New Zealand gets in the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary celebrations

New Zealand gets in the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary celebrations

It's a big weekend for fans of UK sci fi series, Doctor Who.

The show celebrates its 50th anniversary on Saturday November 23rd (Sunday November 24th in NZ).

And Prime and UKTV are ensuring that Whovians don't miss out on the global celebrations which are taking place.

Here are details of what UKTV are upto

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, UKTV will be premiering a special one-off drama, An Adventure In Space And Time, on Saturday 23 November at 5.50pm.

The drama, written by Mark Gatiss and executive produced by Gatiss alongside Steven Moffat and Caroline Skinner, travels back in time to 1963 to see how the beloved Doctor Who was first brought to the screen. Actor William Hartnell felt trapped by a succession of hard-man roles. Wannabe producer Verity Lambert was frustrated by the TV industry’s glass ceiling. Both of them were to find unlikely hope and unexpected challenges in the form of a Saturday tea-time drama, time travel and monsters! Working with a team of brilliant people, they went on to create the longest-running, science-fiction series ever. A television legend began when the very first episode of Doctor Who was broadcast in the UK on November 23rd 1963, and 50 years later An Adventure In Space And Time brings to life the story of the show’s creation. Starring David Bradley (William Hartnell) as the very first Doctor, Jessica Raine (Verity Lambert), Sacha Dhawan (Waris Hussein), Lesley Manville (Heather Hartnell) and Brian Cox (Sydney Newman). On Sunday November the 24th, the celebrations begin in earnest on Prime TV: 09:00 AM THE DAY OF THE DOCTOR The Doctors embark on their greatest adventure across space and time in this special 50th Anniversary premiere screening. 06:00 PM DOCTOR WHO EXPLAINED Everything you really need to know about the Doctor - past, present and future. Join key cast and crew in this all inclusive guide as they celebrate the rich tapestry that is Doctor Who. {Brand new documentary} 08:30 PM THE DAY OF THE DOCTOR Join the Doctors as they embark on their greatest adventure across space and time in this 50th Anniversary Special. {Repeat of the special that screened at 9am} 10:15 PM DOCTOR WHO IN THE U.S. We uncover the Doctor's special relationship with the US, from Daleks on the streets of New York to robot gunslingers in the Wild West. {Brand new documentary} Doctor Who Specials will also be playing: Sundays at 6.30pm from November 17 Elsewhere on the channel during November, UKTV will be screening four one-off specials. The Science of Doctor Who (PG) Marvel at the real life science behind the biggest concepts and most iconic ideas in the incredible Doctor Who universe. The Women of Doctor Who (PG) Behind every great time lord there’s a great woman. Whether they’re busting Daleks or the Doctor’s ego, the women of Doctor Who prove that you don’t need testosterone to save the universe. The Timey Wimey Stuff of Doctor Who (PG) When the Doctor’s around, tomorrow is yesterday, yesterday is tomorrow and 18th century France is in your fireplace. Confused yet? Watch the Timey Wimey of Doctor Who. You’ve already seen it in the future. The Destinations of Doctor Who (PG) When you travel in a time machine, you never know where you’ll end up. The year 5 billion, the Starship UK or Gallifrey. Leave the beach towel at home and  take a trip to the end of the earth - literally.

With just days to go until the Day Of The Doctor screens as part of the 50th Doctor Who celebrations, there's a real treat just been unleashed.

The Night Of The Doctor mini episode's been put out by the BBC to get the celebrations underway.

To say more would spoil it, but enjoy it below.


It's coming soon - and it's almost time to celebrate the Day of The Doctor.

BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who hits its 50th anniversary this very month on November 23rd and there are global celebrations planned.

But it's also a massive month - one of the biggest ever - for Doctor Who releases on the small screen.

BBC and Roadshow Home Entertainment have got a huge slate of Doctor Who releases planned for the celebrations - and it's great to see the show is being taken seriously over here.

First up though, there are three volumes of Doctor Who: Revisited out on November 6th:

A special 50th anniversary DVD series
The first volume in this restrospective series showcases Doctor Who's first four doctors - William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker, spanning from 1963-1981.

The Doctors Revisited includes a half hour profile and a classic story for each Doctor introduced by Steven Moffat (the current Lead Writer & Executive Producer). Each classic story is available to view as a widescreen, feature-length version or in its episodic, original format.

Featuring The Aztecs (William Hartnell), The Tomb of the Cybermen (Patrick Troughton) Spearhead from
Space (Jon Pertwee) and Pyramid of Mars Tom Baker.
RELEASED: 6 NOVEMBER * RRP: $39.99 * DISCS: 4 *

DOCTOR WHO REVISITED VOLUME 2
The years 1981-1996 saw four new actors portray the Doctor, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester
McCoy and Paul McGann, the focus of the second volume in The Doctors Revisited. Featuring 30 minute
restrospectives per Doctor, a Steven Moffat introduction.. Each classic story is available to view as a
widescreen, feature-length version or in its episodic, original format.

