8.3 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Adventure | 100% |
Sci-Fi | 88% |
Fantasy | 82% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p (upconverted)
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Fourteen-disc set (14 BDs)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 5.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
In an appealing new inteview which is included on this multi-disc set as a supplement, David Tennant talks about the kind of “mad rush” of not just being in Doctor Who but of being Doctor Who. He talks about meeting adults who Tennant kind of jokingly pretends to be gobsmacked by when they tell him they “grew up” watching his exploits as the venerable doctor, but the fact is Tennant’s tenure in the role was by all measures rather lengthy, lasting around four and a half years, coming in at second place in the series’ long and heralded run, only after Tom Baker’s over six and a half years in the part (Peter Capaldi got into "close but no sonic screwdriver" territory with Tennant by portraying Doctor Who for around four years). Interestingly, Tennant (again, perhaps at least slightly jokingly) talks about having “grown up” with Baker as Doctor Who, and so as might be said about more than one element with regard to the much loved series, the more things change, the more they apparently stay the same.
Doctor Who: The Complete David Tennant Collection is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of BBC with AVC encoded 1080p transfers in 1.78:1.
Tennant's tenure in the role is notable for a reason in addition to its length — it occurred during the switchover from standard definition to high
definition, at least if you include the so-called "Specials", which were in essence a limited run set of new episodes, and which are part of this
expansive
set. Therefore, fans need to expect something akin to a two different Doctors, with Series 2, 3 and 4 obvious upscales, and at least most of
the
specials looking considerably better, having been culled from native high definition sources. (I haven't been able to find any really verifiable
information
about this, but to my eyes the first special, "The Next Doctor", looks like an upscale to me as well, something bolstered by the fact that the
Confidential about that special is in 480i on the Supplements list I've included below, while the rest of the special Confidential
episodes are all in 1080i.) There are persistent upscaling "bugaboos"
throughout the presentation of these upscales, including noticeable stairstepping and signs of digital sharpening (with some resultant haloing), but
detail
levels can often be surprisingly strong, at least given an understanding of context. The palette also looks decently fresh and vivid. Things improve
markedly with regard to most of the specials, and some of the other supplemental material, like the animated specials and the two part "The
Wedding
of Sarah Jane Smith", from The Sarah Jane Adventures, a perhaps understandably lesser remembered Doctor Who spinoff (see
screenshots 21 through 25 for a look at the animated fare as well as the Sarah Jane episodes). In the native high definition material, fine
detail levels enjoy a rather considerable uptick, and the palette looks nicely suffused and vivid. Even in the native HD presentations, CGI can at least
occasionally look a little soft. My score is a kind of "average" spread across the entire content of this expansive set: Series 2, 3, and 4 probably
hover in the 2.5 - 3.5 range in terms of video quality, while the native HD material is at least at 4.0 levels and I'd argue up toward 4.5 levels quite a
bit of the time.
Screenshots 2, 5 and 13 through 19 are of upscaled material.
Doctor Who: The Complete David Tennant Collection features some surprisingly robust sounding DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mixes, with consistent engagement of the surround channels as well as some floorboard rattling LFE, at least on occasion. There are occasional goofy but nonetheless enjoyable sound effects, including some swirling panning effects as the TARDIS makes its way to new locations (both spatially and temporally). Some urban or at least relatively crowded sequences also provide good opportunities for well placed ambient environmental effects. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout this problem free track.
Series 2, Disc 1
- Backstage at Christmas
- Episode 1 - New New Doctor
- Episode 2 - Fear Fear Factor
- Episode 3 - Friends United
- Episode 4 - Script to Screen
- Episode 5 - Cybermen
- Episode 6 - From Zero to Hero
- Episode 7 - The Writer's Tale
- Episode 8 - You've Got the Look
- Episode 9 - Myths and Legends
- Episode 10 - The New World of Who
- Episode 11 - The Fright Stuff
- Episode 12 - Welcome to Torchwood
- Episode 13 - Finale
- Teaser 1
- Teaser 2
- Launch Promo 1
- Launch Promo 2
- Launch Promo 1 (Short Version)
- Launch Promo 2 (Short Version)
- Episode 2
- Episode 3
- Episode 4
- Episode 6
- Episode 7
- Episode 1 - Meet Martha Jones
- Episode 2 - Stage Fright
- Episode 3 - Are We There Yet?
