Site Menu

March 15th, 2019 588 comments

We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.

Doctor Who The Collection Season 18 Blu-ray

Available to order from www.zoom.co.uk

Also available to order from www.amazon.co.uk

Available to order from www.amazon.com #ad

BBC Studios announces Tom Baker’s final series as the next instalment in the DOCTOR WHO: THE COLLECTION Blu-ray range

BBC Studios continues to offer Doctor Who fans the opportunity to build their own home archive on Blu-ray. Following the sell-out success of Tom Baker’s debut season, his seventh and final series will be released on 25th February as Doctor Who – The Collection: Season 18.

Tom Baker’s final year saw the programme undergo radical changes in front of the cameras and behind the scenes.

Producer John Nathan-Turner revamped the series with new writers, new directors, a new title sequence and theme arrangement, glossy production standards and – throughout the course of the season – a brand new regular cast. Over seven classic adventures the Doctor and his companions encountered the Foamasi, Meglos, the Marshmen, vampires and Tharils, building to a final deadly showdown between the Doctor and his arch nemesis the Master.

As a special bonus this set also includes the 1981 K9 & Company Christmas pilot episode, plus hours of brand new material.

Starring alongside Tom Baker are Lalla Ward as Romana, Matthew Waterhouse as Adric, Sarah Sutton as Nyssa, Janet Fielding as Tegan, Anthony Ainley as the Master, Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah-Jane Smith and John Leeson as K9.

Special Features exclusive to this set include:

  • New Making-Of documentary and updated special effects for Logopolis
  • Revealing new 2019 commentaries moderated by Matthew Sweet (Tom Baker on The Leisure Hive, Lalla Ward & Rachel Davies on State Of Decay)
  • Surround sound mix for Warriors’ Gate
  • Rare behind-the-scenes footage from The Leisure Hive, Full Circle and Logopolis
  • Eight more editions of Behind The Sofa
  • Brand new documentaries The Writers Room and Weekend With Waterhouse
  • New interview with K9 & Company’s Ian Sears
  • Another dip into the Panopticon convention archives with Tom Baker
  • HD photo galleries plus scripts, production files and rare documentation provided as PDFs
  • The eight-disc box set also includes hours of extensive special features previously released on DVD.

All material has been remastered for Blu-ray by Peter Crocker and Mark Ayres. Lee Binding has provided stunning packaging and new series writer/content consultant Pete McTighe has written another extensive booklet. Russell Minton is Executive Producer.

Blu-ray trivia: when filming took place for Logopolis (1980), Tom Baker’s last adventure, the intention was to shoot at the University of Manchester’s Jodrell Bank Observatory. Instead, production took place at Crowsley Park with the team using model shots.

For the brand new Blu-ray, almost 40 years later, BBC Studios received permission to film at Jodrell Bank with a drone. Offered as an alternative viewing option, fans will now be able to experience the finished product just as it was originally intended.

DOCTOR WHO: THE COLLECTION – SEASON 18 includes the following stories from 1980/81:

  • The Leisure Hive (four episodes)
  • Meglos (four episodes)
  • Full Circle (four episodes)
  • State Of Decay (four episodes); Warriors’ Gate (four episodes)
  • The Keeper Of Traken (four episodes)
  • Logopolis (four episodes)
  • plus K9 & Company – A Girl’s Best Friend.

RRP: £56.16


Categorised under: Blu-ray, DVD

Adverts/Affiliates

588 comments

  • Robert Sienicki

    March 25th, 2019 - 10:42am

    Probably nothing, but it’s worth to note that Lee Binding is prepping the covers for three more seasons. He said they are not oficially green lit yet, but tThey take so long to do it’s best to be ahead if they say ‘sure, let’s do it’.

    And I think, now it’s pretty sure thing, that the next set (probably season 10) will be announced next week, when new Doctor Who Magazine will be coming in.

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      March 25th, 2019 - 8:20pm

      I agree. I think the official announcement will be on Thursday (when DWM hits the shelves) or maybe the day before online.
      I think that the next 3 sets are pretty much guaranteed, even if they are not greenlit yet. think that unless the sets start selling very few then they are likely to do all 26 seasons, which is unlikely, as it is evident that there is a market for these bluray sets here and overseas so I think that the future of the range is secure.
      Do you have a source for where Lee Binding said this? I couldn’t see any mention of it on his twitter.

    • Gordon

      March 25th, 2019 - 10:22pm

      Yes definitely think it will be next week with the new dwm. Just wondering what extras there will be. Based upon the 3 previous sets there was 2 5.1 mixes so I think it probably will be again. Three doctors and green death seem like the obvious 2. The story to get the optional effects I’d guess at three doctors. As for the behind the sofa maybe Sean pertwee, Katy manning and uncle Terrance on 1 sofa but haven’t got a clue about the other. Chris chapman has 2 documentaries for it 1 I believe is a looking for peter sequel. Ed stradling has just finished working on a documentary which he described on twitter as the biggest show he’s ever worked on and from the photos is filmed at unit headquaters. Considering he has worked on quite lengthy 50-60 minute doctumentaries in the past it could be well over an hour. Maybe a Katy manning interview with Matthew sweet. The death of the doctor in hd with rtd commentary. The green death omnibus version recreated as I believe the soundtrack already exists for it even if the omnibus its self doesn’t.

    • Anonymous

      March 26th, 2019 - 11:31am

      I’d love to see all of those that you mentioned Gordon. FIngers crossed they are all included.
      Not sure if they will recreate the omnibus edition but it would be great to have it included if they do.

  • philip shaw

    March 24th, 2019 - 5:01pm

    Well I’ve watched the lot, all episodes and exra’s and din’t find a fault at all…

    Reply
    • Lee

      March 24th, 2019 - 10:43pm

      I’m just making my way through it, haven’t had loads of time to watch this weekend. Just watching State of Decay now with the new commentary.