Featuring the stories: Earthshock (Peter Davison), Vengeance on Varos (Colin Baker), Remembrance of the Daleks (Sylvester McCoy), and Doctor Who: The Movie (Paul McGann).

Then 2 weeks later, in the year that Doctor Who celebrates its 50th anniversary, the very first regeneration story gets a release too - The Tenth Planet.

DOCTOR WHO: THE TENTH PLANET
• Contains a newly animated fourth episode (the original is currently missing from the BBC Archives)
• The very first regeneration story

The TARDIS lands at the South Pole in 1986. The arrival coincides with the appearance of Earth’s forgotten twin planet Mondas along with visitors from that world – the emotionless Cybermen. It’s up
to the Doctor (William Hartnell) and his friends to stop the creatures before they convert Earth’s population into similar cyber creations – but the encounter will have a devastating effect on the Doctor...

Special Features: • Commentary • Frozen Out Making Of • Episode 4 Reconstruction • William Hartnell
Interview • Doctor Who Stories – Anneke Wills • The Golden Age • Boys! Boys! Boys! Peter Purves, Frazer Hines and Mark Strickson reminisce about their time as companions • Companion Piece • Blue Peter Tenth anniversary retrospective on Doctor Who’s history • Radio Times Listings • English Subtitles • Photo
Gallery • Digitally Remastered Picture and Sound Quality •

Perhaps the biggest release this month though, comes from the recent haul of 11 recovered previously missing episodes - and is a global day and date release - The Enemy of The World.

The Enemy of the World, is the fourth six-part tale of the original fifth series which first broadcast in the
UK December 1967. Alongside Patrick Troughton, who plays both the Time Lord, and his antagonist
(Ramon Salamander) are his companions Frazer Hines (Jamie) and Deborah Watling (Victoria). Episodes 1,  2, 4, 5 and 6 had been missing from the BBC archives, until now. All episodes have been re-mastered.

27 Doctor Who stories still remain missing or have incomplete episodes, after a number were lost as a
result of BBC Archive space-saving measures.

RELEASED: 27 NOVEMBER * RRP: $TBA * DISCS: TBA

Don't forget also, you can see the Doctor Who 50th anniversary special, The Day of The Doctor in cinemas on November the 24th - check your local cinemas for details.

The Day Of The Doctor: First clip revealed

The Day Of The Doctor: First clip revealed

Just moments ago as part of Children In Need, the first clip from The Day Of The Doctor has been revealed.

Don't forget to donate to Pudsey and here's the clip.



With just days to go until the Day Of The Doctor screens as part of the 50th Doctor Who celebrations, there's a real treat just been unleashed.

The Night Of The Doctor mini episode's been put out by the BBC to get the celebrations underway.

To say more would spoil it, but enjoy it below.


It's coming soon - and it's almost time to celebrate the Day of The Doctor.

BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who hits its 50th anniversary this very month on November 23rd and there are global celebrations planned.

But it's also a massive month - one of the biggest ever - for Doctor Who releases on the small screen.

BBC and Roadshow Home Entertainment have got a huge slate of Doctor Who releases planned for the celebrations - and it's great to see the show is being taken seriously over here.

First up though, there are three volumes of Doctor Who: Revisited out on November 6th:

A special 50th anniversary DVD series
The first volume in this restrospective series showcases Doctor Who's first four doctors - William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker, spanning from 1963-1981.

The Doctors Revisited includes a half hour profile and a classic story for each Doctor introduced by Steven Moffat (the current Lead Writer & Executive Producer). Each classic story is available to view as a widescreen, feature-length version or in its episodic, original format.

Featuring The Aztecs (William Hartnell), The Tomb of the Cybermen (Patrick Troughton) Spearhead from
Space (Jon Pertwee) and Pyramid of Mars Tom Baker.
RELEASED: 6 NOVEMBER * RRP: $39.99 * DISCS: 4 *

DOCTOR WHO REVISITED VOLUME 2
The years 1981-1996 saw four new actors portray the Doctor, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester
McCoy and Paul McGann, the focus of the second volume in The Doctors Revisited. Featuring 30 minute
restrospectives per Doctor, a Steven Moffat introduction.. Each classic story is available to view as a
widescreen, feature-length version or in its episodic, original format.

Featuring the stories: Earthshock (Peter Davison), Vengeance on Varos (Colin Baker), Remembrance of the Daleks (Sylvester McCoy), and Doctor Who: The Movie (Paul McGann).

Then 2 weeks later, in the year that Doctor Who celebrates its 50th anniversary, the very first regeneration story gets a release too - The Tenth Planet.

