Die Folgen sind sicherlich inhaltlich sehr gut gelungen, allerdings empfinde ich die Vermarktungspolitik von Polyband sowie die Artikelbeschreibung bei Amazon schon fast als Irreführung des Kunden.
Wie komme ich zu diesem Schluss? Eine kurze Erklärung:
Wenn man Doctor Who kennt weiß man, das es in regelmäßigen Abständen Specials zu besonderen Anlässen (z.B. Weihnachten und/oder Neujahr) gibt, die in ihrer Spielzeit etwas länger laufen als die Standardfolgen.
Meist geschieht dies auch in Verbindung mit internen Änderungen der Serie (z.B. Darstellerwechsel des Doctors oder seines Begleiters/seiner Begleiterin).
Jetzt folgen jedoch einige Punkte, die Sauer aufstoßen:
Die Preispolitik von Polyband ist erschrecken - die kompletten Specials auf DVD kosten 29,99, die BluRays 30,99 Euro; hier wird prinzipiell nahezu der gleiche Preis angesetzt, obwohl die DVDs günstiger seien sollten.
Hinzu kommt, dass mit Überlänge geworben wird - dies ist doch etwas übertrieben, da die Standardlänge der normalen Staffelepisoden regulär zwischen 45-48 Minuten Spielzeit beträgt, der Großteil der Specials läuft lediglich 10-12 Minuten länger, nur das letzte Specials ist mit 72 Minuten wirklich "überlang".
Ich hatte die BluRays bestellt, somit zahle ich für 4 Episoden mit ein paar Minuten extra sowie für eine "überlange Episode" 30,99, während eine gesamte Staffel auf BluRay mit 12-13 Episoden mit ca. 50 Euro zu Buche schlägt; da sind die Specials doch etwas überteuert.
Der erschwerendste Faktor jedoch kommt bei der BluRay-Sammlung der Specials hinzu: Es wird sowohl bei Amazon als auch auf dem Cover des Artikels mit "Die kompletten Specials auf BluRay" geworben.
Die Ernüchterung folgt beim Auspacken bzw. Anschauen. Das erste Special ist nur auf DVD (!!!) enthalten und hat auch keinen DTS-Sound sondern nur Dolby Digital/Surround 5.1 (!!!). Das geht gar nicht und ist auch nicht ersichtlich.
Lediglich unten auf der Rückseite der Verpackung steht ganz klein "4x BD-50, 1x DVD-9", jedoch weißt dies imer noch nicht darauf hin, dass die DVD sich auf das erste Specials bezieht - ich dachte zunächst die DVD enthält einige Bonus Features, aber sie beinhaltet auch das erste Special - und auf der Disc ist klein ein DVD statt BluRay-Logo.
Das geht gar nicht, wenn mit "Komplette Specials auf BluRay" geworben wird !!!
Die Nachfrage bei Polyband ergab, dass das besagte erste Special "Der andere Doctor" nicht in HD produziert wurde, es jedoch möglich ist, dass diverse TV- und Sendeanstalten einen HD-Upscale-Transfer für die Ausstrahlung im Fernsehen vorgenommen haben, Polyband jedoch nur die native DVD-Version verkauft.
Sorry Polyband, aber dann muss das so auf dem Artikel und der Beschreibung sichtbar sein, denn sonst erlebt man beim Abspielen eine (wie ich hoffe unbeabsichtigte) Ãœberraschung.
Der Artikel geht nun leider zurück, denn ich habe für BluRays bezahlt, nicht für BluRay + DVD.
Ich glaube das ist nur fair, denn ich würde auch kein Auto mit drei Autoreifen und einem Fahrradreifen kaufen.
