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DVD Doctor Who - The Complete First Series
The venerable science fiction program Doctor Who returned to British televisions in 2005 after a 15-year absence and delighted the majority of fans and critics with its adherence to the adventure and charm of the original series while making admissions for a new generation of viewers (hipper editing and score, CGI effects). Thirteen episodes were generated, all starring Christopher Eccleston as the ninth Doctor and pop-singer-turned-actress Billie Piper as his companion Rose; acclaimed writer/producer Russell T. Davies (Touching Evil, Queer as Folk) oversaw the show as chief writer and executive producer. The new series proved so popular that the BBC agreed to revive the program for second and third seasons--though without Eccleston, who has since been replaced by David Tennant. This six-disc set comes with all 13 episodes plus the battery of supplemental features now customary to all Doctor Who DVD releases.
Eccleston is very engaging in the title role, bringing a manic curiosity tempered by occasional bouts of gravity (which befit a personality with a long and dramatic a lifespan as the Doctor's) that hew closely to the (arguably) most popular Doctor, Tom Baker. Piper is equally adept as department store clerk Rose--she's afforded more of a back story than most of the Doctor's sidekicks have received in the past, and she more than handles her own alongside Eccleston. Highlights among the 13 episodes include the season opener, "Rose" (which sees the return of an old foe, the Autons, and their controlling force, the Nestene Consciousness); the revamped Daleks in "Dalek" and the two-parter "Bad Wolf" and "The Parting of the Ways"; a trip to Victorian England to aid Charles Dickens in "The Unquiet Dead," and of course, the arrival of the tenth Doctor at the conclusion of the action-packed "Parting of the Ways." The episodes strike the right blend of quirk, excitement, and imagination, thanks largely to the engaging performances and the guidance of Davies, whose admiration for the show and its history is evident throughout.
Supplemental features--and there are many--including commentary on all 13 episodes by members of the cast and crew, including Piper and Davies; numerous making-of featurettes, including a profile of Davies; a video diary by Piper; an interview with Eccleston, and best of all, a glimpse at the 60-minute Christmas special, "The Christmas Invasion," which picks up where the series concludes. Who fans won't be disappointed. --Paul Gaita
Review(s): DVD Doctor Who - The Complete First Series
What have they done to it?
I was quite excited at the prospect of a new Doctor Who series - the old show is a classic, a powerful icon of sci-fi culture. What we have here, however, is a greatly flawed revamp of the show. The writer and producers obviously went all out to reshape and redefine the entire Dr Who legend, no doubt to draw in a new generation of viewers. One aspect you could definitely describe as an improvement - the CG effects are quite impressive and lightyears ahead of what they had twenty years ago. Apart from that, however, there is little that I can say in its favour. It has a sleekness to it which is very modern, and perhaps over-emphasised. The main issues I have with this version are:
The One Episode Story Format over the Old Multi-Episode Story Format: Most stories in the old Doctor Who ran for several half-hour episodes. At the end of each half-hour there would be some sort of cliff-hanger. In this new version, the setting for the story is introduced, the Dr and his companions walk around finding out what is going on, and after twenty minutes or so, a highly dangerous situation would become a apparent - eg. A practically unstoppable Dalek becomes active. Then the pace would begin to quicken, the situation would appear hopeless, and in some completely corny way, it would be resolved in the final couple of minutes.
In the meantime, we would be subject to an enormous amount of sentimentality as the Dr and his companions talk about their feelings or gaze into each other's eyes or something else as equally inane and inappropriate for the situation they are in. Why so much emotionalism? Is it due to that Russell T. Davies guy? Is he forgetting which genre Dr Who is? Please get a new writer.
By changing the format of the show, they have sabotaged a very effective formula for the telling of stories in the Dr Who universe. It worked for decades. Why did they change it?
This format also includes the most grating musical scores I have ever been subjected to. It mirrors the exponentially accelerating pace of each episode, getting louder and more obnoxious as it moves along. By the time you get to the overly-dramatic and implausible resolution of the episode, you are being bombarded by a cacophony of sound right off the decibel range. It doesn't add to the drama, it just enrages you.
The last issue I wish to mention is the layout of the TARDIS - it's organic look, like a greenhouse merged with a bad abstract painting, doesn't work. The console might look appropriate in a old oil refinery that nature has tried to claim back, but not as the central controls and brain of a ultra-advanced space/time vehicle. What highly advanced beings would design something like that?!
Doctor Who, First Season
At first I had a hard time getting used to the new Doctor, having such a fondness for Tom Baker. I soon fell in love with the whole show, however. I find the interaction of Rose with the characters from different times interesting; it's more personal and engaging than the older series. More suspensful, too. The fact that the film makers kept most of the series Earth-related is slightly disappointing, but I think it was because of both budget and visual considerations. It adds something to the show to have a lot of outdoor shots and not just studio scenes; it makes it more easy to relate to. Overall, I think it's fantastic!
Good reboot of classic series
I used to be strangely fascinated with Dr Who in my younger days. His explorations of weird planets and his encounters with bizarre creatures and enemies, from the daleks and cybermen to hostile algae and pool machines, were strangely captivating (despite the tacky special effects). Still, the series deserved its place as a classic.
For a while, Dr Who went quiet. There was one telemovie but no series. The BBC handed the task to Russel T. Davies, the writer who created the telemovie 'The Second Coming.' Christopher Eccleston was chosen for the role of the doctor, while Billie Piper (a very pretty pop singer with a strong accent) was chosen to be his companion.
The new series was made in 2005 and shown in several countries. We are reintroduced to some old enemies (the daleks) and also some new ones. We also learn some new things about what happens to humanity in the future, and also some things about our past.
Overall the new series is much more faster paced than the classical series have been. The first reason appears to be that instead of five episode stories which slowly lead up to their conclusion, a story is usually self contained in a single episode. The new series tends to have far more action and less 'cerebral' meditation on arcane science fiction ideas, perhaps because Davies wanted to appeal to a younger audience with a shorter attention span.
The weakness of the new series is that some of the stories seem to lead nowhere, are executed too quickly, and at times the emotional interaction between Rose (Billie Piper) and those around her gets too sentimental at times. Still, I have generally enjoyed the format of the new series, as well as the ideas and the reappearance of old enemies.
Related DVD's Doctor Who - The Complete First Series
David Tennant is brilliant as the Doctor. Taking over for Christopher Eccleston was no easy task but Tennant has lived up to the task and in many ways surpassed Eccleston. Tennant is a lot like the Doctor of old. Very eccentric, child like and full of enthusiam and charm. Tennant was the original pick to be the Doctor but contracted to another show Christopher Eccleston filled the Doctors shoes till Tennant was released. And again back is Rose. The Doctor and Rose have such incredible chemistry together. They compliment each other on many levels. Sarah Jane returns with K-9 in this season. She picks up right where she left off in a very touching and thrilling episode. No wonder she is the Fans favorite companion. She fits right in along with Rose and the Doctor. This episode sheds light... More Info about this DVD DVD Release Date: 16 January 2007
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