Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8071 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-11-24
• Rating: Universal, suitable for all
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 98 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Made to mark the series' tenth anniversary, Doctor Who: The Three Doctors finds Jon Pertwee's Third Doctor teaming-up with the Patrick Troughton and William Hartnell incarnations to battle a universe-threatening foe. Omega (played by an excellent Stephen Thorne) is the Timelord who gave his race the power necessary for time travel. Long presumed dead he is actually trapped in an anti-matter universe inside a black hole, and is scheming an epic revenge. Set in UNIT HQ, Omega's domain and a chalk pit, Bob Baker and David Martin's yarn is both nonsensical and more wildly ambitious than the BBC effects unit could possibly visualise. This is so much the case that the best moments come with the metaphysically chilling scene in which Omega is unmasked, and in the bickering rivalry between Pertwee and Troughton. Sadly Hartnell was seriously ill with arteriosclerosis, so his brief scenes were all taped in a day and played on a monitor in the TARDIS, the reason given that the First Doctor is trapped in a "time eddy". If hardly a classic this is still a meatier tale than The Two Doctors (1985), which starred Troughton and Colin Baker, and it features ever-dependable support from Katy Manning as Jo Grant and Nicholas Courtney as the Brigadier.

On the DVD: Doctor Who: The Three Doctors is presented in the original 4:3 ratio with good mono sound. The introductory 16-mm film footage is very grainy and lined, but later exteriors are good and the interior video-shot material in fine. The commentary by Katy Manning, Nicholas Courtney and producer Barry Letts is informative and funny. Extras include excerpts from a highly entertaining 1973 Pebble Mill at One with Patrick Troughton and BBC props designer Bernard Wilkie (20 min) and a 1973 retrospective on the show from Blue Peter featuring Pertwee with the then new Whomobile, all presented by ex-Who companion Peter Purves. There are highlights from a BSkyB Doctor Who weekend from 1990, with brief interviews with Courtney, David Martin, Bob Baker, Pertwee, producer John Nathan Turner and writer Terrance Dicks (10 min). Rather more exciting is the appearances of the warm and witty Pertwee, Manning, and a very late Courtney at the 1993 Panopticon SF convention (29 min). There are also two trailers, info text and a scored photo gallery. --Gary S Dalkin

Special Features

• Commentary by Katy Manning, Nicholas Courtney and producer Barry Letts
  
• Patrick Troughton interview – a rare interview with the second Doctor from Pebble Mill at One
  
• Jon Pertwee at Panopticon – Pertwee and Katy Manning take to the stage at a 1993 convention
  
• Blue Peter - A celebration of Doctor Who’s tenth anniversary from November 1973
  
• BSB Highlights – Terrance Dicks, Nicholas Courtney, Bob Baker and Dave Martin discussing The Three Doctors from BSB’s 1990 Doctor Who Weekend
  
• BBC1 Trailer – The trailer for the 1972 BBC1 transmission of the first episode
  
• The Five Faces of Doctor Who - The full trailer for this 1981 repeat season which included The Three Doctors
  
• Photo Gallery

DVD Technical Information

• Subtitles: English SDH
  
• Audio: Dolby Digital Mono
  
• Region Code: 2/4
  
• PAL
  
• Disc Format: DVD-9
  
• Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  
• Running Time: 97 minutes approx
  
• Digitally remastered picture and sound quality

Synopsis
Jon Pertwee's DOCTOR WHO must break the first Law of Time in order to save the Timelords from an old arch enemy, he must bring back other Doctor Whos to help him. Will Patrick Troughton and William Hartnell be up to the job.

Customer Reviews

Classic!
This is a wonderful four part romp from the middle of the golden Pertwee era. I loved the Patrick Troughton stories and it's simply magical when he appears out of nowhere in the Tardis towards the end of episode one. Troughton is probably the only actor not to have played the character anywhere near 'himself' and I think as a result is the best to have had the role.

