The Beginning

Review: 1960s classic episodes on DVD.

The Beginning DVD box-set contains Doctor Who's first three adventures from the very beginnings of the classic series in late 1963: travelling from a junkyard to the stone age, with an epic seven-parter introducing the dreaded Daleks, and two episodes of claustrophobic mystery set entirely inside the Tardis.

Once you get used to the relaxed pace of the storytelling, the quality of the acting, writing and sheer imagination behind the programme soon shines through and it quickly becomes easy to see why Doctor Who is still alive and well more than four decades later.

All of the episodes on these discs have been given a high-tech clean-up job to restore them to their very best - if you've ever seen any of them before, either on TV or on VHS tapes, you'll quite frankly be astonished at how crisp and fresh they now look.

In addition to the stories themselves, The Beginning boasts a comprehensive array of in-depth documentaries, covering the birth of the series, the design of the TARDIS, the way in which Delia Derbyshire and the Radiophonic Workshop first created the unmistakable theme tune, and the genesis (ahem!) of those malevolent metallic monsters, the Daleks.

The two surviving original cast members William Russell (Ian) and Carole Ann Ford (Susan) provide commentaries for several episodes - they're joined by an assortment of members of the original production team, including the legendary first producer of Doctor Who, the always-fascinating Verity Lambert.

And if all of that wasn't enough for you, there's even room on the discs to cram on the first attempt at filming the launch episode (now lovingly re-edited so you can compare it with the version that was transmitted on 23rd November 1963), a series of genuinely funny comedy sketches (starring Little Britain's David Walliams and Mark Gatiss) and a reconstruction of the (sadly missing) fourth Doctor Who adventure, Marco Polo.

The Beginning box-set is an absolute must for fans of Doctor Who or anyone who appreciates great landmarks in television.

Watch a clip from the pilot episode.

Watch a clip with commentary from The Daleks.

Watch a clip from the Origins documentary.

Send us your comment now. We'll publish the best on this page.

Tony Ward
I got the boxset for Christmas & although I have seen stories 1 & 2 on video, I have no recollection of watching Edge of Destruction when first transmitted (I am 49). I note that it appears to be the only story which features a Tardis "bedroom scene", or is there another somewhere later? In my opinion "An Unearthly Child" episode 1 is a superb stand-alone "Play for Today" like story which is truly breathtaking. It cannot be overstated how impressive a concept the Tardis Police Box 'bigger on the inside' actually was. It stands repeated viewing. Amazing television. The dialogue line in episode 2 about how it should have changed could have ben easily missed by viewers when first transmitted. I just have to add that it is such a shame that so many later episodes were intentionally wiped. I've just bought New Beginnings & I look forward to Trial of a Time Lord box set with explanatory plot commentory! Beginnings is an excellent release at a reasonable price & it appears to set in stone the directive that a maximum of only four functioning Daleks can ever appear in any one scene! One question: Why is it & the New Beginnings Box set both 12 certificates? Am I missing something?

cyberdog
It is the best doctor who dvds ever.The first doctor is my favourite doctor.I love all the episodes.

Adam
A fantastic boxset which gives an insight for fans of the new series, as well as those who watched "classic" Doctor Who, like myself.

Shane
The greatest sci-fi saga in the history of story-telling arrives on DVD for the premiere time. The 1st Doctor is cool despite a mellowing age and his charm flourishes.

the space dude
I have recently brought this and i thought it was worth every penny. William Hartnell is pure genius!The daleks were more menacing than ever! The pilot was also very interesting as well.

Jonathan Falconer
I got this boxset for my birthday and it was my favourite present."The Daleks" is the best episode of Doctor Who ever!!!

andrew
I'm only 14 but even though this is quite old I still think it was great, william hartnell is one of my favourite doctors.

PeterMcD
The Marco Polo thing worked really well - surprisingly watchable! Ages ago they released the 8 part 'The Invasion', even though 2 episodes are missing, and it was still really entertaining. Even though they only fill ed in the gaps with someone saying something like a sentence to introduce to the end of the last episode... Wouldn't it be interesting if they managed to do full versions of the missing episodes in the same way they did Marco Polo? Just a thought. Watched all the boxset twice now - great stuff. Why is it a 12?

Trevor Kirby
What can I say. This is a wonderful boxset. Three Doctor Who stories in one month I must be in heaven. More more more please, maybe a boxset of The Trial of a Time Lord, or The Key to Time (after all you can get it on region 1 why not region 2?) I also just like to add, the team clearing up the black and white stories are doing a great job.

