Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Doctor Who: The Complete Twelfth Series Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman July 6, 2020

Fans of the supposed “reality” television series Survivor may know that there is a certain indignity which has come to be associated to being the first person “voted off the island” in any given season. Questions of longevity and/or being "the first to go" may also attain to the various actors who have been tasked with portraying the venerable Doctor Who over the many decades the show has been in production, and questions of all sorts were lobbed when the "latest" Doctor was announced a couple of years ago. In that regard, the so-called Thirteenth Doctor portrayed by Jodie Whittaker has already outwitted, outlasted and outplayed at least two of her “siblings”, Paul McGann, who took on the role of The Doctor for one solitary made for television film that was not picked up for series, and Christopher Eccleston, who kind of ironically followed McGann in the role (nine years later, it should be noted), but who barely managed to eke out three months in the part. Whittaker of course made history for being the first woman assigned to portray Doctor Who, and there were evidently some curmudgeons who reacted so negatively to that announcement that they predicted she wouldn’t be able to last even an “Eccleston tenure” (I guess even those questioning the casting thought she had the mojo to outlast McGann). Wiser heads and/or audiences prevailed, though, and Whittaker is pretty firmly ensconced in the role now as she navigates her way through a second season (or series, as the Brits like to call it) as the lead in Doctor Who.

We have a veritable glut of Doctor Who Blu-ray releases which have received reviews, and using the search bar above will reveal those results. For the purposes of this new release, the most relevant review is probably Doctor Who: The Complete Eleventh Series Blu-ray review that I offered at the beginning of 2019.

One of the ironic things about Whittaker becoming “firmly ensconced” in the role is that the Doctor in this season is increasingly fraught and unsure of herself, at least in passing, starting with the two part story that opens the season. It’s obvious from the get go that the creative staff behind the long running show wanted to make this season as “epic” as possible (something some of them confirm in some of the supplements included on this release), and with a bunch of on screen “identifiers” locating where brief vignettes supposedly all over the world are taking place as the first episode begins, there is a sweep to this season that’s quite enjoyable. When what amounts to the British versions of Men in Black abduct the good Doctor and her coterie of acolytes, with the group ultimately being delivered to MI6 (after a harrowing set piece that involves a “self driving” SUV that really shouldn’t be “self driving”), it briefly seems like the show may be going a James Bond route, replete with a lot of silly if admittedly geekily cool gadgets. But while there are spies in this story, the real upshot of this fairly convoluted opening gambit is that the Doctor is alerted to the fact that, to appropriate a by now well worn maxim, everything she knows is wrong.

There are several rather ingratiating surprises sprinkled throughout this season. Several episodes feature real life historical characters who are woven into various storylines with mostly positive results, though the series may arguably go to the “when aliens attack” well a few too many times in order to utilize these historical personages. But there’s a significant “reveal” in an episode titled “Fugitive of the Jundoon” which won’t be spoiled here, although that episode is also notable for offering the return of John Barrowman as Jack Harkness. Also, while trying to be a bit discursive so as to not post any outright spoilers, the Doctor’s “chief nemesis”, the Master, is on hand throughout several episodes this season, wreaking appropriate havoc but perhaps also showing a more “vulnerable” side (for want of a better term). (I'm intentionally not naming the performer assigned to this role as it is obviously meant to be a surprise when the Master is identified, though some with prognosticatory powers may be able to figure it out relatively easily.)

The Judoon themselves are kind of recurring characters in this season, leading to the expected cliffhanger that is obviously designed to get folks back in their viewing chairs when the next season starts up, presumably in 2021, especially since that "everything you know is wrong" aspect of who and/or what the Doctor thinks she is, is used as part of the cliffhanger. The supporting cast of so-called “companions” that was introduced last year returns, with Graham (Bradley Walsh), Ryan (Tosin Cole) and Yasmin (Mandip Gill) offering occasional comedy relief and passing moments of pathos. I have to say Yasmin in particular is consigned to some relatively stupid behaviors this season, but of course as tends to be the case with Doctor Who, miracle escapes to seemingly inescapable life threatening traumas are virtually guaranteed.

Doctor Who: The Complete Twelfth Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Doctor Who: The Complete Twelfth Series is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of BBC Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.00:1. Much of what I stated in our Doctor Who: The Complete Eleventh Series Blu-ray review remains true with this season/series, though I'd say the generally speaking things are even better looking this year than last. Detail levels are routinely great, including in some above average CGI. The palette is also wonderfully vivid in both interior and exterior scenes, and while shadow detail can sometimes ebb slightly, it's also routinely at least very good. I did notice some rather "ripply" banding again in various episodes (for one very noticeable example, pay attention in Spyfall Part 2 when Doctor Who says goodbye to real life character Noor Inayat Khan).

Doctor Who: The Complete Twelfth Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Doctor Who: The Complete Twelfth Series offers an at times relentlessly aggressive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix. I'm not sure what got into the sound designers for this season/series, but even in the often hyperbolic context of modern day Doctor Who soundtracks, this is one of the most just flat out loud and effects filled seasons that I've personally reviewed. It's so nonstop that I personally was kind of exhausted after a while, and kind of wished there could be a bit of respite so that my ears could catch their breath, to mix metaphors and/or bodily functions. All of this said, fidelity is excellent throughout these episodes, and in effects sequences in particular the surround channels are inventively engaged. Dialogue is presented cleanly and clearly with no problems whatsoever.

Doctor Who: The Complete Twelfth Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc One

• Doctor Who Closer Looks offer some fun behind the scenes featurettes, including lots of interviews:

  Spyfall Part 1 (1080p; 6:10)

  
  

  Spyfall Part 2 (1080p; 4:16)

  
  

  Orphan 55 (1080p; 4:47)

  
  

  Series 12 Preview (1080p; 2:21)

• Commentary for Spyfall Part 1 & Part 2 can be accessed under the Audio Options Menu, but this is a curious piece that sounded to me like it was joined in progress.

Disc Two

• Doctor Who Closer Looks :

  Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror (1080p; 4:47)

  
  

  Fugitive of the Judoon (1080p; 4:18)

  
  

  Praxeus (1080p; 5:33)

  
  

  Can You Hear Me? (1080p; 5:18)

• Commentary for Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror can be accessed under the Audio Options Menu, and this time features proper introductions by Mandip Gill, writer Nina Metivier, and Anjli Mohindra, who plays Queen Skithra.

Disc Three

• Doctor Who Closer Looks :

  The Haunting of Villa Diodati (1080p; 5:01)

  
  

  Ascension of the Cybermen (1080p; 4:54)

  
  

  The Timeless Children (1080p; 4:37)

Note: BBC has authored these discs with what I found to be an increasingly annoying animation of an exploding galaxy between each and every menu choice. Also, the discs have been mislabeled with regard to what episodes are on each one.

Doctor Who: The Complete Twelfth Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I found this season/series to be a step up from last year, perhaps due at least in part to the fact that "introductions were over", but, that said, I also think the writing was just generally sharper this season. There's still the patented combo platter of goofy humor and slightly quaint feeling science fiction here, but this season combined a lot of interesting elements while also offering what may turn out to be a really intriguing new "backstory" for the venerable Doctor. Technical merits are generally solid, and many of the Closer Look featurettes are a lot of fun. Recommended.