New Beginnings Box Set
(Special Edition DVD)

 

Starring Tom Baker & Peter Davison
Featuring 3 Stories
The Keeper of Traken (4 episodes)
Logopolis (4 episodes)
Castrovalva (4 episodes)
292 minutes (color)
Triple Disc




 

 

Production Notes
Doctor Who
Tom Baker
&
Peter Davison

Adric
Matthew Waterhouse

Nyssa
Sarah Sutton

Tegan Jovanka
Janet Fielding

The Master
Anthony Ainley
Written by
Johnny Byrne
&
Christopher H. Bidmead


Directed by
John Black
 Peter Grimwade
&
 Fiona Cumming


Produced by
John Nathan-Turner
 
Original Airdates
Jan 31, 1981 - Feb 21, 1981
Feb 28, 1981 -Mar 21, 1981
&
Jan 4, 1982 - Jan 12, 1982


R1 DVD Release Date
June 2007


Warner Home Video
#E4013


U.K. Box Set Cover


 



Cover Blurb

As Tom Baker reached the end of his seventh season in Doctor Who, many changes were in store.  Romana and K9 remained in E-space at the end of "Warrior's Gate," while Adric continued to travel with the Doctor.  These three stories - "the Keeper of Traken", "Logopolis" and "Castrovalva" - saw the arrival of two more companions, Nyssa and Tegan, and the return of the Doctor's arch-enemy, The Master, as well as the transition from Tom Baker's Doctor to Peter Davison's.  Packed with special features, including the only DVD commentary recorded by the late Anthony Ainley and possible Tom Baker's most enlightening interview to date, this boxed set covers one of the most pivotal time sin the show's history.

The Keeper of Traken - (4 eps, 98 mins)
The Doctor and Adric answer a distress call from the Keeper of the tranquil planet of Traken, where a living stature poses a deadly threat.

Logopolis - (4 eps, 98 mins)
The Doctor's plan to enlist the help of Logopolis's mathematicians in repairing the TARDIS's chameleon circuit becomes sidetracked when the Master's interference leads to disaster on a universal scale.

Castrovalva - (4 eps, 96 mins)
The Doctor's regeneration is failing, and his last hope rests with Nyssa and Tegan, who struggle to steer the TARDIS to the remote city of Castrovalva, renowned for its healing powers.



 

 

 

DVD Features
 

Disc One
All 4 episodes from the story "The Keeper of Traken" as they were originally transmitted in 1981 plus these bonus features.

 
  • Swap Shop:
 An appearance by actress Sarah Sutton (Nyssa) on the U.K. show "Swap Shop."  In this 11 minute clip Sarah Sutton is interviewed by host Noel Edmonds and takes calls from viewers.
 

 
  • The Return of the Master:
 An 8 minute featurette that sheds light on how the production team resurrected the Doctor's arch nemesis, the Master.  Includes interviews with Geoffrey Beevers (Melkur/The Master), Christopher H. Bidmead (script editor), and John Black (director).
 

 

  • Being Nice To Each Other:

 This 30 minute featurette highlights the efforts to create this story from both behind the scenes as well as on camera.  Highlighted in this featurette are interviews with Sarah Sutton (Nyssa), Geoffrey Beevers (Melkur/The Master), Sheila Ruskin (Kassia), as well as Christopher H. Bidmead (script editor), Johnny Byrne (writer), and John Black (director).
 

 
  • Trailers and Continuity Announcements:
 Nearly 6 minutes worth of trailers as well as continuity announcements from the original broadcast.
 

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

 
  • Information Text:
 Lots of trivia and tidbits of Whovian detail are provided.  The text appears intermittently along the bottom of the screen and is written by members of the Doctor Who Restoration Team.
 

 
  • 1982 Doctor Who Annual:
 Accessible from any computer with a DVD drive, a PDF of  the 1982 Doctor Who Annual (a mixture of Doctor Who fiction as well as science based reading for young Doctor Who fans).
 

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

 
  • Season 18 Sales Guide:
 Accessible from any computer with a DVD drive, a PDF of the Season 18 sales literature.
 

 
  • Audio Options:
 The first option is to listen to an audio commentary.  The participants on this commentary are Anthony Ainley (Tremas/The Master), Mathhew Waterhouse (Adric), Sarah Sutton (Nyssa) and writer Johnny Byrne.  Sadly, this is the only commentary recorded by the late Anthony Ainley.

