Doctor Who - Series 6

This is a review of the 2011 dvd release of this season. Not the 2014 re-release or the blu ray. That has to be mentioned because the amazon system will probably link things together. A six disc dvd box set containing all thirteen forty five minute long episode of Doctor Who season six. The second of Matt Smith's three seasons in the role. Originally broadcast in 2011. It also contains the 2010 christmas special. Just in case you haven't watched these episodes by now: the season has a story arc. It begins with a major event. The ramifications of which are felt throughout it. As the Doctor finds he can't escape a fate that awaits him. How he and his friends deal with this is another matter. As with shows that do story arcs, there are episodes that deal quite strongly with it. And others that are pretty much stand alone, but never forget that the arc is going on. There are three two part stories. The season is structured a little differently to those which came before because one of these used the cliffhanger ending to it's first part as a lead in to a mid season break when it was first broadcast. The nature of the story arc means that some more casual viewers may find the plotting a bit too complicated at times. As we now know with the benefits of hindsight, some of it would pay off in episodes which at the time, were yet to come. But you have a great actor playing the Doctor. Two excellent companions. Some very good new monsters. One of whom you will remember. Even though you're not supposed to. And a character or two that we've seen before as well. This is complex and challenging Doctor Who for the modern age, and an integral part of what was a very great era for the show. The dvd has the following language and subtitle options: Languages: English. Subtitles: English. It also has English audio commentary for those with sight problems. Disc one, which just contains the 2010 christmas special, also has the behind the scenes production documentary 'Doctor Who confidential' episode about it's production. Although all the episodes of that on here are cut down versions half the length of the original broadcast. It also contains 'time' and 'space'. Two short five minute long scenes originally broadcast as part of comic relief. This and another extra which we'll talk about in a moment all try to show what goes on in the TARDIS between episodes. Using just the three main actors and the main set. These are both great fun and essential watching. Disc two has a commentary on the season opener. Short prequel scenes to that and the third episode. Both worth a look. And Monster file: the silence. There are several of these on the discs. Each run for just under ten minute and look at a various monster from the season and how they were brought to life on screen. Disc three has a commentary on episodes five and six. Another monster file, this one about the gangers [introduced in these episodes]. Plus four more short scenes called 'Night and the Doctor.' These are the aforementioned life in between episode sketches. And also essential viewing. Disc four has a commentary on episode seven. A monster file on the antibodies [also new to this season]. And short prequel scenes to episodes seven and eight. Disc five has a commentary on the season finale. A monster file on the Cybermats. A prequel scene to the season finale. Two trailers for the season. And another night and the doctor sketch. Which is more a prequel to episode eleven really. Disc six has all thirteen Doctor Who confidential episodes for the season. All the cut down versions, though. And a fifteen minute long one looking at the Making of the Night and the Doctor sketches. Whilst it's a pity there's no deleted scenes, this is a still a very good package for a great season.

Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a Time Lord--a time travelling, humanoid alien known as the Doctor. He explores the universe in his 'TARDIS', a sentient, telepathic time-and-space-travel machine that flies through the time vortex. Its exterior appears as a blue British police box, a common sight in Britain in 1963, when the series first aired. Along with a succession of companions, the Doctor faces a variety of foes while working to save civilisations, help ordinary people, and right wrongs. The show has received recognition from critics and the public as one of the finest British television programmes, including the 2006 British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Series and five consecutive (2005-10) wins at the National Television Awards under Russell T Davies' reign as Executive Producer.[1][2] In 2011, Matt Smith became the first Doctor to be nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. The programme is listed in the Guinness World Records as the longest-running science fiction television show in the world[3] and as the "most successful" science fiction series of all time--based on its over-all broadcast ratings, DVD and book sales, and iTunes traffic.[4] During its original run, it was recognised for its imaginative stories, creative low-budget special effects, and pioneering use of electronic music (originally produced by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop). The show is a significant part of British popular culture;[5][6] and elsewhere it has become a cult television favourite. The show has influenced generations of British television professionals, many of whom grew up watching the series.