The Talons of Weng-Chiang
 

No. 21 of 185 in the BBC classic series DVDs/Blu-rays series
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Starring: Tom Baker, Louise Jameson, Christopher Benjamin & Trevor Baxter
By:Robert Holmes
Rating:   9.3  (202 votes)  Vote here
Review:  wipes the floor with 80' Who  Read more (6 in total)
Editions:  UK UK (DVD) | Australia Australia (DVD) | US US (standard DVD) | Netherlands Netherlands (DVD) | US US (special DVD)
Description:  DVD release of the 1977 Doctor Who TV story of the same name.

Cover image for The Talons of Weng-Chiang
Edition: UK UK (DVD)
Released:  April 2003
Publisher:  BBC Video
Format: 2 x DVD
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Cover blurb:
Women of Victorian London fall prey to an unknown menace, while monstrous terrors lurk in the sewers under the city. Chinese gangs scurry in the dank fog, and a sinister stage magician seeks to serve his mysterious master. The Doctor and Leela arrive, only to find themselves plunged into a series of macabre horrors...

Special Features

  • Commentary by Louise Jameson (Leela), Philip Hinchcliffe (producer), David Maloney (director), John Bennett (Li H’sen Chang) and Christopher Benjamin (Henry Gordon Jago)
  • Whose Doctor Who A special BBC2 documentary from 1977, presented by Melvyn Bragg
  • Blue Peter Theatre A compilation of clips from 1970s editions of the popular children’s magazine series, including instructions on how to make your own Doctor Who theatre
  • Behind the Scenes a 25-minute selection of (poor quality) footage on the recording of this story
  • Philip Hinchcliffe Interview The producer discusses Doctor Who on a 1977 edition of Pebble Mill
  • Trailers and Continuity Announcements
  • Photo Gallery
  • Production Subtitles
  • TARDIS-Cam No. 6

This story was first broadcast on BBC1 between 26th February - 2nd April 1977.

Cover image for The Talons of Weng-Chiang
Edition: Australia Australia (DVD)
Released:  June 2003
Publisher:  BBC Video
Format: 2 x DVD
Owned:
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Cover blurb:
Same as UK edition.

Cover image for The Talons of Weng-Chiang
Edition: US US (standard DVD)
Released:  October 2003
Publisher:  BBC Video
Format: 2 x DVD
Owned:
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New:  $39.95
Used:  $7.31
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New:  $92.85
Used:  $24.95
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Note:  Contains an additional extra not present on the UK or Australian releases: the introductory narration recorded by actor Howard Da Silva in the 1970s to introduce syndicated versions of Talons in North America.

Cover blurb:
The Doctor brings Leela to Victorian London to meet her ancestors (though Agincourt might have been more to her liking). The TARDIS materializes in the darkest heart of the city, where life — and death — are anything but dull. A hapless cabbie is slain by agents of a secret Chinese cult. Young women are disappearing at an alarming rate, and Li H’sen Chang, the Palace Theatre’s celebrated magician, may know more about that than he admits. Li H’sen’s ventriloquist dummy, Mr. Sin, appears to have a life of its own, and the rat problem in the sewers is bigger than anyone can imagine.

DVD EXTRAS INCLUDE:

  • Commentary by producer Philip Hinchliffe, director David Maloney and actors Louise Jameson, John Bennett and Christopher Benjamin
  • Whose Doctor Who — 59-minute documentary presented by Melvyn Bragg
  • Blue Peter: Make Your Own Doctor Who Theatre
  • Behind the Scenes — 24 minutes of raw footage
  • Philip Hinchcliffe interview (Pebble Mill, 1977)
  • Howard Da Silva Intros/teases
  • Production Note Option
  • Photo Gallery
  • TARDIS-Cam No. 6
  • Trailers and Continuity Announcements

Cover image for The Talons of Weng-Chiang
Edition: Netherlands Netherlands (DVD)
Released:  May 2008
Publisher:  BBC Video
Format: 2 x DVD
Owned:
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Cover blurb:
In Victoriaans Londen vallen vrouwen ten prooi aan een onbekende vijand, terwijl in de riolen onder de stad reusachtige ratten op de loer liggen. Chinese bendes rennen door de klamme mist en een boosaardige goochelaar doet alles om zijn geheimzinnige meester te dienen. Wanneer de Doctor en Leela arriveren, worden ze meegesleept in een anstaanjagende gebeurtenissen...

Extra’s (Engels)

  • Interview met Philip Hinchcliffe In een aflevering van Pebble Mill uit 1977 wordt de producer geïnterviewd over Doctor Who
  • Photo Gallery
  • Tardis-Cam No. 6

Voor het eerst uitgezonden op BBC 1 tussen 26 februari en 2 april 1977.

Cover image for The Talons of Weng-Chiang: Special Edition
Edition: US US (special DVD)
Title:  The Talons of Weng-Chiang: Special Edition
Released:  October 2011
Publisher:  BBC Video
Format: 3 x DVD
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Note:  This is the same special edition (i.e. remastered and with additional extras) that was released in the UK and Australia in 2010 as part of the Revisitations 1 box set.

Cover blurb:
Death stalks the fogbound streets of Victorian London. Young women are going missing. Horribly mutilated bodies are found floating in the Thames. And criminal gangs terrorize the innocent.

At the heart of this tangled web sits the mysterious Li Hsen Chang, sorcerer and hypnotist, and his grotesque sidekick — the all-too-lifelike ventriloquists dummy, Mister Sin.

The Doctor dons deerstalker hat and cape to seek out the sinister force lurking in the shadows of the metropolis. For the talons of Weng-Chiang are reaching out to shred the human race.

DVD EXTRAS INCLUDE:

  • Audio Commentary by actors Louise Jameson (Leela), John Bennett (Chang), Christopher Benjamin (Jago), producer Philip Hinchcliffe and director David Maloney
  • The Last Hurrah Making Of with Tom Baker and Philip Hinchcliffe (32 mins)
  • Moving On What would the next season have looked like if Hinchcliffe had stayed? (4 mins)
  • The Foe from the Future The Unmade story that became The Talons of Weng-Chiang (7 mins)
  • Now & Then Location featurette (11 mins)
  • Look East Archive news feature (4 mins)
  • Victoriana and Chinoiserie The literature behind the story (8 mins)
  • Music Hall A look at a British theater tradition (22 mins)
  • Limehouse — A Victorian Chinatown Putting the story setting in context (19 mins)
  • Photo Gallery (4 mins)
  • PDF materials: Radio Times Listings
  • Production Notes Subtitle Option
  • Digitally remastered picture and sound quality

    Plus extras from 2003 DVD:

  • Whose Doctor Who with Melvyn Bragg (59 mins)
  • Blue Peter: Build a Doctor Who theater (26 mins)
  • Behind the Scenes (24 mins)
  • Philip Hinchcliffe Interview (11 mins)
  • Trailers and Continuity (2 mins)
  • TARDIS-Cam No. 6 (2 mins)

Originally transmitted February 26 - April 2, 1977


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