Just over a month ago, the BBC issued
a press release which revealed that
February 2nd would see the DVD and Blu-ray Disc releases for North America of
Doctor Who - The Waters of Mars (52 minutes; DVD: $14.98 SRP or Blu-ray: $19.89 SRP). Also available that day, per the announcement, will be
Doctor Who - The End of Time, featuring both Part 1 (the upcoming 60-minute "Christmas Special") and Part 2 (the 72-minute "New Year Special") that marks the end of David Tennant's run as The 10th Doctor (2-DVD set: $24.98 SRP or 2-Blu-ray set: $29.99 SRP)...and our first glimpse of Matt Smith at The 11th Doctor.
Finally, the same release date also ships a 5-disc set of
Doctor Who - The Complete Specials that includes "The Next Doctor," "Planet of the Dead," "The Waters of Mars" and both parts of "The End of Time" (DVD: $49.98 SRP or Blu-ray: $59.99 SRP).
Today distributor Warner Home Video officially announced the North America releases for all three titles (
The Waters of Mars, The End of Time, The Complete Specials) in both DVD and high-def Blu-ray Disc formats. The announcement confirms the February 2 release date for all six offerings, as well as their list prices. It also included package art for
Doctor Who - The Waters of Mars in DVD and Blu-ray Disc (see below), as well as EARLY front cover art (subject to change, as indicated on the picture at bottom) of the DVD version for
Doctor Who - The Complete Specials. Package art for
The End of Time is still being kept under wraps; stay tuned for that down the road.
But it's known that David Tennant has participated in Audio Commentary tracks for one or both of the
End of Time specials, and that Behind-the-Scenes featurettes ("
Doctor Who Confidential") has been recorded as well, so we can expect to see that on at LEAST the big box set (and possibly on the separate
End of Time release as well, though we're not certain of that just yet). Stay tuned for updates!
UPDATE: Warner has provided some additional information about these releases. First of all, to the right you will now see a small, EARLY (subject to change) thumbnail shot of the cover art for
Doctor Who - The End of Time (DVD version). Secondly, Warner has clarified that these releases will all be presented with English 5.1 Surround Sound audio, and widescreen video. All DVDs will be in anamorphic widescreen, while the Blu-rays will be high-definition 1080p widescreen.
The one question-mark so far on that last part concerns "The Next Doctor," which was not recorded in high definition during its original production. We have had TONS of fans write in, either asking us about it or offering their opinions on what the BBC will do. No need to send us further e-mails on the topic; rest assured we have inquired about this with the studio, and were told by our contact that the question was forwarded "to the experts," who are putting together an official answer on the matter. Stay tuned for that answer. In the meantime, Warner has also provided a more extensive list of guest stars (many of them from the upcoming "The End of Time" two-parter) and bonus material. We've got that immediately below, just prior to all the other box art:
- Guest stars include Michelle Ryan (Bionic Woman), David Morrissey (State of Play), Lindsay Duncan (Rome), John Simm (Life on Mars), Timothy Dalton (James Bond), Catherine Tate (The Catherine Tate Show) and Bernard Cribbins (Frenzy)
- Over 7 Hours of Special Features:
- Doctor Who at the Proms
- Doctor Who Confidential accompanying each special
- Confidential for The Next Doctor only available in the collection
- Deleted Scenes
- David Tennant Video Diary - The Final Days
- BBC Idents
- Audio Commentary
- Doctor Who at Comic Con
Mars, 2059. Bowie Base One. Last recorded message: "Don't drink the water. Don't even touch it. Not one drop" All will be revealed in The Waters of Mars, starring Lindsay Duncan (Alice in Wonderland [2010], Rome, Under the Tuscan Sun) as the Doctor's cleverest and most strong-minded companion yet.
This stunning collection of Doctor Who specials - The Next Doctor, Planet of the Dead, The Waters of Mars and The End of Time, Part One & Two - is a must own for all Doctor Who fans. The four imaginative, action-packed specials are the farewell to star David Tennant, and Russell T Davies, the mastermind behind the rebirth of the modern Doctor Who. The specials culminate in the dramatic regeneration of the Doctor, giving fans their first glimpse of the eleventh Doctor, played by Matt Smith. The specials are packed with a terrific lineup of guest stars including Michelle Ryan (Bionic Woman), David Morrissey (State of Play, Sense and Sensibility), Lindsay Duncan (Alice in Wonderland [2010], Rome, Under the Tuscan Sun) and many more that we can't reveal just yet!
