The Collection: Season 15

This was the fifteenth season released, on 18th March 2024 in the UK.

The Final Battle

Sources

All stories were taken from D3 copies of the original 2″ transmission masters. Film sequences for The Invasion of Time were incorporated into the DVD masters in 2008, upscaled here.

All episodes have their opening and closing credits rebuilt in HD from the original film sequence, colour-graded to match the original episodes.

UK Release History

VHSVHS ArtDVDDVD Art
Horror of Fang Rock6/7/98Uncredited [Black Sheep]17/1/05Clayton Hickman
The Invisible Enemy2/9/02Uncredited [Black Sheep]16/6/08Clayton Hickman
Image of the Fendahl15/3/93Andrew Skilleter20/4/09Clayton Hickman
The Sun Makers9/7/01Uncredited [Black Sheep]1/8/11Lee Binding
Underworld4/3/02Uncredited [Black Sheep]29/3/10Clayton Hickman
The Invasion of Time13/3/00Uncredited [Black Sheep]5/5/08Clayton Hickman

On DVD, The Invisible Enemy was available exclusively within the K9 Tales box set, and Underworld within the Myths and Legends box set. The Invasion of Time appeared on the Bred for War DVD collection, released on the same date as the standalone release.

The restored episodes for four of the stories were issued as part of the Doctor Who DVD Files magazine (2009-14) across the following issues: 61: Horror of Fang Rock (4th May 2011), 70: Image of the Fendahl (7th September 2011), 118: The Invasion of Time (10th July 2013), and 133: The Invisible Enemy (5th February 2014).

Summary

Updated information text is by Paul Scoones, James Cooray Smith and Martin Wiggins.

Behind the Sofa are:

  • Louise Jameson, Betsan Roberts (wife of director Pennant Roberts) and Toby Hadoke
  • Colin Baker, Sarah Sutton and Janet Fielding
  • Matthew Waterhouse and Katy Manning

A new 5.1 surround mix option appears on Horror of Fang Rock (alongside the original mono). 

Optionally updated special effects are available for Horror of Fang Rock (new for BD) and by John Kelly for The Invisible Enemy and The Invasion of Time (both from DVD).

Audio navigation is provided by Tom Baker.

Disc Layout

With the exception of the audio commentaries and information text, titles are as they appear on the menu screen (and in the same order), with explanatory information in square brackets.

Unusually, Doctor Who Magazine did not publish a preview of the disc layout.

Disc 1: Horror of Fang Rock (1:35:32)

Commentary with Louise Jameson, John Abbot and Terrance Dicks

Commentary #2 [2,4] with Tom Baker and Toby Hadoke [uncredited], new for BD

Info text by Paul Scoones (replacing the originals by Richard Molesworth), with thanks to Richard Bignell, David Brunt, Chris Chapman, and Toby Hadoke

FormatLengthOriginal DVD Source & Notes
Making-of Documentary [Inside the Lighthouse]HD42:41New
Behind the SofaHD34:30New
Terrance Dicks Documentary [Fact & Fiction]SD36:05Horror of Fang Rock
Paddy Russell Interview [A Life in Television]SD14:05Horror of Fang Rock
Denys Fisher Toys AdvertSD1:10Advert from The Face of Evil (also on Season 14), interview from Image of the Fendahl
BBC Trails & ContinuitiesSD2:08New
Photo GalleryHD4:13New, 3:27 version on Horror of Fang Rock
Audio Archive [Tom Baker and Louise Jameson on Pebble Mill at One 01/05/77]Audio2:03BBC Audiobooks’ Doctor Who at the BBC: Volume 2

Total disc contents: 3:52:27

  • The DVD Easter Egg of a Countdown Clock for Part Three is moved to the Bonus Disc compilation.
  • The Antique Doctor Who Show (4m48s) from the original DVD is not included. It might have been held back for a Wilderness Years set, alongside the other 5-minute featurettes broadcast before the 6 episodes of Planet of the Daleks in 1993.
  • The 1m16s Coming Soon trailer for The Invisible Enemy & K9 and Company, originally from The Invasion of Time DVD, does not appear (and it did not appear on its other obvious place, the Season 18 set).

