I've got The Power (again)

It was excitingly announced today that BBC Studios will be releasing a three disc The Power of the Daleks Special Edition release that will be coming out on 6^th July 2020 in the UK on both DVD and Blu-Ray.  There is currently no news as to whether it will be coming out in other regions.  If you want to read the press release, click here.

This release contains an updated version of the black and white animation for the story which has heavily been re-worked due to the production team not having enough time on the original release to get things right with a tight deadline.  Also joining this release are an array of new extras, some of which we know little about at this point.

The Animation 

According to Producer Charles Norton on Roobarb’s Forum “The animation hasn't just been tweaked. It's been very extensively revised. Big ground up re-build. Huge job. Every shot has been re-composited. Many sections have been re-animated from scratch. In fact, the entire first third of episode 1 has essentially been redone completely anew. That part's unrecognisable now. It'll be a good quarter of an hour in before you'll see any shots that are even close to how they used to look. It's still limited animation of course, made with limited resources. However, it should be twenty times better than it was. It should feel like a new programme and will sit far more comfortably alongside the other Troughton animations we have done since. It's essentially what we set out to do back in 2016, on the original rush-release, but were unable to complete in the time. We've gone in and fixed all the things (well, most of them) that have niggled us since 2016. It's not a completely new animation - not a completely fresh-start - in that we've not scrapped all the original work. There's still lots of the original in there, but it is still a massive revision.”

This sound to me quite exciting.  I was always under the impression that with a bit of extra time they could have made vast improvements to this animation, so the fact they can now do so is great for the animators.  And from what I have been told, this is not impacting on any future animation plans.

Perhaps most surprising about this release is the lack of the colourised version that was produced and funded by BBC America for broadcast.  Charles went on to explain that “It wasn't really something that was ever originally intended to have a UK release and none of us on the team had any involvement in it. It's probably best viewed in the same way as the colourised versions of films like 'Casablanca' and 'Way Out West'. They're out there for those wish to seek them out, but it's not really representative of how the film-makers originally intended these things to be seen.”

I must admit I was a little bit disappointed by this news.  Whilst I’m personally okay with it not being on this release (I fully agree that the Black and White version in this case is the proper version and that the colour version was very poorly done), the colour version has never received its own DVD release in the UK and was only available with the Steelbook, which contains the story on both DVD and Blu-Ray.  Seeing they are included the rather strange Tom Baker narrated cassette version of the story, it would be a shame not to have the full set on here, even if they were not happy with the result.  If you want to view the colour version in the UK it is available on digital download and Britbox.

The Extras

This release contains a very large number of extras, most of which have only been mentioned in the briefest of descriptions. I am going to post the list of extras below and add some extra info based on what I know and have been able to find out.  I plan to update this as more information comes to light.

• Reconstruction

Not mentioned on the press release, but a brand-new reconstruction is being produced for this release by Derek Handley (who produced the Loose Cannon recons and the recent The Macra Terror and The Faceless Ones releases).  This should be a vast improvement on the original included with the original release which was made back in 2005 for a now obsolete format.  A well-made recon can have a much better impact on how the story can be enjoyed.  Used as a basis is the Loose Cannon recon made back in 2016 with new CGI Daleks which was never released.  This sounds amazing.

• Two new documentaries about Power of the Daleks

There are no details about what these documentaries are about.  The original making-of “Servants and Masters” (which consists entirely of re-used interviews) is already included in this set.  If it were up to me I would have just updated this documentary with some new interviews (similar to how the Revenge of the Cybermen documentary was handled), but I would still welcome a new one for such an important story.  My question is are there any potential contributors still with us who could sustain a documentary?  I think we will have to wait for more details.

• 1993 BBC audio version of The Power of the Daleks narrated by Tom Baker

Fairly self-explanatory.  This audio has not been released since 1993 so it would be welcome for many to hear it again.  Interestingly the narration was recorded by Tom in character as The Doctor so it should make for something a bit more unique.

• Raw incidental music

Again, self-explanatory.  It is unclear whether it is an isolated score or just the music on its own.  All the music was also used in The Daleks and The Daleks’ Master Plan.

•    Photogrammetry Featurette

Photogrammetry is the science of making measurements from photographs. I assume this is some sort of analysis of the original sets and the scale of items within a shot.

