"Doctor Who
and the Silurians"

Doctor Who
and the Silurians
Disc 1 & 2 of the
"Beneath the Surface" Box Set
(DVD)

Starring Jon Pertwee
7 Episodes
1970
175 minutes (color)
Double Disc


"Beneath the Surface"
Box Set



 

 

Production Notes
Doctor Who
Jon Pertwee

Liz Shaw
Caroline John

Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
Nicholas Courtney

Written by
Malcolm Hulke
Directed by
Timothy Combe

Produced by
Barry Letts

Original Airdate
Jan 31, 1970 - Mar 14, 1970

R1 DVD Release Date
June 2008

Warner Home Video
#3000015769

U.K. Cover


 



Cover Blurb
 

 

Exiled to Earth and now working for UNIT as their scientific advisor, the Doctor is summoned to an underground research center at Wenley Moor to investigate a series of inexplicable power losses.  Initially suspecting sabotage, he soon discovers that the nearby cave system conceals a colony of an ancient race called the Silurians.  Awakening from a hibernation which has lasted millions of years, they are now planning to reclaim the Earth from humankind.


 

 



 

 

 

DVD Features
 

Disc One
The first four episodes as they were originally transmitted in 1970, plus bonus features.
 

  • What Lies Beneath:

 This 35 minute featurette details the creation of "Doctor Who and the Silurians" and includes interviews with Caroline John (Liz Shaw), Nicholas Courtney (Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart), Peter Miles (Dr. Lawrence), Terrance Dicks (script editor), Timothy Combe (director), and Barry Letts (producer).  Other contributors include new series writer Paul Cornell and former MP Roy Hattersley.
 

 
  • Audio Options:
 The first option is to listen to an audio commentary.  The participants on this commentary are Caroline John (Liz Shaw), Nicholas Courtney (Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart), Peter Miles (Dr. Lawrence), Geoffrey Palmer (Masters), Terrance Dicks (script editor), Timothy Combe (director), and Barry Letts (producer). 

The second audio option is the isolated soundtrack.  With this feature you will hear the outstanding score composed by Carey Blyton composed sequentially as it appears in the episode (rather than edited together as in the case of "The Five Doctors Special Edition" DVD).  This does mean that there are long gaps of silence in between music cues.
 

 
 

Disc Two
The remaining 3 episodes as they were originally transmitted in 1970 plus DVD bonus features.
 
  • Going Underground:
 A documentary on the challenges of trying to film cave like environments and the prehistoric monsters that inhabit them.  Contributors include Barry Newberry (designer), Timothy Combe (director), and Barry Letts (producer).  Other contributors include  Terrance Dicks (script editor), Caroline John (Liz Shaw), Nicholas Courtney (Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart), and Peter Miles (Dr. Lawrence)
 

 
  • Musical Scales:
 A featurette that looks into the incidental music being created for Doctor Who in the late 60's and early 70's.  Contributors include Timothy Combe (director), Christopher Barry (director), Michael Briant (director), and Barry Letts (producer).  Other contributors include composer Mark Ayres as well as on old interview with the late composer Malcolm Clarke.
 

 
  • Now and Then:
 A featurette that highlights some of the locations used in the filming of this story and what they look like today.  Narrated by Geoffrey Palmer (Masters)
 

 
  • Color Silurian Overlay:
 A fascinating featurette that details the restoration work achieved on this story in order to return it to its original color format.
 

 
  • Coming Soon:
 A specially made trailer for the upcoming DVD release of "The Time Meddler."
 

 
  • Photo Gallery:
 Once again we are treated to many rare production stills and quite a few behind the scenes ones as well.
 

 
  • Radio Times Listings:
 Accessible from any computer with a DVD drive, a PDF of some of the original Radio Times press clippings.
 

 
  • Audio Options:
 The first option is to listen to an audio commentary.  The participants on this commentary are Caroline John (Liz Shaw), Nicholas Courtney (Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart), Peter Miles (Dr. Lawrence), Geoffrey Palmer (Masters), Terrance Dicks (script editor), Timothy Combe (director), and Barry Letts (producer). 

The second audio option is the isolated soundtrack.  With this feature you will hear the outstanding score composed by Carey Blyton composed sequentially as it appears in the episode (rather than edited together as in the case of "The Five Doctors Special Edition" DVD).  This does mean that there are long gaps of silence in between music cues.
 

 
  • Easter Eggs:
 There is 1 egg included in this release.  Scroll further down to find more details.  For a full list of known Easter Eggs and screen grabs of them click HERE.

 
     



 

 

Easter Egg

#1. "AMBASSADORS OF DEATH" TRAILER (IN COLOR)

 

Let the credits play to the end during episode 7 and the egg will play automatically

 

 

 

 

 

 

Additional Notes
  • "Doctor Who and the Silurians" is the only story to incorporate the words "Doctor Who" in with the title of the story.
     
  • This adventure introduces a popular villain to Doctor Who, the Silurians, a race of reptiles once in charge of the Earth millions of years ago.  Unfortunately, the name Silurian is assigned to a much earlier age than the reptiles/dinosaurs and so, although cool sounding, is technically inaccurate.  Doctor Who and the Triassicans?   Jurassicons?  Cretaceousians?  Nah...
     
  • Blake's 7 fans look closely for Paul Darrow (Avon in Blake's 7) to play one of the Brigadier's endless supply of Captain Expendables.
     
  • The original color master tapes of this story were wiped in the mid to late 1980's.  When the junking was halted and an inventory done, it was discovered that this story did still exist in a 16mm black and white film recording (used for overseas sales).  As luck would have it, a fan with an early videotape machine recorded these episodes in color when they originally aired in the U.S.  Similar color recordings of junked Pertwee episodes exist for "The Ambassadors of Death," "Terror of  the Autons" and "The Daemons" but sadly not for "The Mind of Evil" or episode 3 of "Planet of the Daleks" or episode 1 of "Invasion of the Dinosaurs."  By combining elements of the color recordings with the black and white 16mm film prints we are able to see this story with restored color.
     
  • This story marks the first appearance of the 3rd Doctor's trademark car, Bessie.
     
  • Also a first - this was the first Doctor Who story to be shot on color videotape (the previous story, and season opener "Spearhead from Space", was shot on color film).
     
  • The Silurians, although a popular enemy, wouldn't return to Doctor Who until 14 years later in the Peter Davison story "Warriors of the Deep."
     
  • This story is being released as part of the "Beneath the Surface" trilogy boxset.  The other two stories included are the Jon Pertwee classic "The Sea Devils" and the Peter Davison romp "Warriors of the Deep".  Each of these stories contain elements of the Silurians, their close relatives the Sea Devils, or both.
  • As with all of the DVD releases to date, the Doctor Who Restoration Team did extensive work on this story (including color restoration).  More information on the restoration of this story can be read at their website HERE.