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Classic DW DVDs until at least 2013 (and other tidbits)

2

23skidoo

Admiral
Admiral
I was just checking the news page for the Canadian Doctor Who Information Network and I found an article on the colorization (or rather the color-recovery) of some Pertwee episodes that are currently only in black and white. At the bottom of the story, Steve Roberts of the Doctor Who Restoration Team also revealed a couple of tidbits of interest:

1. Once again, the BBC is reaffirming that it's too cheap to pay for the animated restoration of any more of the lost episodes. (That's OK, someone will just do it themselves and post it to YouTube and BBC will have lost a bunch of DVD sales. :rolleyes: )

2. BBC Video plans to keep issuing classic-series DVDs until the end of 2013 and the 50th anniversary. This is a significant piece of information for anyone who thinks the DVD format is going to disappear in the short term, or were worried (like me) that classic series releases were going to be abandoned as unsuitable for Blu-Ray.

3. The McGann logo is going to be sem-retired from classic series releases, which apparently will begin using the new Matt Smith logo. According to the article, BBC Video are planning to provide "reversible packaging" so people who've been collecting the set have consistent packaging, but no word as to whether the North American releases (which use different packaging) will follow suit.

Here's the full article:

http://www.dwin.org/expressionengin...mind_of_evil_in_colour_just_not_yet_and_more/

Alex
 
Yeah how dare the BBC not subsidse DVD releases with more license payer money!

As much as I'd love to see more animated stories it's a minority release and just not cost effective for the BBC - especially given the political pressure they are under to cut costs at the moment.
 
Well, that's pretty good news. There are several more stories I'm looking forward to adding to my collection.

As for animating the lost episodes, it's a shame they won't be. I really enjoyed the animation for the missing episodes of "The Invasion".
 
Josan said:
As for animating the lost episodes, it's a shame they won't be. I really enjoyed the animation for the missing episodes of "The Invasion".
Click to expand...
The reason for the animation of "The Invasion" was that the money had already been allocated for the follow-up to "The Scream of the Shalka." RTD's series put the kibosh on any further adventures of the Richard E. Grant Doctor, but the money still needed to be used. Hence, "The Invasion."
 
23skidoo said:
1. Once again, the BBC is reaffirming that it's too cheap to pay for the animated restoration of any more of the lost episodes. (That's OK, someone will just do it themselves and post it to YouTube and BBC will have lost a bunch of DVD sales. :rolleyes: )
Click to expand...
Yes, I bet the BBC has looked into this, seen it's a giant opportunity for money-making, and decided not to do it just because they hate fun.
 
Does the BBC have a rule that only an in-house, or unionized animation shop is allowed to work on the dvd's? Because I'm sure there are plenty of freelance animators out there who'd love to take a crack at an episode.
 
Cutter John, they'd still have to be paid, and there's no willingness on the part of the BBC to part with the funds.

As I said above, the only reason "The Invasion" was animated for episodes 1 and 4 is that the money was allocated for a project that was ultimately scuttled. The money had to be used for something, so they decided they would try an animated reconstruction.
 
And even then the BBCi department has to sell rights to Worldwide to use the animation, though they did get it for less than it would have cost anyone else.

Even BBC4 have no interest in broadcasting it.

Ultimately I have to take the view that unless you are going to have original directors/actors advicing, there's no real rush. Who knows what technology will allow in ten years?

VDCNI said:
Yeah how dare the BBC not subsidse DVD releases with more license payer money!
Click to expand...
No licence fee money goes on the restoration or extras. Indeed the one way of getting animations done would be to find a channel to broadcast them, with Worldwide co-financing them.

Cutter John said:
Does the BBC have a rule that only an in-house, or unionized animation shop is allowed to work on the dvd's? Because I'm sure there are plenty of freelance animators out there who'd love to take a crack at an episode.
Click to expand...
Even if someone handed them a finished animation of broadcast quality, they'd be unable to accept it. Look at it this way - You could offer to do my job for peanuts. I'd have no work to do.
 
23skidoo said:
BBC Video plans to keep issuing classic-series DVDs until the end of 2013 and the 50th anniversary. This is a significant piece of information for anyone who thinks the DVD format is going to disappear in the short term, or were worried (like me) that classic series releases were going to be abandoned as unsuitable for Blu-Ray.
Click to expand...

Well, we do know that any scenes shot on videotape will be unreleasable on Blu-Ray anyway, so I think all classic DW will be strictly confined to standard def DVD (except for those eps that were all shot on film).
 
Mr. Laser Beam said:
Well, we do know that any scenes shot on videotape will be unreleasable on Blu-Ray anyway, so I think all classic DW will be strictly confined to standard def DVD (except for those eps that were all shot on film).
Click to expand...
Which is only "Spearhead from Space."

That's the only one that's 100% film. We have an industrial action to thank for that.
 
It is a shame that The Invasion didn't sell better as I liked seeing the animated episodes, but another poster is right there are folks who are animating missing episodes and putting em on Youtube.
 
Mr. Laser Beam said:
Well, we do know that any scenes shot on videotape will be unreleasable on Blu-Ray anyway
Click to expand...

They can be upscaled, there just won't be any improvement to the resolution. Less compression artifacting though, which is an issue on some releases

Most of the title sequences were shot on 35mm, I'd buy a HDTV just to see them in all their glory :D

Unfortunately they aren't even sure Spearhead would benefit that much from a HD transfer, the 16mm film stock wasn't the best.
 
About the only real advantage to Blu-Ray I can see is it'll eliminate big box sets. You could fit a fair number of episodes + extras on one disk.

Allyn Gibson said:
Cutter John, they'd still have to be paid, and there's no willingness on the part of the BBC to part with the funds.

As I said above, the only reason "The Invasion" was animated for episodes 1 and 4 is that the money was allocated for a project that was ultimately scuttled. The money had to be used for something, so they decided they would try an animated reconstruction.
Click to expand...

Well, I was thinking more as a 'labor of love' or just for the publicity. Heck, if people are willing to work just so their stuff can be seen on Youtube, surely some would jump at the chance to be on an internationally released dvd.

Or am I just pipedreaming here?
 
I don't think there's any point going to blu-ray. Whose gonna wanna watch ropey fx from a 50 year old show on a high def format?

Well, apart from us old farts, of course.
 
Does till the end of 2013 give them enough time to get every episode on DVD like with VHS? Also how fast are they going to release the DVDs in R1 after the R2 release dates?
 
Every show should be out on Region 2 by the end of 2013, that was the plan yes.

No idea about the rest of the regions. Region 4 2014 maybe.
 
23skidoo said:
This is a significant piece of information for anyone who thinks the DVD format is going to disappear in the short term, or were worried (like me) that classic series releases were going to be abandoned as unsuitable for Blu-Ray.
Click to expand...

Blu-Ray will never replace DVD in the same way VHS was replaced - it simply will not happen.
 
Allyn Gibson said:
Josan said:
As for animating the lost episodes, it's a shame they won't be. I really enjoyed the animation for the missing episodes of "The Invasion".
Click to expand...
The reason for the animation of "The Invasion" was that the money had already been allocated for the follow-up to "The Scream of the Shalka." RTD's series put the kibosh on any further adventures of the Richard E. Grant Doctor, but the money still needed to be used. Hence, "The Invasion."
Click to expand...

This makes no sense. The BBC made the funds available for a free web thing. But, the BBC won't make funds available to sell DVDs? This type of animation just isn't that expensive anyway.

Mr Awe
 
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