DOCTOR WHO: THE TENTH PLANET
• Contains a newly animated fourth episode (the original is currently missing from the BBC Archives)
• The very first regeneration story

The TARDIS lands at the South Pole in 1986. The arrival coincides with the appearance of Earth’s forgotten twin planet Mondas along with visitors from that world – the emotionless Cybermen. It’s up
to the Doctor (William Hartnell) and his friends to stop the creatures before they convert Earth’s population into similar cyber creations – but the encounter will have a devastating effect on the Doctor...

Special Features: • Commentary • Frozen Out Making Of • Episode 4 Reconstruction • William Hartnell
Interview • Doctor Who Stories – Anneke Wills • The Golden Age • Boys! Boys! Boys! Peter Purves, Frazer Hines and Mark Strickson reminisce about their time as companions • Companion Piece • Blue Peter Tenth anniversary retrospective on Doctor Who’s history • Radio Times Listings • English Subtitles • Photo
Gallery • Digitally Remastered Picture and Sound Quality •

Perhaps the biggest release this month though, comes from the recent haul of 11 recovered previously missing episodes - and is a global day and date release - The Enemy of The World.

The Enemy of the World, is the fourth six-part tale of the original fifth series which first broadcast in the
UK December 1967. Alongside Patrick Troughton, who plays both the Time Lord, and his antagonist
(Ramon Salamander) are his companions Frazer Hines (Jamie) and Deborah Watling (Victoria). Episodes 1,  2, 4, 5 and 6 had been missing from the BBC archives, until now. All episodes have been re-mastered.

27 Doctor Who stories still remain missing or have incomplete episodes, after a number were lost as a
result of BBC Archive space-saving measures.

RELEASED: 27 NOVEMBER * RRP: $TBA * DISCS: TBA

Don't forget also, you can see the Doctor Who 50th anniversary special, The Day of The Doctor in cinemas on November the 24th - check your local cinemas for details.

The Night Of The Doctor mini story launches Dr Who's 50th

The Night Of The Doctor mini story launches Dr Who's 50th

With just days to go until the Day Of The Doctor screens as part of the 50th Doctor Who celebrations, there's a real treat just been unleashed.

The Night Of The Doctor mini episode's been put out by the BBC to get the celebrations underway.

To say more would spoil it, but enjoy it below.


It's coming soon - and it's almost time to celebrate the Day of The Doctor.

BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who hits its 50th anniversary this very month on November 23rd and there are global celebrations planned.

But it's also a massive month - one of the biggest ever - for Doctor Who releases on the small screen.

BBC and Roadshow Home Entertainment have got a huge slate of Doctor Who releases planned for the celebrations - and it's great to see the show is being taken seriously over here.

First up though, there are three volumes of Doctor Who: Revisited out on November 6th:

A special 50th anniversary DVD series
The first volume in this restrospective series showcases Doctor Who's first four doctors - William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker, spanning from 1963-1981.

The Doctors Revisited includes a half hour profile and a classic story for each Doctor introduced by Steven Moffat (the current Lead Writer & Executive Producer). Each classic story is available to view as a widescreen, feature-length version or in its episodic, original format.

Featuring The Aztecs (William Hartnell), The Tomb of the Cybermen (Patrick Troughton) Spearhead from
Space (Jon Pertwee) and Pyramid of Mars Tom Baker.
RELEASED: 6 NOVEMBER * RRP: $39.99 * DISCS: 4 *

DOCTOR WHO REVISITED VOLUME 2
The years 1981-1996 saw four new actors portray the Doctor, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester
McCoy and Paul McGann, the focus of the second volume in The Doctors Revisited. Featuring 30 minute
restrospectives per Doctor, a Steven Moffat introduction.. Each classic story is available to view as a
widescreen, feature-length version or in its episodic, original format.

Featuring the stories: Earthshock (Peter Davison), Vengeance on Varos (Colin Baker), Remembrance of the Daleks (Sylvester McCoy), and Doctor Who: The Movie (Paul McGann).

Then 2 weeks later, in the year that Doctor Who celebrates its 50th anniversary, the very first regeneration story gets a release too - The Tenth Planet.

DOCTOR WHO: THE TENTH PLANET
• Contains a newly animated fourth episode (the original is currently missing from the BBC Archives)
• The very first regeneration story

The TARDIS lands at the South Pole in 1986. The arrival coincides with the appearance of Earth’s forgotten twin planet Mondas along with visitors from that world – the emotionless Cybermen. It’s up
to the Doctor (William Hartnell) and his friends to stop the creatures before they convert Earth’s population into similar cyber creations – but the encounter will have a devastating effect on the Doctor...