[7] The programme originally ran from 1963 to 1989. After an unsuccessful attempt to revive regular production in 1996 with a backdoor pilot in the form of a television film, the programme was relaunched in 2005 by Russell T Davies who was showrunner and head writer for the first 5 years of its revival, produced in-house by BBC Wales in Cardiff. Series 1 in the 21st century, featuring Christopher Eccleston as the ninth incarnation, was produced by the BBC. Series 2 and 3 had some development money contributed by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), which was credited as a co-producer.[8] Doctor Who also spawned spin-offs in multiple media, including Torchwood (2006), The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007), K-9 (2009), the four-part video series P.R.O.B.E. (1994), and a single pilot episode of K-9 and Company (1981). There also have been many spoofs and cultural references of the character in other media. Eleven actors have headlined the series as The Doctor. The transition from one actor to another is written into the plot of the show as regeneration, a life process of Time Lords through which the character of the Doctor takes on a new body and, to some extent, new personality, which occurs when sustaining injury which would be fatal to most other species. Although each portrayal is different, and on occasions the various incarnations have even met one another, they are all meant to be aspects of the same character. The Doctor is currently portrayed by Matt Smith, who took up the role after David Tennant's final appearance in an episode broadcast on 1 January 2010. Doctor Who first appeared on BBC television at 17:16:20 GMT on 23 November 1963,[10][11] following discussions and plans that had been in progress for a year. The Head of Drama, Canadian Sydney Newman, was mainly responsible for developing the programme, with the first format document for the series being written by Newman along with the Head of the Script Department (later Head of Serials) Donald Wilson and staff writer C. E. Webber. Writer Anthony Coburn, story editor David Whitaker and initial producer Verity Lambert also heavily contributed to the development of the series.[12] The programme was originally intended to appeal to a family audience,[13] as an educational programme using time travel as a means to explore scientific ideas and famous moments in history. On 31 July 1963 Whitaker commissioned Terry Nation to write a story under the title The Mutants. As originally written, the Daleks and Thals were the victims of an alien neutron bomb attack but Nation later dropped the aliens and made the Daleks the aggressors. When the script was presented to Newman and Wilson it was immediately rejected as the programme was not permitted to contain any "bug-eyed monsters". The first serial had been completed and the BBC believed it was crucial that the next one be a success, however The Mutants was the only script ready to go so the show had little choice but to use it. According to producer Verity Lambert; "We didn't have a lot of choice--we only had the Dalek serial to go...We had a bit of a crisis of confidence because Donald [Wilson] was so adamant that we shouldn't make it. Had we had anything else ready we would have made that." Nation's script became the second ever Doctor Who serial - "The Daleks" (aka "The Mutants"). The serial introduced the eponymous aliens that would become the series' most popular monsters, and was responsible for the BBC's first merchandising boom.[14] The BBC drama department's Serials division produced the programme for 26 seasons, broadcast on BBC One. Falling viewing numbers, a decline in the public perception of the show and a less prominent transmission slot saw production suspended in 1989 by Jonathan Powell, Controller of BBC One.[15] Although (as series co-star Sophie Aldred reported in the documentary Doctor Who: More Than 30 Years in the TARDIS) it was effectively, if not formally, cancelled with the decision not to commission a planned 27th series of the show for transmission in 1990, the BBC repeatedly affirmed that the series would return.[16] While in-house production had ceased, the BBC hoped to find an independent production company to relaunch the show. Philip Segal, a British expatriate who worked for Columbia Pictures' television arm in the United States, had approached the BBC about such a venture as early as July 1989, while the 26th series was still in production.[16] Segal's negotiations eventually led to a Doctor Who television film, broadcast on the Fox Network in 1996 as a co-production between Fox, Universal Pictures, the BBC and BBC Worldwide. Although the film was successful in the UK (with 9.1 million viewers), it was less so in the United States and did not lead to a series. Licensed media such as novels and audio plays provided new stories, but as a television programme Doctor Who remained dormant until 2003. In September of that year,[17] BBC Television announced the in-house production of a new series after several years of attempts by BBC Worldwide to find backing for a feature film version. The executive producers of the new incarnation of the series were writer Russell T Davies and BBC Cymru Wales Head of Drama Julie Gardner. It has been sold to many other countries worldwide (see Viewership). Doctor Who finally returned with the episode "Rose" on BBC One on 26 March 2005. There have since been five further series in 2006-2008 and 2010-2011, and Christmas Day specials every year since 2005. No full series was filmed in 2009 due to actor David Tennant's commitments to Hamlet, although four additional specials starring Tennant were made. In spring 2010[18] Steven Moffat replaced Davies as head writer and executive producer.