The Collection: Season 18

This was the third season released, on 18th March 2019 in the UK. On 3rd July 2021, Season 18 (along with Season 10) was reissued in standard packaging, with a shorter booklet.

Sources

All stories are taken from D3 copies of the original 2″ transmission masters, with credits rebuilt in true HD (including for K9 and Company). The Brighton beach film sequence from the opening of The Leisure Hive exists and was used for a short piece of true HD material too. No particular issues were reported by the Restoration Team when preparing for the DVD releases, except for the heavy use of Quantel effects through the season which created some low-resolution sequences that needed careful correction.

UK Release History

VHSVHS ArtDVDDVD Art
The Leisure Hive6/1/97Colin Howard5/7/04Clayton Hickman
Meglos10/3/03Uncredited [Black Sheep]10/1/11Lee Binding
Full Circle3/11/97Uncredited [Black Sheep]26/1/09Clayton Hickman
State of Decay3/11/97Uncredited [Black Sheep]26/1/09Clayton Hickman
Warrior’s Gate3/11/97Uncredited [Black Sheep]26/1/09Clayton Hickman
The Keeper of Traken7/6/93Andrew Skilleter29/1/07Clayton Hickman
Logopolis2/3/92Andrew Skilleter29/1/07
24/6/13
Clayton Hickman
K9 and Company7/8/94Colin Howard16/6/08Clayton Hickman

The E-Space Trilogy was released as a box set in both its VHS and DVD forms. On DVD, a New Beginnings box set contained Traken, Logopolis and Castrovalva (in the VHS era, Logopolis and Castrovalva were intentionally released in the same month). Logopolis also appeared on the 2013 Regenerations DVD box set. K9 and Company was released as part of K9 Tales with The Invisible Enemy. Meglos featured a reversible cover due to the change in BBC logo. For more information on the VHS releases, see our VHS Guide.

All of the restored episodes, devoid of extras, were issued as part of the Doctor Who DVD Files magazine (2009-14) across the following issues: 46: Logopolis (6th October 2010), 69: The Keeper of Traken (24th August 2011), 85: Full Circle (4th April 2012), 86: State of Decay (18th April 2012), 87: Warriors’ Gate (2nd May 2012), 98: The Leisure Hive (3rd October 2012), and 109: Meglos (6th March 2013). The numbering system erronerously had both The Keeper of Traken and Warriors’ Gate as “Fourth Doctor Story 40”.

Summary

All episodes are presented in their original mono format, along with 5.1 options for The Leisure Hive (from the original DVD) and Warriors’ Gate (new) and isolated score for every story (all of which had appeared on DVD). These are all for the main episodes only; K9 and Company is presented only with a mono soundtrack.

Updated special effects are available on Logopolis, in a newly-created feature from Niel Bushnell, which included specially filmed footage of Tom Baker stand-in Ethan Jones performing the ‘stunt’ from the story’s finale, with new material of Joddrell Bank shot by Chris Chapman.

Information text is updated from the originals by Richard Molesworth (The Leisure Hive), Stephen James Walker (Meglos), Richard Bignell (Full Circle), Nicholas Pegg (State of Decay) and Martin Wiggins (Warriors’ Gate, The Keeper of Traken, Logopolis and K9 and Company).

Disc Layout

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

Disc 1: The Leisure Hive (1:27:14)

Commentary with Lalla Ward, Lovett Bickford, Christopher H. Bidmead (from DVD).

Commentary with Tom Baker, moderated by Matthew Sweet (new).

FormatLengthOriginal DVD Source & Notes
Making-of Documentary: [A New Beginning]SD30:19The Leisure Hive
From Avalon to ArgolisSD14:20The Leisure Hive
Behind the SofaHD29:13New
Studio FootageSD26:22New
Synthesising StarfieldsSD9:15The Leisure Hive
Clean Opening & Closing TitlesHD1:57Meglos [Easter Egg]
Costume Featurette [Leisure Wear]SD6:50The Leisure Hive
Blue Peter [Longleat Exhibition]SD3:58The Leisure Hive
BBC1 ContinuitySD5:22Replaces 3:36 version on The Leisure Hive [Easter Egg]
Photo GalleryHD8:13Alternate SD 6:01 on original release
Coming SoonSD1:07The Seeds of Doom

Total contents: 3:44:10

  • No material was removed from the original DVD to create this Blu-Ray.