- Episode 4 - A New York Story
- Episode 5 - Making Manhattan
- Episode 6 - Monsters Inc
- Episode 7 - Space Craft
- Episode 8 - Alter Ego
- Episode 9 - Bad Blood
- Episode 10 - Do You Remember the First Time?
- Episode 11 - Ello, Ello, Ello
- Episode 12 - The Saxon Mystery
- Episode 13 - The Valiant Quest
- Episode 11
- Episode 12
- Episode 12 Vote Saxon
- Episode 13
- Cinema Trailer
- Cinema Trailer (Short Version)
- TV Trailer
- TV Trailer (Short Version)
- Teaser
- Series 4 Cinema Trailer
- Series 4 Launch Trailer
- Series 4 Launch Trailer (Short Version)
- "OOD" Trailer
- Episode 2
- Episode 3
- "Sontaran" Trailer
- Episodes 4 and 5
- Episode 6
- Episode 7
- Episode 8 (Season Finale Teaser)
- Episodes 9
- Episode 10
- Episode 11
- Christmas Confidential
- Episode 1 - A Noble Return
- Episode 2 - The Italian Job
- Episode 3 - Odds & Ends
- Episode 4 - Send in the Clones
- Episode 5 - Sontar-Ha!
- Episode 6 - The Sins of the Fathers
- Episode 7 - Nemesis
- Episode 8 - Shadowplay
- Episode 9 - River Runs Deep
- Episode 10 - Look Who's Talking
- Episode 11 - Here Come the Girls
- Episode 12 - Friends and Foe
- Episode 13 - The End of an Era
- Dalek Teaser
- "Supreme Dalek" Teaser
- Episode 12 Finale
- Episode 13 Finale
Note: These Confidential featurettes are the sum total of the contents of this particular disc.- The Next Doctor Confidential (480i; 55:34)
- Planet of the Dead Confidential (1080i; 57:16)
- The Waters of Mars Confidential (1080i; 58:07)
- The End of Time, Part 1 Confidential (1080i; 57:16)
- The End of Time, Part 2 Confidential (1080i; 57:07)
While the David Tennant Doctor Who episodes are probably not going to set videophiles' hearts on fire due to their standard definition source, this set is still rather remarkable and should be a treasure trove for most devoted Whovians. The native HD material looks largely fantastic here, which may help to offset some qualms about overall quality, and both audio and (especially) the supplemental package are excellent. Highly recommended.
w/ Sonic Screwdriver
2005-2014
w/ Tardis Speaker
2005-2014
2005-2014
2005
2005-2006
The Complete First Series Remastered
2005
Remastered
2005-2006
Remastered
2006-2007
2007
Remastered
2007-2008
2008
Remastered | The Next Doctor / Planet of the Dead / The Waters of Mars / The End of Time
2008-2010
Remastered | The Next Doctor / Planet of the Dead / The Waters of Mars / The End of Time
2008-2010
2009-2010
2009
2009
2010
2010
Remastered
2010-2011
Remastered
2010
2011
2011
2011 Christmas Special
2011
2011-2013
2012
2012 Christmas Special
2012
2013
2013
2014
2014
Keepcase
2014
2014
2014
2015
2015
2015
2016
2017
2017
2017
2017
2018
2018
2019
2020
2021
2021
2022
2022
The Star Beast / Wild Blue Yonder / The Giggle
2023
1977-1978
50th Anniversary Special
2013
2009
10th Anniversary Collector's Edition | Limited
2014
2018
Collector's Edition
2020
2020-2023
1966-1969
2018
40th Anniversary Edition
1982
1977
1999
Ultimate Collector's Edition
2019
2015
Ultimate Collector's Edition
2009
Ultimate Collector's Edition
2017
2005
1983
2002
2016