Doctor Who - Series 5

WARNING THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE WHOLE SERIES AND SARCASTIC UNDERTONES! As I set off on this review I actually haven't given it a rating yet, mainly because I want to give it 4.5 stars. Why? Well because although I feel the series was spectacular I am begrudged to give anything 100% unless it absolutely deserves it, so I guess I will just have to write the review and then work out if I can come to terms with 5 stars! It seems to me this series is a little like marmite - you either love it or you hate it - and there are some obvious reasons for it. One reason is it's another reset; new doctor, new companion, new sonic screwdriver, new tardis layout, new production team... basically new everything, so you are always going to lose some fans who just can't come to terms with new! Another reason is Steven Moffatt delivers a completely different style of Who to us than RTD did. "The Moff" - as I believe he is affectionately called by t'internet - delivers clever stories with twists that are simple yet beautifully effective and his stories are well thought through from beginning to end. RTD on the other hand is a fabulous character writer - remember Tennant's amazing emotional departure - and lacks the story driven creativeness of "The Moff". There are merits and flaws to both these writing styles but in my opinion Moffatt's style of writing is far more effective for Who than RTD's, because Doctor Who is a kids show (that yes us adults love as well but nonetheless, it's a kids show) and kids want thrills, they want excitements, they want monsters and they want to be scared, they frankly don't give a crap about the inner workings of the Doctor's soul and were no doubt bored through RTD's character pieces like Boom Town. The Doctor is the child's gateway into this world of monsters, the doctor is meant to be an eccentric, crazy, completely alien individual, the sort of character kids can completely get behind and this is why I feel Matt Smith is the best of the "new" doctors because he has the right blend of seriousness, eccentricity and humour. So I suppose two lengthy paragraphs in I should start talking about the series. Doctor Who is all about standalone adventures so I suppose we should look at each episode individually. The Eleventh Hour - A new doctor story and a new companion story, never an easy thing to pull off. The shear amount that has to happen in this sort of episode leaves little room for a meaningful plot but "the Moff" pleasantly surprises us with a simple engaging story about an alien on the run, whilst allowing us time to adapt to the new characters. In my opinion a triumph of writing considering what he had to do in this hour slot. The Beast Below - So here we are, one episode in, feeling pretty good about all the new stuff. The Beast Below offers us a chance to see Amy Pond in action, whilst delivering a story with more twists than a pretzel, that culminated in a reminiscently RTD style ending investigating the darker character of humanity, I did get the feeling "the Moff" might have been trying to keep an element of RTD Who with this episode and for me it felt like trying to keep this link to the past was weighing "the Moff"'s ability down. Victory of the Daleks - So this episode got slated by critics and fans alike, all I can say is FINALLY... Finally a Dalek story that didn't kill every last Dalek off leaving the writers an Everest like challenge to find someway to bring them back, finally a Dalek story that didn't result in the Dalek's being defeated by the stupidest things ever... I'm sorry whichever brainiac thought Catherine Tate pressing some buttons resulting in the Dalek's exploding was an acceptable end to Journey's End is a complete prat. Oh yeah beyond my rant about the failings of past Dalek stories, I liked this episode, and I like the new Dalek's, come on even the Dalek's must think about their appearance. Time of Angels and Flesh & Stone - I must admit I was the most skeptical person about the Weeping Angels return, fearing they wouldn't work as a "real" baddie! Well how wrong was I, this amazing two parter in which the enigmatic River Song returns (what an amazing character she is!), was brilliant, just top class. Vampires in Venice - A good all round enjoyable adventure, brilliant setting, simple story, good monsters. This is what Doctor Who is meant to be. Amy's Choice - So here we have an episode put in at the last minute to replace Neil Gaiman's budget demanding episode which has been bumped to next series; bet you