Rating: 
Summary: All 'Who' fans must buy this
Review: The Five Doctors Special Edition/King's Demons 2-pack is a great addition to any Who collection, and is certainly a great place to start one. The First Story (The Five Doctors) garners the 5-star rating on its own. The King's Demons is just an added bonus.The first thing is if you are expecting to see Tom Baker in this collection, you are in the wrong place. The esteemed Mr. Baker declined to appear in this episode, as he had left the role of the Doctor less than 2-years later. As a result, he appears only in a short segment in the early part of the show, and does not appear again (this is explained as he is caught in a time eddy). The plot of The Five Doctors revolves around a rogue Time Lord using forbidden technology to take each of the Five Doctors incarnations and place them in the Death Zone, where they must face all of their greatest enemies (and some new ones to boot!). Fighting alongside the Doctors are some of their most best companions from the series then-20 year run. When each Doctor awakes, he quickly figures out where they are and that to get the answers they need must travel to the Tomb of Rassilon, the first and greatest of Time Lords. They overcome many trials and tribulations on the way, and ultimately it takes all four Doctors to discover the true reason they were abducted. This story stars Peter Davison, Jon Pertwee & Patrick Troughton (the 5th, 3rd, and 2nd Doctors respectively). The role of the 1st Doctor is filled by Richard Hurndall (replacing William Hartnell who passed away in 1975). Hartnell is featured in a clip at the beginning of the show. The King's Demons is not nearly so great an episode, but if you want to complete a collection of the Doctor Who series, you must buy this collection (since King's Demons was released only in this set). It is not an entirely bad episode. The Doctor and his companions land in 13th Century England, where they meet King John, who promptly calls them friendly demons. The Doctor that not all is at it should be. The king has been taxing the even nobles into starvation. The Doctor eventually figures out that the King is under the influence of another party, and that one of his oldest enemies plots against him.
Rating: 
Summary: No, not the mind probe...
Review: Yes, the one with all of them. Except that the first Doctor is recast and played very well by Richard Hurndall and Tom Baker, Doctor #4 chose not to take part. The producer bought Tom Baker many lunches and many drinks and in the end, he still refused to take part. So, bits from the unfinished story, Shada, were used for Tom's contribution.
In watching this story, it's important to not have extremely high expectations. It crams a lot into a 90 minute slot (100 minutes for the extended, special edition DVD). It's best to switch off your brain and let the images hit you. All of the Doctors are in fine form, and it's especially nice to have the lovely Patrick Troughton recreating the 2nd Doctor, since there is so little that exists from his original run as the Doctor in the late '60s. It's just a big celebration of Doctor Who and all (well, many) have been invited.
The Special edition works just fine and the new visual effects are a real enhancement to the story, in my opinion. None of the changes have drastically altered the story. In some cases, they have improved the feel of the story. For example, the voice of Rassilon has been enhanced in such a way that one believes that he is the most important figure in Time Lord history, rather than the game show host that was in the original version.
This first DVD is light on features, like the UK release. I was rather pleased that the US release got the commentary with Peter Davison and Terrance Dicks. They seem to have fond memories of the program, along with a few disappointments and frustrations.
I enjoyed the DVD enormously and hope that the Doctor Who releases on DVD continue.
