Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4707 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-06-13
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 135 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
It was always going to be a risk for the BBC to revamp Doctor Who--few television programmes inspire as much rabid and cultish adoration. With the 2005 series, however, the BBC have really outdone themselves. Their updated Doctor Who is a revelation: a cult science fiction series that has real mass appeal, and works for both children and their parents. Christopher Eccleston is an inspired and charismatic Doctor--he leaps around the sets with an unrestrained glee, like he’s a child running amok in a toy shop. His enthusiasm in downright infectious. His sidekick Rose (Billie Piper) adds a real human touch, particularly as she gradually and believably matures from in-over-her-head city kid to tough-minded interplanetary hero. Much of the credit must go to writer Russell Davies, who has a much-practiced knack for finding popular appeal without dumbing-down his ideas, and who appears to have let his imagination run riot. Even the special effects, whilst not of a big-budget cinematic quality, still manage to strike a balance between cheesiness and realism. Thrilling, funny and thoroughly entertaining, this Doctor Who is a hero for the new millennium. --Robert Burrow

Synopsis
In 'Aliens Of London' The Doctor and Rose find themselves back on Earth. London is the location for a downed spacecraft and the alien survivor is wanted by The Doctor. In 'World War Three' the Earth faces war on an interplanetary scale... Or does it? 'Dalek' finds Rose and The Doctor underground in Utah, witnessing the torture and interrogation of an alien whose race wiped out The Time Lords.

Customer Reviews

Great satire, sophisticated drama
By Disc 2, the 'new' incarnation of "Dr.Who" is really beginning to build its character - not so much the Doctor and Rose, but a new presence and image for a new century. You sense that the makers are growing in confidence and learning their craft. It is not an easy task, to take something as familiar as "Dr.Who", and present it to a new generation ... hoping to recapture the enthusiasm and affections of earlier viewers. The world has changed, and the older Doctors can look a bit dated at times.

The new series brings the viewer right up to date. The introduction of a new opponent, the Slitheen, in a two-parter includes the memorable line about "massive weapons of destruction capable of being deployed in 45 seconds", and we watch a London skyline which is overflown by a Cruise missile (rather than the Luftwaffe, later in the series). And this episode was going out while Tony Blair was fighting an election in Britain! This is excellent satire, never mind drama, or comedy.

The third episode on this disc features a museum of the Doctor's enemies and a return of his arch enemy, the Daleks. It's a neatly observed piece of philosophy as well as being engaging drama.

The Eccleston series has created a more sophisticated Doctor and returned the drama to a more cutting edge status. Always entertaining and engaging, the stories combine good use of modern special effects with some excellent acting (Annette Badland and Penelope Wilton stand out on this disc). These are stories which can capture and hold the attention of a wide audience. It's a very entertaining production and a welcome return to television screens ... and it is a pity Eccleston didn't stay longer.

A Triumphant Return for the Daleks!
I thought that it in the age of computer generated imagery, the Daleks would seem ludicrously old-fashioned. But to my amazement the Doctor Who team have pulled it off and I will never feel the same about sink plungers again!

The first three episodes of the new series were good, but it is with this second DVD that the series really finds its feet and both stories are of the highest quality. With sharp, witty scripts, superb effects and a top cast of actors, the new Doctor Who series is winning over a mainstream audience without losing its soul.

Many thanks to everyone involved in this triumphant return, particularly Russell.T.Davies. It's better than I ever dared to hope it would be.

Best so far
I am 13 and before anyone jumps to the conclusion that I am the typical boy (!), I would rate the old Doctor Who better than the new. But out of the recent ones, this dvd is the best, showing an adventure with a new and old villian in each story. If your someone like me but who hasn't seen any of the classic series, I suggest you give it a go, as this dvd and all the rest got everything from it.