      Great boxset so far. Haven’t noticed anything which would ruin my enjoyment of it.

  • Lege

    March 23rd, 2019 - 2:03pm

    Heads up guys this and season 19 aren’t on iTunes and prime.

    Reply
  • Lee

    March 22nd, 2019 - 3:10pm

    Just watching the extras on The Leisure Hive. Loving the banter and jibes between Wendy and Janet on Behind The Sofa 😀

    Reply
    • philip shaw

      March 22nd, 2019 - 5:15pm

      Janet’s just like Tegan, only more sarcastic…but very funny!

    • Lee

      March 22nd, 2019 - 8:30pm

      Not known for her shy demeanour is she? 😀

  • doctor whom

    March 21st, 2019 - 6:12pm

    i am getting the blu ray, can i stream it on my computer without putting the disc in?
    hope this makes some sense.

    Reply
    • Doctor whom

      March 21st, 2019 - 9:53pm

      Anyone?

    • Anonymous

      March 21st, 2019 - 11:38pm

      If you buy the physical copy you need to have the disc in, but if you want to play it without disk you can buy it digitally from Amazon I think.

    • Anonymous

      March 22nd, 2019 - 12:33am

      Yep Amazon and iTunes offer it for streaming, but unless they put down details wrong it’s at DVD quality not BluRay

    • Doctor whom

      March 22nd, 2019 - 10:55am

      So will the details be on the back of the box?
      Oh and how much will cost to stream off Amazon?

    • Gordon

      March 22nd, 2019 - 11:14am

      There is a booklet that is included with it that tells you what’s on what disc

    • Rob W

      March 22nd, 2019 - 11:19am

      I’ve no experience of streaming but there are details of free software here from Techradadar.com:-

      https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/the-best-free-streaming-software

    • Gordon

      March 22nd, 2019 - 11:20am

      The digital version isn’t worth it. It’s not in hd. It doesn’t include commentaries or production subtitles or the alternative cgi for logopolis. Plus the digital version is about 49.99 which is stupid

    • Anonymous

      March 22nd, 2019 - 12:24pm

      Nope. There isn’t a digital code

    • doctor whom

      March 22nd, 2019 - 4:52pm

      just got mine! looks lovely!
      i am reading the booklet and it is amazing! haven’t watched it yet as i don’t have a blu ray player! i have seen all the stories though so i don’t think i am missing much.
      going to look in CEX to see if they have a cheap blu ray player as i think £55 is a bit much online.
      thank you to everyone who has helped me try to stream it i really appreciate it.
      haven’t got any where yet though so i am relying on ebay or CEX to have a cheap one.

    • Rob W

      March 22nd, 2019 - 6:09pm

      From £33 at Currys for a Sony. You need a HDMI cable yoo, these are about £10-£20 or so. Don’t let the salespeople try and make you spend a shall fortune on one.

      Currys link is here:-

      https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/tv-and-home-entertainment/dvd-blu-ray-and-home-cinema/blu-ray-and-dvd-players/303_3016_30016_xx_xx/xx-criteria.html?ntid=B~m~Blu-ray%20and%20DVD%20players

    • Doctor whom

      March 22nd, 2019 - 10:33pm

      Rob W thanks!

  • daz

    March 21st, 2019 - 1:36pm

    Hi. Saw on Digital Spy that there are issues with set. Can anyone confirm as it will be a while before I watch it as decorating and Player is packed away.

    They state ‘dodgy mono sountrack on Leisure Hive’, ‘dodgy credits on Meglos’, ‘credits repeating on Logopolis Episode 4’.

    Thanks.

    Reply
    • Michael

      March 21st, 2019 - 2:31pm

      Yeah there are issues, if you are interested in getting replacement discs for both season 18 and 19 please please please email

      [email protected],
      [email protected]
      [email protected]

      Their are a few that have already emailed and it is being looked into for both sets.

    • Rob W

      March 21st, 2019 - 3:00pm

      It might be helpful to post a link to the comments which are on a forum then? Digital Spy’s own review praises the boxset…

    • Rob W

      March 21st, 2019 - 3:14pm

      Correct email address is [email protected] mate

    • Rob W

      March 21st, 2019 - 3:23pm

      No, correct email address is [email protected] then?

    • daz

      March 21st, 2019 - 3:51pm

      Not sure if external links are allowed. If they are link to theforum is…

      https://forums.digitalspy.com/discussion/2318228/doctor-who-2019-dvd-blu-ray-release-schedule/p5

      Thanks for support email address Rob W. As I said I can’t check my discs yet.

    • Ollie

      March 21st, 2019 - 4:05pm

      Again? This hardly ever happened with the DVDs!

    • Rob W

      March 21st, 2019 - 4:25pm

      2 comments on the forum, Mono Sound is Mono sound but I haven’t watched The Leisure Hive yet. Correct email address is

      DVDSupport.com.

    • Gordon

      March 21st, 2019 - 5:15pm

      I’ve watched the leisure hive twice and in all honesty I don’t notice anything wrong with it. From what I’ve read those that just have basic tv with built in speakers should be fine. It’s those with a 5.1 set ups that have the issue. The dodgy credits of Meglos is just a spelling mistake of 1 of the writers. I doubt they would issue replacement of that disc for just a spelling mistake. Sure they fixed Michael wiaher but that disc had more pressing errors that got it a replacement disc. The error with logopolis is a line of credits gets repeated

    • Gordon

      March 21st, 2019 - 6:23pm

      The legopolis issue is only present on the cgi option

    • Rob W

      March 21st, 2019 - 6:34pm

      Thanks mate, that’s no problem for me. Overall this set seems to have the best picture quality too. Thanks again.

