The latest Doctor Who missing adventure to be recreated through animation is released on DVD and Blu Ray today. ‘Fury from the Deep’ is a terrifying adventure featuring the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton), Jamie (Frazer Hines) and Victoria (Deborah Watling).
‘Fury from the Deep’ is a momentous story in Doctor Who’s history. Firstly, it is credited with being the debut appearance of the sonic screwdriver. (Others may note that William Hartnell used a similar item as a torch during the show’s first season. But this is definitely the first time the tool is mentioned by name.) Fury also sees the departure of a companion (no spoilers as to who) which is always a notable moment. Finally, the story also features one of the most disturbing scenes ever in Doctor Who.
Animating Mr Oak and Mr Quill
The scene in question features Mr Oak and Mr Quill with Maggie Harris and thanks to the Australian censors actually still survives. Accompanied by some creepily bouncy incidental music the scene is quite unforgettable. Of course the scene, along with other brief snippets of footage, is included in this new release. The challenge for the animators from Big Finish Creative Limited, in association with Digitoonz Media & Entertainment and Thaumaturgy, is to recreate the terror of this and other scenes through animation. Similarly, how will the mysterious weed creature be realised on screen. It’s no wonder that ‘Fury from the Deep’ is one of the most anticipated releases of recent years.
‘Fury From The Deep’ is presented either in full colour or in black & white animated episodes. A reconstruction of the original episodes, combining the complete audio with telesnap images, is also available to watch. So however you enjoy experiencing missing Doctor Who adventures this release has you covered.
Bonus Features
Fury from the Deep is accompanied by a wealth of exciting extras. One of the most highly anticipated is The Cruel Sea – Surviving Fury From The Deep. This brand new documentary brings original cast members Frazer Hines (Jamie), June Murphy (Maggie Harris) and Brian Cullingford (Perkins) together to revisit filming locations with production assistant Michael Briant, assistant floor manager Margot Hayhoe and helicopter pilot Mike Smith. Contributors to this feature also 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 from the Deep 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, along with 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 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
Doctor Who: 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…
Doctor Who: Fury from the Deep is available now on DVD (RRP £20.42), Blu Ray (RRP £25.52), or Blu Ray Steelbook (RRP £40.84).
BlogtorWho will review ‘Fury from the Deep’ next week.