Special Features: • Commentary • Frozen Out Making Of • Episode 4 Reconstruction • William Hartnell
Interview • Doctor Who Stories – Anneke Wills • The Golden Age • Boys! Boys! Boys! Peter Purves, Frazer Hines and Mark Strickson reminisce about their time as companions • Companion Piece • Blue Peter Tenth anniversary retrospective on Doctor Who’s history • Radio Times Listings • English Subtitles • Photo
Gallery • Digitally Remastered Picture and Sound Quality •

Perhaps the biggest release this month though, comes from the recent haul of 11 recovered previously missing episodes - and is a global day and date release - The Enemy of The World.

The Enemy of the World, is the fourth six-part tale of the original fifth series which first broadcast in the
UK December 1967. Alongside Patrick Troughton, who plays both the Time Lord, and his antagonist
(Ramon Salamander) are his companions Frazer Hines (Jamie) and Deborah Watling (Victoria). Episodes 1,  2, 4, 5 and 6 had been missing from the BBC archives, until now. All episodes have been re-mastered.

27 Doctor Who stories still remain missing or have incomplete episodes, after a number were lost as a
result of BBC Archive space-saving measures.

RELEASED: 27 NOVEMBER * RRP: $TBA * DISCS: TBA

Don't forget also, you can see the Doctor Who 50th anniversary special, The Day of The Doctor in cinemas on November the 24th - check your local cinemas for details.

Doctor Who hits 50 years - and NZ celebrates its biggest Who haul

Doctor Who hits 50 years - and NZ celebrates its biggest Who haul

It's coming soon - and it's almost time to celebrate the Day of The Doctor.

BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who hits its 50th anniversary this very month on November 23rd and there are global celebrations planned.

But it's also a massive month - one of the biggest ever - for Doctor Who releases on the small screen.

BBC and Roadshow Home Entertainment have got a huge slate of Doctor Who releases planned for the celebrations - and it's great to see the show is being taken seriously over here.

First up though, there are three volumes of Doctor Who: Revisited out on November 6th:

A special 50th anniversary DVD series
The first volume in this restrospective series showcases Doctor Who's first four doctors - William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker, spanning from 1963-1981.

The Doctors Revisited includes a half hour profile and a classic story for each Doctor introduced by Steven Moffat (the current Lead Writer & Executive Producer). Each classic story is available to view as a widescreen, feature-length version or in its episodic, original format.

Featuring The Aztecs (William Hartnell), The Tomb of the Cybermen (Patrick Troughton) Spearhead from
Space (Jon Pertwee) and Pyramid of Mars Tom Baker.
RELEASED: 6 NOVEMBER * RRP: $39.99 * DISCS: 4 *

DOCTOR WHO REVISITED VOLUME 2
The years 1981-1996 saw four new actors portray the Doctor, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester
McCoy and Paul McGann, the focus of the second volume in The Doctors Revisited. Featuring 30 minute
restrospectives per Doctor, a Steven Moffat introduction.. Each classic story is available to view as a
widescreen, feature-length version or in its episodic, original format.

Featuring the stories: Earthshock (Peter Davison), Vengeance on Varos (Colin Baker), Remembrance of the Daleks (Sylvester McCoy), and Doctor Who: The Movie (Paul McGann).

Then 2 weeks later, in the year that Doctor Who celebrates its 50th anniversary, the very first regeneration story gets a release too - The Tenth Planet.

DOCTOR WHO: THE TENTH PLANET
• Contains a newly animated fourth episode (the original is currently missing from the BBC Archives)
• The very first regeneration story

The TARDIS lands at the South Pole in 1986. The arrival coincides with the appearance of Earth’s forgotten twin planet Mondas along with visitors from that world – the emotionless Cybermen. It’s up
to the Doctor (William Hartnell) and his friends to stop the creatures before they convert Earth’s population into similar cyber creations – but the encounter will have a devastating effect on the Doctor...

Special Features: • Commentary • Frozen Out Making Of • Episode 4 Reconstruction • William Hartnell
Interview • Doctor Who Stories – Anneke Wills • The Golden Age • Boys! Boys! Boys! Peter Purves, Frazer Hines and Mark Strickson reminisce about their time as companions • Companion Piece • Blue Peter Tenth anniversary retrospective on Doctor Who’s history • Radio Times Listings • English Subtitles • Photo
Gallery • Digitally Remastered Picture and Sound Quality •

Perhaps the biggest release this month though, comes from the recent haul of 11 recovered previously missing episodes - and is a global day and date release - The Enemy of The World.

The Enemy of the World, is the fourth six-part tale of the original fifth series which first broadcast in the
UK December 1967. Alongside Patrick Troughton, who plays both the Time Lord, and his antagonist
(Ramon Salamander) are his companions Frazer Hines (Jamie) and Deborah Watling (Victoria). Episodes 1,  2, 4, 5 and 6 had been missing from the BBC archives, until now. All episodes have been re-mastered.

