November 26th, 2022
1,033 comments
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Doctor Who The Collection Season 2 Limited Edition Packaging
Available to order from www.amazon.co.uk
Doctor Who: The Collection – Season 2 available on Blu-ray
Official Press release / images courtesy of BBC Studios
BBC Studios announces Doctor Who: The Collection –Season 2 which will be released later this year on Blu-ray.
The additio nto the range offers Doctor Who fans the opportunity to continue building their own home archive. Debuting later this year this collection is the biggest release yet and features a limited edition nine-disc box.
It sees William Hartnell’s First Doctor join the Collection range for the first time.
Doctor Who –The Collection: Season 2
- PLANET OF GIANTS
- THE DALEK INVASION OF EARTH
- THE RESCUE
- THE ROMANS
- THE WEB PLANET
- THE CRUSADE
- THE SPACE MUSEUM
- THE CHASE
- THE TIME MEDDLER
Across a jam-packed season of 37 episodes, the Doctor is joined by faithful companions Susan (Carole Ann Ford), Ian (William Russell), Barbara (Jacqueline Hill),Vicki (Maureen O’Brien) and Steven (Peter Purves).
Together they face off against the dreaded Daleks, the marauding Mechonoids, the ant-like Zarbi and the meddling Monk, while visiting fantastic alien worlds and turbulent times in the Earth’s history.
The missing two episodes of The Crusade have been reconstructed using off-air photographs and the original broadcast soundtrack, while remaining 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 2 Blu-ray box set also includes extensive special features:
THREE BRAND NEW DOCUMENTARIES
- Including an overview of Season 2, Flight Through Eternity, a look at 1960s collectables in Doctor Who and The Collectors, and a deep dive into the life and career of story editor David Whitaker in Looking For David.
IN CONVERSATION
- Two exclusive insightful feature-length interviews, with William Russell and Maureen O’Brien.
BEHIND THE SOFA
- Six new episodes with companions Maureen O’Brien, Peter Purves, Carole Ann Ford, Janet Fielding (Tegan), Wendy Padbury (Zoe), Sarah Sutton (Nyssa), Bonnie Langford (Melanie) and Sophie Aldred (Ace).
EXCLUSIVE AUDIO COMMENTARY
- Learn about the recovery of The Lion, a missing episode that was returned in 1999, with three of the heroes responsible for its return.
CONVENTION FOOTAGE
- A rare chance to hear from actors Jacqueline Hill and Adrienne Hill (Katarina) alongside Michael Craze (Ben) and Carole Ann Ford.
EXCLUSIVE ENHANCED SOUNDTRACK
- Watch The Dalek Invasion of Earthwith an optional enhanced soundtrack.
HD PHOTO GALLERIES
- Including many previously unseen images.
INFO TEXT
- Behind-the-scenes information and trivia on every episode.
PDF ARCHIVE
- Including scripts, exclusive unseen BBC production files and other rarities
AND LOTS MORE!
This nine-disc box set also includes hours of special features previously released on DVD including Documentaries, Featurettes, Audio Commentaries, Overseas Soundtracks and more.
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Anonymous
February 26th, 2023 - 1:47pmDoes anyone know which size protector from steelbox central this box set will fit?
Rory
February 27th, 2023 - 9:24amSeason 2 should fit in the larger DW2 cases, although it depends on your boxset. Quite a few had a production error where the spine is too large and the front and back print can be seen on the spine edges. These ones don’t fit a case, but if you’ve got one with the correctly folded cover then it will fit snugly.
Anonymous
February 27th, 2023 - 8:38pmTrust me
Then. Mine won’t fit
Anonymous
March 4th, 2023 - 6:34pmJust had a reply from the company. Cases are being made for season two and will be available from April.
daz
March 5th, 2023 - 8:31amGood to know company is making another version as mine won’t fit due to the way the card is folded as stated above.
It’s only like a millimetre off but I display mine without the j-card.
Samuel
January 26th, 2023 - 3:56pmWell thank goodness for the leaks, courtesy of Amazon.
*Spoilers from here*
The artwork is outstandingly beautiful. Seamless composition. Colours are frikkin’ glorious – Lee Binding is a total genius for freeze framing the Vortex right on that moment when it inverts in the titles. My personal favourite moment in the Pertwee openings.
The way Pertwee’s hair floats from the vortex energy, Aggedor lurking within the lullaby tool in The Doctor’s hand, the Time Monster proud and central above simply perfectly chosen photos of the main foes in this Season.
This is definitely one of my favourites of Mr Bindings. It’s shocking how long we’ve had to wait to reach this beautiful thirteenth boxset, it’s no wonder leaks have had to happen, and it’s no wonder verbal leaks about Season 20 this summer have already got out some time ago.
As a fan, and collector of these boxsets, I could not be happier to be a Doctor Who fan than I am this afternoon. The spine art on this thing is going to look utterly epic.
Cannot wait for the YouTube trailer, of which I’ve heard is possibly Katy Manning in Portsmouth with a Sea Devil or two.
Gordon
January 26th, 2023 - 1:12amI’ve seen the cover. Very purple. 8 discs
Prowl1701
January 26th, 2023 - 3:33amBonus features? Making ofs? Anything getting updated effects?
Gordon
January 26th, 2023 - 5:59amThat’s the only thing that has been leaked about it. It’s on twitter if you want to search for it
Ricky
January 26th, 2023 - 6:06amJust seen the cover and internals, booklet etc, it’s another gorgeous set.
Its also listed on a well known bluray news site.
Prowl 1701
January 26th, 2023 - 6:42amThanks gorden, I found the art. There is one omission from it I’m not happy about, but it looks good. will discuss when the official announcement comes
Tom Williams
January 26th, 2023 - 7:11amFound a preorder already hit ebay from rarewave outlets will this mean today it will go offical up on amazon and hmv etc ?
booboo
January 26th, 2023 - 9:38amyes, the amazon listing should be sort of “hidden” and the clearly Rarewaves missed the memo
D84
January 26th, 2023 - 7:11amLooks great, can’t wait to see content & features
I will be doing very little work shortly after 3pm today
Ricky
January 26th, 2023 - 8:35amA minor gripe is if aggedor isn’t on the final cover, but its still a stunner.
Jake E
January 26th, 2023 - 9:33amI loved the other 12 covers but I’ve got to admit the Season 9 one doesn’t do it for me.
Hopefully it will grow on me but it looks off. Like it’s fan made (I’m aware Lee Binding is a fan etc).
I think the spine will look nice on the shelf, the purple will stand out.
But like the inside aka the booklet and the flap thing, the pictures look meh. As if maybe not a lot of thought went into them compared to how phenomenal the other sets looked.
Like I said hopefully it will grow on me!
Auton
January 26th, 2023 - 9:36amAggedor is in the reflection of the mind control thing the doctor is holding. Plus Aggedor can be on the future Season 11 set
I’m Batman
January 26th, 2023 - 9:43amHis face looks too weird for me for some reason. Looks more older than he should be. It’s not just me right?
Anonymous
January 26th, 2023 - 9:54amMy issue is how strong the purple is in the upper part of the cover. Makes poor Jon look engulfed in purple. Love his expression though. I also think the visible imagery inside the set doesn’t appear to be as imaginative as previous sets. Looking forward to the launch later, though!
Jake E
January 26th, 2023 - 12:02pmYes, Batman his head looks weird. It’s got a slight floaty head look to it and it’s too far forward. It looks weirder than Hartnell’s on Season 2 but then I like that one, now I’m used to it
Ricky
January 26th, 2023 - 12:19pmCheers Auton, I see it now lol.
Ben
January 26th, 2023 - 1:46pmGreat cover. Pertwee’s head looks too big for his body, it looks off. Saying that though, I thought that with Hartnell but I’ve grown to like it now I’m used to it.
Rob W
January 26th, 2023 - 3:24pmMAKING THE TIME MONSTER
Looking back on the Season 9 finale with Katy Manning, John Levene and more.
MICHAEL E BRIANT AT THE HELM
A profile of director Michael E Briant.
LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION
Katy Manning and friends revisit the filming locations of Season 9.
THE FELL GUY
A profile of prolific stuntman Stuart Fell.
BEHIND THE SOFA
Five new episodes with Katy Manning (Jo), Peter Davison (The Doctor),
Wendy Padbury (Zoe), Sarah Sutton (Nyssa), Janet Fielding (Tegan),
Sophie Aldred (Ace) and director Michael E Briant.
BLU-RAY TRAILER
A brand new slice of classic Doctor Who.
MOVIE-LENGTH EDITIONS
Special repeat screenings of Day Of The Daleks and The Sea Devils, previously unavailable.
CONVENTION FOOTAGE
A chance to hear from UNIT’s Nicholas Courtney and Richard Franklin, recorded in 1986.
5.1 SURROUND & DOLBY ATMOS SOUND
On The Sea Devils (episodic and omnibus edition).
HD PHOTO GALLERIES
Including many previously unseen images.
AUDIO ARCHIVE
Featuring many unreleased gems.
INFO TEXT
Behind-the-scenes information and trivia on every episode.
PDF ARCHIVE
Including scripts, exclusive unseen BBC production files and other rarities.
