FREE Shipping on orders over $100!

Browse:

BBC America Shop
Email Newsletter

BBC Canada Shop
Email Newsletter
Email Samples

Sign-up to receive emails about new products, upcoming releases and special offers!

DVDs in the Works

Posts Tagged ‘Doctor Who’

May 6th, 2011

Made-in-the USA Top Gear

Top Gear

When the US version of Top Gear was being launched last November on The History Channel, we admit that we were skeptical. The success rate among reformatted TV series is lower than anyone cares to admit, and the question that came up most often was, “Which one of the hosts is supposed to be the next Clarkson?” Is it comedian Adam Ferrara (Rescue Me, Ugly Betty)? Or the champion race driver Tanner Foust? Or racing analyst Rutledge Wood? Happily, the three have built a dynamic of their own over the premiere season, and are returning in new season on The History Channel later this year.

Many of the stunts in Top Gear: Season 1 DVD have a peculiarly American flavor, such as a moonshine run along an actual Prohibition route in the Deep South, and the challenge between the Dodge Viper and the Cobra helicopter is some of the most exciting television we’ve seen this season. The 7.5-hour DVD (coming out July 19th) also includes the popular “Big Stars in a Small Car” segments with astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Lost actor Dominic Monahan (Hetty Wainthropp Investigates), Modern Family’s Ty Burrell, musician Kid Rock, Avatar star Michelle Rodriguez and skateboard legend and game designer Tony Hawk.

DOCTOR WHO FAN ALERT: Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey, The Diary of a Nobody) is guest-starring as a 17th century pirate in this week’s Doctor Who episode “The Curse of the Black Spot” at 9pm ET on Saturday, May 7th.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Doctor Who, Personalities, Top Gear, Uncategorized | 2 Comments
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (2)
Loading ... Loading ...
April 22nd, 2011

Outcasts is serious science fiction

Outcasts

When we learned that Kudos, the folks that brought us MI-5, Hustle and Life on Mars, were planning to try their hand at sci-fi, we rather expected a romp in space. The very idea of humans embarking in spaceships to continue life as we know it on some amenable planet out there used to be imbued with optimism and faith in a can-do attitude. Nowadays we’re more aware of the possible complications. Remember how chaos theory took the much of the joy out of meeting real live dinosaurs in Jurassic Park? In the opening episode of Outcasts, it becomes clear from the point of view of Mitchell Hoban (Jamie Bamber, Law & Order UK, Battlestar Gallactica) that mistakes have been made, and President Richard Tate (Liam Cunningham, Shooting the Past, Clash of the Titans) already has secrets to suppress. Our trailblazers seem to be on the road to dystopia, but dystopia is not a dirty word in science fiction. Series fans concede that it’s a slow burner, but the pay-off is worth it. Eric Mabius (Ugly Betty, The L Word) and Hermione Norris (MI-5, Wire in the Blood) also star. Watch for the premiere Saturday, June 18, on BBC America, and for the DVD, which will follow soon after the series run. Canadian broadcast details to follow when confirmed.

Don’t forget to watch the Doctor Who series premiere tomorrow night on BBC America and on Space in Canada.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Doctor Who, Drama, Sci-fi, Uncategorized | 5 Comments
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (1)
Loading ... Loading ...
April 7th, 2011

The Doctor’s coming to NYC!

It’s official! This Friday, April 8th, at noon Matt Smith (the Doctor), Karen Gillan (Amy Pond) and Arthur Darvill (Rory Williams) will be signing Doctor Who: The Complete Fifth Series DVD at the Barnes & Noble store at 555 Fifth Avenue! They’ll be spending much of this weekend with the press, so let’s give them a real American-style fan welcome to kick things off.  Before you start packing your Tweed jacket, bow tie and Stetson, here are the store’s special instructions (also posted on their site): “You will need a wristband to join the signing line for this event. Wristbands will be distributed starting at 9AM on Friday, April 8 with the purchase of the Doctor Who: The Complete Fifth Series boxed Set. Please call store 212-697-3048 for additional details.” The Christmas Special and a selection of primo merchandise will also be available for signing.  The wristband will be available only to those who purchase the Series 5 DVD set; other purchasers will have to follow them in the line.

The excitement continues on Monday, April 11, with a screening of the two-part Season Six premiere at the Village East Cinema on Second Avenue in Manhattan. The three stars will join Alex Kingston (River Song) and series writer-executive producer Steven Moffat after the screening for a Q&A, which will be moderated by Nerdist’s Chris Hardwick and recorded live for a special Nerdist podcast.