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Doctor Who: the Complete Speci
Format: Blu-ray
| Price: | $29.40 + $14.98 Delivery |
Product details
- Aspect Ratio : 1.78:1
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- Language: : English
- Product Dimensions : 17 x 13.5 x 3 cm; 230 Grams
- Manufacturer reference : DOCTORWHO
- Media Format : Digital
- Subtitles: : English
- Studio : BBC
- ASIN : B002SZQC7K
- Number of discs : 5
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Product description
This 5 disc set includes the following - The Next Doctor The Next Doctor Feature (SD to HD up conversion) DTS HD 5.1 Audio on feature only The Next Doctor Confidential (SD to HD up conversion) Doctor Who at the Proms (SD) Dolby Digital stereo audio on extras Planet of the Dead Planet of the Dead feature (HD) DTS HD 5.1 Audio on feature only Planet of the Dead confidential (HD) Dolby Digital stereo audio on extras The Waters of Mars (HD) DTS HD 5.1 Audio on feature only Waters of Mars confidential (HD) Dolby Digital stereo audio on extras The End of Time - Part 1 (HD) DTS HD 5.1 Audio on feature and confidential The End of Time - Part 1 - Confidential (HD) David Tennant video diary - The Last Days (SD) BBC idents (SD) Audio commentary on feature Dolby Digital stereo audio on extras (except Confidential) The End of Time - Part 2 (HD) DTS HD 5.1 Audio on feature and confidential The End of Time - Part 2 - Confidential (HD) Russell T.Davies intro to deleted scenes (HD) Doctor Who at Comic-Con 2009 (HD) Audio commentary on feature Dolby Digital stereo audio on extras (except Confidential) The Next Doctor: It's Christmas Eve in 1851 in The Next Doctor and Cybermen stalk the snow of Victorian London. When the Doctor arrives and starts to investigate a spate of mysterious deaths, he's surprised to meet another Doctor (David Morrissey), and soon the two must combine forces to defeat the ruthless Miss Hartigan (Dervla Kirwan). But are two Doctors enough to stop the rise of the CyberKingPlanet of the Dead: Starring Michelle Ryan and Lee Evans, Planet Of The Dead was the first of this year's specials. When a London bus takes a detour to an alien world, the Doctor must join forces with the extraordinary Lady Christina. But the mysterious planet holds terrifying secrets, hidden in the sand. And time is running out, as the deadly Swarm gets closer...The Waters of Mars: The Waters of Mars welcomes Lindsay Duncan as the Doctor's cleverest and most strong-minded companion
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4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
1,220 global ratings
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C. Rettig
3.0 out of 5 stars
Inhaltlich top, jedoch ist der Artikel selbst sowie dessen Beschreibung irreführend!!!
Reviewed in Germany on 6 September 2018Verified Purchase
Jersey Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars
Just to complete my David Tennant episodes...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 January 2014Verified Purchase
... even though I don't like all of them, but that's not what a product review is about. My subjective opinion on the episodes themselves is not why stars should be knocked off a product review (as far as I'm concerned). It's the equivalent of giving something a two star review just because you don't like the colour, even though the product is perfectly adequate for the job it's designed for!
So, this product is perfectly adequate for what it's designed for - the only reason I'm knocking off a star is because they were the first episodes since the revival to not include full DVD commentaries on every episode (which, personally, I really enjoy because you hear lots of things you wouldn't otherwise, and to me that really enhances even the worst episode and makes it watchable!). I believe it was a cost-cutting exercise, although I'm not sure how getting a few people together to basically talk for and hour about something they acted in or directed/wrote/produced can cost so much money in the first place (perhaps someone can enlighten me?!). It just comes across (perhaps I'm being unfair in saying so) as a bit 'mean' after having had commentaries for every episode in Series 1-4 (albeit some better than others). However, there are commentaries provided for 'The End of Time Part 1 and 2' (David Tennant features in both, obviously, as they were his final episodes as the 10th Doctor prior to the 50th anniversary, and John Simm joins him for the Part 2 episode and they make a very enjoyable pairing to listen to!). There are also 'Confidential' episodes included in the extras, and few other bits, but not as much as they could have - it feels a bit lacking in that respect.
Whether or not I liked the stories themselves is a different issue - I liked some, hated others - but as a part of the Doctor Who DVD collection this does what it sets out to do, I just wish there'd been a few more extras and commentaries, hence four stars.
