War Time

War TimeReeltime Pictures releases the first professionally-produced Doctor Who fan production direct to VHS, War Time, starring John Levene as Sgt. Benton of UNIT and Michael Wisher. By not directly referencing the Doctor, the production is able to separately license the character of Benton and thus legally sell the video. Read more

Auton

AutonThe fan-produced Doctor Who video production Auton is released by BBV. Though not a BBC-sanctioned production, thanks to the specifics of UK copyright law, the producers are able to license the Autons from the estate of their creator, Robert Holmes, to commercially release the video on tape and DVD. Read more

Auton 2: Sentinel

Auton 2: SentinelThe fan-produced Doctor Who video production Auton 2: Sentinel is released by BBV, continuing the story of the earlier Auton video release. Though not a BBC-sanctioned production, thanks to the specifics of UK copyright law, the producers are able to license the Autons from the estate of their creator, Robert Holmes, to commercially release the video on tape and DVD. Read more

Space: 1999: Message From Moonbase Alpha

Space: 1999The Space: 1999 short film Message From Moonbase Alpha is premiered at the Space: 1999 Breakaway convention in Los Angeles, starring original series cast member Zienia Merton (Sandra Benes). Filmed days earlier from a script written by frequent Space: 1999 writer Johnny Byrne, the short is later released on home video. Read more

Auton 3

Auton 3The fan-produced Doctor Who video production Auton 3 is released by BBV, continuing the story of the earlier Auton video releases. Though not a BBC-sanctioned production, thanks to the specifics of UK copyright law, the producers are able to license the Autons from the estate of their creator, Robert Holmes, to commercially release the video on tape and DVD. Read more

Babylon 5: The Lost Tales

Babylon 5Warner Bros. Home Video releases the direct-to-DVD movie Babylon 5: The Lost Tales, a continuation of Babylon 5 written and directed by J. Michael Straczynski. Featuring original series stars Bruce Boxleitner and Tracy Scoggings, the movie is divided into two tangentially-related stories. Though initially promoted as the first of a series of direct-to-DVD Babylon 5 sequels, this proves to be the only volume of The Lost Tales when Straczynski decides to rest the Babylon 5 universe unless Warner greenlights a big-budget adaptation. This remains the final Babylon 5 project for over a decade. Read more

Battlestar Galactica: Razor

Battlestar GalacticaThe direct-to-DVD movie Battlestar Galactica: Razor is released, chronicling the Battlestar Pegasus’ escape from the destruction of Caprica. Aired in edited form later on Sci-Fi Channel, the movie also includes some hints toward the plotline of the fourth season, which will premiere in 2008. Michelle Forbes stars as Admiral Cain. Read more

Caprica

CapricaThe pilot movie of the Battlestar Galactica spinoff series Caprica, a non-space-based tale of the creation of the Cylons over half a century before the events seen in Galactica, is released direct-to-DVD. Starring Eric Stoltz, Esai Morales and Alessandra Toressani, Caprica actually began its development as a non-Galactica-related pitch about the dawn of a society’s disastrous over-reliance on technology. The pilot will be broadcast nearly a year on Syfy, though its initial means of release reflects an end-of-decade spike in direct-to-DVD genre movies that includes two one-off Stargate SG-1 DVDs. Read more Hear about it on the Sci-Fi 5 podcast

Battlestar Galactica: The Plan

Battlestar GalacticaThe Plan, a TV movie extension of Ronald D. Moore’s re-imagining of Battlestar Galactica, is released direct to DVD. (An edited version will air in 2010 on Syfy.) Series star Edward James Olmos reprises his role and directs. Read more

StarHyke: Disordered

StarHykeThe first episode of Andrew Dymond’s sci-fi comedy series StarHyke debuts on DVD (along with the other five episodes of the series), starring Claudia Christian (Babylon 5), Suanne Braun (Stargate SG-1), and Jeremy Bulloch (The Empire Strikes Back, Chocky). Danny John-Jules (Red Dwarf) guest stars. (The series will eventually be broadcast in the UK in 2011.) Read more

Batman: Return Of The Caped Crusaders

BatmanWarner Bros. releases the direct-to-video animated movie Batman: Return Of The Caped Crusaders. Adam West and Burt Ward reprise their roles as Batman and Robin, with Julie Newmar returning to the role of Catwoman. This story is set within the world of West’s Batman TV series (1966-68). Read more

Babylon 5: The Road Home

Babylon 5Warner Bros. releases the animated movie Babylon 5: The Road Home. direct to DVD, Blu-Ray, and digital. Written by series creator J. Michael Straczynski, and featuring surviving original series stars Bruce Boxleitner, Claudia Christian, Peter Jurasik, Bill Mumy, Tracy Scoggins, and Patricia Tallman, with new actors voicing other familiar characters from the series. Read more