[19] The 2005 version of Doctor Who is a direct continuation of the 1963-1989 series,[note 1] as is the 1996 telefilm. This differs from other series relaunches that have either been reimaginings or reboots (for example, Battlestar Galactica and Bionic Woman) or series taking place in the same universe as the original but in a different period and with different characters (for example, Star Trek: The Next Generation and spin-offs).[20] Public consciousness It has been written that the transmission of the first episode was delayed by ten minutes due to extended news coverage of the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy the previous day; whereas in fact, it went out just eighty seconds late.[21] Due to it being felt that the coverage of the events of the assassination as well as a series of power blackouts across the country may have caused too many viewers to miss this introduction to a new series, the BBC broadcast it again on 30 November 1963, just before the broadcast of episode two. The programme soon became a national institution in the United Kingdom, with a large following among the general viewing audience.[22][23] Many renowned actors asked for or were offered and accepted guest starring roles in various stories. With popularity came controversy over the show's suitability for children. Morality campaigner Mary Whitehouse repeatedly complained to the BBC in the 1970s over what she saw as the show's frightening or gory content;[24] however, the programme became even more popular--especially with children. John Nathan-Turner, who produced the series during the 1980s, was heard to say that he looked forward to Whitehouse's comments, as the show's ratings would increase soon after she had made them.[25] During Jon Pertwee's second season as the Doctor, in the serial Terror of the Autons (1971), images of murderous plastic dolls, daffodils killing unsuspecting victims and blank-featured policemen marked the apex of the show's ability to frighten children. Other notable moments in that decade included a disembodied brain falling to the floor in The Brain of Morbius and the Doctor apparently being drowned by Chancellor Goth in The Deadly Assassin (both 1976). The fibreglass TARDIS prop used between 1980 and 1989. A BBC audience research survey conducted in 1972 found that by their own definition of "any act(s) which may cause physical and/or psychological injury, hurt or death to persons, animals or property, whether intentional or accidental," Doctor Who was the most violent of all the drama programmes the corporation then produced.[26] The same report found that 3% of the surveyed audience regarded the show as "very unsuitable" for family viewing.[27] Responding to the findings of the survey in The Times newspaper, journalist Philip Howard maintained that: "to compare the violence of Dr Who, sired by a horse-laugh out of a nightmare, with the more realistic violence of other television series, where actors who look like human beings bleed paint that looks like blood, is like comparing Monopoly with the property market in London: both are fantasies, but one is meant to be taken seriously."[26] The image of the TARDIS has become firmly linked to the show in the public's consciousness. In 1996, the BBC applied for a trademark to use the TARDIS' blue police box design in merchandising associated with Doctor Who.[28] In 1998, the Metropolitan Police Authority filed an objection to the trademark claim; but in 2002, the Patent Office ruled in favour of the BBC.[29] The programme's broad appeal attracts audiences of children and families as well as science fiction fans.[30] The 21st century revival of the programme has become the centrepiece of BBC One's Saturday schedule, and has "defined the channel."[31] Since its return, Doctor Who has consistently received high ratings, both in number of viewers and as measured by the Appreciation Index.[32] In 2007, Caitlin Moran, television reviewer for The Times, wrote that Doctor Who is "quintessential to being British."[6] Director Steven Spielberg has commented that "the world would be a poorer place without Doctor Who."[33] Episodes Further information: List of Doctor Who serials Doctor Who originally ran for 26 seasons on BBC One, from 23 November 1963 until 6 December 1989. During the original run, each weekly episode formed part of a story (or "serial") -- usually of four to six parts in earlier years and three to four in later years. Notable exceptions were: The Daleks' Master Plan, which aired in 12 episodes (plus an earlier one-episode teaser;[34] "Mission to the Unknown", featuring none of the regular cast;[35] almost an entire series of 7-episode serials (series 7); the 10-episode serial The War Games;[36] and The Trial of a Time Lord, which ran for 14 episodes (albeit divided into three production codes and four narrative segments) during Series 23.[37] Occasionally serials were loosely connected by a storyline, such as Series 8 being devoted to the Doctor battling a rogue Time Lord called The Master, Series 16's quest for The Key to Time, Series 18's journey through E-Space and the theme of entropy, and Series 20's Black Guardian Trilogy. The programme was intended to be educational and for family viewing on the early Saturday evening schedule.