The Complete First Series
(DVD)

 

Starring Christopher Eccleston
13 Episodes  (45 minutes each)
2005
545 minutes (color)
Five Disc Box Set

 



 

 

Production Notes
Doctor Who
Christopher Eccelston

Rose Tyler
Billie Piper

Captain Jack
John Barrowman

Mickey Smith
Noel Clarke

Jackie Tyler
Camille Coduri
 Written by
Paul Cornell
Mark Gatiss
Steven Moffat
Robert Shearman
&
Russell T. Davies

 Directed by
Joe Ahearne
Keith Boak
Brian Grant
James Hawes
Euros Lyn
Produced by
Phil Colinson

Executive Producers
Russell T. Davies
Julie Gardner
Mal Young

Original Airdates
March 26, 2005 - June 18, 2005

US DVD Release Date
July 2006

Warner Home Video
#E2501

U.K Box Set

 

 



 

Cover Blurb
New Doctor Who!  A whole box set of it!  On DVD!  But look at that first word, NEW!  To younger viewers - the lifeblood, our next generation, welcome, welcome! - this might not seem odd: it's a brand new show, fair enough, isn't that what television's for?  But some of us can remember black - and - white, and Whizzer and Chips, and when yogurt was new (I can remember when Swansea got its first Chinese takeaway - you took it away!  And it was Chinese!).  Us old folk, we thought this would never happen...



 

 

 

DVD Features

Disc One
 

Episodes 1, 2 and 3

 Rose
The End of the World
The Unquiet Dead
   
Interview with Christopher Eccleston (BBC Breakfast): A brief 11 minute interview of the actor who brought the character of Doctor Who back to the TV screen - Christopher Eccleston just prior to the transmission of the first episode.
 

Destroying the Lair:

 Another brief visual effects featurette, this time focusing on the model work done for  the destruction of the Nestene lair from the episode "Rose."
 

Making Doctor Who With Russell T. Davies:

 A fascinating (but all too brief) 15 minute video diary featurette that highlights the first week of production for the first new series of Doctor Who since 1989.  Executive producer Russell T. Davies (along with fellow executive producer Julie Gardner) share some of behind the scenes workings - and nervous tension associated with the relaunch of the series.

 

Waking the Dead :

Another fascinating video diary (17 minutes long), this time from story writer Mark Gatiss (who penned "The Unquiet Dead").  You get a chance to see the genesis and evolution for the story as well as Gatiss' personal fears and hopes in this high pressure relaunch.
 
Laying Ghosts: Author Mark Gatiss discusses his story "The Unquiet Dead" in this 8 minute featurette.

 
Trailers: A collection of trailers that aired just prior to the launch of the new first series.

 
Trailer Storyboard: A brief look at the original storyboard for the relaunch (fireball) trailer.

 
Audio Options:

Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound

Commentaries

  • "Rose" - Russell T. Davies (writer/executive producer), Julie Gardner (executive producer), Phil Collinson (producer)

  • "The End of the World" - Phil Collinson (producer) and Will Cohen (visual effects)

  • "The Unquiet Dead" - Mark Gatiss (writer), Euros Lyn (director), and Simon Callow (Charles Dickens)
 

 
 

Disc Two
 

Episodes 4, 5 and 6

 Aliens of London
World War Three
Dalek
   
Deconstructing Big Ben: A 5 minute featurette on the model work done for Big Ben in the episode "Aliens of London."

 

On the Set With Billie:

 A 20 minute video diary with actress Billie Piper (Rose) shot during the course of filming the first series.  Lots of behind the scenes moments give a real sense of the scale that making this series entailed.
 
Trailers: A collection of trailers that aired during the original broadcast of the new first series.

 
Audio Options:

Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound

Commentaries

  • "Aliens of London" - Julie Gardner (executive producer), Will Cohen (visual effects producer), and David Verrey (Joseph Green/Chief Slitheen)

  •  "World War Three" - Phil Collinson (producer), Helen Raynor (script editor), Annette Badland (Margaret Blaine/Slitheen)

  • "Dalek" - Robert Shearman (writer), Dave Houghton (visual effects), Nicholas Briggs (Dalek Voices), and Bruno Langley (Adam)
 

 
 

Disc Three
 

Episodes 7, 8, 9 and 10

 The Long Game
Father's Day
The Empty Child
The Doctor Dances
   
Mike Tucker's Mocks of Balloons: Visual effects designer, Mike Tucker, discusses the process of creating the realistic models used in the opening scenes of "The Empty Child."

 
Audio Options:

Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound

Commentaries

  • "The Long Game" - Bruno Langley (Adam), Brian Grant (director), and Christine Adams (Cathica)

  • "Father’s Day" - Paul Cornell (writer), Billie Piper (Rose), Shaun Dingwall (Pete Tyler), and Phil Collinson (producer)

  •  "The Empty Child" - Steven Moffat (writer), John Barrowman (Captain Jack), and Dave Houghton (visual effects)

  • "The Doctor Dances" - Steven Moffat (writer), John Barrowman (Captain Jack), and Dave Houghton (visual effects)
 

 
 

Disc Four
 

Episodes 11, 12, and 13

 Boom Town
Bad Wolf
The Parting of the Ways
   
Designing Doctor Who: A 20 minute featurette on the set designs of Doctor Who.  This featurette gives a real sense of the huge undertaking this kind of program can be.
 
