July 23rd, 2025
570 comments
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Doctor Who The Collection Season 13 Limited Edition
Available to order from www.amazon.co.uk, www.zavvi.com and www.rarewaves.com
The standard version is available to order in the USA from www.amazon.com
Bring home Tom Baker’s second season of adventures as the Doctor, plus hours of special features.
Doctor Who fans can continue to build their own home archive on Blu-ray with an eight-disc box set of the iconic 13th Season, starring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor.
In his second season, Tom Baker’s Doctor really hits his stride, with faithful companion Sarah-Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) by his side. Together they cross time and space to do battle with the Zygons, the biomechanoid Loch Ness monster, the fearsome Sutekh and his robot mummies, vengeful renegade Time Lord Morbius, an anti-matter creature on a distant planet, the scheming Kraals and the terrifying Krynoid.
All episodes have been newly remastered from the best available sources – these classic adventures have never looked or sounded so good on home media.
The Collection: Season 13 is also jam-packed with hours of new and exclusive material including:
- NEW DOCUMENTARIES
- WORLDS WITHIN: A profile of actor Ian Marter, who played Harry Sullivan
- RETURN TO THIRTEEN: Philip Hinchcliffe returns to the locations of several Season 13 stories and is reunited with old friends
- IN CONVERSATION: Director Graeme Harper chats to Matthew Sweet about his life, career and Doctor Who
- TOM TALKS: Tom Baker on Season 13 and more
- THE DOCTOR WHO ESCAPE ROOM: The Fourth Doctor team attempt their escape
- BEHIND THE SOFA: New episodes with Colin Baker (the Sixth Doctor), Maureen O’Brien (Vicki), Katy Manning (Jo), Sarah Sutton (Nyssa), Janet Fielding (Tegan), Sophie Aldred (Ace), Sadie Miller (Elisabeth Sladen’s daughter), and comedian Toby Hadoke.
- BRAND NEW AUDIO COMMENTARIES: Tom Baker on episodes from Terror of the Zygons, Pyramids of Mars and The Android Invasion
- UPDATED SPECIAL EFFECTS: On Terror of the Zygons
- OMNIBUS EDITIONS: HD recreations of the Pyramids of Mars and The Brain of Morbius repeat screenings, plus a brand-new edit of The Seeds of Doom
- TALES OF THE TARDIS: A 2024 edit of Pyramids of Mars with updated effects and appearances from the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson)
- EXCLUSIVE ARCHIVE TREATS: Including never-before-released footage from Mathshow, Disney Time and more
- INTERVIEWS: Unreleased footage of Elisabeth Sladen and Michael Sheard (Laurence Scarman in Pyramids of Mars)
- 5.1 SURROUND SOUND: New surround mix on Pyramids of Mars
- HD PHOTO GALLERIES
- INFO TEXT
- PDF ARCHIVE
- PLUS LOTS MORE!
This eight-disc box set also includes hours of special features previously released on DVD including Documentaries, Featurettes, Audio Commentaries and more.
Collection S13
Doctor Who: The Collection – Season 13 includes the following stories from 1975-76:
- TERROR OF THE ZYGONS
- PLANET OF EVIL
- PYRAMIDS OF MARS
- THE ANDROID INVASION
- THE BRAIN OF MORBIUS
- THE SEEDS OF DOOM
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Prof Horner
September 21st, 2025 - 3:17pmSo did anyone on this site go to the BFI screening of Terror of the Zygons yesterday? Any gossip?
daz
September 18th, 2025 - 12:48pmLooks like 20th October is the release date according to Amazon.
daz
September 18th, 2025 - 12:49pmWhoops. Already posted by Gordon yesterday
Gordon
September 17th, 2025 - 11:34amOctober 20 according to Amazon/hmv
Prof Horner
September 17th, 2025 - 11:55amWell it’s a long wait from the announcement. It will be worth the wait.