[38] Initially, it alternated stories set in the past, which taught younger audience members about history, with stories set either in the future or in outer space to teach them about science.[38] This was also reflected in the Doctor's original companions, one of whom was a science teacher and another a history teacher. However, science fiction stories came to dominate the programme and the "historicals", which were not popular with the production team,[38] were dropped after The Highlanders (1967). While the show continued to use historical settings, they were generally used as a backdrop for science fiction tales, with one exception: Black Orchid set in 1920s England.[39] The early stories were serial-like in nature, with the narrative of one story flowing into the next, and each episode having its own title, although produced as distinct stories with their own production codes. Following The Gunfighters (1966), however, each serial was given its own title, with the individual parts simply being assigned episode numbers. What to name these earlier stories is often a subject of fan debate. Of the programme's many writers, Robert Holmes was the most prolific, while Douglas Adams became the most well-known outside Doctor Who itself, due to the popularity of his Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The serial format changed for the 2005 revival, with each series usually consisting of 13 45-minute, self-contained episodes (60 minutes with adverts, on overseas commercial channels), and an extended episode broadcast on Christmas Day. Each series includes several standalone and multi-part stories, linked with a loose story arc that resolves in the series finale. As in the early "classic" era, each episode, whether standalone or part of a larger story, has its own title. Occasionally, regular-series episodes will exceed the 45-minute run time; examples have included the episodes "Journey's End" from 2008 and "The Eleventh Hour" from 2010, both of which exceeded an hour in length. 784 Doctor Who instalments have been televised since 1963, ranging between 25-minute episodes (the most common format), 45-minute episodes (for Resurrection of the Daleks in the 1984 series, a single season in 1985, and the revival), two feature-length productions (1983's "The Five Doctors" and the 1996 television film), five 60-minute Christmas specials, and four specials ranging from 60 to 75 minutes in 2007 and 2009. Four mini-episodes, running about eight minutes each, were also produced for the 1993, 2005 and 2007 Children in Need charity appeals, while another mini episode was produced in 2008 for a Doctor Who-themed edition of The Proms. The 1993 2-part story, entitled Dimensions In Time was made in collaboration with the cast of the BBC soap-opera Eastenders and was filmed partly on the Eastenders set. A two-part mini-episode was also produced for the 2011 edition of Comic Relief. The revived series was filmed in PAL 576i DigiBeta wide-screen format and then filmised to give a 25p image in post-production using a Snell & Wilcox Alchemist Platinum.[citation needed] Starting from the 2009 special "Planet of the Dead", the series is filmed in 1080i for HDTV,[40] and broadcast simultaneously on BBC One and BBC HD. Missing episodes Main article: Doctor Who missing episodes Between about 1964 and 1973, large amounts of older material stored in the BBC's various video tape and film libraries were either destroyed,[note 2] wiped or suffered from poor storage which led to severe deterioration from broadcast quality. This included many old episodes of Doctor Who, mostly stories featuring the first two Doctors: William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton. In all, 106 of 253 episodes produced during the first six years (most notably series 3, 4, & 5, from which 88 episodes are missing) of the programme are not held in the BBC's archives. In 1972, almost all episodes then made were known to exist at the BBC,[41] while by 1978 the practice of wiping tapes and destroying 'spare' film copies had ended.[42] No 1960s episodes exist on their original videotapes (all surviving copies being film copies), though some were transferred to film for editing before transmission, and these exist as originally transmitted.[43] Some episodes have been returned to the BBC from the archives of other countries who bought copies for broadcast, or by private individuals who acquired them by various means. Early colour videotape recordings made off-air by fans have also been retrieved, as well as excerpts filmed from the television screen onto 8 mm cine film and clips that were shown on other programmes. Audio versions of all of the lost episodes exist from home viewers who made tape recordings of the show. In addition to these, there are off-screen photographs made by photographer John Cura, who was hired by various production personnel to document many of their programmes during the 1950s and 1960s, including Doctor Who. These have been used in fan reconstructions of the serials. These amateur reconstructions have been tolerated by the BBC, provided they are not sold for profit and are distributed as low quality VHS copies.[44] One of the most sought-after lost episodes is Part Four of the last William Hartnell serial, The Tenth Planet (1966), which ends with the First Doctor transforming into the Second. The only portion of this in existence, barring a few poor quality silent 8 mm clips, is the few seconds of the regeneration scene, as it was shown on the children's magazine show Blue Peter.