J Cockram
In the words of the ninth doctor - 'Fantastic'!!

Billy Smart
Nobody has yet commented on the surprising 12 certificate. I'd never noticed that innuendo in The Daleks before. Once you're looking out for it, it does seem a bit inconguous.

Darren Kitchenside
Its nice to see that Doctor Who is still as alive today as it was all that time ago! This is a fantastic box set a great buy!

Cyberscanner
I already posted my view but I watched it last night and wanted to say something else. It has provided me with hours of entertainment. the Marco Polo and origins of the Daleks extra features are really cool. It would be good to see more box sets with amazing episodes like this. Maybe an E-space trilogy boxset?

Grant B
The first appereance of the daleks in doctor who was, i think, scary for the children back then with the part when a dalek paralises ian and he can't walk

Wilson Bros
This is a wonderful set - we had quite forgotten just how awe-inspiring the first episode of An Unearthly Child truly is! It's quite remarkable just how entertaining The Daleks truly is - we usually watch Doctor Who at the rate of one episode a week, but we ploughed through all seven episodes of the story within the space of 24 hours! The clean-up job by those sterling chaps at the Restoration Team is first rate! If anyone cares to read our review of the set, it can be found here: http://www.r2-dvd.org/article.jsp?sectionId=4&articleId=7274 Cheers!

Phillip Nicholls
This is where it all began in November 1963 and with this Dvd set.Thanks to the efforts of the Restoration Team these black and white gems are nowall crystal clear and the extras made it the more worthwhile!

Daniel Mawson
Once I had watched the first one I couldn't stop watching the others. I was addicted.

Neil Baird
its not hard to see how Doctor Who took off when you watch these first three stories. with the questions, puzzlements and mad concepts in an uneathly child, the terror and fear in the Daleks and the suspence and strangeness in the edge of destruction, all three stories could easily sit amongst the fast paced TV of today. I was amazed at how much the restoration team have improved every part of these episdoes, the pictures sparkles and the audio is crystal clear (particually anything to do with the TARDIS and i wish it hummed in the new series like it does in the junkyard)this is a brilliant boxset and well worth buying. can't wait for genisis of the Daleks!

john hillsley
just finished watching everything on the all the dvds - one word "brilliant"

Russell Buer
Where is my Sofa I need it NOW Well done to the lads on the team. A 48 year old fan

con
a truly outstanding dvd box set some of william hartnells best storys and some excellent special features and its nice to see how it all started truly a piece of doctor who history

Neil Kearns
What a fantastic boxset, perfect time for it to be released as well. Hopefully this will entice brand new fans just as much as Hartnell fans. 'The Edge Of Destruction' - one of my all time favourite stories! Thank you BBC!

Thomas Tyrrell
I'm still astounded by how good The Daleks is. It's not difficult to see how a one off monster quickly became an arch nemesis!

Adam Haydock (15) Lancashire
Being 15 and not being around when these stories where brought to the screen, i was a little optamistic about how good they would be. However, being a Who fan i went out and bought it and i was pretty impressed with the boxset itself and its cover art, as i am into design. when i got home, they went on straight away and watched themn all in what i called a "Who Marathon" i really enjoyed it and was interested in how such a worldwide phenomenon had begun! Well done BBC and thank you for bringing Dr Back to the screen!

Daf Keyse
Watched the first few episodes of the boxset and am very impressed. It's amazing to see the origins of a cult TV series and then to see what it has matured into. Definitely groundbreaking work done back in the day. Shame that so many episodes were 'lost'.

edward beck(age9)
love it!i thougt you whoud relece the darleks on dvd! Also after looking in exhibisions and shops its ther,thanks from edward

Andrew Markham
Absolutely fantastic!!My favourite is The Daleks, for obvious reasons, but I llllooovvvvveeeee The Edge Of Destruction! An Unearthly Child feels like two stories in my opinion, but a genuinely astounding boxset. Well done Mr.Hartnell!

wayne thorley
I relly liked the comedy sketches with the box set made me laugh alot! Hard going in places but overall a good box set.

Guy Clapperton
This is quite the definitive box set of the beginnings of what was to become such a huge series, give or take the odd dip. A magnificent effort by all concerned - it's maybe a little ironic that the new series didn't manage the same range of polished extras!

Chameleon
Brilliant Restoration work, crisp clean visually and clear sound...