didn't know that! This is the second episode of Doctor Who that has been hastily written and shot to fill a gap left by writing problems, the first was Fear Her, the dreadful series two episode involving the olympic games, an alien flower and the scribble monster, which we almost forgave because it was hastily written and shot in a rush. Alas for Fear Her we must now realise even a quickly written episode of Who can deliver the goods, Amy's Choice was one of my favourite episodes, a great story coupled with a look at the Doctor's darker side... but not done in an RTD the monsters turn round and say the Doctor is the same as them way, nope this episode manifests the Doctor's darkness and this works because he's another entity, it's another actor, to kids it's not the Doctor, it's the Dark Doctor and this works. The Hungry Earth and Cold Blood - The less I say about this the better really, written by Chris Chibnall of Torchwood and RTD era Doctor Who, this story really was (and I don't like to do this because I think the man's a brilliant writer but it was) a bit RTD. Filled with whiney characters you didn't like, shoving grey morality in the face of the audience in a way that suggests the writer doesn't know what subtlety is, and a pretty lack lustre conclusion. Nevermind a blip on this series that I can forgive. Vincent and the Doctor - Here we get a character piece RTD style, but it works. Why? Because it's not about the Doctor or his companions, it's about someone else and while other stories are us watching the Doctor and his companions fight monsters in this episode the monster is a man's torment and it works amazingly. Top class! The Lodger - I will be the first person to admit I wasn't convinced about this episode it looked (I'm gonna use the phrase again) a little bit RTD and it had James Cordan in it, a man I personally feel is utterly unfunny and unlikable. I was pleasantly surprised this was a great fun episode that was again simple but effective. The Pandorica Opens - The first of a two part story involving... well everything and everyone. Characters from past episodes are cleverly used to guide the Doctor back to Roman times and to Stonehenge where he discovers The Pandorica. In a move everyone said was unfeasible and a lot of people didn't like all the monsters of the universe descended upon Stonehenge to "collect" the Pandorica... or so we thought. Also Rory returns but since I've focused on plot not character in this review I probably shouldn't start now, so I'll quickly say the characters and companions throughout this series were brilliantly done with very few that were unlikable (for very few read most of the cast of The Hungry Earth). So all the monsters in reality aren't there to collect whatever is within the Pandorica they are there to lock the Doctor in it in a classic "Moff" style twist that is so simple yet brilliant. A lot of people had a problem with all the monsters turning up at once and having formed an alliance against the Doctor but I say, it's original, it worked nicely (the Roman autons were a stroke of genius!) and all in all it was enjoyable so get off your high horses! The Big Bang - A different take to all other Doctor Who finales. The stakes are just as high as in any of the other episodes but the enemy has not revealed itself and it's a nicely separate yet linked in story before to the part before, in a way no other 2 parter has achieved and I thought it worked amazingly. It was fresh and original because for once everything wasn't resolved within the series (yes this pissed a lot of people off) but television becomes stale when it becomes to formulaic, we've had 5 years of the last episode of the series will have a big baddie who is openly out to destroy everything. Here the Doctor for once doesn't have the chance to find the root cause or cut the head of the snake he has to deal with the problems caused by it which was a nice change. So there you have it; my episode by episode review of series 5 of Doctor Who, perhaps a little sycophantic towards "the Moff" in places and perhaps overly harsh on the failings of RTD, in fairness he did bring it back, and his writing for Torchwood is brilliant, but all in all my true opinion, that Doctor Who has never been stronger has hopefully shined through. There are holes in this review yes, and there are some positives I haven't justified but lets be honest it's long enough as it is, so I suppose I am going to give it 5 stars because it is spectacular and I'll just have to deal with any agruments in the comments section below...