[45] With the approval of the BBC, efforts are now under way to restore as many of the episodes as possible from the extant material. "Official" reconstructions have also been released by the BBC on VHS, on MP3 CD-ROM and as a special feature on a DVD. The BBC, in conjunction with animation studio Cosgrove Hall has reconstructed the missing Episodes 1 and 4 of The Invasion (1968), using remastered audio tracks and the comprehensive stage notes for the original filming, for the serial's DVD release in November 2006. Although no similar reconstructions had been announced as of 2010, Cosgrove Hall has expressed an interest in animating more lost episodes in the future.[46] Announced in June 2011, the missing episodes of The Reign of Terror will be animated by animation company Theta-Sigma in collaboration with Big Finish.[47] In April 2006, Blue Peter launched a challenge to find these missing episodes with the promise of a full scale Dalek model as a reward.[48] In December 2011, it was announced that part 3 of Galaxy 4 and part 2 of The Underwater Menace had been returned to the BBC by a fan who had purchased them in the mid-1980s without realising that the BBC did not hold copies of them.[49] Characters The Doctor Main article: Doctor (Doctor Who) The eleven faces of the Doctor in chronological order. Left to right from top row; William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant and Matt Smith. The character of the Doctor was initially shrouded in mystery. All that was known about him in the programme's early days was that he was an eccentric alien traveller of great intelligence who battled injustice while exploring time and space in an unreliable time machine, the "TARDIS", (an acronym for Time And Relative Dimension(s) In Space), which appears much larger on the inside than on the outside.[50] The initially irascible and slightly sinister Doctor quickly mellowed into a more compassionate figure. It was eventually revealed that he had been on the run from his own people, the Time Lords of the planet Gallifrey. Changes of appearance As a Time Lord, the Doctor has the ability to regenerate his body when near death. Introduced into the storyline as a way of continuing the series when the writers were faced with the departure of lead actor William Hartnell in 1966, it has continued to be a major element of the series, allowing for the recasting of the lead actor when the need arises. The serials The Deadly Assassin and Mawdryn Undead and the 1996 TV film suggest that a Time Lord can regenerate 12 times, for a total of 13 incarnations. Death of the Doctor, a 2010 episode of the spin-off series The Sarah Jane Adventures, has the Doctor claiming that he can regenerate 507 times, but episode writer Russell T Davies later indicated that this was intended as a joke, not to be taken seriously.[51] The Doctor has fully gone through this process and its resulting after-effects on ten occasions, with each of his incarnations having their own quirks and abilities but otherwise sharing the consciousness, memories, experience and basic personality of the previous incarnations. The Doctor Portrayed by Tenure First Doctor William Hartnell 1963-66[note 3] Second Doctor Patrick Troughton 1966-69[note 3] Third Doctor Jon Pertwee 1970-74[note 3] Fourth Doctor Tom Baker 1974-81[note 3] Fifth Doctor Peter Davison 1981-84[note 3] Sixth Doctor Colin Baker 1984-86 Seventh Doctor Sylvester McCoy 1987-89, 1996[52][53][54] Eighth Doctor Paul McGann 1996 Ninth Doctor Christopher Eccleston 2005 Tenth Doctor David Tennant 2005-10[9] Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith 2010-present[55] In other media, the Doctor has been played by various other actors which are not considered to be canonical incarnations of the Doctor. In October 2010, the Sunday Telegraph revealed that the series' co-creator, Sydney Newman, had urged the BBC to recast the role of the Doctor as a female "Time Lady" during the ratings crisis of the late 1980s.[56] On rare occasions other actors have stood in for the lead. In The Five Doctors, Richard Hurndall played the First Doctor due to William Hartnell's death. In Time and the Rani, Sylvester McCoy briefly played the Sixth Doctor during the regeneration sequence, carrying on as the Seventh. For more information, see the list of actors who have played the Doctor. Meetings of past and present incarnations There have been instances of actors returning at later dates to reprise the role of their specific doctor. In 1973's The Three Doctors, William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton returned alongside Jon Pertwee. For 1983's The Five Doctors, Troughton and Pertwee returned to star with Peter Davison, and Tom Baker appeared in previously unseen footage from the uncompleted Shada episode. For this episode, Richard Hurndall replaced William Hartnell. Patrick Troughton again returned in 1985's The Two Doctors with Colin Baker. Finally, Peter Davison returned in 2007's Children in Need short "Time Crash" alongside David Tennant. In addition, the Doctor has occasionally encountered himself in the form of his own incarnation, from the near future or past. The First Doctor encounters himself in the story The Space Museum (albeit frozen and as an exhibit), the Third Doctor encounters and interacts with himself in the story Day of the Daleks, the Ninth Doctor observes a former version of his current incarnation in "Father's Day", and the Eleventh Doctor briefly comes face to face with himself in "The Big Bang". Additionally, multiple Doctors have returned in new adventures together in audio dramas based on the series. Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy appeared together in the 1999 audio adventure The Sirens of Time. To celebrate the 40th anniversary, an audio drama titled Zagreus featuring Paul McGann, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Peter Davison was released with additional archive recordings of Jon Pertwee.[57] Again in 2003, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy appeared together in the audio adventure Project: Lazarus.[58] In 2010, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann came together again to star in the audio drama The Four Doctors. Revelations about the Doctor See also: Doctor Who Continuity curiosities Throughout the programme's long history, there have been revelations about the Doctor that have raised additional questions. In The Brain of Morbius (1976), it was hinted that the First Doctor may not have been the first incarnation (although the other faces depicted may have been incarnations of the Time Lord Morbius). In subsequent stories the First Doctor was depicted as the earliest incarnation of the Doctor. In Mawdryn Undead (1983), the Fifth Doctor explicitly confirmed that he was currently in his fifth incarnation. During the Seventh Doctor's era, it was hinted that the Doctor was more than just an ordinary Time Lord. In the 1996 television film, the Eighth Doctor describes himself as being "half human".[59] The BBC's FAQ for the programme notes that "purists tend to disregard this",[60] instead focusing on his Gallifreyan heritage. The programme's first serial, An Unearthly Child, shows that the Doctor has a granddaughter, Susan Foreman. The 2005 series reveals that the Ninth Doctor thought he was the last surviving Time Lord, and that his home planet had been destroyed; in "The Empty Child" (2005), Constantine makes a statement that "before this war began, I was a father and a grandfather. Now I am neither." The Doctor remarks in response, "Yeah, I know the feeling." In both "Fear Her" (2006) and "The Doctor's Daughter" (2008), he states that he had, in the past, been a father. In "The Wedding of River Song" (2011), it is stated that the Doctor's true name is a secret that must never be revealed. Companions Main article: Companion (Doctor Who) The Doctor almost always shares his adventures with up to three companions, and since 1963 more than 35 actors have been featured in these roles. The First Doctor's original companions were his granddaughter Susan Foreman (Carole Ann Ford) and school teachers Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill) and Ian Chesterton (William Russell). The only story from the original series in which the Doctor travels alone is The Deadly Assassin. Dramatically, the companions' characters provide a surrogate with whom the audience can identify, and serve to further the story by requesting exposition from the Doctor and manufacturing peril for the Doctor to resolve. The Doctor regularly gains new companions and loses old ones; sometimes they return home or find new causes -- or loves -- on worlds they have visited. Some have died during the course of the series. Previous companions have reappeared in the series. One former companion, Sarah Jane Smith (played by Elisabeth Sladen), together with the robotic dog K-9, appeared in an episode of the 2006 series nearly 13 years after their last appearances in the 30th-anniversary story Dimensions in Time (1993). Sladen also starred as the character in an independent film spin-off, Downtime, in 1995. Afterward, the character was featured in the spin-off series The Sarah Jane Adventures. Sladen once again appeared as Sarah Jane in the final two episodes of the fourth series of the new Doctor Who, and again appearing briefly in the 2009 Christmas special The End of Time. In the 2005 revival, Billie Piper played the Ninth Doctor's companion, Rose Tyler. She stayed with the Doctor for the first two series until the series 2 finale, Doomsday, in which Rose becomes trapped on Parallel Earth with her mother and the parallel universe version of her father. The Doctor is not able to collect her, but he holograms himself to her in order to say goodbye. She confesses that she loves him. He is about to reply when the hologram disappears. They meet again the episode The Stolen Earth of series 4. In Journey's end, the series finale, the Doctor takes Rose back to the parallel world with his clone, who is almost exactly the same as him and has all of his memories, but has only one heart and is told by the original doctor will visibly age. The two of them kiss and the other Doctor remains with her in that world. Rose appears for a brief moment in The End of Time before she ever meets the Doctor. The companions of the Tenth Doctor included a large ensemble, many of whom reappeared in "Journey's End" and/or the 2009 Christmas special The End of Time. Of this large ensemble were Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman) and Donna Noble (Catherine Tate). Martha first appears in season 3 episode 2 of Doctor Who (Smith and Jones) as a doctor when the hospital she was working in was transported to the moon. After this episode Martha stays with the Doctor until season 3 episode 14 (The Last of the Time Lords.) Donna Noble first appears before Martha in season 3 episode 1, The Runaway Bride, when her fiance turns out to be working for a large spider-woman. Donna does not become an regular companion until season 4. Karen Gillan plays the Eleventh Doctor's companion,[61] Amy Pond,[62] along with Arthur Darvill, who plays Amy's husband, Rory Williams. Though not always considered a companion, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart was a recurring character in the original series, first appearing alongside the Second Doctor and finally alongside the Seventh.