Wish they could hurry up and give us :-

Kinda
Snakedance
Dragonfire
The Greastest Show In The Galaxy
The Happiness Patrol
Silver Nemesis

Maybe the boxset will be the Black Guardian Trilogy

Ooh JNT gets the worst verbal kicking he's had in a while on these things on the Full Circle dvd. Changed the type of character Adric was supposed to be and hired Matthew Waterhouse, who didn't have the acting ability to do the original remit anyway, according to Christopher H Bidmead.

I think you must be listening to different commentaries to me. I found them to be good natured and great fun. If she slags off anyone as you say it is usually herself. There is never any malice in what she says and it is usually about the wobbly sets, the fashion, bad acting and come on, we've all done that. If you bother to listen to her quite often she says nice things. Often I have heard her at the end of commentries say "that was good". Did you listen to the wonderful commentry she did with Tom Baker on Logopolis? She has spent many years away from acting and I think you will find if you bother to look) her career has continued in other directions. Did you know that for many years she was an actor's agent with no other than Paul McCann on her books? I like people with opinions. It's what we do on here. You can't always make it wonderful. I also suggest you listen to the Warriors DVD again. She did not slag off JNT and she was simply trying to say how they would have made the show with today's budget that is all. Your spin on the what was said quite incredible, do you perhaps work in politics? How do you know that she would have prefered to work on the new series. Did she say that? And what if she does. Liz Sladen did actually say that she thought Sarah-Jane rather one dimensional and it now better writton in the new series. Is that slagging off the old show too?

Sorry if I sound hostile but you got something different to the commentries than I did. I know Janet spent many years away from the show and wouldn't have much to do with for many years. That I think was a shame and I think she was wrong to do that but actors do that. Indeed Tom Baker spent many years trying to distance himself from the show but he came back as Janet is too.

All I am trying to say is listen to the whole rather than trying to pick out bits which suit

I really hope The Deadly Assassin is a 2 disc set, definitely worthy of an abundance of extras!!

Attack Of The Cybermen disk details from DW Online

Commentary - with actors Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant, Terry Molloy and Sarah Berger.

The Cold War - cast and crew look back at the making of the story. With actors Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant, Terry Molloy and Sarah Berger, writer Eric Saward, director Matthew Robinson, continuity advisor Ian Levine and film cameraman Godfrey Johnson. Narrated by Stephen Greif.

The Cyber Story - a brief history of the Cybermen in the classic series. With director Morris Barry, writer Eric Saward, costume designers Sandra Reid and Dinah Collins, Cyberman actor Mark Hardy, voice artiste Roy Skelton and Professor Kevin 'Human Cyborg' Warwick.

Human Cyborg - an interview with Professor Kevin Warwick, who has used himself as a human guinea pig for cybernetic implant experimentation.

The Cyber-Generations - a gallery of Cyberman through the history of the series.

Photo Gallery.

Trails and Continuity.

Isolated Score.

Coming Soon Trailer.

Easter Egg.

PDF Material.

Programme Subtitles.

Subtitle Production Notes.

Attack of the Cybermen is released on 16th March 2009, priced £19.99 each

Here's a link to the cover
http://www.drwho-online.co.uk/news/D...kofthecybermen

Darnit, I was hoping they'd dust off Sarah Greene or at least Faith Brown) for Attack!

It's always a disappointment when the same people appear on commentary AND documentary. The same anecdotes get repeatd over and again ...

I agree with you “chuffnobbler”. My routine for watching Doctor Who DVD’s is as follows;

I watch the story first, followed by the documentaries, then the commentaries, and last of all, the text commentary.

So as you say, it can get a bit confusing. When I start on the commentary or the text, it feels like I have done them already. As you say, too much stuff is repeated across all the extras.

I have never bothered with the text notes. Having watched the prog once, and then again with commentary, a third time back-to-back-to-back would probably kill me stone dead.

Also, I tend to watch DW when eating my tea, so the subtitles would be difficult to follow.

Have I missed anything?!

I tend to have four five sometimes six stories on the go at once. I will watch a story then the extras, after this I go on to the next one, following the same routine. After the fourth fifth or sixth, I then go back to do the commentaries, after that I go back to the first one, and then do the text commentaries. Most times, I prefer the text to the verbal commentaries. So in answer to your question chuffnobbler, I wouldn’t say you’re missing anything, but you should give it a go.

