Remember those dark days when the idea of a 'Doctor Who' reboot was but a twinkle in Russell T Davies' eye, and the Tardis, the Daleks, even the scarf were but memories from some bygone age (aka the 1980s).
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Well, it turns out some writers, directors and actors took matters into their own hands, used some of the characters to create a spin-off that's been living a secret-ish existence ever since, but only on VHS. Now, with the renaissance of the franchise, and a million more fans clamouring for anything they can get their hands on, 'Downtime', written by regular 'Doctor Who' writer Marc Platt, has finally made its way to DVD... and we have a special clip.
That's the good news. The bad news is that the show, on viewing, is... errr... how can we put this?... 'of its time', ie somewhat dated in a way only the very best of the worst of 1990s television can be. Which could make it so bad it's good, or just... oh well, YOU DECIDE! Either way, it's full of treasured characters from the Doctor Who universe, and a must-see for real fans of the Time Lord.
In this unofficial sequel to 'Doctor Who' adventures 'The Abominable Snowmen' and 'The Web of Fear', we follow The Brigadier (Nicholas Courtney - Doctor Who) and Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen - Doctor Who, The Sarah Jane Adventures) of UNIT who investigate New World University; a sinister school run by old enemies Victoria Waterfield and Professor Travers.
The technology-obsessed University holds a gateway to Earth made by classic foe the 'Great Intelligence'. Fighting alone this time - without their famous time-travelling scientific advisor - The Brigadier and Sarah Jane are hard pressed to decide who is friend or foe as they search for a missing Locus, which binds the Intelligence's power. The battle is broadened when the Brigadier's own family is threatened and UNIT faces a powerful new breed of Yeti.
Koch Media Presents Downtime on DVD from 16th November 2015