• Whicker's World - I Don't Like My Monsters to Have Oedipus Complexes

Try saying that when you are drunk!  Made famous from its appearance in Thirty Years in the TARDIS this episode from the contemporary programme features an interview with Terry Nation at his house and an appearance from a Yeti.  I always found it strange this extra was omitted from the DVD range, but we can now finally see it.  Also there has been a new 2K film transfer of the original masters, so the documentary will be presented in HD. Some footage will be left off due to copyright issues and nudity.

• Daleks - The Early Years: A 1992 documentary presented by Peter Davison

At last! The VHS links from this iconic series will be getting its first disc release.  Containing the orphan episodes of The Daleks’ Master Plan and The Evil of the Daleks plus other odds and ends including interviews with Terry Nation, Raymond Cusick, John Scott Martin and Roy Skelton.  I’m so pleased I can see this again for the first time since my childhood.  Although the episodes are not presented and are instead represented by clips.  A shame, but I’m fine with it.

•  Robin Hood - 1953 Episode: Patrick Troughton’s earliest surviving TV appearance

Perhaps the strangest extra to date.  With no other links to Doctor Who other than the fact it stars Patrick Troughton, the surviving footage from what is now the earliest BBC drama content to receive a release.  It will be good to see regardless.  The footage runs to about 8 minutes.

• BBC archive footage from BBC regional news, BBC Breakfast, Blue Peter and Newsnight

Whilst it is unclear exactly what these clips are. I believe there is a mix of content related to the original production and the animation release.  One of the items included is a clip from BBC South Today of a Dalek at a BBC event in Southampton.  It will be interesting to see what else is here.

• Previously unreleased animation trailers and animatics

Again, self-explanatory.  I assume the trailers are those posted to social media to advertise the story.

• Audio commentaries by Anneke Wills on each episode

This is not clear.  I am surprised they have gone to the lengths to record a new commentary with Anneke on every episode.  She did not do every episode on the original.  I am just assuming this just the original commentary.

• Animation test footage

Again, self-explanatory. 

• Photo Gallery, including previously unreleased and rediscovered full colour on-set photos from 1966.

You may or may not remember that last year a collection of photographs (alongside some film fragments) went up for auction last year where they were purchased.  It seems to much of a coincidence, so I assume these are the same photos.  It will be great to finally see them all properly and the other photos in HD this time.

•  Servants & Masters - The Making of The Power of the Daleks

The documentary from the original release made using archive interviews.

•  Doctor Who – The Highlanders

Most puzzling of all is this listing for The Highlanders, the story that follows The Power of the Daleks in transmission.  There is no indication as to what this is and strangely only appears on the shopping websites listings rather than the official press release.  Could it be an animation teaser?  Could it be a recon?  Could it be some sort of discovery? (almost certainly not, but it is still puzzling).  Time will tell as it always does.

UPDATE - It's been reported on Gallifrey Base that the representation of The Highlanders is just the narrated soundtrack that has previously been released on CD.

•   Surviving Clips

Not mentioned in the press release but confirmed by Charles Norton, the surviving clips will be on this release.  But there will also been some new footage (most likely the film fragments that went up for auction last year).  Hopefully, this will also contain the brief bit of footage of Troughton rummaging around through his chest that was missed off the original release.  The footage will have some new restoration as well.

As well as all that I have mentioned, the press release states the original extras will be included.  There is no mention if the newly recovered continuity from the recently discovered “Randolph Tapes” will be included.

Is it too soon for a Special Edition?

There is an argument from some members of fandom that this release is a bit overkill.  It was only 3½ years ago since the original release, making the quickest special edition release after the original to date.  Another argument is that if/when it gets released as part of The Collection Blu-Ray range they will buy it all again.

The way I look at this is I am rebuying this story not just for the updated animation.  I am paying for a wealth of new material, a well-made reconstruction, new clips, photos, documentaries and more.  Plus, this will only support The Collection when Season 4 comes around, freeing up budget to spend in other areas.  The Collection is only as good as it is because it was able to build upon what was there before.

Steelbook?

There won’t be a Steelbook release this time around because original release did receive one.  I’m sure I won’t be the only one substituting the discs for this new release, whilst handily keeping the colour animation disc in there (plus it contains the MP3 Reconstruction which is no longer on this new release) .  Suddenly the strange inclusion of the DVD’s in the Steelbook seems like it was an excellent thing after all.

Can we have a Special Edition for The Web of Fear please next?