Black Orchid
(DVD)

 

Starring Peter Davison
2 Episodes
1982
49 minutes (color)
Single Disc



 

 

Production Notes
Doctor Who
Peter Davison

Adric
Matthew Waterhouse

Nyssa
Sarah Sutton

Tegan Jovanka
Janet Fielding

Written by
Terence Dudley
Directed by
Ron Jones

Produced by
John Nathan-Turner

Original Airdate
Mar 1, 1982 - Mar 2, 1982

R1 DVD Release Date
August 2008

Warner Home Video
#3000016632

U.K. Cover




 

 

 

Cover Blurb
 

 

England, 1925.  The TARDIS materializes on a quiet railway platform where the Doctor, Tegan, Adric, and Nyssa soon discover they are expected at an afternoon cricket match.  And when the time travelers are invited to stay at Canleigh Hall for a fancy dress ball, it isn't long before they uncover a terrible family secret.  Who is murdering the servants and why?  A rare flower may hold the answer.

 

 

 

 

 


 

DVD Features

  • Now and Then:

 A nine minute featurette detailing the locations used in filming this story.  As the name suggests, many locations are revisited to see what they look like today.
 

 

  • Deleted Scenes:

 Seven minutes worth of deleted scenes recovered from the personal collection of the late producer John Nathan-Turner.
 

 
  • Film Restoration:
 A brief featurette demonstrating the techniques used to restore the original film elements of this story.
 

 
  • Stripped for Action - The Fifth Doctor:
 A sixteen minute featurette detailing the comic strip adventures of the Fifth Doctor.  Interviews are conducted with artist Dave Gibbons and editor Alan McKenzie as well as former Doctor Who Magazine editors Alan Barnes and Gary Russell.
 

 
  • Blue Peter:
 An excerpt from this children's program taken near the airing of this story.  The segment in question touches briefly on the costumes used in the production of this story, and their use in creating the look and feel of 1920's England.
 

 
  • Points of View:
 An excerpt from the show Points of View taken during the same time as the airing of Black Orchid.  In this section, viewers letters are aired - and the viewers comments center on unhappiness of fans as Doctor Who was shifted from a Saturday slot to twice during the weekday.
 

 
  • Audio Options:

Commentary track provided by Peter Davison (The Doctor), Janet Fielding (Tegan), Sarah Sutton (Nyssa), and Matthew Waterhouse (Adric).
 

 
  • 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
 

 
  • Photo Gallery:
 Lots of rare and never before seen photos taken during the production of this story.  Very nice.
 

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

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

 
  • Easter Eggs:
 There is 1 Easter 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. CONTINUITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
(Original Broadcast)

 

 

Go to the 'Special Features' menu.
Click on the hidden Doctor Who logo to the left of the 'Points of View'

 

 

 

 


Additional Notes

  • "Black Orchid" was producer John Nathan-Turner's failed attempt to bring back the pure historical storylines to Doctor Who.  It is the first purely historical story to air since "The Highlanders" in 1966. 
     
  • Sarah Sutton takes on the dual role of both Nyssa and Ann Talbot.
     
  • At one point series producer John Nathan-Turner had planned on directing "Black Orchid."  Due to his heavy involvement at that time with the spin-off pilot K9 and Co., he ultimately was unable to assume the director's chair.
     
  • Actor Michael Cochrane, who played Lord Cranleigh, would return again to Doctor Who several years later playing the character Redvers Fenn-Cooper in the Sylvester McCoy story "Ghost Light".
     
  • For a time, this story was to be called "The Beast" until it was changed to "Black Orchid."
     
  • Years ago, on VHS, "Black Orchid" was sold as part of a double pack along with the previous Doctor Who adventure "The Visitation."
     
  • Author Terrance Dudley also penned another Davison story earlier in the same season, "Four to Doomsday" and would go on to write one more 2 parter in the next season - "The Kings' Demons".
     
  • As with all of the U.K. DVD releases to date, the Doctor Who Restoration Team did extensive work on this story to create the best possible transfer.  More information on the restoration of this story can be read at their website HERE.