    • daz

      March 21st, 2019 - 9:35pm

      Thanks for the updates. No real need for replacements then.

    • David

      March 21st, 2019 - 10:03pm

      The logopolis credits, yes they changed it to fit Chris chapman and co in but and it think it’s the top two that get repeated, can’t say I the leisure hive for me has any issues, and I didn’t notice anything in meglos. Nothing that will ruin my enjoyment of the set personally.

    • Tim M

      March 21st, 2019 - 10:52pm

      This is another reason I don’t bother buying these blu-ray versions. The BBC seem unable to release a set on blu-ray without an error or two. And for the amount of money they cost it’s not acceptable. I’d want my copy to be error free. I wouldn’t want to constantly ask for replacement disks with every new season release. It’s beyond the joke!

    • Neill Stringer

      March 22nd, 2019 - 10:04am

      Did not notice anything wrong with Leisure Hive, thought it was echoey in a certain location, but checked my DVD to compare band it was same

      Did not notice anything with the end credits on Logopolis on part 1 and 4

    • Neill Stringer

      March 22nd, 2019 - 10:45am

      Is it worth a disc replacement?

    • Gordon

      March 22nd, 2019 - 10:45am

      People seem to forget that the dvds weren’t so perfect either. Some of them had errors. Some never got fixed. Bbc blu rays in general for classic tv seems to have problems. Red dwarf had filmised versions for seasons 3 and half of 5. Quatermass extras were in the wrong ratio. Don’t get me started on the so called restoration of hitchhikers or the wrong speed version of dr who series 1-4. All these were worse than anything that was on the s18 set and quatermass or series 1-4 never got a replacement and red dwarf only got 1 after fans had kicked up a stink after telling people nothing is wrong with it. As for it being all that money I paid £36 and it’s the equivalent about 4.50 a disc. When it was brand newly released the 2 single releases were 12.99 each. The e space trilogy would have been about £20 and the new beginning would have been another £20 (about 13 quid if you want to take logopolis out of the equation). Plus k9 and company/invisible enemy which is another £17.99 (or £8.50 for just the k9 disc). The cost of that would be £67.50. Its £31 quid cheaper than it was when it was brand new

    • James

      March 22nd, 2019 - 12:41pm

      Neil, the Logopolis end credits repeats three of the names of the crew members in episode 4 (but only on the new version with updated CGI as they have had to change the timing of the names from 1981 as they had to credit Chris Chapman and co for the new footage and CGI work). I haven’t check eps 1-3 closely so the repeated names may only be present on episode 4.

      For me, some small errors like these are not worth a disc replacement, but if the BBC does decide to offer them, I’ll take them but I very much doubt they will do that. They’ll just need to make sure everyone is keeping a closer eye as these kind of things (like the writer’s name in Meglos) should really be spotted by whoever is in charge of quality control for the sets (much like the out of sync audio for Season 19 should have been spotted ahead of time).

    • Keiren Kavanagh

      March 24th, 2019 - 9:17pm

      What problems was there with season 19 disc wise

    • john

      April 7th, 2019 - 2:06pm

      Are there issues with the season 19 boxset ? do you need to send off for replacement discs ?

      found this https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=309097&page=13 (#258) not sure if its true or not ?

  • Anonymous

    March 20th, 2019 - 6:18pm

    Shocked that Amazon still haven’t dispatched mine yet, despite me ordering back in December

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      March 20th, 2019 - 9:57pm

      Did you choose free delivery? They are are very tardy if you do

    • Anonymous

      March 20th, 2019 - 11:36pm

      Yep. I’ve got an arriving date of “25-26 Mar”
      I bought Macra Terror in the same order which coincidentally is set to release about that time as well. Hopefully Amazon aren’t taking the mick so they can send both at the same time

    • Anonymous

      March 21st, 2019 - 12:46am

      That is there new thing. They will send both together. I ordered 2 books one was out one a preorder for November, I ended up cancelling both and ordering elsewhere as the in stock book wasn’t going to be sent for 8 months.

  • the 14th doctor

    March 20th, 2019 - 5:00pm

    just found out that i am getting this for my birthday can’t wait!

    Reply
    • Rob W

      March 20th, 2019 - 5:13pm

      … And you’ve still got the £15 you started with. Result Mate…

  • MJS

    March 19th, 2019 - 3:28pm

    I’ve just noticed that the 3 blu ray sets released.so far have been rated 12. Whilst I can accept it as the dvd of Logopolis was rated 12, does anyone know why the others have been “upped” to 12? None of the dvds for seasons 12 & 19 are rated 12. So what had happened to incur the rise in certification?

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      March 19th, 2019 - 3:50pm

      Rated 12 because 1 disc is rated 12. Rated given is always highest even if other discs are lower

    • MJS

      March 19th, 2019 - 3:57pm

      Yeah I get that in the case of season 19. But the individual DVDs of seasons 12 & 19 are all U or PG. So how come the blu rays are 12?

    • Anonymous

      March 19th, 2019 - 4:00pm

      Depends on the extras then, if there is swearing in the extras then that often ups the rating. Jaws is rated 12 due to extras, the film is a pg

    • Daniel

      March 20th, 2019 - 11:26am

      In the new effect for Logopolis they added shots of The Doctor falling hence the 12 rating

    • MJS

      March 20th, 2019 - 12:50pm

      Ah yes I did notice that! Thanks Daniel

    • MIKSK89

      March 20th, 2019 - 10:58pm

      That and Logopolis was a 12 when released on DVD (due to the Audio Commentary if i recall). But not sure why Full Circle was rated 12…

    • The Flying Shark

      March 21st, 2019 - 7:16am

      It says on the bottom of the Season 19 set it’s a 12 because there’s bleeped strong language-I’ve not watched it yet but this is apparently from Anthony Ainley on the Time Flight behind the scenes. No idea on Season 12, but again, probably bad language from Behind the Sofa or something.

