Doctor Who - The Complete Third Series (2007/BBC DVD)
Picture:
B- Sound: B- Extras: B Episodes: A+
When the
BBC announced that Dr. Who was
returning in 2005 it was met with equal parts exultation and trepidation by
many long-time fans of the classic sci-fi show that had spanned three decades
and seven different "Doctors". Since then the wonderful talents at BBC have
proven themselves with three seasons of absolutely dynamic science fiction
television. Season Three of Dr. Who
again features David Tennant as The Doctor, pairing him this time with the
effervescent Freema Agyeman in the role of Matha Jones, his latest companion. The six-disc boxed set does begin with the 2006 Christmas Special ("The Bride"), co-starring British
Comedian Catherine Tate as the Doctor's first companion after losing Rose
(Billie Piper) at the end of the Second Series. Although Tate's character does not stay, she
is ably replaced by Agyeman's "Martha Jones", whose unique blend of
sexiness, spirit, and smarts make her a most capable companion for the
universe's last remaining Time Lord.
All of
the episodes in this season meet the high standards set by series one and two,
but some shine more brightly than others. The two-part story told in
"Human Nature" and "The Family of Blood" is simply
breathtaking in both its sadness and in its embodiment of the many themes that
make up the overall landscape of Dr. Who over the past five decades. Set in 1913 on the eve of the start of WWI,
the Doctor and Martha arrive very much on the run from a group of blood-thirsty
aliens bent on stealing the Time Lord's immortality. To effectively hide from them and allow their
alien energies to burn themselves out, the Doctor transforms himself into a
human and takes on the role of a school master at military academy in the
English countryside. His memories
suppressed by the transformation, Martha remains the Doctor's only link to who
he really is. As his human life unfolds
the alien brood closes in, and the now human Doctor is forced to make a
terrible choice, and an incredible personal sacrifice to save the residents of
the tiny town from further harm. The end result will surely move most watching
to tears.
The
return of Jack Harkness and his role in the new Torchwood operation play heavily
into the last handful of episodes for this season. In the end the Doctor seems to find himself
alone again, but what other fate could an immortal Time Lord expect? Tennant's Dr. Who is frenetic and
indefatigable, but also played with a touch more sadness than Christopher
Eccleston's eighth incarnation of the Doctor from Season One. Commentaries
from Tennant, Agyeman, and others provide tremendous insight into the show, and
numerous deleted scenes and outtakes show the principles' tremendous at their craft
of making this series happen.
Audio and
visual quality on this set is high for a TV show. The anamorphically enhanced
1.78 X 1 widescreen presentation of the episodes only helps to add a
movie-quality to the caliber production values already realized the show's
creators and crew. The BBC knew they had
to put money into the show after so many decades of the original’s run. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is one of the
healthier for a TV production, though not stunning, still more effective than
most. The show always did have
interesting sound. Dialogue is also
well recorded, but you may still have issues with the accents depending on your
hearing and a given section of words.
The
frenetic manner in which Tennant plays the Doctor sometimes causes him to run
lines together, and the numerous British actors can create problems for the
American viewer with an untrained ear for the Queen's English. Simply turning on the English subtitles
alleviates this problem.
Extras
include the following audio commentary tracks on the following episodes: David
Tennant on The Runaway Bride, Russell
T. Davies & Tennant on Smith and
Jones + Utopia, Tennant & Christina
Cole on The Shakespeare Code, Julie
Gardner, Travis Oliver & Marie Jones on Gridlock,
Helen Raynor, Miranda Raison & Louise Page on Daleks in Manhattan, Tennant & Mark Gatliss on The Lazarus Experiment, Davies & Chris
Chibnall on 42, Charles Palmer, Paul
Cornell & Murray Gold on Human Nature,
Susie Liggat, Tracie Simpson & Arwel Wyn-Jones on The Family of Blood, Steven Moffat & Murray Gold on Blink, Gardner & Phil Collinson on The Sound of Drums and Freema Agyeman &
John Barrowman on Last of the Time Lords. You also get Doctor Who Confidential, Music
and Monsters, Freema's tour of the studio, Tennant's Video Diaries, deleted
scenes and outtakes. Talk about loaded.
In the
end a lonely Doctor runs afoul of the Titanic, providing a perfect lead-in for
the 2007 Christmas special, recently aired on BBC1, and currently unavailable
in the United States. As with last year's
special, this one will likely wind up on boxed set for Season Four. Both for new
and old fans alike, Dr. Who provides an unbeatable combination of sci-fi camp
and pathos backed up by brilliantly written stories and wonderful performances
that encompass the briefest extra to Tennant and Agyeman themselves. For fans of Dr. Who, Doctor Who - The Complete Third Series is quite simply mandatory
viewing.
- Scott R. Pyle
