Geek Syndicate Issue 7 | Page 126

Geek Syndicate Image © BBC Worldwide, 2013 The “Book” component is nicely presented in monochrome with splashes of colour on the image. A quote and Doctor / Story information. exit story. As an introduction to each Doctor, the set is lacking. The DVDs contain no extras at all and there is no extra disc containing a celebratory documentary or some such. Pop a disc in the drive, and there’s no nice TARDIS in the vortex animation that owners of other Classic Doctor Who DVDs will be familiar with. No. Instead, a simple static menu is presented with a list of episodes. Not even a scene select. Image © BBC Worldwide, 2013 Special mention must be given to the first adventure in the box set. It’s the first time that The Tenth Planet has been on DVD and it includes an animated reconstruction of the missing fourth episode. Previously, the story’s VHS release featured the soundtrack over surviving photographs of the episode and I have to say this animated version is top quality. Those who have seen The Invasion and its animated episodes will know what to expect. The likenesses to characters are superb and the direction certainly matches what one expects, having viewed the previous three episodes in live-action glory. introduction to classic Who? I’m not sure the stories here provide the best examples for all the Doctors – with Colin Baker in particular losing out by not featuring AT ALL in the box set. Perhaps this is a missed opportunity for BBC Worldwide to produce a box set that included some classic stories from each Doctor. While the regeneration theme is strong on the face of it, I can’t help but think a trick has been missed here. Buy it if you’re a hardcore fan and want a coffee table collection, but honestly I’d get hold of these adventures separately and wait for the “proper” release of The Tenth Planet. Overall The set is a nice collectible for any Doctor Who fan, though perhaps redundant to anyone who owns the stories contained here on DVD already. This is compounded by the lack of any extras on the discs themselves. As an Antony McGarry-Thickitt Rating G G GG G The Six-Disc Set in all it’s glory 126