Doctor Who news: The Power of the Daleks to get updated animated release on DVD and Blu-Ray

Patrick Troughton’s first-ever Doctor Who story The Power of the Daleks is getting a second release on DVD and Blu-Ray in July!

Well, this is news that no one was expecting. After the release of The Faceless Ones, but probably before Fury from the Deep, Classic Series fans can look forward to another Doctor Who animated release. Except that this is a story that’s been given the animated treatment already.

Back in 2016, The Power of the Daleks was released on DVD and Blu-Ray. The animation wasn’t exactly perfect, but it was honestly still a joy to see it in a fresh visual way. The Daleks, in particular, worked really well.

However, while plenty of missing episodes have yet to be animated, that’s not stopping the BBC from releasing another animated version of the story. Doctor Who: The Power of the Daleks – Special Edition will be released on Blu-Ray Jul 6 in the UK, featuring updated animation and brand new special features.

The new release of The Power of the Daleks will feature updated animation and new special features. But will it be worth the double-dip for fans who have the story already?

Image Courtesy BBC Studios, BritBox

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Worth the update?

This isn’t just a surprising move from the BBC. Honestly, it’s a bit of a bold and risky one, too. We’ve seen some stories given a second release on DVD before. But those were mainly for stories that had either been rushed to DVD (as had been the case with The Enemy of the World, which had been found months before its DVD release), or it had been released extremely early in the DVD range.

However, The Power of the Daleks was previously released just a few years ago, and it had been given quite a few special features then. So it’s really surprising that the BBC is asking fans to double-dip so relatively soon after. No clips of the updated animation have been released yet, so we’re honestly not sure if it’ll be even worth it.

Having said that, the surprisingly large amount of new extras might just make the new edition an essential purchase for fans. Along with featuring two brand new documentaries on the story, it also features a great deal of archive material, including an episode of Robin Hood from 1953 starring Patrick Troughton; 1992 documentary Daleks – The Early Years; raw incidental music and much more. The new edition even includes special features from the previous release, so those who’ve yet to purchase the story won’t have to worry about which version to choose. That is if the animation is as great as they promise.

Doctor Who: The Power of the Daleks: Special Edition will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray in the UK on Jul 6 2020. So far, there’s no word on a North American release.

Are you a fan of The Power of the Daleks? Do you think it’s worth getting a second release on DVD and Blu-Ray? Let us know in the comments below.