Rob W
January 26th, 2023 - 3:29pmIt’s listed on Zavvi but no release date or ability to pre_order but you might not be able to publish my last post and that’s understood. Cheers.
booboo
January 26th, 2023 - 3:30pmyou can order it the main post is live, Gordon left these comments before the official release info
Samuel
January 24th, 2023 - 5:46pmI can see it now;
Doctor Who Official Twitter Page, retweets a quick Google Images pic of a Sea Devil on the Beach, with the caption;
“FINE! HAPPY NOW?! HERE’S YOUR SEASON 9 ANNOUNCEMENT.”
and we’re all like;
“Yeah… we all knew for months, what took you so long? lol
Jake E
January 24th, 2023 - 1:26pmIt’s now been removed! I think they got a telling off by the Beeb
Auton
January 24th, 2023 - 1:30pmDid it have details about the set and cover art?
booboo
January 24th, 2023 - 1:35pmno nothing, probably just a chance listing based on the overseas info
D84
January 24th, 2023 - 4:33pm26/01/2023 – 15:00
Jake E
January 24th, 2023 - 4:37pmD84. That’s my guess too. If not this Thursday then next Thursday. It’s been leaked everywhere anyway
Prof Horner
January 24th, 2023 - 6:42pmIt is odd the way mine and some of the other posts have disappeared. Maybe someone can explain why?
booboo
January 24th, 2023 - 6:50pmyes, the named site removed the listing as they were probably told to so direct reference to it here is not appropriate. This is most likely embargoed information.
Removing the original comment which was our only option as it named the retailer removes all the follow ups of which yours was one.
Hope that clears that up
D84
January 24th, 2023 - 8:28pmAgreed Booboo, totally happy with that – it seems we have less than 48hrs to wait anyway
Prof horner
January 24th, 2023 - 9:04pmYes thank you booboo.
Gordon
January 24th, 2023 - 10:24pmIt briefly mentioned on that site this afternoon that a new product will be available to preorder from Thursday at 3pm with the same price point. It has since disappeared. Think it’s safe to say it will be revealed then
booboo
January 25th, 2023 - 9:37amThey actually had a pre-order up for the actual season for a few hours
Ben
January 24th, 2023 - 5:20amAlong with the edited Chase and changed background, it looks like the entire Looking For David documentary is missing from the Australian edition, or at least it’s missing from the back Would anybody know why this is? I was looking forward to watching it…
Ben
January 24th, 2023 - 5:28amFalse alarm, I got worried after the back artwork change that the people in charge of this edition weren’t doing a good job. It’s just not listed on the back feature blurb, but it’s in the booklet and on the disc.
[Admins can delete this if they want]
GM
April 13th, 2023 - 4:18amWhy has The Chase been cut? There’s the Beatles scene and Steven running around the jungle calling out for the Doctor just before Ian and Barbara leave. Strange.
Rex Farrel
April 13th, 2023 - 12:32pmGM: The Beatles is cut for clearance (cost) reasons, as you probably guessed. What’s the running time for ep 6 on the Aussie release though? 26’28” is the full duration on the UK version.
Ben
January 24th, 2023 - 1:32amBad news for any AU / NZ collectors: my set came in the mail today (a couple of days before release date), but unfortunately the Beatles scene has been removed in part 1 of the Chase. It’s been cut so if you didn’t know it was supposed to be there you wouldn’t be able to tell, but it’s a shame regardless.
Also, I’m unsure why but the artwork on the back (after the final disc) has been changed to the book artwork again, rather than the colourised Hartnell face.
Bushboy
January 24th, 2023 - 7:16amI am in New Zealand and have also received the Australian set with the edited version of The Chase.
Is the UK version complete? If so I will import the standard edition when it becomes available and swap out the disc. In the meantime I have the unedited version on DVD if I wish to watch it.
Jake E
January 24th, 2023 - 9:35amYes the UK is uncensored!
You guys will probably run into the same problem with the song in Evil of the Daleks Season 4 then
daz
January 24th, 2023 - 10:13amYes, UK version is complete.
TheKandyMan
January 23rd, 2023 - 6:16pmHi! I was wondering, does anyone know how I can contact the people making The Collection boxsets? I really want to let them now that I hope they’ll include a black and white version of The Happiness Patrol on the Season 25 boxset, as was it originally planned to be filmed that way, but I’m not sure how to contact them.
Does anyone here know?
Lee D
January 23rd, 2023 - 6:31pmA black and white version would look good.
Jake E
January 23rd, 2023 - 6:53pmJust turn off the colour on your TV. Simple 🙂
TheKandyMan
January 23rd, 2023 - 7:16pmYou were probably joking Jake E, but still, while it works sometimes, it’s not the same as watching a version made for black and white (work such as regrading is oft done for black and white releases of films that used to be in colour).
Since they have made alternate versions of stories, like Vervoids without the trial parts, or the ‘extended’ cut of Ghost Light, I was hoping they would give The Happiness Patrol a black and white make-over. It’s a fantastic noir story, and would be a fine addition to the boxset, with people being able to watch it in the way Sylvester McCoy always dreamed of.
Rex Farrel
January 23rd, 2023 - 10:12pmEmail the usual dvd enquiry address, asking for the email to be forwarded on to Russell Minton. He’s also on social media, if you do that sort of thing.
Bobby Fackrell
January 24th, 2023 - 8:34amYou will probably get a nice reply but not sure they do requests and I’ve got a feeling the VAM for 25 could be locked and some may already be banked
Prof horner
January 23rd, 2023 - 11:37amWell I still hope for three seasons this year, with a Tom after seasons 9 and 20. With that in mind, here’s how I think the rest of the releases will pan out. First of all there is the two big seasons,one and six , which will need a lot of work. It seems likely to me they will be released two years apart. So here’s my schedule after this year.
2024- season 6 and 25.
2025- a Jon(probably season 11) and a Tom.
2026- season 1 and 21( poor Peter,if hadn’t been for COVID all his seasons would probably have been released by now)!
2027 -season 5 and the last Tom.
2028- season 4 and the last Jon.
That just leaves season 3 , which depends how complete it by this point and maybe a Wilderness years set as well.
I would be interested in reading what other people think of my suggestions. Here’s hoping for an announcement very soon.
daz
January 23rd, 2023 - 2:01pmI still think we’ll get Season 6 this year around the 60th as the third release. So that each Doctor is finally represented in the collection for the anniversary.
Tom Season 16 will follow early 2024.
Rory
January 23rd, 2023 - 2:35pmI am torn on this. On the one hand, if they restart the animations then I’d like them to hold off on the 60s sets again. On the other hand, I’ll be buying the Collection sets and the steelbooks of the animations anyway. Damn you, completist tendencies.
Personally don’t think they’ll do season 7 the same year as a 60s set, because there’s so much work to do on both, so I’d think 7 and 21 or a Tom in the same year. But what do I know?
Bobby Fackrell
January 23rd, 2023 - 5:31pmI don’t like these posts because they make me feel old when future years are predicted however even though I think 6 is very unlikely and if there is three sets i think it would be the much smaller 25 yet would love to see either.
I can see the arguments for a Tom just hope if it is a Tom it’s 13
Series 1 in November for the 60th could still be a massive double bluff
daz
January 23rd, 2023 - 5:48pmSeason 13 will be the final Tom Baker release. Simply because it is his best. Go out with a bang.
And 2024 will be his 90th too so deffo due one next year.
They’ll want to space out 1st Doctor releases.
If not Season 6 then I’ll be happy with 25 as one of my faves.
Tbh, I don’t mind what we get as long as they complete all 26 Seasons plus Wilderness Years.
Pete X
January 23rd, 2023 - 6:35pmIt’s a bit of a wild card, but the first Troughton set could be Season 5.
There are 7 stories, 4 of which have already been cleaned-up and upscaled to blu-ray.
The remaining 3 consist; 10 existing episodes, 2 animated missing episodes and 4 missing episodes that can be reconstructed from censor clips and telesnaps.
Season 6 has 37 existing episodes and two animated missing episodes. All require cleaning and upscaling to blu-ray. The 5 remaining missing episodes have only some censor clips to reconstruct those episodes.
There is a lot more work to be carried out on Season 6 compared to Season 5, making S5 the quicker easier release.
Yes, WiS is likely to be animated some time in the future (assuming the recent rumours are correct), but, as I recall, the Collections team aren’t bound to the animation releases. And the S2 release wasn’t compromised by the reconstructions of e2 and 4 of the Crusade.
If S5 were to be the Nov/Dec 23 release, there would be an outcry from fans re-double dipping on AS having only been released 12 months prior, but when has that stopped the BBC before? (I’m looking at you 50th anniversary box-set containing The Name of the Doctor and An Adventure in Space and Time).
Prof horner
January 23rd, 2023 - 9:21pmHow do think I feel Bobby ! I will be sixty in July! By the time all the boxsets are out I will be nearer to seventy ! Seriously I would love season 6 this year but it probably isn’t likely. But please let’s at least have another Tom before McCoy’s last . Season 25 is only one left I won’t be buying.
Bobby Fackrell
January 24th, 2023 - 8:45amThis thing about 13 being left until last is pure speculation, other than a few of the fan favourite DVDs being left until the end I’m not sure what it is actually based on?
Most of the most popular series from all Doctors were rolled out relatively early. Also there’s a number of factors which determine how they select the series they are working on
I don’t think 1 will come out this year but everyone is adamant it will not yet were adamant it would before 2 came out. I’m simply putting that it is not impossible. They are a little limited with options for 60s series and 1 and 6 are the most complete. 6 is more likely but they could release 1. They could have worked on 1 while working on 2.
