"DOCTOR WHO: THE COMPLETE SECOND SERIES"
DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: **** (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: **** (out of 5 stars) STARRING David Tennant as THE DOCTOR Billie Piper as ROSE TYLER Noel Clarke as MICKEY SMITH Camille Coduri as JACKIE TYLER Not Rated Studio: BBC Back to DVD Review Home |  |
It has been years – if not decades – since I’ve watched “Doctor Who,” yet it was my favorite show as a child. I spent many a Sunday morning tuning into our local PBS affiliate to watch The Doctor battle bizarre aliens threats – ranging from robot mummies to ambulatory plants from outer space.
I missed the first season of the renewed series, which was a bit of a shame since I heard Christopher Eccleston made a great Doctor. However, I was lucky enough to catch “Doctor Who: The Complete Second Series,” recently released on DVD.
The latest incarnation of The Doctor is David Tennant who, like every other incarnation, brings his own flavor to the character. Not to prattle on about who is the best doctor in history (with my vote going to the obvious choice of Tom Baker), I can say that Tennant does a fine job becoming the legendary Time Lord. He’s got a bit more pop culture, and he’s not nearly as brooding as some versions, but he can pack a dramatic punch when needed.
Watching this show again so many years down the road, it was like coming home. From the moment the eerie theme began to play, I was taken back to my childhood, much the same way that I was when I saw “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...” hit the screens again in 1999.
This new series has stepped things up quite a bit from the special effects angle. I understand the purpose, although there was a certain charm to the god-awful special effects from the first time the series ran. Still, the new digital age has opened up more doors for The Doctor in terms of where – and how – he can travel.
This new “Doctor Who” brings the spirit from the original show back to the prime time airwaves. However, to keep up with the times, it borrows elements from “The X-Files” and other modern science fiction shows. There’s still plenty of wry British humor percolating through the scripts of the series, and long-time Doctor Who fans will get a kick out of plenty of inside references (including a visit from Elisabeth Sladen as the one and only Sarah Jane Smith).
One of the things I loved about the old “Doctor Who” show was that it was pretty harsh for a kid’s program. It never pulled it’s punches, and it had the highest body count of anything I’ve ever seen on PBS. This new incarnation keeps this peril alive, presenting the many alien races in the universe as dire threats rather than species we should commune with. This is something generated by the British culture, which spent its history a stone’s throw away from its most bitter international enemies rather than separated by oceans on both sides as the U.S. is.
The Doctor’s new entourage in includes former teen pop singer Billie Piper as Rose Tyler, his cute, young assistant. Piper is as cute as Sladen used to be, and she has a strong handle on the comedy as well. Her at-home boyfriend Mickey Smith (Noah Clarke) takes a couple trips in the Tardis until he realizes he is nothing more than the modern equivalent of K-9 to Billie’s Sarah Jane.
Each week, The Doctor and his companions travel through space-time to combat threats to the Earth, the human race and anyone else who might need a hand. With the trusty but temperamental Tardis, The Doctor and Rose travel everywhere from the 18th century Versailles to a hell planet orbiting a black hole. “Doctor Who” fans will enjoy new villains as well as the return of classic villains such as the Cybermen and the Daleks. (In fact, the five-minute on-screen argument between a Cyberman and a Dalek on who is more superior is almost worth the price of admission alone.)
This six-disc DVD set includes all 14 episodes of the second season of “Doctor Who.” The sixth disc includes a two-and-a-half hour “Doctor Who Confidential” behind-the-scenes special. This 13-chapter series features in-depth reporting on the new Doctor, the special effects, the villains and the extended universe elements like the BBC spin-off “Torchwood.”
Other special features found on the remaining discs include in-vision and audio commentaries on select episodes, video diaries from David Tennant and Billie Piper, outtakes, deleted scenes and a “Children In Need” special.
Using its special blend of humor, thought-provoking science fiction and ultimate peril, “Doctor Who: The Complete Second Series” is a treat for any fan. I’ve already set my DVR to record the new broadcasts on BBC America. It’s a wonderful updated version of the series, which I hope continues for another 26 years.
Specifications: Dolby Digital .1 Surround Sound. Widescreen (16:9). English language subtitles for the hearing impaired.
