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Doctor Who: Battlefield (Story 156)
Shipping & Fee Details
| Price | $39.98 | |
| AmazonGlobal Shipping | $9.86 | |
| Estimated Import Charges | $0.00 | |
| Total | $49.84 | |
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Shipping & Fee Details
| Price | $10.68 | |
| AmazonGlobal Shipping | $9.86 | |
| Estimated Import Charges | $0.00 | |
| Total | $20.54 | |
Purchase options and add-ons
| Genre | Art House & International |
| Format | Color, Multiple Formats, NTSC, Original recording remastered, Subtitled |
| Contributor | Ben Aaronovitch, Jean Marsh, John Nathan-Turner, Michael Kerrigan, Nicholas Courtney, Sophie Aldred, Sylvester McCoySee more |
| Language | English |
| Number Of Discs | 2 |
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Product Description
Product Description
Doctor Who: Battlefield (DVD) Responding to a distress signal, the Doctor and Ace arrive near the village of Carbury, where a nuclear missile convoy has run into difficulties. The peace of the English countryside is shattered as UNIT troops are besieged by armored knights from another dimension. As the crisis deepens, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart is called out of retirement to join the battle. Together, he and the Doctor must face the Destroyer, a fearsome demon summoned by the witch queen Morgaine to devour the world.
Amazon.com
The Sylvester McCoy era ofDoctor Who tends to get a rough ride from some, butBattlefield is proof that even in some of the darker days for the show, and with the budget seemingly vanishing into thin air, it could deliver a very good story. Penned by Ben Aaronovitch, who also scribed the underrated adventureRemembrance of the Daleks from the same era,Battlefield instantly wins favor by bringing back Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, played with his usual dignity and class by Nicholas Courtney. Along with companion Ace, they then find themselves caught up in an Arthurian adventure, with nods to Merlin, Excalibur, and the Lady in the Lake. It’s a good yarn, with an impressive monster waiting near the end. And while it does stretch the story a little thin, it’s one of the better adventures of the McCoy era. WhileBattlefield isn’t vintageDoctor Who, it is a whole lot better than the assorted naysayers would have you believe.
As usual, the DVD release is packed with many hours of extras to sort through.Battlefield benefits from a packed commentary track, and a host of behind-the-scenes extras (that recall, among other things, the moment when a water tank shattered with Sophie Aldred still inside it). And on disc 2 is an extended version of the feature. Well worth picking up.--Simon Brew
Product details
- Aspect Ratio : 1.33:1
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- MPAA rating : NR (Not Rated)
- Product Dimensions : 7.5 x 5.25 x 0.5 inches; 4 ounces
- Director : Michael Kerrigan
- Media Format : Color, Multiple Formats, NTSC, Original recording remastered, Subtitled
- Run time : 1 hour and 35 minutes
- Release date : May 5, 2009
- Actors : Jean Marsh, Nicholas Courtney, Sophie Aldred, Sylvester McCoy
- Subtitles: : English
- Producers : John Nathan-Turner
- Language : English (Dolby Digital 1.0), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
- Studio : BBC Home Entertainment
- ASIN : B001P7YD96
- Writers : Ben Aaronovitch
- Number of discs : 2
- Best Sellers Rank: #186,782 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
- #3,721 inScience Fiction DVDs
- Customer Reviews:
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers consider this Doctor Who episode one of the best featuring Sylvester McCoy, with one review noting its Arthurian legends theme. The episode features impressive costumes, and one customer mentions a guest appearance by Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart. Customers appreciate the special features and content quality. The directing quality receives mixed feedback.
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Customers enjoy the story quality of this TV series, particularly praising it as one of the best Sylvester McCoy stories, with one customer noting how it incorporates Arthurian legends.
"The Collection is growing!!!!! Thank you for having thisawesome story!"Read more
"Ok story one of the better one of the last few years. Bought it because the last unit story."Read more
"one of thebetter McCoy stories love the special guest appearance too!"Read more
"...I needed to complete my collection and it is thebest of all of the Sylvester McCoy stories...."Read more
Customers enjoy the episodes of this Doctor Who series, particularly appreciating the impressive costumes.