Yes, I did actually know that.

What I said remains true though. Doctor Who made her famous. It is by a long chalk her most notable acting role and, as you say, she did eventually give up on acting. So I find it odd that she seems to have so little regard for the show that made her famous, yet still be prepared to cash in on it.


That is not all and you know it. I have listened to Warriors several times and that is what I am basing my comments on. It's a funny commentary at times but they made numerous comparison between Old Who and New Who, not just regarding budget as you suggest, but regarding JNT's deficiencies as a producer because he wasn't a writer etc etc and their feelings about JNT were pretty clear. Janet admitted that she was quite fond of him as a person and Peter said he was good at publicity, but the rest of it was critical. I certainly don't think JNT was Who's best producer, but I actually felt a bit sorry for the bloke, especially considering he is no longer around to defend himself. I think it's interesting they didn't say this stuff while he was still alive. Maybe they didn't want to hurt his feelings. In a way that's thoughtful of them, I suppose, but it also leaves a bit of bad taste for me that they've waited till he's gone before they say what they think.


There's no need to be silly. It sounds to me like if anyone's spinning things it's you.


I think you need to listen to the Warriors DVD again. They spent most of their time talking about the new series instead of the one they were watching.

Of course, it didn't help they were reviewing Warriors of the Deep, which is widely acknowledged as one of the biggest cock-ups in the history of the series, and this resulted in a particularly scathing commentary. But even on other DVDs, as others have pointed out, Peter and Janet spend most of their time pulling the show apart. Sometimes this is funny, but I would just like to hear different insights on future DVDs. I know I won't be getting them though, which I just think is a bit of a shame.

I've listened to commentaries by Frazer Hines, Wendy Padbury, Barry Letts, Terrance Dicks, Philip Hinchcliffe, Elisabeth Sladen, Louise Jameson etc etc. All have recalled the various trials and tribulations of making the shows, and the failing of the programme, but I also sense there's some affection for the show too. I just don't get that with Peter and Janet. Positive statements are few and far between.

Occasionally they do make comments that are genuinely interesting, they just get bogged down in negativity for me. Janet was quite right to point out that the BBC was very snobbish in those days and the series suffered as a result. Their comments about directors not putting in the effort were also probably true. A lot of viewers got this impression, so it's telling that the actors themselves felt it too while they were making the show.


You think I'm picking out the bits that suit me. That's the opinion that suits you, of course. I have quite clearly stated that I acknowledge Peter and Janet occasionally have interesting comments to make, but I have come to find their commentaries somewhat predictable now. I quite like some Davison shows, including Enlightenment and The Awakening, but I'm not especially looking forward to the commentaries because I expect they'll be more of the same from Jan and Pete. I would just like to hear different insights in future. I agree with other posters that the Davison-Fielding-Waterhouse-Sutton commentaries are the least interesting because Peter and Janet completely dominate. Of course, this will not be the line-up for Enlightenment and The Awakening, so it may not be so bad if they put other people on (so long as it's not just Peter and Janet on their own).

I'm looking forward to getting that.

I'm so sad so many '60's episodes were wiped, especially the huge number of Troughton shows that will never be coming out on DVD. Not only because they were classic shows, but also because it's clear from people like Frazer Hines, Deborah Watling and Wendy Padbury that they had a really great time on the show.


Yes, they have been overcrowding the commentaries of late. I think three people tends to be enough at any one time.

The big mistake is that they got the wrong man. It should have been Varsh...

Yes, since JNT died it does seem to have become a bit of a free-for-all.

Well funnily enough I thought they were fairly easy on him on the trial dvd.

And apparently some are holding back too- I read on the OG that Barry Letts has strong negative opinions of JNT too but refuses to talk about it on camera.

waiting for the happiness patrol....

[quote=StansCoffins;29948271]Why do they never release them in order? You don't know how frustrating it is for someone watching Classic Who episodes for the first time to not be able to watch any of them as a complete series.

erm... it may be hard work just LOOKING, but the original airdates ARE shown on the back of the covers. that help you put your dvds in order?

