TVM DVD gets a re-release... in the UK.

From the DW News Page...

Quote :

The new release will be part of the Revisitaions box set, which will
consist of new editions of stories that were previously released in the
early days of the DVD schedule.

The TV Move special edition will include a documentary called The Seven Year Hitch,
which looks at producer Philip Segal's long quest to get the project
into production and talks to Segal himself, as well as writer Matthew
Jacobs and the BBC 1 controller Alan Yentob.

There is no confirmed release date for the Box Set, nor is it known if the story will finally be available in North America.

I'm really digging the documentary idea - the original release should've had it, frankly. The documentary will have a steep climb if it hopes to measure up to the book "Regeneration" by Segal and Gary Russell, but this is simply an "era" of Who that needs an in-depth examination.

I've always had a great deal of fondness for the McGann movie, and not as some sort of guilty pleasure either - I genuinely liked it from the first time I saw it, and despite the shift in fandom's tastes that seem to have dictated that it's crap, I think it presages a lot of what we've come to accept in the new series - the sparkly stuff that revives Grace and Chang Lee isn't a million miles away from the "heart of the TARDIS" FX in Bad Wolf and Parting Of The Ways. (And let's not even get into snogging every companion who walks into the TARDIS - McGann started that trend too!) So I'm really looking forward to seeing it examined in greater depth; it'd be neat to see some mention what Segal thinks of the current series.

It's nice to hear someone else say that Earl Green. I loved the TVM too and still do. Any inconstancies that people complain about are really not an issue for em. The show has been full of them and everyone can be explained away easily.

I have high hopes that this will get released her, but sadly the rationale part of my brain knows that it won't.

The only thing I would cut from the movie is the line about meeting the right guy and him being an alien. And only because it didn't fit where they put it in. It just didn't make sense in the context of when she said it.
I liked the movie... it was no worse than some stories in the 80's.

I would have them elaborate on the half human thing. He seems to say it almost self deprecatingly or is it part of the TARDIS's safe guards? Also, I like Eric Roberts portrayal of the master, it was over the top, just like I pictured the character. Also, considering the level of desperation the master was at at that moment. . .it fits.

Calixar wrote:

The only thing I would cut from the movie is the line about meeting the right guy and him being an alien. And only because it didn't fit where they put it in. It just didn't make sense in the context of when she said it.
I liked the movie... it was no worse than some stories in the 80's.

I can see that Calixar, it was a bit oddly place, or maybe left over from a previous version or something.

On the Half Human thing though, timewarrior, If the Doctor just said it where he did, then we could write it off as a distraction, but with the master saying that his retinas were human, then we have to assume that the Doctor was not lying.

That said, and first let me say that I don't mind that he is half human as it hasn't changed anything about the characters past for me, but there is another way to look at it. Something I thought of about a year ago I guess.

The Doctor was in surgery before he died. In a surgery like that they give you blood transfusions. O blood if they can't place yours. So when he regenerated he had human blood in him. This human blood is part of him now, and when his body regenerates every single cell in his body changes. This new blood becomes bart of those changed cells. Those cells could have reformed as eyes. In the 9th Doctor they could be a liver, the 10th Doctor they could be a kidney, and possibly after Human Nature, the Doctor is full Time Lord again.

So when the Doctor said he was half Human, it could have just been a distraction and when the Master saw his eyes, it just happened to look like a true statement at the time.

But, that said, it is an interesting theory, if I do say so myself, but I don't mind the Half Human thing mainly because the character is still the same character to me.

But like timewarrior said, I would not mind some more elaboration on it one day. Nothing major, just a bit of more detail.

I hadn't thought of the blood transfusion angle... I like it, though it's obvious that's not what the writers had in mind at the time. Would be a nice Tennant aside to retcon things. "I was human once - Weeeeell, part human. Blood transfusion, regeneration, took years to sort that mess out. Nice hair though."

Very clever take on the half-human theory there Brian - I like it!

I never really had a problem with the half-human thing either, really - it explained quite a bit (i.e. why, in Survival, the Doctor's jump "home" brings him to Earth rather than Gallifrey or straight into the TARDIS, or for that matter why he hangs out around Earth so much to begin with).