Curtis Burrell
This is a wonderful set, a fitting package to celebrate the birth of a TV, nay british institution. This is in my opinion the best release yet, the Restoration Team have surpassed themselves. This set must also, surely, pave the way for more boxset releases in the future. The trial of a timelord would be a most welcome addition.

frank
Everyone should buy this collection. It's beautifully restored and has superb extras. thank you! thank you! thank you!

Adam Cousins
Is it me or does Bill look more than a tad 'John Inman' on that cover?...

Neil Alexander
Fantastic, I was hooked from episode 1! It is fascinating to see how the Dr Who story began and is clear why he, the Daleks and the series itself is still going so well 43 years later. When you consider the opening episodes/stories of later sci fi shows (Star Trek TNG for example), they pale into comparison to the Doctor.

Mark
The best dvd release from doctor who so far. Love it. More with telesnaps please.

Lewis Samuels
I have watched my friends boxset at a sleepover and it was ... BRILL!!! Cos I'm a Dr Who MANIAC! I couldnt believe it! 100 thumbs out of 10

Chrisphnx
I bought all of these episodes on Video when they were first brought out. And was looking forward to the DVD copies. The extras and special feature are fantastic and if you have not seen the episodes before it is a great introduction to the "Hartnell" Era I had forgotten just how good the Daleks and the Edge of Destruction were. My only niggle is how clear and crisp the black and white episodes are, you can see the painted background for what it is and the boom mike shadow, it has lost the cosyness of watching on VCR, but the story and the acting of the main cast really pull you in and make this set fantastic. More of the same for the Troughton Stories as well.

Ian McArdell
This is a great set and the episodes look fantastic - all credit to the hard work of the Restoration Team who have done us proud, as ever. Thanks Guys.

Sean McMullan
Great package overall; the stories are stunningly restored, the leads deliver fine performances and the action rolls along nicely. 'Edge' is a weak link, but the 30 minute Marco Polo is surprisingly good. Two complaints though - the 'play all' option showed me the (untransmitted) pilot plus eps. 2, 3 and 4; and those 'commentaries' are mistitled, being merely interviews set, but bearing no relation, to a silent picture. Oh, and don't expect too much from the 'comedy.'

Ian
Bought this dvd and I can only say that it is absolutely brilliant, well done on the restoration work, also well worth it for the extras alone.

Charlie Boddington (14)
I'm a big fan of the new series (obviously) and when I was younger, I never liked the old shows, but I did watch the pilot episode a few years back and thought it was a great story. The box set looks brilliant and I think that I might actually take a look at this, the reviews it's getting are fantastic. It should be great to watch the starting of, no doubt, one of,if not the best programme ever made.

Dave Forbes
An almost flawless presentation of genuine classic episodes and some superb extras ... but why cut the funniest punchline from one of the sketches?

paul tapner
The marco polo reconstruction did a good job of slimming the whole seven episodes down into half a hour, but it didn't really hold the interest, and I would have preferred a full version, like the tenth planet episode four on the video. Apart from that this set is a superb piece of work.

John
These are the first stories I ever saw, and I still have high regard for the original TARDIS crew. So seeing their first three adventures looking better than ever is an exciting prospect. And it'll also give a chance for those Whovians who neglect the early years to dive in to the wonderful, if technologically primitive, era of the First Doctor.

DJB
Wow, as well as being really great episodes the picture quality is amazing. Top marks to everyone who worked on the restoration process

mark
This collection is a gem. The highlight for me is Marco Polo, I'd like to see more of this type of release. I'd pay for the whole audio with telesnaps on dvd.

Tom Simpson
Brilliant! I Was sitting for hours watching it, The best DVD release of (Classic) Doctor who Ever. The special features are outstanding as well! Can't wait for the next Box Set release

Al Dobbie
This is without a doubt one of the best Dr Who DVD releases. Not only are the episodes full of exciting grit and drama, but there is a stroy line. Now for the extras, brilliant, fab, just pure excellent. Looking at how Dr Who came about with the interviews and watching Sydney Newman is a joy. Thanks to all those involved.

Steve
Its fantastic stuff. Really enjoying watching the episodes, the documentaries and all the extras. I was born almost 20 years after these episodes where first released, but they really do stand the test of time. I was actually watching the Dalek episodes and forgot I was watching it in black and white! It was an show so far ahead of its time, thats it still going. And its still ahead of its time!

Martin Campbell
Well i have had this set for a week, and its safe to say this has been a great week. This dvd package is a wonderful piece of work, and is a great starting place for first time viewers of the classic series, or regular viewers alike. The presentation and indeed content of the package is superb, and the ideas, script and set design befits a programme not of one 40 years young!

joey
'FANTASTIC!'

Cyberscanner
I bought this for £26.95, almost thinking it might have been a waste. After the Pilot episode of The Unearthly Child, though, I thought it was a great bargain. The Marco Polo extra is excellent too!

Steve Else
Great purchase - except for the photo of Hartnell on the cover! He looks either like he has drunk too much fizzy pop, or is about to break into his best Julian Clary impression.

Paul Roche
My god I was gobsmaked when I saw these stories, they are amazing! The Restoration team have done a top notch job once again, Well done lads.If I weren't a Doctor Who fan I would think that they had only been filmed recently.

josh
wow looks pretty good, i've always wanted to know how dr who started.

Dylan Parry
One of the best releases by far from the classic series. Roll on more box sets featuring whole seasons.

Gareth Brown
The Unearthly Child is with out doubt the best single episode of Doctor Who ever, great writing and brilliiant acting as the situation they are in dwans on the travellers.

Nicky
The Beginning DVD is a great way for new fans like me to get into classic Who! Great boxset!!!

Nigel Partridge
Just wanted to say this is a fantastic set! Quite simply the BEST DW DVD released to date. The Restoration Team have really put in a lot of effort to get these episodes to this amazing standard, and it shows. They look absolutely pristine. And the stories themselves are first class. I've seen these stories many times before, but they've never looked THIS good. Plus all the extras area also top notch. With some fascinating background info' on the genesis of 'the greatest idea in TV ever' as our dear Russell T once so aptly put it! The acting, script, sets and sheer imagination of these stories is truly stunning. If you don't have this set yet, go out and get it you won'st be disappointed - promise!

Nick Peat
Fantastic, as a wise man once said. If all future Doctor Who DVDs are this well-done and this well-endowed, we're laughing (HAHAHAAAAA! Cough.) Now, what about a Key to Time box set...!

Paul Goodhead
Much anticipated and no regrets. Buy it now, it is a beautiful, cleaned up set with the extras worth the price alone. Please, please, more of the same!!

Daniel Mawson
It is brilliant. It may be dodgy, but it is entertaining and it amazes me, how clever and scientific the scripts are. I couldn't stop watching until I'd seen them all. "The Daleks" was a classic. It is a must buy.

Sam Hernaman
This boxset is fantastic it really shows how brilliant these first episode of the stories were and in fantastic quality too. Plus the sketches are brilliant too.

Fluff
The boxset is real value for money.Lots of cool extras and best of all, THE DALEKS story all digitally cleaned up and on dvd at last.

Edward
i hav just finished watching it and i think that it is really cool. I really enjoyed the edge of destruction and The Daleks

The Emperor Dalek
Fantastic! Its just fantastic! The clean-up job that has been done truely is astonishing! The Front cover is good too. Long Live Doctor Who!

Simon Bromley, Pontypridd.
An outstanding set of episodes, and you can really appreciate how much work and love has gone into the restoration as well as the documentaries. This isn't just a set for fans of 'classic' Who - New fans too will find this set fascinating. The 'Over The Edge' feature (The story behind The Edge of Destruction) has to rank as one of my favourite Who extras ever! Great stuff.

Josh
The Beginning? HELL YES!

Pigbin
What a swizzle! I thought this was the beginning of the new series! Thought I was watching "Rose" and it was some black and white rubbish! And Carole Ann Cortina isn't a patch on Billy piper. And Gidge Hartnell isn't as good as Christopher Ecclescake!! Nyahhh!!!

Richard Hanson, IOM
The first three episode are a brillant introduction to Doctor Who. It is one of the episode collections that i have been waiting for, for a long while now. Maybe Key to Time, next, since America have it already. Keep them coming.

james aird
i'd forgotten how good the first stories actually were, much better then the vhs versions too, and the extras are fantastic(although it has to be said thats only normal!) Buy this!

Robin Clark
A long overdue release and worth the wait."Unearthly Child" has long lived in the shadow of "The Daleks" & I believe this opportunity for reappraisal will show how good it is. The opening episode introduces the concept of the show in a way that only the new series equalled (The Paul McGann film wasn't even close.) The low key story that made up the following 3 episodes was the best way to launch the series. "The Daleks" is stunning and shows the monsters in a bleak uncompromising way that was rarely done again, and "Edge of Destruction" is very bold for it's time. The extras are marvellous, especially the origins documentary, although it's a pity "Creation of the Daleks" wasn't a little longer. The makingh of documentaries we get now are easily brodacast standard. What about a box set for "The War Games"?

dane ford
wow!!! this is just great !!