Rating:
Summary: A cosmic without the Doctor scarcely bears thinking about
Review: The original version of The Five Doctors was the first story I bought on sale video, and I saw it before the normal sequence of Peter Davison stories that were being shown on PBS. It gave me a good look at Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee (the Second and Third Doctors), as well as Liz Sladen (Sarah Jane), and Nicholas Courtney (the Brigadier). The Doctor, Tegan, and Turlough are resting at the Eye of Orion, a relaxing field with an effect like Earth after a rainstorm. An unseen black-gloved figure manipulating some controls and kidnaps the First Doctor, played with great William Hartnell-ness by Richard Hurndall. A miniature of the Doctor appears. Hmmm, who around here likes shrinking people? Familiar? This happens to the Second and Third Doctor, as well as other companions, but a glitch occurs with the Fourth Doctor and Romana II, who are trapped in a time vortex. With each attack, the Doctor suffers twinges of cosmic angst, and he must do something, lest he be pulled into the vortex and into oblivion. "Great chunks of me are being detached, like icebergs," he says. "I must become whole." The High Council of Time Lords, still led by Borusa, summon the Master to rescue the Doctor from Gallifrey's Death Zone, "the black secret at the heart of your Time Lord paradise" which is "not the most hospitable of environments." He does so, but is rebuffed by two of the Doctors, understandable as he was full of tricks and traps before. The Cybermen play a major role here, as three squads of them come out. However, they prove no match to the "most perfect killing machine ever devised," the sleek and featureless Raston Warrior Robot, who steals the show with its martial arts acrobatics and deadly lances and disks, and turns one squad into putty, impaling and decapitating away. Only one Dalek appears here, as does a creature from the Second Doctor's era. There's plenty of fabulous dialogue here. The Master tells us why the Doctor is so endeared to fans: "A cosmos without the Doctor scarcely bears thinking about." Something the Beeb should have remembered in 1989. The Time Scoop is seen as a spinning black obelisk here, and the Fourth Doctor and Romana's faces are swirling when caught in the time eddy. These were changed in the revamped edition of the Five Doctors, sold together as a two-pack with The King's Demons. My favorite Doctor, Jon Pertwee, comes off the best here, "ever so resourceful," as the Master says. He's still the charming, improvising guy with ideas; it's as if he never left the series, and he's a calm counterpart to the strung out Sarah Jane. She's more wimpy here, and that's a big contrast to her earlier era, when she was more headstrong and self-assured. An interesting double-entendre is when the First Doctor sees traces of two other Doctors. "Well, well, well, so two of them made it. I wonder what happened to the other." This last sentence spoken in such an acidic tone, might be a reference to Tom Baker's last minute refusal to participate in the story. And the Second Doctor's solo presence implies that he came here inbetween the verdict and sentencing at his trial--there is a hint of that when he encounters Jamie and Zoe, his last travelling companions. I was right on one thing. In the revamped version, the First Doctor's approximation of pi is 3.14287. Here, it's more accurate--3.14159265. Clearly they used an alternate take on the revamped version. Another is the Cybermen led by the Master--how could they note fail to spot the Doctor and Tegan in the chessboard room upon entering? A welcome reunion from some Who alumni, past and present, (they even included some William Hartnell in The Dalek Invasion Of Earth and Tom Baker footage from the untelevised Shada) with old pairings up (Doctor Two and the Brigadier, Doctor Three and Sarah) bringing back fond memories of the past, as well as new pairings (Turlough and Susan).
Rating:
Summary: Essential Who
Review: If you're a Doctor Who fan, you can't be without this DVD. To my knowledge, it's the only time 5 Doctor's appear in the same episode. If you're new to the series, this is a great introduction as you'll meet the aforementioned 5 Doctor's, a few of their assistants and get a solid foundation to explore the Doctor's further adventures. It's not the strongest story in the series, but it's endlessly entertaining to see the Doctors relate to each other. The audio commentary is at turns insightful and funny but I seemed to detect an undercurent of resentment that was quite suprising to me. Picture and sound is the best I've seen for a Doctor Who release. The 33minute soundtrack is a nice diversion, but I must admit to not listening to it all. One complaint I have is the omission of a booklet with chapter stops. I know you can find this information from the menu screen, but it's useful to have chapter stops in a booklet or on the back of the packaging for easy refrence when watching the episode. Once again The Five Doctors is essential for historical as well as foundational reasons and this DVD is the best presentation it's ever recieved. Five Doctors = five times the fun!
Rating:
Summary: A True Dr. Who Classic!
Review: This DVD gives us a wonderful peek into the world of Doctor Who. With the episodes edited together, we see the whole story without interruption, which works very well in this particular instance. Although some of the effects and scenes have changed (mostly for the better), it maintains the same feel as when we first saw the episode, and the same awe we had watching the Doctors unite on screen. The commentary provided by Peter Davison and Terrance Dicks lets us in on a bit of the process of creating this timeless story, and true fans of the show will find the little behind-the-scenes stories and tidbits delightful. I particularly enjoyed Peter Davison's fond memories, and occasional laughs at the funny moments that we all enjoy. A real refresher for him, and it's rather nostalgic and heartwarming to listen to it! A classic, and certainly worth picking up, even for the beginning Who fan! Also, look for the Soundtrack featured on this special edition DVD. A very nice touch indeed!
