When this sixth Doctor story was announced as an upcoming DVD release, many a fan doubtless scratched their heads and asked “Why!?” After all, even as early as its original broadcast, Timelash had acquired a stellar reputation…for being one of the first volleys in what some fans considered the nadir of ’80s Doctor Who, a period encompassing The Trial Of A Time Lord, the firing of Colin Baker, and Sylvester McCoy’s uneven first season. As it turns out, BBC Video knew exactly what it was doing in giving this story a DVD release, for all of that makes for meaty bonus features.

The central featurette on this relatively “light” release is appropriately titled “The Good, The Bad And The Ugly”, and it pulls very few punches in analyzing Timelash’s successes (using young H.G. Wells as a character) and failures (some of Doctor Who’s lowest production values of the Colin Baker era, an occasionally incoherent script, and an admittedly hammy guest shot by Paul Darrow of Blake’s 7 fame). (more…)

Aired in November 2007 as a prelude to the fourth and final season of Battlestar Galactica, Razor is a bit of an enigma – as fans waited for the resolution of the cliffhanger ending of season three, what they got here was an oddball out-of-time tale which lives – continuity-wise – in the middle of season two. It boasts stunning effects work, decent performances, and some of the most dramatic scenes in Galactica’s history as it rewinds to Pegasus’ escape from the all-out Cylon attack on the colonies. On DVD, it also boasts some extra scenes (which may seem suspiciously familiar) and more bonuses than some of the show’s season box sets. (more…)