Andy, swansea
amazing boxset, a real insight into early who and well worth the "cheap as chips" price tag.

Stuart D
An amazing, insightful, delightful, beautifully restored collection of stories with real kudos going to the Special Features on these discs. The story telling never feels slow even though by todays standards, it is, it never feels it. Some real acting going on too, with William Hartnell really shining in his portrayal and a fantastic ensemble feel to all three stories. Without doubt, an absolutely superb insight into Where It All Began. Very minor quibble - would it perhaps have been good to have some scene-setting first? In other words, a minute or so of introduction as to the zeitgeist, what was happening, the houses, the room decor, the television.. to really give us a chance to appreciate The Beginning as it was at...er... the beginning. Fabulous and virtually flawless presentation, the hard work really shows up. Thank you!

Stuart, Bath
It's my birthday soon, guess what I'll be treating myself to? I think the BBC should be commended also for the reasonably low price of the box set as well-25 quid in my area! Its nice to see the price of classic doctor who dvdsin general now being lowered, another thing to be grateful to Mr. Davis about! The man should be knighted! Or at the very least not allowed to leave the bbc ever! It should be very interesting as well to see what the new generation of fans think of early doctor who. Make sure to print their comments please!

Jeff Stone
Unmissable. Unforgettable. Unbeatable. You MUST get this box set. Dr Who rocks!

Mike E
Wonderful stuff. I hadn't really seen much William Hartnell previously, and I was delighted that the stories seemed so fresh and original all these years later. A must-buy for all fans, and the terrific extras actually outshine those on the Series One boxset. Not bad for 42ish year old material; and Hartnell's terrific!

Martin Guilford
A great box set and the cleaned up episodes look amazing. Really enjoyed the reconstruction of Marco Polo. Do the BBC have any plans to release other "missing stories" in this way, either on future DVD releases as extras or even in a stand alone format?

Johhny
This is the release I have been waiting for. A chance to go right back and enjoy these classic episodes but this time with the great clean up job on the visuals and sound. Those guys down at the restoration department really do have a love for this program. The bonus features are great, insightful and quite touching to see Carol Ann Ford (Susan) and William Russel (Ian) reunited during the interviews. I absolutely love this box set, the cover designs are beautifully drawn and coloured and fully suite with the other classic Doctor Who adventures on dvd. These dvds are a great way to start the new year, roll on Genesis and Inferno...

Kevin Lee
I sat down for tea and watched this in 1963 (I was 7), the moment the Daleks appeared, I was hooked and scared! The 'Who Origins' documentry gives a fantastic insight to the struggle to get Dr Who off the ground.

David Bowie
Superb. Great to have the first stories merged into one. This should be the gem in any Doctor Who fan's collection. 10/10

Keith from Northants
I've had these stories on video for a while but the additional documentaries and commentaries are truely brilliant. These alone make this box set well worth while with little facts like William Russel was born in the 1920's which makes him in his 80's and bless him his still making appearances on Dr Who DVD's,& CDs. Some give him an OBE, a lifetime achievement award or something for 40 plus years dedication to Dr Who!!! However, for me hearing Mark Aryes 5.1 remix of the original theme in glorious surround sound nearly brought me to tears. Finally hearing it remastered really helped re-establish how iconic and powerful that original music really is. We can now listen and go WOW. Particularly if you watch the documentary on how they made it. Reminds you that cut and paste once meant exactly that. I hope that Mark can be pursuaded to work his remastering magic with the theme tunes from Patrick Troughton's Jon Pertwee's and Tom Baker's periods and the Beeb have the commercial wisdom to commission and release them in future Who DVDs

Rob Thrush
Another reminder that drama doesn't have to be cut like a pop video to be gripping. Just compare the daring visual effects and live/model sequences filmed "as live" with the recent very safe live "Quatermass" if you don't believe me!

Barry Cronin
The Beginnings box set brings a lump to the throat and a warm fuzzy glow to the heart. Doctor Who will never die.

David Allan
A top class release this one, the extra's are fantastic and worth the price alone. Being able to see Marco Polo in it's reconstructed form was a welcome bonus to the set. A prime example of why Doctor Who is one of the most sucessful programmes this country has produced.

