TME > Video > Commercial Releases

The Key to Time

A DVD release (uniquely) produced solely for the American market, following an online poll.

VHS releases

UK Releases - BBC Worldwide [Deleted 21/08/1998]
03/04/1994: The Ribos Operation (BBCV5607) / The Pirate Planet (BBCV5608)
01/05/1995: The Stones of Blood (BBCV5610) / The Androids of Tara (BBCV5611)
05/06/1995: The Power of Kroll (BBCV5612) / The Armageddon Factor (BBCV5613)
Covers art by Colin Howard, with linking spine (semi matching with other releases of the time) by Andrew Skilleter.

Aus/NZ Releases - PolyGram [Not pictured, deleted January 1996]
12/06/1995: The Ribos Operation (BBC56072) / The Pirate Planet (BBC56082)
10/07/1995: The Stones of Blood (BBC56102) / The Androids of Tara (BBC56112)
28/08/1995: The Power of Kroll (BBC56122) / The Armageddon Factor (BBC56132)
Cover art by Colin Howard.

US Releases - CBS/Fox
26/03/1996: The Stones of Blood (8339) / The Androids of Tara (8335)
10/09/1996: The Ribos Operation (8435) / The Pirate Planet (8437) / The Power of Kroll (8436) / The Armageddon Factor (8439)
Cover art by Colin Howard

Rereleased in the US by CBS/Fox in 1999 as part of the 'Gateway Collection' - low-cost Tom Baker stories bundled together. Pyramids of Mars, The Talons of Weng-Chiang and City of Death were also included.

In 2000, Warner Home Video renumbered the releases as:

The Ribos Operation: E1336
The Pirate Planet: E1338
The Stones of Blood: E1314
The Androids of Tara: E1310
The Power of Kroll: E1337
The Armageddon Factor: E1340

All VHS releases featured a slightly extended edit of The Stones of Blood, with a 38 second scene included, originally cut before broadcast.

DVD releases

Exclusive US releases on 01/10/2002 by Warner Home Video.

Also appeared as Doctor Who: The Key To Time - The Complete Adventure box set (below).

Due to their workload throughout 2002, the Restoration Team were only able to give minimal attention to this release, providing some basic transfer and DVNR work - when this story appears in the UK, it will no doubt be fully remastered.

Commentaries appeared as follows:
The Ribos Operation: Tom Baker and Mary Tamm
The Pirate Planet: Bruce Purchase and Pennant Roberts
The Stones of Blood: Mary Tamm and Darrol Blake
The Androids of Tara: Tom Baker, Mary Tamm and Michael Hayes
The Power of Kroll: Tom Baker and John Leeson
The Armageddon Factor: Mary Tamm, John Woodvine and Michael Hayes
And production text throughout by Martin Wiggins (discs 1-3) and Richard Molesworth (discs 4-6).

These were the first discs Dr Wiggins provided text for - he would later go on to alternate with Molesworth on the UK releases.

Photo galleries appeared throughout, and one further bonus was placed alongside The Pirate Planet: "Flim Clips" (the original film inserts, without effects, running to 10'22"). The inserts involve the Mentiads marching from place to place; Kimos guarding the entrance to the mountain; Mula and K9 walking; the Doctor, Romana and Kimos in the caves (the full cliffhanger of part 2/beginning of part 3); and inserts of the Captain's machinery, usually blowing up. There are twelve sequences in all, and most include sound.

The Armageddon Factor was the first BBC DVD to feature a non-4-part story (except the Five Doctors: SE and TV Movie releases, both of which run to around the same length as a 4-parter). Until this point, an embargo had been placed on longer releases due to concerns over quality, although this was lifted for this story in 2002 and then later for the UK release of The Seeds of Death in early 2003.

Classifications

09/03/1995: Stories 1 and 2 passed as 'U' by the BBFC for the UK.
12/04/1995: Stories 1 and 2 passed as 'G' by the OFLC for Aus/NZ

13/04/1995: Stories 3 and 4 passed as 'PG' by the BBFC for the UK
07/06/1995: Story 3 passed as 'PG' by the OFLC for 'Low Level Violence' for Aus/NZ
15/06/1995: Story 4 passed as 'G' by the OFLC for Aus/NZ

11/05/1995: Stories 5 and 6 passed as 'U' by the BBFC for the UK
20/07/1995: Stories 5 and 6 passed as 'G' by the OFLC for Aus/NZ