To most fans of Doctor Who, Tom Baker is the Doctor. But now that David Tennant’s got the time lord job, Mr. Baker has company as the best manifestation of the charmingly wry space traveler. Since taking over for one-season wonder Christopher Eccleson, Tennant has brought a madcap sense of danger to the character. Some wondered whether the departure of Billie Piper at the end of the second (new) season would steer the series off course. Instead, the addition of Martha Jones gave the series another dynamic female character, enabling the show to continue strong.

Some of the best episodes of the recent Doctor Who incarnation are featured in this set, nicely packaged with eye-popping artwork. For me, “The Shakespeare Code’ ranks up there with “Talons of Weng-Chiang” as the best in the series’ history. The sharp, biting dialogue is enhanced by a rip-roaring performance by Dean Kelly as the Bard. Tennant is at his best in this one.

The Daleks make a return in “The Daleks in Manhattan” and “Evolution of the Daleks.” They move into 1930’s Manhattan to turn workers on the Empire State Building into pig-faced slaves and repopulate their depleted race. The plan is turn use humans to turn the Daleks into Dalek-human hybrids. What could have been a real stupid idea (especially the pig-faced slaves) ends up being a satisfying Dalek-themed entry in the series. “Human Nature” and “The Family of Blood” has the Doctor becoming human in pre-WWI Britain. An engrossing storyline and a deep emotional reckoning for the Doctor raise these two up above the norm.

The episode “Blink” is a Gothic-tinged tale where the Doctor barely plays a supporting role. Angelic statues that can only move when a person blinks bring an eerie sense of dread to this story, while the Doctor plays puppet master from somewhere in time, trying to warn of the statues’ intentions. Easily one of the most effective horror-themed episodes of the show’s recent incarnation. The three-episode arc of “Utopia,” “The Sound of Drums,” and “The Last of the Time Lords” introduces one of the Doctor’s more cunning nemeses, played first by renowned Brit actor Derek Jacobi in “Utopia”, then by John Simm in the last two. This is classic Doctor Who: great cliffhangers, seemingly impossible odds, humor, and the Doctor rising to save humanity.

There are only two duds in this set, the opener “The Runaway Bride” and “The Lazarus Experiment.” “Bride” stars comedienne Catherine Tate as a disgruntled bride who is picked up by the TARDIS. It’s not that funny and boring to boot. “Experiment” is just bland, though a great-looking monster at the end saves it from total mediocrity.

The DVD is overstuffed with extras, ranging from cast and crew commentaries to an hour long live performance of the show’s music, a video diary from Tennant, outtakes, and previews of other BBC shows. Various members of the writing, acting, and production team offer up commentary on each of the 13 episodes.