Gordon
September 17th, 2025 - 12:26pmIt was roughly the same gap between announcement and release as 25
Tom Williams
September 17th, 2025 - 3:18pmWas about too post this lol as found on eBay by off course rare waves the same date
D84
September 17th, 2025 - 4:51pmOooh Excellent
Thanks Gordon
Andy
September 17th, 2025 - 5:08pmIt’s just over a month to wait although I will probably have to wait a bit longer until 25th December as am not aloud to buy myself anything until after Christmas lol. But yeah round about the same time as last year’s Season 25. Then I predict these will probably be next
January The War Between The Land And The Sea
February The Collection Season 13 Standard Edition
March Another Limited Edition The Collection my guess most likely to be Season 21
And if and only if we might get another animation missing story but who knows. But they did say they were hoping to try to accelerate the animations.
Or they might just rush these out The Collection out the completed one’s anyways which are 11, 16, and 21 not sure about the 60s stories season 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6 these might take quite a few years before we see any of these they will have to either include Reconstruction using the photo stills just like they did with Season 2 Missing Episodes of The Crusade. Or unless by some miracle the original episodes are found. The Animations Reconstructions they will probably need a stand alone release first and again if and only if they are planning to animate anymore of the Missing Episodes. And some Doctor Who Collectors from the 60s are not going to be around much longer to see some of these Episodes brought back to life which is quite a shame really.
Missyrules
September 17th, 2025 - 5:41pmThe standard edition will be two years away not February
Missyrules
September 17th, 2025 - 5:44pmAt least in the UK it will be 2027 for the standard edition Andy
PJ
September 17th, 2025 - 7:33pmThank you Gordon looking forward to having this golden set on my shelf 🙂
Andy
September 17th, 2025 - 7:59pmSorry I was meant to say Season 15 for February.
Tom Williams
September 18th, 2025 - 9:32amI feel with the next season we won’t get it again till April as the new war between land and sea would have too come out first due too recent preorders coming up especially and also the same if got a animation which would be announced in feb and maybe out more April instead
Gordon
September 18th, 2025 - 9:56amDoubt the next set is going to be later than march because of the tax year ending. They usually like it out before the tax year ending. Plus with war only being 5 episodes I doubt it’s gonna have much of an effect if any. It might get broadcast over 1 week like torchwood children of the earth. Or 29 days. For example: First episode 1st January
Second episode 8th January
Third episode 15th January
Forth episode 22nd January
Fifth episode 29th January
DVD/blu ray/steelbook about 3ish weeks later: 16 th February
Plus I’ve said this in another comment Ive got a hunch that the next animation is closer to summer than spring
Tom Williams
September 18th, 2025 - 5:16pmYes I do remember that Gordon but we dk for certain surely at the moment as nothing is airing Christmas they could off done another new one instead like war games etc had but obvs not animated
Gordon
September 19th, 2025 - 12:21amNot really sure what they could do to fill the gap.
The continuation of colourisations all depend on “whoniverse money” according to Benjamin cook.
The animations contract ended with the completion offsavages and work wasn’t going to commence on the next one till a new agreement had been reached. The next animation is due about a year after signing the new contract plus as far as we know nothing else animated is in the works from any other teams
Plus it doesn’t look like bbc studios are starved for releases. Between now and the end of November:
15th September: Bergerac: the complete collection
waiting for god: the complete collection
29th September: doctor who: the collection -season 15 standard edition
6th October: red dwarf – complete seasons 1 -12
20th October: doctor who: the collection – season 13
10th November: Blake’s 7: the collection – season 2
24th November: the chronicles of Narnia – the complete collection
There might be others I’ve missed.
There doesn’t seem to be huge amount of room for a release for bbc studios to fit in
Gordon
September 15th, 2025 - 1:07pmPeter Davison mentioned at the resurection of the daleks event yesterday they are currently working on s21 extras at the moment including a follow up to to the road trip they did for season 20 that may involve a boat trip. Before realising he may have said a bit too much and apologised to Russell Minton who was in the audience
Prof Horner
September 15th, 2025 - 1:51pmDo you think there will be a tribute to Chris Bidmead on season 21 Gordon?
