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Bamboozled by Dr Who DVDs

35 replies

margaritasbythesea · 27/10/2020 13:55

Can anyone help me? I am completely mystified.

DS has asked for seasons 1-8 of Dr Who on DVD for Christmas, by which he means the old ones beginning with Patrick Troughton. He sayas his friend has them. I have asked for a picture of the box cover but none forthcoming yet.

I keep trying to work out what it is I am supposed to buy and am completely bamboozled by the whole thing. There seem to be so many brandings and rebrandings. He just wants to watch the series, as he has been watching the modern ones on iplayer.

Could any kind person please link to a simple box set or site that will explain it to me?

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BigFatLiar · 27/10/2020 14:01

You need to be careful as many places have the new DR Wo with Chris Eccleston as series 1. It started with William Hartnell, you can get some box sets from Amazon.

I think that the original Dr Who's are available on Britbox (Subscription).

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UselessTrees · 27/10/2020 14:04

Trouble is there are literally hundreds of the 'classic' episodes and the early series have lost episodes and incomplete stories, so I'm not sure there's such a thing as a complete boxset. A Britbox subscription might be the easiest thing to get!

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DadOnIce · 27/10/2020 14:04

I don't think they do box sets of whole seasons of the old Dr Whos yet, not on DVD anyway. (Some are out on Blu-Ray.) They do them as individual stories, or box sets of three stories all featuring the Cybermen or whatever.

It's further complicated by the fact that a lot of those black-and-white ones don't exist any more.

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BigFatLiar · 27/10/2020 14:05

This is a link to the start of Dr Who
Unearthly Child

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BearSoFair · 27/10/2020 14:06

I'm not sure you can even get full series DVDs of the early ones as some masters have been lost. 'Lost In Time' has 18 (or so, might be 16) episodes of the first and second Doctor so that might be worth a look but I can't be anymore help than that, sorry!

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TheFormerPorpentinaScamander · 27/10/2020 14:07

They didn't do box sets when ds wanted them a few years ago. Google finds a few now, but they are mega expensive! (Eg all the William Hartnell episodes are £189)
We went with a Brit Box subscription and watched them on there.

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HelloDoris · 27/10/2020 14:08

They're all on Brit Box if that's easier. £4.99 a month no contract.

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DadOnIce · 27/10/2020 14:19

Found this good infographic guide to what is actually in the archives and what's still missing. I think all the ones that exist or partly exist are out on DVD but you mostly have to buy them as separate stories.

1.bp.blogspot.com/-RnVVdJkYp0k/UlftTUBpcqI/AAAAAAAAG5k/ttujhh9DB4I/s1600/Fri2.jpg

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margaritasbythesea · 27/10/2020 14:30

It looks like Britbix will be the way to go, then. Thanks for the suggestion. I am sure he will be happy with that. He just wants to see them.

Flowers

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BigFatLiar · 27/10/2020 14:36

Lots of other things he may want to watch as well (depending on age). Space 1999, Blakes 7, Star Cops etc.

(probably stuff you may enjoy as well)

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Oldandcobwebby · 27/10/2020 14:44

Does he mean from the 1st to the 8th Doctor - that would be all the "classic doctors"?

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ErrolTheDragon · 27/10/2020 14:52

@BigFatLiar

Lots of other things he may want to watch as well (depending on age). Space 1999, Blakes 7, Star Cops etc.

(probably stuff you may enjoy as well)

We're doing Blake's 7 at the moment - it's better than I remembered. Space 1999 otoh we gave up on after a few episodes.
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nosswith · 27/10/2020 15:07

Could you time travel to watch them?!!!

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PigletJohn · 27/10/2020 15:22

Seasons 1 to 8 is presumably 1963 to 1971? Many of them are unobtainable as the old tapes were wiped and re-used, but you can get sound-only recordings.

You had better print off the contents you track down and show them to the lucky recipient to make sure that's what they want.

Pub Quiz fact:
The first episode was broadcast twice. It was scheduled for a Saturday evening. President Kennedy was assassinated the day before, and so many people were watching the news on TV that they did not see Doctor Who and it was repeated the following week.

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PigletJohn · 27/10/2020 15:24

@margaritasbythesea

Can anyone help me? I am completely mystified.

DS has asked for seasons 1-8 of Dr Who on DVD for Christmas, by which he means the old ones beginning with Patrick Troughton. He sayas his friend has them. I have asked for a picture of the box cover but none forthcoming yet.

I keep trying to work out what it is I am supposed to buy and am completely bamboozled by the whole thing. There seem to be so many brandings and rebrandings. He just wants to watch the series, as he has been watching the modern ones on iplayer.

Could any kind person please link to a simple box set or site that will explain it to me?

They began with William Hartnell, not Patrick Troughton.
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Holothane · 27/10/2020 15:24

I’ve got all the classic series as well as new, if he wants to start from An Unearthly Child, .

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PigletJohn · 27/10/2020 15:36

and it's "Doctor" not "Dr."



I went to school with a Companion. She was quite a stocky little girl but aged well.

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margaritasbythesea · 28/10/2020 09:15

I told him about Britbox, but tgen also told him about the deleted episodes and he is very cross about it. He's a budding collector and always seems to choose something that he actually can't collect all of. Hmm

I am letting it lie for a bit and then will probably get the subscription.

Sorry for the mistakes I made. I am mortally sure he would not have made them.

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UselessTrees · 28/10/2020 10:21

Grin The BBC's formerly cavalier attitude to their catalogue annoys me, too, and I'm not even that much of a Who fan. Conclusive proof that time travel isn't possible, I suppose, that a future Whovian hasn't been back to rescue all the tapes for posterity!

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woodhill · 28/10/2020 10:28

Yes such a shame. I am a fan and would love to watch the episodes again particularly Tom Baker ones.

Wish BBC would put some on again. Remember the birthday celebrations a few years' ago

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TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 28/10/2020 10:34

I think the first ones are only available as 'wax cylinder' recordings. Wink

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margaritasbythesea · 28/10/2020 10:42

They have deleted the Tom Baker ones Shock

Those are the ones he really wants to see. Sad

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Hatters · 28/10/2020 10:46

They have been re-releasing old ones as blue ray sets and I think they are labelled as "season 1"...

I don't think they've done a Troughton set, but we have some Tom Baker and Peter Davidson like this and they are really nice sets.
Sorry for Canadian link. On phone and lazy!
www.amazon.ca/Doctor-Who-Complete-Season-Blu-ray/dp/B079PT1N7W&ved=2ahUKEwiMqbL4jNfsAhUFhOAKHawDA_YQFjADegQICRAB&usg=AOvVaw3evU-n_wa8-2kG4cP64Wrv

Bamboozled by Dr Who DVDs
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woodhill · 28/10/2020 10:57

That's a real shame, no wonder they haven't been repeated.

Can't understand why when they have other stuff preserved like On the Buses Confused

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Hatters · 28/10/2020 10:59

They don't seem to have anything you could describe as 1-8 though. DH is the fan, I think he mentioned that the numbering in the UK is more consistent. Here we have a season 1+ for each Doctor. I see at least one set for all from Pertwee to Colin Baker

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