So, this product is perfectly adequate for what it's designed for - the only reason I'm knocking off a star is because they were the first episodes since the revival to not include full DVD commentaries on every episode (which, personally, I really enjoy because you hear lots of things you wouldn't otherwise, and to me that really enhances even the worst episode and makes it watchable!). I believe it was a cost-cutting exercise, although I'm not sure how getting a few people together to basically talk for and hour about something they acted in or directed/wrote/produced can cost so much money in the first place (perhaps someone can enlighten me?!). It just comes across (perhaps I'm being unfair in saying so) as a bit 'mean' after having had commentaries for every episode in Series 1-4 (albeit some better than others). However, there are commentaries provided for 'The End of Time Part 1 and 2' (David Tennant features in both, obviously, as they were his final episodes as the 10th Doctor prior to the 50th anniversary, and John Simm joins him for the Part 2 episode and they make a very enjoyable pairing to listen to!). There are also 'Confidential' episodes included in the extras, and few other bits, but not as much as they could have - it feels a bit lacking in that respect.
Whether or not I liked the stories themselves is a different issue - I liked some, hated others - but as a part of the Doctor Who DVD collection this does what it sets out to do, I just wish there'd been a few more extras and commentaries, hence four stars.
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Aliowitch
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dr Who Specials (new Dr who)
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 July 2012Verified Purchase
The product arrived promptly and well packed. I received an excellent service from the seller, it was a pleasure to do business with them. Of course the Doctor Who specials are brilliant and very much loved and watched.
This box set includes the Waters of Mars, The End of Time part one and two and The next Doctor.
Starting with The Next Doctor, The doctor arrives in Victorian England only to hear someone shouting for the Doctor, he arrives only to find that the woman who shouted did not mean him and another "Doctor" appears. My first reaction to this was regrettably to shout NO!! very loudly at the television. Of course my instincts proved right, but it was a worrying time for a whovian who loved Tennants version of the Doctor. Yes, the large Cyberking was a bit under par but the woman in the story was beautifully wicked and excellently played, a pitty that the writers had to follow form and kill her off like all the rest of the strong women charecters they have had in this series. That is the only down side to an other wise lovely TV story. There are some good psychological twists and turns in this story, after all it is a chirstmas special, so ther is a nice ending to it.
I actually liked the Planet of the Dead story and I especially liked Lee Evans as the mad scientist in it. There were some good lines woven through the story, including the Doctors (almost forgotten) relationsip with UNIT. I felt sorry that Christine did not come with the doctor and was quite surprised to find that they did not kill her off as they seem to do for other female charecters. It is well worth a viewing.
Lastly, the End of Time, I did feel this went on a bit, especially about the drumming in the master's head and it was also a bit of a streach for the doctor to regenerate back to his original form when the Master prematurely aged him. His monologue with Bernard at the end had me in tears as did his farewell speach in the Tardis. I enjoyed the fact that he had time to go and see his companions one last time and who can blame him or the writers for doing that. After all, he could afford to delay his regeneration. It made sense therefore that after his delay, the regeneration was more powerful and took out the TARDIS consul as well.
The story lines are well thought out and the acting is very good from Mr David Tennant. As a long time fan of Doctor who and considered Tom Baker to be the best of them all, with Chirstopher being the darkest. I find it a difficult choice now to choose my favourate. Tom only comes out better because he had to act against poor scenery and a limited budget and dealt with it all with humour and skill. David had it better overall but even so, his proformance shone. He should be very proud.
All in all a very enjoyable and exciting purchase. I have waited 20 years for this programme to return and this was my second purchase of Doctor who. I now want to buy all the rest!
This box set includes the Waters of Mars, The End of Time part one and two and The next Doctor.
Starting with The Next Doctor, The doctor arrives in Victorian England only to hear someone shouting for the Doctor, he arrives only to find that the woman who shouted did not mean him and another "Doctor" appears. My first reaction to this was regrettably to shout NO!! very loudly at the television. Of course my instincts proved right, but it was a worrying time for a whovian who loved Tennants version of the Doctor. Yes, the large Cyberking was a bit under par but the woman in the story was beautifully wicked and excellently played, a pitty that the writers had to follow form and kill her off like all the rest of the strong women charecters they have had in this series. That is the only down side to an other wise lovely TV story. There are some good psychological twists and turns in this story, after all it is a chirstmas special, so ther is a nice ending to it.