The second audio option is the isolated soundtrack.  With this feature you will hear the excellent score composed by Roger Limb 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 1egg included in this release.  For a full list of known Easter Eggs and screen grabs of them click HERE. 
 
   
 

 

 

 

Disc Two
All 4 episodes from the story "Logopolis" as they were originally transmitted in 1981 plus these bonus features.

 

  • A New Body at Last:

 Clocking in at roughly 50 minutes, this featurette covers the departure of the longest running actor to play the Doctor - Tom Baker.  Included in the documentary are Tom Baker (the 4th Doctor), Peter Davison (the 5th Doctor), Matthew Waterhouse (Adric), Sarah Sutton (Nyssa) and Adrian Gibbs (the Watcher).  Also contributing are Christopher H. Bidmead (script editor/writer) and long time directors Peter Moffatt and John Black.
 

 
  • Nationwide Clips:
 Two separate clips from the show Nationwide taken around the time of this story's transmission.  The first clip includes an interview with actor Tom Baker (the 4th Doctor), while the second with actor Peter Davison (the 5th Doctor).
 

 
  • Pebble Mill at One:
 An interview with Peter Davison conducted at the time of his taking over the role of Doctor Who.
 

 
  • News Clips:
 A collection of BBC news clips covering the wedding of Tom Baker (the 4th Doctor) to Lalla Ward (Romana), Tom Baker's departure, and Peter Davison's (the 5th Doctor) arrival.
 

 
  • Continuity Announcements:
 Continuity announcements from the original broadcast.
 

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

 
  • Information Text:
 Lots of trivia and tidbits of Whovian detail are provided.  The text appears intermittently along the bottom of the screen and is written by members of the Doctor Who Restoration Team.
 

 
  • 1982 Doctor Who Annual:
 Accessible from any computer with a DVD drive, a PDF of  the 1982 Doctor Who Annual (a mixture of Doctor Who fiction as well as science based reading for young Doctor Who fans).
 

 
  • 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 Tom Baker (The Doctor), Janet Fielding (Tegan), and writer/script editor Christopher Bidmead.

The second audio option is the isolated soundtrack.  With this feature you will hear the excellent score composed by Paddy Kingsland 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 are none on this disc.  For a full list of known Easter Eggs and screen grabs of them click HERE.

 
     
 

 

 

 

Disc Three
All 4 episodes from the story "Castrovalva" as they were originally transmitted in 1982 plus these bonus features.

 
  • Swap Shop:
 A 20 minute segment from the popular show Swap Shop featuring a guest appearance by Peter Davison.
 

 
  • Blue Peter:
 A nine minute interview with Peter Davison at the time of this story's transmission.
 

 
  • Directing Castrovalva:
 Director Fiona Cumming discusses her involvement in Peter Davison's debut story.
 

 

  • Being Doctor Who:

 As you might expect, this featurette delves into the early days of Peter Davison's tenure as the Doctor.
 

 
  • The Crowded TARDIS:
 One of the major changes in direction for the series at the beginning of the 80's was the jump to multiple companions instead of just one.  This featurette examines those decisions and times.  Contributing are Tom Baker (the 4th Doctor), Peter Davison (the 5th Doctor), Sarah Sutton (Nyssa), Christopher H. Bidmead (script editor), and John Black (director).
 

 
  • Deleted Scenes:
 Two (very short) scenes that didn't make it into the final version.
 

 
  • Trailers and Continuity Announcements:
 Over 5 minutes worth of trailers as well as continuity announcements from the original broadcast.
 

 
  • Theme Music Video:
 A new remix of Peter Howell's version of the Doctor Who theme set to the opening/closing title star field.  There is an option to listen to this in stereo or Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound.  Nice!
 

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

 
  • 1982 Doctor Who Annual:
 Accessible from any computer with a DVD drive, a PDF of  the 1982 Doctor Who Annual (a mixture of Doctor Who fiction as well as science based reading for young Doctor Who fans).
 

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

 
  • Season 19 Sales Guide:
 Accessible from any computer with a DVD drive, a PDF of the Season 19 sales literature.
 

 
  • Information Text:
 Lots of trivia and tidbits of Whovian detail are provided.  The text appears intermittently along the bottom of the screen and is written by members of the Doctor Who Restoration Team.
 

 
  • Audio Options:
 The first option is to listen to an audio commentary.  The participants on this commentary are Peter Davison (The Doctor), Janet Fielding (Tegan), Fiona Cumming (director) and writer/script editor Christopher Bidmead.

