Blu-ray (+DVD) Review - Doctor Who: The Complete Specials

Star Trek fans step aside – The Doctor has arrived. David Tennant is back as Doctor Who in Tennant and Russell T Davies’, the man behind the rebirth of the modern Doctor Who, farewell to the BBC series. In 2009, BBC released four stellar specials to commemorate the final days of Tennant’s reign as the Doctor. “Dr. Who: The Complete Specials,” on Blu-ray and DVD, includes these final epic episodes: “The Next Doctor,” “The Planet of the Dead,” “The Waters of Mars,” and “The End of Time, Parts One & Two.” The final two-part episode features the eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith. The specials brought back Who favorites, like Billie Piper and Freema Agyeman, and showcased several guest stars including Michelle Ryan (Bionic Woman), David Morrissey (State of Play, Sense and Sensibility), Lindsay Duncan (Alice in Wonderland (2010), Rome, Under the Tuscan Sun), Timothy Dalton (James Bond) and John Simm (Life on Mars).

What makes this collection and the series so amazing is that you don’t need to be a die-hard Who fan to enjoy them. You actually don’t need to be familiar with Doctor Who or his mythos at all. “The Next Doctor” serves as an introduction to Who for the uninitiated, that just happens to include myself. I’ve heard of Doctor Who my entire life, but it wasn’t until the specials that I finally had the opportunity to watch the show. Now, I can’t believe I squandered so many years missing out on this sci-fi phenomena. In “The Next Doctor,” The Doctor meets another Doctor in an adventure to save Christmas 1851 from Cybermen. The story is a fun-filled action-packed adventure that also serves as a primer on exactly who The Doctor is.

In the second special, “The Planet of the Dead,” The Doctor is joined by Lady Christina on a London bus ride to another planet. This story helps to show new viewers the full scope of The Doctor’s legacy. A special government task force joins him in an adventure to repair a rift in time. In your typical government task force story, the task force would be at odds with someone like The Doctor. In Doctor Who, the leaders of this force stand at attention and salute at the mere mention of The Doctor’s name. The episode closes with the final prophecy of The Doctor’s imminent death.

“The Waters of Mars” exposes viewers to the full scope of The Doctor’s powers as the last Time Lord. “There are laws of time. Once upon a time there were people in charge of those laws, but they died. They all died. Do you know who that leaves? Me!” The Doctor comes face-to-face with a woman whose inevitable death would galvanize the human race to reach beyond the stars. This episode is one of the strongest episodes in the set. It shows The Doctor’s limitations and also gives a glimpse into his own humanity. The last twenty-minutes of this episode is simply epic.

“The End of Time, Parts One & Two” is David Tennant’s final episode. In this two-part special, David must face his own death and fight a ghost from his past – The Master. But a greater threat is looming over the horizon, the end of Time itself. This was an awe-inspiring farewell to Tennant. Even though I only recently became a fan of the series, I can’t help but feel as though I’ve been a fan of his work for ages. This set and its inevitable conclusion is just that good.

The Blu-ray and DVD releases are filled with over 7 hours of bonus material. The “Doctor Who Confidential” accompanies each of the four specials. This is a behind-the-scenes look at the episode scene-by-scene. “Doctor Who at the Proms 2008” is a live musical tribute to Dr. Who hosted by Freema Agyeman. David Tennant also recorded a video diary throughout the final four episodes, starting with his move back to his old apartment. The “Doctor Who at Comic-Con” featurette shows the Doctor Who panel of 2009, as well as a few off-the-panel interviews and discussions with Tennant and Executive Producer Russell T Davies.

For the Blu-ray release, “The Doctor Who Confidentials,” “Deleted Scenes” and “Doctor Who at Comic-Con” special features are in High Definition. “The Next Doctor” feature and Confidential have been upconverted from Standard Definition. All High Definition extras are in Stereo Audio except “The End of Time,” Parts One & Two Confidentials (DTS HD). “David Tennent’s Video Diary,” the “Doctor Who BBC Christmas Idents,” and the “Doctor Who at the Proms” bonus features are in standard definition.

“Dr. Who: The Complete Specials” is an unparalleled collection. The box set is a great jumping on point for fans who are new to Who as well as an instant collector’s item for lifelong Who fans. This release is packed with special features and is worth every penny. After you finish watching the collection, you’ll wish you had your own Police Box to travel through time in.

Farewell Doctor, we salute you!

Over 7 Hours of Special Features:
- Doctor Who Confidential
- Doctor Who at the Proms
- Deleted Scenes with Introduction from Russell T Davies
- David Tennant Video Diaries – The Final Days
- Doctor Who BBC Christmas Idents
- Audio Commentaries
- Doctor Who at Comic-Con