The Underwater Menace DVD pulled... again...

[Brendan Moody]

The Cybermen will include "Army of Ghosts"/"Doomsday," "Closing Time," "Nightmare in Silver," and "Dark Water"/"Death in Heaven" as well as "Earthshock" (which will just be the episodes, without any of its original extras, let alone a special edition). There's going to be a similar Dalek-themed release later this year.

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

So, unlike the Davros set, no Big FInish discs?

 

[The Wormhole]

Even just focusing on the modern day series, that set is still rather incomplete. Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steele isn't there, neither is The Next Doctor.

 

[Brendan Moody]

It's pretty clearly a set for casual buyers and completists, not an attempt to be comprehensive. I would guess they wanted roughly equal amounts of each Doctor represented.

 

[Turtletrekker]

If "Tomb of the Cybermen" were included, I would be totally down with buying this.

 

[mythme]

The death of physical media is an exaggeration. There will always be people who cannot, or do not wish to use digital services. Yes, the market is diminishing, but it will not disappear anytime soon, if at all..

There'll always be a niche audience who want physical media, just like there is still a niche an audience for music on Vinyl. But for the vast majority of people streaming and downloads are the future.

Midlist/catalogue releases are rapidly diminishing for DVD and never really took off for Blu-Ray (which is why you find companies like Twilight Time specialising in 3000 copy print runs of cult titles that would once have received normal releases), so we will reach a point in the next few years where the only things sitting on physical shelves for sale will be new releases. (And anything else you'll pay through the nose for.)

Web & Enemy did well thanks to the huge publicity surrounding them but a physical release of TUM would be lucky to hit Moonbase level sales, especially since two of the episodes would be just recons and not even animated.

Like I said, I'd be amazed if they don't show up on the BBC Store when it launches in the near future.

They've already incurred expenses in upgrading the episode, distributing a trailer plus the bonus material which has been sitting in the can and possibly animation costs (but who knows if/how far that's gotten). Really, would it cause the BBC to take a bath to release the UM? Even if it is indeed a "dead medium" (which I don't believe), it seems to me they would want to make up some of the money back they've already sunk into it.

 

[Doctorwhovian]

Isn't this story generally agreed to be one of the lesser Troughtons, sort of an over-the-top villain (Played by the guy who would later be a Bond henchman in Diamonds Are Forever), and the weird-looking fish people?

 

[diankra]

Yes, but the poor reputation is due to episode three. It's not a great story, but episode two is a lot better (as was suspected from the childhood memories of those who saw it back in 67) so its rep has risen among those who've somehow seen ep 2 since it was recovered...

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

Looks like The Underwater Menace is getting a proper DVD release. But, if you ask me, its a no-no. Animate the missing eps or don't bother, IMO. Might sound a bit snobish, and I apologize to those of you who are content with telesnaps, but I just can't get behind that sort of thing.

The Underwater Menace is the fifth serial of the fourth season, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 14 January 1967 to 4 February 1967. The story introduces Jamie McCrimmon’s (Frazer Hines) on his first journey with the Doctor as a travelling companion.

This special release will contain the two re-mastered existing episodes, with the two missing episodes represented with restored audio and surviving stills, as well as over an hour of extras.

The TARDIS lands in the lost city of Atlantis, where the crazed Professor Zaroff has convinced the Atlanteans that he can raise their city from beneath the sea. But the Doctor discovers the terrible truth behind Zaroff’s plan – he intends to destroy the entire planet. With the doomsday clock ticking, the Doctor and his companions must battle to prevent the apocalypse… Episodes 2 and 3 of this adventure feature fully restored picture and audio. The missing Episodes 1 and 4 are presented using photographic stills and a restored soundtrack.

Episodes 2 and 3 of this adventure feature fully restored picture and audio. The missing Episodes 1 and 4 are presented using photographic stills and a restored soundtrack.

Extras:

• Commentary with Patrick Troughton’s son Michael (Episode 1), actors Anneke Wills (Polly), Frazer Hines (Jamie), Catherine Howe (Ara), Special Sounds Supervisor Brian Hodgson and Floor Assistant Quentin Mann (Episodes 2 & 3), and archival material from Patrick Troughton, Directors Julia Smith and Hugh David, and Producer Innes Lloyd. (Episode 4). Moderated by Toby Hadoke
• A Fishy Tale – Anneke Wills, Frazer Hines, Catherine Howe, Assistant Floor Manager Gareth Gwelan, Production Assistant Berry Butler and writer Robert Shearman look back at the making of this controversial story. Narrated by Peter Davison.
• The Television Centre of the Universe – Part Two. Yvette Fielding continues her tour of BBC Television Centre in the company of actors Peter Davison, Janet Fielding and Mark Strickson, with contributions from former colleagues along the way. With senior camera supervisor Alec Wheal, AFM Sue Hedden, former BBC producer and writer Richard Marson, exhibitions assistant Bob Richardson, production assistant Jane Ashford and videotape engineer Simon Anthony.
• Programme Subtitles
• Photo Gallery
• Digitally remastered picture & sound quality

Official release date is 26th of October.

 

[DarthPipes]

This is the UK release, right? Still no American release date set?

 

[kirk55555]

Hopefully it will get a US release sooner rather than later. As for Telesnaps, i'm fine with them over animation. The Web of Fear was fine with telesnaps, and I watched 5 of the six episodes of The Abominable Snowmen with the same kind or recon. If you don't like it I understand, but I'm pretty sure at this point its telesnap or no release. There is no reason to keep it unreleased just because some people might not want telesnaps, especially with animation basically not being an option anymore from what I understand.

 

[Saga]

telesnaps are better than nothing at all.

 

[Mr Soak]

The Underwater Menace is up on iTunes, along with the docos from the DVD; Fishy Tales, both parts of Television Centre of the Universe (or whatever it's called) and the photo gallery. Both exisiting episodes and the recons for the first and fourth episodes, un-VIDfired.

The "season" pass is twice the ammount of the four episodes individually. The non-episodes are season pass-only. (at least, that's the case in Australia.)

 

[Doctorwhovian]

Joseph Furst was a true moron.

 

[Andrew_Kearley]

Joseph Furst was a true moron.

Or an accomplished international stage and film actor. Take your pick...

 

[mythme]

The news is a few days old, but it looks like the US finally has a DVD release date (although Amazon still hasn't updated anything) -

http://www.kasterborous.com/2015/11/underwater-menace-dvd-gets-us-release-date/

Now when will we see "Downtime" over here?

 

[The Wormhole]

That article claims its source is the website TV Shows on DVD. However, the article about Underwater Menace on that website emphasizes that this hasn't been officially announced and they are only relaying a rumour, even if it is from one of their trusted sources.

 

[mythme]

I received a message from Amazon this morning. Underwater Menace will be delivered March 1.

 

[The Wormhole]

Which TV Shows on DVD now has a report about although they note this still isn't an official from BBC Home Entertainment.

 

[DarthPipes]

Well, this was supposed to be released in the U.S. on March 1st but I got an e-mail from Amazon stating that it's now being released on May 24th, nearly THREE MONTHS LATER. WTF?!