Without a doubt Doctor Who series 5 literally grabs you within the first opening sequence of a newly regenerated Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor hanging on for dear life on a TARDIS catapulting itself through time and through the Earth showing stunning cinematic scenery and pure slapstick fun, then the new titles and theme tune! powerful,thematic and scary, just the way it should be by the ever amazingly talented Murray Gold. With The Eleventh Hour we are provided a whole new production and world form the mind of the amazing writer Steven Moffat with a sensational back catalogue of writing and production credits as he takes over from Russel T Davies amazing 5 year run on the show. Of course some were going to be judgmental of his clear pristine direction for fans of the RTD era of Eccleston and Tennant but i say welcome it with visions like that of Tim Burton and very James Cameron style cinematic quality production and taking the simplest of scenarios and creating so much suspense through the direction much like the powerful Alfred Hitchcock...and that's JUST The Eleventh Hour so far let alone the following 12 episodes! now for the episodes themselves- The Eleventh Hour-simply the greatest way to start the series in the entire show's history! not even Rose can match this behemoth of an episode! straight away i fell in love with Matt's doctor and Karen Gillan became instantly likable as a companion(by the end of the series i say she ranks alongside Donna Noble,Jack Harkness and Sarah Jane!)her feistiness,attitude and humor comes through thick and thin and becomes iconic in her own right. Arthur Duvall is also incredibly likable as Rory Williams and he makes a few more appearances later on in the series(more on that later on). We are given quite an apocalyptic situation for a plot line to, more so than Tennant's disappointing final episode. An alien force is threatening to blow up the entire planet if Prisoner Zero (another alien species who is actually rather frightening in appearance) it's an exciting mini-thriller of an adventure and really is fast paced and puts you right on the edge of your seat! 24 eat your heart out! and come the end of the episode, Matt Smith more than proves that he IS the Doctor and we are instantly given the story arc mystery of this series...what is the crack? what is the pandorica? and who or what is the silence? overall a masterful debut and 10/10 gold! The Beast Below-an episode that rather split opinion with fans, i felt the story was strong and the creature effects very effective, but the episode comes off as slightly rushed and if it were 10 minutes or so longer than the audience could really get into the storyline more, but we are given an interesting setting of Starship UK, some ingeniously directed sentences, and the instantly powerful and recognized quotation "I'm The Bloody Queen!" by Queen Liz 10 who makes a very good supporting character and is instantly likable if slightly mysterious. The Smilers are some of the creepiest beings i have ever seen on the show that i feel they're somewhat underused in this storyline, and the winders are very intriguing...but the main twist is what the beast actually is. Despite a few shortcomings and a quickly identified resolution it is a very solidly made episode and demands a few viewings to gain more understanding and actually is a really good episode indeed. 7/10 The Victory Of The Daleks-This is an episode that i actually rather liked despite being another episode which some have distaste for but it brings forth why the Daleks are some of the most powerful and skin crawlingly formidable foes of the entire run of Doctor Who and they provide the scenario, should the Doctor save the earth and let the Daleks run free to create a new empire? or should he destroy the new species of Dalek and also face the destruction of Earth itself? so whatever the outcome is the Doctor must face these repercussions and ultimately whatever the outcome...he has lost! Ian McNeice is a surprising turnout as Churchill with some of the most cuttingly funn quotes you will hear and the new look Daleks despite a mixed reception i think grabs the vibe of the Dalek's in the 70's with a very retro look about them and despite being coloured red,blue,white,yellow and orange imagine a colony of new and improved and vastly more violent Daleks! it's a horrifying thought on so many different levels and i look forward to seeing this! overall i rank this episode an 8/10 and Gatiss' best work of the series yet as he makes full use of the World War setting. The Time Of Angels/Flesh & Tone- makes Blink feel neutered in comparison, this terrifying and horrifically suspenseful two parter is the Aliens to Blink's Alien. It's a full on assault on the nerves and puts you directly on edge, the script is fast