Rating: 
Summary: What "Re-Mastering" should be.
Review: This review is for the DVD.I was impressed by this DVD. I was impressed by this DVD. It was fun. I was even more impresed when I reveived my original Five Doctors Video. They DVD actully use surround sound. I'm sure you noticed how other DVD's and VIDEO (Dr. Who included) use the word "stereo" yet you get nothing when you use your stereo. Not the case here. They've added new sound effects where appropriate. There is echoing and music that takes advantage of all 5 of my speakers. Special effects that were painful for me to to watch on my video were intelligently updated on the DVD. Owners of the original video will notice this when they see what has replaced those infamous black triangles. Expect some dramatic and many subtle improvements. Extra footage is added which actually helps the stories flow better. There is also commentary by both Peter David and the writer Terrence Dicks. They have fun and interesting commentary. This was definitely a joy for me. I only hope that the rest of the Dr. Who lines either do the same or better. Heck... I hope that any company that is planning on moving an old series to DVD looks as this as a model. Thanks for listening... enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: I must find my other selves...
Review: A classic celebration story involving the first five actors to play the legendary Doctor but this DVD is indeed a "Special Edition" and not the version originally televised. For example, the special effect of the mysterious Black Triangle that abducts the timelords from their respective time streams has been updated with a new CGI morphing effect. Also, when Tom Baker is returned at the end the scene has been changed. Instead of the Doctor and Romana seen happily rushing back to the Tardis in the broadcast version, we now see a recycled shot of the Doctor once again punting the yact as the new ghostly whirlwind effect flies off. This is perhaps the most disappointing change, as I would rather have seen the aforementioned cut shot from the unaired "Shada" episode which fitted in perfectly with the story. Also at the end, instead of the 3 Tardis' splitting up in different directions, the new whirlwind effect is used to show the Doctors dematerializing from the Tardis. While I love the new 5.1 Dolby sound mix and the inclusion of the isolated music soundtrack, I am ambivalent to the new alterations. Being a purist, I would rather have the original broadcast version intact. Granted the visual effects at the time were of poor quality but part of the production cheeziness is what Doctor Who is all about. The Peter Davison, Terrance Dicks commentary track makes reference to these changes specifically for the DVD version.
Rating:
Summary: Finally!
Review: Finally I have seen The 5 Doctors without pledge break interruption and with a clear picture. The Peter Davison and Terrance Dicks commentary was funny and informative, with filming and story anecdotes. Most interesting were the comments regarding Tom Baker's original storyline in the show before he backed out at the last minute. Now if the BBC would only release more DVDs in America. They're working on the Ark in Space with a new and improved cg space station, but when will it ever hit our shores. After seeing the 5 Doctors, I'm going to get The Robots of Death and Spearheads from Space, despite the fact that neither is my favorite from Tom or Jon. Just to see them clearly and all in one go, with no choppy episode editing or actual episodes is worth the DVD price. Go to BBCAmerica.com and vote for more Doctor DVDs to be released. I know there are enough Whovians in America to make them see they need to get on the ball and release them here.
Rating:
Summary: Very pleasing to watch this new "Five Doctors".
Review: This is probably the closest we can get to having all the Doctors meet his other selves from all early incarnations. It really was such an accomplishment to show all these former companions come in as well. At least it made sense. This new 5 Doctors is done very well. The added footage that was originally cut down due to time constraints when it originally aired, was nice to see the new stuff. The new effects as well was great to watch. It made this much more enjoyable to watch and relive. As I've probably seen this so many times, this new edition certainly made it worth watching again. I enjoyed all the cast and was fond of the opening too which put the first Dr., William Hartnell as an nostalgic touch. His replacement Richard Hurndall does well but I thought he was way too tall. All the other Doctors are great and Tom Baker's absence is missed. Wished he'd done it. The new ending of how everyone was sent home made a more logical reason than the original's splitting Tardis'. The new Dolby Surround Sound certainly really enhanced the music on this new edition. Made it more a part of the story and helped set the mood to a new level of enjoyment. All in all a great new cut. My only gripe is I wish the BBC would offer the original cut on tape still. The original would be 4 stars, new one is 5 stars I'd rate.
Rating:
Summary: A classic episode even without Tom Baker!
Review: I grew up watching Doctor Who on PBS as a kid in the 80's. The special effects weren't too special even back then but somehow it makes you love the show that much more. The writing on this series is so creative and strong that it more than compensates. This is one of my favorite episodes (the Raston Warrior Robot alone is super-cool). Too bad Tom Baker couldn't see his way clear to join the cast, but the episode is still stellar even without him. Many of your old favorite assistants and villains are incorporated as well. How do Daleks negotiate the rocky terrain of the Death Zone? Who cares! Richard Hurndall is terrific in William Hartnell's stead as the first Doctor. Anthony Ainley's portrayal of the Master is excellent as well. I'm a Roger Delgado man myself, but that's nit-picking. A great plot and (most of) your favorite Doctors, Friends, Enemies, and some of the best music of the series. The biggest regret I have is no Tom Baker. I'd have loved to see how his Doctor interacted with himselves. If you're a fan of the series, you can't go wrong with this one. I'll be pre-ordering this for my DVD collection, thank you very much.
