Tom Baker’s final season hits the shelves as a blu-ray special edition box set in February 2019! Following on from hot sellers Baker’s Season 12 and Peter Davison’s 19th season, this marks the third full season release. I’m quite a fan of the first two sets – the Baker stories are classics and Davison’s introductory season was a special time in my life. He was – as they say – my Doctor!

The title is now available to pre-order from Amazon and HMV.

Tom Baker’s final year saw the programme undergo radical changes in front of the cameras and behind the scenes. Producer John Nathan-Turner revamped the series with new writers, new directors, a new title sequence and theme arrangement, glossy production standards and – throughout the course of the season – a brand new regular cast. Over seven classic adventures the Doctor and his companions encountered the Foamasi, Meglos, the Marshmen, vampires and Tharils, building to a final deadly showdown between the Doctor and his arch nemesis the Master. As a special bonus this set also includes the 1981 K9 & CompanyChristmas pilot episode, plus hours of brand new material.

Starring alongside Tom Baker are Lalla Ward as Romana, Matthew Waterhouse as Adric, Sarah Sutton as Nyssa, Janet Fielding as Tegan, Anthony Ainley as the Master, Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah-Jane Smith and John Leeson as K9.

Special Features exclusive to this set include: a new Making-Of documentary and updated special effects for Logopolis, revealing new 2019 commentaries moderated by Matthew Sweet (Tom Baker on The Leisure Hive, Lalla Ward & Rachel Davies on State Of Decay), surround sound mix for Warriors’ Gate, rare behind-the-scenes footage from The Leisure Hive, Full Circle and Logopolis, eight more editions of Behind The Sofa, brand new documentaries The Writers Room and Weekend With Waterhouse, a new interview with K9 & Company’s Ian Sears, another dip into the Panopticon convention archives with Tom Baker, HD photo galleries plus scripts, production files and rare documentation provided as PDFs. The eight-disc box set also includes hours of extensive special features previously released oDVD.

All material has been remastered for Blu-ray by Peter Crocker and Mark Ayres. Lee Binding has provided stunning packaging and new series writer/content consultant Pete McTighe has written another extensive booklet. Russell Minton is Executive Producer.

Blu-ray trivia: when filming took place for Logopolis (1980), Tom Baker’s last adventure, the intention was to shoot at the University of Manchester’s Jodrell Bank Observatory. Instead, production took place at Crowsley Park with the team using model shots. For the brand new Blu-ray, almost 40 years later, BBC Studios received permission to film at Jodrell Bank with a drone. Offered as an alternative viewing option, fans will now be able to experience the finished product just as it was originally intended.

DOCTOR WHO: THE COLLECTION – SEASON 18 includes the following stories from 1980/81

The Leisure Hive (four episodes); Meglos (four episodes); Full Circle (four episodes); State Of Decay (four episodes); Warriors’ Gate (four episodes); The Keeper Of Traken (four episodes)

Logopolis (four episodes) plus K9 & Company – A Girl’s Best Friend.