Disc 2: Meglos (1:27:11)

Commentary with Lalla Ward, Christopher Owen, John Flanagan, Paddy Kingsland and Peter Howell

FormatLengthOriginal DVD Source & Notes
Meglos MenSD18:12Meglos
Behind the SofaHD28:25New
The Scene-Sync StorySD11:04Meglos
Jacqueline Hill TributeSD12:56Meglos
BBC News Report [24.10.80 Tom Baker’s departure]SD4:32Short clip on Logopolis
BBC1 ContinuitySD3:02New
Photo GalleryHD6:16Alternate SD 4:18 on original disc
Coming SoonSD1:12Battlefield

Total contents: 2:52:50

  • Coming Soon: The Mutants expected to be moved to Season 9.
  • Entropy Explained moved to Disc 7.
  • Clean Opening and Closing Titles (Easter Egg) moved to Disc 1.

Disc 3: Full Circle (1:32:58)

Commentary with Matthew Waterhouse, Andrew Smith, Christopher H Bidmead

FormatLengthOriginal DVD Source & Notes
Making-of Documentary [All Aboard the Starliner]SD24:20Full Circle
Behind the SofaHD26:28New
Studio Footage [mute]SD9:30New
K9 in E-SpaceSD4:28Full Circle
A Weekend with WaterhouseHD40:11New
Swap Shop [1.11.80 Matthew Waterhouse]SD8:08Full Circle
BBC News Report [5.11.80 Peter Davison announced]SD0:31Logopolis
Nationwide [5.11.80 Peter Davison]SD3:42Logopolis
BBC1 ContinuitySD6:35New – alternate 2:56 compilation was on original DVD
Photo GalleryHD7:59Alternate SD 5:49 on original disc
Science FeaturetteSD14:35Full Circle

Total contents: 3:59:25

  • Coming Soon: The Rescue/The Romans expected to be moved to Season 2.

Disc 4: State of Decay (1:35:01)

Commentary with Matthew Waterhouse, Terrance Dicks, Peter Moffatt from original DVD.

New commentary with Lalla Ward, Rachel Davies, moderated by Matthew Sweet

FormatLengthOriginal DVD Source & Notes
Making-of Documentary [The Vampire Lovers]SD20:25State of Decay
Behind the SofaHD21:17New
Film TrimsSD5:33State of Decay
BBC News report [13.12.80 Tom Baker and Lalla Ward’s wedding]SD0:26Logopolis
BBC1 ContinuitySD3:33State of Decay
Pickwick AudiobookAudio58:26New
Photo GalleryHD5:10Alternate SD 4:03 on original disc
Leaves of BloodSD17:05State of Decay
The Blood ShowSD10:30State of Decay
The Frayling ReadingSD4:37State of Decay

Total contents: 4:02:03

  • Coming Soon: The Rescue/The Romans expected to be moved to Season 2.

Disc 5: Warriors’ Gate (1:34:05)

Commentary with Lalla Ward, Christopher H Bidmead, Paul Joyce and Mat Irvine

FormatLengthOriginal DVD Source & Notes
Making-of Documentary [The Dreaming]SD27:10Warriors’ Gate
Behind the SofaHD23:11New
Extended & Deleted ScenesSD4:12Warriors’ Gate
Lalla’s WardrobeSD18:58Warriors’ Gate
The Axe Man [Mat Irvine out-take]SD1:04Warriors’ Gate [Easter Egg]
Swap Shop [31.01.81 Mat Irvine]SD9:19New
Prime Computer AdvertsSD3:07Destiny of the Daleks
BBC1 ContinuitySD2:05Alternate 2:00 on original disc
Photo GalleryHD8:23Alternate SD 4:46 on original disc

Total contents: 3:11:34

  • Coming Soon: The Rescue/The Romans expected to be moved to Season 2.
  • The Boy With the Golden Star moved to Season 19.

Disc 6: The Keeper of Traken (1:38:04)

Commentary with Anthony Ainley, Sarah Sutton, Matthew Waterhouse, Johnny Byrne

FormatLengthOriginal DVD Source & Notes
Making-of Documentary [Being Nice to Each Other]SD30:02The Keeper of Traken
Behind the SofaHD21:06New
The Return of the MasterSD9:40The Keeper of Traken
Commentary Extra [out-take]SD2:56New
Swap Shop [31.01.1981 Sarah Sutton]SD11:16The Keeper of Traken
BBC1 ContinuitySD6:35New – alternate 5:56 compilation was on original DVD
Photo GalleryHD7:25Alternate SD 4:46 on original disc

Total contents: 3:07:04

  • The DVD release included a 19-second dedication to Anthony Ainley presented after Episode Four, removed from this release.

