Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

When a DVD set of an incomplete or edited TV show is released, usually the fans rise up in protest. Look at the recent release of the first series of Alf, which used the edited 22 minuet syndicated episodes instead of the original broadcast version. The fans voiced their anger - and rightfully so.

Why then, are Doctor Who fans overjoyed with the prospect of getting the Lost in Time boxed set - a 3 DVD collection consisting of nothing BUT incomplete and edited shows?

The long and twisted story begins a long time ago, way back in the early 1970's. The BBC Film and Television Library was the main home of the BBC’s entire output, filled to the brim with broadcast masters of everything the network ran. Due to a number of factors - miscommunication, bad policy decisions, and dumb luck - all of the broadcast master prints were destroyed.

Some people cite space limitations, while other rumors tell of the fire hazard that all these highly flammable emulsion prints posed. And of course back in 1970, the home video market was a logical impossibility - so there was no rerun value in these old TV shows. But regardless of the reason, for the space of about 10 years, the BBC destroyed, wiped, burned and otherwise purged the broadcast masters archives of every show it had.

Eventually cooler heads prevailed, and someone came to their senses. "What are we DOING" they said, and policy was abandoned. But the damage was done, and thousands of TV shows were lost forever. Steptoe and Son, Z-Cars, Doomwatch, Dad's Army, Adam Adamant, Ace of Wands - and of course Doctor Who. Unfortunately most of these old television shows are now lost to us forever. Two episodes of Dad's Army did turn up a couple of years ago, but sadly this is the exception and not the rule.

Doctor Who on the other hand, enjoyed a unique position of a cult following and global broadcast. At the height of its popularity in the mid 60's, Doctor Who was broadcast in roughly 70 countries around the world. In short, that means there were an awful lot of broadcast masters floating around. As a result, of the odd 200 or so episodes of Doctor Who that were destroyed, most of them were recovered. They've turned episodes from Nigeria and Hong Kong, found them in flea markets, rotting away in the basement of an old church, in the hands of private collectors, forethinking BBC employees who bucked policy and "stole" the material intended for destruction, and so on. So, through good fortune, blind luck and random chance, only 108 episodes (as of this writing) remain missing.

The problem facing us now - aside from the destruction of the episodes - is the spotty and intermittent nature of the recovery process. A can of film is recovered here, a snippet of footage there - leading to great gaps in episodes. A great many stories are complete, but many - the bulk of this DVD collection in fact - only have 1 or 2 episodes in existence.

So, I hear you cry - enough history! How about the episodes?

Brilliant. 18 episodes, spread out over three discs. The first disc contains four stories from the first Doctor - 2 episodes from The Crusade, 3 episodes from the monstrous 12 part Dalek Masterplan and one episode from The Celestial Toy-maker. While the Toymaker is often ragged on by fans as a light, fluffy story, the two episodes from the Crusade really show off the sharp writing that dominated the 1960's Who. The Tardis crew is in fine form, and the supporting cast serves up a very believable performance. The Dalek Masterplan, on the other hand is over the top and delivers plenty of ham and cheese. Still the episode is entertaining.

The Mighty Trout, on the other hand, is unfortunately well represented here. Most of the second Doctor's era was hit the hardest - only a smattering of episodes from seasons 4-6 still exist in any form. But what is here on the remaining 2 discs is glorious indeed. His stories are dark and atmospheric, filled with scary monsters that work surprisingly well within the meager budget.

However, the fact that Lost in Time works as well as it does is proof of how well Doctor Who has aged. There are of course bad episodes - Space Pirates episode 2 for example, boasts fantastic restoration but is virtually unwatchable. On the other hand The Lion is exceptional. To put it bluntly, it’s a very odd type of bittersweet frustration. You're watching an episode, completely captivated by the story when - BAM - the episode is over. As the credits roll, it dawns on you that you will probably never ever see the rest of the story. Ever.