Missyrules
September 15th, 2025 - 2:47pmProf that will depend on how long it is off. If it’s the next release it may be too late I’m not sure though. If they want to include a tribute it might mean delaying this season a little
Prof Horner
September 15th, 2025 - 3:12pmYes that’s what I thought Missyrules. Season 21 seems odds on for the next release. Maybe a Wilderness Years set perhaps?
Gordon
September 16th, 2025 - 12:49amSeeing as I’ve heard it’s pretty much a lock 21 for the next set I’m pretty sure it’s unlikely.
He just died last month most importantly his family need a bit of time to grieve.
Secondly if it is the next release they would need to be filming pretty much now.
Thirdly biography’s take quite a bit of time to put together. For example the Ian marter documentary took 2 years to put together.
I just don’t think the time is adequately there for there to be a substantial one. Alternatively there could be a feature with a dedication at the end to him of course
PJ
September 16th, 2025 - 7:29pmMaybe a River Thames Boat trip to see the locations of Resurrection sounds about right 🙂
Alzie Who 63
September 17th, 2025 - 12:38pmYes, that was quite funny seeing Peter and Janet giving a tad away and then saying we’ve said it now. And needing us all to pretend we didn’t hear it lol
Gordon
September 17th, 2025 - 1:04pmI’m sure there is cruises to Lanzerotte as well pj.
Darren collier
September 9th, 2025 - 11:35amHi any chance release date yet season 13 Blu-ray box set plus hope season 21 will be next set hopefully but definitely time for a 2 doctor set lifelong fan
Nb7
September 10th, 2025 - 9:15amBy going on the past recent releases an October date is more likely, mid to late.
And very likely season 21 next, announcement in January for a March release.
comicshopsdontstand
September 10th, 2025 - 3:39pm@nb7 – there is already a standard release due for October
BUT I guess it’s unlikely to be September with it been the 10th now.
Be great if they could give a date like other releases do from other companies when available for pre-order.
Pete X
September 10th, 2025 - 4:39pmThe standard release for S20 is 29th September. This may indicate an early October release of S13 is unlikely while, as Nb7 said, a mid to late October release is more likely.
COMICshopsDontStand
September 10th, 2025 - 5:20pm#pete standard must hAve moved forward then.
COMICshopsDontStand
September 10th, 2025 - 5:20pm#pete standard must hAve moved forward then…
Gordon
September 9th, 2025 - 11:16amChris chapman has been keeping himself busy. Started filming a doctor who making of on Thursday.
Looking at unreleased stories/seasons that don’t have making ofs:
Season 1:
Marco Polo
Keys of marinus
The sensorites
Season 2:
The crusade
Season 3:
Mission to the unknown
Myth makers
Masterplan
The massacre
The ark
The celestial toymaker
The gunfighters
The war machines
Season 4:
The smugglers
The highlanders
The macra terror
The faceless ones
Season 5:
The wheel in space
Season 6:
The Krotons
The space pirates
Season 16:
The power of kroll
Season 21:
resurrection of the daleks
The twin dilemma
If I was going to guess the season its for either 16 or 21. Maybe resurrection. If it’s for an animation I’m guessing wheel or space pirates. Bear in mind it hypothetically could be for a release that it’s years off.
He has also been editing a weekend with. If it’s been edited it means it’s probably coming sooner than later. I’m guessing it’s for 21 and Mark strickson.