  • J45ON96

    March 19th, 2019 - 3:17pm

    Was there any issues with Season 19? I’ve been a bit out of the loop, so I hope I’ve not missed a disc replacement thing for that like Season 12!

    Reply
    • Lee

      March 19th, 2019 - 3:56pm

      There was an audio sync issue on some of the continuity trailers. But it wasn’t worth shipping replacements out for. The fixed continuities have been included in this boxset instead. Other than that no issues.

    • J45ON96

      March 19th, 2019 - 4:42pm

      That’s good to hear, thanks for letting me know!

  • Anonymous

    March 19th, 2019 - 2:38pm

    Gordon can you perhaps answer the question of unit production? Do you know the proportion of units for the season boxsets compared to the individual animation releases? Presumably the boxsets are quite limited compared to the individual dvd/bluray releases

    Reply
    • Gordon

      March 19th, 2019 - 5:56pm

      I know the print run of season 19 was about 10 12k estimate. The animated released would be at least 2-3 times that at the very least.

    • Anonymous

      March 19th, 2019 - 6:09pm

      Thanks Gordon, I think people need to factor that in when we talk about animation costs

    • Anonymous

      March 19th, 2019 - 6:47pm

      The less boxsets to sell the higher the cost of the animation

  • The 14th doctor

    March 19th, 2019 - 2:00pm

    How long will this be available for?

    Reply
    • booboo

      March 19th, 2019 - 2:07pm

      that’s anyones guess but there is no way i would leave it if you definitely want one

    • the 14th doctor

      March 19th, 2019 - 6:58pm

      thanks booboo, i only have £15 pounds at the moment so i hope it is still available in april/may time.

  • MJS

    March 19th, 2019 - 11:28am

    Got mine at last. It is a lovely set. But now I have all 3 on my shelf I look at them and think……I’ve committed myself now! 23 more to go! Lol

    Reply
    • daz

      March 19th, 2019 - 11:52am

      Trade in the DVD’s if you have them. I keep the booklets as if you trim them a bit can be put in the season box sets. Already traded in Season 10 and 26 in preparation for the rumoured next releases. Season 22 coming too apparently.

      You get around £12 -£15 back in cash at CEX per season or more if you get a voucher to use there instead.

  • Anonymous

    March 18th, 2019 - 8:26pm

    Agree Tim, the DVDs are fine no need to replace them. Thing is even if they did for the sake of argument season one with an animated Marco polo exclusive to bluray I wouldn’t buy it. I have the other seven stories on DVD, they are perfectly decent quality with decent extras. I don’t have a bluray player and I would not buy one just to get a single story on disc. Any release they did of bluray seasons that feature missing story reconstruction or animation must have that story released on DVD separately.

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      March 18th, 2019 - 8:32pm

      Oops, this is meant as a reply to a post below!

    • Gordon

      March 18th, 2019 - 10:04pm

      Good thing these releases are optional. If you are happy with the original dvds you can keep the dvds. If you want the best possible version and as close to the 2” masters in the bbc archives these are also an option. It shouldn’t be a case where 1 should be released so the other shouldn’t happen. Regarding animated exclusives I doubt the budget would stretch so far to do a completely missing story. Maybe the odd episode or 2 at a stretch. The only ones that would fit in the budget would be web or uwm (crusade would be too expensive). Russell Minton who produces the sets has said he plans to get all 26 seasons in the next 5ish years. Not everything will be animated in this timescale. Going by his comments in the current radio free skaro podcast he’s open to the idea of recons for the gaps that aren’t animated. Even if they do uwm for example it won’t be a permanent exclusive to that set. Tenth planet ep 4 was released on the regeneration box set before a stand alone release happened months later

    • The ergon

      March 18th, 2019 - 10:11pm

      I read on the doctor who news site that certain stories like Marco Polo and The Daleks Masterplan would probably never be made into animation due to the expense as well.

    • The ergon

      March 18th, 2019 - 10:12pm

      Not good news for completists.

    • Anonymous

      March 18th, 2019 - 10:32pm

      Oh I’m happy for the bluray releases to happy Gordon but a DVD option for unreleased stories should be an option

    • Gordon

      March 18th, 2019 - 11:01pm

      With the case of masterplan you have 9 episodes and 44 speaking parts and a rediculous number of sets. You would need at least 2 years to do it. It would be obscenely expensive. If that gets released for the season 3 blu ray set it will be most likely be a recon for its missing episodes. If crusade is deemed to expensive and long to do due to sets costumes and characters and that is only 2 episodes I’d imagine the issue being multiplied with a similar historical of 7 episodes of Marco. There is always the possibility that in say 10 years that this style of animation may be more affordable. Plus the more missing animations that are done means the less likely become more likely especially if bbc studios want the animations to continue.

    • Anonymous

      March 18th, 2019 - 11:55pm

      That should be happen… damn predictive text!

    • Ollie

      March 19th, 2019 - 6:14am

      The question is are fans happy for recons to go on sets they’re paying £40 for? I’m not. Even if it took 10 years to recreate Marco Polo or Masterplan as an animation and was double the price on DVD/BluRay, I’d wait and still buy it. You can’t wet people’s appetites with animations for Power and Macra and not see the job through.

    • Anonymous

      March 19th, 2019 - 9:58am

      I really do think people just have to accept we won’t get all of the stories done.

    • The ergon

      March 19th, 2019 - 11:27am

      And not all fans can afford to wait say another 10 years plus.They did state they would most likely never get done at all. I for one am thankful we have the audios and Telesnaps to fill those gaps.

