - Story #093: The Invisible Enemy, which marked K-9's very first appearance, will be accompanied by "K-9 and Company: A Girl's Best Friend", which first aired in December 1981 as a Christmas special. "A Girl's Best Friend" was originally intended to be the pilot episode for a proposed (but not picked-up) spin-off program K-9 and Company, co-starring the voice of John Leeson as K-9 and Elisabeth Sladen as "Sarah Jane Smith". Sarah, of course, was the companion at the time that the 3rd Doctor (Jon Pertwee) regenerated into the 4th Doctor. The character is currently seen in her own successful spin-off program The Sarah Jane Adventures, still played by Sladen. This would make a great item to check out for anyone who enjoys the new show.

Together, Doctor Who - Story #093: The Invisible Enemy and K-9 and Company: A Girl's Best Friend are going to be marketed in some parts of the world as a DVD set titled "K9 Tales". This morning's announcement by distributor Warner Home Video for release in the USA and Canada does not mention that title, however, and package art isn't available yet to show visually what it will formally be called. Regardless of the name, though, this release will be a 2-disc set costing $34.98 SRP. "The Invisible Enemy" is a 4-episode serial (approx. 100 minutes) in which the 4th Doctor falls ill due to a mind-invading parasite; he helps direct Leela to put the TARDIS on course to a medical facility before going into a coma. Once there, Leela gains the help of a Professor and his robotic dog (K-9) to go on a Fantastic Voyage-like adventure: miniaturized clones of herself and the Doctor are injected into the Doctor's body to find and combat the nucleus of the infection.

Extras for "The Invisible Enemy" include Audio Commentary that has participation by Louise Jameson and John Leeson, among others; the "Dreams and Fantasy" making-of featurette; a "Studio Sweepings" behind-the-scenes look at the recording of the story; a "Visual Effect" featurette about the special effects of this story and others; a segment from the UK program Blue Peter with guest K-9; alternate new CGI Effects; BBC Continuity Trailers; a Photo Gallery; Easter Eggs ; DVD-ROM Radio Times Listings PDF; Program Subtitles and Subtitle Production Notes.

In the 50-minute story "K-9 and Company: A Girl's Best Friend", Sarah pays a Christmas visit to her Aunt Lavinia's house in the village of Moreton Harwood. She discovers that Lavinia, a noted scientist, has yet to return from a lecture tour of the USA. She does however meet Brendan - Lavinia's ward - and Commander Bill Pollock, her partner in a small market garden business. Also in the house, in a box sent to her by The Doctor, she finds K-9. Bonus materials include an Audio Commentary Track by Leeson, Sladen and others; a Featurette "The K-9 Files" where cast and crew look at the history of this character in various media; "K-9: A Dog's Tale," where the robotic dog is interviewed about his life; a Christmas 1981 appearance of K-9 in the BBC1 mid-day program Pebble Mill at One; the "K-9 Stories": 4 books (K9 and the Beasts of Vega, K9 and the Missing Planet, K9 and the Time Trap and K9 and the Zeta Rescue) collected in Adobe PDF format on DVD-ROM, along with PDF files for the K-9 Annual and the regular Radio Times Listings for DVD-ROM; BBC Continuity Trailers; a Photo Gallery; Easter Eggs; Program Subtitles and Subtitle Production Notes.

Doctor Who - Story #097: The Invasion of Time is a 2-DVD set costing $34.98 SRP. "The Doctor returns to Gallifrey to claim the Presidency, and begins an unorthodox administration by opening the gates to alien invaders." It runs approx. 150 minutes for 6 episodes which make up this serial, and was Louise Jameson's last regular appearance as Leela (she returned only for the 1993 special "Dimensions In Time"). The studio description also notes that "this adventure is famous for its extensive look into the backrooms of the TARDIS." The DVD release is in full screen video, English - Mono audio, and contains English subtitles. The Doctor Who Restoration Team reports that extras include a Commentary Track with Jameson, Leeson, and others; Deleted Scenes; a Behind-the- Scenes Documentary called "Out of Time"; two Featurettes called "The Rise and Fall of Gallifrey" and "The Elusive David Agnew" (Agnew is listed as the writer of this story, but there is no such person); Alternate new CGI Effects (visual and audio); BBC Continuity Announcements/Trailers; a Photo Gallery; a Coming Soon Trailer; a Radio Times Billings PDF (DVD-ROM); Program Subtitles and Subtitle Production Notes. North American package art for Doctor Who - Story #097: The Invasion of Time is already available, and here is a look at it:




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Trial of a Time Lord DVD Box Set Update

The Restoration Team has released details of the forthcoming four-disc release of the Trial of a Time Lord DVD box set in the UK.

The 14 episodes, comprising season 23 of the classic era, originally aired between September and December 1986 and featured Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor.

There is a host of extras with the set, including extracts from Blue Peter, Points of View, Children In Need, Saturday Picture Show and Open Air.

It will also have the video for the charity song Doctor In Distress, the celebrity single that was released in 1985 under the group name Who Cares? in protest at the show's suspension and feared cancellation.

In addition, there is a 55-minute documentary that takes a look at Colin Baker's time as the Doctor. Among those featured are Baker, Nicola Bryant, John Nathan-Turner, Eric Saward and former BBC heads of series and serials David Reid and Jonathan Powell.

The box set is due to be released on August 18.