paced, the direction is so very cinematic and the settings are so claustrophobic and so wonderfully used for the storyline it creates so many twists and turns throughout and an entire army of Weeping Angels!! it's genuinely scary stuff that i recommend that you don't watch alone in the dark!River Song's return to the show is the icing of the episode's cake and she's much more fully fledged and three dimensional in comparison to her previous Moffat written episode in series 4 Silence In The Library/Forest Of The Dead and by the end of this storyline instantly became a favourite of mine! Alex Kingston really makes her a character so very iconic and super heroine but also so mysterious,who is she? who is the most important man she killed? i imagine Steven Moffat is planning something that will slap us all around the face in awe.Amy is also given a few of the most scariest sequences as she falls victim to a Weeping Angel steadily approaching her out of a TV (it's scarier than The Ring!) and when she becomes slowly stalked and surrounded in the 'forest' in Part 2. An absolutely brilliant two-parter and such a classic! 10/10. The Vampires Of Venice-Rory Williams returns in this romp of an adventure and despite being occasionally slapstick it is beautifully filmed and makes use of it's setting and yet again the script is what makes the episode so darn fun! and the 'vampires' are pretty freaky in a very traditional Hammer Horror style of writing sense. It's a favourite of mine and what i call the guilty pleasure episode of this series, it's alos a bit grim in places and continues that fairytale theme of series 5.This episode is wonderful in so many ways and on so many different levels, 9/10. Amy's Choice-for me this could be the greatest single episode of the series if put in any of the previous episodes ( i even rank it higher than Midnight and Turn Left!) it creates a very surreal scenario and the subdued direction of Murray Gold's soundtrack add's to the mystery of the plotline. The TARDIS crew must make the decision of which dreamworld is the dream and which one is in fact the reality, it is a character growth storyline but also has some of the most hilariously grotesque aliens in recent memory OAPS with a viscous edge! no other could write it than Simon 'Men Behaving Badly' Nye. It's quirky,it's fun but it's also very deep and provides a 'what if?' situation that Amy must have been questioning while on her adventures with the Doctor and having liked her character all the way through this episode made me fall in love with her, playing vulnerability and strength in the blink of a second! Matt Smith shines again and Arthur Duvall is again purely fantastic! Toby Jones makes a very intriguing Dream Lord...with a twist! 10/10 The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood-If in any other series this would be the strongest two parter but with the BIG one to come later and the terrifyingly amazing one prior this episode is the weaker of the bunch, but nevertheless is a brilliant watch that works as one feature length episode as it is rather cinematic, i love the rural scenery(yet again on the series as a recurrent theme!)the Silurians return at their viscous best!it has been somewhat controversial amongst fan bases that they don't have the third eye from their previous appearences on the classic series but they are a malicious tribe and a fabulously detailed in the make up department and re also quite terrifying at the same time. The supporting cast allows for the tension to build in this somewhat Torchwood-esque episode (well it was written by Chris Chibnall!)where the acting plays up to the visual effects. there's a nicely horrific homage to Saw (all i am saying is poor Amy!)towards Part 1's cliffhanger and the end of Part 2 will have you at the Kleenex and also on the edge of your seat. Meera Syal grew into her own as Professor Nasreen in a rather comically dramatic way! this episode in it's own right is stronger viewed in one full swoop as part 2 literally plays up to the suspense of part 1. but i would definitely give this a 10/10 on many levels, a brilliant two part plot. Vincent & The Doctor-Again, this must be a classic episode on so many accounts and if in any other series would be viewed as one of the best! it's quirky,surreal and in many ways 'artistic' and somewhat eccentric. The plotline and science fiction takes a backseat as we delve into the mind of Vincent Van Gogh played superbly by Tony Curran, this may also render the waterworks as the message by the end of the storyline hits you really deep. Some sequences are even really intense with the creature of the plot.Richard Curtis shows why he is an impressive writer and lends the drama,the humour and the action together so very smoothly much like series 5 as a whole has managed to do. This episode