The other problem with the set is - lack of context. While some episodes do have linking narration (William Russell for the Crusades) or some missing episodes have been provided in an audio form (like The Moonbase), it would have been of great help to include a synopsis of what has gone before to help flesh out some of the material. Usually Doctor Who DVDs provide a pop-up factoid subtitle track - dvd technology that would have solved this problem with ease - but the restoration costs were too great to include that feature this time around.

Still, a little leg work on the internet for an episode guide will solve that problem. It's still frustrating to say the least.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Lost In Time can be had in a number of ways. Both the William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton discs are sold separately. They are also bundled into a 3 disc boxed set. In the UK, however, the bundled three disc set is available.

Each disc starts with a very brief animation of the Tardis in flight, with the doors opening to reveal menus modeled after the white roundel look of the Tardis walls and with brief looping clips from the show. Functional, not annoyingly long, and keeps the theme of the show. The UK release of the disc comes with a insert with brief actors bios, notes about the show and a list outlining the extras. Sadly the US version does not include these liner notes.

THE VIDEO AND SOUND:
If you've read my other Doctor Who reviews, you will know that when it comes to restoring classic episodes, the Restoration Team is second to none. The episodes within have been lovingly restored, and look breathtaking. The episodes look like they were shot yesterday, and not sitting in a film can under a porch for the last 3 decades. Granted, there are problems that even the Restoration Team couldn’t have fixed - the Lion suffers from extreme damage and scratching in places - but considering that we shouldn’t even have these episodes, I'm willing to cut them some slack.

The sound on the other hand, is perfectly serviceable. There some noticeable hiss in places, but for the most part sounds great for a 40 year old television show fished out of a dumpster.

THE EXTRAS
The Doctor Who DVDs are known for being an embarrassment of riches. And while there indeed is a great many extras on this set, we don’t quite have the depth and range of some of the other releases.

First up are a handful of commentaries. Sadly, only 6 episodes were commentated on, a victim of BBC budget restraints. But what is there is really good. Julian Glover on the Lion is a standout - one only hopes for his return to the commentary track when the BBC eventually decides to release the City of Death on DVD.

Then, the documentary - a re-release of a documentary from the mid 90's when the first Orphaned Episode set was released on VHS. It's a pretty good overview of why these episodes were junked, some interviews with the folks who turned up the episodes, and some extended clips from the incomplete episodes. It’s a starting point for fans who have no idea what is going on here and why.

The last of the extra - the extras that make up the bulk of the disc, in fact - are the film clips. Over the years, bits and pieces of missing episodes surface, ranging from just a few seconds to just about 6 minutes in length. The great irony is that most of these clips come from the New Zealand censor board. So bits unfit for daytime television were trimmed and saved - and now turn out to be the only footage in existence from the show. This of course proves that god indeed does have a sense of humor.

THE LAST WORD:
The Lost in Time set is not so much a coherent collection of episodes, but more of a glimpse into the past. While the incompleteness of the set is maddeningly frustrating, I find it hard to criticized the Restoration Team for these shortcomings. I mean, it's not their fault that 30 years ago the boneheads at the BBC who decided to throw out all these classic episodes.

No, judged from the perspective that this is the best we'll ever get, the set is pretty critic-proof. The presentation is again top notch, the cross-section of 60's Who is fascinating, the (non-film clip) extras are well done, and all things considered the restoration is fantastic.

In short, the Lost in Time set is a novelty, a purchase for Doctor Who fans only. However if you are a fan, it is indispensable.

OTHER DOCTOR WHO EPISODES ON DVD:
* The Beginning
* Doctor Who and the Daleks
* The Lost in Time Collection
* Tomb of the Cybermen
* Genesis of the Daleks
* The Pyramids of Mars
* Revelation of the Daleks
* Doctor Who - Series One
* Doctor Who - Series Two
* Torchwood - Series One
* Doctor Who - Series Three


Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8