I actually liked the Planet of the Dead story and I especially liked Lee Evans as the mad scientist in it. There were some good lines woven through the story, including the Doctors (almost forgotten) relationsip with UNIT. I felt sorry that Christine did not come with the doctor and was quite surprised to find that they did not kill her off as they seem to do for other female charecters. It is well worth a viewing.
Lastly, the End of Time, I did feel this went on a bit, especially about the drumming in the master's head and it was also a bit of a streach for the doctor to regenerate back to his original form when the Master prematurely aged him. His monologue with Bernard at the end had me in tears as did his farewell speach in the Tardis. I enjoyed the fact that he had time to go and see his companions one last time and who can blame him or the writers for doing that. After all, he could afford to delay his regeneration. It made sense therefore that after his delay, the regeneration was more powerful and took out the TARDIS consul as well.
The story lines are well thought out and the acting is very good from Mr David Tennant. As a long time fan of Doctor who and considered Tom Baker to be the best of them all, with Chirstopher being the darkest. I find it a difficult choice now to choose my favourate. Tom only comes out better because he had to act against poor scenery and a limited budget and dealt with it all with humour and skill. David had it better overall but even so, his proformance shone. He should be very proud.
All in all a very enjoyable and exciting purchase. I have waited 20 years for this programme to return and this was my second purchase of Doctor who. I now want to buy all the rest!
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ratmonkey
4.0 out of 5 stars
The End Complete
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 December 2010Verified Purchase
This is a mixed bag, containing one of the very best episodes written for the show, two ok romps and the hyperbolically silly finale which ends superbly but does take its time to get there. David Tennant's stay in the iconic role defined the brand for this era, so much so that he became a sort of ambassador for the BBC. His presence was felt strongly by the entire nation. The show during his tenure (no pun intended) went from strength to strength, soared in the ratings and became one of the most popular programmes again, cemented by its inclusion in the primetime slot of early evening Christmas Day for annual 'Specials'. Despite what your personal view of the show or Tennant's Doctor is, the fact remains that Doctor Who with David Tennant as the Time Lord did astonishingly well. However, his last few adventures varied wildly in quality and tone.
The first here is the Christmas Special, 'The Next Doctor', from 2008. It was the fourth Christmas Special since the show returned and the fourth featuring David Tennant and the Tenth Doctor (seems strange that, at time of writing - Xmas 2010 - , we're coming towards the sixth series since the show returned and the sixth Christmas Special, but only the first to feature a different Doctor). By then the annual crimbo hour of Who was almost expected and the quality of them had lulled slightly, but they are always great fun to watch and superb Christmas evening viewing. 'The Next Doctor' was very Christmassy, set in Victorian London with all the faux cockerney 'ow's yer faava' that it entails. It is a slight tale, with an overly complicated narrative concerning a plot devised between a megalomaniac anti-heroine (scene-stealingly played, in a deliberately over-the-top manner, by Dervla Kirwan) and some crafty Cybermen that managed to just squeeze out of the split in the void (it does seem increasingly easily done!) to put the cast of Oliver to work in a steampunk version of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory in order to create a giant Bender from Futurama. For some reason. Oh and there are actors in ape-suits with cyber-masks on. For some other reason. Yes it is truly ridiculous but I enjoyed it, especially David Morrissey's turn as 'a' Doctor. It was not award-winning but it was fun on a Christmas tea-time. Out of that context, it is rather below average.
The Easter Special followed with 'Planet of the Dead'. A great title that evoked images of ancient tombs and artifacts and a Lovecraftian alien menace, almost a sci-fi Indiana Jones. What we got was a knackered London Bus that could fly, Lee Evans and a climax that never came. And a walking fly. Michelle Ryan was ok but the character was more interesting than her performance exuded. Lee Evans was welsh. And David Tennant went through the motions. The effects were pretty decent and it wasn't bad but it was a bit nothing. All talk and no trousers. The 'prophecy' at the end was exciting but only made you wish that 'Planet of The Dead' was over so you could get on with finding out how the Tenth Doctor dies.
