DVD Reviews

Doctor Who: The Complete Specials - DVD Review

By Jeff Swindoll Jan 28, 2010, 16:50 GMT

This stunning collection of Doctor Who specials--The Next Doctor, Planet of the Dead, The Waters of Mars and The End of Time, Part One & Two--is a must own for all Doctor Who fans. The four imaginative, action-packed specials are the farewell to star David Tennant, and Russell T Davies, the mastermind behind the rebirth of the modern Doctor Who. The specials culminate in the dramatic regeneration of the Doctor, ...more

Doctor Who is the long running British sci-fi series.  It ran originally from 1963-1989 and was then unceremoniously cancelled.  Thanks to the efforts of producer Russell T. Davies the show rose from the ashes of the great hiatus like a phoenix in 2005.  The show has become a flagship show for the BBC.

In a genius move for a sci-fi (or is that syfy?) show, when the original actor decided to leave the role the concept of regenerating was applied and this has allowed eleven actors to step into the starring role, the most current being David Tennant. 

He’s proved to be a popular Doctor and it was with much sadness that it was announced that he’d be stepping down from the role in a series of specials.  
Allons-y.  It’s time to bid David Tennant’s Doctor a tearful farewell and welcome Matt Smith as Eleven.  I will admit a slight disappointment that Tennant wasn’t around for a full last season but instead starred in five extended specials.  

The Next Doctor: Christmas 1851, and Cybermen stalk Victorian London. The Doctor (David Tennant) discovers a spate of mysterious deaths, and he’s surprised to meet another Doctor (David Morrissey)! Are two Doctors enough to stop the rise of the CyberKing?

Planet of the Dead: When a London bus takes a detour to an alien world; the Doctor must join forces with the extraordinary Lady Christina (Michelle Ryan). But the mysterious planet holds terrifying secrets and time is running out as the deadly Swarm gets closer.

The Waters of Mars: Mars, 2059. Bowie Base One, commanded by Adelaide Brooke (Lindsay Duncan). Last recorded message: “Don’t drink the water. Don’t even touch it. Not one drop.”

The End of Time, Part One: Christmas Eve, and the Doctor is reunited with Wilf (Bernard Cribbins) and from afar Donna (Catherine Tate), to face the return of an old enemy – The Master (John Simm).  Meanwhile a mysterious voice (Timothy Dalton) is echoing through the corridors of time.  

The End of Time, Part Two: The Doctor faces the end of his life, as the Master’s victory unleashes the greatest terror of all.  

Ah David Tennant, it seems we hardly knew ye.  Christopher Eccleston only gave the role a year, by plan we were later to learn, before the Doctor adopted the face of David Tennant.  I was unsure since a lip licking, loopy performance in a Harry Potter movie made me nervous. 

Tennant would wear the Doctor’s trainers, spiffy brown suit, and long coat for five years before leaving the TARDIS and I’ve grown to love him… platonically of course.  He’s not made me give up my “Pertwee” badge but he may have come close (I tend to adopt a Brig attitude – The Doctor, wonderful chaps all of them).  I don’t think that as many tears have been shed over a regeneration since Tom Baker gave up the scarf after a seven year run. 

Unfortunately Tennant would decide to give up the ghost not with a full series of episodes but with a series of five double-length specials.  I might’ve preferred a series as our goodbye would’ve been a bit longer, but the specials have been uniformly excellent (though waiting time between them was excruciating!). 

Tennant gets two fun adventures in The Next Doctor and Planet of the Dead before the wind down begins.  The Next Doctor has a grand turn by David Morrissey and Planet of the Dead is goofy fun.  Waters of Mars is suspenseful and explores a change in the Doctor’s attitude that is not to his advantage.  Water waits and time will not allow too many changes. 

The End of Time features a maniacal John Simm, a delicious Shakespearian Timothy Dalton going delightfully over-the-top (check out the copious amounts of saliva that flies out during his speeches!), and Bernard Cribbins can do no wrong.  When the Doctor comes to his end a tear is shed, it’s with infinite sadness, and not without irony (Tennant’s final line – you could’ve done something about that David). 

We also get a small preview of Matt Smith and so far I’m excited (Chin? Blimey!), this concerns me as I’ve been unsure about Eccleston and Tennant at first before warming to them.  Mr. Tennant has certainly reinvigorated the series and he will be missed.  I imagine that Matt Smith will continue that (I can’t help but be excited by him as he’s wearing something akin to Pat Troughton and if the next Doctor adopts a Pertwee smoking jacket I’ll squeal with delight – wink, wink). 

I will miss Ten, but these specials send him off with a bang and a heart retching finale.  In other words, what quality television is made of.  

The Next Doctor (disc one) features the 55 minute Doctor Who Confidential on the story and the 59 minute Doctor Who at the Proms concert (fantastic!).  Planet of the Dead (disc two) features the 57 minute Doctor Who Confidential.  The Water of Mars (disc three) features the 58 minute Doctor Who Confidential. 

The End of Time, Part One (disc four) has the 57 minute Doctor Who Confidential, 40 minutes of David Tennant’s Video Diaries – The Final Days, 1 minute of BBC Christmas Idents (commercials), and a commentary with Tennant, Catherine Tate, and director Euros Lyn. 

The End of Time, Part Two (disc five) features the 57 minute Doctor Who Confidential, 21 minutes of Doctor Who at Comic-Con in 2009, 17 minutes of deleted scenes, with an introduction by Russell T. Davies, and a commentary with Tennant, Lyn, and John Simm.  There’s also an episode guide that has a foreword by Tennant.  

David Tennant has grown into the role of the Doctor, but all things must come to an end.  He’s given a hero’s send off in this series of specials, but the future is bright for the show.  I still find it ironic that the series the BBC gave the axe has now grown into their flagship series, but they’ve pulled out all the stops in both winding down Tennant’s era and in this DVD release.  

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