Two more classic Doctor Who adventures join BBC’s growing DVD library in January. The first comes from the Patrick Troughton era with a new race of villains, while the second features fan favorite Tom Baker as the Doctor. Both DVDs will be available in stores on January 11, 2011.
“The Dominators” (Story 44)
The Doctor, Jaime, and Zoe arrive on the planet Dulkis to find the indigenous people enslaved by the invading Dominators. The Dominators’ robotic assistants are the Quarks, a mechanical villain that was meant to be as merchandisable as the Daleks but never quite caught on as strongly. The native Dulcians are a peace loving people who refuse to fight back against the encroaching threat, leaving the Doctor to figure out how to save people who will not save themselves. Originally airing in five parts in 1968, the entirety of “The Dominators” is collected here with an assortment of special features:
- Audio commentary by Frazer Hines (Jaime), Wendy Padbury (Zoe), Giles Block (Teel), Arthur Cox (Cully), and Sylvia James (makeup designer).
- Recharge and Equalize – A 23-minute making-of featurette with the cast and crew that created the episodes.
- Tomorrow’s Times – A 13 minute featurette about press coverage for Patrick Troughton’s Second Doctor.
- Photo Gallery
“Meglos” (Story 111)
Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor is back in this adventure from 1980. Originally broadcast in four parts, this new DVD release collects the whole “Meglos” story together, throwing the Doctor, K-9, and Romana into the midst of a conflict over a powerful artifact called the Dodecahedron. In addition to the collected episodes, the DVD also includes a number of extra features:
- Audio commentary by Lalla Ward (Romana), Christopher Owen (Earthling), John Flanagan (co-writer), and Paddy Kingsland and Peter Howell (composers).
- Meglos Men – A featurette with writers John Flanagan and Andrew McCulloch and script editor Christopher H. Bidmead.
- The Scene Sync Story – A 12 minute special detailing some of the pioneered effects used in “Meglos.”
- Jacqueline Hill: A Life in Pictures – A 14 minute profile on the actress who played the First Doctor’s companion and returned for a different guest role in this adventure.
- Entropy Explained
- Photo Gallery