25 is 14 episodes long which is why I think it will be a quick third release if there are three
James
January 22nd, 2023 - 11:34pmNot sure.. Heard few people saying daily mirror story is a smokescreen.. Smugglers and underwater menace aren’t going to be the 2 animated stories.. That’s its 2 others.. As smugglers and uwm have actually been found???
Monday tomorrow so hopefully the collection announcement
Gordon
January 23rd, 2023 - 1:23amThink it could be Wednesday. Only time we ever got a Monday announcement was season 19. They are currently counting down doctors with a post every day or so at a specific time focused on a certain doctor. 8:08 for 8th doctor 7:07 for the 7th doctor etc. we got a 6th doctor post yesterday at 6:06. If the trend continues we get to 3 on wednesday
D84
January 23rd, 2023 - 10:05amYea that’s been mooted before James (Animations re started but not those 2 stories) – as long as they are restarted – I’m happy, ill take anything.
Interesting points Gordon, i would suspect myself if we are to see an announcement this week it will be Weds or Thursday afternoon.
Lets see
D84
January 23rd, 2023 - 1:37pmWhere are these “posts” you mention Gordon? Ive not seen them myself
FB / Inst / Twit?
Auton
January 23rd, 2023 - 4:39pmGordon is referring to the posts that the official Doctor Who social media channel has been posting which have been counting down from most recent doctors backwards as a countdown to something and posted at the time of the doctor number so for example the 6th doctor post at 18:06
daz
January 23rd, 2023 - 4:55pmD84.
Doctor Who FB page. (Official)
Counting down to something maybe.
But makes sense to announce Season 9 on the Day they feature The Third Doctor.
Tardis2005
January 21st, 2023 - 1:07pmIf you click on this link https://www.1advd.ch/Suchen.asp go to the website and search doctor who the collection into the search bar on the website and it says that Season 9 will be out on the 20th March 2023
booboo
January 21st, 2023 - 1:08pmhttps://www.1advd.ch/film/BLU%2DRAY+Englandimport/Doctor+Who+%2D+The+Collection+Season+9/38133812
Basil Funkenstein
January 21st, 2023 - 1:11pmSounds about right. That gives us time for definitely one more set this year, MAYBE two more if they can squeeze one in before Christmas. I’m happy with whatever we get. Hopefully there will be a trailer announcement for season 9 very soon.
Gordon
January 21st, 2023 - 2:07pmI’m completely certain that is the next set. I’m just not certain it’s out in March. April seems more likely
D84
January 21st, 2023 - 2:50pmThis website seems to be good for us fans at “leaking” the set due next but the release dates have been incorrect in the past.
I seem to recall S22 was listed on this site with a release date of March – and it ended up coming out in June, although that could have been due to sudden production issues (Poland)
Hopefully we see a trailer soon enough then for S9.
Suspicion – Jo in Portsmouth/ Southampton with Sea Devils????
Or could it be something completely left wing like a return to Peladon??
Prof Horner
January 21st, 2023 - 2:56pmWell I hope this is right, if we get season 9 in March then there is a good chance we may get three this year. As I said in a post the other night which mysteriously didn’t appear! I am happy with season 20 after 9 but we need a Tom Baker season in this anniversary y.ear.
D84
January 21st, 2023 - 8:53pmI’m not holding my breath for 3 sets this year. I would genuinely love it if course, but I can’t see it.
I think it’s likely we will see a Tom set soon – still 3 to go afterall.
I can’t see another Jon P set straight away after 9, nor another Peter D set so soon after 20 so that leaves you at a Tom, S25 or another B&W – I’m really not sure which way it will go.
Of course they could whip out the elusive and mysterious “Wilderness Years” set and surprise us all
I really don’t mind – I will buy them all if I can
Ben
January 21st, 2023 - 10:15pmA good chance for 3 sets this year, with 9 March/April, 20 in the summer (according to Peter and Janet), then another November/December.
D84
January 21st, 2023 - 10:47pmAh yes I had forgotten about Peter / Janet letting slip that S20 would be out “Summer 23”
Interesting, could well be then – there may be a 3rd set slipped in just before Christmas
Here’s hoping
Ben
January 23rd, 2023 - 2:09pmhttps://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Doctor-Who-The-Collection-Season-9-Blu-ray/331320/
New Season 9 listing
Rex Farrel
January 23rd, 2023 - 10:22pmBen: Remember that anyone can add to that website – they’ve got plenty of placeholders for titles that were never released. And this one copies and pastes from Season 8, what with the Daemons soundtrack options, etc (a rather over enthusiastic fan desperate to add a listing I guess).
JLBWHO
January 20th, 2023 - 12:23pmFun speculation, the past 2 years we have had an announcement around this time in January. I’m gonna pull a guess and guess season 20 is next and my guess is we will get a trailer on Monday.
Just a fun guess, no leaks or anything.
D84
January 20th, 2023 - 1:24pmIt certainly seems like S9 or S20 could be next from the snippets we have heard over the last few months.
I’ll see your “Monday” and raise you – “Thursday” as my predication – if we are to see an announcement – my guess is it will be on a Thursday – not necessarily next Thursday, but just a Thursday 🙂
But yes, an announcement has arrived in January for the last couple of years so its possible
D84
January 20th, 2023 - 2:06pmHaving checked my order history at my preferred retailer- its actually the last 3ryrs we have had an announcement in January
Certainly possible, it will come when the material and product is ready I’m sure
daz
January 20th, 2023 - 4:58pmI thought if it was Season 20 next they would have announced it today. Hopefully Monday so I can use my Amazon discount offer.
Bobby Fackrell
January 20th, 2023 - 11:08amHappy Birthday Tom ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Auton
January 20th, 2023 - 6:10pmHere’s hoping for a Tom set after season 9 and 20
Samuel
January 19th, 2023 - 11:52amHow peculiar – my latest comment on the Season 9 & 20 boxsets has mysteriously disappeared… Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Gordon
January 18th, 2023 - 11:25pmReading his comment he says: No that’s already been said to be planned for the summer.
That doesn’t mean the announcement is in the summer. It tally’s up with what Peter and Janet said to people at the Amsterdam filming and conventions after that it was out in the summer
Prof Horner
January 18th, 2023 - 10:56pmWell if we only get two season this year, so be it. We all appreciate the hard work and talent that goes into the making of these boxsets. But I am afraid that I don’t think that season 20 is special enough to mark the series big sixth anniversary. I think there should be a Tom Baker season to mark the 60th anniversary . Don’t get me I love Peter Davison and I look forward to seeing season 20 again ,but apart from Enlightenment and The Five Doctors, it really isn’t very good.
Gordon
January 18th, 2023 - 1:54pmChris chapman tweeted the condition of his current slate
Location, Location, Location delivered,
on-location making-of awaiting restored archive
Feature length biography in offline edit, making-of (with toby hadoke) in pre-production,
companion biography in pre-production, companion biography in early research
At a guess
Location location location: season 9
On location making of: kings demons (was thinking of smugglers but only about 1 min of archive footage exists)
Feature length biography: Patrick Troughton or Graeme Williams
Making of (with Toby): a missing story perhaps
Companion biography: Mary tamm
Companion biography: Michael craze
Auton
January 19th, 2023 - 3:30pmWe know Isla Blair has filmed something for a King’s Demon’s making of so that’s bound to be the location making of
Gordon
January 19th, 2023 - 11:24pmYeah also mark Strickson said to people at a convention in 2019 that he just filmed at bodiam castle. Whether or not it was Chris that filmed it is the big question
Auton
January 20th, 2023 - 8:11amVery true
James
January 13th, 2023 - 12:50pmAnyone heard of when the next The Collection Box Set will be released or ready for preorder?
Odd not to have anything on preorder.
Or The Smugglers/Underwater Menave updates
Samuel
January 13th, 2023 - 1:32pmAgreed, very very odd.
Ideally were it to be three collection boxsets this Year, then surely the first announcement would be by the middle of January (this month).
If you’re suggesting a Feb-March announcement, then you would be very lucky to even see two Collection boxsets this Year.
It becomes even more odd when in context, we are talking about the 60th Anniversary year of Doctor Who, even though we are already aware of the progress on Seasons 9 & 20. Bit worrying when we really need the momentum to keep going for the Collections to be made and funded by the fans given the overall management of Doctor Who is changing hands and will no doubt have different ideas for the merchandise going forwards.
The pessimist in me thinks; accept it that we will have one Collection set ready and delivered this Year, then a second announced but not delivered until 2024.
Bobby Fackrell
January 13th, 2023 - 1:57pmNot really odd, series two has only just been released and they are releasing 2-3 a year, they aren’t easy to turn around.
Series 9 is strongly rumoured to be next but it will likely be a spring release
The Smugglers and Underwater menace have not officially been confirmed yet
D84
January 13th, 2023 - 2:21pmI would like to see an announcement to get a pre order in the bag.
Its been a little while now (August I think for S2 Announcement) but given the last couple of years has gone with these things that’s not been unusual
Hopefully soon we’ll see a press release with the details on
Rex Farrel
January 13th, 2023 - 3:08pmMaybe they just don’t want to announce anything until they have a definite, doable release date?
James
January 13th, 2023 - 3:09pmD84 if August22 was announcement for S2 and that was released 5 months later.. Then surely something now would give may/june23 release.
Samuel yep heard loads about 9 and 20 and 20 was apparently more or less ready apart from Amsterdam recording but got delayed to pandemic travelling.
Plus being anniversary year thought they would be pumping loads out. Only got the BigFinish series and the November series on TV to look forward to.