27 Doctor Who stories still remain missing or have incomplete episodes, after a number were lost as a
result of BBC Archive space-saving measures.

RELEASED: 27 NOVEMBER * RRP: $TBA * DISCS: TBA

Don't forget also, you can see the Doctor Who 50th anniversary special, The Day of The Doctor in cinemas on November the 24th - check your local cinemas for details.

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Collection details revealed

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Collection details revealed

DOCTOR WHO 50TH  ANNIVERSARY  COLLECTION
Available on DVD and Blu Ray from 10th
September 2014

For the ultimate Doctor Who fan comes a special collection of highlights from the groundbreaking 50th  anniversary of Doctor Who, including Mark Gatiss’ award winning drama An Adventure in Space and Time on Blu Ray for the first time, and the hilarious Five-ish Doctors– starring Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and a host of special guests – available on DVD and Blu-ray for the first time.

The limited edition numbered collector’s set (500 DVD, 575 BD in New Zealand) also features the 50th Anniversary Special The Day of the Doctor, Matt Smith’s Farewell The Time of the Doctor, the Series 7 finale The Name of the Doctor, and the Eighth Doctor’s (Paul McGann) surprise regeneration into John Hurt’s War Doctor in The Night of the Doctor.

The collection is packed full of special features including an exclusive cut of the read-through of The Day of the Doctor featuring Matt Smith and David Tennant (‘Script to Screen’), deleted scenes, Doctor Who at the Proms 2013 and the mini-episodes The Last Day & Night of the Doctor.

Special Features:
 Behind the Scenes
 Night of the Doctor
 Doctor Who: The Ultimate Guide
 Behind the Lens
 The Last Day
 The Day of the Doctor – Script to Screen
 Cinema Intros – Strax & The Doctor
 50th cinema trails
 Deleted Scenes – from The Time of the
Doctor & An Adventure in Space and Time.
 Tales from the TARDIS
 Farewell to Matt Smith
 A Night with the Stars - The Science of Doctor
Who
 William Hartnell: The Original
 The making of an Adventure
 Reconstructions
 Title Sequences
 The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot
 Doctor Who at the Proms 2013

Doctor Who: 50th Anniversary collection: Blu Ray Review

Doctor Who: 50th Anniversary collection: Blu Ray Review

Rating: PG
Released by BBC and Roadshow Home Ent

Last year's 50th anniversary of Doctor Who was a big deal for a show that had been sidelined to the scrap heap at the end of the 80s. Managing to make a half century became a worldwide event for fans new and old, with cinema screenings of the special episode, various one offs and more Dr Whooey-goodness than we've ever experienced before.

So, in true limited edition style, a wonderful collector's edition set's been released - only 500 DVDs and 575 Blu Rays here in NZ - and if you're a fan, it's worth getting (though if you've collected the majority of the material before, you may question your bank balance first.

I've already discussed at length The Day Of The Doctor so, skipping over that, the special features are what makes this set worth investing in - the first Blu Ray outing for An Adventure in Space and Time (the story of William Hartnell's tenure and how the show was made) as well as The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot, Peter Davison's ode to getting the classic Doctors into the 50th anniversary.

The set's beautifully put together, a nice compendium of everything that was done - including behind the scenes stuff, trailers, the Doctor Who at the Proms - everything a fan could want in one collection. Oh and a neat welcoming of Paul McGann into the fold that caused the internet to implode.

For the fact it's limited, and the fact it's such a historic outing, you'd be mad not to pick this set up.

Extras: Behind the Scenes, Night of the Doctor, Doctor Who: The Ultimate Guide, Behind the Lens, The Last Day,  The Day of the Doctor – Script to Screen, Cinema Intros – Strax & The Doctor, 50th cinema trails, Deleted Scenes – from The Time of the Doctor & An Adventure in Space and Time, Tales from the TARDIS, Farewell to Matt Smith, A Night with the Stars - The Science of Doctor Who, William Hartnell: The Original, The making of an Adventure, Reconstructions, Title Sequences ,The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot, Doctor Who at the Proms 2013

Rating:

Doctor Who: The Day Of The Doctor: Blu Ray Review

Doctor Who: The Day Of The Doctor: Blu Ray Review

Rating: PG
Released by BBC And Roadshow Home Ent

So, here it is then, the 50th anniversary special of Doctor Who: The Day of The Doctor, starring Matt Smith, David Tennant and John Hurt.

When a painting in the National Gallery appears to show the impossible, the Doctor's summoned by UNIT to try and work out what exactly is going on. But what it sets in motion is a chain of events that requires him to team up with his tenth incarnation (the ever bouncy David Tennant) and the mysterious War Doctor (John Hurt), a man they've tried to deny...

