Special edition TV Movie DVD coming (R2)
- Thread starter 23skidoo
- Start date
I've thought for a while -- even suggested this on Outpost Gallifrey, where I was told that I was making a stupid suggestion -- that after the BBC fucked up the negotiations for the first season of Doctor Who on an American network (they wanted fifteen million dollars to broadcast the first season), and then they had to go back and take a tenth of that from the Sci-Fi Channel, that they should have tried to work out a swap with Vivendi Universal -- Doctor Who on the Sci-Fi Channel, the video rights for the McGann movie to BBC Worldwide. It would have cleared up a lot, and we'd have had McGann on DVD here a long time ago.
There's no reason for VU to release the McGann film on DVD in North America. Doctor Who isn't one of their properties. They can't exploit it for anything. (Well, that's not exactly true. They could make a Grace Holloway series.) Why release it? Yes, they're leaving some money on the table, but why would they care? In the grand scheme of things, we're talking a pittance.
None of this rules out the possibility that the R1 box set was dropped because sales looked likely to be low: I'm in Region 2, but didn't get the Davros box set as I already had all the individual releases, so the only things it had on offer were a few new extras, the corrected version of Remembrance, and the new Davros Mission audio. Not nearly enough to justify 50-odd pounds.
Now add to that Remembrance still being in a re-edited version in a R1 set, and it's even less worthwhile. Canny DVD releasers do notice that sort of thing.
Since when did the suits every care about the fans?!^ But it would make the fans happy!
By the way, I LOVE your avatar. I wish I could get that for Christmas!
So is the DVD revenue for the McGann movie in North America. Why fight tooth and nail to release a DVD of a film that bombed in the US over a decade ago?
It's simply not worth anyone's while to sort out the rights issues.
Sweet. Can you send me the original?^ Thanks! Got that from the Big Finish site a couple years ago (minus the blinking light). Finally decided to use it.
I was under the impression that there were no actual rights issues to be worked out for the Paul McGann movie. I'd understood that Universal had clear ownership of the DVD rights and could release them whenever they wanted. They are simply disinclined to do so because they don't own any of the rest of the property and all it would serve to do is promote the rest of the Doctor Who stuff owned by the other companies.
Of course, this would also be a reason for 20th Century Fox to not release the 1960s Batman movie or for Columbia to not release the 1940s Batman serials. And yet, they have released all those.
David Attenborough's landmark series Life On Earth is absent a R1 (and presumably R4) release due to it's endorsement of evolution and the fact that this challenges the views of creationists. Though there are probably a few idiot fundies living here they are most definitely the extreme minority in this country and I don't see why the rest of us should have to suffer for their willful ignorance.
Seems silly since there's tons of other anti-creationist works out there. Ever hear of Jurassic Park?
What do you mean? Dinosaurs and humans living together on an island: that's evidence for these people.
Ah true. But this was before I knew about VLC. Ah well.
Sure, I can do that after I get home tonight.Sweet. Can you send me the original?^ Thanks! Got that from the Big Finish site a couple years ago (minus the blinking light). Finally decided to use it.
huh, just got the last two on divid. managed to win a TOTCm off eBay for under a tenner, free postage.
I don't much care about the first two, but Caves could do with more special features, especially since it's the introduction of Colin Baker as THE Doctor. I'm currently watching Spearhead from Space as part of Project: Who, and I'm curious to see what they could tack on to this story.
And any special edition of Tomb of the Cybermen will be on my shelf the instant it's released.
Twin Dilemma deals with Colin's introduction (I imagine, I've not got it yet). Caves will be more about Davison's departure, as well as taking advantage of better picture quality. The original suffered from some poor compression artefacts in the dark cave scenes. Talons as well looked rather poor in some scenes, so I imagine that will benefit.
Spearhead might have a new commentary, perhaps with Terrance Dicks and Derrick Sherwin, and it could definitely do with copious extras about casting Pertwee, the exile on earth set-up, Liz Shaw, the Autons, etc.
Spearhead might have a new commentary, perhaps with Terrance Dicks and Derrick Sherwin, and it could definitely do with copious extras about casting Pertwee, the exile on earth set-up, Liz Shaw, the Autons, etc.
