| The Sylvester McCoy era of Doctor Who tends to get a rough ride from some, but Battlefield is proof that even in some of the darker days for the show, and with the budget seemingly vanishing into thin air, it could deliver a very good story. Penned by Ben Aaronovitch, who also scribed the underrated adventure Remembrance of the Daleks from the same era, Battlefield instantly wins favor by bringing back Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, played with his usual dignity and class by Nicholas Courtney. Along with companion Ace, they then find themselves caught up in an Arthurian adventure, with nods to Merlin, Excalibur, and the Lady in the Lake. It’s a good yarn, with an impressive monster waiting near the end. And while it does stretch the story a little thin, it’s one of the better adventures of the McCoy era. While Battlefield isn’t vintage Doctor Who, it is a whole lot better than the assorted naysayers would have you believe. As usual, the DVD release is packed with many hours of extras to sort through. Battlefield benefits from a packed commentary track, and a host of behind-the-scenes extras (that recall, among other things, the moment when a water tank shattered with Sophie Aldred still inside it). And on disc 2 is an extended version of the feature. Well worth picking up. --Simon Brew |
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 "RELEASES IN DETAIL's" |
| Review Date: April 30, 2009 |
| Reviewer: DJ PHILLY B?, Palm Bch. Gardens Fl. |
Amazon dose not give the "RELEASES IN DETAIL's" like they should. So from website of the go to man on all Doctor Who DVD's (and hell, even VHS)Steve Manfred. Here are the detail's for "Battlefield".
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Doctor Who: Battlefield starring Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor, Sophie Aldred as Ace, and guest starring Nicholas Courtney as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. 2 discs.
On Disc 1:
- All four 25-minute episodes (the original 1989 versions) with full restoration treatment.
- Graphical menus, episode and scene selection features, and subtitles for the hearing impaired.
- Optional commentary track with actors Sophie Aldred, Nicholas Courtney, and Angela Bruce(Brigadier Winifred Bambera), Writer Ben Aaronovitch, and Script Editor Andrew Cartmel.
- Information Text subtitles option. Displays pop-up production trivia throughout the story.
- Isolated Music option. Plays the story with only the music soundtrack playing by itself.
- "Storm Over Avallion" 23-minute featurette about the making of the story, featuring interviews with Actors Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred, Angela Bruce, Nicholas Courtney, and Jean Marsh (Morgaine), Writer Ben Aaronovitch, Script Editor Andrew Cartmel, and Director Michael Kerrigan.
- "Past and Future King" 12-minute featurette about the writing of this story, featuring interviews with Ben Aaronovitch, Andrew Cartmel, Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred, Angela Bruce, and Michael Kerrigan.
- "Watertank" 7-minute featurette that goes into detail about the near-fatal accident that occurred during the scene of Ace trapped in the flooding spacecraft airlock when the glass in the tank she was in cracked open.
- Studio Recording. 19 minutes of raw footage from the studio floor during the original studio recording session for this story.
- "From Kingdom to Queen" 8-minute interview with Jean Marsh charting her 1965, 1966, and 1989 appearances in Doctor Who.
- Radio Times Listings. PDF files for your computer containing the original Radio Times TV listings for this story, as well as some contemporaneous articles about it they ran.
On Disc 2:
- Battlefield Special Edition.
A 95-minute movie-format version of the story, with numerous deleted scenes edited back into the action, other reediting of the action and the music, boosted CGI effects,and a Dolby 5.1 sound mix. Comes with graphical menus, scene selection menu,and subtitles for the hearing impaired.
- Season 26 Trailer A 1:30 trailer for the entire 26th season that was shown to the press in 1989.
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Is the Doctor Merlyn?
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| Review Date: May 7, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Jero Briggs, |
I never did much care for most of Sylvester McCoy's stories. The only ones I thought were any good were "Time and the Rani", "Remembrance of the Daleks", "Ghost Light", and "The Curse of Fenric". But I had never seen this one before until it was released on DVD, and I loved it. "Remembrance of the Daleks" is still my favorite one, but now this is my second favorite. Written by the same writer who wrote "Remembrance", this has a very good plot. Futuristic knights from another dimension come to Earth to claim the legendary sword of King Author himself. With this sword in their power, their queen will be able to conquer the universe. Now the Doctor (A.K.A. - Merlyn), Ace, and Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (who has been recalled into UNIT) must stop them at all costs. Action-packed (like "Remembrance"), performances are good, and most of the special affects aren't that bad. The Destroyer was one of the most realistic creatures ever featured in the original series. Highly recommended!
P.S.
This DVD includes both the original four-part version and a new extended feature-length version with new and better effects. |
One of my all time favorite Dr. Who episodes
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| Review Date: December 18, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Michael Brewer, Minneapolis, MN |
| Since the day I first saw "Dr. Who" Battlefield" on t.v. I was really impressed, especially with how it successfully mixed Dr. Who & the legend of King Arther. I wish the B.B.C. had done more with this story - quite a few fun stories could have come from it! |
McCoy, one of my favorites
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| Review Date: December 24, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Kimberly L. Ellis, North Carolina |
| One of my favorites. Had it on VHS. Upgraded to DVD. The King Arthur/Morgana legend done Dr. Who style. The extended version adds a few more minutes & more story background. |
At last!! One of my favorite Sylvester McCoy Doctor Who's Released
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| Review Date: January 15, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Captain Hornblower, Orlando, Florida USA |
Of all of Sylvester McCoy's outings as Doctor Who, this is one of my favorites, right up there with Remembrance of the Daleks and Silver Nemesis. Now, in reality, the storyline for this one is not that great and rather corny at times. Knights from an alternate dimension do battle with swords against UNIT. COME ON! Plus, the villainess in this episode, Morgaine, is so campy that you want to laugh every time she appears on screen. She's like the Wicked Witch of the West meets the Bridge of Dracula! In the scene where she tries to scare Ace into giving her something she wants, I half expected her to say "I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog too! Ha, ha, ha!"
So why do I love this episode? Answer: THE BRIG IS BACK AND KICKING A--! The Brigadier was one of my all time favorite Doctor Who characters, and he had not been seen in Doctor Who since the Five Doctors six years earlier.
In many ways, the Brigadier is closer to the Doctor than any of his companions because he is one of the few that knew him through most of his regenerations. In a way, this gives him a special bond with the Doctor, and although they came into conflict with one another at times regarding the Brig's tendency to turn to the artillery a little too quickly, they genuinely like and respect each other. And it shows in this story. Nicholas Courtney and Sylvester McCoy play the relationship between the Brigadier and the Doctor so well, and trully reflect their shared history.
Ace's reaction to this relationship is also perfectly played out. She recognizes that even though she and the Doctor are close, these two men share a bond and history that she never will have with him, and this makes her jealous beyond belief. However, she and the Brig bond when they get to blow stuff up!
I also love Courtney's portrayal of the Brigadier showing his age, but not having lost his spirit. As always, he is the hero willing to confront the alien menace head on with his primitive human weaponry backed by his virtue and sense of duty.
By the way, speaking of Brigadiers, the new Brigadier, Winnifred Bambera, is awesome too! I am so glad that they brought UNIT back for this story because it did harken back to days gone by, while at the same time updating UNIT and their capabilities (but not in the hammy, way over the top way the new Doctor Who series has--no comic book floating aircraft carriers in the sky here, thank goodness).
I can not wait until this DVD is released. I have the story on video, but the extras on these Doctor Who DVD's add something special to each story. I haven't seen the particulars on this DVD's features, but I hope Nicholar Courtney was on hand for the commentary.
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