Bobby if 9 is next and spring be a release that’s just over 2 months away.
And nothing official about Smugglers/Underwater but Mirror hasn’t been wrong yet. (abominable/evil)
Plus normally the preoders give them a rough idea of number of copies to put into production. Earlier the promotion release give them more time to get it right.
Samuel
January 13th, 2023 - 3:34pmIt just irks me a bit that we have two seasons that sound as good as ready, meaning there must be a third currently under way.
I wouldn’t mind it if we even had Seasons 9 & 20, with an announcement+ Lee Binding cover art release for the third Season, were it not ready for Christmas this Year.
Yes there have been problems with manufacturing in Poland previously, but even in 2018, even during Covid lockdown, it felt like these Collection sets were being advertised for pre order thick and thin. It felt like a well oiled campaign for one big final physical collection, be it limited and standard.
As D84 correctly pointed out, Season 2 was announced in August. So if this is to be half a year per Collection going forward, then surely we should’ve had an announcement for either Seasons 9 or 20 by now before mid January?
Can’t explain it any other way really, it already feels very quiet for a 60th when it comes to the Collections
Bobby Fackrell
January 13th, 2023 - 6:48pmI’m not disputing the Mirror is a credible source but as they have not officially been confirmed yet then a preorder is unlikely until they are
There’s obviously a few in a production at the moment, we pretty much all know 9 is next and it is likely to be released in a few months so I don’t see the issue
They will announce when they are ready to
Samuel
January 13th, 2023 - 7:31pmI think we’ve known that it must be Season 9 for well over a Year now, as fans here were debating if the release would tie in with “Legend of the Sea Devils” which it clearly didn’t.
We’ve also known for a very long time now that due to Covid delays that one last extra on Season 20 was missing, but now has since been finished.
Lee Binding is ahead with at least another few cover arts for future Season collection boxsets.
Based on the last two releases, if we are to accept that each title will be at least 6 months apart, I don’t think it’s too much to ask for a roadmap announcement, similar to what Disney does with Marvel, just as a one off little teaser for this 60th Year, just to let us in on what the third.. dare I say it, fourth and fifth releases will be, followed by those Art Covers by Binding on Twitter etc.
For me though, the real excuse to do that would be to really re-energize the momentum back up for the Collection. I collect these Limited sets, and people I know that *don’t* buy them, are asking me what the hecks going on with them! Haha.
Gordon
January 14th, 2023 - 10:59amI’m sure things will get announced when they are ready. Just because they filmed special features for season 9 and 20 that does not mean that they are good to go. Some things are banked early due to availability and other reasons. There is a lot of work that go into these sets. Picture and sound restoration, the artwork, 5.1 remix’s, updating the production subtitles, pdf’s, writing the booklet out, alternative effects, editing, grading and adding music and graphics to the new documentary’s, uprezzing the previous features. The list goes on. Each set takes 4-6 months to produce and considering they just finished season 2 in October there is probably still another 2 months minimum before it’s good to go. These things can’t be rushed.
A roadmap isn’t really practical as they can change for numerous reasons. Richard Bignell who does the pdfs had planned a trip for a week to the bbc written archive and during that week before the set changed 3 times due to various reasons.
As for the animation rumours the bbc won’t confirm anything till it’s announced. It hasn’t been denied by anybody that would be involved. There was a poster on galifrey base who has worked on 1 of the blu ray special features for the upcoming season 20 claiming he’s been told the animations are back but not those story’s. Also said it isn’t toymaker or masterplan and that Gary Russell isn’t involved but Anne Marie Walsh (she headed up faceless/evil animations) is. He also said Rob Ritchie is also not returning which rob himself has confirmed is the case. I don’t rule out the posibility that both this poster and the mirror are correct. There might be more than 1 animation team in play and the animation team that he heard about isn’t the one doing smugglers and menace. There is also the possibility that I’ve heard bandied about is that the stories leaked are ones designed to find out who is leaking them. Simply put different titles are leaked to different people and whoever leaked the 2 specific titles is the leaker.
Bookcollector
January 14th, 2023 - 5:29pmBe a shame if smugglers and menace aren’t being done as I’d be very happy with both of those. Smugglers in particular would benefit from animation mainly for episode 4 which is essentially one long fight scene. Anneka wills really has to work hard on the episode 4 narration! And menace just needs to be completed with animation to make the story make sense. That DVD release didn’t give the story the best chance of being enjoyed as without narration it’s impossible to know what is going on. Frankly though I’ll be happy with whatever gets animated. Any story, any animation style, as long as we get more.
Gordon
January 14th, 2023 - 6:58pmEven if underwater menace isn’t animated I doubt the same recon will be used. Nobody involved in the making of the reconstruction was happy with the end result. Despite offering to do things to a far higher standard at no additional cost was told by the higher ups at the time no. The loose cannon version of underwater menace is far superior and is a pretty easy follow and will be used as a starting point for the new reconstruction of it
Prof Horner
January 14th, 2023 - 9:43pmWell it would be disappointing if The Smugglers wasn’t one of the stories to be animated soon. A lovely little tale and one of my favorites to listen to. wheel in Space must a favorite for animation I still think. But what ever we get will be great. I hope we here something soon on the next boxset.
Samuel
January 15th, 2023 - 12:46pmOh I’m not disputing the amount of work that goes into a collection set – as I say, my suggestions were based on the acceptance that we may have to follow the 6-month waiting rule per announcement, as was with Season 2, and we still haven’t had a new announcement yet, and it’s mid January 2023 as I write.
We used to have “coming soon” features on the dvds as such.
I think the biggest thing right now is the shift over to the new branding, the new business plans moving forward – I would’ve thought surely the best thing to do to keep the Collection series relevant would be to try and put it out front and center of this 60th year, announce two sets together, with seperate release dates… and if by a miracle, dare to dream, a third Collection set too.
It would be great to see a montage of little bits here and there from the restoration work that is finished, along with one or two finished works by Lee Binding.
The momentum sadly did slow down inevitably thanks to the unfortunate situation with Poland, really hammering Season 22’s physical delivery time, and it’s feeling pretty likely now that it will be half a year between sets.
It would just be ideal for the bbc to really use this Year of all Years to really say “we have big ideas for the Collection, here’s a little glimpse at what’s to come, there’s much more on the way” rather than these months of tumbleweeds, wondering what’s going on really.
Gordon
January 15th, 2023 - 2:21pmSeason 2 was the biggest set they have worked on so far. it was a 6 month turn around between 22 and 2 that would be a very good reason why. Season 2 was announced 16 august and was released 5th December. It was just over 3 and a half months between announcement and release. If the next set is announced tomorrow going by this timetable we are looking at a late April/early may release. The odds of them announcing multiple seasons at once are pretty much nil. It’s about giving each set each time to shine and in the spotlight. Announcing 2 at the same time would no doubt mean 1 season overshadows the other. If they announce things now or in 4-5 months doesn’t matter. We will get what we get. If they announce stuff for later in the year and for whatever reason they have to move it to next year no doubt people will moan and complain about not releasing it as promised. If you don’t think people will moan Just look at the reaction to the 1-2 week delays that happened to most of the collection sets
Samuel
January 15th, 2023 - 4:10pmAll perfectly valid points Gordon, as I say I’m definitely not disputing the time and care that goes into all of the Collection sets. We’re also living in volatile times, both within the Doctor Who management takeover, and with the events of the last 2-3 years give or take.
Everything I am saying comes from me being a fan of the show. I work, save for, and am eager to invest in the Collections, because, yes 2018 was an incredibly shaky start with the limited prints – but overall, having the best possible versions of these seasons, as good as they are realistically ever going to look natively (before you experiment with computer ai, etc.) Plus the idea of getting the 60’s to sound the best they can possibly sound, with nice clear telesnaps – and the, genius concept of the gogglebox extras with the original casts, and (fingers crossed) the potential to bring in the Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant eras… (Takes huge breath) The Collections are, I think, the best idea in a long time, helping fans old and new to physically build a solid archive, that eventually will be enjoyable from 1963-1989 onwards.
As a fan, and I believe also for the fans that do publicly moan – it comes from a place of passion because we want to keep this production relevant, and, even though many of us have bought the dvds over decades – we are all willing to invest to keep this going. None of us really know how secure Russel T Davies’ word is on the logo print work for the covers are, let alone weather the Collection itself may one day get too quiet, or too difficult, to the point where it’s seen as more business friendly to just finish off the remaining recent projects and move the remainder to streaming-only (I read somewhere this Year that episodes from Season 12’s collection blu ray have already replaced their dvd quality counterparts on ITVX Player).
So yeah, everything that we say as fans comes from passion for this work. We want it to succeed, and return to the original pace from 2018-19. Definitely the 60’s seasons will take longer, but given its more of a pick n mix release sequence for the Classics, I’m pretty sure that some Seasons will be much more straightforward than others.
It’s also a perfectly valid point to suggest we stick to ITVX in the meantime, and Loose Canon. That’s a good way to go to have access to the Classics for now.
D84
January 15th, 2023 - 6:30pmLooping back to adding colour to classic episodes, I’ve just seen a few minutes of an episode of “Hancock’s Half Hour” – in colour and it looks good (to me)
Yes the picture quality isn’t 4K and its in 4:3 ratio but given the age of the material – and that it’s been colourised via an as yet unknown method – I thought it looked pretty good and if the same result can be achieved on 60’s Who – then I’m all for it.