    • Gordon

      March 19th, 2019 - 11:35am

      But Ollie Bbc studios aren’t going to animate something they will lose money on. It is the business arm of the bbc. They know how much it costs to make and know how much money it makes. There already is grumbling about people paying 15.99 for macra. People would go nuts if it was doubled in price. The plan is release all the seasons within the next 5 ish years. There is no concieviable way they can do all the animations in that time period. Sure they could hold off those missing seasons but that could be a good 2 decades away at least. Russell Minton who heads the blu ray range was interviewed for radio free skaro this week and he said that he will release the missing seasons throughout the schedule and he doesn’t think it’s fair to make fans of Hartnell or Troughton wait years for their favourite doctor to get represented.Its not like a recon would be the only thing on the season set extras wise either It’s not like they can’t continue doing the animations after the blu ray sets are completed

    • daz

      March 19th, 2019 - 12:00pm

      I just hope if a missing episode/ story isn’t yet animated on the season sets. That each story still has a disc tray and disc with either just the soundtrack, a recon or telesnaps on it. So in future if it gets found or animated you can pop the new disc in it’s place. So you have the ‘complete’ season in 1 box.

    • Ollie

      March 19th, 2019 - 12:21pm

      Gordon, seriously who on earth is grumbling about spending £1 more for Macra? You are referring to people not wanting to spend double money on new sets; why has a new vinyl of Masterplan been released for £100 if fans aren’t willing to spend their money? All I’m saying is I do not see the rush for them to bring them all out inside five years and if I had contact details for Russell Minton, I would email him and tell him myself! I collected all the VHSs when I was younger, then the DVDs and it was never an issue then that Marco Polo or Fury from the Deep wasn’t on my shelf alongside the rest. For me, it sounds like these blu-rays are going to be a job half done and therefore we are going to have to spend more money in the long run. It is disappointing. Now we have the ability to animate episodes, we should continue on this path; not just accept a cheap substitute like the UWM release years back.

    • Anonymous

      March 19th, 2019 - 1:11pm

      Ollie you’re missing the point. It’s not a case of waiting longer or being willing to pay more, not all fans could afford to pay more just as not all fans are willing to pay £100 pounds for the vinyl of master plan, I’m not wasting my money on it, I bought the CD years ago for a fraction of that. No, the problem is commercial. If It costs so much to animate that they will have no hope of recovering those costs via DVD or bluray sales then it does not make sense to animate the episodes despite what fans may want. Thanks to the soundtracks there are no completely missing episodes, something I think many fans don’t appreciate. Can you image what it would be like to know there was a story called fury from the deep but to only have memories of the actors and fans who saw the broadcast and a novel written 20 odd years later but have nothing of the actual episodes! I can see a bluray boxset of season three consisting of existing episodes and audio episodes. There are no telesnaps for season 3 so there is a limited ability to reconstruct. Also the sound quality is very poor in places, marco polo, massacre, myth makers all suffer from issues of quality. Issues that would effect a bluray production.
      Now I bought macra from galaxy 4 and paid £19.99 and i did this for 2 reasons, one i knew he’d send it as soon as it arrived at the shop (he posted it out on the 18th a week early) andv2 because i believe in supporting small shops. However there is a limit to what I’d pay for these animated episodes. If the only way to get them was to have them at very high prices (think vinyl master plan prices) then I’d have to say no. I’m happy with the CDs if that’s what all we have for certain stories. I’m grateful for the animations we have and I’ll be grateful for any more we get, but I’m not going to be overly bothered if we don’t get many more.

    • Ollie

      March 19th, 2019 - 1:12pm

      Further to my comments, I would like to say to Gordon that I respect your views as a fan who has clearly done his research and has certain areas of expertise when it comes to the new blu-ray releases. I always read your comments with eagerness because you bring something new to the party and clearly know your stuff.
      However, I do have a problem with phrases like “best possible quality/version” being bandied around if options like animation are being taken off the table. I’ve spent money on Doctor Who products all my life and I will continue to do so; however, I will feel cheated if, when being promised that these new blu-ray sets were going to be the complete, definitive box sets of Doctor Who, that they have been rushed released when there is clearly no need to do so.

    • Ollie

      March 19th, 2019 - 2:12pm

      Anonymous, you refer to Season Three’s lack of telesnaps to construct an effective recon for each episode… Doesn’t that exactly prove my point as to why we should wait longer for animated episodes to be developed and released?

    • Anonymous

      March 19th, 2019 - 2:35pm

      No ollie, because with no telesnaps there is virtually no visual references. Everything having to be created from scratch. Animation will be too expensive, no photos to do reconstruction means audio only. Just because you want something doesn’t mean you can demand it! The longer the time spent animating episodes the greater the costs become. At some point those costs exceed the potential profit and these have to generate profit. You also have to remember that there is a big difference between the numbers of units produced. Season 18 bluray will be produced in smaller quantities than macra. They would have to sell a considerable amount of season boxsets to cover animation costs, probably a lot more units than is commercial viable.

    • Ollie

      March 19th, 2019 - 5:11pm

      Listen, I completely understand the concept of expenditure over profit and now I know (thanks to Gordon) that there is the possibility that not all missing stories are going to be animated, I’m not going to lie; I’m disappointed and that’s not the initial impression I got when the Blu-Ray sets were announced. All I’m saying is that we shouldn’t be so quick to voice how happy to just get recons. The animations are the only ‘new’ means for watching missing Doctor Who episodes that haven’t been repackaged and sold to us already over the years, whether that’s as a DWM special, audio CD, Loose Canon recon, MP3 CD etc. I’m 32. I’ve been a Doctor Who fan since I was 8 and I’ve spent a lot of money on my hobby over the years. I own all the missing episodes on CD, history books and telesnap magazines. But I have my limits too. And if Russell Minton or BBC Worldwide reads forums like these and sees that fans are happy for us to buy stuff that’s been already been released, then we are never going to get the best, most innovative versions of Doctor Who that we would love to see and enjoy.

