The Invasion of Time DVD - Out Now!

[Jason Thompson]

I have to play devils adocate/the villain for a moment and ask how many more shoddy stories we have to "get out the way" before we acknowledge that the release choices are consistently making Doctor Who look crap?

Takikng the bait, I disagree with the notion that they are 'getting the dross out of the way'. Robot was followed by the dire Timelash, then the Tegan set, but this was followed by The Time Warrior, which is a fine piece of Who, and the excellent Key To Time set. Planet Of Evil manages somehow to combine the best and worst of Who (a sumptuous jungle set and a cheap spaceship set, great touches like the freeze-frame cliffhanger and Prentis Hancock's dreadful performance, and so on....) but it's hardly the worst Tom story. Likewise, Destiny has a fair old bit to recommend it. The Beneath The Surface set looks good, Warriors being the only real duffer in there. The Time Meddler is a nice slice of early Who.

Even your suggested 'good looking' stories have problems, like unconvincing spiders, dragging plot and an airlock with a huge red sign saying AIRLOCK in eighteen inch letters.

To me the schedule seems nicely balanced. While I can see your point about maybe having new fans think the show looks crap, if we get all the 'classics' out early then any new fans coming to it later on will be faced with a release schedule of duds. Let's face it, the last few VHS releases weren't exactly something to look forward to. The Invisible Enemy, Underworld, The Creature From The Pit,The Horns Of Nimon, The Mutants, and a box set with Colony In Space and The Time Monster!

I think a release schedule of a mix of stories apparently chosen at random is a great strategy, and that appears to be what 2E are giving us. Rather that than 'let's not do this one yet because the fans/the boss/I think it's a bit crap.'

Personally, I'd love to see The Dominators and The Krotons out sooner rather than later, and they're not exactly classics.

[Antony Cox]

Personally, I'd love to see The Dominators and The Krotons out sooner rather than later, and they're not exactly classics.

I like the Dominators!

[Perry Vale]

I appreciate that "Invasion" being crap is, to some extent, just my point of view, but I think it's fair to say that most people would agree it's the show at its most speed-written and cheap-looking, at least.

Si.

I'd agree it is too, but there weren't any other options for a Sontaran story to be released, midway through S4's tv run.....

[Pip Madeley]

And of course, I bet we expect an Amazon.co.uk exclusive Sontaran box set...

[Simon R]

"The Invasion Of Time" - as a peroxide harlot once said: "Definitely, one of the all-time worst". Though she wasn't talking about that.

But Leela's "oh one must, one must" bit is amusing.

[Si Hunt]

And of course, I bet we expect an Amazon.co.uk exclusive Sontaran box set...

It's like Pip hasn't read the rest of the thread at all!

Si.

[Pip Madeley]

It's not like it, it's exactly that.

[Jonno]

Enough with all the moaning already - I really like this story, so I'm happy with this release too!

[Stephen Morgan]

Enough with all the moaning already - I really like this story, so I'm happy with this release too!

So am I Jonno, so am I, I'm really glad to see it included in this years schedules. When's it coming? About May?

[Perry Vale]

When's it coming? About May?

That would seem a good guess. I'd reckon that you could probably work out the tranmission date of S4 if you worked backwards......

[Jason Thompson]

Oh yeah, what Jonno said.

[Jim]

Its bottom 5 ever crapola for me this one but at least more louise is on the cards!

[Matthew T]

I think it's a great fun story with lots of memorable characters and events - and it looks Oscar worthy compared to the story that precedes it!

[Larry]

I like the Dominators!

your about the only one who dose

[Ralph]

The Dominators is OK I'll have you know!

[Antony Cox]

your about the only one who dose

It's one of those stories which is fun, shouldn't be taken too seriously but can still be enjoyed - Time and the Rani and The Gunfighters are two other examples I can think of.

[Andrew Curnow]

I think its reputation would be a lot better if it were only a four-parter. Although at the time the return of the Sontarans was a superb shock moment, those last two episodes are the ones that drag, and which look cheap. The first four episodes are actually pretty darned good, with Tom spending nearly an hour absolutely convincing the viewer that he's gone either bad or mad or both!

[Captain Tancredi]

Although at the time the return of the Sontarans was a superb shock moment, those last two episodes are the ones that drag, and which look cheap.

