Doctor Who: The Five Doctors (Special Edition) (2 Discs)

If there's one story that deserves to be re-released on DVD, it's this. The Five Doctors was the first Doctor Who DVD ever released and designed to test the market at the time, as such it was completely bereft of special features, had a different packaging design to the rest of the range and most importantly the story included on the disc was the 1995 special edition and the original transmitted version has never been released on DVD. So appropriately in time for it's 25th anniversary, 2/Entertain are treating us to a two-disc special edition of this classic story, featuring both versions and loads of new extra's. Included in this package are two commentaries, one previously included on the region 1 release featuring Peter Davison and writer Terrance Dicks and an all-new companion commentary with Elisabeth Sladen, Mark Strickson, Nicholas Courtney and Carole Anne Ford. The main feature is a mammoth 52 minute documentary "Celebrations", presented by Colin Baker, which covers the making of this story and the show's twentieth anniversary year back in 1983. There's also a 25 minute doc on the links between the show's past and future in The Five Doctors, narrated by Paul McGann, a short feature entitled (Not So) Special Effects, behind-the-scenes footage of the studio recording sessions, Out-takes, various excerpts from Blue Peter, Breakfast Time, Saturday Superstore and Nationwide, plus the usual trails and continuity, isolated music score, PDF material, photo gallery, coming soon trailer, subtitles and production notes. As well as all that, there's a bonus feature marketed as the best easter egg ever, strongly rumoured to be a commentary for the story with David Tennant, Phil Collinson and Helen Raynor. And this DVD even comes in a fancy slip-case! So a packed set all-round and an essential purchase.

ok Five Doctors has been out on DVD for many years (unless I am mistaken I think this was the first Dr Who DVD released) but given the quality of the current Who dvds this is well worth another bite at the cherry. Great story, wonderfully nostalgic and now with the extras it deserves - roll on March!!

This is a great DVD release of The Five Doctors, its nice to see the two versions, the original and the special edition released together. It might not be an all-time great show but The Five Doctors for me was very entertaining and brings back all those memories of Peter Davison era for me.

The cast are mostly delightful, and its especially great to see Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee reprise their roles as the Doctors, as well as having some fine support from Nicholas Courtney and Elisabeth Sladen. The only kind of weak link in the cast Paul Jerricho (as the Castellan) however does provide one of the most hilarious lines of all ("No! Not the mind probe!"). On the down side it was also rather naff only to see one Dalek in the show and 8 Cybermen who ponder around only to get massacred easily by everyone else (how could they ever conquer the Universe?!).

The extras on the discs are great too as there is an excellent retrospective documentary with interviews from most of the cast today looking back on the filming of the show as well as two entertaining commentaries from the cast and crew (and there is a secret one too!).

So The Five Doctors adds up to one of Peter D's most entertaining stories and is definitely recommended on DVD.

The 5 Doctors was a special one off made to celibrate the series.

I'm an avid fan of the classic Doctor Who's and Peter Davison was a fantasticly dark and enjoyable doctor... but this isn't one of the better stories!
I agree with what other people have said, i own a different version of this dvd... and i can't work out why the BBC feel the need to re-release stories that are already available?There are so many still waiting to be committed to disk and to a collection!
So please coule we have new ones rather than re-releases of re-releases??

Plus, the 5 doctors isn't all that good.
It's worth it for the bickering of Pertwee and Troughton (though this is much, much better in the 3 doctors)
but that's really all there is.
I mean, there's only actually 3 doctors in it as such anyway.
Sadly Mr Hartnell had to be replaced,
and Tom Baker didn;t want to do it... so they used stock footage of him.

If you want a multiple doctor story, get the 3 Doctors!

and BBC, release something new!!

Yes.. yes a fine commemoriation of the shows anniversary but why are the BBC revisiting a DVD release of this story when this has essentially been available on DVD for many years? Where are the classic stories we're waiting for? The Daemons and Planet of the Spiders to name but 2!! Come on BBC... let's have some new stuff