More ghost light

Friday, 30 April 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

An article on the Restoration Team site today details some of the specifics around the forthcoming release of Ghost Light, due out on DVD in the UK in early September. The commentary for the story has been recorded with Sophie Aldred (Ace), writer Marc Platt, script editor Andrew Cartmel and incidental musician Mark Ayres. The article discusses the process by which the extant extra footage had been discovered, and notes that several hours of raw footage were made available to the restoration group after being recorded by a BBC engineer and, miraculously, never wiped. In addition to the commentary and 5.1 surround remix, a 20-minute extended and deleted scenes package was included (it was not possible to create a longer version of the story, a la "Curse of Fenric," because of the time code burned into the VHS copy), as well as a 12-minute Q&A session with Platt recorded at 1990's Panopticon, and two featurettes: "Light in Dark Places" (38 min) featuring interviews with Sylvester McCoy (the Doctor), Aldred, Sharon Duce (Control), Ian Hogg (Josiah Smith), Michael Cochrane (Redvers Fenn-Cooper), Katharine Schlesinger (Gwendolyn), Cartmel and Ayres; and "Shooting Ghosts" (20 min), a behind-the-scenes look at the studio process with the only recording of such still in existence. As stated before, it will also include a photo gallery, an easter egg or two, and production subtitle notes. (Thanks to the Restoration Team)

FILTER: - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

bbc south today

Thursday, 29 April 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

Producer Bill Baggs contacted Outpost Gallifrey to let us know that the planned Doctor Who special he was involved with -- rumored to include actor Alan Cumming, as we reported here back in March -- will not be going ahead. "I work for a department called English Regions," Bill told OG, "and after much consideration, the Head [of programming] has decided that a Dr Who TV drama is not something we should be doing." However, Baggs will be involved in making three films for BBC South Today. "Southern Ways is an arts and entertainment strand and we'll be focussing on locations that were used for Dr Who that are in the South (the programmes patch)." And that's where readers come in. "I need your help. Anyone with specific memories of filming in the South of England (Sussex, Hampshire, Dorset, Oxfordshire and Berkshire) and who are still based here, please contact me, as we're looking for contributors. Transmission is due for mid July and filming starts soon." If you can help, contact Outpost Gallifrey and we'll forward your information on. (Thanks to Bill Baggs)

FILTER: - Press

ghost light dvd extras

Thursday, 29 April 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

BBCi has listed the extras on the forthcoming UK DVD release of Ghost Light, which was confirmed by the latest issue of DWM. Included on the disc will be a commentary track (no word on who, but we at least expect Sylvester McCoy & Sophie Aldred); a 5.1 audio remix and isolated music score; featurettes including "Light in the Darkness," "Shooting Ghosts" (with "unique behind the scenes studio footage"); an extended/deleted scenes package; and a writer Q&A session recorded at Panopticon X in 1990. More details soon! (Thanks to BBCi, Steve Roberts, and Jonathan Morris for pointing it out to us!)

FILTER: - DWM - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

big finish addenda

Thursday, 29 April 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

A couple of updates to yesterday's Big Finish news article. Nicholas Briggs is the director of Faith Stealer; the single-disc McCoy story is not mentioned as being a DWM giveaway, but will instead initially be given free to BF subscribers (a la The Maltese Penguin); January 2005's Game Time will, like Rassilon, be a three-CD release, and both the triple-disc releases will retail for less than "Zagreus" but the final price has not been fixed. (Thanks to Steve Tribe and DWM)

FILTER: - Audio - DWM

bbc books status

Thursday, 29 April 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

Justin Richards tells Doctor Who Magazine, "It looks likely at the moment that the PDAs will continue to be published as before while the series is off-air, with New Who adventures - aimed very much at the same audience as the new series - coming out while the series is being transmitted." Whether that means that the current January-March 2005 publication schedule has changed remains to be seen. Richards also noted that "Doctor Who: The Legend," the hardcover anniversary book, is sold out (at least from BBC Books; copies remain in shops and distributors' hands.)

FILTER: - Books

ghost light dvd

Wednesday, 28 April 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

According to the new issue of Doctor Who Magazine, Ghost Light will be the next DVD release after the upcoming "The Leisure Hive," due out in September -- confirming earlier reports here on the Outpost Gallifrey news pages. More details soon.

