Doctor Who: Series 1 - 4 Collection [DVD]

This Dr Who boxed set has all the first four seasons of the 'new' Dr Who starting with 'Rose', when Rose Tyler first meets the 9th Doctor. Inside the lidded cardboard box there's four large [2cm wide] DVD cases, one for each season. There's Special Feature's on every DVD disc - these include audio commentaries [some episodes], in-vision commentaries [some episodes], and audio descriptions [all episodes]. The final DVD in each season is just the 'cut-down' BBC Confidentials. My son [13] and daughter [15] loathe these how-its-done bits with a passion - they want to believe it's real. They do however like the well produced and illustrated large colour booklet of Episode Guides [around 30 pages] thats included in the box.

This 23 DVD set has only English 5.1 audio with subtitles as English SDH [Deaf & Hard-of-hearing]. There's 9h 27m [5 DVDs] of video in season 1, 11 hours in season 2 [6 DVDs], 9h 45 mins [6 DVDs] in season 3 and 11h 21 minutes [6 DVDs] in season 4. It's rated 12: 'suitable for over 12s only', which is a bit odd as preteens are often Dr Who's strongest fans, with the Doctor's rock-solid moralistic overtones striking a chord within them, although I suppose some episodes particularly 'Blink', 'Silence in the Library', 'The Empty Child', and 'The Unquiet Dead' are a bit scary for some under tens. However, this didn't stop my son at 9 loving the first season on BBC TV, although my daughter was moved to tears watching the emotionally charged 'Fathers Day'.

This all four season set has just the specials between seasons, i.e. the Xmas ones: The Christmas Invasion, The Run-away-Bride, and Voyage of the Damned. The last episode in this boxed set is Journey's End, the finale of season 4. These Xmas specials are essential for continuity, hence their inclusion. The later tenth Doctor Season 4.5 specials: 'The Next Doctor', 'The Dead Planet', 'The Waters of Mars' and the last two 'End of Time' Xmas 2009/NewYear 2010 finale episodes are not in this set, and they have been released separately in a Complete Specials set, also with a load of extras.

So this series 1-4 boxed set is a great collection of fifty-six Dr Who episodes, with a lot of extras dotted around on the DVDs like 'Davids video diary', 'On set with Billie Piper', 'The adventures of Captain Jack', plus out-takes and the 'children in need' specials, and very usefully it's all quite compact at 10x14x19.5 cm, easily 6*... For young Dr Who fans also check out the The Sarah Jane Adventures, and perhaps the BBC's Roman Mysteries as well that are quite sympathetic to this spin-off series. In fact I actually prefer The Sarah Jane Adventures to the excellent 'adult orientated' Torchwood, probably as Sarah Jane's ethos is far more in keeping with that of the Doctors.

I won't go into the details of the actual episodes contained within this amazing boxed set - if you're reading this review, chances are you already know what a great series it is, but if not, just check out the many other brilliant reviewers on here, as they do it far better than I could.

I purchased this box set for just under £47 which, considering I was about to buy all four series boxed sets individually, is a great saving. Clearly this boxed set does not offer anything new to the fans who already own the individual series sets, but if you're new to Doctor Who like I am and looking to start your collection, then this is a perfect opportunity to own a slice of great British TV programming.

Some people have commented on the use of plastic DVD cases over the cardboard folders - I personally prefer the plastic versions contained in this set, as I find that cardboard cases tend to get a bit dogged eared after repeat viewings - and I certainly intend to give these DVDs many, many viewings! They're also more compact - about half the thickness of the individual cardboard cases, which is very welcome if you're short on shelf space. The box that contains the DVDs is deceptively small - almost of TARDIS-like proportions, the whole thing being roughly the same thickness as two of the cardboard individual series boxed sets. You also get a rather nice booklet which contains episode guides for all 4 series in one volume rather than four individual booklets.

So, anything bad about this boxed set? Definitely not! I'm still baffled by the decision to only offer cut down versions of the Doctor Who Confidential programmes, but at this price I'm not complaining!!

This box set constitutes almost the complete saga of the Doctor at his peak in every respect. After 26 years of staggering through limited production budgets, barely credible special effects and a great deal of struggling to convert the drama to dialogue rather than action (which they couldn't really afford and couldn't make quite effective enough), and finally being cancelled and supposedly forgotten, the new Doctor's first 4 seasons constitute a massive epic storyline that takes us from the return of the Doctor (immediately after the end of the Time War in which Gallifrey is destroyed) when he is basically a freshly mustered out warrior, through his growth, development and maturity and (if you also obtain the year of "specials" that occupied the gap between series 4 and 5), eventual "death" (regeneration).

It is that very rare case where the character meets the actor in perfect symmetry. David Tennant's approach to the role (with producer Russel T. Davies' guidance and support) makes this a single, massive story arc, in which the Doctor deals with rage, falls in love, finds his charm, suffers pain and loss, assumes a virtual godhead and finally understands his own limitations.

While many of the tales are typical series "monster of the week" stories, the entire story arc continues to grow and develop throughout.

By the time you reach the approach of his regeneration your heart will be breaking and you will greive as if he had died.

Whenever I try to recommend the Doctor to anyone who hasn't a clue what I'm nattering on about, I always encourage them to start at Season 1, Episode 1 and go straight through to "The End of Time" in order to "get it". Those that have done so understand why I adore this show.

Now you can get most of that in one neat package. Loverly.