Doctor Who: The Complete Second Series (Repackage/DVD)

How do you improve on the near perfection of the reborn "Doctor Who" starring Christopher Eccleston? Quite easily, when you have stories like "School Reunion," "The Girl in the Fireplace," "The Impossible Planet," and "The Satan Pit," to name just a few, but... I'm getting ahead of myself here! For those of us of a "certain age," as we say in England - that's the wrong side of 40! LOL! - and remember the origins of the series waaaaaaaaay back in the 60's, then spent the subsequent decades suffering through more cardboard sets and rubber monsters than you could shake a stick at - the Daleks being honorable exceptions of course! - the rebirth of the venerable Doctor in 2005 was a revelation. The stories had been tightened-up considerably - no running up and down endless corridor filler here! - the budget for a single episode appeared to be more than was spent on an entire series from the good-old-days, the production values/sfx were stellar, the writing tight and dramatic, bringing the Doctor and his Companion thoroughly up-to-date without losing the essence of the original. In Chris Eccleston they had, at last, a genuine, heavyweight Thesp playing the Doctor, an actor who could not only handle the edgier, more grown-up aspects of the new stories, but could also inject an element of the manic/slightly unhinged into his performance, similar to the much-loved Tom Baker. And any worries that Billie Piper would not be up to the job, dramatically, were soon laid to rest... and how!!! To say that us fans were spoiled by the 2005 series was putting it mildly, then as the season climaxed with the superlative "Bad Wolf" and "Parting of the Ways," we were all thrown for a loop when given a "regeneration scene" and a NEW Doctor! What were the BBC thinking about, were they crazy?!?!?! The short answer is "No," the casting of David Tennant was every bit as inspired as his predecessor; he actually managed to up the manic-quotient without going completely bonkers, and brought a kind of geeky coolness to the character we hadn't seen before! And then there was "Rose;" oh my goodness, in all it's years, there has NEVER been a companion for the Doctor like Rose Tyler. Unlike practically all previous companions, Rose is a character in her own right, with her own back story, fully realized, she is, dramatically at least, the Doctor's equal. Her development, from London shop-girl, to time traveler, explorer of the universe, and killer of Daleks, helps drive the stories in a new, more emotionally fulfilling direction. After the roller coaster ride of Season 1 with it's "Bad Wolf" story arc, Season 2 scaled things back ever so slightly, but invested even more time and effort in exploring the relationship between the unearthly Doctor, and the all-too-human Rose. This is tackled head-on in the 4th episode, "School Reunion," which goes some way to answering the question of what happens to the companions after they have stopped travelling with the Time Lord; a stand-out episode, it re-introduces Elizabeth Sladen's "Sarah Jane Smith." I don't want to say too much about any particular episode for those who haven't seen the series yet, but the scene where Sarah Jane discovers the TARDIS and its owner made the hair on the back of my neck stand up! Later in the episode there's an affecting scene between the Doctor and Rose as he tries to explain to her why he can't allow himself to become emotionally involved with his Human companions... he's practically immortal, we're not. The next episode, "The girl in the fireplace," perfectly illustrates the preceding point, when the Doctor allows himself to become attached to Madame de Pompadour, whilst simultaneously battling clockwork androids on a derelict starship in the far future! "Rise of the Cybermen" and "Age of Steel" successfully reinvents one of the Doctors most popular adversaries, whilst "The impossible planet" and "The Satan pit" set-up some very Alien-esque chills in a wonderful two-parter. The series ends, just as did Season 1, with another amazing two-part story, "Army of Ghosts" and the aptly titled "Doomsday," which sees the Daleks fighting it out with the new-and-improved Cybermen for control of planet Earth; to steal a line from the totally execrable AvP, "Whoever wins, we lose!" LOL! It's difficult to know which fate would be worse, having the whole planet "upgraded" by the Cybermen, or flayed and filleted through the Daleks genetic labs to help create an even bigger and more murderous Dalek army!!! This is a superb story to end the season, but be warned, the finale is... emotional! There's a nice recurring theme in the series concerning the "Torchwood Institute," which becomes central to the final two episodes, and if this set is the first you've seen of Season 2, DO make sure you watch the "Children in Need" episode in the "Special Features" section of the set FIRST. It acts as a coda to Season 1, as well as a prologue to Season 2, and explains the somewhat crazed materialization of the TARDIS, as well as the Doctor himself, in the rollicking first episode, "The Christmas Invasion." Any worries I had that the quality of the first season could not be maintained were unfounded... if you enjoyed Season 1, grab Season 2 immediately, you won't regret it!