Rating:
Summary: Easy as Pi
Review: This is a wonderful story to launch the Doctor Who DVD line. The updated "Special Edition" of "The Five Doctors" (produced in 1995 with extended scenes, scenes never broadcast in the original transmission, and updated special effects) deserves to be on DVD and this is a fine presentation. The story itself is classic Doctor Who. It is a showcase for the series's 20th Anniversary. It features the First Doctor and Susan, the Second Doctor and the Brigadier, the Third Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith, the Fourth Doctor and Romana II (sort of), the Fifth Doctor with Tegan and Turlough, plus Jamie and Zoe, Mike Yates and Liz Shaw, a Dalek, a Yeti, a squad of Cybermen, a Raston Warrior Robot, Bessie, K-9, Time Lords and The Master. The story is kind of silly, but with all of these characters and monsters thrown in, who really cares about the story? The DVD itself offers the 90-minute story, the sound mixed in Dolby 5.1, 33 minutes of isolated music score, and if you live in North America, an absolutely hilarious and extremely entertaining commentary track featuring Peter Davison and Terrence Dicks. I rate this 4 stars because there is a lack of extra features, compared to subsequent Doctor Who DVD releases and, well, The Five Doctors will never be considered the best of the best of Doctor Who, but still a highly recommended treat for the digitally obsessed Doctor Who fan. Also, this will be a great introduction to the series to non-fans.
Rating:
Summary: "...you've redecorated! I don't like it."
Review: "The Five Doctors" is a very nice demonstration of how it is possible for a mediocre piece of work to appear to be better than it really is due to the high quality of the little pieces that compose it. If someone were to sit down with you and describe the mere plot and events of "The Five Doctors" I highly doubt you would be that impressed. The specific gathering of each of the previous Doctors is one thing (but why is no attempt made to kidnap any future Doctors? I know that it couldn't be done really, but so long as the possibility is there, shouldn't it be at least addressed?), but casting a net and hoping to rope in as many returning companions as possible is just taking it too far. The idea of immortality and possessing a special ring as a means of attaining it is interesting, I suppose, but the story leading up to the finding of that ring needs to be an interesting one too! Here, it's not; it's far too linear and simplistic. The ring is in the middle, three groups are walking toward that middle from three different directions, and some monsters get in the way. Yeeha. In the meanwhile, there are a couple of related subplots trying to keep the story more interesting than it really is: first is an attempt to rope the Master into rescuing the Doctor (an interesting idea which I like) which ultimately (and sadly) goes nowhere, and for the second, we watch the Fifth Doctor cope with losing enourmous pieces of his past and discovering who the real bad guy is. Like I said, there's just not much there, which is even worse than it might normally be considering that this particular story was meant to be a special way of commemorating the show's twentieth anniversary. But when you take a closer look at just what this story is made of, you'll be surpised to discover a lot of good things. Old characters (and old friends) meeting each other again (The Second Doctor's reunion with the Brigadier, together with Sarah Jane's with the Third Doctor, particularly stand out), classic lines of dialogue (the line I've used for my review title here, together with "Not allowed? ME?! I'm allowed everywhere!", both delievered by the Second Doctor), and excellent music (in particular, the mystical flute melody that plays while the Second Doctor and the Brigadier begin their journey toward the Tower of Rassilon and again the harp melody the Fifth Doctor plays in order to open a door with a musical lock). I've just scratched the surface with each of my examples... there's really just so much there. The DVD is enjoyable, but I was disappointed to note that only the more recent version of the story was included. I had hoped that both the 1983 take as well as the Special Edition (with updated but not necessarily better) special effects would have been included on the disc, but this was not the case. In compensation, we're given a highly entertaining commentary with the Fifth Doctor himself, Peter Davison, and the author, Terrance Dicks. It was quite enjoyable, and I was actually happy to hear that both men were well aware of the flaws found in the story as they viewed it. What can I say about "The Five Doctors" in the end? It's certainly not bad... but it really shouldn't be a classic either. The story is not at all impressive, and yet there are so many wonderful individual moments set within the story that make this a marvelously entertaining adventure in spite of this fact. To be honest, I would have much preferred a different story see DVD release before this one, but I on the other hand know that this is considered a classic story by so many people, as it's one of the rare times that more than one Doctor gathered together to do one adventure and was meant to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the show. All things considered, it will get a high rating and a recomendation from me due to its fun and watchability factor, but won't get the full five-star treatment simply because the story really isn't all that great. Carry on Carry on, MN
Rating:
Summary: BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL VERSION!
