Now available on DVD is a massive boxed set from the BBC, Doctor Who: The Complete David Tenant Years. For many, David Tennant, who became the tenth Doctor in 2005, and played the part until 2010, is still the iconic image of the revamped character. Tennant is known for his cheeky, yet sometimes vengeful, portrayal of the legendary character,
with a tendency to babble and be rude at times, but in a delightful manner. To have all three series, eight specials, and two animated spinoffs together in one collection is amazing. For any Doctor Who fan, this is a must-buy for this Christmas.
As series two of the modern reboot, the first featuring Tennant, begins, the Tenth Doctor retains the same companion as the Ninth Doctor, Rose Tyler (Billie Piper, Secret Diary of a Call Girl). Waking from a coma just in time save Christmas (and the Earth), they go on many adventures, including rescuing Queen Victoria from werewolves. They play a part in the creation of Torchwood, an anti-alien institution that will eventually have its own spin-off series, and fight the Daleks, again, as well as the Cybermen. Rose's boyfriend, Mickey (Noel Clarke, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet), joins the pair, and they encounter former companions Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen, who starred in her own spinoff,
The Sarah Jane Adventures, until her recent death) and K-9 (John Leeson).
In series three, Rose is gone, and the Doctor picks up med student Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman, Law & Order: UK), who will eventually leave him when the Doctor doesn't return her affections. The Doctor and Martha battle The Master (John Simm, Life On Mars), speak with Shakespeare, encounter more Daleks, and meet back up with Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman, Torchwood). Also introduced is Donna Noble (Catherine Tate, The Catherine Tate Show), who refuses the Doctor's offer to be her companion.
Series four gives the Doctor many companions to work with, including Donna Noble, who returns to stay, and guest appearances by Rose Tyler, Martha Jones, Captain Jack Harkness, Mickey, and Sarah Jane Smith. Additionally, several characters from Torchwood appear. Among their adventures in series four, the Doctor and Donna find the Adipose, visit Pompeii, stop the invasion of the Sontarans, meet Agatha Christie, explore a planet-size library, and listen to a fortune teller. The series culminates in a spectacular finale, featuring the Daleks, Cybermen, and many previously seen characters.
Article comments
1 - amypondscum
i love doctor who. this looks great. informative review. thx
2 - Edzel2
Is this a USA only release? What are the chances that it will play on a DVD player or a computer in the UK? It sounds gorgeous, and we don't have anything quite like it here...
3 - Jerome Wetzel
This is a Region 1 release, so it will not play in the UK. I'm very sorry it's not multi-region, or there aren't other versions available. :(
4 - Manda
Are they the full Confidentials or the shorter versions found on the single box sets?
5 - Wendy
re: region 1 disks. You can buy a multi-region DVD player. Relatively inexpensive, too. Then you can watch DVDs from all regions! I bought mine to play Region 2 (UK) versions here in the US.
6 - Jerome Wetzel
Manda - I'm not sure. I don't actually have anything to compare them to, not having seen the single box sets.
7 - Manda
Jerome, the Confidentials on the single box sets have been edited down to 10-15 minutes per episode, while the full Confidentials are around 45 minutes per episode.
8 - Jerome Wetzel
Ah! Well, the Confidentials I had on my TiVo, which aired on BBC America, were short. Guess we don't get the long ones in the States. :(