Let's do the Timelash again!

[Anthony Williams]

it'll be my favourite DVD release of the year

Ant x

[Andrew Curnow]

It comes out just 4 days before my birthday (unless the dates gets changed of course) so that's my present sorted out!!

[Paul Monk]

I'm quite looking forward to it. I like Timelash. If you view it as a contest to see just who can out act each other it improves no end.
And its great that they're varying the quality of stories released otherwise it'll be like the videos were, all the "good" stories released first with a load ofrubbish ones at the end which no-one will buy. Better to mix it up!

And I hope they get Darrow for the commentary.

[Rob McCow]

I hate SFX

http://www.sfx.co.uk/page/sfx?entry=...iggin_timelash

Timelash? Friggin' TIMELASH?
The next bunch of Doctor Who titles that'll be released on DVD were announced yesterday. Before I get up a full head of rant-steam, here are the bare facts.

As we already knew, Sylvester McCoy's last story, "Survival" is out on 16 April. Before that, "The Runaway Bride" is getting released on its own on 2 April. Tom Baker's debut, "Robot" is out on 28 May. Finally, Colin Baker story "Timelash" is out on 25 June.

Now, there's one thing about this that pleases me very much: there's an old story every month. Which is great, because the "one story at a time" approach really pisses us fans off sometimes. Nice as it may be to have little featurettes and commentaries and stuff, we'd rather have season-by-season box sets of old stories, like fans of every other TV show do! Particularly since there's so much old Doctor Who that if they release one show a month, well... it'll take about another 20 years (oh alright, I can't be arsed to do the maths, pedants please correct me). Long before which DVD will be obsolete anyway, and we'll all be downloading episode of "The Ribos Operation" straight onto a chip implanted in our cerebellums or something.

Here's what annoys me.

"Timelash"? Freakin' "TIMELASH"?! One of the worst Doctor Who stories ever? Not only is "Timelash" grade A bobbins, it's the fifth story from Colin Baker's first season to come out on DVD. And the consensus is that season 22 was pretty dire. What's that all about?

Okay, okay, we know there are probably mitigating factors. We're assuming that "Timelash" will be one of the Who range's new extras-light "mid-price" releases, so if we've got to buy a crap story, at least there's the consolation that we'll be able to pick it up a bit cheaper. And, arguably, releasing shows from this period makes more sense because there's more archive stuff knocking around that you can stick on the DVD, and more contributors-still-alive who can be interviewed. Think for a bit and it makes sense.

But, turning on my emotion chip again: "Timelash"?!? Not "The Seeds of Doom"? Or "Kinda"? Or "The Silurians"? Or "The Deadly Assassin"? Or even, if they simply must release a Colin Baker story (and god knows why, there can't be much demand...) "Attack of the Cybermen"? It'll be "The Twin Dilemma" and "Time and the Rani" next... If that happens, I'm organising a protest march. Who's with me?

My reply -

For heaven's sake, calm down.

I don't mind there being 'personality' and 'spark' in your journalsim, but the continuous vitriol that gets spouted against much of Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy's Doctor Who stories is pathetic. Sometimes it seems that every article that mentions old series Doctor Who in SFX has a dig at them. It's fair enough to be like that in a review; but I think it's pushing it too far to let it seep through onto the news page.

Timelash is a weak story, it's a bit dull and I'm moderately surprised it's coming out now, but it's not all bad. There's a potentially entertaining commentary if they get the likes of Darrow and Colin Baker, plus there could be an interesting documentary about the 'hiatus' after season 22.

It's not as if the 'Classics' you refer to are perfect, or even inaccessible to fans. The videos are mostly available on Ebay or second-hand and they do still get repeated occasionally. It's not like the VHS releases of the 80's and 90's where many stories had been unseen since broadcast.

[Si Hunt]

Who does this ("James Blunt") think he is to speak for every Doctor Who fan?! I'd rather see "Timelash" than bumshite like "Kinda" anyday!

Si.

[SiHart]

Well, they never miss the chance to have a go at Colin and Slyv in the magazine- even when you think there's not way they could possibly shoehorn a kicking in for them, so this comes as no suprise at all.

Si xx

[Dirk Gently]

Nice reply Steve. You give 'em hell.

[Perry Vale]

SFX?! SFX??!!! Freakin' SFX?!?!?

[Antony Cox]

I'm glad it's being released purely down to the fact that I've only seen it once and I don't have a copy in any format.

Anything with Paul Darrow in it must be given a chance..??

[Pamela]

hehehehe-I do believe I predicted this one-faberoony.

[Larry]

well i'm still buying it no matter how bad it is.

[Ralph]

I watched this last year but can't remember it now - maybe that says it all for me really...at least the two on either side are memorable

[Wayne]

Actually, i don't think 'Timelash' is quite as bad as the reputation it's got, but it's still not very good.
I don't know whether to bother with this or not. It depends on the extras, which are usually of interest to me, & can sway the decision. But is this a 'vanilla' release?
Anyway, if i do get it, i'll certainly wait until it's dog cheap.

[Paul Monk]

I hope its not a vanilla release as it'll be the extras that get people other than completists to buy it.

[Si Hunt]

"Timelash" is okay, just a bit cheap. The worst bit is the stupid 'added on' scene in the TARDIS where everyone has different hair and clowns around for five minutes to pad it out, completely spoiling the climax.

Si.

[Rob McCow]

Wasn't that scene written by Eric Saward at the last minute because the episode was under-running? Actually, I seem to remember it was after the last minute and recorded during Revelation of The Daleks.

[SiHart]

According to the RT article the DVD will contain:

The story features a commentary by actors Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant and Paul Darrow.

John Kelly provides a new documentary, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (dur. 25' 01"), which looks at the making of the story. It features actors Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant, Paul Darrow, David Chandler, Robert Ashby, script editor Eric Saward, writer Glen McCoy and journalist Paul Lang, and is narrated by Terry Molloy.

This release will be first to feature a 'Coming Soon' trail which will act as a taster for the next DVD release, specially made by Brendan Sheppard.

As usual there is a photo gallery, production subtitle notes and Radio Times listings in pdf format.


Si xx

[Simon R]

No JeanAnne Crowley?

What a shame. They'll be no other suitable story to put that on either.

[Pip Madeley]

So it's a 'Special Edition' like Sontaran - small documentary & the regulars?

[Andrew Curnow]

The commentary should be fun!!

Am I really mean-spirited in thinking that the 'Coming Soon' feature won't last long? No offence to 2|E but their release dates and schedules don't really seem so tied down that they can safely advertise the next disc on the current release.

[Milky Tears]

I hate the bloody cover already!! Hickman's getting Happy Slapped!

[Pip Madeley]

Do you ever feel you're going round and round?

[Phillip Culley]

Am I really mean-spirited in thinking that the 'Coming Soon' feature won't last long? No offence to 2|E but their release dates and schedules don't really seem so tied down that they can safely advertise the next disc on the current release.

What's odd is that within the last year Steve Roberts said they wouldn't do anything like this since it would be meaningless to people who picked up the DVD in a years time, as the 'next DVD' would be already out! Now had it been a trailer for the next story, then it might have made sense.

If this is a sign of the kind of thing future DVDs are going to contain, then I will be disappointed...

[Si Hunt]

Well you can always just not watch them Philip, I doubt they'll take up much disc space...

You get the feeling more than ever these days that control is being wrestled from the hands of the RT and superiors are wanting to make their mark...

Si.

[Paul Monk]

A big YAY for the commentary though.