Hey Jon, thanks again for the long, long reply and I am not gonna get into a huge debate with you because quite frankly I have better things to do, however your second post does somewhat contradict your first. I am not going to pull your post apart as you have mine but I have posted both above and highlighted where your statements clash. Fair enough you don't like the woman but some of us do and her comments are always said usually in jest (the laughing gives it away) and are meant to be taken as such. I think you will find your second post a little more muted (more of a rant against me perhaps). You continue to talk about Warriers too. Have you listened to the one she did with Tom Baker as I also asked, very funny.

We are never gonna agree on this and I pretty much disagreed with every thing you said on your first post (as I am allowed to do) and from my user name you will be in little doubt I am a bit of a fan of Tegan.

Anyway, away from this now I am looking forward to the other DVDs. The Wargames I have never seen, so fab and Delta will be interesting. Hated it as a child (and most of that period) but enjoyed Battlefield and Fenric despite the music so we'll see

<<<
Ooh JNT gets the worst verbal kicking he's had in a while on these things on the Full Circle dvd. Changed the type of character Adric was supposed to be and hired Matthew Waterhouse, who didn't have the acting ability to do the original remit anyway, according to Christopher H Bidmead.
>>>

I didn't think that at all. there is plenty of disussion about JNT's role in the show, but nothing overly negative. Some very interesting stuff about how M Waterhouse was not given much support when he was new on the show, and how Peter Grimwade (director) was a bit of a negative force. This is nothing new: PG has been criticised quite often before.

The Full Circle commentary seemed very civilised, i thought. Three people is deffo the optimum for a commentary. It gives everyone chance to speak. Far better than those five-a-side jobbies we've had lately, where no-one gets to finish a sentence.

Coming up, I see Warriors Gate has the awful Mat Irvine, who will undoubtedly be droning on and telling awful dad-jokes as he did last time round.

Nice to know that I am not the only person to have noticed the Alzarian whose knackers are on show as he is dragged out of the lake, in pt 1 of Full Circle.

Warriors Gate rates with The Leisure Hive as one of the most curdling commentaries they have done. Putting Lalla Ward in the same room as Chris Bidmead has that effect.

In episode 4, they start on Tom - particularly Bidmead - and Lalla rides to his defense.Her impassioned arguments of why Tom was like he was with the programme had the authoritan Bidmead speechless.

It really is a good listen.

I've not seen that one yet.


That doesn't surprise me on either count. I did read somewhere that there were differences between JNT and Letts when Letts "executive produced" JNT's first season. Letts also mentioned here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/...01/13727.shtml

I know John always felt fed-up that people were apt to assume that he wasn't in total charge during that first year, and I don't blame him.

However, it also doesn't surprise me that Letts doesn't talk about any negative opinions of JNT publicly. He is supposed to be a proper gentleman, Barry Letts.

Well then head of bbc drama Jonathan Powell is the baddie of the main documentary there methinks. Eric Saward says he had no interest in the show, did not want to deal with it and fell asleep while watching tapes of it he was supposed to be reviewing at one point, as well as not having the courage to sack Colin Baker to his face or give reasons as to why it was being done.

Although JNT does get heavy criticism on it for insisting on CB's costume.

Is this the documentary Powell was interviewed for? I saw clips of this on Youtube.

I understood the order to sack Colin Baker came from Grade, although Grade didn't have the guts to do it himself and left it to Powell (hence Colin Baker's "Why I'll Never Forgive Gutless Grade" interview in The Sun). Grade's certainly gone on record numerous times to say that he thought the show was crap and needed to be taken off.

I agree, though, that Powell was no more supportive, and of course it's Powell who put the show against Coronation Street during the McCoy years and then completely pulled the plug on it in 1989.

Yeah, Powell's on the doc. He basically says he sidn't want to make more DW after season 22, he got told to by the bbc's head of publicity after Ian Levine and company told them they were going to protest outside the house of commons dressed up as daleks, the head of publicity telling him they'd get negative press from every newspaper in the world if this happened.

zetaminor.com reports the other box set this year is called Doctor Who - Myths and Legends and contains (drum roll please) The Time Monster.... Underworld.... and... The Horns of Nimon.

Never before has there been so much crap in one dvd set!

(I'm happy as a pig in shit, I love Nimon )

http://www.zetaminor.com/dvd/incomin...ng.php?id=9008

methinks one to wait for until it is in the sales.