'Waters of Mars' came as a breath of fresh air (or water) after the two preceding mediocre instalments. It is nothing other than a stunning acheivement. Base under siege Who (or any drama really) is a recipe for tense viewing. The threat, the Flood (nothing to do with Take That), was excellently realised and completely terrifying. The direction was spot on and well paced and the acting calibre was on the button. David Tennant had to raise his game with Lindsay Duncan on the payroll and he struck a perfect balance between jokey and shouty, overdoing neither and completely understanding the place that his character had reached by the end. And it was a dark place. And it was a dark ending but an ending we have never seen before in the show's history with the possible exception of 'Earthshock'. Barn-storming stuff that raised the game considerable and made everyone very keen to watch the two-part finale that was to follow at Christmas and New Year respectively.
When it did finally appear, the finale, 'The End of Time' was a bit of a damp squib, sadly. The first part, broadcast on Christmas Day 2009, was anticipated with slavering delight after the perfection of 'Waters of Mars'. John Simm was back as the Master (how, we didn't care it was just very cool - especially with bleached hair), the Time Lords were hinted at and Donna Noble was to return. Sounded promising. The Master was reanimated by a spell and now had the ability to 'zap' things with his hands together with having an x-ray skull (?), Donna was back for a few slight scenes and when the Time Lords did return, they were 'lever-pulled' back very quickly after a few talky scenes in a dark room. To be fair, the Time Lords' return as the cliffhanger was pretty spectacular but the dross that came before was literally enough to make your head spin. And the culmination of the plot was the Master turning everyone in the world into himself. Very silly.
Part Two was better only because of the end and the Tenth Doctor's wondeful demise. The tieing up of the story was the usual race-against-time shenanigans. The explanantion of the Mater#s drumming noise was trite and seemed handy, rather than creatively woven into the plot, as did the Whitepoint star ridiculousness. It was bad writing really as these things should have been forshadowed earlier, but not by 2 series. The Time Lord forced evolution was interesting and the use of the Doctor's race as baddies was always the way the show should have gone; it worked brilliantly and Timothy Dalton's Rassilon was fantastic. But it all ended with an easy to guess sacrifice from the Master and the Time Lords disappearing back up their rift, if you will, which was lazy. The inclusion of a CGI Gallifrey over Earth was unecessary too and added nothing to the tension, especially with the bad extra-acting as the planet's inhabitants, 'once again!', take to the streets to gasp and point.
But after the Time Lords had slipped away and the Doctor realised he was still alive the denouement, of not only the story but of what felt like the entire series since it returned, was magical. His heroic death to save the excellent Bernard Cribbins as Wilfred Mott was apt and perfect. The character's almost child-like way of dealing with the fact was also interesting as it showed a selfish side, only to form the realisation that it was the right thing to do and his fate was sealed. Many balked about the time it took for the Tenth Doctor to finally regenerate but I liked the way it was done, by visiting all of his companions and comrades and helping them out in some way one last time. And then seeing Rose, which was not overdone and it was actually quite nice to see a pre-Who Rose. And the regeneration itself was, again, narratively sensible. This Doctor HAD to go with a bang. As the energy spewed from David Tennant's Doctor and the TARDIS began to demolish itself in response to the overwhelming power, the nation also felt a little bit of loss. Our Doctor was leaving, his TARDIS was dying. Was the new bloke going to be any good? Can I enjoy a different console room? Etc etc etc.... It was sad. But it was also exciting. And Matt Smith's first minute or so in the Tenth's burning ship perfectly introduced us to him, together with a catchphrase.
A fitting tribute and ascendency for the Doctors and the show. The specials as a whole are great, but individually some are of less quality than others. But it's worth the money alone for 'Waters Of Mars' and the regeneration.