Disc 2: The Invisible Enemy (1:33:07)

Commentary with Louise Jameson, John Leeson, Bob Baker and Mat Irvine

Info text by James Cooray Smith and Martin Wiggins (replacing the originals by Richard Molesworth)

FormatLengthOriginal DVD Source & Notes
Making-of Documentary [Dreams and Fantasy]SD20:35The Invisible Enemy
Behind the SofaHD32:03New
Studio FootageSD20:32The Invisible Enemy
Visual Effects Featurette SD16:25The Invisible Enemy
Blue Peter [K9 Appearance, 10/10/77]SD4:31The Invisible Enemy
The 50th Anniversary Archive [John Leeson 24/10/13]HD10:37New
BBC Trails & ContinuitiesSD5:26New, incorporating the 3:47 Trailers and Continuity feature from the DVD, minus the preview of Image of the Fendahl.
Photo GalleryHD10:11New, 5:06 version on The Invisible Enemy
Coming Soon [Image of the Fendahl]SD1:06Attack of the Cybermen

Total disc contents: 3:34:32

  • The 1m15s DVD Easter Egg of K9’s appearance on The Generation Game 14.10.78 removed, perhaps held back for Season 16.
  • Coming Soon: The Brain of Morbius from the original DVD expected to move to Season 13.

Disc 3: Image of the Fendahl (1:34:25)

Commentary with Tom Baker, Louise Jameson, Edward Arthur and Wanda Ventham

Info text by Martin Wiggins (replacing the originals by Richard Molesworth)

FormatLengthOriginal DVD Source & Notes
Making-of Documentary [After Image]SD26:21Image of the Fendahl
Deleted & Extended ScenesSD11:28Image of the Fendahl
Behind the SofaHD31:04New
Horror FeaturetteSD13:06The Stones of Blood
Tom TalksHD36:25New
Emu’s Broadcasting Company [12/11/76 and 14/11/77]SD11:33New
BBC Trails & ContinuitiesSD2:11New, incorporating 0:20 trailer from DVD
Photo GalleryHD8:18New, 5:35 version on Image of the Fendahl
Coming Soon [The Sun Makers]SD1:10Paradise Towers

Total disc contents: 3:56:01

  • The DVD Easter Egg, a short clip of Louise Jameson talking about the Denys Fisher Leela doll, appears on Disc 1.
  • Coming Soon: The Deadly Assassin from the original DVD already moved to Season 14

Hammer Horror was edited to remove the caption card from the closing titles, advertising the original DVD releases.

Disc 4: The Sun Makers (1:40:00)

Commentary with Tom Baker, Louise Jameson [1,2,4], Pennant Roberts [1,3,4] and Michael Keating [2,3]

Info text by James Cooray Smith, with additional material by Martin Wiggins (replacing the originals by Jim Smith), with thanks to Swyrie Cooray Smith, Kelley Costigan, Mark Clapham, Andrew J. Duncan, Eddie Robson, and the BBC Written Archives at Caversham

FormatLengthOriginal DVD Source & Notes
Making-of Documentary [Running from the Tax Man]SD24:49The Sun Makers
Behind the SofaHD32:54New
OuttakesSD0:34The Sun Makers
Louise Jameson In ConversationHD1:13:18New
BBC Trails & ContinuitiesSD5:06New, incorporating 0:43 trailer from DVD
Photo GalleryHD6:38New, 4:06 version on The Sun Makers

Total disc contents: 2:24:59

  • Coming Soon: Day of the Daleks (from the original DVD) already moved to Season 8.
  • Coming Soon: Myths and Legends (The Time Monster, Underworld and The Horns of Nimon) from The Space Museum/The Chase was not included, neither was it on Seasons 9 or 17.
  • The Doctor’s Composer: Part Two already moved to Season 17.