is a toure-de-force on many accounts and i love the homages to Gogh's artwork and the visual interpretation's of Starry Night. This is Doctor Who at it's most artistically relevant best! 10/10 The Lodger-Gareth Robert's best episode of his run on the series is this masterful Doctor-Lite (well companion-lite so the case may be as Amy is present in 6 scenes!)James Corden is on top form here as Craig, Matt is just hilarious trying to be a 'human' and playfully slapstick! this is definitely a hidden gem that despite not being entirely perfect makes way for the high on drama and action finale that is to come. 9/10 The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang-The finale that tops ALL finale's! it has it all and more, each checked spot on the list comes with it's very own superb twist, we have action,adventure,scares,genuine horror,suspense,claustrophibic settings,superb script,skilled direction,iconic sequences,iconic villains,brilliant cast and the most definite cliffhanger to top ALL cliffhangers! this is why Doctor Who is the greatest of British television! TPO begins ith the greatest ever pre-titles sequence the show has ever done! with River Song escaping from her prison cell (WHY is she there?!?! you scream!)which allows for ALL significant characters to be brought back from sries 5 in a full swoop! (Liz 10,Churchill and Vincent across 5 minutes)and to top it all a reference to Jack Harkness in an alien bar and the most visually impressive gag i have EVER seen...Hello Sweetie engraved in the oldest cliff face of the universe! TPO also boasts the most terrifying scene in Doctor Who history as a Cyberman arm comes alive and attacks the Doctor and Amy beneath Stonehenge and a very The Thing/Alien directed cyberman sequence when the head literally sprouts legs (face hugger anyone?!?) it's shocking on many levels. Then you have the iconic shock of the Doctor approaching the alien armies arriving above Stonehenge and the single shot of every iconic foe to be seen on television and the cliffhanger that will have you on the edge of your seat! it crosses time and the universe and the screen encapsulates you in the moment and the universe literally blows up to a silence! it's visually eyegasmic! Part 2 elevates the tension to off the scales as the Daleks are then made TERRIFYING again! an impressive scenery of an apocalyptic Earth and some of the most intese sequences to ever be seen! and the most twists to be seen in a finale! but it all concludes wonderfully and it all pay's off leaving two ends to the plot still open for series 6 next year! WHAT/WHO is The Silence, and WHO is River Song?!?! 10/10. overall, this is the finest set of episodes on one series of the show, the themes are very mature the direction is ALWAYS superb on many levels. Matt Smith is officially MY doctor, Amy Pond is a superb companion, Rory Williams is an amazing supporting character, River Song is definately full of mystery and wonderfully iconic on many levels! this is a must for those who love a genuinely tight knit plot and the most impressive science fiction,thriller,drama in British history! amazing, and the special features are set to be really jam packed full of awesomeness! with Confidentials,video diaries,commentaries and apparently much,much more!

There is a received wisdom that Russell T Davies' time on Doctor Who divided fans and that he delighted and appalled in equal measure. Well, all that seems a long time ago now, and as nothing compared to reactions to Steven Moffat's first series at the Who helm. Of course, Moffat has a long and accomplished track record, including the underrated Coupling and, in the last year, co-writing the superlative Sherlock and the screenplay for the upcoming Tintin movie. And this is before we even start to consider his contributions to Series 1-4 : The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances, The Girl In The Fireplace, Blink and Silence In The Library/Forest of the Dead. Unlike Davies' broad emotional sweeps, Moffat seemed more adept at dealing with tricksier elements of plotting and continuity, something which would play a large part in series five's arc. Reaction to the series was polarised between those who thought that he had trashed the entire franchise to those, like me, who thought he had breathed new life into it. It was not an unalloyed success, but there were many wonderful highlights to justify the rating. Episode one introduces us to a new Doctor, a new TARDIS, a new companion and, shock horror, new titles! Matt Smith is surprising, looking (as some have noted) like a young man built out of parts of old ones, but sounding as beautifully eccentric and alien as The Doctor should be. Frankly, from the moment of, "Fry something, you're Scottish" and "Fish custard", I was sold. It was an episode that took lots