Doctor Who: The Day Of The Doctor is essentially a Christmas Carol with three Doctors playing various versions of the ghost; and it changes all of what has gone before in the past few years of the show. It's difficult to go into without spoiling (and I'll keep that going) but it's an ode to the show's 50 years with references to companions, moments and places woven effortlessly into the narrative without alienating the current fanbase.

While some of the plots don't come to full fruition and prove a frustration, the acting of the main three Doctors is top notch; Hurt breaks down some of the silliness created over the past few years and gives a venerable turn as an old school Doctor; even Tennant dials down his performance - but once again, Matt Smith excels with a performance that has charm, sadness and steely dedication all rolled into one.

It's a massive shame his next adventure will be his last....

Extras: The minisodes include McGann's final outing as the 8th Doctor, as well as trailers for the show and a Dr Who explained piece for newcomers. Shame there's no real making of other than a behind the lens piece, but it's a solid bunch for this release which looks very good in HD.

Rating:

Dr Who: The War Games: DVD Review

Dr Who: The War Games: DVD Review

Doctor Who - The War Games
Cast: Patrick Troughton, Frazer Hines, Wendy Padbury
Rating: PG
Released by Roadshow Entertainment and the BBC
A seminal release in the Doctor Who back catalogue, The War Games represents a seismic shift in the early days of the show itself (but more on that later).
Patrick Troughton's Second Doctor, along with his companions Jamie (Hines) and wunderkind Zoe (Padbury) find themselves back in the middle of the trenches when the TARDIS delivers them into 1917.
Arrested, the trio find themselves tried as deserters and sentenced to death - however, the Doctor soon realizes that he is out of his depth and may have to commit an unthinkable act which will change him forever...
The War Games is an epic on many scales - the ten part black and white serial sits at mammoth four hours of Whoey goodness (and thankfully doesn't see any real lulls throughout) and sees stellar performances from the main trio who are about to exit and a myriad of supporting characters.
And as is befitting the story, this latest release is a three disc behemoth which is superlative and a real treasure trove for long term fans of the show - and contains enough for the casual viewer to understand why fans are so passionate.
The War Games signified an end to the black and white era of Doctor Who in 1969 - and also saw the first introduction of a back story and race (The Time Lords) for the errant time traveler; as well as the revelation of where he came from. In terms of the show's history itself, it's a gem and demonstrated how the show could endlessly reinvent itself (which has served it well as it enters its 47th year)
The depth of extras on this release has seen it gifted an entire disc with the beautifully remastered story split over 2 discs - some of the highlights include a look at the Second Doctor's comic strips, behind the scenes of the production, as well as some nice fan based extras (including a fan tribute to bridge the gap between Patrick Troughton leaving the show and Jon Pertwee taking over in 1970)
This is an essential release for any fan of the show and as they ready themselves to bid farewell to the latest incarnation in the form of David Tennant, it serves as a reminder of why the show really blazed its trail back in the times of a lack of special effects and budgetary confines.
Extras: A mammoth amount - War Zone - cast and crew recall the making of Patrick Troughton's epic swansong; Shades of Grey - just how did the technical and artistic constraints of monochrome television conspire to effect the unique look and feel of early productions? Now and Then - the ongoing series visits the locations of 'The War Games' forty years on; The Doctor's Composer - prolific composer Dudley Simpson looks back at his first five years of work on Doctor Who; Sylvia James - In Conversation - make-up designer Sylvia James talks about her work on Patrick Troughton's Doctor Who stories; Talking About Regeneration - the concept of regenerating a show's main character into an entirely new physical form proved to be both a lifesaver for the show and an increasingly important part of its mythos. This feature explores the ideas involved and takes a closer look at each of the Doctor's regenerations; Time Zones - historians discuss the reality behind the various time zones featured in 'The War Games'. With political historian Dr. Martin Farr, military historian Crispin Swayne, Newcastle University's Lindsay Allison-Jones and author Prof. Susan-Mary Grant; Stripped for Action - The Second Doctor - the continuing series of features focussing on the Doctor's comic strip adventures looks at the Second Doctor; On Target - Malcolm Hulke - the first in a series of features on the Target range of TV story novelizations looks at the work of writer Malcolm Hulke; Devious - for over a decade, a group of friends on England's south coast met on weekends to shoot an amateur Doctor Who film - 'Devious' - which takes place between the events of Patrick Troughton's swansong 'The War Games' and Jon Pertwee's introduction in 'Spearhead from Space', and features their own previously unknown incarnation of the Doctor. To segue back into 'Spearhead', the team decided to put up the money to employ Jon Pertwee for a day - in what was to become his last ever appearance as the Third Doctor.

