Time-Flight/ Arc of Infinity Out Now!

[SiHart]

Ssssh!

I'd be interested to hear that Ant.

Si xx

[Antony Cox]

OK! I'll let you know when it's done!

[Si Hunt]

Maybe you should offer it to the RT for a DVD? It might get you a credit on an official release!

Si.

[SiHart]

Someone on the RT forum has complained about the covers:

I wouldn't normally comment on such trivial matters as the cover art - especially since such matters are beyond the remit of the RT. However, in the hope that the 2[e bods read this forum I feel that this latest release deserves comment.

The individual covers are very poor and below the standard we've come to expect from the range. Especially in light of the recent preview of the individual (and indeed, box design) covers of the upcoming Key to Time. Arc of Infinity is a poor composition in putrid colours with terrible light and shading. Time Flight seems to have been cobbled together by someone unfamiliar with design work or at least the software tools used, with the result of substandard resolution and cardboard cutout effect. Yuck!

My thoughts are that the external slipcase of 'Time-Flight/Arc of Infinity' was comissioned by 2[e and designed by the person who gave us such lovely things as 'The Beginning' and 'New Beginnings' slipcases AND individual covers. (Clayton?)

But either the individual covers were overlooked, forgotten to be comissioned til late on in the day, or the usual freelance designers were unavailable. Perhaps 2[e had no budget to comission individual covers and someone decided to do the job as an unpaid task in order to help out? The irony being, the only reward was an on-cover credit for layout! Since the individual stories would be hidden by the far-better slipcase, I take it the executive decision was taken that 'it didn't really matter'.

A shame as, although some covers are nicer than others, on this occassion the quality control seems non-existent.

The contents of the discs - even for 'Time Flight' which I take it was a 'super vanilla'/'standard+' - which do the RT proud do deserve much better.

He is, of course, absolutely spot on! Even the edges weren't blended on the Time-Flight sleeve. An elementary mistake!

Si xx

[Matthew T]

Mine still hasn't come from Play and they posted it nearly 2 weeks ago!

[Perry Vale]

Someone on the RT forum has complained about the covers:



He is, of course, absolutely spot on! Even the edges weren't blended on the Time-Flight sleeve. An elementary mistake!

Si xx

'Tis true, of course, but have you ever met a DW fan who displays his dvds 'front on'.....

[Pip Madeley]

I would, if I had the space.

[Jim]

I watched the lot over the weekend and its a bit of a mixed bag. Time Flight is about as bad as the series ever got I think. There is certainly fun to be had with the performances and visuals - which are wonderfully dire, but the plot is so uninvolving it becomes more like an endurance test by the time you hit Part 3. T

The commentary is better than the story - Fielding great, despite never really giving her own performance or character the credit it deserves.
I found the interview with her a bit short and skimmed the surface of what could have been done.

Arc of Infinity is much better than its reputation and the CGI stuff is really good. Other than some dodgy costumes and monsters there is not got a lot wrong with it. The documentary opens with Saward slagging off JNT and it just feels like a bit of a dumbed down, sensationalist effort rather than a measured one. Great commentary again tho!

[The Secretive Bus]

I've never realised before how bad Time-Flight is. For years I've been an apologist for the story, it used to entertain me rather nicely. The trio of pilots were rather fun characters and it all seemed to pass the time well. But on rewatching it I can't believe how rambling and unfocussed the story is. First it's about Concorde (which is all but forgotten by episode 2), then it's about Kalid and the Plasmatons (forgotten by episode 3), then the Xeraphin (which disappear before episode 4) etc. There's no sense of drama, it nevers feels like anything matters. The commentary is just as negative as you'd expect and you can't blame them.

[Pip Madeley]

But the TARDIS hops about the place a lot, so naturally I like it.

[Rob McCow]

I love the bit on Jurrasic Larks when the clock is clicking up to 10pm... everyone's a bit tense... and then suddenly the unions turn the lights out! I didn't believe they'd really do that!

It was also nice to see that when they brought Matthew Waterhouse for ONE LINE, he managed to fluff it five times. I suspect there's a two-hour documentary in Adric out-takes, somewhere.

[Ian Lethbridge-Stewart]

For me, it's the red hot TARDIS hop action throughout, I'm sure Mr Clancy will concur

I concur

Back in the late Eighties I taped off-air a radio phone-in programme which had Ian Levine, Eric Saward and Janet Fielding discussiing the show. IL and ES were as you'd expect, but Janet was defending the series at every opportunity and came across as someone who really cared about the show

.

I've still got my copy of that on a battered cassette somewhere!!!
I recall Janet Fielding sticking up for the critisized modern, bright and clean looking kitchens in the otherwise run down Paradise Towers!!!

[SiHart]

The Time-Flight extras were oddly watchable. I wasn't expecting the studio stuff to be at all interesting, but somehow it all seemed quite tolerable. You never know with behind the scenes stuff... obviously Davison's fluffs are far more polite than Tom's would ahve been, but that just made them all the more amusing!
The commentary was good, despite Saward YET AGAIN slagging JNT for all he was worth. Shame really, as most of the faults actually belong with the script, which was Saward's department. It's about time he grew up a bit and just let it be. The challenge of finding the positives in the story really taxed the commentators, but they still managed to come up with the goods, and there was a nice discussion on why the fans love Doctor Who so much, even when it's as awful as Time-Flight.