    • Gordon

      March 19th, 2019 - 5:51pm

      It’s more 4 quid more expensive as people were expecting to get it for £12.99. Not really a fair comparison with the masterplan vinyl as it’s a different market. With vinyl there is a market for deluxe 100 quid boxsets just look at the likes of zeppelin Floyd guns and the roses and the like and see there is a market for those type of releases. There isn’t really a market of selling a 3 disc dvd set at about 50-70 quid. The problem with holding on till the animation releases catch up is a lot of people involved with the original stories may pass away. Sure you can bank interviews however I think it’s unfair for those that created documentaries or interviews that their work will remain hidden for 10-15 years. The people working on the restoration of the releases aren’t getting any younger either. The existing film elements could degrade with the passage of time. There is also the issue of physical media declining. Give another 10 years there may not be any places producing discs. Doctor who does buck the trend of sales of physical media however if factories close and there isn’t places producing discs how do we get the discs out? It isn’t a case of rushing the sets out rather the case of releasing them while they are still able to. Hypothetically If they wait till all the episodes are animated and some of the sales of the animations start to drop before they reach the end so it isn’t profitable what happens there? I doubt they would release more if they stop making money out of them. Accepting recon isn’t always a case of accepting a cheap substitute. If the loose canon version of wheel or evil would be released on the blu ray set I’d be thrilled. Those 2 in perticular are as enjoyable as some of the animations that have been released on dvd and I feel like I’ve actually seen the episodes. With derek Hanley who does the loose cannon recons involved with the upcoming macra recon the yardstick would better judged on that instead of the internally sabotaged uwm recon that happened 4 years back

    • Gordon

      March 19th, 2019 - 6:17pm

      Just for interest russell Minton only produces the season sets. Charles norton produces the animations. It’s 2 different teams in charge of the 2 different ranges

    • Anonymous

      March 19th, 2019 - 6:57pm

      It may be two different teams but the principle is the same. If something is not cost effective to release as a standalone DVD it’s unlikely to be any more cost effective done within budget for 7 or more stories. I’m 49 I’ve been collecting who since I was 7 but DVD is the final version I’ll buy. I bought vhs then DVD. I bought vinyl, cassette then CD. If in ten years or twenty years there are no DVD players then that’s it. If I can’t watch doctor who or films then so be it. The collection will be dumped. Friend of mine has been affected by the Myspace issue. He said he’s lost 15 years worth of music and photos. Gone forever. God bless digital!

    • The ergon

      March 19th, 2019 - 8:28pm

      Maybe they could release full series in USB form with designer packaging or something akin to an Amazon firestick. I can only see the odd new series releases in 4K because as you say there isn,t that much interest in physical media like there used to be. Its pretty niche, there isn,t the appetite there once was. The DVDs are good enough. I do miss those days of tracking down those old VHS versions on second hand markets and the like and travelling miles to acquire them. I was like the proverbial kid in a sweetshop back then

    • Anonymous

      March 20th, 2019 - 9:58pm

      Theres talk of the USB port being dropped from laptops and smart tvs within the next few years

    • Lee

      March 21st, 2019 - 9:55am

      If that’s the case, then that’s a really odd decision, especially on laptops. They’ve just finalised the USB4 spec this month, so I can’t see USB going away anytime soon.

      If physical media does go the way of the Dodo anytime soon, then there should be more need to have USB ports, not less.

    • George

      March 25th, 2019 - 2:03am

      Just letting you know that if you play your dvd’s on a blue-ray player,through a HDMI cable and a HD TV it upgrades the quality loads more than a DVD player with HD up-scaling capability.Your really missing out on picture and sound quality if you don’t at least upgrade your disc player.I paid £25 for a second hand blue ray player from cash converters 12 months ago.Not used my DVD player since.

    • Lee

      March 25th, 2019 - 9:46am

      Well, these discs wouldn’t work in a regular DVD player anyway. But, I know what you mean.
      I’m generally not a fan of DVD upscaling. While some DVD players can do a decent job, it’s better to just pick up a cheap Blu-ray player to get full HD. Blu-ray players are so cheap nowadays that there really isn’t any reason not to pick one up.

      I know these weren’t shot in HD, but the quality does look better on the Blu-rays. The film sequences on Season 19 look really good.

  • Dan Gleesack

    March 18th, 2019 - 6:54pm

    Any in Basingstoke HMV?

    Reply
  • Reece

    March 18th, 2019 - 4:13pm

    Does anybody know if it’s in HMV Braehead

    Reply
    • Rob W

      March 18th, 2019 - 4:35pm

      Give them a call on 0843 2210202.

  • The ergon

    March 18th, 2019 - 2:45pm

    If they do Season 26 i might buy simply for an upgraded copy of Ghostlight. The DVD picture quality of that story was really poor. I can then replace it into the DVD. Even if the Ratio is 4:3. They should have made the Blu-Ray versions standard as you can put them on any Ratio even 4:3 on any modern TV set. I Might have gone out and bought some of these, but not season 12. They ruined that season with all the problems and i,m still not a fan of the packaging. The covers are really good, so its a shame as far as i,m concerned.

    Reply
    • The ergon

      March 18th, 2019 - 4:45pm

      P.s-The extras they have compiled for this set are amazing, especially the logopolis reconstruction but i won,t buy for those extras no matter how good and they are secondary anyway to the original version no matter what CGI is added.

    • David Havers

      March 18th, 2019 - 5:29pm

      I hope they do season 26 soon. The picture quality and extras for Ghostlight are poor, its one of my favourite seasons. Season 12 boxset was amazing, I have all 3 boxsets now. The Artwork is amazing. The packaging is great.

