bbc radio collection update

Mark Ayres of the Doctor Who Restoration Team clarified a detail in yesterday's report about the new 2003 releases from the BBC Radio Collection. Frazer Hines will be narrating the August release of The Evil of the Daleks while Anneke Wills indeed narratesPower of the Daleks, released at the same time. The press information we received yesterday stated only Frazer's name. (Thanks to Mark Ayres for clarifying!)

Michael Stevens of BBC Audiobooks contacted Outpost Gallifrey to clarify the news about forthcoming releases from the BBC Radio Collection, which includes some new information for the first half of 2003 (until August). Just released this week on February 3 is The Space Pirates, the lost Patrick Troughton story narrated by Frazer Hines. In April, the series will diverge briefly for a new format: "In a new departure for British audio publishing," says the release, "BBC Radio Collection is releasing six titles on MP3-CD format. MP3-CDs offer the same high-quality sound as standard CDs, using a fraction of the disc space. Digitally remastered for optimal sound quality, they are able to hold more tracks than a regular CD ... all episodes contained on just one MP3-CD." This will include two Doctor Who releases on April 7: The Daleks' Master Plan and a combined CD of The Abominable Snowmen & The Web of Fear. (The other titles in the series will include "Fawlty Towers," "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy," "The Hobbit" and "Dead Ringers Series 1, 2 & 3".) On June 2, a new CD boxed set will be calledYeti Attack! featuring the existing releases of "The Abominable Snowmen" and "The Web of Fear" in a collector's box; the same treatment will be given to a second boxed set called Adventures in History on August 4 featuring The Myth Makers, The Massacre and The Highlanders. Each of these two boxed sets will be back in the standard CD format (likely the original releases encased in a new box). Finally, August 4 will also see the release of The Power of the Daleks and The Evil of the Dalekstogether in a specially-designed package; says the report: "These stories were previously issued on cassette in the early 1990s; they have now been digitally remastered from better soundtrack sources and have brand new linking narration. Long awaited by fans!" Frazer Hines will narrate both of these new releases. (Thanks to Michael Stevens)