Doctor Who: The Movie Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		3.0

Doctor Who: The Movie Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman July 6, 2026

By the time Doctor Who: Sylvester McCoy: Complete Season Three hit the airwaves in 1989, the writing was probably already on the (TARDIS?) wall that the venerable series was reaching the end of its unexpectedly spectacular run which began in 1963. As my Doctor Who: Sylvester McCoy: Complete Season One Blu-ray review, Doctor Who: Sylvester McCoy: Complete Season Two Blu-ray review and Doctor Who: Sylvester McCoy: Complete Season Three Blu-ray review probably make pretty clear, by the time McCoy inhabited the role as the so-called Seventh Doctor, the series had become almost a parody of itself, and McCoy's take on the iconic character had evidently actually raised some significant hackles at the BBC, something that didn't especially help in any considerations of continuing the series, at least with McCoy. As fans no doubt know, and as was mentioned in my review of McCoy's final season, somewhat hilariously the series left the air in December 1989 with a serial ironically titled Survival. Suddenly for the first time in over two decades, British airwaves were Who-less, and at least one notable fan definitely felt that absence. That individual was Philip David Segal, born in Britain but raised in the United States starting with his teen years, and a guy who was an inveterate devoted Whovian. A bonus 1080 disc in this package has a rather lengthy documentary prominently featuring Segal where he details the almost insane lengths he had to go to in order to try to reboot Doctor Who, and the fact that this television film didn't come out until more or less a decade after the original series' run came to an end is just one example of the fortitude it took Segal to achieve his quest. Unfortunately, it may have been a fool's errand in any case, as even Segal seems to realize, as an equally insane number of competing corporate interests turned this hoped for "dream project" into something of a nightmare.

Those interested in the rather baroque production background of this piece will find ample information in the above mentioned documentary, but the upshot is this particular Doctor Who went through an almost unbelievable development hell that saw several notable people (like Steven Spielberg) and/or production entities (ranging from the "Beeb" to Amblin to Universal to Fox) come and go at various times, all with Segal desperately trying to referee. Segal's own motivations may have been pure (and, frankly, maybe even a little naïve) but even they had to morph as various obstacles entered the fray, including deciding whether this outing should be a feature film, a new series, or a standalone television movie. Due to the arcane requirements of various contractual obligations, a kind of middle ground was finally achieved where Doctor Who: The Movie (it has a number of alternate titles depending on various global markets) was more or less a "backdoor pilot" for a proposed new international Doctor Who that at least had a shot at becoming a staple of American airwaves. Suffice it to say, the made for television movie, while quite successful in the UK, wasn't nearly as viewed in the United States, and all of Segal's efforts basically collapsed. As fans no doubt know, it wouldn't be until almost another decade later that Doctor Who would relaunch, and successfully, with Christopher Eccleston debuting in Doctor Who: The Complete First Series .

As Segal perhaps understandably seems a bit frustrated to detail, all of the competing interests in this production led to conflicts about everything from narrative to casting, and the result in this outing therefore perhaps unavoidably has a patchwork quality and at times is maybe even unabashedly confusing, especially in the third act. The upshot is that the evidently roundly despised McCoy was allowed to come back in a quasi-cameo, provided he actually was not given any dialogue, as a BBC producer hilariously recounts in the documentary, though he does in fact briefly speak. This was for better or worse thought of as providing a sort of "through line" tethering this to the pre-existing (if dormant) series, but McCoy is arguably around for too long , though, before a 1999 San Francisco sees the "birth" of the now little remembered Eighth Doctor, played by Paul McGann. An interlocking series of "identity issues" arises when the Master (Eric Roberts, whose casting seems to cause Segal special concern) turns out to be "not quite dead yet" (to paraphrase another venerable BBC institution). The Doctor, suffering from amnesia, befriends a doctor named Grace Holloway (Daphne Ashbrook), who of course seems primed to become his next "Companion".

There are any number of problems that longtime Whovians may have with this enterprise, including some "refashionings" of lore, including the Doctor's own existence as an alien. The attempt to attract American eyes also resulted in a distinct change in tone and even passing things like colloquial dialogue, but it's probably the (questionable) "stunt casting" of Eric Roberts as the chief villain (there are subordinates, of course) that contributes most of the imbalanced tone. Segal seems resigned to the fact that his "baby" was born with certain "defects", so to speak, but one way or the other, this odd semi-interruption in the long history of Doctor Who has undeniable cult appeal, even if some of that is of the "can't avoid looking a train wreck" variety.

Doctor Who: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Doctor Who: The Movie is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of BBC with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.33:1. The back cover of this release states this "has been newly restored from the original 35mm film elements", and this page from the official Doctor Who website provides even more information. This is a great looking 1080 presentation, and it is certainly heads and shoulders of several magnitudes better than the upscaled McCoy episodes previously available on Blu-ray, which should probably be no major surprise. While there are probably a few niggling qualms that could be cited in terms of the special effects in particular, the bulk of this presentation offers secure detailing, sometimes kind of astoundingly so, and a gorgeously suffused palette, though both detailing and especially palette highlights are probably inarguably better in the standalone Doctor Who: The Movie 4K release. Flesh tones can look just a bit flushed at times (I should point out overtly that the red flush in screenshot 1 is actually deliberate and relates to a police car's overhead lights), but primaries are really expressive and blacks consistently appealing. Grain resolves without any issues.

Doctor Who: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Doctor Who: The Movie features Dolby Atmos, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 options. A lot of the "recycled" older Doctor Who Blu-rays I've reviewed through the years feature rejiggered surround mixes to variable effect, but much as with the video side of things, the surround reimaginings on this 4K disc are arguably more convincing than some of the previously available episodes. The stereo track is absolutely fine and frankly may offer a more forward accounting of things like dialogue or the Doctor's opening narration, but toggling "upward" through the 5.1 and Atmos options even from that opening will reveal significant opening up of the sound design and regular engagement of the side and rear channels in particular. The Atmos track probably delivers some of its most compelling audio in the effects sequences. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Doctor Who: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K UHD Disc

• UK Version (UHD; 1:29:59)


• US Version (UHD; 1:30:08)


• Audio Commentary (UK Version Only)

Geoffrey Sax (2001)




Paul McGann & Sylvester McCoy (2009)

• Isolated Music Score is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0.


• Audio Description - UK Version Only


• Episode Info Text - UK Version Only

1080 Bonus Disc (Special Features)

• Making Of (HD; 53:54) is a hugely informative piece featuring Segal and others discussing the long gestation, many changes, and finished procut.


• Deleted Scenes (HD; 1:17)


• When Janet Met Sylvester (HD; 40:56) is an enjoyable conversation between Janet Fielding and Sylvester McCoy.


• Geoffrey Sax in Conversation (HD; 1:02:01)


• Memories - Daphne (HD; 20:24) features Daphne Ashbrook.


• Memories - Eric (HD; 20:13) features Eric Roberts.


• Memories - Yee Jee (HD; 20:02) features


• Audition Tape (HD; 7:41)

Doctor Who: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Whovians who are also rabid completists will no doubt be attracted to this release one way or the other, much as they may have been with the McCoy seasons of the original series. For that demographic in particular, while the film itself has its fair share of issues, technical merits are first rate and both of the discs have some really interesting supplementary information. With caveats noted, and for Doctor Who diehards at least, Recommended.