of chances, including the wonderful time lapse sequence where The Doctor first meets Rory. And it was a nice touch to position Smith in the canon in his meeting with the Atraxi (who still sound uncomfortably like a brand of handcream to me). In contrast, the promised thrills and spills promised in episodes 2 and 3 were a bit underwhelming. The Beast Below was a serviceable pot boiler to introduce us further to the new TARDIS occupants, though the much heralded Smilers turned out to be something of a red herring in the larger scheme of the plot. If episode 2 was underwhelming, then the Daleks' appearance in episode 3 was probably the biggest let down of the entire series, feeling as much of a misfire to me as series 3's clunking Daleks in Manhattan. The design of the new generation Daleks aroused huge amounts of anger and negativity. These were almost secondary matters compared to the story, which simply did not work. It was also disappointing that the solid Bill Patterson was not that well used in his role. After this lull, however, things started to pick up again with the Weeping Angels double bill The Time of Angels and Flesh and Stone. Reintroducing the high point of series 3 was a risky gambit, but one which allowed both Smith, Gillan and the returning Alex Kingston some time to develop their characters and really let them fly. The second part in particular was stunningly good. In comparison, the following Vampires of Venice could have been a real disappointment, but happily wasn't, managing to maintain some of the two parter's momentum. What is noticeable by this stage is the crackling dialogue and the rapidly developing interplay between the Doctor, Amy and Rory: it's this kind of writing that the Moffat Who really manages to excel at. Next came the Silurian two parter: The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood. In retrospect, these episodes, while serviceable, are not hugely spectacular. They left me feeling much the same as I had with series 4's Sontaran encounter: glad that they'd been revisited, but not wedged in the mind in the same way other episodes were. Such things are common in mid-series, where it's possible for the pace to drop off a little in anticipation for the run-in to the end. In contrast, Vincent and The Doctor was simply stunning. It's an episode resonating with colour and real emotional power (though some accused it of being emotionally cheap and manipulative), and possibly my favourite full episode of the run. Tony Curran's van Gogh is by turns inspirational, irrational and convincingly tortured; it's a fine performance and does Richard Curtis's script justice. I wasn't expecting much from The Lodger, having a difficult relationship with James Corden. Thankfully for me, the Corden of the The History Boys showed up, instead of the one from Horne and Corden. The main thread of the plot was almost incidental here; we got much more fun from Smith playing for laughs and the rather sweet relationship developing between Corden's Craig and Daisy Haggard's Sophie. It was a fine appetiser for the inevitable finale... ..which didn't disappoint. One of the big criticism's of RTD's time at the helm was that series finales tended to be lots of noise and plots holes colliding in a big messy heap at the end. In Moffat's hands things were very,very different. Things which seemed inconsequential or just wrong (like the jacket in episode 5's forest scene) suddenly took on huge amounts of extra meaning. And of course, there was Moffat's delight in playing with the narrative structure, the timeline and the expectations of the audience. None more so than episode 12's threat from all of the Doctor's adversaries being nothing more than a cypher for the wonders of what was to come in the final episode of the series. The Big Bang manages to make the end of all creation an intensely personal experience, centering everything around Amy and her life. It's a masterstroke, and one that is tightly and nimbly written. The "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" moment had the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end, jumping up and down with glee. The ends that needed tying were tied, while enough was left hanging to bring us into the 2011 run running As mentioned before, the series did have its low points and longueurs, but these are easily outpaced by the highs, of which there are very many. Karen Gillan's Amy Pond has not met universal approval (I think she's fine), while Smith has a claim to have not only prevented himself becoming trapped in Tennant's long shadow, but to have surpassed his forerunner. Smith's Doctor is sparky, funny, occasionally and unexpectedly melancholy, lanky, otherworldy and, of course, obsessed with bow-ties. Series five represents good progress, and bodes well for 2001's split series six.