Review: "The Five Doctors" was released on November 25, 1983 to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of "Doctor Who." The acting is top-notch, and the storytelling is remarkable. Where the 90 Minute program fails is that the editing is off. You could tell that some scenes were cut right in the middle of them, going quickly from one to the other. However, this DVD presents the 102-Minute Special Edition version of "The Five Doctors." New scenes have been added, and older ones extended, to make the program run more smoothly. The new visual effects are better than the old effects, but they still have the "bad taste" feel that was a vital part of the program. Overall, "The Five Doctors - Special Edition" is far better than the version that was originally aired. Fans of the program will not want to miss this in their collections. Program/DVD Grade: A+
Rating:
Summary: BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL VERSION!
Review: "The Five Doctors" was released on November 25, 1983 to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of "Doctor Who." The acting is top-notch, and the storytelling is remarkable. Where the 90 Minute program fails is that the editing is off. You could tell that some scenes were cut right in the middle of them, going quickly from one to the other. However, this DVD presents the 102-Minute Special Edition version of "The Five Doctors." New scenes have been added, and older ones extended, to make the program run more smoothly. The new visual effects are better than the old effects, but they still have the "bad taste" feel that was a vital part of the program. Overall, "The Five Doctors - Special Edition" is far better than the version that was originally aired. Fans of the program will not want to miss this in their collections. Program/DVD Grade: A+
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Reunion, a Reasonably Good DVD
Review: This 20th anniversary special is corny, essentially plotless and designed to cram in as many Doctors, companions and monsters as possible within 90 minutes. Still, you've got to hand it to them - they did a bang-up job for a show with a forever-fluctuating cast list (most notably our old buddy Tom Baker, who turned the project down before filming and got replaced by some old footage). "The Five Doctors" is a fun romp down memory lane, and as such happens to be one of the very best ways to bring new fans into the show (hey, it worked for me). So why did we exactly need a "special edition"? No, the visual effects aren't especially great, but they never were on "Doctor Who." The additional scenes, while interesting, are mostly pointless additions that add nothing to the plot. Probably the best changes in the Special Edition are a slight rearrangement of events (which makes the story flow a little better) and some improved lightning effects. Not enough to justify a "Special Edition," for sure. It's worth recognizing, though, that the original version of "The Five Doctors" will probably be released one day, and in the meantime, this really isn't a bad disc (certainly not the worst of the Region 1 line, by a long shot). Possibly where it disappoints the most is in the video department. The picture suffers from a lot of grain (especially in the outdoor sequences); while a significant step above the video, it pales in comparison to other '80s-era Who stories on DVD. The 5.1 soundtrack, on the other hand, is quite nice indeed. Admittedly the "Who's Who" biographies are a bit sparing, but the half-hour of isolated musical score is a great inclusion. Without a doubt, though, the best extra on the disc is the commentary with Peter Davison and Terrance Dicks, which was recorded especially for the Region 1 release. It remains one of the two or three best commentaries for the "Who" DVDs yet. Davison and Dicks make a great team, both taking a jovial attitude towards proceedings. Since this disc's release, Peter Davison has proven himself an invaluable commentator on other stories; I would very much like to hear from Terrance Dicks again. The story is a great way to get new fans into your favorite series, and the commentary alone makes the disc worth a seasoned fan's purchase.
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