I did note the colour palette was largely greens and Grey’s but I guess this is a deliberate production choice to ensure contrast was represented on a B&W screening. The same is also true for Who I believe.
I would still rather that budget be spent on further animation to bring visuals to lost episodes but having seen it – I think it might be quite interesting
Rex Farrel
January 15th, 2023 - 9:48pmMost colourisation leans towards shades of green and brown, so green and grey would at least be a slight variation. I think the Hancock episodes were keyframes by Clayton Hickman, and someone else interpolating them (probably one of the DW lot, if not Crocker himself doing it).
Gordon
January 16th, 2023 - 1:11amDid the logo change when Russell was in charge the first time round? No. So why would it be any different this time round? Lee binding has already said he hasn’t been asked to change the logo. I don’t see how we need any more clarification than the person running the show and the person doing the art.
The collection sets are doing fine sales wise. Both season 22 and 2 sold enough copies to be the biggest selling blu ray on the week of the release. 2 sold more blu ray copies than top gun maverick on week of release which was the 2nd biggest hit last year at the cinema behind avatar 2. it seems extremely unlikely they aren’t going to get to the end of the classic era before wraps up. Doctor who fans are the exception to the rule on going in digital/streaming direction and most fans prefer to own things physically. Britbox added hd masters of season 12 and 19 in October 2021. Comparing the 2 versions of legopolis the blu ray is the better quality version as the britbox version was compressed. They have yet to add any further seasons since those 2. I don’t think itvx has the subscriber count to justify the cost in restoring in streaming only. It needs a physical release to justify the cost of it.
People didn’t stop buying them when season 8 had a 10 month gap between 14 and 8 so I don’t see how things going quiet for a little bit means people won’t come back. Things may have gone quiet but that doesn’t mean things aren’t happening behind the scenes. Mark ayres was busy over Christmas working on a 5.1 remix. Lee binding is already a couple of sets ahead with artwork. Richard bignell is already working on things 4 sets from now. Chris chapman tweeted 2 days ago that he’s got filming planned for next month for 2 documentaries from 2 different sets that isn’t from the next 2 sets. Plenty of stuff happening.
As good as it would be to go back to the schedule of 2018/19 but Richard bignell said the schedule wasn’t sustainable long term and was designed that way at the start to establish the range. looking back on it in hindsight I think he was right. 5 out of the first 6 sets were delayed. 4 out of the first 6 had errors. Not saying they have got things perfectly but quality control has improved since then and both of the last 2 sets didn’t get delayed after retailers listed official release dates for them
We have had 3 collection sets announced in January since the range started. The earliest we have gotten an announcement was for season 14 on 14th of January 2020. We are only 2 days passed that. Season 24 was 21st 2021 and 22 was 20th. we haven’t reached the other 2 dates. Plus going by the pattern we should be due another anouncement soon
Rob
January 16th, 2023 - 10:04amThere are normally very good reasons the sets are not announced until the team are ready. We just need to be patient.
Bookcollector
January 16th, 2023 - 10:13amUnfortunately rob, patience isn’t something some who fans are good at…
D84
January 16th, 2023 - 11:01amI think for some fans (including myself) its the perceived lack and slowness of announcements / news that is frustrating.
As others have said, at the start of the range (2018/19) news seemed to come thick and fast compared to recent sets – but as noted, those did come with errors in various aspects and alot were pushed back by a couple of weeks beyond the initially announced release date.
So I get it, and I think what seems to be the newer model of announcing content & trailer along with a pre order when its ready with a “release later this year” stance has worked well – I don’t think we have had the Amazon “delayed release date” emails on the last few sets.
I just want to see the shelf full of all 27 (hopefully) sets. We are up to 12 so making progress but not quite half way.
Samuel
January 16th, 2023 - 11:38am@Gordon – a lot of what you’ve just said is news to me, and I’m sure would be fresh knowledge to many fans following The Collection sets, and that’s the problem. Unless you’re in the know, as D84 has said, there is a perceived silence. As a fan on the outside, there is no clue as to what’s going on.
Literally everything you listed there Gordon needs to be put out there by the BBC to better inform all of us that the sets are still full steam ahead, maybe a little “behind the scenes” feature online, similar to the restoration process YouTube video for the Peter Cushing steelbooks – of which I found truly fascinating by the way, and I wish we could see more from the real people that do work night and day on these reels of film and video tape.
There is a lack of communication by the BBC when it comes to the online and social media marketing of these sets. The perceived silence for 6 months, not helped by the further delays by the retailers for various reasons.
There have been too many ranges of home media that have abruptly ended and started over in a completely different format, purely for a future convenience, typically financially.
As I say, I personally couldn’t ask for a better boxset range for Doctor Who full stop. Natively this is the very best that the series is going to look and sound. I’m more than happy with non colourized, non animated episodes. Just an authentic, smooth, watchthrough from 1963 – 89, and hopefully the New Series, with the Series 1-4 frame rates finally corrected (fingers crossed.. for a while!)
PROF Horner
January 16th, 2023 - 11:55amWhat you say as always makes a lot of sense Gordon. However I still think there is room for a third set this year if as seems likely we are getting season 9 and 20 next. Surely they will want a Tom Baker season this year as he is still the most popular Doctor . Now hopefully the animations have started up again, there is a good chance season 3 stories will get animated for a season 3 boxset at the very end. On the subject of animations, I read on a Facebook page that somebody claimed the reason that they hadn’t done The Wheel in Space yet is because they know of two of it’s missing episodes are in the hands of a private collector. Of course this is probably complete nonsense, but if it was true which two missing episodes of this story would you like to see returned?
Samuel
January 16th, 2023 - 1:49pm@ Prof Horner
Agreed. Out of all of Doctor Who, Season 3 (William Hartnell) is *the* Juggernaut to release.
I think there’s been the most doubts with this Season, given the audio quality of many fan recordings, and the added issue that unlike the late 70s + 80s, there are no seperate audio tapes for dialogue and soundtrack.
So in many more ways than one, I would imagine Season 3 would be the most difficult boxset, even though it would be my personal/selfish choice to want to bring out next haha.
The other way of looking at it is allowing further time for audio restoration technology to improve, while the rest of the Classic Collection comes along in the meantime. The likes of Adobe have already made ai dialogue audio extraction software betas free public domain (I stress it’s beta, there’s still lots of hit and miss experiments on Twitter, however there’s a very nice attempt at a Junkyard scene from An Unearthly Child).
Bookcollector
January 16th, 2023 - 3:58pmKnowing someone has episodes and getting those episodes are two very different things. There is no legal requirement for a collector to hand over anything they own and waiting for then to pass on is no guarantee (morbid I know but valid here) that the episodes will be returned after they go. I know of one collector of films (he didn’t have any who) who in his will stated all of his collection was to be destroyed. Why I have no idea. I think he couldn’t bare the thought of someone having his collection after him. I know he had some rare films but they are gone now. After he died his daughter burned his collection without allowing any access to it to anyone and his archive lists were also burnt so no record of what he had remained. I was horrified and tried to get a reasonable explanation for his decision when he was still alive, after he told me about his will. He wasn’t a mean, dispirited man. He wasn’t greedy, he wasn’t after money. He was just a collector. It’s this kind of attitude that we fans have to remember. Not everyone will want to part with their exclusive doctor who episodes, so knowing they are out there just adds to the frustration for those who are looking for those missing films
Bookcollector
January 16th, 2023 - 6:38pmIn continuation, we also as fans really have to accept that many episodes are lost forever. I hope we find more but the numbers are against us. Between 1978 and 1999 34 episodes were recovered. Between 2000 and 2022 12 episodes have been found. So in 21years of the 20th century 34 episodes. In 22 years of the 21st century just 12 have been found. As a fan I have hope more will be found. As a realist I know many must be lost forever. But we who fans are hugely spoilt. None of the episodes are truly lost. We have the soundtracks of those missing stories. So many films, TV series and radio shows only exist as scripts or in some cases titles, some films are known only by a title with no information available as to who starred in or made the movie. As fans we have had the ability to experience every single episode of who. How lucky we are that there aren’t hartnell or troughton episodes where the only information on them is a script, a few photographs or the memories of those involved or those who saw the only transmission of the episodes.
When you consider how many people have gone now, (and 2022 saw the final 1960’s and 1970’s writers pass on Henry Lincoln and Chris boucher) the fact we don’t have to rely on the memories of those who were there but can listen to and now watch animations in some cases to those original stories is something we fans should be so grateful for. I sometimes feel doctor who fans don’t realise how lucky we are.
D84
January 16th, 2023 - 9:10pmI know what you mean Bookcollector – I am very much of the opinion that “Who” fans are very well looked after, I would even say spoilt when compared to so many other shows that are lost with little efforts to recover or recreate the material
Prof horner
January 16th, 2023 - 9:17pmYes you are absolutely right Book collecter we are lucky we have all the missing on audio which make the animations possible. All the stories I remember as a child survive from my earliest memory of the series season 6, apart from space pirates which I have absolutely no memory of at all. Things may will turn up ,who knows. But you would have to feel that if someone had some missing episodes they would have given them back by now. Let’s hope one day we can have a full set of stories completed in part by animation.
Rex Farrel
January 17th, 2023 - 2:16amI thought there were good copies of the season three soundtracks now thanks to the Randolph Tapes find?
Samuel
January 17th, 2023 - 12:33pm@Rex this is news to me! The best news. Thank you.