When Doctor Who returned to our screens in 2005, even for the disinterested, it was probably THE British TV event of the year. For the die hard fans, it was a dream come true. Finally the BBC was giving it the profile, the budget, the schedule and the kudos that they felt it had always deserved. Russell T. Davis had reinvented a classic TV icon and made it even more exciting than ever and Christopher Eccleston brought a new edge to the world's longest running sci-fi TV hero. But before the first season had even run its course, Eccleston was gone. Never explaining why, after the huge relaunch, the BBC were already having to recast the role, running the risk of losing everything they'd built up in such a short space of time. Thankfully, (unlike so many times in the 1980's) the production team made a truly inspired decision to cast David Tennant in the role of the Doctor and keep the new found dynamism on track. Here is the complete first season of Tennant's stint as the Time Lord from Gallifrey, which I personally hope will be the first of many. He really has taken the role to heart and developed a truly engaging and charismatic Doctor - one that's on a par with the great Tom Baker for sure and outdoing many others who've taken the role in the past. All 14 episodes are included, starting with the hour-long 2005 Christmas special, followed by the 13 45-minute episodes from the spring of 2006. There are many fans of course who aren't particularly enamored of the new approach to their favorite time traveler. It is fair to say that the whole concept has become rather `soapy'. It's certainly no stretch to see that Eastenders seems to have a big influence over the style of the new direction. Whereas it brings an edge of reality to the series to flesh out the lives and emotions of the Doctor and his companions, it has to be said that in this particular season, that emotion is being somewhat overplayed. Sarah-Jane Smith is back at the Doctor's side in `School Reunion' after having been dumped from the TARDIS back in 1976. It's great to see Elisabeth Sladen back on form, but from a continuity point, it's not really true to the original series. Sarah-Jane did already meet up with the Doctor again, back in the 1983 20th anniversary special, The Five Doctors, and the hurt and despair explored now ignores that particular narrative completely. Every episode seems to have some emotional turmoil between the Doctor's current companion, Rose, and the Time Lord himself, which seems to always be edging them towards at least a romantic relationship, if not a full-blown sexual one. After a while, it seems this sub-text is always getting in the way of the main narrative of each story. Even the long awaited and definitely overdue clash between the Doctor's two most famous enemies, The Daleks and The Cybermen, is eventually pushed into the background to develop more of the Doctor/Rose relationship. It's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just overplayed. I for one would like to see less of Rose's emotions and those of her family and hopefully in the 2007 season, new characters will be handled differently. There are fewer extras than were included on the Eccleston season release, possibly to accommodate the extra episode. The short interim piece shown on the BBC's Children in Need charity telethon is included and there's a commentary for each story, often with on-screen visuals. A sixth disc includes the accompanying Doctor Who Confidential, behind the scenes documentaries, but there's little else. It's still a great package nonetheless. I hope the rumors of David Tennant's departure during the 2008 season are false. He's such a great Doctor; it would be a shame to lose him. But so far, most of the rumors about the series that have done the rounds have all pretty much turned out to be true. Still, they moved effortlessly from Eccleston to Tennant, so presumably they can do the same again. In the meantime, here's some wonderful Doctor Who to enjoy again.