[63] The actor Nicholas Courtney, who portrayed the Brigadier, had previously also starred in the 12-part The Daleks' Master Plan. He appeared on television with every Doctor of the classic series except the Sixth, but appears with him in the charity crossover special Dimensions in Time and audio adventures from Big Finish Productions. Lethbridge-Stewart, again played by Courtney, appeared in Enemy of the Bane, a two-part episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures spin-off in 2008, more than 40 years after the character was first introduced, making him the longest-serving ongoing character in the franchise beside the Doctor himself. He and UNIT appeared regularly during the Third Doctor's tenure, and UNIT has continued to appear or to be referred to in the revival of the show and its spin-offs. In an episode of the sixth revived series, "The Wedding of River Song", the Brigadier is said to have died peacefully in his sleep, following Courtney's death earlier in 2011. Similarly, River Song (Alex Kingston) has become a recurring character since the series' revival. She is an ambiguous character with knowledge of the Doctor's future. In "A Good Man Goes to War", it is revealed she is the daughter of Amy and Rory, the Doctor's then-current companions. She first appeared in "Silence in the Library" alongside the Tenth Doctor, and her role has increased since "The Time of Angels". In "The Wedding of River Song", River and the Doctor marry, albeit in a redundant timeline, however both the doctor and River Song consider themselves to be husband and wife. Amy and Rory departed in "The Angels Take Manhattan" by being sent back to 1930s New York by the Weeping Angels. Following their departure, Jenna-Louise Coleman will join the cast as the Doctor's new companion[64] in the 2012 Christmas special.[65][66][67] Adversaries See also: List of Doctor Who universe creatures and aliens and List of Doctor Who villains When Sydney Newman commissioned the series, he specifically did not want to perpetuate the cliché of the "bug-eyed monster" of science fiction.[68] However, monsters were popular with audiences and so became a staple of Doctor Who almost from the beginning. With the show's 2005 revival, executive producer Russell T Davies stated[citation needed] his intention to reintroduce classic icons of Doctor Who one step at a time: the Autons (and the Nestene Consciousness) and Daleks in series 1, Cybermen in series 2, the Macra and the Master in series 3, the Sontarans and Davros in series 4, and the Time Lords (Rassilon) in the 2009-10 Specials. Davies' successor, Steven Moffat, has continued the trend by reviving the Silurians in series 5 and Cybermats in series 6.[69] Since its 2005 return, the series has also introduced new recurring aliens: Slitheen (Raxacoricofallapatorian), Ood, Judoon, Weeping An

ANAでの機内でこの番組を知り、興味を持ち、購入に至りました。 イギリス人の歴史観が垣間見れて面白いです。 全世代分を網羅するのは難しそうですが。

...ist meines Erachtens nach die wahrscheinlich beste Staffel mit Matt Smith. Ich werde in dieser Bewertung nicht auf das Produkt an sich oder den Preis eingehen, sondern lediglich die sechste Staffel dieser unglaublich erfolgreichen Serie beurteilen. Die sechste Staffel ist die zweite Staffel mit Matt Smith, dem Nachfolger David Tennants. Er ist somit, schließt man den 'War-Doctor John Hurt nicht mit ein, die elfte Inkarnation des zeitreisenden Ausserirdischen. Nachdem der Doctor in Staffel 5 in die Pandorica eingeschlossen wurde, sich und das Universum aber befreien konnte, startet diese sechste Staffel mit einem echten Paukenschlag: Die Begleiter des Doctors, Amy und Rory zusammen mit River Song, deren Identität bis hierher nicht endgültig geklärt ist, müssen mit ansehen, wie der Doctor aus scheinbar heiterem Himmel von einem aus einem See steigenden Astronauten (!) erschossen wird. Dramatischer könnte die Staffel gar nicht starten, da überhaupt nicht klar ist, warum er erschossen wird, wer ihn tötet und warum der Doktor seine Begleiter scheinbar vorwarnt. Es herrscht also große Verunsicherung und Unklarheit, was passiert ist und welchem Zweck das Ganze dient. Die Situation wird noch verschärft, als Rory, Amy und River auf den lebenden Doktor treffen. Schnell wird allerdings auch deutlich, dass der Doktor von seinem eigenen Tod nichts weiß. Diese Geschehnisse bilden die Rahmenhandlung der sechsten Staffel, in der es ebenfalls zu einem Aufeinandertreffen mit einer der gefährlichsten Rassen des Universums kommt, der Stille, deren Identität nicht nur geklärt, sondern deren Beziehung zum Doktor auch dargestellt wird. Alle Charaktere wirken in dieser äußerst spannenden, wenn auch komplexen Staffel gereifter, älter, aber auch mitgenommener durch ihre Erlebnisse. Zeitweise bleibt kaum Zeit zur Erholung, denn die Zeit scheint gegen den Doktor und seine Begleiter zu arbeiten. Verstärkt wird dieses subtile Gefühl durch immer neue Ereignisse, die alle Personen persönlich betreffen und ihr Leben und ihre Einstellungen grundsätzlich ändern. Zur Beurteilung: Für mich ist die sechste Staffel die