Rex Farrel
January 17th, 2023 - 2:33pmSamuel: Apparently they can patch most of the problem bits with them, so I would assume that the end results would be similar to the other audios. I think the final verdict was that they’re not quite as good as Graham Strong’s, but there’s stuff he didn’t record and/or replacement material for the odd recording of his that was a bit ropey.
Gordon
January 18th, 2023 - 1:24pm@samuel Bbc studios is the business arm of the bbc and also the ones that produce and release these sets. It would not make any financial sense to spend time money and resources doing behind the scenes videos and saying “everything is fine” when the range is doing fine. It’s their job to focus promote and make money from the stuff that has been announced not to focus on things that people can’t even preorder for a couple of months.
You think there is a radio silence of 6 months per releases but that isn’t the case. Once it’s been announced and we get a teaser video there is the bfi screening doctor who magazine preview with disc content reveal and finally a trailer the week before release. All of which would have needed to have been given the ok by bbc studios. Plus on top of that some of the people that work on the sets do various podcast appearances and not forget make twitter posts on their socials to look out for and any forum postings that they do. Most shows are lucky if they even get a press release. The collection range gets way more done for it than pretty much any other tv show.
There is a few restoration features on some of the discs but as for a behind the scenes feature on the restoration feature I get the impression it’s unlikely. It was mooted during the dvd range and members of the restoration team would rather let the work speak for its self.
There is nothing preventing season 3 from being released physically. The sound will be fine for a release on disc especially after mark ayres has done his magic on it. It’s just if they wanted to animate certain stories like myth makers for example the sound isn’t of high enough quality for broadcast on tv. Depending on who the new backers are that may no longer be an issue. I’m not sure the adobe podcast tech will be of use to the restoration process in its current form. Mark said on twitter when asked about he already uses similar sort of tech but subtly. A lot of the examples that he had seen changed the tone of some of the actors and it’s his job to restore what is there not alter it.
When it comes to missing episodes I’ll believe it when I see it or when the rumour becomes so strong it’s impossible to ignore (enemy/web). This year is possibly the last year for a big find especially if they are waiting for the anniversary. I’m not discounting the possibility of a big find after but with the passage of time it just becomes less likely. Think it might just be odd episodes from this year on. I’ve heard the wheel being found rumour a long while back(about 10 years back). It seems to be something that pops up every now and then. I’ll believe it when I see it.
Gordon
January 11th, 2023 - 7:24pmhttps://youtu.be/rYiHJKMxRRI
This animation is superb. This is what I feel the web of fear 3 animation has the potential of being. Amazing it’s 1 person in a bedroom doing it. If this was ever officially released I’d absolutely buy it on steelbook
Bobby Fackrell
January 11th, 2023 - 9:55pmMakes you wonder why they claim it’s so expensive
D84
January 11th, 2023 - 10:06pmHave to admit, that does look pretty good. I could easily watch and be very happy with a 4 or 6 part story in that style. Even DMP at 12, yep think I would be happy
Gordon
January 11th, 2023 - 11:48pmThe problem Bobby frackell is it’s a guy doing it for free taking as much time as he needs to get it right for YouTube. The second it becomes a professional and commercial production you have to pay people and If you are paying A group of 10 animators and storyboards etc to do a 9 month project the costs can very easily skyrocket. Hiring animators aren’t cheap.
daz
January 12th, 2023 - 10:51amThanks for sharing. I’d love him to get the chance to do all of the story in that style. It works so well.
And if it was released I would buy it too.
Bookcollector
January 13th, 2023 - 12:34pmGordon is right Bobby. One person doing it as a labour of love for free doesn’t translate to the commercial world. Once an animation is confirmed then it has to be accounted for in terms of auditing. Everything has to be costed, designs have to be paid for, professional animators hired, people who are paid for their time as it’s how they earn their living. Same goes for background artists, but also the side you don’t see on screen. Producers, marketing people, manufacturers of the DVDs or bluray, accountants, legal teams etc. You have to also pay royalties on commercial releases whereas someone on YouTube doesn’t. A professional production costs money purely because it is a professional (ie people earning their living) production. Oh, and remember, whoever does the animation, somewhere out there, a fan will say, “it’s the worst yet!”
Bobby Fackrell
January 13th, 2023 - 1:59pmSo true
That’s the world we live in
I’m just happy with The Evil of the Daleks
Bookcollector
January 13th, 2023 - 2:43pmIn 2016 I did the troughton stories in order. Started 1st January with power of the daleks on audio. Ended in November with the (very unexpected) power of the daleks animation. I had to listen to 46 episodes, which includes power as that’s how it was when I started it. It amazes me still that if I did the same thing next year I would be only having to listen to (if menace is done, and please let that happen, this year, please…) 13 episodes. Out of the three remaining missing stories only one story is completely audio only. How brilliant is that!
Lee D
January 13th, 2023 - 6:43pmThis would be fine with me!!
Lee D
January 13th, 2023 - 6:46pmWeb would look great with this Animation.
Bobby Fackrell
January 8th, 2023 - 1:16pmI’m watching The Ark on Britbox and the picture looks really good, has it had some work since the DVD?
Gordon
January 8th, 2023 - 2:07pmThey might be using the blu ray master. I know they did start using the s19 blu ray masters so wouldn’t surprise me if they used other seasons as well
Anon
January 8th, 2023 - 3:22pmThe hartnell ark story looked decent on DVD, I think that is the one you mean? Ark in space as Gordon says has had work done for the bluray collection
Bobby Fackrell
January 8th, 2023 - 4:26pmYes Hartnell Ark, not watched the DVD for a while, probably the same, just looked really clean
Gordon
January 8th, 2023 - 5:50pmOh I got my wires crossed with ark in space. I do remember the dvd looked pretty good. It was done quite well on in the range
Gordon
January 7th, 2023 - 4:26pmhttps://youtu.be/vHO9PNQQm1w
At 16 minutes in they discuss behind the sofa. Wend mentions just watching jon and Katy (season 9 obviously). Doesn’t sound like frazer or Wendy has done any pat yet. He says he’s only done colin so far
Scott Carrick
January 12th, 2023 - 11:09amGordon or anybody in the know – is there a tentative release date / announcement due soon for the next Box Set, hopefully season 9? Season 2 was announced back in August last year but wasn’t released until December, on that schedule we’ll be lucky to get two Box Sets this year as well, as we’re I’m sure all hoping for three releases in the 60th Anniversary year that would be very disappointing! Any info anyone?
Gordon
January 6th, 2023 - 11:43amJosh snares has done an interview with rob Ritchie who worked on power/shada/macra/wheel/faceless/evil and provided assets for fury/web/g4/abominable.
https://youtu.be/yqXXvjMpWSY
I highly recommend watching it
Gordon
January 7th, 2023 - 2:22amMain takeaways from the interview
1. Charles Norton left because he didn’t enjoy the stress of them
2. Rob did work on wheel in space for free while he was doing macra terror.
3. Wheel in space was never meant to be a full length animation. It was just a pitch for Anne Marie Walsh taking over
4. Rob wouldn’t have cut the rough and tumble but he understands Charles reasons for doing so. He advised Charles “make sure no fans know where you live. People will be angry”
5. Due to the quick turn around there was an error missed in the faceless ones where people talk but the lips didn’t move that he didn’t realise was there till he watched it at the bfi. He. Believes that there should be an extra couple of weeks to properly go through it and check for errors outside of the usual checks. He’s also willing to fix errors for free for the collection sets.
6. He contributed the tardis for fury and if he had known what they were planning for the landing shot he would have happily of composited that shot for free.
7. He wanted to start on evil with ep 7 but he had to do it last.
8. He managed to do the entirety of his Episode 7 workload in a week and that was including taking a week off from his full time job. It nearly broke him mentally
9. For the last 2 months of evil his working pattern was 9:30 am – 5 pm for his day job. Go home and have a 2 hour break. Then work on evil from 7/8pm – 2 am And then work Saturday and Sunday full days. He said he would have preferred it if bbc had him under a contract for 2-3 years but sadly they don’t work that way.
10. The personal toll of working on them got his wife threaten to leave him twice. He also missed quite a bit of the first five months of his daughter’s life as he was flat out working
11. He thinks the animations will be back but he doesn’t think he will be asked back. He mentions evil was delivered late. Blame was being passed around. He feels a bit hard done by evil.
12. Hes happy to have done the ones he worked on.
13. He would say yes if asked to go back but he wouldn’t do as much as he did previously
14. Masterplan is his dream project. He actually started tweaking the dalek models on the off chance masterplan got commissioned but stopped when he heard about the funding issues.
15. The bbc have yet to contact him about there being funding issues. “The phone has not rang”
16. He’s busy doing work for reeltime productions. Working on the Sfx for the new mindgame release
16. He will still buy the dvd steelbook and collection sets even if he isn’t involved
Samuel
January 7th, 2023 - 4:25pmMany thanks Gordon for this summary, as I’m too busy until the Evening to fully watch this video.
First off, sadly it isn’t unusual to hear about time pressures put on workers, particularly animation and games development studios. However this is Doctor Who, in the 2020’s. What an appalling way to treat a Human being with their heart set on this franchise, wanting to get this right, and being fully taken advantage of.
I’ll support any fan that wishes to buy a copy of Rob’s work because he’s worked bloody hard on it – however this has really left even more a sour taste in my mouth when it comes to the animations than I already had there in the first place as soon as I was informed of the repeated inaccuracies and alterations of these missing stories.
Quite simply, even though animations aren’t quite my thing, I’d still love to see Rob putting his own work out there himself, in a similar way to Josh Snares, and another recent channel that has beautifully made a demo of The Celestial Toymaker. Also similarly, the YouTube channel/ production behind the Peter Capaldi titles has very recently released an updated version of the titles, with a full description of how much the main tv production just pulled their ideas apart, pretty much explaining why the cast names look so silly rushed and the overall thing being out of time with the music. It’s all there on YouTube, worth reading for full context.
I’ve seen this with the likes of Star Wars, Terminator, and Doctor Who. Fans, at home, in their own time and pace, carefully, lovingly, faithfully restoring projects that are closer to how we imagine them to be. When you have as big a scale as a proper television studio, all the commuting and work hours involved, in my view it’s disgraceful to exploit a guy with so much heart and soul towards Doctor Who to play silly corner cutting games like they clearly have done, at Rob’s expense.
Big respect to Rob. Very glad this videos out there, and many many fans are going to hear what he’s been through. Really hope he moves on to better things, he thoroughly deserves to.
Gordon
January 8th, 2023 - 11:36amIt really is a sobering eye opener at the personal and mental toll these animations take. I’ve never been overly critical of them but this makes me appreciate the work that goes into the animations even more than I did previously. I get why the budgets for these things are tight. They are commercial products and the only way bbc studios are able to afford these is though additional funding but having people work insane hours like rob was describing can’t be sustainable long term for anybody. If he wasn’t such a fan of the show I feel he would have left a lot earlier. Hopefully with the new funding in place this can be avoided in future. I have my doubts though as they don’t seem to have learned their lesson from power when they cut the time down to 6 months to get the whole thing done as they wanted it out in time for the 50th anniversary of power. Rob seems to be doing fine. He seems to be still working at his full time job and he’s done a couple of trailers for big finish.
The recent animations aren’t supposed to be accurate 1:1 recreations so of course there will be inaccuracies and alterations. By all intensive purposes they are brand new productions using the soundtrack and scripts. If you look at the press releases for the likes of fury and abominable they list the animations and live action versions as separate productions. In the case of abominable Gary Russell didn’t show his team the surviving episode 2 to match up with what was there. As Gary Russell said if you want it exactly like it was that is what the telesnap recon is there for.
Douglas Quaid
January 5th, 2023 - 11:49pmNew year’s resolution…
Anyone know where william hartnell’s grave is…? Want to lay some flowers.
Gordon
January 6th, 2023 - 12:02amAccording to this he was cremated http://deceasedonlineblog.blogspot.com/2013/01/kent-and-sussex-crematorium.html?m=1
Douglas Quaid
January 7th, 2023 - 12:50pmThanks for that Gordon. Have watched all episodes and I think they would be better enjoyed in colour.
Connor McHale
January 5th, 2023 - 8:02pmSo in the Wilderness Years set (which I hope does happen) which looks like it will include Real Time given it was not on either the 6th Doctor sets do you think they could somehow find a way to include a resolution the still unresolved cliffhanger from the story. Not sure how they would do it tho given Maggie Stables is no longer with us. Maybe a more narrated final part read by Colin Baker?
Samuel
January 5th, 2023 - 6:12amHere’s hoping some important BBC commissioner got themselves leathered over New Years and mistakenly signed off a commission for The Dalek’s Master Plan Blu Ray release for the 60th
Gordon
January 5th, 2023 - 8:57amI know you say it in jest but if they started that now they wouldn’t be finished it till 2025-2026 at the earliest unless they have 3 – 4 different animation teams working on it.
Gordon
January 5th, 2023 - 4:07pmWith it being a cyber story and Zoe’s debut I’m actually surprised it hasn’t been animated yet
James
January 5th, 2023 - 5:54pmMaybe it has been.. Apparently RTD has teased mavic chens return in latest issue of Doctor Who Mag
Gordon
January 5th, 2023 - 9:47pmThink it’s just a reference.
The Time Lord 1944
January 2nd, 2023 - 10:44pmDid anyone hear the news that two more stories are to be animated for Blu-ray? The Smugglers and The Underwater Menace according to The Mirror.
D84
January 2nd, 2023 - 11:05pmI have just read it, have to admit – I’m now a little moist.
Happy days, if this proves to be true it will leave only The Highlanders to tackle in some form for “Season 4” to be a very good product for The Collection range
Hope it’s not a false story
DP Hill
January 2nd, 2023 - 11:57pmim hoping if NPH is the toymaker that we will get that at some point too [i mean we do want all of them whatever really don’t we?] maybe we will get a troughton next year, who knows
also what stories do you think they will colourise?
An Unearthly Child
The Tenth Planet?
The War Games?? – i know it’s a bit long
Prowl 1701
January 3rd, 2023 - 12:04amThe mirror is often right about animations, so I hope it’s true. Would love to get more of season 4 as it’s my favorite troughton season .
Prowl 1701
January 3rd, 2023 - 12:50amI wonder if they will animate all of UWM or just episodes 1 and 4. Though I know they tend to animate all of the episodes of a story now whether they are missing or not.
Samuel
January 3rd, 2023 - 8:21amExcellent news if it is The Smugglers.
As long as we have an official product, remastered (as is possible) sound, and all telesnaps (as is possible) then without the original footage, that to me is the very best way to present missing stories.
As D84 has said, if The Highlanders were upcoming, then together with Smugglers that would make a Season 4 Collection viable.
D84
January 3rd, 2023 - 9:42am@Prowl – I was going to say, I’m pretty sure most of the previous Animation Leaks / Rumours have come from The Mirror – and proven to be true. I hope these are too.
I was thinking about what we will get, and potentially “IF” they only do the missing 2 Ep’s for UWM – then combined with The Smugglers which is a 4 parter – that’s 6 overall (albeit different characters / backgrounds etc between the 2 stories), and may fit the turnaround time if this is due out later this year to celebrate the 60th.
You would think by now there is a good selection of pre existing “stock” images for Troughton’s 2nd Doctor / Polly / Ben / Jamie to speed up the process? If the same teams are involved in production of course (which you would hope)
Just a thought.
Gordon
January 3rd, 2023 - 1:13pmI do wonder with the talk of colourising 60s who they might do the 2 surviving episodes of underwater menace. Not sure on costs but I wonder if it would be more affordable these days. I have so many questions regarding who is funding it and who is animating it right now it’s a bit of a mystery. I do think if we are getting a colourised an unearthly child this year it wouldn’t be too big of a surprise if we got a blu ray steelbook round about November with new extras. If that is the case I definitely don’t see season 1 happening this year
Prof Horner
January 3rd, 2023 - 2:46pmWell it will be interesting to see who does the animation, BBC Studios seems generally regarded as the best. As for Underwater Menace it certainly benefit from a complete animation in terms visuals . The fish people would certainly benefit from better visuals and the market place scene in episode three, which on screen looks no bigger than my front room! Certainly would. We a wait an official announcement with interest.
D84
January 3rd, 2023 - 2:59pmIndeed Gordon very mysterious at the moment, although I am sure snippets will drip out as they tend too – if these rumours prove to be true which I sincerely hope they are.
I have seen on another forum there is a counter rumour (again from a source who has been right in the past about previous animations) that 1 – yes Animations are back on, but 2 – its NOT the 2 stories leaked to the news yesterday. Its also noted that its NOT Daleks Master Plan – that’s all they had to say at this time.
If last autumns speech from Gary Russel was correct in that “certainly for BFC – this is it” then would that point to AnneMarie Walsh’s team?
Their last commission was Evil of the Daleks I think? – so they may have quietly been working on something for a little while now?????
They will also most certainly have access to the pre existing character prints as used in Macra / Faceless / Evil plus Tardis shots etc that could be re used?
Lots of if’s at the moment, time will tell I guess
Personally, I’m not all that bothered about the colourised versions of stories. Sure it would be great, but for me I would prefer additional animations of lost stories before we start adding colour to what we already have.
Of course, if they are done in colour and released on DVD / Blu Ray – I’ll buy them, no question there 🙂
Samuel
January 3rd, 2023 - 8:54pmAll great points.
For me simply, the more missing stories remastered for the first time, with HD telesnaps and Audio work by Mark Ayers, is simply all I want from Classic Doctor Who home media.
Any non 60’s collections are welcome, but there are just too many audio/telesnap stories with no sound remastering (not including the narrated cds), making it as good as impossible to comfortably follow audibly, as an original product.
Take many of the Animation Blu Rays and Dvds; they have such* nice audio quality remasters, the best I’ve ever heard. With the telesnaps and subtitles combined, to me that’s the best these stories will ever look authentically, without the original video.
Kenman
January 4th, 2023 - 5:30amIt may not be out the realm of possibility at this point for them to simply animated the two missing episodes to “complete” a story. And the idea of colorizing the 2 Underwater Menace episodes to fit in with color animations also makes a sort of sense. It’s obviously all speculation at this point with no true confirmation…but perhaps having the budget to animate 6 episodes and spreading that among two lost stories can help keep the animations going but without the cost of animating EVERYTHING when orphan episodes exist, and can do something like that: give us two stories “completed” via animation for a cost similar to animating all of Power of the Daleks (in theory, obviously the amount of assets needed per story varies, and what is already created or what new assets are needed pkays into those budgets as well).