FILTER: - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

the end of an eighth doctor era

Wednesday, 28 April 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

Twin developments will occur in the next year that will formally mark the end of the era of the Eighth Doctor (as played by Paul McGann) as the "current" Doctor, although it won't mark the end of his appearances. According to the latest issue of DWM,Big Finish will be releasing one final "season" of McGann audios from September through December of this year (possibly bumping the previously announced "Dead Man's Hand" to early 2005), which will tie up the current story arc (the Divergent universe)... and which will conclude with a special three-disc release (a la "Zagreus") in December. Individual stories starring Paul McGann will then become part of the monthly rotation like the other three Doctors as of 2005. Meanwhile, BBC Books will feature one final 'official' book from the Eighth Doctor Adventures series -- written by Lance Parkin ("The Infinity Doctors"), according to a post of Parkin's on the Jade Pagoda mailing list. After this, the Eighth Doctor will become part of the monthly book series like the other seven Doctors, which is expected to continue unabated into 2005 and beyond. (Thanks to DWM, Lance Parkin)

FILTER: - Audio - DWM

wheel in space press release

Wednesday, 28 April 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

BBC Worldwide has finally issued a press release about the upcoming CD release of The Wheel in Space, starring Patrick Troughton, Frazer Hines and Wendy Padbury, due out May 3 from the BBC Radio Collection. "Patrick Troughton stars as the second Doctor in this six-part story from 1968 - only two episodes of which survive in the BBC Television Archives. With linking narration by Wendy Padbury, who plays the Doctor's new c

FILTER: - Audio - Classic Series

last week's media roundup

Wednesday, 28 April 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

A few items in last week's media to report on (with thanks to Steve Tribe and Paul Engelberg):

A brief mention in today's Guardian, in an article on "Parkinson" leaving the BBC at the same time as various of his contemporaries return to the corporation, mentions Who in passing: "As Simon Cowell's latest talent show for ITV, The X-Factor, abolishes any upper age limit for contestants, the man who has lived at least nine lives, Doctor Who, is also heading back to our screens with the programme hitting 40 and the Time Lord himself nudging 1,000." Read it here (note: the Guardian now requires registration!)

The Ayrshire Post on April 15 featured an article called "Prof Hawking can speak like a Dalek or try the new technology" referring to Stephen Hawking and his stubbornness in replacing his speaking-device computer, which would be nearly impossible to repair due to antiquated parts. "But no... the professor is hell-bent on continuing to talk like a dalek and new speech synthesisers don’t speak like that no more...apparently! The professor maintains he has spoken like a dalek for years and argues that he has a right to talk that way if he wants to."

From the "arcane" files: Australia's Tenterfield Star on April 22 ran a story about the Wallangarra Railway Station, which mentioned how the station and museum, which straddle the border between Queensland and New South Wales, has become a popular stop for tourists and history buffs... not the least of which is due to the old TARDIS-style phone box in the station's heritage centre! Meanwhile, down in New Zealand, the Herald ran a story on April 24 noting how new post boxes have hit the streets: "They look like a cross between a Dalek from Dr Who and the robot from Lost in Space, and they are coming to a street corner near you."

Ten Things You Didn't Know About Daleks ran in last week's South Wales Echo. It was a largely factual piece with ten pieces of trivia about the pepperpot villains, including "Daleks are mutants from the planet Skaro," "Creator Terry Nation said he was "inspired" by the letter coding on an encyclopedia, DAL - LEK. He later admitted he couldn't remember how the name came about." and "8. The Daleks once had their own West End stage play."

FILTER: - Press

more on dvd box set

Wednesday, 28 April 2004 - Reported by Shaun Lyon

The Sci Fi Online site, picking up the ball with our news story from earlier in this week about the late-year release in North America of two "The Missing Years" DVD releases, has their own story (merely rumored until we hear otherwise) about the contents of the box set coming out in late 2004 from BBC Worldwide in the UK. The report suggests that there will be a single set (split in two for some reason in the US, as we reported here), which will include the existing standalone episodes from the first two Doctors' eras: episodes 1 and 3 of "The Crusade," episodes 2 and 4 of "The Moonbase," episodes 3 and 6 of "The Wheel in Space," episode 2 of "The Evil of the Daleks," episode 2 of "The Space Pirates," episode 3 of "The Underwater Menace," episode 1 of "The Web of Fear," episode 2 of "The Abominable Snowmen" and episodes 1, 2 and 3 of "The Tenth Planet", as well as three episodes of "The Daleks' Master Plan," episodes 5 and 10 and the recently-recovered episode 2. Says the article, "Missing from the release will be The Ice Warriors, Invasion and Reign of Terror, presumably as all three titles could justify a release in their own right despite them being incomplete. ... All the material will of course be fully restored and most likely linked by newly shot documentary footage explaining why episodes were junk in the first place. A large photo archive is available as is a large number of short clips from lost adventures, principally the Australian censor footage. Expect a lavish three disc production - just in time for the programme's return to our screens." Update: The site did not previously include episodes 1 & 3 of "The Faceless Ones," episode 4 of "The Celestial Toymaker" and episode 3 of "Enemy of the World" in the package, but now does. As always, treat this as just a rumor until you hear it confirmed by BBC Worldwide. (Thanks to sci-fi online, Rich Kirkpatrick, Jeff Roehner)

FILTER: - Classic Series - Blu-ray/DVD

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More ghost light

bbc south today

ghost light dvd extras

big finish addenda

bbc books status

ghost light dvd

the end of an eighth doctor era

wheel in space press release

last week's media roundup

more on dvd box set

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