Rating: (For Dr Who fans) 10/10 - for non scarf waving members of Earth, 8/10

Doctor Who Legacy - interviewing Lee and Susan of Tiny Rebel Games

Doctor Who Legacy - interviewing Lee and Susan of Tiny Rebel Games

Doctor Who Legacy is a free gem-matching game that has a strong emphasis on the show's history, and uses RPG elements to take on teams of baddies while letting you play a team of your own making.

Fiendishly addictive and eminently playable, the game's been on my portable player for a while (to my wife's continued annoyance) and I was lucky enough to be granted a Q&A with the Tiny Rebel Games' team of Lee and Susan about their past, the game's past and future and the imminent launch of Bigger on the Inside (March 25th!).

First off, just a thanks for making a game that’s really taken off with the community . I’m keen to know how the idea of the game actually came to fruition?
We decided we wanted to design and produce our first mobile game, and to publish it at the same time. For two people this sounded like (and indeed was) a massive undertaking, so we decided that we wouldn’t make the whole project riskier by trying to create our own intellectual property at the same time. Instead we would find something we loved, something we would happily build a game around, even at the expense of having a chance of creating our own universe. We watch a lot of BBC shows, and at the time we had just finished watching the 2nd series of Sherlock (which we loved, huge fans of all of Moffatt’s work) so we approached BBC Worldwide about a Sherlock, which they said no to, but they wanted to work with us and were curious whether we wanted to make a Doctor Who game. We’ve watched so much Doctor Who in our lives that later that same day we pitched the Legacy project to them.

I know both of you had a background in gaming – can you tell us a little more about what you were doing?
Lee started in QA at Sony, before moving to Rockstar Games where he ended up producing on the Grand Theft Auto series, as well as working on many other projects there. At the same time, Susan was doing deals for Rockstar, then she co-founded 2K games, signing their launch slate of titles including gems like Bioshock and Borderlands. After they both left they founded several games companies together, launching projects such as the critically acclaimed Order Up Wii game, and War of the Worlds.

Was a Doctor Who game like this always on your mind to create?
This was the first idea we discussed after we found out that there was a chance we could work on a Doctor Who game, and we loved it so much that it’s changed very little from that first conversation. We love to play gem games in our spare time, and designed / produced a game together years ago, Puzzle Kingdoms, as a collaboration with Steve Fawkner, who created Puzzle Quest.

How much did your love of the show permeate the fact you were creating a game for it – did that make it harder?
It makes certain things harder. It would be better if we had a narrower knowledge of the show, since it becomes overwhelming trying to pick between so many amazing episodes, so many amazing characters. The game has heavily impacted our viewing of the show as well since we need to have a certain amount of spoiler filled information before an episode ends in order to create content which is launched alongside (such as the season 8 episodes, and the Christmas episode this year). As a couple who really love to watch new episodes together, having that impacted makes everything a bit harder.

I know the BBC has been supportive of what you’re doing with Legacy, that must make a real difference?
This game wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the amazing, unrelenting support from the brand team at the BBC and the Doctor Who team in Cardiff. We have over 100 allies and companions, the actors behind each need to give us approval to use their likeness, and every enemy we add has to be signed off by the person who created them. It’s a colossal amount of work behind the scenes, and work which is vital to the continuation of the game. We talk to our producer at the BBC almost daily (and he frequently joins in for our weekly Twitch chats) because, if we didn’t have that level of constant communication, we could never dream of launching the amount of content that we do.

The game’s over a year old now, with something like 1.5 million players and it’s ever evolving, does it surprise you how far you’ve come in a year?
It’s shocked us. Before launch, rumours of a gem based Doctor Who game leaked out and the first response was very negative. The game launched, and reviews were amazing, but we weren’t sure if our grand experiment, a continually updated, live mobile game, running alongside a TV show, would make it to the end of the first month. We’re amazed every day by what the community which has sprung up around the game has allowed us to do. We launched new content day and date alongside an episode of the show many times, which is unprecedented in the mobile space. We’ve updated the game almost weekly (on average, easily weekly) for the last 15 months, which is almost unprecedented. Last year a new mobile game was launched something like every 9 minutes, the chances of the project failing (especially given the long, uneven history of Doctor Who games) were high. We’re eternally grateful to the fans who support the game, who trust us to be the caretakers of this project.

Partnerships with Big Finish characters, Titan Comics, Pixel Who - what else do you want to explore in the Who-niverse? And how much deeper into the worlds I’ve just mentioned will you go?
We definitely want to explore all those worlds in much greater detail. This morning we’ve been working on new levels to go out alongside the new 9th Doctor comic book series coming soon, and we’re talking to Big Finish about how to continue our relationship. Pixel Who have been amazing, and we’re less than a week from the launch of the Bigger on the Inside prologue, which we’re incredibly excited about. Our work with BBC’s books group led to the inclusion of Cinder from Engines of War, the War Doctor’s only companion, which is great to see in the game – these allies from the extended universe who finally get to go on adventures with the whole cast.

