For a very long time, Tom Baker was the iconic Doctor. With his striking scarf, twinkling eyes and anti-authoritarian demeanor, the Fourth Doctor has gone on to influence the character more than almost any other. The Doctor Who revival series can’t seem to resist referencing him, either, whether it be folks donning his iconic scarf, references to Jelly Babies or simply having him pop up as the mysterious Curator in the 50th anniversary special.
Despite this love, fans have been waiting a pretty damn long time to see Tom Baker’s final season – season 18 – hit Blu-ray. Broadcast from August 30th, 1980 to March 21st, 1981, it’s an especially interesting season because it marks a transition period for the series as it switched showrunners from Graham Williams to John Nathan-Turner, thus setting the tone of the show from then until its cancellation in the late 80s.
Now, though, we’re finally going to be able to take home Baker’s last run on Blu-ray. Arriving on February 25th, Doctor Who – The Collection: Season 18, will feature appearances from the monstrous Foamasi, Marshmen and the Vampiric Three Who Rule, who menace new companions Adric (Matthew Waterhouse), Nyssa (Sarah Sutton) and Tegan (Janet Fielding). And though Adric might be the most annoying companion in the history of the show, he’s still an important part of Doctor Who history.
The Blu-ray comes loaded with special features, too, including the K9 & Company Christmas special featuring Elisabeth Sladen, a surround-sound mix for “Warriors’ Gate,” updated special effects on “Logopolis,” behind the scenes footage from multiple episodes, new editions of the Behind The Sofa, Making Of, The Writers Room and Weekend With Waterhouse documentaries, plus an appearance from Tom Baker at the Panopticon convention. On top of that, there are also a bevvy of new episode commentaries, including Matthew Sweet and Tom Baker on “The Leisure Hive” and Lalla Ward and Rachel Davies on “State of Decay.”
Again, it’ll hit shelves on February 25th, 2019 and any real Doctor Who fan would be wise to pick it up.
