Doctor Who - Series 4, Volume 1 [DVD]

First of all, I want to talk about the new theme. When I first heard it at the start of 'Voyage of the Damned' last Christmas, I initially didn't like it much. But when I heard it again at the beginning of 'Partners In Crime' and then later watched an episode from the last series, I realised that it is a nice change with the new guitar sounds added in. So I like the new theme!
Secondly, I really enjoyed 'The Runaway Bride' so I was never worried about Catherine Tate rejoining the Doctor this season as many people appeared to be in the run - up to this year's series.
Now let's move on to the episodes on this DVD.

1. Partners In Crime
I always enjoy the opening episode, especially if a companion is being introduced, like 'Smith and Jones' last year. Although in Donna's case, being re-introduced. Anyway, the plot. Donna Noble has regretted her decision not to travel with the Doctor ever since she turned him down. Determined to find him again, she has investigated all things unusual, including the bees disappearing??? , hoping to bump into the Doctor as he has a knack for getting into trouble. When investigating Adipose Industries and its mysterious owner Miss Foster, Donna's plan finally succeeds.
This was a great opening, with some really funny aliens that, for once, weren't threatening. Also Sarah Lancashire was great as Miss Foster. Also some great things seeded for later on in the series such as the disappearing bees and the surprise return of Rose Tyler in a brief non-speaking part.

2. The Fires of Pompeii
A great first trip in the Tardis for Donna, with a really good dilemma for the Doctor as Donna challenges him.
The plot - The Doctor and Donna land in what they think is Ancient Rome but actually turns out to be Pompeii, 79AD, the day before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. As strange rock monsters roam the mountain and the local psychics' visions are surprisingly accurate, can Donna dare the Doctor to change history?
Again, some good guest stars, more seedings when Lucius says,"She is returning." Can it be Rose? Also a brilliant emotional performance from Catherine Tate, who I think is a brilliant companion, even though I liked Rose and Martha also.

3. Planet of the Ood
Yet another great episode to finish off this outstanding DVD. I really enjoyed this episode, being one of very few Doctor Who fans who didn't enjoy 'The Impossible Planet' and 'The Satan Pit'.
The plot - The Doctor takes Donna to her first alien world. The Oodsphere is a world of ice and snow where Ood Operations breeds and sells Ood into service across the galaxies in the 42nd century. However, the Doctor and Donna discover that the Ood are not so willing to serve as the Red Eye infection takes a hold of them. Can the Doctor and Donna get to the core of Ood Operations and find out what's really going on?
An absolutely excellent episode, one of the few of the revived series that is actually set on another planet!!! Still I understand that there are not that many quarries in the country - and they all look the same. Another great emotional performance from Catherine Tate, who has proved she can do the emotion and be funny. Another seeding towards the end when Ood Sigma says,"I think your song must end soon." Creepy... what can it all mean? I certainly can't wait!

So, five stars from me and I will definetely be buying this - I always buy the 'vanilla' releases because I can never be bothered to wait until November for the full series boxset - even if it does have extras!

At the point of writing this we are only one episode away from the end of the fourth series. It has received a mixed reaction in our household and had caused a few disagreements over good or not-so-good episodes.
The first three of the series, for me, were fairly good. I loved the Adipodes - tooo cute for words. The return of Donna Noble as the Doc's companion was like a breath of fresh air! Her first appearance in the Christmas Special '06 was immediately after Rose's departure and such a different character was a lot to take on board. After 13 episodes of Drippy Martha, Donna is delightful. She is not in love with the Doctor - as all the others appeared to be - and this gives her character much more scope. She stands up to him, she reigns him in when required and she lets him know what it is like to be human. She is a hit in our household and we totally enjoyed the start to the new series because of her.
Episode 2 - Fires of Pompeii - I liked this. The effects were good, the scenery was excellent and there was enough 'big stuff' to keep the 8 year old happy. Donna had a blub at towards the end when she realised that there was a moral choice to be made and that neither outcome could be without death. I particularly liked the way that RTD used the Doctor to 'create' a time in history.
Episode 3 - Planet of the Ood - By far and large the favourite of the series for us. We have watched this one several times over and we still think it is wonderful. RTD does it again when he revives a 'monster' from a previous series and gives it a different identity. He had us crying over a Dalek in the first series (who'd have thought it eh?) and he does the same with the Ood. Donna has another blub in this episode and we have now realised that this is the flaw to her character - she's always blarting!! That aside, however, this is a magnificent episode to watch.
All in all, the first three episodes are promising for the new series. This DVD is a must for the collection.

After the disappointment of the mainly dismal third series, this one has turned out to be the best yet. This is mostly thanks to Catherine Tate joining the Doctor as his companion. After the emotional turmoil of Rose, and having to suffer the vacant, goggle-eyed staring of Martha, the poor old Doc was badly in need of some light relief, and he certainly gets it with Donna, especially in the first story in the series. Though as the season progresses, we see far more to Donna's personality than just wise-cracking humour and wittiness. But in the first story, we get quite a bit of that and most welcome it is too. The hilarious moment when the Doc and Donna first clap eyes on each other is classic and just gets funnier the more I see it. And this is mainly down to Donna's lively, ebullient personality, which makes such a refreshing change from what has gone before, and of course, she's pretty too, which helps, but mainly it's her vibrant, sparky personality that draws you in and makes you want more.
Miss Foster is hilarious too, in an icily restrained manner, and the Adipose make you go 'aaahh' they are so cute. It was a nice, fun episode, but with pathos too, when we see Donna at home being nagged by her unappreciative mother, and then with her grandfather on the hillside at night, telling him about the Doctor and how she wanted to find him. And then at the end, after she'd found him, but momentarily doubted that he still wanted her to accompany him, she switched from high spirits and ebulliance to vulnerability in the blink of an eye. And then, when she doubted the Doctor's intentions and misinterpreted something he said, she was outraged at what she thought was a dishonourable suggestion on his part, and this was her back in expressively funny mode. The whole interaction between them a delight to behold.
A wonderful first episode to start the season off.

Not so keen on the second story, as I'm not usually with the historical ones, but still entertaining and the relationship between Donna and the Doctor evolving into them being very comfortable in each other's presence and with a lively repartee bouncing off one another that ran throughout the whole series. Nice how the Doctor was shown to be responsible for the events that happened way back in history. This was quite cleverly worked in to the story and was a bit of a twist seeing as how it wasn't really going to happen and he had caused it all along.

The Planet of the Ood was a delight. Once again, the humans were shown in a bad light and the Ood as really rather superior in their innocence. The planet could have been shown a bit more, rather than just snow-covered industrial machinery, but I guess maybe budget restrictions could have been behind this. But it was still very effective and Donna's sympathy for the Ood was very touching. At least in this story, the Ood had a happier outcome to the last time we saw them.

All in all, a great start to a great fourth season. And if you only buy one dvd from this season, then to me, this would be the best.

Oh, and I think the picture on the cover of the dvd is the best yet too!