    • Anonymous

      March 18th, 2019 - 7:40pm

      They can’t improve ghost light, explained at the time that the master tapes were wiped so unable to improve picture. Hence the poor quality

    • The ergon

      March 18th, 2019 - 9:26pm

      I,d never heard that before. So how come the VHS version was clearer in quality to the DVD, because it was.?

    • Anonymous

      March 19th, 2019 - 1:53am

      Go to http://www.restoration-team.co.uk and read the ghost light DVD article it explains it there

  • Prof Horner

    March 18th, 2019 - 11:50am

    Just got my copy at HMV here in Leeds. The guy behind the counter was a fan, he told me Macra is out next week.

    Reply
    • Rob W

      March 18th, 2019 - 2:50pm

      £39.99 – a great price.

  • Gordon

    March 18th, 2019 - 11:36am

    My local hmv lists in store season 10 for the 24th June.

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      March 18th, 2019 - 12:11pm

      Can’t wait to get it in September!

    • bts

      March 18th, 2019 - 2:13pm

      really? any picture of the listing or anyway to find it?

    • Gordon

      March 18th, 2019 - 3:21pm

      It was listed on the wall of upcoming releases in the store. If I’m back in before it’s announced I will take a photo and post it online. I got a feeling my store decided to put it up prematurely

    • David

      March 18th, 2019 - 5:21pm

      Was it just writing or was there a picture? (Highly unlikely I know)

    • Gordon

      March 18th, 2019 - 7:39pm

      Just writing

    • James

      March 20th, 2019 - 10:59am

      Gordon, if the June 24th date is to be believed do you think we’ll get an announcement on Monday to allow 3 months for pre-orders as with the last 3 sets, as Macra will also be out of the release schedule by then

    • Gordon

      March 20th, 2019 - 4:02pm

      At a guess I can see them possibly keeping it till the week after. The new dwm should be due by then

  • Rob W

    March 18th, 2019 - 9:21am

    Amazon’s price is currently £40 so anyone who ordered it at £42.99 will get a £2.99 refund

    Reply
  • AdamW

    March 17th, 2019 - 9:26pm

    Anyone else notice zoom.co.uk have removed there product page?

    Reply
    • Daz

      March 17th, 2019 - 9:37pm

      Probably sold out as it was the cheapest place to buy the set.

    • AdamW

      March 17th, 2019 - 10:56pm

      Agreed, luckily I bought mine before it went down.

    • Lee

      March 17th, 2019 - 11:37pm

      I just looked and it’s still available. I was able to add it to my basket and get to checkout with it.

    • AdamW

      March 17th, 2019 - 11:42pm

      Ah yes, it has returned. How odd.

    • Lee

      March 17th, 2019 - 11:47pm

      In fact, I just cancelled my pre-order with Amazon and got it from Zoom instead. 1st time I’ve ordered from them.
      Hope they don’t let me down as I’ve had my Amazon pre-order from the day it was announced! Fingers tightly crossed!

    • Lee

      March 18th, 2019 - 10:09am

      Have to admit, Zoom are making me a little nervous. The boxset has yet again gone from the website and looking into my orders the item doesn’t show. It does say sent to warehouse, but was showing a picture of the item before, which now doesn’t show in my orders.

      I’ve also read some not exactly favourable reviews from people stating they’ve ordered from them, the item wasn’t in stock even though they said it was. The customer then got charged, never got the item and then had hassle trying to contact them and had to go through PayPal to get their money back.

      I’ve emailed them to make sure they can definitely fulfill the order, but I’ve only had a basic automated email with some answers to frequently asked questions. If I haven’t heard back by the end of the week, or the order status hasn’t changed by then, then I’m going to reorder from Amazon and get my money back from Zoom.

      This is the only problem with leaving it so late. That’s my fault. Season 19 is still on sale on Amazon (albeit at £52). So, hopefully 18 won’t sell out before I’ve managed to get it!

      Nail-biting begins! 😀

    • Rob W

      March 18th, 2019 - 10:24am

      IF the order was despatched you will need to allow up to 10 working days before Zoom may refund your money mate. I’m sure you’ll get your boxset, I’ve only ordered from Zomm once but got the order the Saturday prior to Monday’s release day.

    • Lee

      March 18th, 2019 - 10:52am

      Cheers Rob. Doesn’t say its been despatched yet, but just says “sent to warehouse”. I’ll keep an eye on it over the next couple days and see if it gets updated.

      It also states that 1st class postage is free on UK pre-orders. But, they’ve charged me £1.25 when I selected 1st class. I did order it before 12pm last night, so shouldn’t have been charged postage. Not too fussed about that though, so long as I get it. Still works out a few quid cheaper than Amazon, and I should get it quicker.

      I’ll keep you updated! 😀

    • Darren Clarke

      March 18th, 2019 - 11:03am

      Just came back on zoom price now £38.99 so still in stock and should get yours .

    • Lee

      March 18th, 2019 - 12:19pm

      PHEW! Thanks Darren, I’d be gutted if I missed one of these boxsets!

      The words “Limited Edition” always makes me nervous! 😀

    • Lee

      March 19th, 2019 - 9:16am

      Still haven’t heard anything back from Zoom, besides the generic email. And order status is still at “sent to warehouse”. So, I’m giving them until Friday and if no change I’m reordering from Amazon. If it happens that two show up at the same time, then I’ll probably just sell one on ebay.
      I’ll definitely be claiming back my 1st class postage charge though, as it doesn’t look like it’s going to be arriving within 1-2 working days, unless it’s sent later today.

      Does anybody know of an alternative way to contact Zoom? Can’t seem to find any phone numbers for them.