As I think I said when I reviewed the book, the problem is that having pulled off the surprise ending to Part 4, the story then just repeats Parts 3 and 4 in 5 and 6 to get to the end. Perhaps there'll be some on-set footage of Anthony Read and Graham Williams dashing off pages of script one by one and handing them to the actors who are waiting impatiently on the set.

[Andrew Curnow]

You're absolutely right, yes. The shock reveal is all very well, but there's just nowhere left for the story to go.

[Larry]

had no idea Black orchid was due for release and I'm certainly not jumping for joy about Invasion of Time being released - a pretty awful story and embarrassingly cheap.

[Phillip Culley]

Extras now up on the BBFC

00:07:03:13 THE INVASION OF TIME - PHOTO GALLERY
00:00:54:07 DOCTOR WHO - COMING SOON TO DVD... - BLACK ORCHID
00:05:15:07 THE ELUSIVE DAVID AGNEW
00:09:56:21 THE RISE & FALL OF GALLIFREY
00:03:24:07 (CONTINUITY)
00:00:24:01 (DELETED SCENE 1 - EPISODE FIVE)
00:00:55:02 (DELETED SCENE 2 - EPISODE SIX)
00:01:16:03 (DELETED SCENE 3 - EPISODE SIX)
00:00:37:10 (DELETED SCENE 4 - EPISODE SIX)
00:02:22:14 (DELETED SCENE 5 - EPISODE SIX)

So, now Black Orchid is coming soon after The Invasion of Time, which is coming soon on Black Orchid? My head hurts...

[Perry Vale]

So, now Black Orchid is coming soon after The Invasion of Time, which is coming soon on Black Orchid? My head hurts...

Yeah, my head's been hurting at all this 'Coming Soon' stuff, something didn't add up right. I guess once it's been through the BBFC process, they can swap them from release to release?

[SiHart]

Hooary for more footage from the not all padded last 2 episodes!

Si xx

[Dave Tudor]

Hmm, slim pickings, and no 'Making of...' documentary. That's a shame.

Not even so much as a 'Make Your Own Vardan' featurette.

[Perry Vale]

Hmm, slim pickings, and no 'Making of...' documentary. That's a shame.

Someone once said that patience is a virtue........more extras cleared by the BBFC....

00:00:15:20 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE1 SEQUENCE 1)
00:00:50:13 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE 1 SEQUENCE 2)
00:00:57:10 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE 1 SEQUENCE 3)
00:00:41:12 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE 2 SEQUENCE 1)
00:00:22:10 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE 2 SEQUENCE 2)
00:00:51:19 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE 2 SEQUENCE 3)
00:00:51:20 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE 2 SEQUENCE 4)
00:02:08:00 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE 2 SEQUENCE 5)
00:00:33:07 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE 3 SEQUENCE 1)
00:01:15:14 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE 3 SEQUENCE 2)
00:01:27:09 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE 3 SEQUENCE 3)
00:01:20:10 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE 3 SEQUENCE 4)
00:00:14:03 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE 3 SEQUENCE 5)
00:00:38:10 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE 4 SEQUENCE 1)
00:00:09:03 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE 4 SEQUENCE 2)
00:01:36:07 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE 4 SEQUENCE 3)
00:00:27:24 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE 4 SEQUENCE 4)
00:00:32:22 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPSIODE 4 SEQUENCE 5)
00:02:15:21 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE 4 SEQUENCE 6)
00:00:11:04 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE 4 SEQUENCE 7)
00:00:06:04 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE 4 SEQUENCE 8)
00:00:09:24 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE 4 SEQUENCE 9)
00:00:37:18 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE 5 SEQUENCE 1)
00:00:39:09 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE 5 SEQUENCE 2)
00:01:31:08 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE 5 SEQUENCE 3)
00:00:12:12 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE 6 SEQUENCE 1)
00:00:06:13 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE 6 SEQUENCE 2)
00:00:44:20 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE 6 SEQUENCE 3)
00:00:39:20 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE 6 SEQUENCE 4)
00:00:37:13 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE 6 SEQUENCE 5)
00:00:32:03 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE 6 SEQUENCE 6)
00:00:05:21 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE 6 SEQUENCE 7)
00:00:22:15 UNTITLED (CGI EFFECTS - EPISODE 6 SEQUENCE 8)
00:16:50:10 OUT OF TIME (MAKING OF)
00:01:03:22 UNTITLED (EASTER EGG)