It always struck me that Christopher Eccelston's Christmas Day interview with the BBC in 2005--the day that "Doctor Who" was rebooted for the 21st century--was ironic. He knew, because the complete first season was shot, that he wasn't coming back; which was why his mention of the Doctor's ability to regenerate was so...telling... But maybe Chris also had a clue about the coming storm that was David Tennant. Tennant's Doctor--Ten, as other reviewers refer to him--spiritually does connect back to Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor, but David captures a joy in his Doctor that Baker didn't seem to have. Both their Doctors seem to understand the "stream of thought" concept in line delivery that captures the TimeLord's essence...but Tennant has a fun with his interpretation that Baker either wasn't allowed or couldn't express in his 1974-1981 run. As a result, David pushes the envelope from where Eccelston had the Doctor at the end of his run. While being far more joyful, Tennant also seems to capture the core sadness and anger of The Doctor, and those moments seems starker and more striking when they occur. Because Russell T. Davies allows Ten to be more of a romantic, there are some stunning moments through the season. In many ways, "School Reunion" and "The Girl In The Fireplace" plays as a two-part episode. "School Reunion" brings Elisabeth Sladen back to the Whoniverse as The Doctor's former companion, Sarah Jane Smith, and allows for a discussion--aside from the main storyline--that the previous run of Doctor Who might not have broached. The scene in which Sarah Jane, sneaking through the school at night, discovers the TARDIS, and then turns to find Tennant and realizes who he is--is joyous, but quickly turns heartbreaking when Sarah Jane vents at The Doctor for leaving her...which in turn, makes The Doctor talk about his reality--that he loses those he cares about, no matter what. This is a theme that plays out in "The Girl In The Fireplace", where the TimeLord develops a strong attraction to Sophia Myles' Madame de Pompadour (Tennant's great line after Myles kisses him--"I just snogged Madame de Pompadour!!!"--is a wonderful kick). Tennant's interpretation of The Doctor is a wonderful match for Billie Piper's Rose Tyler. Watching the Doctor grow closer to Rose--we understand his reluctance, but she won't deny her feelings--is marvelous. Camille Coduri's Jackie Tyler is scattered and charming, and Noel Clarke's Mickey Smith matures courageously and sadly through the series--Mickey comes to accept Rose's attraction to The Doctor, but also comes to grip with larger responsibilities in "Rise Of The Cybermen" and "The Age Of Steel" that give him a place and purpose. This box set is about the line that opens--and closes--this season, which is why this review is titled as such. From the opening to the Daleks/Cybermen smackdown that finishes the season in "Army Of Ghosts" and "Doomsday", this season allows for a more thorough introduction to The Doctor and his world, allows longtime viewers to see the heart (Hearts, since he has two) of the preeminent character in British Science Fiction. Though there will always be an element of mystery clouding The Doctor, Davies and Tennant allow us to see more of the TimeLord than we've seen over the years...his strength, his humor, his devotion to life and this planet...in short, a greater understanding of "who the 'ell he is...", and this is continued in Tennant's run in Seasons Three and Four. This set--highly recommended.

It was a good show.

The return of Dr. Who is the most exciting thing that has happened to Science Fiction TV since Star Trek The Next Generation premiered-- and much less disappointing. David Tennant is a funny, versatile, sexy doctor. Although I miss the edginess of Christopher Eccleston, Tennant is terrific-- immediately likable. He's like a Doctor with ADD, sometimes almost manic in his characterization, sometimes sad, very emotional, but always with a very firm set of internal guidelines and invincibility. This doctor has accepted who he is, has come to terms with the life of a Time Lord, and more than anything lets you see how alien he really is. This season has some of the saddest episodes I can recall- three real tear jerkers, and for the first time we actually get to see the Doctor in a potentially romantic capacity. I love his delight in exploring the universe-- when confronted with a huge, menacing werewolf his first reaction is, "Beautiful!" Billie Piper as Rose is a good counterpart to this as they both frequently get caught up in the fun of traveling-- yes they are facing horrible villains and having to save the world on an episodic basis but they are also just plain HAVING FUN. It is a delight to see Elizabeth Sladen back as Sarah Jane Smith and also to see K-9 back. Although I wasn't completely happy with the bitter portrayal of Sarah Jane, I can see what the writers were doing and can see that it made sense in light of the story. I DO wish the series hadn't spent so much time with Rose's family. More than half of the episodes centered on Rose, her mother, her father and Mickey and it was, frankly, tiresome. Companions are not supposed to have baggage! I realize that the writers were trying to explore this aspect of the show because it had never really been done before however that's always been part of the charm of Dr. Who-- the thought that he can pick up a companion, take them out of time and space with no thoughts for whomever they might leave behind. That's a minor quibble, however. Dr. Who rocks! Dr. Who rules! Long live Dr. Who!