"...McCoy years of Doctor Who are both limited and some of thebest episodes from the 80's Who Era...."Read more
"...There is lots of wonderful location footage in this episode, andgreat costumes and props. The supporting cast is also very good...."Read more
"...(I personally feel it's one of thebest WHO episodes ever up there with creme de la creme like THE MIND ROBBER, INFERNO..."Read more
"GREAT!"Read more
Customers like the appearance of the TV series, with one mentioning it includes a guest appearance by Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart.
"...It evenincludes a guest appearance by Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart, who comes out of retirement to work with his replacement, a woman Brigadeer..."Read more
"one of the better McCoy stories love thespecial guest appearance too!"Read more
"...looks good on the surface but quickly becomes a bit of a shambles...."Read more
Customers appreciate the content quality of the TV series, with one mentioning the episode and scene selection features.
"...The DVD itself is heavy on extras andspecial features. It's out of print, so you may have to dish out some extra dough, but it's well worth it!"Read more
"...Graphical menus,episode and scene selection features, and subtitles for the hearing impaired. -..."Read more
"Another Fun Offering. Two Discs with 4 episodes andSpecial Features...."Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the directing quality of the TV series.
"...Thewriters did a good job tying the history of Arthur into a SciFi show."Read more
"...Thedirecting in general is a bit on the poor side...."Read more
"...There are someneat ideas in the script...."Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2016Funny, this was the last one that I needed to complete my collection and it is the best of all of the Sylvester McCoy stories. This story brings back a retired Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart in his final Dr. Who story. In this story the doctor and Ace must face off against Morgaina who wants Excalibur and believes that King Arthur will rise to fight her again. Ace obtains Excalibur and Morgaina tries to get it from her. In the meantime the Doctor who Morgaina believes is Merlin fights to defeat Morgaina. It's a solid Doctor Who story with some interesting plot points. Not to mention an interesting ending that in this viewers opinion humanizes the Doctor a little.
Ralph J. Fitcher - Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2009Amazon dose not give the "RELEASES IN DETAIL's" like they should. So from website of the go to man on all Doctor Who DVD's (and hell, even VHS)Steve Manfred. Here are the detail's for "Battlefield".
[...]
Doctor Who: Battlefield starring Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor, Sophie Aldred as Ace, and guest starring Nicholas Courtney as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. 2 discs.
On Disc 1:
- All four 25-minute episodes (the original 1989 versions) with full restoration treatment.
- Graphical menus, episode and scene selection features, and subtitles for the hearing impaired.
- Optional commentary track with actors Sophie Aldred, Nicholas Courtney, and Angela Bruce(Brigadier Winifred Bambera), Writer Ben Aaronovitch, and Script Editor Andrew Cartmel.
- Information Text subtitles option. Displays pop-up production trivia throughout the story.
- Isolated Music option. Plays the story with only the music soundtrack playing by itself.
- "Storm Over Avallion" 23-minute featurette about the making of the story, featuring interviews with Actors Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred, Angela Bruce, Nicholas Courtney, and Jean Marsh (Morgaine), Writer Ben Aaronovitch, Script Editor Andrew Cartmel, and Director Michael Kerrigan.
- "Past and Future King" 12-minute featurette about the writing of this story, featuring interviews with Ben Aaronovitch, Andrew Cartmel, Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred, Angela Bruce, and Michael Kerrigan.
- "Watertank" 7-minute featurette that goes into detail about the near-fatal accident that occurred during the scene of Ace trapped in the flooding spacecraft airlock when the glass in the tank she was in cracked open.
- Studio Recording. 19 minutes of raw footage from the studio floor during the original studio recording session for this story.
- "From Kingdom to Queen" 8-minute interview with Jean Marsh charting her 1965, 1966, and 1989 appearances in Doctor Who.
- Radio Times Listings. PDF files for your computer containing the original Radio Times TV listings for this story, as well as some contemporaneous articles about it they ran.
On Disc 2:
- Battlefield Special Edition.