    • Darren Clarke

      March 19th, 2019 - 10:28am

      I did the same as you and cancelled my order from amazon and ordered from zoom on Friday as it saved me about £7 didn’t pay for 1st class , i did the order at 11am and got dispatch yesterday at 5.50pm it says they get the orders done with in 24hrs Monday to Friday so i think yours will be sent today if we do not count the weekend hope this helps .

    • Lee

      March 19th, 2019 - 12:07pm

      Thanks Darren, you are spot on! Just got an email saying it’s been despatched. Panic over – I can stop sweating now!

      I’ll definitely order from them again now, I’ll just make sure I don’t leave it so late next time! 😀

    • Lee

      March 20th, 2019 - 5:41pm

      Just got home to find a lovely brown package waiting for me! 🙂 Only despatched yesterday, so can’t fault Zoom on their postage.

      Won’t get a chance to watch much this evening as I’ve got to go out. But I’ll get stuck into it tomorrow night and at the weekend!

  • Neill Stringer

    March 17th, 2019 - 6:21pm

    Does anyone else think a magnet be nice to keep them shut?

    Anyone else notice that they seem to open up when sitting alone?

    Set is amazing, just curious if others noticed this

    Reply
    • Daz

      March 17th, 2019 - 9:32pm

      Did you not keep the thin cardboard backing card/seat for the box. Only way to stop it opening.

      But I agree. A magnet would have been good but would have put the cost of the sets up.

    • Neill Stringer

      March 18th, 2019 - 7:53am

      I have kept the cardboard backing.

    • Mr Nobody

      March 18th, 2019 - 12:45pm

      That’s another reason I’m not buying these sets. I hate cardboard packaging for Blu-rays and DVDs! It doesn’t matter how well you look after it, it tends to get easily marked, scratched, or damaged! I wasn’t overly happy with the Doctor Who series 11 DVDs, they came in cardboard packaging. But then I wasn’t overly happy with that series anyway!

    • Daz

      March 18th, 2019 - 5:24pm

      Just get the Region Free USA sets if you don’t like the cardboard packaging. The cardboard is really thick though and the Book-like look is what made me buy them. Personal Preference of course.

  • David

    March 17th, 2019 - 5:57pm

    What have people watched so far (extra wise), any highlights so far ? Personally I loved the informal style of the writers room, still need to watch hanging by a thread.

    Reply
    • Bts

      March 17th, 2019 - 9:36pm

      I’m on warriors gate disc making my way through. I really like the weekend with waterhouse documentaty its very good, do really like the new audio commentaries for leisure give and state of decay too there great too.

  • yogi_bear

    March 17th, 2019 - 4:37pm

    Any faults or flaws on this set ??

    Reply
    • Lee

      March 17th, 2019 - 8:03pm

      Might be better to wait a couple of days before asking that. There’s a lot of content to get through! 😀

    • Rob W

      March 18th, 2019 - 10:26am

      The new FX on Logopolis seem fine.

  • Dr. 1963

    March 17th, 2019 - 1:58pm

    Well, Amazon has delivered mine.

    Reply
  • The Jamie

    March 17th, 2019 - 12:54pm

    Looks like i am the only one who ordered from zoom and still not got it yet

    Reply
    • Lege

      March 17th, 2019 - 4:05pm

      Me too mate lol although I only reordered mine yesterday.

    • The Jamie

      March 17th, 2019 - 4:11pm

      I pre ordered mine months ago and I bet it will come when i am at college

  • Tim M

    March 17th, 2019 - 11:53am

    I like Season 18, but I’m more than happy with the DVDs. I just feel I’m spending more money on much of the same stuff. New scenes and effects have never really appealed to me. More extra features doesn’t win me over either. But Season 18 is a very good and underrated season in my view. So hopefully this blu-ray release will find new fans, or at least rekindle an interest for long term fans. I like all the stories from Season 18, even the ones regarded weak! Out of ten I’d give ‘The Leisure Hive’ 9/10, ‘Meglos’ 8/10, ‘Full Circle’ 9/10, ‘State of Decay’ 10/10, ‘Warrior’s Gate’ 9/10, ‘The Keeper of Traken’ 9/10 and ‘Logopolis’ 10/10.

    Reply
    • Robert Sienicki

      March 17th, 2019 - 6:16pm

      I didn’t get the DVDs because of the amount of space they take. The seasons set are kind of blessing for me. 🙂

  • David

    March 16th, 2019 - 10:49pm

    So far watched the leisure hive and the behind the sofa for it and the writers room doc, got to say the standard is still with us and a beautiful set I love the warriors gate art on the back!

    Reply
  • Reece

    March 16th, 2019 - 7:55pm

    Can you get it in shops

    Reply
    • Gordon

      March 16th, 2019 - 9:22pm

      Hmv should have it. Galaxy 4 and who shop as well

  • DalekAgent

    March 16th, 2019 - 7:38pm

    Mines been dispatched from amazon YAY! I might be the only whos gonna watch K9 and Company first because im curious to see what its like (although almost everyone says it rubbish haha)

    Reply
    • philip shaw

      March 17th, 2019 - 12:41pm

      It is poor, espcially the cringe inducing theme tune!

    • DalekAgent

      March 17th, 2019 - 7:40pm

      Just watched it, not impressed and i now see why people dont like it haha but now its time to start watching the actual reasons why i got this set

Leave a Reply to DalekAgent Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get your own avatar.
By clicking submit you agree to our terms and conditions (below), we reserve the right to edit or delete inappropriate messages.

Comment rules

The Doctor Who site welcomes constuctive comments related to the news article in question. Links posted in comments may not be displayed. We reserve the right to delete or edit any post entirely at our discretion. If you leave unacceptable comments your IP address will be banned and reported

Click here to read full comments terms and conditions

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Twitter

Facebook