One of the most terrifying stories of 1960s Doctor Who is being reborn in animated form next month
Artwork and extras for one of the most anticipated Doctor Who releases in years has been announced. Fury of the Deep has often been regarded by fans as one of, or even the greatest of the lost classics from the Patrick Troughton era. But now thanks to tireless work by the animation team, this six part story of creeping horror lives again! Doctor Who: Fury from the Deep will be available on DVD, Blu-ray and Steelbook from the 14th of September 2020. Pre-orders are available now from Amazon, HMV and Zoom.
The BBC purged the original episodes of Fury of the Deep from the archive in 1975. However, the audio of the episodes survived thanks to the efforts of fans recording them at home. So far the recent wave of animations based on those recordings has already given us The Power of the Daleks, The Faceless Ones, Shada and The Macra Terror. And Fury From The Deep marks the third release this year alone. Thirty-five of the fifty stories of the 1960s will now have gotten a release on both DVD and Blu-ray, a feat almost unthinkable ten years ago. The animation for Fury from the Deep comes from Big Finish Creative Limited in association with Digitoonz Media & Entertainment and Thaumaturgy.
Fury from the Deep presents fans with the full set of viewing options
The three-disc release gives fans the opportunity to enjoy Fury From The Deep in high definition, either in full colour or in black & white. PLUS it also includes a reconstruction of the original episodes, combining the complete audio with the extensive ‘telesnap’ photo collection. (Telesnaps being effectively the 1960s equivalent of screencaps taken during the original broadcast). Meanwhile, the release will include the surviving clips from the original 1968 production as well. So whichever your preferred way of experiencing lost stories, this release is set to hit the spot perfectly.
Fury From The Deep features the popular TARDIS team of the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton), 18th century Scottish rebel Jamie (Frazer Hines) and 19th century gentlewoman Victoria (Deborah Watling). The Doctor’s time machine sets them down atop the North Sea in the near future. And soon the three find themselves caught up in the intrigue at the nearby Euro Sea Gas refinery. A colony of sentient, parasitic seaweed is slowly taking over the offshore gas rigs as the first move in an attempt to take over humanity. But with its ability to infect and take people over, who can the Doctor and his friends trust?
Fury from the Deep is accompanied by a wealth of exciting extras.
The Cruel Sea – Surviving Fury From The Deep brings original cast members Frazer Hines (Jamie), June Murphy (Maggie Harris) and Brian Cullingford (Perkins) to revisit filming locations with production assistant Michael Briant, assistant floor manager Margot Hayhoe and helicopter pilot Mike Smith. Contributors to this segment include writer Victor Pemberton and actress Deborah Watling. There’s also an archive audio interview with director Hugh David.
Also included are all seven episodes of The Slide, the radio drama by Fury writer Victor Pemberton. The Slide was one of the main influences on Fury from the Deep, and acts as a fascinating companion piece. Starring Roger Delgado and Maurice Denham as well as a young Miriam Margoyles, it tells the story of a small town besieged by sentient mud, with the power to infect and control human beings. Only the brilliant scientist Josef Gomez (Roger Delgado), freshly arrived in town, stands any chance of unlocking its secrets. But can he find a way to defeat it before it spreads and conquers the entire world?
Other extras include:
- Audio commentaries with Toby Hadoke and three contributors from the original production
- ‘Info text’ subtitles about the production
- Original surviving footage
- Behind The Scenes 8mm footage
- Animating Fury From The Deep
- Archive interviews with Peter Day and Victor Pemberton
- Teaser Trailer
- Photo Gallery
- PDF scripts
Fury from the Deep
The TARDIS brings the Doctor, Victoria and Jamie to the Kent coast of England, where the ESGO complex is drawing up natural gas under the North Sea via a huge network of pipes linked to their off-shore rigs.
But the Doctor is convinced he can hear something in the pipes, a heartbeat, something… alive? Others at the complex have heard it too, and one by one contact with the rigs is being lost. But Chief Robson will have none of it, and work will continue. And so it does… until sentient, aggressive seaweed begins attacking the base and taking over the personnel one by one, creating a spearhead from which is will launch its attack and enslave the entire human race… Can the Doctor discover a way to stop the weed advancing? Or does the only real chance of success lie with Victoria and if it does, can a way be found to utilise that without harming one of the Doctor’s very best friends…
Fury from the Deep can be pre-ordered now on DVD (£20.42), Blu-Ray (£25.52), or Blu-Ray Steelbook (£40.84). Release date: 14th of September 2020.
You can see the teaser trailer on the official Doctor Who YouTube channel:
