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2 entertain (more formally, the 2 entertain Group) is a leading British video and music producer and distributor. It is the parent of 2 entertain Video, which in turn was created by the merger of VCI Video and BBC Video. As part of the terms of the merger, BBC Worldwide retained a controlling stake in 2 entertain Video, and BBC Video nominally retained a corporate identity as a division within 2 entertain Video. Since 2004, 2 entertain Video have released Doctor Who, Torchwood, K-9 and Company, and The Sarah Jane Adventures DVDs worldwide. These DVDs have been supplemented by original documentaries commissioned and produced by the larger 2 entertain Group.
Overview
(Deeper explanation of the lead)
BBC Video
BBC Video, a division of BBC Enterprises (rebranded BBC Worldwide in 1997), was tasked with releasing Doctor Who onto home video cassette. Fans attending the 1983 Longleat convention were polled to determine the first title to be released. The Tomb of the Cybermen topped the poll but, as that story would not be recovered till 1992 and was thus missing at that point, BBC Video elected to release another Cybermen adventure instead. The choice was Revenge of the Cybermen and was released towards the end of the same year.
While The Five Doctors had an artwork cover, the releases up to and including 1989 were primarily photographic in nature. During the eighties the stories released were also edited into a movie-length format (with other occasional cuts), something that prompted complaints from fans. Until the late nineties the early William Hartnell stories would also be edited to remove the 'Next Episode' captions that led into the next story, and Carnival of Monsters was accidentally released with the 1981 edit instead of the unedited 1973 version and the episodic version of Death to the Daleks released in 1995 contained edits.
The releases would come to an eventual end twenty years later in 2003, by which time the series' release to DVD had been underway for four years.
BBC DVD
"BBC DVD"' has been the brand identity seen on BBC Video DVDs released in Region 2 since the 2004 creation of 2 entertain. The first DVD to receive this branding was The Visitation. Prior to this release, the BBC's Region 2 DVDs went out under a simple BBC logo. The mark has never been used on Region 1 or Region 4 DVDs.
Production
Restoration
(explanation of how they're continuing BBC Video's relationship with the Restoration Team)
New material
(explanation of their role in commissioning and producing new material for DVD releases)
Releases
VHS
- See main article: List of BBC VHS releases
DVD
- See main article: List of BBC DVD releases