Product Details

• Actors: Peter Davison, Frazer Hines, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Richard Hurndall
• Directors: John Nathan-Turner, Pennant Roberts, Peter Moffatt
• Writers: Douglas Adams, Eric Saward, Terrance Dicks
• Producers: John Nathan-Turner, June Collins
• Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, Special Edition, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Unknown)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: BBC Warner
• DVD Release Date: September 11, 2001
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00005LMAA
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #49,065 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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• For more information about "Doctor Who - The Five Doctors (Episode 130)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

• This is item 14 in The Doctor Who: The Fifth Doctor, Peter Davison (1982-1984) Series.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Yes, "The Five Doctors" is the one that gathers together Hartnell, Troughton, Pertwee, Baker, and Davison, dumps them on some moorland, and lets some of the Doctor's greatest enemies take potshots at them. Except, of course, William Hartnell had passed on by the time this series was made in 1983 (although his replacement Richard Hurndall does an excellent job), and Tom Baker was only featured as a patched-in cameo, apparently prevented from joining in by a temporal thingummy. However, this kind of creakiness comes with the territory and is soon forgotten. The assorted incarnations of the Doctor (together with a scattering of assistants) are drawn together through time and space to battle Daleks, Cybermen, Yeti--those weird androids that keep jumping into the air and disappearing--and many other old foes. They realize that they're on their home planet of Gallifrey and must eventually deal with the legacy of Rassilon, founder of the Time Lords. --Roger Thomas

Product Description
THE FIVE DOCTORS - "I am being diminished, whittled away piece by piece. A man is the sum of his memories you know, a Time Lord even more so." Someone is taking the Doctor's past selves out of time and space, placing in a vast wilderness - a battle arena with a sinister tower at its center. As the various incarnations of the Doctor join forces, they learn they are in the Death Zone on their home world of Gallifrey, fighting Daleks, Cybermen, Yeti - and a devious Time Lord Traitor who is using the Doctor and his companions to discover the ancient secrets of Rassilon, the first and most powerful ruler of Gallifrey.The Five Doctors was originally broadcast to celebrate the Twentieth Anniversary of Doctor Who in 1983. This new version of the story features extended scenes, previously unseen sequences, new visual effects and a stereo soundtrack. Not intended as a replacement for the original edition of the story, this is an alternative version which uses state-of-the-art technology to embellish and enlarge one of the greatest Doctor Who adventures ever.
THE KING'S DEMONS - "We sing in praise of total war; against the Saracen we abhor" It is thirteenth century England, and King John is visiting the castle stronghold of Sir Ranulf Fitzwilliam. Ranulf's personal fortune has dwindled away, freely donated to Kin John to help fund the Crusade. While staying with Ranulf, the King's greed is criticized by the baron's head-strong son, Hugh. As a result, Hugh is challenged to a duel by the monarch's enigmatic French Knight-at-Arms, Sir Giles Estram, a duel the young Englishman has little hope of surviving.When the TARDIS materializes and disturbs the joust, the Doctor's party are proclaimed friendly demons by the King, who seems strangely interested in their "blue engine." Before long the Doctor becomes embroiled in court politics, and he realizes that there is far more to the situation than a simple battle of honor between nobles.

DVD Features:
Deleted Scenes
Music Only Track

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Who-ite's dream., March 30, 2000

By	Kurt A. Johnson (Marseilles, Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Doctor Who - The Five Doctors [VHS] (VHS Tape)

One by one, the earlier four incarnations of the Doctor are being plucked out of the space-time continuum, and placed into the dreaded Death Zone. Originally used by the Time Lords for organizing gladiatorial matches between various races, Rassilon closed the Death Zone, and forbade the use of the Time Scoop. So, who is doing this, and more importantly, why? It's up to the Doctor (all of them) to figure it out.

This movie is a "Who-ite's" dream. Four of the five Doctors are present, with Richard Hurndall performing very well as the formidable first Doctor. Many companions appear, including Turlough, Tegan, Susan (the Doctor's Granddaughter), Sarah Jane, the Brigadier, Mike Yates, Liz Shaw, Jamie, Zoe, and K-9. Plus, of course, the Master (played by Anthony Ainley). It is a shame that Tom Baker refused to be involved in this production, but he is reasonably represented by scenes taken from the never-completed episode Shada.

I recommend this movie absolutely to any fan of Doctor Who.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Great Reunion, a Reasonably Good DVD, February 16, 2004

By	Sarah Hadley (Murfreesboro, Tennessee USA) - See all my reviews

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.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Easy as Pi, February 21, 2003

By	Michael J. Williams (Bend, OR) - See all my reviews

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.