BBC Officially Announces The Revelation of "A Number" Of Missing Doctor Who Episodes

It was announced today, after much speculation and rumour that, "a number" of missing episodes of Doctor Who have been returned to the BBC. Exactly how many and which episodes have been in found is yet to be confirmed. Expect this to announced at some point in the next two days.

It will be interesting to see exactly what is meant by: " How fans will be able to watch the recovered episodes are also expected to be revealed later this week." Possibly a DVD release scheduled for November, the 50th anniversary month itself?

The BBC News article stated:

A number of early episodes of Doctor Who, which were believed to have been permanently lost, have been returned to the BBC.

BBC Worldwide is expected to confirm the find at a press screening in London later this week.

It follows weeks of speculation that some lost episodes had been located.

A total of 106 episodes featuring the first two actors to play the Doctor, William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton, are currently missing.

The BBC destroyed many of the sci-fi drama's original transmission tapes in the 1960s and 1970s.

However, the majority of the episodes had been transferred on to film for foreign broadcasters. It is often these prints found in other countries that are the source of retrieved episodes.

In 1991, all four instalments of the Patrick Troughton adventure The Tomb of the Cybermen were discovered in Hong Kong.

The latest find comes as Doctor Who celebrates its 50th birthday. A special episode featuring the current Doctor Matt Smith and his predecessor David Tennant will be shown on the programme's anniversary on 23 November.

A raft of other programming to celebrate the long-running drama was also recently announced by the BBC.

Details of how fans will be able to watch the recovered episodes are also expected to be revealed later this week.

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Matt Smith To Leave Doctor Who!

The BBC has just announced that Matt Smith will be leaving Doctor Who later this year.

His last story will be this year's Christmas Special. The series will continue with Season 8 and with a new actor playing the Doctor. Jenna-Louise Coleman has said that she will be involved in Season 8.

Here's the official announcement.

"Mind of Evil" DVD Review

Check out my review of the 

Mind of Evil DVD

over at Blogtor Who.

Future 'Pyramids of Mars' Sutekh Figure (With New Head & Glowing Eyes)

A documentary based around Doctor Who toys called Doctor Forever! - Celestial Toyroom was recently featured on the DVD release The Aztecs: Special Edition. In an interview with Alasdair Dewar from toy company Character Options this new Sutekh figure from the Doctor Who story 'The Pyramids of Mars' was demoed; it features a different head and light-up eyes. 

Above is the previous Pyramids of Mars Set, featuring Sutekh (with Osiran head) and two Robot Mummy Guards. So it looks like we'll have another Pyramids of Mars set to look forward to at some point in the future...

'The Ice Warriors' WILL Be Animated For DVD

Contrary to previous reports it has now been officially confirmed that the DVD release of Classic Doctor Who Patrick Troughton story 'The Ice Warriors' will have both it's missing episodes animated. 

The company being brought in to handle the animation is called Qurios. This is particularly good timing as the Ice Warriors are set to return to Doctor Who this year for the 50th Anniversary in a story written by veteren Who writer Mark Gatiss, set on a submarine.

The current release date is set as 26th August 2013. But that may change.

Here's a sample of the "work in progress"animation:

Qurios Entertainment’s previous work includes visual effects for sci-fi sitcom Hyperdrive, puppet comedy Mongrels and titles for Doctor Who DVD extra series Who Peter. Veteran producer of the classic Who range, Chris Chapman has overseen the animation, Niel Bushnell is the producer for Qurios and the animation director is Chris Chatterton.

An Ice Warrior, Jamie, the Doctor, & Victoria.

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Doctor Who 50th Anniversary To Be Shown In 3D & In Cinemas!

It was recently announced as part of a press release from the BBC that as part of the BBC's blockbuster celebrations to mark the Doctor turning 50, fans will be able to see the Time Lord and his adventures like never before - in 3D! 

Steven Moffat, lead writer and executive producer, said: 

“It's about time. Technology has finally caught up with Doctor Who and your television is now bigger on the inside. A whole new dimension of adventure for the Doctor to explore."

The last time Doctor Who used 3-D was in the best-forgotten Children In Need and 30th Anniversary special "Dimensions In Time." Let's hope that Moffat has something a little better than that to hit us with for the 50th.

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There are also some rumours circulating in the Guardian that the 3D Special will be shown in special screenings at selected Cinemas. Perhaps the closest we'll get to a Doctor Who Film. Who has been advertised in cinemas before but hasn't seen an on screen release since the Two Dalek films. 

