Doctor Who: Doctors Revisited 1-4 DVD Review
In the first of the ‘Doctors Revisited’ DVD sets released a couple years back, viewers have the chance to see an episode from the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Doctor eras. While some may argue about each of these episodes being the “best” of their respective tenures, no one will deny that these are 4 stellar episodes. So, what all is in this set, you may ask? Read on to find out.
The First Doctor era episode included here is the highly entertaining “The Aztecs.” While I’m not normally a huge fan of the historical episodes, this is certainly one of the best. In this adventure, The Doctor, Barbara, Ian and Susan become a little too closely involved with the Aztecs as they learn about their violent history and traditions. From start to finish, it’s a well written character centric episode with some intriguing moments about why history should not be changed.
Next up is one of the best episodes of the classic “Doctor Who” era- “The Tomb of the Cybermen.” This is a very cinematic Cybermen story that involves The 2nd Doctor, Telos, a tomb (as the title suggests), and an expedition. The less said, the better. You just need to see it for yourself.
The third entry on this set is the exciting “Spearhead From Space.” This was Jon Pertwee’s first outing as The Doctor and it’s arguably the best story from his era. The story features Liz Shaw, the Brigadier, the Nestene, and the Autons.
Last, but not least is “Pyramids of Mars.” While not my favorite Fourth Doctor serial, the story of the iconic villain Sutekh the Destroyer seeking freedom is engaging thanks to the above average production values, sets, and costumes. On top of that, you get to see one of the best Doctor-Companion combos with the Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: Fullscreen and widescreen. How does it look? Purists may only want to play the original fullscreen versions, but it is fun to see the episodes presented in widescreen. As for the video quality, it is mixed due to the age of the episodes. ‘Cybermen’ is noticeably grainy, but I think we should all be happy this episode was recovered not too long ago!
Audio Track: Dolby Digital Mono. How does it sound? The score, dialogue, and sound f/x sound as good as a Mono track can.
Extras:
* Trailers for “Sinbad,” “Copper,” “Orphan Black,” and “Doctor Who” series 7, part 2.
* Current showrunner Steven Moffat introduces all 4 episodes. However one may feel about Moffat, his knowledge and passion for DW really shows in these intros.
* The best extra isn’t on any of the discs but rather in the DVD case. That extra? 4 awesome magnets each featuring Doctors 1-4 as well as the villains from their era.
* “The Doctors Revisited: William Hartnell”- A 25 minute special about the First Doctor as played by William Hartnell. In the first of 11 specials showcasing all 11 Doctors, everyone from William Russell to Steven Moffat talks about the Doctor, his companion, the episodes, etc.
* “The Doctors Revisited: Patrick Troughton”- The second special delves into the Second Doctor era. Expect to see commentators such as Neil Gaiman and John Barrowman talking about the incredibly underrated Troughton.
* ‘The Doctors Revisited: Jon Pertwee”- A 25 minute spotlight on Jon Pertwee’s DW era. Expect plenty of interviews form Whoniverse cast and crew members as well as episode clips.
* “The Doctors Revisited: Tom Baker”- The last of the specials on this set is about Tom Baker’s extraordinarily popular Doctor. The extra contains interviews with Tom Baker himself as well as David Tennant. Episode clips are also included here.
* A “Doctor Who” collectibles booklet that shows off various merchandise for sale.
Overall Thoughts: The first Doctors Revisited set is a nice tribute to the first four Doctors. While I would suggest just watching ALL of the episodes instead, this is a solid introduction for fans wanting to watch the classic era episodes.
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