Someone elsewhere had mentioned that this release would also have a "Stripped for Action: The Eighth Doctor" feature. Any corroboration on this? The Eighth Doctor strips in DWM were really quite good: strong storytelling, good pacing, "widescreen" action bits...if you ask me, the modern series took quite a few cues from the TVM and the comic strips.

mysterylad wrote:

Someone elsewhere had mentioned that this release would also have a "Stripped for Action: The Eighth Doctor" feature. Any corroboration on this?

That was me here

https://whona.forumotion.com/other-items-up-for-discussion-f12/upcoming-dvd-releases-t2163-25.htm

and it has now been confirmed by Steve Roberts here

http://www.zetaminor.com/roobarb/showthread.php?t=32547&page=2

Glad you guys like the idea, as I said I don't mind the half human thing, but I know it bugs some people so it just seemed like a valid idea. And yes I agree the writers definitely did not have that in mind.

terrasolo wrote:

I don't mind the half human thing, but I know it bugs some people

I completely detest the idea, and Eric Roberts, but I love the movie. I have to. It says "Doctor Who" at the beginning so really I have no choice. I'm thrilled they're re-releasing the DVD. Doesn't bother me if it's UK-only, the last one was. I just bought one from ebay and printed an R1 cover (on the back of the UK one so it's reversible ), looks great.

I wish they would come up with some way to get it released here in the USA. I really enjoy the stripped for action feature.

I bought the R2 version some time ago (got tired of waiting for the States to get off their duffs and release it here). While I really loved McGann as the Doctor (and still love him in the BF audios), I hated the fact they made the Doctor half-human (heaven forbid that a pure alien be the main lead in an American show without a chance of connecting to the audience) and Eric Robert's over the top camp performance as the Master (Roger Delgado is still the man as the Master after all this time). The regeneration scene wasn't great either.

I would love to know who's idea it was to make him Half Human, because people always bang on about how it was an American thing, but the script writer, Director and producer were all British.

ok, i'm going to add to the confusion here. i never had a problem with the half-human thing, however, i have way more pressing questions than that. was susan actually his granddaughter, or just someone he adopted? if she is his granddaughter, where's her mother/father? the only mention of his family that i know of(other than the doctor's daughter), was in the tomb of the cybermen when he says he can remember them when he wants to. since we've never heard anything about the rest of this family in the series(parents), how do we know there isn't a reason he always visits earth?(ala survival)

That's a good thought, perhaps he father was exiled, or even left Gallifrey just as he did. Maybe the Doctor has been searching for them for his whole life, constantly checking earth.

However, I think the fact that He had Susan, which hint in the new series would say yes she is his real granddaughter, would suggest that her mother and father are dead. I mean why else would the Doctor have her and not them?

It would be nice if the re-release was region free!

This set is The Movie (2 Discs), Talons (3 Discs) & Androzani (2 Discs)

I'd imagine they'll be released as seperate titles in America, except The Movie of course.

The Movie has a McCoy & McGann commentary.

I always thought that the reason the Doctor comes off as human to the Master had to do with the TARDIS defenses. The TARDIS does seem to be en entity of some sort so perhaps "she" was protecting her secrets and the Doctor. By making the Master think that the only way to open the eye was to use a human gave the Doctor a chance to gain allies through the process and defeat the Master.

cinnur wrote:

It would be nice if the re-release was region free!

How about if all dvds were region free, 99.9 percent of the time R1 releases have extras that we in R2 land can only dream of.

Not being cheeky, but just get yourself a region free DVD player. Every one I've ever owned has been region-free, so I don't even pay attention what regions they are anymore. Just picked up a new one for the TV in the basement this morning, $30 at walmart.

Doctor Detroit wrote:

cinnur wrote:

It would be nice if the re-release was region free!

How about if all dvds were region free, 99.9 percent of the time R1 releases have extras that we in R2 land can only dream of.

That has already crossed my mind, and I agree.
I would think it would be smarter and more profitable for studios that if all discs were region free people would buy more titles they wanted, even if they had to purchase them from other countries.
The other countries releases could even try to have different extras, just to sweeten the temptation.

Is there a region free Blu-Ray player? 'Cause I don't even have a DVD player anymore.

Look around, you can find them. You also have to make sure that the player can output in the proper format for your screen.