The first here is the Christmas Special, 'The Next Doctor', from 2008. It was the fourth Christmas Special since the show returned and the fourth featuring David Tennant and the Tenth Doctor (seems strange that, at time of writing - Xmas 2010 - , we're coming towards the sixth series since the show returned and the sixth Christmas Special, but only the first to feature a different Doctor). By then the annual crimbo hour of Who was almost expected and the quality of them had lulled slightly, but they are always great fun to watch and superb Christmas evening viewing. 'The Next Doctor' was very Christmassy, set in Victorian London with all the faux cockerney 'ow's yer faava' that it entails. It is a slight tale, with an overly complicated narrative concerning a plot devised between a megalomaniac anti-heroine (scene-stealingly played, in a deliberately over-the-top manner, by Dervla Kirwan) and some crafty Cybermen that managed to just squeeze out of the split in the void (it does seem increasingly easily done!) to put the cast of Oliver to work in a steampunk version of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory in order to create a giant Bender from Futurama. For some reason. Oh and there are actors in ape-suits with cyber-masks on. For some other reason. Yes it is truly ridiculous but I enjoyed it, especially David Morrissey's turn as 'a' Doctor. It was not award-winning but it was fun on a Christmas tea-time. Out of that context, it is rather below average.
The Easter Special followed with 'Planet of the Dead'. A great title that evoked images of ancient tombs and artifacts and a Lovecraftian alien menace, almost a sci-fi Indiana Jones. What we got was a knackered London Bus that could fly, Lee Evans and a climax that never came. And a walking fly. Michelle Ryan was ok but the character was more interesting than her performance exuded. Lee Evans was welsh. And David Tennant went through the motions. The effects were pretty decent and it wasn't bad but it was a bit nothing. All talk and no trousers. The 'prophecy' at the end was exciting but only made you wish that 'Planet of The Dead' was over so you could get on with finding out how the Tenth Doctor dies.
'Waters of Mars' came as a breath of fresh air (or water) after the two preceding mediocre instalments. It is nothing other than a stunning acheivement. Base under siege Who (or any drama really) is a recipe for tense viewing. The threat, the Flood (nothing to do with Take That), was excellently realised and completely terrifying. The direction was spot on and well paced and the acting calibre was on the button. David Tennant had to raise his game with Lindsay Duncan on the payroll and he struck a perfect balance between jokey and shouty, overdoing neither and completely understanding the place that his character had reached by the end. And it was a dark place. And it was a dark ending but an ending we have never seen before in the show's history with the possible exception of 'Earthshock'. Barn-storming stuff that raised the game considerable and made everyone very keen to watch the two-part finale that was to follow at Christmas and New Year respectively.
When it did finally appear, the finale, 'The End of Time' was a bit of a damp squib, sadly. The first part, broadcast on Christmas Day 2009, was anticipated with slavering delight after the perfection of 'Waters of Mars'. John Simm was back as the Master (how, we didn't care it was just very cool - especially with bleached hair), the Time Lords were hinted at and Donna Noble was to return. Sounded promising. The Master was reanimated by a spell and now had the ability to 'zap' things with his hands together with having an x-ray skull (?), Donna was back for a few slight scenes and when the Time Lords did return, they were 'lever-pulled' back very quickly after a few talky scenes in a dark room. To be fair, the Time Lords' return as the cliffhanger was pretty spectacular but the dross that came before was literally enough to make your head spin. And the culmination of the plot was the Master turning everyone in the world into himself. Very silly.
Part Two was better only because of the end and the Tenth Doctor's wondeful demise. The tieing up of the story was the usual race-against-time shenanigans. The explanantion of the Mater#s drumming noise was trite and seemed handy, rather than creatively woven into the plot, as did the Whitepoint star ridiculousness. It was bad writing really as these things should have been forshadowed earlier, but not by 2 series. The Time Lord forced evolution was interesting and the use of the Doctor's race as baddies was always the way the show should have gone; it worked brilliantly and Timothy Dalton's Rassilon was fantastic. But it all ended with an easy to guess sacrifice from the Master and the Time Lords disappearing back up their rift, if you will, which was lazy. The inclusion of a CGI Gallifrey over Earth was unecessary too and added nothing to the tension, especially with the bad extra-acting as the planet's inhabitants, 'once again!', take to the streets to gasp and point.
