REVIEW:
Doctor Who – The Best of the Doctor 2005-2011 – The Documentaries
(BBC/Roadshow Entertainment, PG)
The lack of special features on some recent classic Doctor Who releases has been lamentable. But here’s the complete opposite. Special features from recent new Who releases without the episodes they go with.
All of these 45 minute long documentaries, packaged here on three DVDS, have been previously released as value added material on new Who boxed sets featuring Matt Smith. No surprise, then, that he takes centre place in this collection. David Tennant gets a fair bit of attention but blink and you’ll miss Christopher Eccleston. Don’t blink!
I can only imagine someone thought it would be a good idea to package these documentaries together for those who recorded the actual episodes from when they were broadcast and never bought the boxed sets.
Disc 1 contains three documentaries relating to Smith’s first two seasons as the Doctor. They are called Best of the Doctor, Best of the Monsters and Best of the Companions.
BBC America, which is behind this trio, seems to have taken a group of minor celebrities and asked them to watch Series 5 and 6 of Doctor Who and then gush about them. Yes, there’s plenty to gush about, but they could so with a massive spoiler alert for anyone who thinks it’s a good idea to watch these documentaries before they watch the actual show.
They include actress Alison Haislip, actress Danielle Harris, former NFL defensive end and radio personality Hugh Douglas, actress Natalie Morales (draped in a Tom Baker style scarf), musician Amanda Palmer, actor and comedian Paul F Tompkins, Wired magazine editor Adam Rogers, Nerdist podcaster Chris Hardwick, musician Scott Ian, actor and comedian Scott Adsit and comedian Reggie Watts.
Disc 2 contains four more documentaries very much in the same vein. The Science of Doctor Who, which should not be confused with Professor Brian Cox’s lecture of the same name, appears with The Women of Doctor Who, The Timey-Wimey of Doctor Who and The Destinations of Doctor Who.
This time there’s a few actors from the show, although sadly not Smith or Karen Gillan, to wax lyrical about the particular subjects. It’s nice to see the previous commentators joined by Steven Moffat who proves, once again, he can be as clever and funny as his television scripts.
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Disc 3 contains two docos. Best of the Christmas Specials and Doctor Who In America. These are the most predictable and cover the period up to Gillan’s departure as Amy Pond. Those scenes still get to me.
All this set does is reassure fans that there is a massive community out there of Doctor Who fans who want to share their take on the show.
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