Ben Stephenson, the BBC's Controller of Drama said that the anniversary of the time-travelling show would be a national event and compared it to the Queen's diamond jubilee and the Olympics. He also commented:

"We will be doing it on cinema screens as well. We are working out the logistics of that at the moment because we need to make sure the main BBC1 experience remains absolute value for money for the audience."

Details are still a little hazy. But more will surely follow shortly.

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Doctor Who: The Ambassadors of Death DVD Review

The Ambassadors of Death had a turbulent genesis. It was originally submitted by writer David Whitaker in 1968, titled 'Invaders From Mars' and written for Patrick Troughton's Doctor. In '69 the script was reworked for Jon Pertwee and renamed 'The Carriers Of Death.' The scripts were handed to Terrance Dick's assistant Trevor Ray who reworked episode one. After going through three different producers, Peter Bryant, Derrick Sherwin and finally Barry Letts, Whitaker's working and reworking on the scripts was deemed unsatisfactory; therefore episodes two and three were rewritten by Terrance Dicks and Malcolm Hulke, and Four-Seven by Hulke alone. The Ambassadors of Death is a great story but this complicated process sadly reflects on the finish product.

The story centres around the Doctor and UNIT's investigation of the mystery surrounding Mars Probe 7. Space Control hasn't had any contact with the astronauts on board since it started back from Mars seven months ago and then the Recovery 7 rescue mission runs into similar difficulties. It transpires that the ship's occupants are not the human astronauts after all but a trio of radiation-dependent aliens. The earth is threatened once more by invasion but who is behind the plot? The Ambassadors of Deathis arguably the closest Who gets to James Bond. It also goes without saying that the narrative owes a great deal to the 1953 tv-serial The Quatermass Experiment, where an astronaut returning to earth is replaced by an alien life form. The story boasts one of the first uses of CSO (Colour Separation Overlay) on Doctor Who and some of the programme's greatest ever stunt and action sequences.

The Quatermass Experiment (1953)

Extra Features/Value Added Material:

Much like the story's production itself the DVD release has had a somewhat troubled past and development. Originally planned for release in 2011 alongside The Sun Makers,Ambassadors was delayed due to ongoing restoration issues. These issues were finally resolved in November 2011 and it has taken until October 2012 for the DVD to finally see release. So, was it worth the wait? I'll say, it was! Like other early Who,The Ambassadors of Death benefits immensely from theDigitally Remastered Picture and Sound Quality. This is probably the best it has ever looked.

The difference from VHS to
DVD speaks for itself.

The main boast of the DVD's V.A.M. is the documentary Mars Probe 7: Making the Ambassadors of Death from BAFTA-nominated director Chris Chapman.  The doco chronicles the making of this story brilliantly; covering it's sticky inception, writing, rewriting, production, stunts and effects. There is some lovely old footage of the HAVOC stunt team, who share their anecdotal experiences with glee. We also get some interesting insights from the show's director Michael Ferguson. Just as the story was when it was original aired, the documentary is framed beautifully by the real life events of the Apollo 13 space mission.

Toby Hadoke ably moderates the Commentary with the massed collective of Caroline John (Liz Shaw), Nicholas Courtney (The Brigadier), Peter Halliday (Alien Voices) and Geoffrey Beevers (Private Johnson), director Michael Ferguson, script editor Terrance Dicks, stunt co-ordinator Derek Ware and stunt performers Roy Scammell and Derek Martin. The assembled team give an enjoyable and amusing recanting of their experiences working on the story, with plenty of jolly anecdotes on hand. Hearing Caroline John and Nicholas Courtney's voices from beyond the grave is at times haunting and at others wonderfully comforting.

Nicholas Courtney and Caroline John.

The disc features the final installment of the Tomorrow’s Times series, this time for The Third Doctor. The extra looks at the press coverage of Doctor Who during the Pertwee era and is presented by Peter Purves, who gives the piece an experienced and grounded feel.

Also included are the original BBC Trailer for the story, and the usual Photo Gallery, Coming Soon, and Radio Times Listings.

The Ambassadors of Death is a fairly long, seven-part story with a troubled background, but it's action packed and offers a rare cocktail of Doctor Who, James Bond, and Quatermass, shaken but not stirred. The extras are a little thin on the ground but it's quality over quantity.

Story: 7/10

Extra Features: 4/5

The Ambassadors of Death is released on DVD in the UK on 1st October, the US on 2nd October and in Australia on the 3rd October.