Doctor Who - The New Series: Series 2 - Vol. 3 [DVD] [2005]

The last series continually took me by surprise! I sat down expecting to lightly pass 45 minutes and became well engrossed, drawn in, amused and often moved. The new series and the new Doctor built brilliantly on the strength of series one, at the same time bringing a freshness and vitality to the show. These episodes are among the best so far, and show the imagination and inventiveness of the writers off well. Tenant is brilliant as the Doctor, compassionate to the oppressed, ruthless to the guilty, and always switiching effortlessly between playing it for laughs and serious drama. Piper shows herself to be far more than just a good actress too; her range is impressive, complimenting Tenants Doctor perfectly. All of the episodes on this disc are strong, my personal favourite being "The Girl in the Fireplace," when the doctor falls for Madame De Pompador in a plot that twists space and time while having some genuinely jumpy moments- check out the tick-tock robots face masks! "Tooth and Claw" is also fantastic, scary and atmospheric, with a memorably haunting performance from the boy who eventually becomes the beast. "School Reunion" sees the return of Sarah Jane Smith and the iconic K-9, and is lighter than the other two. That said it has it's brilliant moments of emotion as Rose finds she's not the only woman the Doctor has ever shared his adventures with. Tenants playimg of the "You'll age and I won't" scene is moving, and gives us insight his character.

This DVD contains the first two episodes of Series 2 of the revived television classic 'Doctor Who', starring David Tennant and Billie Piper. I confess that I was somewhat apprehensive about the new series, because Christopher Eccleston's portrayal of the Time Lord was quite simply sublime, so I was worried that Tennant would not be a worthy successor. I am glad to see that I was wrong, because the Tenth Doctor has charm, wit and can range from happy, to playful, to furious, etc. Although this first installment of 'vanilla' releaes contains no extra features, it is still well worth buying because both episodes are hugely enjoyable. However, there is a 6-disc boxset to be released in November, which is going to be crammed with special features.

The two episodes on this DVD are:

The Christmas Invasion

Written by Russell T Davies

Directed by James Hawes

Originally transmitted 25/12/05

'The Christmas Invasion' was the greatest piece of festive television ever, and David Tennant's first proper outing as the Doctor managed to capture an audience of almost 10 million people. This a very entertaining episode, filled with humour, action and excitment, and definitely contains something for everyone. An alien invasion by the evil Sycorax puts the whole world in danger because the monsters are using blood control to manipulate the planet, but with the Doctor still recovering from his regeneration process, Rose is left to defend Earth alone. This episode is notable for David Tennant's swashbuckiling debut as the Doctor, and his 'what kind of man am I?' speech is just perfect. A truly wonderful episode.

New Earth

Written by Eussell T Davies

Directed by James Hawes

Originally transmitted 15/4/06

The first episode of Series 2 received a mixed reaction from the fans, but personally I loved this episode, and thought that it was exciting, energetic and full of life and character. David Tennant and Billie Piper show how well they can interact together, and both put it very humurous performances (such as the bodyswap for example). In this episode the Doctor goes to the year five-billion-and-twenty-three where he is reunited with the Face of Boe who is ill, whilst Rose is re-introduced to the 'naughty' Cassandra (played by Zoe Wannamaker) who is obsessed with plastic surgery and has a score to settle with Rose. Add in some cat nuns and an army of diseased patients, and this episode is pure entertainment all the way. There are some great scenes throughout, and I don't think you'll be disappointed.

A great start to Series 2 then, and this DVD is definitely worthy buying. The new series of 'Doctor Who' has maintaned its hugely high callibre, and is still a great treat to settle down and watch on a Saturday night.

Okay - the baddy wasn't the best ever, but the concept behind her was good.

The one thing that I was worried about for this special, was the way the whole Doctor/Rose relationship would be dealt with. Would she be forgotten in a flash? The answer of course is no. There were some brilliant moments by the fab David Tennant where he mourned the absence of a companion who was often more than just a friend. It was great to see that there was an intelligent continuity dealing with the issue of Rose going away.

Speaking of companions - Catherine Tate did a sterling job as Donna. She naturally brought humour to the show, but she is a good actress and managed to bring compassion also. Her warning to The Doctor at the end of the show highlighted his darker side, maybe there's more of this to come?

The effects in this special were nothing short of jaw dropping, especially for long-time Who fans. The Tardis shooting up into the sky was a visual treat, but the car chase was amazing - one of the best Doctor Who moments ever. Seeing the Tardis hover on the motorway whilst bouncing off other cars had me giggling like an excited schoolgirl upon discovering she's got £200 to spend on anything she wants in Topshop.

So overall, the mechanical Santa's didn't seem to add to the plot and the baddy wasn't the best...

...But, the interplay between The Doctor and Donna was spot on, the special effects were polished and spectacular, the plot was good and there were some fab moments seeing The Doctor in the 'real world' (taxis and cash machines, etc). Something to savour and enjoy again and again.