You blind male fool! Mara Tales on DVD - Out Now!

[Si Hunt]

Well here's one anyway.

Maybe the other side of the box is Kinda-themed. Or perhaps they just figured that Tegan and the Snake are in both stories, so that image KIND of works for both stories. Or perhaps there are no usable publicity shots for "Kinda". Or maybe Hickman designed the "Snakedance" cover then went on holiday and they had to do the box design before he got back?

There you go, four answers. And you wern't expecting any!

Si.

[Zbigniev Hamson]

Well I can't argue with that!

Which is your final answer?

[SiHart]

Personally I think they put Martin Clunes on the cover of the box because they think that might help sell a few more copies.

Which wasn't one of Si's answers, obviously, but one that flashed through my head just then.

Si xx

[Si Hunt]

Imagine if they just didn't care, and stuck a photo of him from "Doc Martin" on there.

Si.

[Rob McCow]

They should have gone with the original Target book cover from Kinda!

[SiHart]

Si xx

[Si Hunt]

Good design, but it's oddly cut and paste - there's been no blending done on the actors heads over the background. Is this Clayton Hickman's work?

Si.

[Andrew Curnow]

Are those the region 1s, or have they decided to change the layout?

[SiHart]

They're region 1s. I found them on a link to an American website.

Si xx

[SiHart]

Box!

Si xx

[SiHart]

Kinda

4 x 25 mins approx colour episodes with mono audio.

Commentary - stereo. With actors Peter Davison, Janet Fielding, Matthew Waterhouse and Nerys Hughes.

Dream Time (dur. 34’ 05”) – cast and crew look back at the making of the story. With actors Janet Fielding, Nerys Hughes, Simon Rouse and Adrian Mills, director Peter Grimwade, writer Christopher Bailey, script editors Christopher H. Bidmead, Eric Saward and Antony Root, designer Malcolm Thornton, new series writer Robert Shearman.

Peter Grimwade – Directing with Attitude (dur. 22’ 57”) – a look at the Doctor Who career of writer and director Peter Grimwade. With Peter Grimwade, actors Janet Fielding and Nerys Hughes, writer Christopher Bailey, script editor Eric Saward, production assistant Margot Hayhoe, designer Malcolm Thornton, production secretary Jane Judge, script consultant Ian Levine, and Target Books editor Nigel Robinson. Presented by Mark Strickson.

Deleted and Extended Scenes (dur. 14’ 36”) – a fascinating collection of deleted sequences taken from timecoded domestic videotape copies of the story’s early edits.

Optional CGI Effects Sequence – option to view episode four with the original giant puppet snake replaced by a CGI snake. The disc should default to playing out the original effects. The CGI effects option should be turned on via a menu screen which should say:-

CGI Effects Comparison (dur. 1’ 34”) – a side by side comparison of the original puppet and new CGI snake shots.

Trails & Continuity (dur. 4’ 13”) – BBC trails and continuity announcements from the story’s original transmission.

Photo Gallery (dur. 4’ 42”) - production, design and publicity photos from the story.

Isolated Music – option to watch the story with the isolated music score.

Coming Soon (dur. 1 min approx.) - a trailer for a forthcoming DVD release.

Snakedance

4 x 25 mins approx colour episodes with mono audio.

Commentary - stereo. With actors Peter Davison, Janet Fielding and Sarah Sutton.

Snake Charmer (dur. 24’ 37”) – cast and crew look back at the making of the story. With actors Peter Davison and Janet Fielding, director Fiona Cumming, writer Christopher Bailey, script editor Eric Saward, designer Jan Spoczynski, and new series writer Robert Shearman.

Deleted Scenes (dur. 3’ 05”) – scenes from the original ending of episode four, courtesy of a timecoded recording kept by producer John Nathan-Turner.

In Studio (dur. 6’ 12”) – a rare glimpse inside the studio during recording of effects sequences for the story, including the infamous ‘farting Mara’!

Saturday Superstore (dur. 14’ 16”) – Peter Davison guests on the Saturday morning children’s show, where he plays cricket with Mike Read and John Craven and takes questions from callers.

Photo Gallery (dur. 5’ 21”) - production, design and publicity photos from the story.

Isolated Music – option to watch the story with the isolated music score.

Coming Soon (dur. 1 min approx.) - a trailer for a forthcoming DVD release.

Radio Times Listings in Adobe PDF format.

Si xx

[Perry Vale]

One doesn't need to say more.

[Antony Cox]

It's a shame that Martin Clunes isn't interviewed or commenting on the Snakedance release.

[Si Hunt]

I bet he doesn't get out of bed for less than thirty grand.

Si.

[P-Bal]

Or he's still got a career and is hard to pin down for a Dr Who extra...

[Rob McCow]

Yes, but what has he done for us lately?

[SiHart]

R2 Covers available now at Blogtor Who



Si xx

[Si Hunt]

Kinda is green.

Snakedance is purple.

Thus, has it been written.

Si.

[P-Bal]

Both look cheap and hideous.

[Simon R]

My giant pink snake is flaccid.

[Paul Monk]

Perhaps you need to surround it with mirrors.
I'm really looking forward to this set. Although I think they should have given away some of that stuff that makes your teeth go pink as a freebie.

[SiHart]

I didn't think you were very fond of that Paul, after last time...

Si xx

[Paul Monk]

No its horrible but everyone should be made to feel my pain.

[SiHart]

It's on the way from the dark places of the inside to me from play.

Si xx

[Si Hunt]

Shunning HMV this month Si?

Si.