DVD review – Doctor Who: The Complete Specials

David Tennant’s final turn as the Doctor comes to DVD and Blu-ray in “Doctor Who: The Complete Specials.”

The Doctor is the last Time Lord, a human-looking alien who saves the day in times of crisis and frequently travels through time and space in the TARDIS, a ship that resembles a 1950s police call box. Tennant’s wisecracking, ever-prepared version of the Doctor has provided popular with fans, and these five specials are the last in which he will star.

The first of the specials features the time-traveling Doctor in 1851 London on Christmas Eve. He meets someone else who also believes himself to be the Doctor, and the two face off against Cybermen, cyborg invaders from another dimension.

The second special, “Planet of the Dead,” features Michelle Ryan as a jewel thief who teams up with the Doctor when they are thrown through a rift in space. On an apparently desolate planet, they must find their way back to earth, along with a busload of passengers accidentally stranded.

The third special, “The Waters of Mars,” features the Doctor’s encounter with Earth’s first pioneers on Mars.

The final two specials, “The End of Time” parts one and two, feature the return of the insane Master (John Simm), who is intent on taking over the Earth. But the Master is just a pawn in a larger play. The first of the two-part episode feels oddly paced, but it all comes together in the end, as Tennant’s final episode of “Doctor Who” sends him out with emotion and grace. Fans also get the first look as Matt Smith as the new Doctor.