Simon Pryke
Have just watched An Unearthly Child. How great to see it clean and shiny! Loved David Walliams and Mark Gatiss in those sketches. The box is smart too! Thank you! Thank you too Russell, Julie, Phill and Everyone for bringing back a special childhood glow to life. Very much appreciated. Fantastic.

Ben Dawson Punshon
Hi, I'm Ben, I am 13 years old and have been a fan since the new series started. And I must say that since then I've been a massive fan of new and old Doctor Who. My favourite Doctors would have to be Tom Baker, Peter Davison, David Tennant and Christopher Eccleston. I started buying Doctor Who Magazine just after the last series ended and I have to say, Clayton Hickman, excellent work on the magazine and this site, amazing. Anyway, when I heard about The Beginning boxset I was jumping all over the place ( similar to what I'm doing now about Genesis Of The Daleks on DVD ), of the dalek stories I already had The Dalek Invasion Of Earth, Ressurection Of The Daleks, Revelation Of The Daleks and Remembrance Of The Daleks. But I was totally blown away with An Unearthly Child, The Daleks and The Edge Of Destruction, for three days it was a feast of these DVDs, I pre-ordered it so I could get a copy the day it came out and I am NOT dissapointed. William Hartnells performance as The Doctor was exceptional, playing the character as an untrusting, quite eccentric alien character who you can believe is quite angry about his exiled status from his own planet. By the end of Edge Of Destruction though he really mellows, becoming more trusting and excepting of Ian and Barbra. Carol Ann Ford's performance of Susan was also excellent, it was powerful and believable, I really felt the power of her character, how she wasn't one to stand out, but was keen to show her intellegence and always looked up to Her Grandfather. But I shall get to the stories, my favourites would have to be inbetween The Daleks and The Edge Of Destruction, The Daleks was incredibly entertaining, seeing the Daleks in the way that people used to see them all those years ago was a brilliant experience, seeing the charcters of the Thals and finding out bits about the Daleks history along the way, knowing that the Daleks were originally a species called the Dals ( later Kaleds replaced the name Dals ). The Edge Of Destruction was also brilliant, seeing the characters basicly go insane with the effects of being trapped inside the Tardis. I was suprised to see Susans change of character the most, especially when she takes the scissors and holds them like a weapon. An Unearthly Child was also top notch, see the introduction of all the characters, and seeing the first ever view of the Tardis almost set me leaping up from the chair in excitment. The documentaries and all the special features were also excellent, I loved the full length title sequence, I was dying with excitment to watch it and when I did, pure astonishment took over. Every note was pure bliss. Anyway, to role on, this is an excellent piece of work seeing the beginning of Doctor Who, watching this DVD boxset for the first time is now one of my most mermorable and enjoyable experiences, and experience I will NEVER forget.

Steve
What a fantastic clean up job!! The quality is amazing!! This is a must for any serious Whovian!

Alexander Badger
A superb release, long overdue! A wonderful set of stories, transporting us back 40 plus years to the start, a junkyard in Totters Lane; and the beginning of a piece of tv history!

Rick Curzon
A superb set that has been a long time in coming. Well preseneted. The only caveat is that the commentaries are not on every episode.

Rob
Hartnell and Eccleston, my two favourite doctors! This set sits proudly next to the 2005 series box set on my bookshelf with only 43 years separating them. In terms of creative joie-de-vivre nothing separates them.

Dave W
This DVD set possesses the most disturbing scene in Who history (perhaps it should be Whostory?). Feel the fear as Susan wigs out and waves a pair of scissors around. More frightening than it sounds. A gem of a collection. The extras are worth it alone.

Gavin Noble
This is one of the best DVD releases from the BBC yet in terms of quality of the pictures of the episodes and also the extra features on the DVDs. I am simply awestruck every time I see a black and white DVD release when comparing them to the VHS releases of the 1980s/1990s. It helps that the three stories hold your interest in a way that the last Hartnell release, The Web Planet, failed to do. I'm not sure youngsters will be interested in watching the stories (my own five year old fell asleep during each story) but for older fans it's nice to see the way the original series started and the way each of the four leading characters changed their interpretation over the first 13 episodes. The extras on each disc are worth paying the money for especially the Origins featurette on The Edge of Destruction. All in all it is a highly recommended release and begs the question as to why the BBC can't follow this up with more box sets of the classic series instead of single releases? At the current rate it's going to about 25 years before the classic series is out. Come on BBC, get your act together and release the classic series quicker. I for one would have no problems forking out £30 a month for a box set.

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