Rating:
Summary: The Five Doctors is wonderful but ...
Review: With the emergence of the DVD format, the BBC finally had a chance to do right by the Doctor. And they owe him big time! After all, it was the BBC's desperate hunger for shelf space that deprived us of dozens of classic stories from the show's sixties heyday. Treasures wiped clean by bureaucratic short-sightedness. Heavy sigh. But here they go again, releasing episodes piecemeal, cherry picking the supposed "good" ones and never getting around to what the Doctor deserves: a full release of all available material. A release, by the by, that DVD would be perfect for. Imagine a disc with surviving clips from all deleted Hartnell and Troughton stories as a bonus. Or with full episodes from incomplete serials that still exist but haven't yet seen video release; from "The Reign of Terror" and "The Faceless Ones," for instance. But no. Instead, we'll get three episodes this year. Then maybe three more next year. And I will have shuffled off this mortal coil by the time the BBC gets around to releasing "The Invisible Enemy" or -- fervent wish -- a complete "Invasion of the Dinosaurs." Yes it does exist. So I'd like to make a modest proposal. To Whom It May Concern at the BBC video division: Take a lesson from Fox Home Video and consider a release a la the "X-Files" season box sets. Perhaps three volumes to encompass all available Hartnell material. One or two for all available Troughton stories. And then a box set for each complete season from there on in. And not forgetting the McGann TV movie. The Doctor deserves a little respect. And we fans would like to be able to watch the series within our brief, non-Time Lord lifespans.
Rating:
Summary: The Reason DvD was invented!!!!
Review: This Rocks! Big *Time*. I'm refering to the Region 2 British dvd, but just to let you American/Canadian folks know, the picture quality is remarkable, quite remarkable. Its the special edition version as well. so get ready to dematerialise, and don't fix that chamelion curcuit. It's time to re-visit some old friends! The dvd is a must have for any fan. sadly lacking in features, it has an isolated music score. However you guys stateside, have the added bonus of an audio commentry by Peter Davison and Writer Terance Dicks. This feature is sadly lacking in the british dvd, so I guess, I'll have to buy this one as well! Just released over here in Blighty on dvd, however,is the stunning 'Caves Of Androzani'. With masses of special features, including behind the scenes of the 'Regeneration' , you don't want to miss this one! My recomendation then, must simply be, Buy this now!! after all, thats how it all started.
Rating:
Summary: Can a real Doctor Who fan give it any less than 5 stars?
Review: If there's one episode that any Doctor Who fan must have in his collection, it has got to be this one. Where else can you find all of the first five Doctors (William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, and Peter Davison) together in one episode with a few of the Doctor's major villains, too? Also along for the ride, though not by their own choice, are several of the Time Lord's companions. I've read the novelization of this episode before, but have never seen it in its entirety on television. Review guides and websites routinely rate The Five Doctors quite highly.
Rating:
Summary: Better Written Sci-Fi
Review: As the BBC exhibited with The Doctor Who series, sub par special effects can be overcome with well written stories. The Five Doctors is no exception. The idea of bringing all five doctors together in a single episode was certainly a well-conceived one. Other than the noticably short appearance of the fourth doctor, Tom Baker, I was impressed with this episode. The story begins quickly and continues up until the climactic end. What makes this episode special is that all versions of the doctor, both present and past, must combine forces in order to overcome the evil which is plaguing them. It even appears as though the Doctor must employ the assistance of his "best enemy" in order to win. Having lived in England for nine years, I grew up having watched a lot of Doctor Who. This is certainly my favorite science fiction show. The fact that the BBC never invested much money in special effects helped to prove one fundamental fact; Good writing makes good shows. This is never more true than with The Five Doctors, one of the better episodes.
Rating:
Summary: Space in my library will be ex-ter-min-ated to make room!!!
Review: This was the 20th anniversary special, and it was amazing from beginning to end. Tom Baker refused to appear and was somewhat cleverly written out, (Borrowing some footage from Shada.) but the rest of this episode fascinated me, and I turned several friends on to Doctor Who with it. I remember when I left Alaska, I quoted William Hartnell's speech from the beginning of the episode. Just thinking about seeing it again flashes images through my mind of the Rastan Killing Machine taking out the squad of Cybermen! This is one that's going to dematerialize from Amazon and rematerialize onto my DVD shelf the moment it's out!
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