Disc 7: Logopolis (1:38:29)

Commentary with Tom Baker, Janet Fielding, Christopher H. Bidmead

FormatLengthOriginal DVD Source & Notes
Making-of Documentary [Hanging on a Thread]HD58:06New
A New Body at LastSD50:23Logopolis
Behind the SofaHD26:47New
Studio FootageSD21:07New. Rated 12.
Audio RestorationAudio3:10New
BBC1 ContinuitySD5:57New – alternate 2:23 compilation was on original DVD
The Five Faces of Doctor Who SD4:11Carnival of Monsters/SE; The Three Doctors/SE DVDs. Not included on Season 10 BD.
Tomorrow’s TimesSD14:06The Face of Evil
Stripped for ActionSD20:20The Seeds of Doom
Doctor Who Stories [Tom Baker]SD22:56Terror of the Zygons
Photo GalleryHD8:33Alternate SD 5:07 on original disc
Science FeaturetteSD4:54Meglos

Total contents: 5:38:59

  • Nationwide: Tom Baker moved to Shada.
  • Nationwide: Peter Davison is moved to Disc 3.
  • Pebble Mill at One: Peter Davison is moved to Season 19.
  • News Items: Tom’s wedding, Tom’s departure and Peter’s arrival split up and moved to Discs 2 and 3.

Disc 8: K9 and Company (50:00) / Bonus

Commentary with Elisabeth Sladen, John Leeson, Linda Polan, Eric Saward

FormatLengthOriginal DVD Source & Notes
The K9 FilesSD11:42K9 and Company
Behind the SofaHD36:19New
Brendan and CompanyHD13:33New
Pebble Mill at One [23.12.81 K9] SD2:41K9 and Company
Trailers and ContinuitySD2:11K9 and Company
Happy Christmas TrailerSD0:46New
Photo GalleryHD5:25Alternate SD 3:02 on original disc
A Dog’s TaleSD3:27K9 and Company
The Writers’ RoomHD35:17New
The Fourth Doctor RevisitedHD25:28The Doctors Revisited 1-4 (2013 US/Australian DVD)
50th Anniversary Archive [Matthew Waterhouse]HD7:44New
The Panopticon Archive [Tom Baker]SD59:21New. Rated 12.
Commercial Break [New Zealand Superannuation Services]SD3:12New
Blu-Ray TrailerHD2:42New
Studio ClocksSD4:15New
Scratchman TrailerHD0:16New
Castrovalva Continuity [Fixed from original release on S19]SD5:25Castrovalva

Total contents: 4:29:44

  • Coming Soon: The Brain of Morbius expected to be moved to Season 13.
Richard Bignell’s promo image on Twitter, summarising the PDF content

PDFs originally appeared on the following:

  • The Leisure Hive: None.
  • Meglos: Radio Times listings and letters.
  • Full Circle: Radio Times listings, article and letters.
  • State of Decay: Radio Times listings and article.
  • Warriors’ Gate: Radio Times listings
  • The Keeper of Traken: 1982 Annual, Radio Times listings and BBC Enterprises sales documents for this season.
  • Logopolis: 1982 Annual, Radio Times listings and BBC Enterprises sales documents for this season.
  • K9 and Company: Radio Times listings, K9 Annual and K9 series from Sparrow Books.

Errata

  • The mono mix on The Leisure Hive was incorrect; a disc replacement program resolved this.
  • In Meglos, Andrew McCulloch’s name was mis-spellt McCullogh (this was corrected for the 2021 reissue).
  • In Warriors’ Gate, Freddie Earlle’s name was mis-spelt Freddie Earle.
  • In the final part of Logopolis, with the CGI option switched on, some of the end credits looped.
  • The US version of Logopolis contained the PDFs for Earthshock.
  • In the US, all HD bonuses and the final two parts of The Keeper of Traken were encoded at 60hz, causing motion blur; a disc replacement program resolved this.

DWM Bonus Disc

Doctor Who Magazine issue 544, published October 17th 2019, featured a promotional DVD with a selection of material from the range (including the forthcoming Season 26), along with an exclusive feature created for the US cinema screening of The Leisure Hive. This was later incorporated into The Collection: Season 20 in 2023.

Messages from Space (US cinema exclusive Season 18 bonus feature, later on Season 20)21:14
Extract: Sophie Aldred in Conversation (26)10:35
Extract: Showman: The Life of John-Nathan Turner (26)10:44
Extract: The Writers Room: Season 266:34
Extract: The Doctor Who Cookbook: The Kipper of Traken (23)3:10
Extract: The Doctor Who Cookbook: Dalek Soup (23)5:08
Extract: The Doctor Who Cookbook: Lasagne (23)5:30
Extract: Tom Baker in Conversation (12)11:20
Extract: Behind the Sofa: Genesis of the Daleks (12)14:00
Season 10 Trailer2:30
Season 18 Trailer2:42
Season 19 Trailer2:29
Season 23 Trailer3:40
Season 26 Trailer3:45

Total content: 1:43:21