Si xx

[Simon R]

We're half way through "Arc". It's another one ruined by bad direction and odd sequencing, if that's the word. How much better if the story opened with the well shot first Amsterdam scene before then going to Gallifrey and then the Doctor. Instead it's all over the place. It's all bland, bland, bland.

[Wayne]

I watched all the extras today. Aside from Saward for the obvious reasons, the docus & interviews were very entertaining! Peter Davison is a natural comic isn't he? I was chuckling away merrily, especially when he was on about Colin looking like a pratt in Maxil's helmet.
I must admit i quite enjoyed Janet Fielding's interview, too. She tells a good story, & i find her more attractive now, than she was then. Lovely smile she's got.

[Lord President]

Finally bought this at the weekend, Smiths were knocking them out for £13 so who am I so say no?

Watched Time-Flight with the Commentary. The commentary consists of 4 people slagging the story and production qualities off, which to be honest is what we've all been doing for years!

The 'Mouth on Legs' feature is very entertaining with JF going on about how many things she and JNT disagreed on!

I am going to be watching Arc sometime this week and am expecting to enjoy it a whole lot more!

[Lord President]

Watched Arc of Infinity last night, with the commentary. Davison, Sutton, Fielding and Colin Baker making the most of it with gags about JF's boobs and the incomprehensible storyline.

Colin Baker clucks his way through the commentary everytime the chicken-helmet is on screen.

As for the other special features, why on earth is Sophie Aldred presenting the 'making of' documentary, with Johnny Byrne wandering aimlessly in the background?????

A marked improvement on Time-Flight though.

[Jonno]

I'm working my way through this set too - Time-Flight has been completed. All the behind the scenes stuff was interesting to watch - presumably unearthed from JNT's collection? Shame there wasn't an actual "making of" docu though. On the other hand, the Janet Fielding interview was a joy - long overdue, and very amusing and interesting to listen to. Just a shame it couldn't have been longer.

Currenly halfway through Arc - I've always enjoyed this story and never understand why it's often slated. It does of course seem extra "special" to see Gallifrey and the Time Lords now given their current status in the Whoniverse. Again, the CGI effects seem unnecessary, unless there's anything particularly good coming up in the second half?

[Pip Madeley]

All the behind the scenes stuff was interesting to watch - presumably unearthed from JNT's collection?

It's been known to exist since the early 1990s, clips featured in 'More Than 30 Years'.

[Jonno]

Ah - must have nodded off during that bit! It's me age, ya know.

[DrWho2150]

Excellent stories, both of them. Davison at some of his best when facing The Master and Omega and the Time Lords. Nyssa especially shined here. Cliffhangers are superb especially with Arc.Time Flight was much more a better Master story than The King's Demons. 8/10

[Paul Monk]

I sneakily have quite a bit of affection for Time Flight too.

[FlyingBeastie]

I just got the Time Flight DVD. I rather watch the Twin Dilemma rather than sit through Time Flight again! lol The only way I'd watch it was with the commentary on, which I have yet to do. I saw the special features, and I ALSO couldn't believe how Matthew Waterhouse was able to flub up 1 LINE!!! You watch an interview with him around that time and he seems natural enough, but when it came to acting he just-ergh! He was very uncomfortable to watch. He always had his hands in his pockets or on his thighs, which reminded me of the character of Jerry Espinsen from Boston Legal (Who has Aersberger's by the way!) After he left and they acquired Turlough, Mark Strickson, who was as old as he was and was just such a better actor. I feel bad for Waterhouse cos' he was inexperienced and didn't want to leave, but he wasn't a good actor. That's not to say I hate Adric, though. In fact, the best acting he did really was his death scene. Normally you'd have someone jump around n' scream, but his exhaunt was very powerful n' haunting with that sort of childlike stare of not knowing what's about to happen after this. Least he didn't mess it up there.

I also found Janet Fielding's interview short, but I read in Doctor Who magazine I believe that they were lucky to even get her to show up cos' originally they were just going to piece together the other actors talking about her since they already knew she didn't like on camera interviews (i dunno why, she looks great). She's a very interesting person, especially on commentary cos' she really seems to know what's going on, pertaining to all of the technical and camera effects. And she's still got that smile

I was also bemused with the Jurassic Larks when they turned off the studio lights as well as Nyssa patting her butt down and saying "Bless You My Child" in monotone to Janet Fielding It's also nice to see that Peter Davison was having a whale of a time on set. And also that Anthony Ainley was as stiff, and reserved as Colin Baker described him lol. (He looks weird w/o the Van Dyke no?)

Overall, great DVD for a crappy episode. My all time favorite feature of the DVD though? The main menu!!! Cracks me up everytime to see Nyssa screaming!!!

[Pip Madeley]

I ALSO couldn't believe how Matthew Waterhouse was able to flub up 1 LINE!!!

That's because he was a BAD ACTOR!