The Claws of Axos SE - 22nd October 2012

[Dave Tudor]

Oo-ar?

[Larry]

Well, this has appeared on Play.com: http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/33787...ngDetails.html

I think it's probably safe to say that there'll be another revisitation this year! Given the rather poor picture quality in parts of the original DVD, I'm not overly surprised.

It'll be interesting to see what new extras we might get with it..

even if the picture quallity is on the poor side I find it strange that Claws, will get a re-release ahead of Ark In Space which is IMO a much more worthy candidate for a re-release.

[Anthony Williams]

even if the picture quallity is on the poor side I find it strange that Claws, will get a re-release ahead of Ark In Space which is IMO a much more worthy candidate for a re-release.

IIRC, Claws was done in the very early days of the RSC process, and they were still perfecting it. Claws and Inferno seem to have the worst picture quality in the range.

IMO, when the quality of the picture can be improved upon, that puts a re-release higher up in terms of priority than a release that's merely lacking in extras (such as Ark in Space)

[Si Hunt]

It would for me as a buyer.

Si.

[Anthony Williams]

It would for me as a buyer.

That's why I prefaced it with "IMO". Pay attention at the back!

[SiHart]

I think I'll wait until it's goes cheap.

[Larry]

IMO, when the quality of the picture can be improved upon, that puts a re-release higher up in terms of priority than a release that's merely lacking in extras (such as Ark in Space)

I agree in part with you but I just feel the dvd's with poor picture quality can be re-visited once the current run of releases has ended - but tbh even with improved quality I very much doubt i'll buy it.

[Si Hunt]

Ant, I was agreeing with you!

Si.

[Anthony Williams]

Ant, I was agreeing with you!

Ah! Sorry, Si! I thought you were saying that more extras would entice you as a buyer - my mistake

I should've been paying attention!

[Si Hunt]

Nope, I'm a picture quality whore! Slight improvement and I'll fork out all over again!

Si.

[Anthony Williams]

Nope, I'm a picture quality whore! Slight improvement and I'll fork out all over again!

I'm the same way, Si - if they could get the rest of the 60s stories up to the picture quality of The Krotons, I'd buy the whole lot all over again!

[Perry Vale]

Slightly off-topic....

With all these re-releases continuing to pop up, is there no clamour among fans for The Key To Time to get a re-release?

[Si Hunt]

It was already re-released after the initial limited edition box. The whole season is only £25 on Amazon, so it's not rare any more.

Si.

[Perry Vale]

Ah right, shows how out of touch I am!

[SiHart]

new cover:

When a damaged spaceship containing beautiful humanoid creatures called Axons lands on Earth, the Doctor, Jo and UNIT are sent to investigate. In return for their help, the Axons offer the gift of Axonite, which would end world famine. It all appears too good to be true - so what secrets are the Axons hiding on board their ship? And why is the Doctor's old enemy the Master involved?

Replacing the version released on DVD back in 2005, the BBC and Warner Home Video have announced that on November 13th they will put out in North America a 2-disc set of Doctor Who - Story #057: The Claws Of Axos: Special Edition. Priced at $34.98 SRP, you'll get 4 episodes from 1971 (about 97 minutes total, with digitally remastered picture and sound) starring Jon Pertwee as the 3rd Doctor, Katy Manning as companion Jo Grant, Nicholas Courtney as UNIT's Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart, and Roger Delgado as The Master. You'll also get a lot of extras, including Audio Commentary, "Axon Stations!," "Now & Then," "Directing Who," "Studio Recording," "Living with Levene," "Photo Gallery, "PDF materials: Radio Times Listings," Production Note Subtitles, and more! Here's the package art:

Taken from: http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Doc...#ixzz22KUfNkBw

[Rob McCow]

And why is the Doctor's old enemy the Master involved?

Look, it's not fair to include that question in the blurb when it's never adequately answered in the episode!

"Living with Levene"

Makes 'Levene' sound like an illness.

[Si Hunt]

I was in my mid-twenties when I first showed signs of having Levene. I couldn't believe it. My Grandma has a loud booming voice so it always on the cards, but I just hoped I'd be lucky. The indignity is the worst. My partner came downstairs and I was... [at this point we stop the interview as Si needs a break before he can continue]... singing my own version of "Who is the Doctor" on an open mic. I felt so ashamed. The next week, I went missing and he found me ballroomdancing with my sister. I DRAGGED HER THERE. I knew from that point on that it could only get worse. When Levene struck fully, I would be making gags about UNIT tea and laying on a jeep. I've campaigned for legal euthasia ever since. Why not, when it would protect so many from the effects of Levene?

Si.

[SiHart]

I like a narrow trouser.

[Antony Cox]

Better Levene than Levine!

[Stuart Wallis]

Just that one difference in spelling can mean the difference between a minor social embarrassment and the end of civilisation as we know it...

[SiHart]

Gorgeous!

[Si Hunt]

Oh we lose so much by them hacking off the top third.

No-one has ever mooted the sale of DVD sleeves seperately have they? I tell you what, if they did a new sleeve for every Doctor Who DVD release and sold them as a collection for £50 or whatever, I'd buy it and then spend a whole day cheerfully replacing them all.

Maybe replace the poorer ones with better artwork, and for the good ones keep the same design but lose the roundels and just have a logo.

It's never going to happen though.

Si.

[Anthony Williams]

That's gorgeous!

It'd be nice if they made some of the covers available as prints. I'd buy prints of some of them

[Stuart Wallis]

Or release them in a book.

[SiHart]

01:12:50:00 DOCTOR WHO - THE VAMPIRE FROM SPACE - EPISODE ONE
00:26:58:04 DOCTOR WHO - THE VAMPIRE FROM SPACE - EPISODE ONE
00:10:08:11 REVERSE STANDARDS CONVERSION - THE AXON LEGACY
00:35:08:17 LIVING WITH LEVENE
00:14:43:04 DIRECTING WHO - MICHAEL FERGUSON ON THE CLAWS OF AXOS
00:26:38:17 AXON STATIONS! - MAKING THE CLAWS OF AXOS

Looks like the full studio tape is being included this time round.