Doctor Who: The Complete Specials [Blu-ray] [Region Free]

After the tragic events at the end of series 4, the tenth Doctor chooses to travel alone and over the course of his final year in the role this equates to 5 longer than usual "special" episodes for David Tennant leading up to the very impressive arrival of Matt Smith at the end of THE END OF TIME PART TWO on 1 1 10 (which might be significant to any numerologists out there...).

First up is the 2008 Christmas special THE NEXT DOCTOR in which the whole idea that this Doctor might not be forever is addressed. David Morrissey guest stars when the Doctor meets a figure not unlike himself having adventures during a Victorian Christmastime and a comic tragedy unfolds that mixes Dickensian imagery with Cyberpunk as the Cybermen return with the help of Dervla Kirwan in a plot involving the kidnapping of street urchins to help create their Cyberking where only the Doctor(s) and a very different type of TARDIS can save the day.

By Easter, the Doctor has taken to riding buses around London, but even a simple bus journey can't be uneventful as before you know it he's been transported to THE PLANET OF THE DEAD with only Michelle Ryan's cat-burglar and a busload of passengers (as well as Lee Evans and UNIT) to help get him home. The stakes are high as a race of planet-eating flying manta rays are getting ever closer...

The darkest, scariest moment happens fifty years in the future when THE WATERS OF MARS are threatening to overrun Lindsay Duncan and her crew on Bowie Base One. The fact that they're all already doomed adds a dark edge to the story, but when the Doctor himself decides that he won't put up with that any more things take an even darker turn.

Back to Earth at Christmas again (via the planet of the Ood) for this Doctor's final battle. THE END OF TIME PART ONE is a curiously dark piece for Christmas Day when John Simm's Master is resurrected and attempts to hijack the Immortality Gate project with dire consequences for the whole of mankind. Bernard Cribbins, Catherine Tate and (briefly) June Whitfield are all that the Doctor can rely on as an even scarier menace than the Master - headed up by Timothy Dalton! - plans its own resurrection.

THE END OF TIME PART TWO follows on quite naturally, and the universe must be saved (again) but only at great personal cost to the Doctor. It's no secret that the events of this epic story lead to the end of the line for this particular version of the Doctor, but it's a terrific ride and makes for a rather spectacular sendoff. Bernard Cribbins makes one amazing octogenerian action hero, and John Simm & Timothy Dalton are impressive foes, but the episode really, truthfully belongs to David Tennant.

Quite right too.

With his regeneration fast approaching he does (rather self-indulgently you might think) get to revisit all his best friends, but, you know I think he deserves that at the end of four truly amazing years.

Full length episodes of DOCTOR WHO CONFIDENTIAL are included for each episode, as well as the Doctor Who proms, a selection of deleted scenes and there's a slew of extras for the final episodes including David Tennant's video diaries, a Comic-Con appearance, and the BBC Christmas idents that were so very popular at the time. There are also main cast (David Tennant and Catherine Tate/ David Tennant and John Simm) and director (Euros Lyn) commentaries on the last two episodes which are a lot of fun, there's a rather nice accompanying booklet with a lovely little piece written by David Tennant himself to top off a rather nicely put together set.

Once upon a time, I was NOT a Doctor Who fan. In the old days of Who, I avoided it like the plague. I hated the effects, the writing, the acting blah-blah-blah. And it took Russell T Davies and his vision of a new Doctor Who to make me interested. Then Christopher Eccleston regenerated into David Tennant...and the rest was history.

In my opinion, the quality of the stories really took off when Tennant came on board and had peaked at Series 4 (which remains my favourite series of Doctor Who bar none). And then after an amazing five year run, after so many painful departures...the man himself David Tennant declared that he was finally leaving.

It shocked me to the core, along with everyone else. For me (and millions more), he was MY Doctor. He made me a fan, and the fact that Russell T Davies was also calling it a day was heartbreaking.

So this boxset, containing the final five specials of the Davies era, marks the end of a truly wonderful era. Taking place after the monumentally superb Series 4, the premise here is the Tenth Doctor (after vanquishing greatest enemies Davros and the Daleks and saying goodbye to his best friend Donna Noble) is once again on his own. After losing so much, the Doctor decides its best to remain on his own and not to endanger anyone else and risk his heart being broken again.

These five specials (spanning from Christmas 2008 to New Year's Day 2010) feature David Tennant and a delightful all-star guest cast. Here he has a different companion for the duration of each adventure, resulting in some terrific, classic episodes, all running for an hour except the BIG FINALE, which runs for a stonking seventy-five minutes. Overall, it's most befitting for David's last run, and as the end draws nearer, his performances excel to the point where he reaches the height of his greatness, going out in a true blaze of glory that honours his Doctor and everything he's given us.

The fact that the man's regeneration was inevitable and obvious is immediately touched upon right from the word `go' with "The Next Doctor", which sees No. 10 confront his first omen of what lies ahead. The realisation that one day, he himself will have to go. Even though things don't turn out to be as they seem at first glance, it's nevertheless a premonition that sets the scene nicely for this final story arc.

