New Beginnings

Review: regeneration DVD boxset.
New Beginnings is a boxset of classic series stories that reintroduces the Master, and sees Tom Baker's long-running Doctor regenerate into Peter Davison.
The DVD extras form a tribute to Tom Baker and also to the late Anthony Ainley, who played the new version of the Master.
Surprisingly, Ainley still manages to contribute a commentary to one of the stories. Recorded before his death in 2004, it's an eerie listen, but, for a character that had a surprising knack for resurrection, perhaps that's only fitting.
The stories themselves are a worthy - if wordy - bunch. Under Producer John Nathan-Turner, it was certainly a high-concept and high-gloss period for the show. The sets and costumes are often astonishing - from the Art Nouveau grandeur of the court of Traken through to the brain-like districts of Logopolis and on to the dimension-scrambling 'simplicity' of Castrovalva.
The cast rise to the challenge of seeing out the old and embracing the new. Tom Baker has toned down his boggle-eyed madness to a funereal grimness by now - probably because nobody put up much of a fight to keep him when he announced he was quitting - whilst Peter Davison mixes fragililty with bemusement as his Doctor unravels both mentally and physically.
Ainley is at his darkest and genocidal best here, with new companion Janet Fielding's ferocious and feisty Tegan making a big impact too. Sarah Sutton's more conventional new companion Nyssa slips into the show rather quietly by comparison. But points to her for being cast as a regular purely on the strength of her guest role.
And then there's Adric. Anyway, moving on...
The impressive features range from chats with Peter Davison, the writers and directors, a piece on the increasingly overcrowded TARDIS and a magnificent examination of Tom's final months on the show. It's particularly lovely to see Tom really opening up for a change, as he often makes light of his contribution to Doctor Who when performing for the cameras.
You also get a clutch of cast appearances on shows of the time and, for music fans, the scores for each story on isolated audio tracks.
An eagerly awaited release that's hard to fault on any level.

Watch a clip from The Keeper of Traken.
Watch a clip from Logopolis.
Watch a clip with commentary from Castrovalva.
Watch a clip from the A New Body At Last documentary.