Doctor Who writer explains how new revamp of “unloved” Peter Davison story will address “failings” of original version

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The premise of ‘Warriors of the Deep’ – the Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison) battling both the Silurians and Sea Devils inside a military base while a nuclear war threatens – seemed like a recipe for a great Doctor Who story. However, despite its potential, the 1984 serial is often considered one of the show’s less successful adventures.

However, things might be changing soon. A new version of the story is included in the Doctor Who: The Collection: Season 21 Blu-ray set, and it aims to fix problems that occurred during its original production 42 years ago, potentially improving its reputation.

During a discussion at BFI Southbank, Pete McTighe, a writer for Doctor Who and its spin-off, The War Between the Land and the Sea, and the person who led the recent update of this story, described “Warriors of the Deep” as a largely forgotten adventure. He felt it deserved a second look, believing a strong story was hidden within the original version and waiting to be uncovered.

I think many of the problems with it stemmed from the intense pressure the studio put on them to simply complete the project.

The initial idea for the special edition was to update the visual effects of Myrka, a monster from Doctor Who that hadn’t aged well. However, the project quickly grew to include reshoots and a complete overhaul of the original footage.

The update involved three main improvements: swapping out the Myrka, streamlining the editing for a faster pace, and enhancing the action scenes. The original version remains on the disc for fans who prefer it, but now there’s a new viewing option that offers a significantly different experience.

McTighe shared that he and VFX supervisor Chris Thompson had extensive discussions about the updated Myrka design, and the reason behind it might surprise you…

Chris’s early work was surprisingly strong,” McTighe explained. “I was worried it would feel too over-the-top – like something from Jurassic Park appearing in Doctor Who. I wanted it to seem realistic, as if it could have been built and used on set during the original series.

The new Blu-ray release of Doctor Who: Season 21 includes lots of extra features. Several episodes have been updated with improved special effects, including ‘The Awakening’, ‘Frontios’, ‘Resurrection of the Daleks’, and ‘The Caves of Androzani’.

This release also includes bonus content like making-of documentaries for ‘Resurrection of the Daleks’ and ‘The Twin Dilemma’, a brand new audio commentary for ‘The Awakening’, and a special discussion featuring Janet Fielding, Mark Strickson, and Matthew Waterhouse, led by Matthew Sweet.

I’m so excited for the return of some classic features like Behind the Sofa, and there’s even a brand new Doctor Who Escape Room! They’re also bringing back some fun stuff with Peter Davison and Janet Fielding – a look at their boating trip and a special featuring Janet. Plus, they’ve updated ‘Tales of the TARDIS’ with footage from ‘Earthshock’, and there’s a new version of ‘The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot’ with fresh commentary. On top of all that, they’re including HD galleries, extra information, PDF archives, and some select extras from older DVDs. There’s so much to look forward to!

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The Doctor Who: The Collection: Season 21 Blu-ray set will be released on March 16, 2026, and you can pre-order it today.

I’m so excited to tell you about Doctor Who! You absolutely have to add it to your watchlist on the TopMob: What to Watch app. Seriously, download it now – it gives you daily TV recommendations, cool features, and so much more. You won’t regret it!

Authors

Morgan JefferyDigital Editor

Morgan Jeffery leads the editorial content for TopMob across all its digital platforms as the Digital Editor. Before this, he worked as TV Editor at Digital Spy and has appeared as a television expert on programs like BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio 5 Live, and Sky Atlantic.

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2026-03-12 22:37