Who is Doctor Who? He’s not the father of the ball player Abbott and Costello banter on about, that’s for certain. Time traveler, alien, scientist, hero, comedian, hopeless romantic – all would be correct and yet you’d still be missing a huge chunk of it. One of the most popular television science fiction franchises of all time, Doctor Who certainly has a history. The DVD collection Doctor Who: The Complete Specials is largely an accumulation of the show’s reboot, which ran for four seasons. The show will still continue but with a new actor in the titular role (nothing new) and a new executive producer.
In essence, this collection makes up a sort of mini-season of the show. Originally airing between Christmas, 2008 and Christmas, 2009, they certainly were space apart considering there are only four stories in five episodes. What the reasoning for this was as opposed to airing them together as a season, I’m not sure. But it certainly is a way to build up each show as a special event. Shows included in the set are “The Next Doctor,” “Planet of the Dead,” “The Waters of Mars,” and the two-part “The End of Time,” which marks the exit of David Tennant as the iconic Doctor.
For those not familiar with the sci-fi series, which aired for the first time the day after John F. Kennedy was assassinated, it revolves around the mysterious man simply known as The Doctor. He’s part of an alien race called the Time Lords, who can travel across the universe and in and out of time. He’s an adventurer, scientist, peace keeper, warrior and hero, depending on what the situation requires. The Doctor’s method of transportation: the TARDIS, a British police box that is pretty blatantly the inspiration for the phone booth from Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.
The show’s original run lasted until 1989, where the franchise went into something of a standstill. It was given the reboot treatment in 2005 under the watch of Davis and has once again become one of the most recognizable sci-fi brands in the world.
I haven’t caught the fourth season of the Doctor Who reboot, the one that preceded these specials, so I think a little bit was lost, but not much. The first episodes in this set were largely stand alone shows with self-contained stories. However, as the series reached a close, there were lots of obvious references, some that went over my head. But I was still able to make my way through them all just fine. That’s what good writing is about. Would I have gotten more if I were more familiar with the show’s legacy? Sure, but I’d hope that for a show that’s been around for more than four decades. It should reward those who have been with it more than my casual viewing habits that haven’t yet covered all of the re-launch.
Doctor Who is filled with a creative spirit that takes strong ideas and blends comedy, action and commentary oh so seamlessly. One shouldn’t ignore the wonderful effects and creature creations either. Doctor Who is science fiction at its best. And this collection is once again a testament to this fact.
Doctor Who: The Complete Specials DVD Review
At first glance, it seems a little silly to make a collection of five one-hour shows spread over five discs. However, Doctor Who: The Complete Specials is an instance where the bonus content is more plentiful than the main attraction. Each special is shown in a gorgeous enhanced widescreen format. Audio is in English 5.2 Dolby Digital Surround with optional English subtitles. As far as bonus features go, each special is accompanied by its own “Doctor Who Confidential.” Other extras include deleted scenes with an intro from Russell T. Davies, the musical concert “Dr. Who at the Proms,” David Tennant’s video diaries, BBC’s Dr. Who-themed Christmas idents promoting the station and the show’s lively panels at the San Diego Comic Con. Finally, both parts of The End of Time include audio commentaries by Tennant and Euros Lyn. Catherine Tate joins them for the first part while John Simm is on Part Two.
Doctor Who: The Complete Specials Gallery