Anonymous
January 4th, 2023 - 6:09pmThere are indications that the funder could be UKTV, who are reported to be currently colourising a couple of episodes of Hancock’s Half Hour. Not sure what this tells us…
D84
January 4th, 2023 - 10:45pmI did note that reference of UKTV in that they are “also” colourising a small number of Hancock’s Half Hour. If they have a project of colouring older B&W shows I can see how that would include Doctor Who as they used to broadcast “Classic Who” via UK Gold and UK Gold 2 – this is where my love of Who came from actually. Every Sunday morning, that’s where you would find me. I believe UKTV is now fully owned by the BBC. I’m not sure though that would be the funding route for Animations, it would be quite a departure from everything they currently do
Gordon
January 5th, 2023 - 12:16amI could see that happening. It’s owned by bbc studios which is the commercial arm of the bbc. They also did the dads army remakes. If that’s the case I can see them broadcasting them on drama or something before a physical release.
D84 mentioned that a source said it’s not those stories and it’s not masterplan either. Well that same source has also said it’s not toymaker and that Gary Russell and his team are not involved. If that’s the case it only leaves about 9 possibilities. I don’t think it will be crusade as I feel they would have held back on season 2.
I also don’t think they will do a mission stand alone release plus I’m rather hopeful they will include David Busch/Ian levine’s excellent version that was leaked a decade ago when the time is right for season 3 as well as the uclan remake of it can get cleared.
That just leaves 7 possibities
Marco Polo
Myth makers
Massacre
Savages
Highlanders
Wheel in space
Space pirates
We might have been able to narrow it down even further but we don’t know if the new funding makes the likes of Marco, myth, massacre and highlanders more affordable or not. If the funding is at the same level it just leaves savages wheel and pirates as possibilities but we shall see what happens.
D84
January 5th, 2023 - 7:00amFor me, Wheel in Space would be amazing
Gordon
January 5th, 2023 - 9:32amI don’t think wheel is actually anything special. The best bits already exist or were animated for that minisode a few years back. A lot of it is filler in my opinion and the cybermen’s plan is unessesary overly complicated. I get why people want it animated though. If I was to choose I would go for savages as I know very little about it.
D84
January 5th, 2023 - 11:04amI quite agree Gordon Wheel is a bit bland and over stretched in terms of plot and episode count – but it is a guilty pleasure of mine. I’ve seen the surviving eps loads in my childhood via the “Early Years” VHS 🙂
For animation, I think it would also work quite well. limited characters, base under siege plot meaning locations / backgrounds are limited. You would think its certainly not “a stretch” like DMP / Massacre / Highlanders would be
Bookcollector
January 5th, 2023 - 8:52pmColourisation doesn’t interest me much, I like the black and white stories as they are. The only way i would buy colourised episodes is if they were part of a missing story so underwater or space pirates for instance but I’ve just watched an unearthly child again and it was made to be in black and white and so I’m very happy with that. I’m not saying they shouldn’t colourise stories just that it’s not for me. If child is done and released this year then fine, but I won’t buy it and I probably won’t watch it but equally I won’t object to it being done and released.
Gordon, I agree about wheel. The plot is ridiculous but I’d love to see it animated anyway. Savages is a story that would benefit greatly from animation as it’s a relatively visual story. Lots of silent sections with characters sneaking around. I enjoyed it on audio and it’s definitely one I’d like animated.
Samuel
January 5th, 2023 - 11:08pmThe number 1 issue I have with 1960’s colourizations are that every single production was designed, visually for black and white television.
For example, the Tardis was painted in a hint of green, as white would be too over-exposed on camera. However the Tardis console *is* supposed to be white. As a colourist, you’re required to either make a version that matches the on-set colours (which were never intended to have been seen at all) or paint the shots to how you and your restoration team think it *should* be to suit your retelling of the story.
The incredibly important distinction to make here is between the 60’s, that do not require colourizations, and the early 70’s Jon Pertwee era, that absolutely 100% does deserve the latest colourizing technology applied to it’s colour-missing episodes, especially because we can be far more accurate to some of the original /lost colour thanks to surrounding colour-surviving episodes, and due to surviving chrome dots hidden within the black and white footage.
In my mind, if the BBC want to release An Unearthly Child on Blu Ray this Year, it shouldn’t be on its own. Instead ditch the colourizing, at least do as much work as possible on the whole of Season 1 (Marco Polo HD telesnaps with Mark Ayers updated soundmix) if it’s ready by November 23rd, great – if not, then release An Unearthly Child as a solo Blu Ray, with An Adventure in Space and Time on disc 2.
Any form of colourizing should only be done to help speed up Seasons 7, 9 and 11 in my view. Why waste that effort on stories that were never intended to be colour.
Gordon
January 6th, 2023 - 3:14amIt’s not an either or thing though. The time and money allocated for restoring colour in seasons 7 9 and 11 will be allocated based upon how many copies of the season box sets they are ilikely to sell.
This colourisation of an unearthly child and potentially other stories if it’s happening will be an addition to what we are already getting. If they decide to abandon this ide it doesn’t mean they automatically go on to invasion of the dinosaurs episode 1 instead. They then go and spend the money on something else instead and a good chance it won’t be doctor who related. They probably already have a schedule planned out. Colourising invasion of the dinosaurs 1 this year doesn’t mean we will get season 11 out a year or 2 earlier.
Considering they are already doing a Peter set extremely likely a jon set and perhaps either a Tom or a pat set there is an good chance there isn’t going to be room for season 1 to come out this year. That plus they just finished season 2. It’s probably too soon
If this colourisation of auc does happen it means a new restoration and probable special edition with new special features in a potential blu ray steelbook in November. That would be good news for the eventual season 1 box set as they wouldn’t need to use so much of the season 1 budget on that story and they can spend the budget on other stories in that season.
daz
January 6th, 2023 - 11:48amI’m surprised people expect Season One to be released this year. Yes it is the 60th anniversary but we’ve only just had Season 2.
The next B/W Season will most likely be Season 6. So I see us getting 9, 20 and 6 this year.
If AUC is colourised that will definitely be a limited edition Steelbook around the anniversary and could easily be broadcast on BBC4.
Samuel
January 6th, 2023 - 6:32pm@Gordon, many thanks for the reply, interesting read.
Completely understand what you mean. Personally, just as long as no 60’s animation or colourization projects cause any single delay to the 60’s Collection boxsets, I’ve no problem with it. I don’t have to order them, I don’t have to watch them, and they wouldn’t be obstructing the next Collection in black and white, with real telesnaps and/or photo reconstructions.
If An Unearthly Child were released as a one-off promo Blu Ray in November, coloured or not, hopefully it would be a nice way of getting more fans on board with The Collection boxsets. The standards have also came down to £20 each over Christmas, so would be good it the standards can adjust for the fans out there that can’t spend £300+ on Season 10, 18, 19 limited (as seperates mind you)
D84
January 6th, 2023 - 10:37pmI am a sucker for all things Who so I absolutely envisage I will be buying whatever comes out wether that’s Animation or Colourised B&W stories – likely both at this point 🙂
Prof Horner
January 1st, 2023 - 5:24pmHappy New Year to you all. Any chance we may get announcement on the next Blu ray collection in the next few days? The next DWM is due on Thursday (or here in the north a week a Tuesday!) Hopefully we will get a release date at the same time.
D84
January 2nd, 2023 - 9:35amIt feels to me like an announcement should be coming soon as we haven’t had alot of merch announcements recently. Although it may be a bit tight to make it into DWM if that’s due on Thursday this week. Don’t we usually see the preview of content in a DWM issue close to release date? I do hope we get an announcement soon – feels odd to have absolutely no “Who” on pre order
Gordon
January 2nd, 2023 - 10:47amI’ve seen a post on twitter that some shops already have it early. Haven’t heard anything blu ray related being leaked from it yet so I’m not so sure there will be anything. Think this week is also too soon after the new year period to get announcement. Most socials that would advertise will be dealing with backlogs after the new year holiday.
Bobby Fackrell
January 2nd, 2023 - 12:07pmAgain everyone is pretty sure it’s nine next and probably spring time, they will announce when they announce don’t worry about it
Prof Horner
January 2nd, 2023 - 2:09pmThanks for the replies, usually there is announcement when we least expect it
David Smith
December 28th, 2022 - 1:04amJust started to watch Season 2, I wonder if any one has issues with Disc 4 The Romans as coming up with errors and won’t play
Bookhouseboi
December 28th, 2022 - 3:06amTry emailing [email protected] for a replacement disc. You’ll just have to send proof of purchase initially.
D84
December 28th, 2022 - 9:54amHappy to report all my disc’s play ok – I’ve just checked them.
I’ve not actually sat and watched any of them as yet, but flicking through the chapter points, the quality of the picture (given the age of the material) is very good
Reassuring to see the trailer for Galaxy 4 in animated form is included on Disc 9 – there is clearly an intention to tackle Season 3 / Series 3 one day ……………………..
daz
December 28th, 2022 - 10:07amYou might need to update the firmware on your Blu-ray player. I’ve had no issues with mine.
Prowl 1701
December 28th, 2022 - 9:18pmDidn’t realize that disc 9 also had a coming soon trailer for galaxy 4, that’s a nice touch.
jay
December 27th, 2022 - 8:40pmmine arrived damaged anyone else got a damaged box
David Smith
December 28th, 2022 - 12:58amMines ok but cant play the Romans disc
James
December 25th, 2022 - 12:48pmBeast Christmas present this evening with the 60th Anniversary trailer to be aired.
Be even better if get a preorder release today for the next Collection Box Set