8.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
All 14 episodes from the fourth series of the relaunched BBC sci-fi adventure drama, starring David Tennant as the tenth Doctor and latest incarnation of the legendary Time Lord. In this series, the Doctor is joined by new companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) as the pair venture through time and space, visiting ancient Pompeii and the planet of the Ood while also meeting the mysterious River Song (Alex Kingston).
Starring: David Tennant, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi, Jodie Whittaker, Christopher EcclestonAdventure | 100% |
Sci-Fi | 88% |
Fantasy | 82% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p (upconverted)/1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.75:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Seven-disc set (7 BDs)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 5.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Note: This version of this series/season is available as part of BBC's Doctor Who Limited Edition New Who Collector's Set, featuring what BBC is describing as a
"newly upscaled" video presentation.
The fourth series/season of Doctor Who may feel a little like déjà vu all over again for those coming to it directly from Doctor Who The Complete Second
Series, since after the now customary Christmas special, Donna Noble (Catherine Tate), who actually was in the second
series/season's Christmas special, is back as a full time companion. This series/season also was transitional in other ways as well, including being the
swan songs for David Tennant (at least for a little while) and showrunner Russell T. Davies.
Doctor Who: The Complete Fourth Series is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of BBC with AVC encoded 1080p transfers in 1.75:1 (for the upscaled episodes) and 1.78:1 (for the HD specials). This discrepancy in aspect ratio and resolution is due at least in part to the fact that this era of the show was during the transition from standard definition to high definition, as I got into several years ago in my Doctor Who: The Complete David Tennant Collection Blu-ray review. I wasn't especially impressed with Series Three's "newly upscaled" versions, which to my eyes really didn't look that much different from the original upscales, though that said, I found some more noticeable improvement in Series Two's offerings. I'd say that Series Four is more similar to Season Two in that there isn't quite the processed, sharpened appearance that afflicted Season Three, though these are still obviously upscales, prone to some of the same anomalies I've mentioned in the reviews of the two previous seasons. Once you get into the subsequent specials, though, things improve markedly, with "true" high definition quality in detail levels and general clarity. I'd rate the episodes at 3-ish levels, while the HD specials are at least at 4 levels, and I'd even argue pushing toward 4.5 at times, so I've kind of split the difference and given the entire set a 3.5.
Series Four offers another nicely immersive set of DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks, and virtually every episode and special offers great examples of surround activity, often unsurprisingly in some of the big VFX scenes, where either creatures or objects like the TARDIS can be flitting around the frame and the sound design mimics those "travels". Once again the vast differences in settings and timeframes also provides nice opportunities for both "natural" ambient environmental effects and more supposedly "high tech" sounds in various environments. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.
Series 4, Disc 1
- 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 (SD; 55:34)
- Planet of the Dead Confidential (HD; 57:16)
- The Waters of Mars Confidential (HD; 58:07)
- The End of Time, Part 1 Confidential (HD; 57:16)
- The End of Time, Part 2 Confidential (HD; 57:07)
This is probably my favorite David Tennant series/season in this particular collection, and there's a nice variety in the writing in these episodes that doesn't rely so flagrantly on "recycling", as in some of the prior series/seasons (either with or without Tennant). The episodes' video quality is okay, and maybe arguably marginally improved by the "newly upscaled" versions, while the HD specials look great for the most part. Audio on everything is fine, and as usual, there are some excellent supplements. Recommended.
2005
2005-2006
Remastered
2005
Remastered
2005-2006
Remastered
2006-2007
2007
2008
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
(Still not reliable for this title)
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