He’s also has had his 50th moon balloon feature greenlit. His current list is as follows and where to find it in brackets *= unreleased redacted = not yet officially announced
1. Turbulence: making of time flight (dw s19)
2. Weekend with Waterhouse (dw s18)
3. Writers room s18 (dw s18)
4. Brendan and company (dw s18)
5. Keeping with the Jones’s (dw s10)
6. Looking for Lennie (dw s10)
7. Doctor who cookbook (dw s23)
8. Writer’s room s23 (dw s23)
9. The doctor’s table s23 (dw s23)
10. Showman: the life of JNT (dw s26)
11. Writers room s26 (dw s26)
12. Our Sarah Jane: the life of Elizabeth Sladen (dw s14)
13. Whose doctor who revisited (dw s14)
14. The cruel sea (fury from the deep)
15. Direct route s8 (dw s8)
16: terrance and me: the life of terrance dicks (dw s8)
17: devil’s weekend (dw s8)
18: doctor’s table s24 (dw s24)
19: trouble with Chumblies (galaxy 4)
20: location, location location s22 (dw s22)
21: troughton in Tibet (the abominable snowmen)
22: looking for David (dw s2)
23: back to Bodiam (dw s20)
24: location location location s9 (dw s9)
25: inside the lighthouse (dw s15)
26: darkness and light: the life of Graham Williams (s15)
27: liberation: Blake 7 year 1 (b7 s1)
28: glint in the eye: the life of Stephen Greif (b7 s1)
29: looking for David (dw s25)
30: when Sophie met Leslie (dw s25)
31: redacted
32: worlds within: the life of Ian Marter (dw s13)*
33: redacted
34: redacted
35: redacted
36: redacted
37: looking for Mac (dw s7)
38: house of Clemens (captain kronos)
39: redacted
40: redacted
41: time and tide (box of delights)
42: return to 13 (dw s13)*
43: liberation: Blake 7 year 2 (b7 s2)*
44: MAXIMUM: The life of Jacqueline Pearce (b7 s2)*
45: Giant: the life of David Jackson (b7 s2)*
46: redacted
47: redacted
48: return to Narnia (chronicles of Narnia)*
49: redacted
50: redacted
This obviously does not include his pre moon balloon dvd era work. Where to find them in brackets #= yet to make it to the collection
1: the Galifreyan candidate (deadly assassin/dw s14)
2: time zones (the war games/in colour)#
3: Who Peter part 1 (horns of nimon/dw s26)
4: my grandfather the daughter (space museum)#
5: team Erato (creature from the pit/dw s17)
6: Christopher Barry: director (creature from the pit/dw s8)
7: who Peter part 2 (the movie)#
8: meglos men (meglos/dw s18)
9: mutt mad (the mutants/dw s9)
10: destroy all monsters (carnival of monsters SE/dw s10)
11: down to earth (spearhead SE/dw s7)
12: return to little Hodcombe (the awakening)#
13: Making the Malus (the awakening)#
14: imc needs you (colony in space/s8)
15: looking for Peter (the sensorites)#
16: goodbye bannerman road (sja s5)
17: was doctor who rubbish? (Three doctors SE/dw s22)
18: into the wild (face of evil/dw s14)
19: the devil rides out (the daemons/dw s8)
20: beneath the city of the exxilons (death to the daleks)#
21: the show must go on (the greatest show in the galaxy/s25)
22: mars probe 7 (ambassadors of death/dw s7)
23: axon stations (claws of axos SE/dw s8)
24: living with Levine (claws of axos SE/dw s8)
25: taken out of time (shada/dw s17)
26: don’t lose your head (reign of terror)#
27: a new frontier (the ark in space SE/dw s12)
28: hadoke vs havoc (inferno SE/dw s7)
29: the military mind (mind of evil/dw s8)
30: a dandy and a clown: the life of Jon Pertwee (spearhead from space blu/dw s7)
31: Carry on: the life of Caroline John
32: the one with the maggots (the green death SE/dw s10)
33: cold fusion (ice warriors)#
34: beneath the ice (ice warriors)#
35: frozen out (tenth planet)#
36: lunar landing (moonbase)#
Rob
September 9th, 2025 - 12:33pmStories for me that would be worth a making of and there is a bit to talk about from the B&W era are:
Marco Polo – Historical and a few cast around
MTTU & Masterplan- Just an epic
War Machines – A change of story and it feels like it’s setting the tone for future stories
Highlanders – Fraser
Wheel – Wendy
A season overview would cover the others, unless you there is something more to talk about. I watch them all, whatever is made.
