ICYMI: ‘Doctor Who’ The Collection: Season 21 Announced
by Erik Amaya
If it isn’t clear, we’re big Doctor Who fans here at Comicon.com. But for a few of us, one of the best parts of being a Who fan is the occasional Classic Series box set comprising seasons of the 20th Century run and the wonderful vignettes Pete McTighe makes to announce the latest season coming to the format. This time around, it’s Season 21 and McTighe has outdone himself with a sketch featuring Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor, Janet Fielding as companion Tegan Jovanaka, and a bevy of Daleks that is so good, we hope he has a chance to resolve its cliffhanger someday.
The scene, though, is in support of the Season 21 set, comprising not just Davison’s final stories as The Doctor, but Colin Baker‘s debut as the Sixth Doctor in “The Twin Dilemma.” Curiously, it appears guest stars Paul Conrad and Andrew Conrad will defend the generally derided story in one of the set’s new special features. Other bonus material includes Davison, Fielding, and fellow co-star Sarah Sutton going boating, updated special effects on select stories, commentaries, and long-form sit-down interviews with Fielding and fellow companions Mark Strickson and Matthew Waterhouse. And just in case you haven’t had enough of Fielding, Toby Hadoke‘s occasional series returns so he can spend 48 hours with the opinionated and delightful Who alum. The full list of bonus items can be found here.
Okay, I admit I find Fielding to be delightful, but your mileage may vary. That said, her presence is one of the great highlights of the Collection box set range.
The season also features fan-favorite stories like “Frontios” and, of course, Davison’s swansong, “The Caves of Androzani.” Curiously, I’ve always been a more ambivalent watcher of “Androzani”, but I look forward to giving it another look. The set will also contain a new edit of “Warriors of the Deep” that may help some of its shortcomings.
While The Collection Season 21 is available for preorder in the UK, expect the US release — known here as Doctor Who: Peter Davison Complete Season 3 — to be announced sometime in January following the North American release of the previous collection box set centering on Tom Baker‘s second year as The Doctor.