A 95-minute movie-format version of the story, with numerous deleted scenes edited back into the action, other reediting of the action and the music, boosted CGI effects,and a Dolby 5.1 sound mix. Comes with graphical menus, scene selection menu,and subtitles for the hearing impaired.
- Season 26 Trailer A 1:30 trailer for the entire 26th season that was shown to the press in 1989. - Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2016Another Fun Offering. Two Discs with 4 episodes and Special Features. Really good production value crisp video with no skips of jumps and consistent sound.
Disc 1 contains the original 4 Episodes from 1989 and Special Features:
Special Features:
~Storm over Avallion
~Past and Future King
~Watermark
~Water tank
~Studio Recording
~From Kingdom to Queen
~Trails and Continuity
~Photo Gallery
~Audio Options (Meaning Featured Audio Commentary and Isolated Music
~Info Text
~PDF Materials
Disc 2 contains an extended to feature length five episodes and Special Features
Special Features:
~Season 26 Trailer
~Audio Options (Meaning Dolby Digital 5.1 or Stereo) - Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2015This was a fun episode. I definitely feel it's a step down from THE GREATEST SHOW IN THE GALAXY (I personally feel it's one of the best WHO episodes ever up there with creme de la creme like THE MIND ROBBER, INFERNO or THE ARK IN SPACE) but despite that it's still amazing. MCCOYs furious rage! The farewell of a dear friend. The Merlin/Dr Who connection sort of addressed after speculations prior. There are many things for a Who fan to find fun here!
- Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2014This is one of the best examples of the Seventh Doctor and Ace's adventures. It even includes a guest appearance by Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart, who comes out of retirement to work with his replacement, a woman Brigadeer Bambara. It should be noted that this is his last appearance in Doctor Who. This story involves the Arthurian legends and their inclusion into the Whoniverse. The actress who plays Morganie is wonderful, as is Brigadeer Bambara. There is lots of wonderful location footage in this episode, and great costumes and props. The supporting cast is also very good. Very highly recommended episode!
- Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2016This has become a hard-to-find (at a reasonable price) DVD set over the years in Region 1. Maybe they only manufactured a relatively small run of them? Prices seem to range from $35 to over $100, even on Amazon.
Yes, it's campy, even by Sylvester McCoy standards. But it's still a darned good yarn with a hint of menace. Not by any means one of top McCoy stories, but not near the bottom of the barrel, either. My VHS copy is wearing out, so I was glad to finally find this nearer the cheaper end of the price spectrum.
Top reviews from other countries
- Mr. Jonathon T. BeckettReviewed in the United Kingdom on January 27, 2011
5.0 out of 5 starsMerlin Unbound
!!!WARNING. MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!!!
Excavations near Lake Vortigen in England have uncovered a scabbard that hangs innocently from the wall of the Gore Crow Hotel. The Doctor and Ace materialise nearby, The Doctor having recieved a faint distress signal. Soon after they arrive, unidentified explosions occur. Soon, knights appear, fighting eachother without care for any onlookers. It seems someone is very keen to get hold of the scabbard. The Doctor isn't the only one on the case though, as a certain retired Brigadier, Alistair Lethbridge Stewart comes out of retirement after being informed of his friends return to Earth. The Doctor and the Brigadier will need there wits about them as the sorceress Morgaine(Jean Marsh) will stop at nothing to retrieve the sword Excalibur and be able to battle her adversary Arthur once again, even if the detruction of the Earth is necessary...
This, like so much of Sylvester Mccoy's era, has a poor reputation. It seems that recently the whole era has undergone a re-appraisal, this story being no exception. Quite right too, in my opinion. Mccoy delivers a great performance here as The Doctor/Merlin. It is greatto see Nicholas Courtney back in uniform as the Brigadier, and we also have a worthy successor with Angela Bruce playing the modern, feisty Brigadier Bambera.
If the story does have a fault, it is probably that it is crammed full of one or two ideas too many, but the mixture of science fiction and magic, the Highlander inspired eternal battles between old foes, and the possibility of The Doctor as a future Merlin is a fascinating one. The special effects are pretty good on the whole and there is a highly impressive monster in the Destroyer, the blue skinned destroyer of worlds. As well as The Brigadier, The Doctor's faithful old car Bessie makes a re-appearance.