Disc 5: Underworld (1:29:16)

Commentary with Tom Baker, Louise Jameson and Bob Baker

Info text by James Cooray Smith (replacing the originals by Jim Smith), with thanks to Mark Clapham, Swyrie Corray Smith, Jonny Morris, Eddie Robson, Martin Wiggins, and Tom Spilsbury and Peter Ware at Doctor Who Magazine. Special thanks to Russell T Davies.

FormatLengthOriginal DVD Source & Notes
Making-of Documentary [Into the Unknown]SD30:44Underworld
Behind the SofaHD31:03New
Studio Footage (DVD Highlights)SD17:29Underworld
Studio Footage (Expanded)SD48:14New
Doctor Who Exhibition RushesSD8:20New
BBC Trails & ContinuitiesSD2:19New
Photo GalleryHD7:42New, 5:55 version on Underworld
Coming Soon [The Invasion of Time]SD1:04The Five Doctors: SE

Total disc contents: 3:56:11

Coming Soon: The Creature from the Pit (from the original DVD) moved to Season 17

Disc 6: The Invasion of Time (2:29:52)

Commentary with Louise Jameson, John Leeson. Anthony Reed and Mat Irvine

Commentary #2 [4,6] with Tom Baker and Toby Hadoke [uncredited], new for BD

Info text by Martin Wiggins (updating his originals)

FormatLengthOriginal DVD Source & Notes
Making-of Documentary [Out of Time]SD16:53The Invasion of Time
Deleted ScenesSD5:55The Invasion of Time
Behind the SofaHD33:27New
The Rise and Fall of GallifreySD9:58The Invasion of Time
The Elusive David AgnewSD5:17The Invasion of Time
Scene Around Six [Tom in Northern Ireland from around 1977/78]SD7:35The Ark in Space: SE
The Final BattleHD6:49New. Includes options for 5.1 surround sound and Dolby Atmos.
Doctor Who Stories [Louise Jameson; generic interview, recorded for The Story of Doctor Who]SD17:21The Face of Evil
BBC Trails & ContinuitiesSD3:45New, incorporating the 3:26 Continuity feature from DVD
DVD Easter Egg [with visual effects designer Colin Mapson]SD1:05The Invasion of Time
Photo GalleryHD10:02New, 7:05 version on DVD, with an optional subtitle stream giving information about the photographs
Coming Soon [The Key to Time]SD1:30The Time Warrior

Total disc contents: 4:29:29

Coming Soon: The Invisible Enemy & K9 and Company from the original DVD has been removed.

Disc 7: Bonus Disc

FormatLengthOriginal DVD Source & Notes
Graham Williams Documentary [Darkness and Light]HD1:37:26New
The Panopticon Archive [Louise Jameson and John Leeson]SD29:12New
The 50th Anniversary Archive [Louise Jameson, Katy Manning and Sophie Aldred 23/11/13]HD33:09New
Monster Con II Convention [Louise Jameson 01/11/86]SD59:19New
Studio ClocksHD12:01New, incorporating Horror of Fang Rock DVD Easter Egg
Audio Archive [Louise Jameson on the BBC Radio Bristol programme Hopscotch 03/78]Audio10:03BBC Audiobooks’ Doctor Who at the BBC: Lost Treasures

Total disc contents: 4:01:10

PDF Material

Richard Bignell’s promo image on Twitter, summarising the PDF content

Pages from Radio Times were included as PDFs on all the original DVDs. The camera scripts for Horror of Fang Rock were included on the 2012 BBC Audio CD release. The Crosse & Blackwell promotion originally featured on The Ark in Space SE, and the 1979 Annual on The Armageddon Factor.

Errata: the caption card for the continuities on The Sun Makers reads The Invisible Enemy