All the specials are made so because of Davies (who wrote three of the specials himself and co-wrote two of them with Gareth Roberts and Phil Ford), the re-emergence of the Cybermen, terrifying new creatures, the final darkest days of the Time War and of course, the excellent assortment of guest stars on hand. You can expect nothing but first-class performances from the likes of David Morrissey, Michelle Ryan, Lindsey Duncan, and Timothy Dalton (SERIOUSLY!). They're all given wonderfully three-dimensional characters to act out, share plenty of the spotlight with David and help to make the specials essential viewing with their presence. And of course, it's great to see the return of old favourites like Bernard Cribbins (Wilfred Mott), Catherine Tate (Donna Noble) and the godlike John Simm reprising his role as the Master.

The 2008 Christmas Special "The Next Doctor" is helped because of the refreshing change of festive scenery (Victorian London). David Morrissey's `Next Doctor' and the tragic mystery surrounding him drives the episode, as does the fascinating development of the Cybermen and Dervla Kirwan simply steals every scene she's in as the charismatic rogue Miss Hartigan. Until "The End Of Time", I found this to be the best Christmas Special ever done, due to the drama, great humour, excitement and heart to be found. It's certainly still got that after repeat viewing.

The 2009 Easter Special "Planet of the Dead" is another hugely enjoyable romp of an episode with Michelle Ryan's Lady Christina being a perfect match for the Tenth Doctor. Her experience as the Bionic Woman does the character justice, making her sharp, charismatic, sexy and witty. Michelle's chemistry with David is a treat to behold, and Lee Evans will truly have you in hysterics. "Planet of the Dead" really is so much fun to watch, but after this, fun time is over. Watch the ending to see what I mean.

To me, it`s "The Waters of Mars" November 2009 Special that is the true highlight of boxset. Davies really changes gears with this episode and his writing and produces what is truly one of the darkest, most terrifying and most psychological stories ever in Who. It touches upon so many adult themes, all of which are executed brilliantly. Lindsey Duncan as Captain Adelaide Brooke comes across as the Tenth Doctor's most strong-willed companion ever with her portrayal and the consequences of what happens here changes everything forever, tarnishing the Doctor and making us all realise just how much he needs a companion. "The Waters of Mars" is a true classic and one that should be watched more than any other episode here.

Finally, "The End of Time" two-part finale can be labelled epic, thanks to everything coming full circle with regards to the haunting prophecy, the Master's return, Wilfred (Bernard Cribbins) proving himself to be the ideal companion for the Tenth Doctor's last hurrah and of course all loose ends regarding the Time War, other sub-plots and David going out with redemption and as a true hero. Seeing the Doctor saying goodbye to all his loved ones and deliver his very last line will reduce you to tears and simply cannot be missed.

For extras, you can expect fantastic Confidential pieces, deleted scenes, audio commentaries for "The End of Time", David's Video Diaries of his final days, the Christmas Idents and the wonderful Doctor Who: At The Proms concert special. All of which help round up things in a very nice bow indeed.

Russell, David, everyone...THANK YOU. For everything.

Buy now.

I've watched a lot of Doctor Who - "my" Doctor was William Hartnell and I started watching the series just after the first story. I've watched a lot...
Where does it say that EVERY story must be tense, exciting, original and scary? Just check out the original series for some wonderful clunkers! These specials should be taken for what they are: Popular family-oriented science fiction adventure. It's designed to appeal to the masses - it wouldn't be Doctor Who if it didn't - so why read more into it than that? OK some of the plots are wafer thin and some of the designs are ludicrous - what were they thinking of when they brought us the Cybershades? - but the whole is greater than the parts and the series marches on.
How would I rate these specials if pressed in a convention bar? Well, "The Next Doctor" was a bit of a disappointment as I just don't like huge robots, especially Cyberman ones! "Planet of the Dead" was better, despite the flying bus, "Waters of Mars" was actually quite good, but what happened to the Doctor towards the end? He's never gone quite so far out before, possibly the nearest the character has ever come to this was in the Tom Baker scene from "Genesis of the Daleks", where the Doctor debates the moral rights of the Daleks to exist at all. The final two-parter veered between daft and magnificent. If a casual viewer had tuned in for these, they would be left dazzled and mystified in turn. The Master Race? Too silly! The ACTUAL knocking four times - too brilliant for words! After saving the human race, the Doctor gives his life to save one old man? Fantastic! But would he have done this if he did not know the prophecy of his death? Probably! Some continuity strangeness was evident - unless old Rassilon has messed with time to live on - but overall a good way for David Tennant to bow out. I will watch these again and probably enjoy them more each time. Nostalgia grows like that!
So on with the new and apart from looking young enough to be my grandson, I have hopes that Matt Smith will carry on the good work. He's got a great team behind him after all!
And I've watched a LOT of Doctor Who!