I think that fans of the show will enjoy the references to the shows past, and everyone will enjoy the general feel of the story, as it is very enjoyable from beginning to end. This two disc release contains two versions of Battlefield. One being the originally transmitted episodes, the other a feature length special edition which works well as the story is so fast moving and packed with incident. Plenty of other extras too. I will give the whole package the full marks. 5 out of 5. - KodgerReviewed in Canada on November 29, 2014
5.0 out of 5 starsThis comes with lots of extras, including a (slightly) ...
This comes with lots of extras, including a (slightly) longer re-cut movie version.
The price difference between region 1 and region 2 DVDs enabled me to buy a region-free DVD player. - Andreas QuadeReviewed in Germany on February 9, 2015
5.0 out of 5 starsTolles Set
Zur Folge selbst gibt es kaum etwas zu sagen. Es ist nicht das Highlight der finale McCoy-Staffel, eher sogar das Lowlight, liegt aber daran, dass während die Folge wirklich gut ist, die anderen drei Folgen genial sind. Trotzdem gibt es 5 Sterne, da das Set sehr gut gemacht ist. Es gibt einmal die alte TV-Folge, bei der man optional überarbeitete Spezialeffekte hinzuschalten kann, und dann einmal die Folge zu einem TV-Film geschnitten, mit vorher entfallenen oder verlängerten Szenen. Die Extras sind wie immer recht interessant, wenn man sich für das Hintergrundwissen wie man in den späten 80er Jahren nicht nur Doctor Who sondern generell in Großbritannien Fernsehen gemacht hat. Ach ja und die Folge ist auch die letzte Doctor Who TV-Folge mit dem Brigadier, alleine deswegen ist sie ein absolutes Muss. - Alessandro MorandoReviewed in Italy on December 22, 2024
5.0 out of 5 starsEccellente
Prodotto pienamente rispondente alle aspettative. - BADWOLFANGEL1Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 15, 2018
5.0 out of 5 starsBattlefield Classic and Nice to See The Brigadier back in Uniform for the last time!
The Doctor and Ace respond to a distress signal that is coming from somewhere near the village of Carbury and discover that a nuclear missile convoy has run into some difficulties.
Enter the troops of UNIT under the leadership of Brigadier Bambera to sort everything out but when mythical beings emerge from another dimension they find there out of there depth and the original Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart is brought out of retirement to take charge and get things back under control.
The Doctor and Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart are reunited and get embroiled with armoured knights and the evil queen Morgaine who calls the Doctor Merlin, why does she want revenge against him and what does she want with a certain famous sword.
This is a nice little story that reunites Nicholas Courtney and Jean Marsh who have not appeared together onscreen in Doctor Who Since starring in The Dalek Master Plan with William Hartnell but here Jean Marsh does a wonderful job portraying the evil queen and this would be the last screen appearance for Nicholas Courtney in Doctor Who as the Brigadier but would make his final performance with the late Elisabeth Sladen in The Sarah Jane Adventures and what a way for his beloved character to be seen as a true hero saving the world as he had done so many times with the 2, 3, 4 and 5th doctor and brought back to play against the 7th.
We have commentary from Sophie Aldred (Ace) Nicholas Courtney (The Brigadier) Angela Bruce (Bambera) Ben Aaronovitch (Writer) with Script Editor Andrew Cartmel
Storm over Avallion has the cast and crew discussing the making of Battlefield
Past and Future King sees Ben Aaronovitch and Andrew Cartmel discuss how the story was written
Watertank has Sophie Aldred and various cast and crew on the moment that Sophie nearly lost her life when the glass water tank shattered with the actress still inside it.
From Kingdom to Queen is a lovely little documentary where Jean Marsh discusses her time on Doctor Who and the characters that she played
All the usual extras are on here as well plus there is another disc which is a special edition of Battlefield edited together to make it 95minutes with previous deleted scenes added as well as brand new CGI effects.
This is a must for anyones classic collection and for those whose favourite doctor is Sylvester McCoy, he is starting to show his darker side and shame he only had a couple more stories left before the series cancellation.
