With the rights for Paul McGann’s only televised outing as the Doctor split between the BBC, Fox and Universal, it seemed like the TV movie would never see a release in the US, meaning Americans had to either import from the UK or snag a bootleg copy (which exist in abundance, by the way – I’ve seen more than my fair share at events like Comic-Con).

However it appears the success of the revived series on SyFy and BBC America has given the three companies something of an incentive to finally shake hands and get this thing pushed out of the door – the film was released Stateside on February 8th.

Rather than just crap out the original DVD release from 2001, however, Americans are being treated to the lavish two-disc “Special Edition” from the Revisitations box-set featuring the new commentary with McGann and outgoing Doctor Sylvester McCoy, along with all the other extra stuff including McGann’s audition tape (which, I’ll confess, has me a bit excited).

You can pick up the film from Amazon.com for a paltry $22.99. Or, if you’ve got a multi-region DVD player (or you live in the UK) you can grab the Revisitations box-set from Amazon UK for £24.99 – about $40, not including shipping. If you must have the film absolutely immediately then Best Buy tend to be good at stocking British TV on DVD, but be warned that their price may creep a little closer to the RRP of $34.98.

Fans on forums that pretending that the reason they want to buy this boxset:

… is because they’ve been waiting ages for a Sil figure.

Remembrance of the Daleks Forbidden Planet Exclusive set.

With FOUR Daleks in it. A grey Renegade, a white Imperial (as already released with Sylv in the two-pack), the black Supreme (!!! favourite Dalek ever!!!) and the Special Weapons Dalek.

Thirty-five quid is a lot of dosh, but by CHRIST I have to have this. I only hope I can actually get hold of one of the things…

THIS IS THE BEST THING CHARACTER OPTIONS HAVE EVER DONE.

Well, it looks like that was a temporary cover as the ridiculously-named but otherwise fantastic Blogtor Who have posted the cover artwork along with the revelation that it’s going to be lenticular, much like the Series Two cover. Amazon UK currently shows what seems to be an earlier version of the cover, using a different pose for Amy and lacking the monsters.

Meanwhile Amazon US is still using the artwork I showed you, so it’s possible that American audiences will wind up with that along with their slimmer packaging.

I live in LA now, and I had been importing my Doctor Who DVDs from the UK (I still do with the classic stuff so that my collection looks uniform on the shelf). Doctor Who: The Complete Specials was the first set I’d bought from the US. If BBC America doesn’t use the cover Blogtor Who have shown us then I’ll be left with little choice but to import from the UK. Or something.

Yes, alright, another post about toys. But I think it’s taken about two and a half years to do it – since the release of the first three Classic Doctors – and it’s a damned fine feeling to actually see all eleven together like this.

I still refuse to join the consensus that says the introduction of five differently-coloured new-design Daleks were simply a cynical ploy by the BBC (presumably egged on by Character Options) to sell more toys.

… but it’s working on me.

“They’ve released images of the final boxart for Series Fnarg. Here, have a look.”
“Is that it? That looks shite! It’s just the bloody promo shot from before the series launched. ”
“Well yes, but actually it’s really rather clever.”
“No it isn’t.”
“Yes it is.”
“How?”
“Well, it’s part of a pattern, doesn’t it? Series Two and Four both featured the time vortex on the cover.”
“Did they?”
“Yep. Remember? Series Two had that lenticular thingy. And Series Four had Donna and the Doctor standing in front of a very reflective vortex.”
“So?”
“Well, it means there’s a pattern! All the other sets involve the TARDIS in some way. Series One had the TARDIS exterior, and Series Three and the David Tennant Specials used the TARDIS floor as part of the design! There’s logic behind this decision!”
“You’re an odd bastard, d’you know that? Does the set at least come with some decent extras?”
“Actually, yes. Bleeding Cool Comic News have reported that Series Fnarg will feature two brand new ‘bridging sequences’ called Meanwhile, In The TARDIS… that have apparently been newly filmed.”
“Pretty clever, the way you said the URL like that.”
“I thought so.”
“So… what now?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, we’re not real. We’re just disembodied voices who exist solely to make a point about about some DVD artwork.”
“And Bluray.”
“And Bluray, yes. But we’ve served our purpose now. What happens next?”
“Hm. I dunno. I guess we just sort of… stop.”
“Stop? Like, dead?”
“We were never really alive.”
“I’m scared.”
“I know. Here it comes. Are you ready?”
“No.”
“Me either.”

I can’t have been the only person excitedly looking forward to this. One of the best – if not the best – console rooms the TARDIS has ever had, lovingly rendered in 5-inch-figure-scale form by Character Options, who did such a great job creating a wonderful playset for the last one (I came so close to buying the thing, but sadly was living with a Who-hating ex at the time and couldn’t justify the living room space).

And even those who already have figures of nine out of the eleven Doctors can’t help but get massively, massively excited.

Er, not here, unfortunately – if I’d wanted to review it for this site, I’d have had to pay for it. So instead, the often-cited-by-BBC-for-anything-related-to-Who-nowadays site Den of Geek got me a free copy, and I reviewed it there. If, you know, you’re bothered. But it’s quite a good little book, anyway.