Fear this DVD set, at least if you are pressed for time. A season full of thoroughly entertaining, enjoyable science fiction TV episodes straight from the UK are to be found within, and the temptation to put the next disc in and keep watching is terribly hard to resist. David Tennant certainly had some pretty big shoes to fill (nine pairs of them, actually), but he has really done a wonderful job in taking on the role of the eccentric space/time-wandering Doctor. He's as delightfully quirky as ever, yet in a more hyperactive manner. Full of frenetic humor and yet less distant emotionally, with more warmth and less sarcasm than his immediate predecessor. This makes him a bit more likeable but also a bit too human perhaps; it's easier to forget that he's not of this earth, although traces of #9's convincingly alien mean streak remain. And his oddball sense of wonder in the face of the unknown--even werewolves have a certain "beauty" for him. In general, Tennant's Doctor will prove to be a memorable one, I suspect, faithfully true to the character's general persona while engagingly eccentric in its own very unique way. The storytelling has thankfully improved very much since the prior season. Don't get me wrong, I liked "The Complete First Series" quite a bit, but this second time around the plotlines seem less rushed and the solutions less sudden and out of left field. More of the stories are two-parters, which helps immensely in this regard. After all, the good old classic "Doctor Who" tales gradually developed through four episodes of about half an hour each; two hour-long episodes back-to-back amounts to much the same thing, which may be about the ideal time necessary for a Doctor Who plot to unfold. This season has a good mix of stories too. Many are good solid straight science fiction, and this is especially so of "Rise of the Cybermen" (okay, even if the Cybermen's inventor does seem like a carbon copy of Davros), and along the same lines the Doomsday battle between two classic Doctor Who foes in the season finale is totally and utterly inspired! I've dreamed of such a confrontation ever since I was a nerdy teenager watching this show religiously on PBS. More characteristic perhaps of the season as a whole though are stories that straddle the boundary between sci-fi and horror in intriguing ways, including a face-off with the devil himself. Sounds corny, but it's actually pulled off well, downright scary but with just the right dose of agnostic ambiguity. Not every episode is a masterpiece, of course. The masterpieces wouldn't stand out then. And everyone will have their favorites. But overall this is a fine year's worth of an excellent show in its latest incarnation, the New New New New New New New New New New Doctor Who.

I am another viewer who has been a long-time fan of the original show. When I first heard about the new series a few years ago, I was unsure. In fact, I was sure that I was going to hate it. After all, I'd hated the TV movie and I knew that nothing new could ever live up to the best of the original series. (Though of course, rotting pond scum would be an improvement on the WORST of the original series.) Then I caught the first episode of the new series -- and shocked myself by loving it. Enough to immediately buy the region2 DVDs, which were the only ones available at the time. (Which were then replaced by region1 as soon as THEY became available. It didn't feel quite like "Dr. Who", but it was entertaining nonetheless, with good acting and good production values. Now, onto series 2. I haven't seen all of it yet. (Disc 2 of my set was defective, so until the nice folks at Amazon send me my replacment set, I have to miss out on Sarah Jane's return.) And ... I like it ... The worst stories ("New Earth") are a bit better than rotting pond scum, and the best come very close to the best of the original. But Yes, it's a new series. Yes, it's wonderful that it has the budget to do things with a thousand times more flash than the original. But flash can't replace heart, and there IS a definite lack of heart. And the sexual tension between Rose and the Doctor (which is much stronger in the second series than the first, if only because Tennant is so much younger and classically hearts-throb gorgeous than his predecessor) is a poor replacement for the more fatherly love and concern that we saw in the original. Yes, any one of the doctors would have sacrificed his life for any one of his companions. Sexual love is not required for that sort of emotional attachment. Tennent also seems to never quite convince that he's an alien -- a non-human character with exeptional intelligence, but with real characer flaws. He seems to teeter between utterly human and utterly god. On the positive side, the 2nd series gets points for making at least an effort to remember its roots. Too often the Doctor, and indeed the series (think console room) seems to completely forget that it had an existance before Rose appeared. But here we see real Daleks and Cybermen. The Doctor mentions, however briefly, previous planets and previous adventures. And my daughter and I had a blast ticking off all the similirities between the alternate universe Cyberman story here (forget the title), and Troughton's "Invasion." Now, if they could just remember that they're supposed to be telling compelling stories rather than demonstrating their ability to generate fantastic CG characters, they'll REALLY have something worth watching.

First off, there is a minor audio issue with the surround background music overwhelming the dialogue of the actors. I haven't found a resolution and just turned up my volume. Subtitles/closed caption will help with this minor issue. Also image is very crisp and special effects are wonderful on this DVD set compared to Sci-Fi channel airings. Also, there are no shorted episodes like those aired on TV. Now, it's onto my review of this DVD set. This is a brilliant continuation where Christopher Eccelston left off in the first new series of Doctor Who. David Tennant (regenerated 10th doctor) and Billie Piper (companion- Rose Tyler from the last doctor) start us with the Christmas invasion with the colorful cast of Jackie and Mickey who are Rose's mum and pal/pseudo-boyfriend. Tennant quickly develops his similar style in loud and snide comments as Eccelston did last year. However, he adds another side of humor which is more physical and serious than Eccelston. Piper is pretty much herself and the mother character is more hilarious and kookier than Rose's sweet nature. Insecure Mickey is a great contrast to Piper's commanding tone. Episodes fit nicely one after the other. Favorite episodes are listed below and Doctor Who Confidential are on the last disc for behind the scenes. * Rise of Cybermen (Part 1) * Age of Steel (Part 2) * New Earth * Girl in Fireplace * Impossible Planet (Part 1) * Satan's Pit (Part 2) Here are a listing of our favorite heros/villans. * Cybermen- still the same but interesting storylines * Daleks- slightly upgraded with levitation powers (I prefered the rolling droids) * K-9- robot dog from the Tom Baker years * Sarah Jane- from the 3rd & 4th doctor series * Jackie- Rose's Mom and also cougar who preys on young lads and the Doctor * Mickey/Ricky- Rose's buddy and parallel universe "Mickey" Also, here are the last couple of episodes before actor Tennant regenerates to actor Matt Smith. I have the reviews for these episodes already available on DVD. * The New Doctor (with David Morrissey)- Christmas special 2008 * Planet of the Dead (with Michele Ryan)- Easter special 2009 The soon to be released Tennant final episdoes are as follows: * The Waters of Mars- aired November 2009 * End of Time (Parts 1 and 2)- will air December 2009 and January 2010