Rory, the original you might say
September 9th, 2025 - 2:08pm@rob, War Machines really does feel like the prototype for the UNIT era. It’s the first time they’ve properly been on contemporary Earth, outside of brief visits in other adventures and the shrunken TARDIS crew shenanigans of Planet of Giants. The Doctor teams up with the military to fight an earth based menace.
DanielM
September 11th, 2025 - 12:05pm@Gordon Chris Chapman filmed a Weekender in Mid 2023 which hasn’t been announced yet so could be that.
SV7
September 11th, 2025 - 1:04pmWasn’t there also a rumoured Weekend with Anneke Wills that was filmed a few years ago?
Jamiouse
September 8th, 2025 - 4:13pmIs there a full list of The Collection UK disc errors and whether a disc has been corrected or not anywhere? I went to watch Revenge of the Cybermen last night and realised I had the corrected discs, then when I’ve just checked Season 18 and 19 I only seem to have The Leisure Hive replacement. Was there a replacement for Keeper of Traken and Castrovalva?
Was it the US releases that had issues with these discs?
daz
September 8th, 2025 - 4:48pmOnly The Leisure Hive had a replacement disc in the UK.
Gordon
September 8th, 2025 - 5:11pmIt was just leisure hive that got a replacement in the uk.
Don’t think there was anything wrong with keeper as far as I remember.
It was the US that got got replacement for castrovalva
MJS
September 10th, 2025 - 1:10pmthe Leisure Hive Blu ray had a replacement disc????
Rory, the original you might say
September 10th, 2025 - 4:36pmWhat was the issue with Leisure Hive? Need to check if mine has the issue.
daz
September 11th, 2025 - 12:29pmI can’t remember tbh but if you look at the limited edition release on this very site it was all discussed back then.
Prof Horner
September 4th, 2025 - 11:25amQuestion for you all today. If film is fabulous turned two missing episodes tomorrow , which would you rather have. Two episodes that completed a story that has only had two missing episodes, like The Moonbase or The Invasion or two missing episodes of a completely missing story like Marco Polo or Fury from the Deep. Or alternatively one episode of Dalek Masterplan and Tenth Planet episode 4. Personally I want to see a complete season 4 story. So for me it would be either the first option or the last.
PJ
September 4th, 2025 - 12:43pmMarco Polo – The complete story the photos and everything it looks stunning would also like to see The Highlanders
Bookcollector
September 5th, 2025 - 7:10pmIf it were just two then yes I think the moonbase or even underwater to complete a story. Two from an incomplete story I’d like to be from a story with nothing like power of the daleks or masterplan simply to reduce the missing amount. If it were two random episodes then tenth planet 4 and web 3
Babelbro
September 6th, 2025 - 3:43pmTenth Planet Episode 4.
For whatever unexplained reason the full 76 telesnaps are to this very day *still* kept away from the public domain (no BBC, DWM or Richard Bignell entires have ever shown them all)
Gordon
September 7th, 2025 - 1:06amI have different answers for different situations.
I’d go for Marco Polo for any complete story.
If it was just 2 episodes of any missing story not yet animated I’d go for the opening and closing eps of Marco Polo.
If it’s for 2 eps that complete a story I’d go for crusade.
If it is from an already animated story I’d go for 5 and 6 from fury
If it’s for individual eps I’d go for myth 4 and massacre 4
Pete X
September 7th, 2025 - 6:40pmHaving done various versions of this every so often, over the last copule of decades, I find I tend to ignore those episodes that have been animated. For instance, 10 years ago I would have said Web 3 but now that for good or ill we have an animated version, it’s off the list.