But after the Time Lords had slipped away and the Doctor realised he was still alive the denouement, of not only the story but of what felt like the entire series since it returned, was magical. His heroic death to save the excellent Bernard Cribbins as Wilfred Mott was apt and perfect. The character's almost child-like way of dealing with the fact was also interesting as it showed a selfish side, only to form the realisation that it was the right thing to do and his fate was sealed. Many balked about the time it took for the Tenth Doctor to finally regenerate but I liked the way it was done, by visiting all of his companions and comrades and helping them out in some way one last time. And then seeing Rose, which was not overdone and it was actually quite nice to see a pre-Who Rose. And the regeneration itself was, again, narratively sensible. This Doctor HAD to go with a bang. As the energy spewed from David Tennant's Doctor and the TARDIS began to demolish itself in response to the overwhelming power, the nation also felt a little bit of loss. Our Doctor was leaving, his TARDIS was dying. Was the new bloke going to be any good? Can I enjoy a different console room? Etc etc etc.... It was sad. But it was also exciting. And Matt Smith's first minute or so in the Tenth's burning ship perfectly introduced us to him, together with a catchphrase.
A fitting tribute and ascendency for the Doctors and the show. The specials as a whole are great, but individually some are of less quality than others. But it's worth the money alone for 'Waters Of Mars' and the regeneration.
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ds
4.0 out of 5 stars
The end of X
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 February 2010Verified Purchase
These specials marked the end of David Tennant's period as everyone's favourite time-travelling busybody who can never leave well-enough alone. It also marked the end of Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner's time with the show. The feeling was that there would be nothing anti-climactic about the end of Ten's time; and so it proved.
After the conclusion of 2008's Series 4 The Doctor strikes out alone in an effort to avoid causing pain to those who mostly choose to travel with him. But what of the adventures themselves?
The Next Doctor is something of a mixed bag. David Morrissey is wonderfully intense as Jackson Lake and the supporting cast, including Dervla Kirwan are nicely and unseasonably icy, but the resolution involving the Cyberking is deeply unsatisfying, possibly being the first tangible sign of RTD's increasing reliance on the deus ex machina to get himself out of plot holes. He also is starting to write the Doctor as an increasingly messianic figure, though the hints at vulnerability at the very end are rather touching.
Planet of The Dead is simply odd and can't really decide what it wants to be. It clearly pays more than passing homage to The Flight Of The Phoenix , but then uses Lee Evans to provide some odd (but not unwelcome) comic relief. There are plot holes aplenty but, once again, the performances are uniformly excellent. And I include the much-derided Michelle Ryan here, who is actually rather spiffy. True, Christina de Souza is a barely concealed Lara Croft clone, but Ryan does her work deftly and provides a nicely sardonic foil to Tennant. It is also in this episode where we start to get some small clues about ten's future and his eventual demise, "he will knock four times", in amongst the Doctor's rhapsodising over the minutiae of average lives that have become as much an RTD writing trope as those of Tarantino or Kevin Smith. Fun but ultimately lightweight.
Then we hit Waters of Mars, which is quite clearly the pick of the bunch here. The claustrophobia and the Doctor's crushing realisation of where and when he is is quite beautifully made flesh. And Lindsay Duncan is quite, quite fabulous. It's not all perfect, though. That bloody robot, Gadget, does grate but does have a part to play (however credibility there is stretched). However, in the last 10 minutes it gets even better, with the Doctor's latest meddling resulting in an unexpected and messy conclusion. Of course it also serves to immediately rein in The Doctor's burgeoning monomania: however much he tries, some things just are not fated to be changed, because 'little people' get in the way. This little passage was probably the most shocking one of these specials and shows that Davies' instincts for good dialogue and characterisation are still very strong indeed when he does get it right.
Given the hype and the kitchen sink being thrown at the series 4 finale, it was fair to assume that the final two part adventure that ends Tennant's time as the Doctor was not going to be an understated affair. As a result there were lots of things in The End of Time to love: John Simm's increasingly unhinged Master; the rather tender interactions between Ten and (undoubted national treasure) Bernard Cribbins' Wilf. And then there was Timothy Dalton and the increasingly complex and twisty plot (but once again shot through with holes - if Gallifrey was indeed timelocked, just how could they get that White Point Star out of the lock? Hmmm). And this was the central problem of the last story: RTD's insistence on continually gilding the narrative lily, including the last 15 minutes of the second part. I simply thought Tennant's regen sequence was way too long and way too self-indulgent. If he'd pared things down to the Sarah-Jane segment, Donna's wedding then Rose he may have got away with it. As it was the Jack and Mickey/Martha inserts felt a bit arbitrary and bolted on. It partially spoiled what could have been pitch perfect.