The Adventures of Captain Jack: This featurette focuses on the character of semi companion Captain Jack Harkness and features interviews with the actor who plays him - John Barrowman.
 
Trailers: A collection of trailers that led up to the broadcast of the final episode of the new series.

 
Audio Options:

Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound

Commentaries

  •  "Boom Town" - Phil Collinson (producer), John Barrowman (Captain Jack), and Annette Badland (Margaret Blaine/Slitheen)

  • "Bad Wolf "- Russell T. Davies (writer/executive producer), Julie Gardner (executive producer), and Phil Collinson (producer)

  •  "The Parting of the Ways" - John Barrowman (Captain Jack), Julie Gardner (executive producer), and Billie Piper (Rose)
 

 
 

Disc Five
 
Doctor Who Confidential: Immediately following the broadcast of each weekly episode of Doctor Who on BBC1 was a documentary on BBC 3 called "Doctor Who Confidential" that highlighted aspects of the episode that had been shown that week.  All 13 episodes are presented here (in a scaled down version from their original broadcast).  An additional 14th episode entitled "Backstage at Christmas" gives a behind the scenes look at the Christmas special "The Christmas Invasion" starring David Tennant as the 10th Doctor.

Episode 1 - Bringing Back the Doctor
Episode 2 - The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly
Episode 3 - TARDIS Tales
Episode 4 - I Get a Side-Kick Out of You
Episode 5 - Why on Earth?
Episode 6 - Dalek
Episode 7 - The Dark Side
Episode 8 - Time Trouble
Episode 9 - Special Effects
Episode 10 - Weird Science
Episode 11 - Unsung Heroes & Violent Death
Episode 12 - The World of Who
Episode 13 - The Last Battle
Episode 14 - Backstage at Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easter Egg

#1. DIRECTOR'S CUT OF "FIRE" TRAILER

 


Click on the hidden orange hexagon below the "Set Up" option on Disc Four.

   

 

 

 

 

 

Additional Notes

  • He's back... and it's about time!
     

  • After a 16 year absence Doctor Who made a dramatic return to the TV screen in the spring of 2005.
     

  • The surprise announcement came on the eve of the 40th anniversary of Doctor Who (September 2003).
     

  • Apart from a one off TV movie in 1996, this is the first time new Doctor Who has been produced since 1989.
     

  • This first series of new Doctor Who has been met with critical acclaim and was a ratings success for BBC1.  Before the end of the first series transmission a second and third series were commissioned as well as two Christmas specials.
     

  • The revival of Doctor Who came through the combined efforts of executive producers Mal Young, BBC Wales Head of Drama - Julie Gardner, Russell T. Davies (also head writer), and then BBC1 controller Lorraine Heggessey.
     

  • The format of this new series is somewhat different from the original (or "classic" series).  Episodes are now approximately 45 minutes and usually are self contained stories - i.e. each story has a resolution by the end of the episode.
     

  • There were essentially, 7 single episode stories and 3 two episode stories ("Aliens of London"/"World War III", "The Empty Child"/"The Doctor Dances", and "Bad Wolf"/"The Parting of the Ways").
     

  • The new series would see the return of familiar villains such as the Daleks and the Autons as well as lots of new adversaries (along with a few nods to the original series - such as U.N.I.T. references, etc.)
     

  • The TARDIS exterior is easily recognizable from the original series, however, the console room has seen a dramatic redesign.
     

  • While there is much that is new about this series, the same spirit that was apparent in the original series is very much alive here too.
     

  • Complicated rights issues arose for the R1 release.  Transmitted in Canada but not in the U.S., BBCWW was reluctant to release this title to North American markets.  It was felt that the release might have a negative impact on the sale of the series in the U.S.  It was then decided that the series would get a DVD release in Canada only.  Die hard U.S. fans then began to scour online Canadian retailers in anticipation of its release.  However, in a surprise move BBCWW reversed their earlier position and are now releasing it in both Canada and the U.S. (much to our great fortune).

    Highlight the text below for spoiler information

  • Christopher Eccleston would only appear in this first series as the Ninth Doctor and subsequently regenerates at the conclusion of "The Parting of the Ways."
     

  • Throughout this first series we learn that the Doctor's home planet of Gallifrey and the race that inhabited it, the Time Lords, were wiped out in a massive Time War against the Daleks.  Only the Doctor survived.

 

 

 

 

 

Vanilla Releases

Bare bones "vanilla" releases are also now available for the first season. 
These discs contain the episodes only, and have no bonus features, commentary tracks, etc.
 

Series 1 - Volume 1
 "Rose"
"The End of the World"
"The Unquiet Dead"

Series 1 - Volume 2
 "Aliens of London"
"World War Three"
"Dalek"

Series 1 - Volume 3
 "The Long Game"
"Father's Day"
"The Empty Child"
"The Doctor Dances"

Series 1 - Volume 4
"Boom Town"
"Bad Wolf"
"The Parting of the Ways"