If you’re like me, you probably try to avoid double-dipping with DVD and Blu-ray releases. Especially with something like recent Doctor Who, you can be pretty certain that if it gets released by itself, it’ll later show up in a box set. (Case in point, the 2009 specials.)

According to a recent report by the TV Shows on DVD news site, however, this might not be the case with next week’s release of A Christmas Carol. The DVD/Blu-ray release is to include as added features the Doctor Who Confidential on the making of the show, plus last summer’s Doctor Who at the Proms concert, which was hosted by the trio of Smith-Gillan-Darvill and featured a live performance by Matt Smith as the Doctor in a special skit. According to TV Shows on DVD, a BBC America spokesperson says “not all” of the special features will be included on the eventual Season 6 box set. So there’s a 50-50 chance either the concert or the Confidential will remain exclusive to this separate release (unless 2 Entertain changes its mind, of course!).

My money’s on the concert being dropped, especially if they decide to release the two halves of Series 6 separately. So if you’re like me and enjoy the extras, it might be time to brace for a double-dip. Luckily it doesn’t appear as if A Christmas Carol will be overpriced the way Dreamland was. Amazon Canada lists the DVD at $18.74 and the Blu-ray actually a little cheaper for once at $17.49. Both are due for release on Feb. 15. Nothing like a little Christmas to brighten up your Valentine’s Day hangover!

Meanwhile, Hirst Publishing, a UK publisher, has announced that Michael Troughton is writing a biography of his dad, Patrick Troughton for release later in the year. When I went to check Hirst’s website for more about this, I learned that sometime early this year (the site says it was actually out in January but I don’t know if it’s actually available yet as pre-orders apparently help fund these books), Colin Baker is publishing his first collection of short stories, Gallimaufry. That in itself is cool enough. But according to the promotional material on the website, the book contains three Sixth Doctor short stories by Baker. This isn’t the first time Baker has written short fiction about his Doctor - he contributed to Short Trips and some charity publications, and he also wrote the comic book series The Age of Chaos back in the 1990s. This is the first time we’ve seen any “past Doctor” fiction published in print since Big Finish ended its Short Trips books in 2009 (later to revive the line as an audio series).

Check out Hirst’s webpage here for details on both books, as well as a number of other Who-related releases, including autobiographies by Anneke Wills (Polly), Matthew Waterhouse (Adric) and Daphne Ashbrook (Grace), as well as collections of newspaper columns by Baker. (Update Feb. 14) Apparently (according to some references seen via Google), Hirst may also be publishing a biography of Anthony Ainley soon, too, but I can’t find a listing on Hirst’s website.