Doctor Who Series 1 to 10 – i.e. so-called “New Who” – will be re-released on DVD across three sets for American audiences.
Don’t ever say that signing up for company mailing lists can’t teach you something.
I’m on the BBC America mailing list, and this morning I got an email alerting me to the fact that they’re going to be putting the whole of New Who out again via new packaging. This was the first I’d heard of this set of releases. They’re all set to be released on October 2nd. As I write this, we still don’t have a formal release date for Thirteen’s series this fall. But this is around the same projected time for the start of (or early part of) the new series. There’s nothing wrong with that. One should always market their stuff. But it was a bit of a surprise that I didn’t know about this otherwise.
Anyway, Doctor Who is being broken down into three sets, all of which are DVD only. As far as I can tell, they’re not doing this on Blu-ray. The exact contents of the discs are not known, but it’s fairly likely they’re just going to repackage the existing DVD content. Especially considering the price point, they won’t be putting much effort (if any) into new content on the discs; they’re likely just using previous DVD masters.
Here’s all you need to know:
Set 1 – The Christopher Eccleston & David Tennant Collection
Package Info:
12 DVDs
MSRP – $44.98
UPC: 883929648917
Region 1 Encoding
Climb in the TARDIS for the adventure of a lifetime with this enormous Doctor Who collection featuring every episode of the first two Doctors of the modern era, Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant. Alongside companions Rose Tyler (Billy Piper), Donna Noble (Catherine Tate), and others, it’s a non-stop thrill ride as the Doctors battle all the evil forces of the universe including Daleks, Cybermen, Sontaran, and much more. There are hours and hours of adventure in this 12-disc box set including the stories which introduce River Song (Alex Kingston), Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), and featuring a guest appearance by Academy Award® Nominee Carey Mulligan. Whether you’re new to Who or a true Whovian, you won’t want to be without this incredible collection!
Available to order now from the BBC Shop and Amazon USA.
Set 2 – The Matt Smith Collection
Package Info:
10 DVDs
MSRP – $44.98
UPC: 883929648924
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Every new Doctor is a perfect place to begin your Doctor Who adventure, and that was never more true than with the Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith. And with this mammoth 10-disc collection, you can own every Eleventh Doctor episode including the blockbuster 50th Anniversary Special, “The Day of the Doctor.” Whether teamed up with companions Amy and Rory (Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill), the enigmatic River Song (Alex Kingston), or Impossible Girl Clara (Jenna Coleman), whether battling evil Daleks, the mysterious Silence, or the terrifying Weeping Angels, the adventures of the Eleventh Doctor will never fail to electrify. They call the Eleventh Doctor the “mad man with a box,” and you’ll know why once you’ve seen him survive all the epic battles in this unbelievably spectacular Doctor Who collection!
Available to order now from the BBC Shop and Amazon USA.
Set 3 – The Peter Capaldi Collection
Package Info:
9 DVDs
MSRP – $44.98
UPC: 883929648931
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The era of Twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi is one of the most epic in the rich history of Doctor Who, and this enormous 9-disc collection contains every adventure! Join the Twelfth Doctor as he pilots the TARDIS alongside companions Clara (Jenna Coleman), Bill (Pearl Mackie), and Nardole (Matt Lucas), encountering the mysterious River Song (Alex Kingston), the evil Missy (Michelle Gomez), and a hoard of monsters including Daleks, Cybermen, Zygons, Ice Warriors, and many more! The universe has never been more thrilling than during the era of the Twelfth Doctor, and whether you’re new to the Who or a long-time fan, this is a collection you won’t want to be without!
Available to order now from the BBC Shop and Amazon USA.
All three sets have release dates of October 2nd. This also appears to be a United States only product, as they’re not available for pre-order in the UK.
Whoever put this information together is obviously not a Doctor Who fan. First off, they spelled Billie’s name “Billy Piper”, they incorrectly call the entire race of the Sontarans simply “Sontaran”, and the URL for Peter Capaldi’s package on the BBC site has Matt Smith’s name in there! So yeah, someone not paying attention there on the official press.
If you are someone who already owns this material, then these sets are not for you. However, if you’ve never checked out these stories, or have a friend that could use a really fun and cool gift, then you may wish to look into them. The full cost for all of these sets is only about $125 US Dollars (and that’s full retail price, they’re usually available cheaper than that). Given that’s every Doctor Who episode from 2005 through 2017, it’s a heck of a value!