It feels to me like the game and your approach to it is one of fluidity and community (with your constant email support and also Sharee’s work on the FaceBook page, Adi’s weekly Twitch stream) – you’re always adapting to your community, creating levels like Anna’s Playground for the younger end, being shaped by feedback as well, is that why you believe your free-to-play game has been so successful?
We believe that the industry’s first attempt at creating a free to play space missed the mark a bit and created a space where users were forced into paying through hard paywalls, horrible ideas like energy meters and utilized exploitative social networking. Sadly this worked, which left a space where players felt exploited, and businesses face a choice of doing what is proven to make money, or try to create something new which could fail. We believe that there is another way, something more fair. Legacy is our first attempt at making a free to play game, and the game has been praised as “the most moral free to play game”, but we still think there are other ways the industry should be heading. People seem to appreciate this, and it seems to have gone a long way to us maintaining high ratings on the app stores. When you combine this mentality with a fierce love of Doctor Who, it becomes pretty powerful stuff if you’re a gamer interested in that specific space. For new users, especially fans of Doctor Who, that’s a pretty happy and awesome community to be welcomed into if you do love what Legacy offers, which is the real success of the game.

You’ve got Bigger on the Inside coming out on 25th March to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the new series; the artwork looks fun and the game is again evolving (some may say regenerating perhaps) – what are you excited for people to see with this release?
This is our first story which starts with all 13 Doctors present, which is an amazing opportunity. The full Bigger on the Inside story is over 120 levels, which is almost as big as the game was when we launched. The story is epic – many of the Doctors get their own story arcs, and it’s all set inside the TARDIS, which allows us to dive into some of her rooms you haven’t seen for decades. We’ve been working on this for many months now, we’re just thrilled that everyone gets to see the first level =)

Also, you’re rolling out the next season of the game too (you must be exhausted with all of this work), but I’ve heard the release of this is going to be different – is it true it’ll be more episodic and weekly? If so, why?
Our goal from the very start of the project was to have an ongoing, live story. Up until now this has meant that big chunks of content come out every few months, however with our super efficient content pipeline, and our ability to push new levels out on demand, we’ve always wanted a story which fans can “tune in” to play every week. Just like the Saturday morning cartoons we grew up on – once a week 3 or 4 new levels will be released, all driven by story.

To play Doctor Who Legacy for free and get into the game that's got Whovians buzzing, click on the various formats below:

Dr Who Christmas Special, The Return of Dr Mysterio gets Boxing Day Release

Dr Who Christmas Special, The Return of Dr Mysterio gets Boxing Day Release

A special Boxing Day cinema event in New Zealand

BBC Worldwide Australia & New Zealand (ANZ) and Rialto Cinemas today announced a Boxing Day screening of this year’s Doctor Who Christmas special, The Return of Doctor Mysterio, which sees the Doctor teaming up with a comic-book superhero in New York.

 The cinema event will include the full 60-minute special plus two bonus features, A New Kind of Superhero, giving a special inside look at Doctor Who’s concept of a modern superhero, and a special Christmas Doctor Who Extra, showing the making of this year’s special, with appearances by stars Peter Capaldi and Matt Lucas, and showrunner and executive producer Steven Moffat.

Fans throughout New Zealand will be able to enjoy the event in New Zealand cinemas nationwide. Information on participating cinemas and purchasing tickets for Doctor Who: The Return of Doctor Mysterio can be found at: www.nz.rialtodistribution.com

Written by Steven Moffat, this family favourite will see the Doctor, played by Peter Capaldi, join up with an investigative journalist, played by Charity Wakefield (Wolf Hall, The Player) and a superhero to save New York from a deadly alien threat. Grant, the superhero in human guise, is played by Justin Chatwin (Orphan Black, War of the Worlds).

Matt Lucas (Nardole) will also be joining the cast of the special with Adetomiwa Edun (Lucifer, Bates Motel), Aleksandar Jovanovic and Logan Huffman.

“Superheroes are a cinema staple so we’re doubly delighted to give Doctor Who fans the opportunity to see this spectacular adventure on the big screen,” said Louise Hill, Live Entertainment Executive for BBC Worldwide ANZ.

It is written by Steven Moffat, Executive Produced by Brian Minchin, Produced by Peter Bennett and Directed by Ed Bazalgette (Poldark). Doctor Who is made by BBC Studios Wales and shot in Cardiff at BBC Wales Roath Lock Studios.

The 60 minute Doctor Who Christmas Special will also air on Prime TV on Boxing Day.

 Tickets for the theatrical release of Doctor Who: The Return of Doctor Mysterio are  on sale nationally now at: www.nz.rialtodistribution.com