How many Whovians are looking to trade in their Doctor Who DVDs for a Blu-ray box set? The BBC America team is hoping to entice fans to do just that in time for Christmas.
Set to release on November 5 at a suggested retail price of $349.98, it’s definitely not a purchase-at-the-drop-of-a-hat item. Though, if you are looking to get one, Amazon is currently taking pre-orders at $314.99.
BBC America has thought about what incentives might make fans purchase something they already own on DVD or can stream on Netflix. Sure, it’s nice for the high-tech junkies to get their high-def, 1080p, remastered format, but for the folks who don’t care that they can now see all of David Tennant’s pores, it’s not just a rehash of what fans already have in their possession only in Blu-ray format.
According to the BBC America press release:
…[there are] 120 minutes of bonus material that has never previously been available on disc, as well as more goodies than you can shake a sonic screwdriver at…And that’s why we’ve included the original Doctor Who Universal Remote Control Sonic Screwdriver, a gesture-based remote control replica of the Eleventh Doctor’s trusty tool…Crafted from real metals and featuring sound effects from the show, you can impress your friends when you turn on your television with a wave of your hand and feel like a Time Lord yourself. With 29 blu-ray discs of episodes, specials and bonus features, plus the Universal Remote Control Sonic Screwdriver, 3 exclusive art cards and an exclusive comic book, this limited edition gift set will keep on giving for years to come.
Here’s how it all breaks down, Doctor Who: The Complete Series 1-7 Limited Edition Blu-ray Gift Set includes:
New to Blu-ray/ 1080p Resolution:
Doctor Who: The Complete First Series, starring Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper
Doctor Who: The Complete Second Series, starring David Tennant and Billie Piper
Doctor Who: The Complete Third Series, starring David Tennant and Freema Agyeman
Doctor Who: The Complete Fourth Series, starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate
Also included in1080p Resolution:
Doctor Who: The Complete Specials, starring David Tennant
Doctor Who: The Complete Fifth Series, starring Matt Smith and Karen Gillan
Doctor Who: The Complete Sixth Series, starring Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill
Doctor Who: The Complete Seventh Series, starring Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, and Jenna-Louise Coleman
Bonus Blu-ray disc includes:
· “The Doctor Who Ultimate List of Lists” from BBC AMERICA’s The Brit List – BBC AMERICA’s pop culture correspondent, Asha Leo (@ashaleo), is joined by special guest John Barrowman (“Torchwood,” “Doctor Who”) to announce the rankings of the “Top Five Companions,” “Top Five Scariest Moments,” “Top Five Best Monsters,” “Top Five Guest Stars” and “Top Five Things You’ll Only See on Doctor Who.” Rankings are based on votes from readers of BBCAMERICA.com’s Anglophenia blog.
· Doctor Who at the Proms 2010 – Doctor Who’s own Karen Gillen and Arthur Darvill host a spectacular evening of music from the series played live by the London Philharmonic Orchestra at London’s historic Royal Albert Hall. Includes video projections, appearances by the monsters and a special guest appearance from 11th Doctor Matt Smith. For the first time, the collection will include the full 90-minute concert and has been remastered in 5.1 Surround Sound.
· Doctor Who: The Best of the Christmas Specials – This previously unreleased special from December 2011 takes an inside look at the very best moments from the incredible Doctor Who Christmas specials that have captivated audiences around the world. A collection of fans from the celebrity, comedy, sci-fi and digital worlds discuss their favorite moments from both David Tennant and Matt Smith era Christmas episodes.
Other additional items include:
· The Doctor Who Universal Remote Control Sonic Screwdriver
· 3 exclusive original art cards
· An exclusive Doctor Who comic book
Unfortunately for fans of the classic series, there is no classic equivalent, but one can dream.