There’s a handy Facebook link for the screening, though we stress that it is useful only for finding out which of your friends plan to attend. Admittance is strictly first-come, first-served, so plan to join the line early.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Doctor Who, Drama, Personalities, Sci-fi, Uncategorized | No Comments
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (3)
Loading ... Loading ...
April 1st, 2011

The Doctor’s coming to North America!

Doctor Who: Season 6

With  Doctor Who Season Six little more than three weeks away, the promos are beginning to roll out. Click here for almost a full minute of previously embargoed footage!

There’s a lot to look forward to: the return of Alex Kingston as River Song; an American-based adventure by Steven Moffat (Sherlock, Coupling); and an episode written by Neil Gaiman (The Graveyard Book, American Gods). And though this promo says the Doctor is “coming to America – BBC America” on Saturday, April 23, he’ll be seen in Canada the same night on Space.

For further background into Steven Moffatt’s two-part premiere story, which stretches from the Utah desert to the Oval Office in 1969, click here for a special web prequel:

And for some lucky fans attending WonderCon in San Francisco this Sunday, a few more clips are promised at the Doctor Who panel and Q&A in the Esplanade Ballroom, 11:30am. Panelists will be Neil Gaiman, premiere episode guest star Mark Sheppard (Supernatural, Battlestar Galactica) and director Toby Haynes (Doctor Who, Being Human). More festivities surrounding this season’s launch are sure to follow next week, and we’ll post them as soon as we are able.

Our DVD strategy will be a bit different this year. We will still release the complete season box set near the end of the year, but we’ll also be releasing moderately priced DVDs that follow the broadcasts more swiftly. Sign up here for First to Know.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Doctor Who, Drama, Personalities, Sci-fi, Uncategorized | 7 Comments
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (2)
Loading ... Loading ...
March 18th, 2011

Matt Smith in 1930s Berlin

Christopher and his Kind

Choosing a period piece like Christopher and His Kind for his first high-profile role after Doctor Who may sound like a busman’s holiday for Matt Smith. Indeed, he acknowledges a parallel between the Time Lord and Isherwood (the Christopher of the title).  Isherwood is best known for Berlin Stories, which inspired the hit play I Am a Camera, which in turn spawned the megahit musical Cabaret. “He left 1930s England and arrived in Berlin, a place that in comparison was an alien planet,” Matt Smith said in the cover-story in next week’s Radio Times. In Christopher and His Kind, written in 1976 (over 30 years after Berlin Stories), Isherwood was able to present pre-war Berlin with greater historical perspective and to portray much more frankly its unprecedented gay scene. Our appetite wetted by A Single Man (also based on an Isherwood novel), we’ve been looking forward to this film since it was announced.

Joining Matt are Pip Carter as poet W.H. Auden and Imogen Poots as Jean Moss, the inspiration for Sally Bowles. We haven’t seen much of their work, but both are in current films, as Placidus in The Eagle and as Blanche Ingram in Jane Eyre, respectively. Rounding out the cast are Lindsay Duncan (Shooting the Past, The Waters of Mars) as Christopher’s mother, and Toby Jones (the Dream Lord in Doctor Who Series 5, The Old Curiosity Shop) as journalist Gerald Hamilton. While we usually have to wait months between a UK broadcast and a North American DVD release, we’re happy to announce that Christopher and His Kind will be available later this spring.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Doctor Who, Drama, Lifestyle, Personalities, Uncategorized | 3 Comments
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (1)
Loading ... Loading ...
March 4th, 2011

From Giggling Girls to Particle Physics…

As we write, the second episode of Brian Cox’s new science miniseries, Wonders of the Universe, is being queued up for broadcast this Sunday at 9 PM.  That’s why we love working for the BBC—we can make wonderfully escapist science fiction like Doctor Who and wonderfully escapist science programs like this.  His previous series, Wonders of the Solar System, was widely compared to Cosmos, the work of his idol Carl Sagan, and praised for both its beauty and his powerful ability to simplify complex ideas for lay persons like me.  Now he’s tackling something even harder to explain, particle physics.  In the final episode, about light, he visits Luxor to stand at the very spot where Pharaohs greeted the rising sun of the winter solstice, to connect the very complex science of light to a very real human (and historical) experience.  While on the shoot for this scene with The Radio Times he revealed a few interesting tidbits:  he believes we’ll find life on Mars within the decade, he only got a D in math class, and the percentage of  giggling schoolgirls attending  his book-signings is well above the statistical average for professors of physics.