The two episodes I would choose are Massacre 4 and Wheel 1.
I want to see Hartnell’s speech in the TARDIS from M4 and Troughton and Hines’ carrying of WiS1 – if any of the Troughton finds in the last 30 years has taught us anything, it’s that the acting of the regulars that carry an episode, even one from a poorly regarded story.
Whole stories to return – The Massacre, again as above and also Hartnell’s performance as Amboise, or The Highlanders for Troughton’s pre-calmed down version of the Doctor.
PJ
September 7th, 2025 - 8:20pmBack to choosing two episodes I’d go for episode 12 the destruction of time of the Daleks Master Plan to see the horrific ageing and death of Sarah Kingdom and episode 4 of the Tenth Planet for the regeneration
Rory, the original you might say
September 10th, 2025 - 4:47pmLike others on here, I’m happy to have animated versions of the missing episodes, so returning already animated episodes is low on my list.
If an entire story were returned, I’d want Daleks Master Plan. It is the first proper epic storyline and just deserves to be seen again. Yes, even Feast of Steven.
Two episodes to complete a story has to be Crusade. I love that story so much. Ian and Barbara are perfect in it.
Two random episodes would be DMP 12 and Highlanders 4. I want to see the end of DMP and how they handled the death of Sara. I want to see Jamie join the TARDIS team.
Bushboy
September 4th, 2025 - 3:06amFor anyone in Australia and New Zealand who may be interested, it looks as though we are finally going to be getting the standard edition versions of the Blu-ray sets.
Madman has the Season 2 set on their B2B site with a November 12 release date. I’m assuming that it will probably have the Beatles scene cut from The Chase like the Limited Edition set that was originally released here.
UnearthlyChild
September 3rd, 2025 - 11:18amSlightly related and has been asked before but for the Collection Set 1 have the BBC still got release rights for Unearthly Child ?
D84
September 3rd, 2025 - 12:04pmIm sure on a previous thread – Gordon has advised that the digital media rights are secure for AUC – so it should be included on the set
But it is the streaming rights which are elusive which is why it didn’t end up on iPlayer
David McCallum
September 3rd, 2025 - 12:54pmThe season 25 set included several items with clips from An Unearthly Child so there can’t be an issue with the serial being released as part of The Collection.
Gordon
September 3rd, 2025 - 1:20pmThat is the case. Steve Roberts has said it should not be an issue for blu ray. The only reason they have not released an unearthly child on blu ray is because they haven’t got round to it yet.
James
September 3rd, 2025 - 2:21pmWill they wait for an animated Marco Polo so it’s a complete season 1? Being that its the very first series, the first historical story. Seen a fanmade cover online and looks as good as offiical Lee version. Can’t wait for more news soon
Gordon
September 4th, 2025 - 12:57amI’m sure it will all depend on where the animations are by the time
Andy
September 5th, 2025 - 3:39pmI have to agree this is just a contract issue so to get the story back on iPlayer the BBC would have to pay a contract agreeable to the owners rights. They still have it in their archives it’s just they can’t broadcast not even a repeat of the story. So i don’t think it wouldn’t be a problem with An Unearthly Child on any physical media future releases. If that was the case they would have removed the story from The Beginning Box Set which is still widely available. So yeah I think this is just a broadcasting rights not just the BBC it’s so that no network can ever broadcast or stream with out a contract rights, but this is not the only story that has this issue. Terror Of The Zygons and The Seeds Of Doom have fallen into the same reason contract rights. But these are on the upcoming release of Season 13 so that’s just evidence to suggest it shouldn’t effect the release of Season 1 with An Unearthly Child included. But I don’t think we will see this for a while with the absence of the Missing story for Marco Polo. Which they might be hoping this story is found or partly or they plan on animation the whole story. But am keeping hold of my The Beginning Box Set until they get round to releasing Season 1. I would suggest keep hold of your DVD of An Unearthly Child.
