Battlefield
(DVD)

 

Starring Sylvester McCoy
4 Episodes
1989
95 minutes (color)
Double Disc



 

 

Production Notes
Doctor Who
Sylvester McCoy

Ace
Sophie Aldred

Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
Nicholas Courtney

Written by
Ben Aaronovitch

Directed by
Michael Kerrigan
Produced by
John Nathan-Turner

Original Airdate
Sept 6, 1989 - Sept 27, 1989

R1  Release Date
May 2009

Warner Home Video
#3000021237

U.K. Cover


 

 

 

Cover Blurb

Responding to a distress signal, the Doctor and Ace arrive near the village of Carbury, where a nuclear missile convoy has run into difficulties.  The peace of the English countryside is shattered as UNIT troops are besieged by armored knights from another dimension.  As the crisis deepens, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart is called out of retirement to join the battle.  Together, he and the Doctor must face the Destroyer, a fearsome demon summoned by the witch queen Morgaine to devour the world.


 

 

 
DVD Features
 

Disc One
All 4 episodes as they were originally transmitted in 1989.

 

  • Storm Over Avallion:

 A 22 minute documentary highlighting the production of "Battlefield".  Participants include Sylvester McCoy (the 7th Doctor), Sophie Aldred (Ace), Jean Marsh (Morgaine), Nicholas Courntey (Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart), Angela Bruce (Brigadier Bambera) and Marcus Gilbert (Ancelyn).  Other contributors include Andrew Cartmel (script editor), Michael Kerrigan (director), and writer Ben Aaronovitch.
 

 

  • Past and Future King:

 Attention is paid to the scripting side of this production with this featurette.  Contributors include writer Ben Aaronovitch and script editor Andrew Cartmel.
 

 

  • From Kingdom to Queen:

 A featurette highlighting the actress Jean Marsh and her multiple appearances in Doctor Who.
 

 
  • Watertank:
 Using footage from the actual event, members of cast and crew recount the infamous on-set accident involving a filled water tank whose glass shattered with actress Sophie Aldred still inside.
 

 

  • Studio Recording:

 Nearly 20 minutes of studio recording footage providing a fascinating behind the scenes glimpse into the frenetic making of Doctor Who in the 80's.
 

 
  • Trails and Continuity Announcements:
 Continuity announcements and trails from the original broadcast as well as repeat transmissions.
 

 
  • Audio Options:

The first option is a commentary track including Sophie Aldred (Ace), Nicholas Courtney (The Brigadier), Angela Bruce (Brigadier Bambera), Ben Aaronovitch (writer), and script editor Andrew Cartmel.

The other audio option is the isolated soundtrack.  With this feature you will hear the music Keff McCulloch composed for this story sequentially as it appears in the episode.  This does mean that there are long gaps of silence in between music cues.

 

 
  • Information Text:
 An incredible amount 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.
 

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

 
  • Easter Eggs:
 None.  For a full list of known Easter Eggs and screen grabs of them click HERE.

 
 

 

 

Disc Two
A special extended "omnibus" edition with updated special effects, additional footage added, 5.1 surround sound mix, and other bonus features.
 

  • Season 26 Trailer:

 A specially made trailer from 1989 used the the press launch of the final season of classic Doctor Who.
 

 
  • Audio Options:
 A newly created 5.1 surround sound mix to compliment the extended and enhanced version on this disc.
 

 
  • Easter Eggs:
 None.  For a full list of known Easter Eggs and screen grabs of them click HERE.

 

  

 

 

Additional Notes
  • "Battlefield" marks the beginning of the final season of Doctor Who.
  • Returning after a long absence is Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (played by Nicholas Courtney) as well as U.N.I.T.  This marks his final appearance in Doctor Who (although he has reprised his role twice on the audio adventures produced by Big Finish).
  • This story had many elements to it that gave it a great deal of potential.  The most noteworthy of these is the Doctor/Merlin connection.
  • Actress Jean Marsh (Morgaine) made her first of three appearances on Doctor Who as Joanna, sister to Richard the Lionheart in the William Hartnell story "The Crusade."  She would return a year later to play short lived companion Sara Kingdom in "The Daleks' Masterplan."  It would be another 23 years before she would make her final appearance as the evil Morgaine in the McCoy story "Battlefield."
  • An accident occurred on the set during filming of the cliffhanger for episode 2.  Sophie Aldred (Ace) was in a plexiglas tank filled with water.  During filming, the tank shattered and water poured onto the studio floor.  Aldred was pulled to safety after Sylvester McCoy (Doctor #7) noticed the tank cracking and called out the warning to the stage hands.  Aldred credits McCoy's intervention with saving her from serious injury.  Some of this footage was still used for the program, and a more complete sequence of the accident is included on the documentary "More Than 30 Years in the TARDIS."
  • "Battlefield" was originally conceived as a 3 part story and was planned for the 25th anniversary season the previous year. It was moved back a year and expanded to 4 episodes.
  • As with all of the U.K. DVD releases to date, the Doctor Who Restoration Team did extensive work on this story.  More information on the restoration of this story can be read at their website HERE.