But, the first few seconds of XI look really rather promising: "Chin - blimey!"
I think that these specials ultimately show that RT has made the right decision. There is a danger that to stay any longer would have seen the creative well run dry. As it is, I think he just about gets away with it, and leaves Steve Moffat a blank canvas to work form. I'm looking forward to it already.
As ever, with the annual Who releases, the series extras are compendious and worth splashing the cash for: stripped back Confidential episodes, commentaries and video diaries all help to fill out the already good material.
After the conclusion of 2008's Series 4 The Doctor strikes out alone in an effort to avoid causing pain to those who mostly choose to travel with him. But what of the adventures themselves?
The Next Doctor is something of a mixed bag. David Morrissey is wonderfully intense as Jackson Lake and the supporting cast, including Dervla Kirwan are nicely and unseasonably icy, but the resolution involving the Cyberking is deeply unsatisfying, possibly being the first tangible sign of RTD's increasing reliance on the deus ex machina to get himself out of plot holes. He also is starting to write the Doctor as an increasingly messianic figure, though the hints at vulnerability at the very end are rather touching.
Planet of The Dead is simply odd and can't really decide what it wants to be. It clearly pays more than passing homage to The Flight Of The Phoenix , but then uses Lee Evans to provide some odd (but not unwelcome) comic relief. There are plot holes aplenty but, once again, the performances are uniformly excellent. And I include the much-derided Michelle Ryan here, who is actually rather spiffy. True, Christina de Souza is a barely concealed Lara Croft clone, but Ryan does her work deftly and provides a nicely sardonic foil to Tennant. It is also in this episode where we start to get some small clues about ten's future and his eventual demise, "he will knock four times", in amongst the Doctor's rhapsodising over the minutiae of average lives that have become as much an RTD writing trope as those of Tarantino or Kevin Smith. Fun but ultimately lightweight.
Then we hit Waters of Mars, which is quite clearly the pick of the bunch here. The claustrophobia and the Doctor's crushing realisation of where and when he is is quite beautifully made flesh. And Lindsay Duncan is quite, quite fabulous. It's not all perfect, though. That bloody robot, Gadget, does grate but does have a part to play (however credibility there is stretched). However, in the last 10 minutes it gets even better, with the Doctor's latest meddling resulting in an unexpected and messy conclusion. Of course it also serves to immediately rein in The Doctor's burgeoning monomania: however much he tries, some things just are not fated to be changed, because 'little people' get in the way. This little passage was probably the most shocking one of these specials and shows that Davies' instincts for good dialogue and characterisation are still very strong indeed when he does get it right.
Given the hype and the kitchen sink being thrown at the series 4 finale, it was fair to assume that the final two part adventure that ends Tennant's time as the Doctor was not going to be an understated affair. As a result there were lots of things in The End of Time to love: John Simm's increasingly unhinged Master; the rather tender interactions between Ten and (undoubted national treasure) Bernard Cribbins' Wilf. And then there was Timothy Dalton and the increasingly complex and twisty plot (but once again shot through with holes - if Gallifrey was indeed timelocked, just how could they get that White Point Star out of the lock? Hmmm). And this was the central problem of the last story: RTD's insistence on continually gilding the narrative lily, including the last 15 minutes of the second part. I simply thought Tennant's regen sequence was way too long and way too self-indulgent. If he'd pared things down to the Sarah-Jane segment, Donna's wedding then Rose he may have got away with it. As it was the Jack and Mickey/Martha inserts felt a bit arbitrary and bolted on. It partially spoiled what could have been pitch perfect.
But, the first few seconds of XI look really rather promising: "Chin - blimey!"
I think that these specials ultimately show that RT has made the right decision. There is a danger that to stay any longer would have seen the creative well run dry. As it is, I think he just about gets away with it, and leaves Steve Moffat a blank canvas to work form. I'm looking forward to it already.
As ever, with the annual Who releases, the series extras are compendious and worth splashing the cash for: stripped back Confidential episodes, commentaries and video diaries all help to fill out the already good material.
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