Hello everyone! 🙂
Welcome to ‘Bradley’s Basement’ blog and I’m Tim Bradley!
You may have noticed the inactivity that’s occurring on ‘Bradley’s Basement’ so far in January 2024. Rest assured, I haven’t been idle. I’m currently putting together my ‘Nyssa Challenge’ mini-review season for Easter in March and April and I’m working on ‘The Sunfire Chronicles’ set of short stories.
Whilst that’s going on, I can give you a little update about what I’ve seen lately. I’ve greatly enjoyed checking out the Season 20 Blu-ray box set of ‘Doctor Who’, starring Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor, Sarah Sutton as Nyssa, Janet Fielding as Tegan and Mark Strickson as Turlough. It’s been fun!
Sarah told me in Scarborough last year that the Season 20 Blu-ray box set would be a treat to check out and she was true to her word. I’ve greatly enjoyed revisiting the stories featured in the Season 20 Blu-ray box set from Christmas in December 2023 to January 2024 as well as the Blu-ray extras. 🙂
I’ve enjoyed the ‘Behind the Sofa’ items on every story, not just featuring Peter Davison, Sarah Sutton, Janet Fielding and Mark Strickson, but also Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy, and Katy Manning and Sophie Aldred. It was fun to watch their reactions and insights into Season 20 for each story. 🙂
I enjoyed the interview with Martin Clunes, conducted by Janet Fielding, for ‘Snakedance’. I also enjoyed the recorded panel interview with Sarah Sutton and Matthew Waterhouse, conducted by Matthew Sweet at the 50th anniversary convention weekend in Edexcel, London in November 2013.
On the ‘Mawdryn Undead’ Blu-ray disc, I enjoyed the ‘Once Upon a Time Lord’ documentary about the USA fandom in 1982 (which featured Sarah Sutton) and I enjoyed the recorded panel interview with Sarah Sutton and Mark Strickson at ‘MonsterConII’. They were lovely treats for me to check out.
On the ‘Terminus’ Blu-ray disc, I enjoyed the ‘In Conversation’ interview with Janet Fielding and Sarah Sutton, conducted by Matthew Sweet. I also enjoyed the BBC Radio interview with Sarah Sutton, which apparently had been conducted during her tour of the 1986 play ‘Policy for Murder’. 🙂
I enjoyed the brand-new CGI effects option for ‘Enlightenment’ on Blu-ray, although I’m disappointed it didn’t match to what was seen in director Fiona Cumming’s special edition movie version of the story from 2009. The CGI effects in the special edition movie version are better in my opinion.
I enjoyed the new making-of documentary for ‘The King’s Demons’, the Longleat convention footage and it was interesting to check out the 40th anniversary edition of ‘The Five Doctors’. I personally prefer the 1995 Special Edition version of the story, as that has more scenes than the other versions.
It was nice to find the ‘Messages From Space’ featurette with Sarah Sutton and Janet Fielding on the Season 20 Blu-ray box set, as that’s more for ‘Logopolis’. I greatly enjoyed the ‘Look Who’s Driving’ documentary featuring Peter Davison, Sarah Sutton and Janet Fielding on their road trip to Germany.
It’s a miracle there wasn’t an accident when they drove to the ‘TimeLash’ 2019 convention in Germany, as the banter and bickering shared between them was… ‘woof’! 😀 I also enjoyed the ‘Let’s Go Dutch’ documentary, featuring Peter Davison, Sarah Sutton, Janet Fielding and Mark Strickson. 🙂
In that, Mark guides Peter, Sarah and Janet on a trip down memory lane, as they revisit the locations of ‘Arc of Infinity’ in Amsterdam. Watching the ‘Look Who’s Driving’ and ‘Let’s Go Dutch’ documentaries makes me wishing I want to be there and interact with Peter, Sarah, Janet and Mark. 😀
The Season 20 Blu-ray box set of ‘Doctor Who’ has been a joy for me to check out. It’s been lovely to revisit the Season 20 stories as well as check out the special features, both familiar from watching the DVDs as well as new and exclusive to Blu-ray. I’m looking forward to revisiting this Blu-ray box set soon. 🙂
Hopefully, if all goes to plan with my preparations for the upcoming ‘Nyssa Challenge’ mini-review season and my work on ‘The Sunfire Chronicles’, I’ll be getting onto working on updating my reviews on the stories featured in Seasons 2, 9 and 20, based on their Blu-ray box sets, later on in the year 2024.
Stay tuned and watch this space! 😀
Thanks for reading!
Bye for now!
Tim 🙂
Bradley's Basement 
Continually upgrading visuals for newer editions of our favorite sci-fi can be frustrating depending on which version may personally appeal to you the most. Especially for Dr. Who which has always (at least the classic series) been a show where the visual appeals were supported best by the actors and the stories. Terrance Dicks once said it best: It’s a question of how you do it.
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Hi scifimike,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on how updated versions of stories, particularly in ‘Doctor Who’, vary over the years. Quite often, I enjoy the CGI versions of stories, but I do prefer the longer versions of the stories as opposed to more recent movie versions that tend to be shorter. This is the case for the original versions of ‘Enlightenment’ and ‘Planet of Fire’ and the 1995 special edition of ‘The Five Doctors’ which is 10 minutes longer than the original 1983 and 40th anniversary versions.
Many thanks,
Tim 🙂
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Hi Tim,
I enjoyed your overview of the Season 20 Blu-Ray box set. It’s certainly a good release. I’ve seen the two documentaries that came with it, as well as the ‘Messages from Space’ documentary. I’ve also managed to watch ‘Arc of Infinity’ and ‘Snakdance’. I hope to see the ‘Snakedance’ making-of documentary before rewatching ‘Mawdryn Undead’.
I think I’ve said it before, but the original and special editions of ‘The Five Doctors’ are equal. Some parts of the special edition are better than in the original, but I’m not keen on some of the special effects, like the whirlwinds in place of the time vortex’s. I haven’t seen the 40th anniversary version yet.
Xavier
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Hi Xavier,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the Season 20 Blu-ray box set of ‘Doctor Who’, I’m pleased you enjoyed it as well as me. I’m looking forward to revisiting the box set later on in the year as well as Seasons 2 and 9. Once ‘The Nyssa Challenge’ mini-review season for Easter this year has been sorted, I’ll be able to get on with revisiting Seasons 2, 9 and 20 on Blu-ray, which should be very exciting indeed. I’m also looking forward to the Season 15 Blu-ray box set with Tom Baker, Louise Jameson and K-9 when it comes out.
Best wishes,
Tim 🙂
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The Final Battle promo for that with Louise finally and beautifully returning visually as Leela is excellent. Pete McTighe is a most thoughtful writer for these promo minisodes.
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Hi scifimike,
Yes, I enjoyed ‘The Final Battle’ with Louise Jameson as Leela too. It’s always nice when Pete McTighe does something new and interesting with a trailer for a new Blu-ray box set of classic ‘Doctor Who’.
Many thanks,
Tim 🙂
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