Rob Watkins
September 5th, 2025 - 6:07pmAn Unearthly Child is covered under Videogram rights. I guess Season One is being held off as long as possible as there might be a chance Marco Polo could be animated.
D84
September 5th, 2025 - 6:42pmWith how many boxsets there are left to go
I suspect there will be a loose plan on them all by now – even if the latter half is interchangeable whilst they watch and wait what happens with the animations
I am hoping they animate as many as they can – and include them on the Collections as they come out rather than a re press later with that story inserted as a new addition (which would need to happen to Season 2)
Suspect we will get a little of both though
James
September 6th, 2025 - 12:48pmPity they can’t do like Disney and set out a plan for the consumers to know. Like a loose plan of what it’s a head for next 5+ years or so. Obviously it would be not set in stone just what they are working on and when they roughly expect things to be released.
What’s left to be released
The Collection: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 16, 21, Wilderness
Animations: Marco Polo, Crusade, MythMakers, Mission/DMP, Massacre, Smugglers, Highlanders, Wheel, Pirates
Smugglers was rumoured since 2023.
S21 and s16 most likely to be released next as they are complete compared to 60s sets.
Crusade could be last as s2 already out so no rush to get that ready for a set just yet. Just be done and released solo and s2 standard set reissue.
Mission and DMP would be done together when animated. 13 stories so that be a 1 release for the year either as mission+ part 1 and then part 2, then a full release box set
Myth Makers & Massacre be done together either before or after DMP as follow in succession so better to watch visually. Then s3 complete & ready for Collection
Marco and Highlanders both hard to do with no episodes available.
Anyone else think they may release s1 Eccleston as a curveball between the last few to give a bit of time for the animations. Wilderness has been said to be very last as a mop up set to add anything from classic era that’s found after s1-26 sets have been done so maybe not another filler for animations.
Scotel
September 6th, 2025 - 1:31pmWhat you need to remember is that the animations are commisioned one at a time, even if there were rumours of The Smugglers being done back in 2023 the fact it wasn’t rules it out. There’s no secret projects, they just don’t have the time or money to be sitting on something just for the sake of it/to wind up some fans. And before anyone suggests it, they’d animate the whole thing anyway so no amount of rumours of missing episode recoveries would make a difference. Obviously with so few stories remaining that doesn’t rule it out but at this point we could safely rule it as coincidence.
Being realistic about time frames and assuming the restructuring goes ahead we’ve got thfee more animations that will get included in the Collection sets and I strongly suspect they’ll be The Myth Makers, The Massacre and The Smugglers (order to be determined). That leaves every season with one recon to be made and have its audio touched up. I also believe whatever set comes first out of the 60s batch will be the next one with an animation (eg if Season 5 comes first The Wheel in Space gets animated) so they can hopefully get the standard release out before the animation gets announced causing a fan backlash.
As for an Eccelston set, I think that very much depends on how things go with the main show. Are you going to get a fair critical view of it while Russell T Davies is still in Cardiff? While you have Billie Piper as the only official member of cast? I imagine things will have moved on by the time all the current sets are done but inserting it earlier might be a problem.
James
September 6th, 2025 - 3:57pmI thought the animations were now being commissioned in batches rather than one at a time. Speed up the releases.
I wasn’t suggesting they had done it and not released it and keeping quiet just meant it was rumoured along side underwater menace. As that’s been released I was meaning surely that be next if was the same team.
If they do go down the road of releasing evry 60s set with a story missing done via recon that would be Marco Polo for s1, wheel for s5 and pirates for s6 for definite. S4 either smugglers or highlanders. But I can’t see dmp being the missed one for s3 as the size of its like2 stories even with 3 eps in the archive. With myth makers also rumoured this year I’d suggest massacre being the missing recon.
If they do have 2 or 3 teams working on them in the new deal/structure of multiple commissions this would get them released and time for solo release before adding to collection sets.