The second audio option is the isolated soundtrack.  With this feature you will hear the excellent score composed by Paddy Kingsland 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 1egg included in this release.  For a full list of known Easter Eggs and screen grabs of them click HERE.
 
     



 

 

 

Additional Notes
  • The Master returns again, after another long absence (4 years this time).   "The Keeper of Traken" begins another trilogy of sorts, the Master Trilogy.  His character will be featured in the next two stories "Logopolis" and "Castrovalva."
     
  • The last time the Master was seen was 4 years earlier in "The Deadly Assassin."
  • Another companion is added to the TARDIS crew, Nyssa of Traken (played by Sarah Sutton).  Although her character does not depart with the Doctor and Adric at the conclusion of this story, she does reappear in the next one - "Logopolis."
  • Watch for a particularly good cliffhanger at the end of episode 1.  The Keeper is attacked by the Melkur creature and the Trakens close in on the Doctor, thinking he is the culprit.
  • Also keep your eyes open during episode 3.  There is something dangling off of Tom Baker's nose while he's in jail.  :)
  • If the character of Seron looks at all familiar, that is because he is being played by none other than John Woodnutt.  Woodnutt has appeared frequently in Doctor Who.  Woodnutt's first role in Doctor Who was that of Hibbert in Pertwee's introductory story "Spearhead from Space."  His next appearance on the show would be that of the Draconian Emperor in "Frontier in Space."  He would later go on to play the double role of the Zygon commander Broton/the Duke of Forgil in the classic Tom Baker story "Terror of the Zygons" before his final appearance in this story.
     

  • "Logopolis" is Tom Baker's final appearance as the Doctor.  He is forced to regenerate by the stories end.  His era was longer than any other Doctor's (lasting 7 seasons).
     
  • "Logopolis" continues the trilogy began with "The Keeper of Traken" that heralds the return of the Master.  His character will appear in the next story,  "Castrovalva" as well.
     
  • Part of the impetus to bring back The Master to the series was to help transition the audience from the well established Tom Baker (who held the role for 7 years).
     
  • The third and final companion for the next Doctor is added with Tegan Jovanka (played by Janet Fielding).
     
  • The original plan was to have an old companion return during the Master trilogy in an attempt to smooth the transition from Tom Baker's Doctor to Peter Davison's.
     
  • Both Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith) and Louise Jameson (Leela) turned down the offer to return.  After this the production team decided to create the character of Tegan Jovanka as a companion.
     
  • The British public would have to wait quite a while to see the new Doctor (played by Peter Davison).  This was because of an unusually long gap which left curious fans waiting for over a year before the next season premiered.
     

  • "Castrovalva" is Peter Davison's first appearance as the Doctor.  Davison is the youngest actor to take on the role (he was 29 at the time).
     
  • "Castrovalva" concludes the trilogy that began with "The Keeper of Traken" and continued in "Logopolis" that heralds the return of the Master.
     
  • Part of the impetus to bring back The Master to the series was to help transition the audience from the well established Tom Baker (who held the role for 7 years) to the new Doctor (Peter Davison).
     
  • Writer Christopher H. Bidmead was inspired to write this story by the artwork of M.C. Escher.
  • Although "Castrovalva" is the first adventure with the 5th Doctor, it was the fourth story to be filmed.  This was done to give Davison a chance to adjust to his role before he had to perform out of character (due to his regeneration).  An alternative explanation surfaced later stating that the original opening story was scrapped at the last minute and "Castrovalva" inserted in its place.  To give the production crew more time to prepare, filming was pushed back making "Four to Doomsday" the first one to be taped. 
     
  • Watch for Davison's amusing impersonations of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Doctors.
  • Playing Mergrave is none other than Michael Sheard.  Sheard's first role in Doctor Who was in the 1966 Hartnell story "The Ark" as Rhos.  5 years later Sheard would return as Dr. Summers in the Pertwee story "The Mind of Evil."  Sheard would again appear in Doctor Who, this time as Lawrence Scarman in the classic Tom Baker story "Pyramids of Mars."  Next up was the part of Lowe in "The Invisible Enemy."  4 years after his appearance in this Davidson story he made his final appearance in the 1988 Sylvester McCoy story "Remembrance of the Daleks."  He's a busy man...
  • As with all of the DVD releases to date, the Doctor Who Restoration Team did extensive work on these stories.  More information on the restoration of this story can be read at their website HERE.