We are completely hooked on this series. The BBC does everything with such depth of plot and character development. Even the fact that this is total fantasy there are plot issues that are very applicable to today's world issues. When we started watching Dr. Who it was with some trepidation, thinking maybe this is not for us...baby-boomers, but we were so pleasantly surprised and drawn in to the characters and themes that I can honestly say we're hooked and have recommended the series to all of our friends.

I collected the first series volumes, and I loved Eccleston's Doctor, but David Tennent was a great Doctor from the start, and defently the best so far. I did think, when I was ordering this box set that it wouldn't be as good as Eccleston's series, but trust me, I was wrong. This is what I thought of the Episodes: The Christmas Invasion. 9/10 This was a great opening Episode. Tennent really made you want to watch the next episode, he was funny, sarcastic, and really impressed me with his fighting. New Earth. 7/10 I was pleased to see Cassandra again, as I had enjoyed the end of the World in series one. But Cassandra wasn't exactly the villian, except the fact she nicked Roses body. She could've been a bit more evil. Tooth and Claw. 9/10 This was a great episode, scary and funny. I loved it when everyone where terrified of the werewolf, but the first time the Doctor saw it, he was dilighted. The School Reunion: 8/10 I was pleased to see Sarah Jane and K9 and enjoyed the Krilatines, that were an origonal monster for the docter. The Girl in the Fireplace: 9/10 I loved the Droids, slightly scary, but extreamily fun, and it was great to see Mickey working with the Doctor in the TARDIS and the Horse made the episode great. The Rise of the Cyberman/The Age of Steel: 10/10 It was great for Rose's Dad to enter the cast for both episodes, and the return of the Cybermen was done perfectly. It also showed Mickey's rise from Zero to Hero, which was great. I think Mickey saw Rickey was him in the future. Brave and clever. The Idiot's lantern. 7/10 This was one of the great episodes which shows what Rose means to the Doctor, when Rose is imprisoned. The mini motorbike was great! The Immpossible Planet/The Satan Pit. 9/10 I loved the Ood, and the Devil was one of the Doctor's best enemies yet. Great Episode! Love and Monesters 2/10 Was Rubbish! I would have given it 0/10, if Peter Kay hadn't been in it. The Doctor and Rose had 5 minutes in it, and all it was was some guy called Elton in front of a recorder, telling his life story. Fear her 8/10 This made up for the last episode, set in 2012 olympics, with a Kid for the villian. This made it great, and it was very personal, with kid's dissapearing. Army of Ghosts 9/10 Great, to see the Cybermen again, and Jackie Joins the Doctor! The best cliffhanger yet... Doomsday 10/10 With Jake and Mickey returning, The Cybermen and Dalek in a war, this was the best episode yet! I almost cried when Rose left the Doctor, and was a great, moving episode! But who is this mysterious Girl appering the the TARDIS at the end... Can't wait till series 3!

Dvd super bien, pas de soucis avec, pas cher

Questa serie è molto bella e di gran lunga superiore alla prima. David Tennant veste benissimo i panni del dottore, non ha nulla da invidiare a Matt Smith! Sicuramente è uno dei migliori interpreti del dottore! Spedizione ok! I dischi sono 4 ed a differenza della prima serie, non ci sono i sottotitoli in inglese, cosa molto utile se si vuole guardare la serie in lingua originale! Per il resto tutto perfetto, qualità audio/video migliorata rispetto alla serie 1.

I thoroughly enjoyed this Dr Who DVD, owning it is the icing on the cake. Thank You once again Amazon.