Lost, Found, and Restored - TOMB OF THE CYBERMEN: SPECIAL EDITION

Tomb of the Cybermen is, without a doubt, one of the stronger stories from the 1960s. It's a shame that it was lost for so long...but now, it's just ripe for rediscovery.

I wrote those words nearly four years ago, and quite honestly, had forgotten that I had written them; Tomb of the Cybermen was the Holy Grail for me as a teenaged Doctor Who fan; lost throughout the 1980s, found in 1992 in Hong Kong, a story that was proclaimed a "lost masterpiece", and when found, truly lived up to its reputation. The DVD version was a straightforward restoration of the film copy; the vidFire video restoration process was unproven (in fact, an Easter Egg of vidFire-restored footage was included on Tomb),

Now, with the release of Tomb of the Cybermen - Special Edition on DVD (part of the latest UK Revisitations boxed set), we actually get a chance to see it in much better quality than when it was originally presented.

From a purely visual standpoint, the video looks extremely crisp - so much so that, like the previous DVD version, some of the more primitive means of television special effects are highly visible. You also don't get the Tombwatch documentary on the Special Edition (meaning: save your original Tomb DVD for completeness' sake)....but besides the restored episode, you get some really good extras, including the obligatory making-of, an overview of the Cybermen throughout Doctor Who history, and a 12 minutes on how Tomb of the Cybermen eerily reflects trends in Egyptology.

Oh, and you get another commentary as well.

I love this story, warts and all. This is one that's worth owning, and putting beside the original release of Tomb. BBC Video has done a really good job in revisiting some of its past titles. Tomb of the Cybermen - Special Edition is one of the best.

Buy it. Now.

Tomb of the Cybermen - Special Edition: Click here to purchase!