Eccleston set suggested as it’s the first set for New Who. I thought s2 as Tennnat set and he is popular so would sell. But was pointed out if didn’t sell well would be a waste to do a set not at the beginning. It has been rereleased on a s1-4 set recently so no work really needed. Just a few sofa watches to do. Eccleston unsure if he would return for this, Billie definitely, Camile, and other guest stars of s1 and some classic companions/docs could also do to mix it up.
Prof Horner
September 6th, 2025 - 4:54pmI don’t think there are any Tele snaps for The Massacre,James. Same with The Myth Makers. So it would be hard seeing a recon for The Massacre. As said a while back , I think the last three will be one a year. I think after the colour seasons , we will get five and six, with Wilderness Years in between those two.
Scotel
September 6th, 2025 - 5:26pmThe Underwater Menace team went on to The Savages.
The new system (which I would note only starts with whatever they are currently working on assuming it even went into effect) is to help reduce downtime between releases so while they are wrapping up one project they can start on the next. It’s not about multiple teams and with us hearing the BBC aren’t interested in more 3D animations we’re down to just one. If we get another team then that’s great but that’s not an assumption we can make. Each project takes over a year to make, when I’m estimating three releases that’s up on the two we’d be getting on the old system.
You need to remember these animations take time to make. The Daleks’ Master Plan being the length of two stories would also affect the length of time it takes to animate. The Evil of the Daleks was 18 months, imagine how long a 12/13 parter would be. There’s a reason I picked out three four parters.
Gordon
September 7th, 2025 - 12:41amIt’s my understanding that they may get commissioned to get multiple stories but it will still be animated 1 at a time. Previously they would do 1 then it get released then the commission happens for the next one happens a few weeks or months later. Going forward they will get a commission of say 2-3 stories or whatever the number is and then the pre production team starts on the first one. While the main animation team is working away on the first one the pre production team will start work on the next one and as soon as story one has finished there is no waiting around on post production or releasing it before starting. they go straight on to the next one.
Lad_Boy124
September 1st, 2025 - 5:01pmHello this is not DW. But what steel book central DW would fit The Sweney Series 1 Set.
Gordon
September 2nd, 2025 - 1:54pmI don’t have any of them but would guess it’s the same one that fits the standard releases. They are about the same size as the standard editions so I’m guessing DW5. But I’d wait for others to confirm
Matt L
September 1st, 2025 - 2:08pmWith it now being September, do we think the season 13 release date will be early or mid October now? Thanks
PJ
September 4th, 2025 - 12:44pmWE NEED THE RELEASE DATE..
Prof Horner
August 31st, 2025 - 2:50pmSad news indeed about the passing of Christopher H Bidmead , though he had a good innings. Bidmead along with Derrick Sherwin has always fascinated me. Both had their own unique take on Doctor Who . Sherwin with season 7 and Bidmead with season 18. One wonders how different the history of the series would have been if they stayed around for a bit longer. Anyway RIP Christopher and thank you.
Bookcollector
August 31st, 2025 - 7:39pmSad indeed, season 18 was one I really liked in large part to bidmead’s influence on the scripts.
Matt L
August 31st, 2025 - 7:39pmRIP Christopher – state of decay, keeper of traken, logopolis and castrovalva – some of my fav who stories – either as writer or script editor
MIKK89
August 31st, 2025 - 8:20pmIncredibly sad to hear of his passing, I reached out to him alongside a few other whoniverse cast & crew a few years ago to talk about a Doctor Who-themed fan fiction/essayShort Stories Collection i wanted to put together for charity.
Though he declined, he said he was honored to be asked & that he was grateful for the kind words I had about his stories and their impact they on my love of the show.
A kind man, a great writer and a tragic loss to the sci-fi community.
Gordon
September 2nd, 2025 - 2:03pmLegopolis, castrovalva and frontios are all pretty good stories. Plus his script editing work on series 18 is pretty big factor in the changes that were needed at that time. Doctor who was definetly a richer place with his involvement.