BBC Video will be releasing some new DVDs in North America come July that includes Torchwood: Children of Earth and Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead. I immediately took note of the fact that nobody mentioned releasing the last Doctor Who Christmas special which was broadcast in England in December 2008, The Next Doctor.

Way back in 1996, the BBC co-produced a Doctor Who television movie with Fox in the United States which starred Paul McGann as the Doctor. Since then, the rights regarding reproduction or broadcast of that movie in North America has been somewhat convoluted at best. In the last Christmas special, a clip of Paul McGann from that TV movie was shown, and I cannot help but wonder if that clip is holding up release of the video.

Of course, it could simply be a case of the BBC waiting until Christmas or any one of a dozen other reasons. But I have a suspicious mind and I cannot help but think that it was a mistake for the BBC to ever co-produce Doctor Who with an American company if it is such a hindrance to the American release of their own DVDs.