wahrscheinlich stärkste 'Matt-Smith-Staffel'. Ohne Abwertung der fantastischen fünften Staffel bietet der Nachfolger noch mehr Rahmenhandlung, auch wenn diese stellenweise sehr komplex erscheint, und eine sehr anschauliche Weiterentwicklung aller Charaktere. Dies geschieht unter anderem dadurch, dass den Personen ausreichend Raum, Zeit und Handlung gegeben wird, ihre Persönlichkeiten zu entwickeln. So sind die Begleiter nicht bloßes Beiwerk, sondern ein entscheidender Faktor für die Stärke des Doktors! Dabei wirken die Charaktere nicht künstlich, sondern ehrlich und glaubhaft, ihre Wichtigkeit für die Figur des Doktors einerseits und für die Serie andererseits wird herausgestellt. Entscheidendes Kriterium für meine äußerst positive Bewertung ist allerdings die Spannung und der logische Handlungsablauf. Durch immer neue Wendungen wird die Spannung zum Ende hin auf ein Höchstmaß gesteigert, so dass die Staffel mit einem absoluten Höhepunkt endet, welcher auch einiges zur Klärung der Identität von River Song beiträgt. Zusammenfassend kann ich also durchaus behaupten, hier eine der besten DW-Staffeln gesehen zu haben. Diese sechste Staffel ist spannend, abwechslungsreich, voller lustiger, trauriger und mitreißender Höhepunkte und demnach für mich ein absolutes Highlight der fantastischen Serie. Wer allerdings Neueinsteiger ist, wird es aufgrund benötigter Vorkenntnisse zur Serie schwer haben, diese Staffel zu verstehen. Ihm/Ihr sei an dieser Stelle zum besseren Einstieg die erste Staffel der neuen Reihe mit Christopher Eccelstone empfohlen! Update+ Update+ Update (27.3.14) Nachdem heute die deutsche Fassung der sechsten Staffel bei mir angekommen ist, kann ich die DVD um so mehr empfehlen. Die Staffel ist auf insgesamt sechs DVDs verteilt, wobei eine DVD immer zwei bis drei Folgen umfasst. Passend zu den Folgen gibt es auf jeder DVD zu jeder Folge ein Confidential, so genannte "Monster-Akten und zu bestimmten Folgen zusätzlich Trailer oder Sketche. Ebenso findet sich auf der ersten DVD das Weihnachtsspecial "Fest der Liebe" mit passenden Extras. Somit bekommt man zusätzlich zu den dreizehn Folgen und ihren Extras auch noch das Weihnachtsspecial des Jahres 2010, das eigentlich zur fünften Staffel (als vierzehnte Folge) dazugezählt wird. Das Special ist eine Neuerzählung des Dickens`schens Klassikers "A Christmas Carol" und war mit einer Einschaltquote in Großbritannien mit knapp 11 Millionen Zuschauern auch sehr erfolgreich.

gran producto, bien presentado y bien acabado, imagen 10. si eres fan de la serie no te la puedes perder

great stuff...love this series..especially Karen Gillan

In my opinion, this is the best season of Doctor Who that has been made so far. It has very, very few "off" beats, and overall it is utterly gorgeous. The storyline of (spoilers!) the Doctor's Imminent Demise ratchets a nice level of tension and pathos throughout the whole season, with plenty of fun little twists and turns along the way. This season also focuses particularly on River Song, who is a truly excellent character, and it's a real delight to find out the backstory of the woman from "Silence in the Library." Amy and Rory, the Doctor's companions, also come really into their own, continuing the character arcs we saw established by the end of the previous season. And then there's the Doctor...Matt Smith does really just spectacular work here, and you can feel every nuance of emotion that goes through the Doctor's mind as he gets ready to sacrifice himself to save his friends, the universe, and time itself. I do wish he'd popped in on, say, Jack or Martha; granted Davis did nicely wrap-up their arcs with the Doctor when he was closing out End of Time, it just would have been a nice touch (although the bit about the Brigadier is just heart-wrenching). But if that's the closest thing to a "complaint" I can come up with...then I shan't complain at all! It really is just beautiful, opening with one of the best episodes ever (Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon) and closing with another (Wedding of River Song). I will say that it may not be the best place to start your Dr Who viewing -- "Impossible Astronaut" jumps right in to everything -- but if you've seen Season Five, you won't be disappointed at all; you'll be blown away. One sobering alert, however: this season seems particularly susceptible to bootlegging. Check your copy carefully. Even one DVD set that I purchased "direct" from Amazon (albeit fulfilled by a third party, The DVD Closet) turned out to be a pirated copy, which was very annoying as it was meant to replace the previous pirated copy I had received from Video Galaxi. (So far, I've gotten three bootlegs, and am still waiting to see if a legit copy is on its way.) Check your set, and if it doesn't have blue plastic holders for the DVDs, and the fold-out episode list isn't glossy on both sides, then you've got a fake. The flimsiness of the pirated copies' packaging should be enough of a give-away anyway, because the BBC usually does a really nice job putting their DVDs together, but I've noticed they've gotten a little flak here and there in reviews for this season being not as well-put-together as usual -- probably because people are getting pirated copies and don't know it! So just be careful about that, and don't be conned into thinking you have to accept a substandard knock-off; the legit version is readily available, not out of print or anything -- you just have to make sure you find it, and not the Ganger version!