I'd never seen an interview with Troughton before so the DVD extra from 'Pebble Mill at One' is fascinating and shows a nervous and quiet yet clever man in conversation. The other extras are worth seeing too including a superb half hour in the company of the third doc and Jo Grant at the 1993 Panopticon convention.

The commentary from Barry Letts, Katy Manning and Nick Courtney is satisfactory and the production subtitles make for interesting reading but these are indeed just bonuses to what is a great story.

Three steps to Heaven
The Tenth anniversary of Doctor Who kicked-off with this, the first televised multi-Doctor story. The Three Doctors introduces another rogue Timelord, Omega, after the sudden death of Roger Delgado meant that The Master could no longer be involved. The story is somewhat lacking in depth but a real treat for any fan of the 'classic series'.
After a rollicking start, where a mysterious and shapeless energy bubble begins terrorising the countryside and abducting random people, the story seems to settle into a classic Third Doctor Earthbound adventure. All goes well until we are properly introduced to Gallifrey, the Doctor's home planet, for the first time in the series, although the name is not used at this point. This could have been a fantastic plot device and given the fans a much-anticipated insight into The Doctor's origins, however it is simply presented as a load of crusty, hirsuite old men; the worst of whom is The President of the Timelords, played by possibly the most wooden and uncharismatic actor in the show's series (and yes, I've seen 'The Mutants'!) Still, it's good to at least see some more of The Doctor's people and it does give a good idea as to why he needed to escape!
The story's second episode is a somewhat stretched affair but Patrick Troughton is in fine form as The Second Doctor and gets all the best lines - before seeing this story I thought The Fourth Doctor was the originator of the jelly babies. The Third Doctor and Jo are transported to a world of anti-matter and we get to see the fabled Omega for the first time. Brief glimpses of The First Doctor (who is trapped in a 'time-eddy') show a clearly decrepit but still imposing William Hartnell and his line, "so these are my replacements, a dandy and a clown!" is pure joy. In fact, he turns out to be the linchpin for the story's resolution and it remains a fitting epitaph for the original 'Doctor'.
In the third episode we see the UNIT HQ transported to Omega's world, along with The Brigadier, Benton and The Second Doctor. The Third Doctor pits his wits against the renegade Timelord but there is a lot of filler in this episode - fortunately Jo's shapely legs help to sustain interest throughout...The unnamed, 'jelly-like' creatures who serve Omega, chase our heroes down lots of globule-encrusted corridors whilst Doctors Two and Three squabble in humorous fashion before uniting against Omega. The episode ends in slightly hallucinogenic fashion, with The Third Doctor slow-mo battling Omega's 'dark side' in the form of a hideous gremlin. This prompts the watching Timelords, in the final episode, to send The First Doctor into the black hole to help his future selves.
Overall the production qualities of this anniversary story befit its status. Apart from the feebly realised 'jelly monsters' the effects, locations and cast are all top-notch. Plot holes are excusable as it is a celebratory story after all, and I'm sure that the cast and crew had no idea of the programme's colourful future...

Excellent job by the BBC restoration group
"The Three Doctors" is one of the best programmes from the long-running TV series. Made for the beginning of the 1973 Jon Pertwee season, the 4 part story features William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee himself as Doctor Who. There is also strong support roles from Katy Manning as assistant Jo and the Brigadier. The acting is very good. The programme was also re-run on the BBC in 1981.

Effects-wise, the story stands up pretty well, especially as the programme makers really seems to have mastered colour separation and overlay techniques. The plot is also consistent and reasonably convincing.

The major selling point is the extras. They are very substantial and complete. It is clear that the Doctor Who restoration team have worked long and hard over it. There is an entertaining commentary, Blue Peter and Pebblemill at One footage from the early 70s (completely restored) and some great convention material from the early 90s. Certainly, the production couldn't be bettered.

Enjoy.