You can catch Wonders of the Solar System on DVD, Blu-ray, and Discovery Science with the same trio of choices awaiting you later this year for Wonders of the Universe.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Documentary, Natural History, Personalities, Uncategorized | No Comments
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (3)
Loading ... Loading ...
February 4th, 2011

Being Human 3 and Doctor Who 6

Being Human: Series 3

BBC America has brought Season 3 of the original forward to premiere on February 19th, less than a month after the series return began rolling out in Britain, in order to shorten the gap between the UK and U.S. transmission. In Canada, Space is currently running the SyFy version, but they announced last year that they will run the original UK Season Three in 2011. BBC Video is mobilizing to bring the DVD and Blu-ray out as soon as we can after the series finale. One of the cast surprises this season is Robson Green (Wire in the Blood, Grafters, Touching Evil) but as what?  Counter-supernatural vigilante? Vampire? Werewolf? Ghost? Oh my! (We leave it to you to speculate until a spoiler is posted.)

Being Human is only one of a cresting wave of British series slated for stateside revamps. This winter alone brought debuts of Shameless and Skins. For more on the influx of British talent on the rise in America, see Anglophenia 2/1/2011.

We have already received a lot of queries about the release plans for Doctor Who Season 6, and while we like to keep everyone posted, there are many people involved in these decisions. However, we can confirm (so far) that the much-lauded Christmas Carol special will be included in the deluxe complete series set, though not with all of its extras.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Doctor Who, Drama, Personalities, Sci-fi, Uncategorized | 6 Comments
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (4)
Loading ... Loading ...
January 14th, 2011

Law & Order UK gone viral

Law & Order: UK

Someone who has spent a lot of the past few months watching Law & Order UK on BBC America created a viral video that crossed out desktops today. It reminded us of how many British TV favorites have shown up in the series. The strong cast of regulars includes Ben Daniels (The State Within, Aristocrats), Freema Agyeman (Doctor Who), Harriet Walter (Little Dorrit, Dorothy L. Sayers Mysteries) and Bill Paterson (Wives & Daughters, Hard Times). But it’s just as much fun to see who will turn up in the episodes:  Juliet Aubrey (Middlemarch, Primeval), Dervla Kirwan (Ballykissangel), Lesley Manville (Cranford), Eddie Marsan (Little Dorrit), Iain Glen (MI-5, Season 9). See how many stars you can spot.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Personalities, Uncategorized | 23 Comments
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (0)
Loading ... Loading ...
December 3rd, 2010

Woo-Who! Same day Doctor Who!

Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol

If you’ve tuned into BBC AMERICA lately, you’ll already know that this Christmas — for the first time in history – a Doctor Who episode will air in Britain and America on the same day, only hours apart! Over the past five years, the Doctor Who Christmas Specials have become a Christmas tradition for British viewers, so it’s quite a coup for BBC AMERICA to bring the tradition to the States this year with Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol. A number of factors have raised the pitch of excitement this time around. This is the first special to be penned by Steven Moffat (with a tip of his hat to Dickens). It’s the first special for 11th Doctor Matt Smith, who told Radio Times: “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do since I started the show. I love Christmas, plus I’ve always wanted to film something in July that has got snow in [it], loads of snow… it’s very Christmassy.”  And to play the Christmas-challenged Kazran Sardick is the legendary Sir Michael Gambon – legendary in the Harry Potter films as Professor Dumbledore, legendary in television for The Singing Detective, and legendary on Top Gear for executing a flying turn on a corner of the test track that now bears his name.

Watch the Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol trailer below and mark your calendars for tune-in time: Saturday, December 25, at 9pm Eastern/8 Central. To help set the mood, at 1pm on Christmas BBC AMERICA will also air the Doctor Who Prom, which we plan to include on the DVD and Blu-ray. Look for them next year, hopefully before the winter snows thaw.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Doctor Who, Fantasy, Personalities, Sci-fi, Uncategorized | 28 Comments
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (2)
Loading ... Loading ...
November 17th, 2010

TARDIS lands in Utah

Doctor Who, Matt Smith

John Ford Country is now Doctor Who Country. Last night on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, 11th Doctor Matt Smith revealed that he was heading to Monument Valley, Utah to film a top secret American episode. The valley was made famous by director John Ford, who used it as the setting for such classic Westerns as Stagecoach, My Darling Clementine and The Searchers. The landscape is also not unknown to well-seasoned time travelers; twenty years ago Marty McFly went there in his DeLorean in Back to the Future Part III.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Doctor Who, Personalities, Sci-fi, Uncategorized | 16 Comments
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (4)
Loading ... Loading ...
< Older Entries
Newer Entries >