The Interview

   
DWO caught up with 2|Entertain, Classic Doctor Who Commissioning Editor, Dan Hall to discuss the 2011/12 releases.

It's been a busy year for 2|Entertain, especially with the recent release of Day of the Daleks, which boasts some of the finest features to date. How have you found the fan reaction to the title?

Incredible! All over the world we've had a great reaction. The work carried out by Steve Broster, Michael Dinsdale, Mark Ayres and team was incredible. And that has most definitely been shown by fan reaction. It was great having screenings in London, Sydney and Melbourne to see the work on the big screen, and see the delightful faces of fans!

Revisitations 3 had been on the cards for a while for 2011, there's been a bit of radio silence regarding the release date, with some rumours stating a March 2012 release. Has the aforementioned busy year inevitably been responsible for the delay of the title, and owing to previous success, will there likely be more Revisitation boxes in the future?

Certainly 2011 was very busy, and there were plans originally to release it as the final title of the year. But due to one thing and another, the date was moved across to the first half of 2012. Although we've still to confirm an exact date, it is certainly planned for release in the next nine months.

As for more Revisitations, the concept of reworking earlier DVD releases has been strongly embraced by buyers. I am delighted that people have really enjoyed the updated restorations and new VAM (Value Added Material). So, who can say what will happen? We've already got a Vengeance on Varos coming, which is in effect a standalone Revisitation title. Certainly there is the opportunity to rework other earlier titles. Let's see what happens!


There's been a lot of excitement amongst fans for the upcoming Reign of Terror DVD release, particularly for the animated missing episodes. How different was the process of animating lost episodes this time round, compared to the 2006 release of The Invasion? Is it your hope that future missing stories can all be released this way?

This is a difficult question to answer, as The Invasion was not my commission. It was conceived and produced by the marvellous James Goss at BBCi. 2|Entertain came in late in the game when most of the work was already done.

But we have spent five years searching for ways to bring more animations to the fore. And as is always the way, just when one is about to give up, suddenly a new chance appears! And it really was like that. Big Finish came to be with a proposal, a brilliant showreel, some great onboard talent and a cost base that worked for all. So suddenly, it was all happening!

2012 is almost upon us, what Doctor Who titles can we look forward to and what kind of release frequency can we expect?

Plan is that the release schedule should continue at around the same rate as current, which is one about every three to four weeks. Although there are fewer box sets in 2012 than 2011! Just two, I think.

Through our previous interviews with your good self over the years, our visitors are getting to know you a bit better. We're going to dig a bit deeper here and ask you what your favourite Classic Series adventure is and why?2010 has brought fans three Doctor Who box-sets so far, with The Cybermen set due out in August. Have you found the combined packs have sold well, and could it open up the door for season box-sets at some point in the future?

That's an easy one, Resurrection of the Daleks. It features so many things I love: a backdrop that beautifully showcases the lost history of my hometown London, Daleks and a fantastic performance from Maurice Colbourne. But the main reason is because it rekindled my love of Classic Doctor Who. I was living in Philadelphia, PA when I felt homesick. My anglophile friend Scott who worked in the local video store thrust a Resurrection VHS into my hand and sent me away. 15 minutes later, mid-afternoon on a hot Philly summer in the early 1990s, that music started up, I was in love all over again!


** If you would like to ask a Question to Dan Hall from 2|Entertain, visit the DWO Forums.


© Copyright Doctor Who Online, 2011.
Page Updated: 14/10/2011

Interview Details

Interview with:
Dan Hall
Commissioning Editor
2|Entertain
 
Added:
14/10/2011
 
Conducted by:
Doctor Who Online

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