For me this is the best series of Doctor Who since the series was resurrected in 2005. Matt Smith is outstanding as the Doctor and Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill and Alex Kingston all impress as well. The season starts with 'The Eleventh Hour' a blinding opener which features a gloriously energetic debut performance from Matt Smith and gets the Matt Smith/Steven Moffat era off to an electrifying start. Sadly 'The Beast Below' is confusing and tedious, many elements seem to have been included just to be creepy rather than for a plot reason. 'Victory of the Daleks' is an average episode which is dragged down by the dreadful design for the new multi-coloured Daleks and the ridiculous spectacle of spitfires in space. On the upside the Daleks in the war cabinet are very creepy and Ian McNeice gives a good performance as Winston Chruchill. The Weeping Angel two parter 'The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone' is thrilling even if it is inferior to 'Blink'. It's well acted, exciting and terrifying with a clever resolution. The cliffhanger to 'The Time of Angels' is stunning and River Song's return is most welcome. 'The Vampires of Venice' is a simple story, but nonetheless it's consistently very funny and entertaining. The tension between The Doctor and Rory is very interesting. 'Amy's Choice' is a masterpiece which blends comedy, surrealism, horror and drama to compelling effect. Toby Jones is fabulous as the Dream Lord. 'The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood' reintroduces the Silurians but they look utterly unrecognizable from their classic series appearances. The first episodes is rather average but the second is far better and brings the two parter to a very satisfying conclusion. 'Vincent and the Doctor' is the highlight of the series which in this series really is saying something. Tony Curran gives a captivating and incredibly moving performance as the tormented Vincent Van Gogh. The episode looks gorgeous and some of Van Gogh's paintings are cunningly worked into the story. 'The Lodger' is an episode that really shouldn't work, featuring prominently as it does the loud mouthed and obnoxious James Corden, but somehow The Lodger is 45 minutes of gripping television. Unexpectedly Corden is actually fairly likable here and he turns in a good performance, but really Matt Smith is the star here he is utterly magnificent here the sequences with him playing cooking, playing football and just generally interfering in Craig's life are memorable. The series finale 'The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang' is as far as I'm concerned the finest season finale of the new series so far; its an epic in every way. The first episode builds up the tension beautifully and then the second becomes very complex and intricate and could have descended into a shambles but Steven Moffat and the actors hold it together and it makes for wonderful entertainment. This a very consistent season, 'The Beast Below' being the only poor episode, everything else is average or better. Leaving aside the 'The Beast Below' fiasco Moffat's scripts are all of a very high standard. So in conclusion don't listen to all the bitter people who say that Doctor Who declined in quality after David Tennant left or that Matt Smith is inferior to Tennant. If anything Smith is superior to Tennant as he demonstrates here.

After the highly successful David Tennant's take on the wandering Time Lord, any actor must have thought long and hard about becoming the new Doctor Who. The relatively unknown Matt Smith - revealed to the world a year before his first appearance proper - wasa bold and in my opinion inspired choice. The entrance of a new incarnation of the Doctor is always a time for excitement and trepidation. Will they be as good as the last Doctor? Will the series fold if they are unpopular? Well, I am very happy to report that the viewing public had nothing to fear! Whilst the Tennant fans must have longed for his return, I sat down to view the first episode - The Eleventh Hour - and within moments I was sold on this new version. Looking back on many of the first episodes of the Doctor (only Power of the Daleks part one spoils the set with its status as wiped) Matt makes one of the most impressive and immediate impressions of any of the eleven actors to play the role in official stories. Speaking of the Eleventh Hour, it must rank as one of the most enjoyable episodes of the series since it returned if not the entire run since 1963. For sheer energy and enthusiasm it cannot be faulted. All the elements are there; the unknown - both in the monster and the Doctor himself, the brilliant way in which the new companion is introduced, and the nod to the previous lives of the Time Lord. The series falters somewhat with The Beast Below, a rather hum drum episode more reminiscent of the 2005 Eccleston series, it never really lives up to a rather clever premise. Much has been written about the next story, Victory of the Daleks - and like the TARDIS and the Doctor, the evil creatures from Skaro also get a make over. Larger, more colourful and looking vaguely 60s in style the new Dalek paradigm split fans down the middle. Older fans shouting "They've ruined the design!!" whilst playgrounds across the country rang to the screams of "Exterminate" The following two parter - featuring the return of the Weeping Angels - is remarkable for two reasons. One - its solid and slow burning plot full of atmosphere and menace but also the fact thath it actually features the first episodes before the camera for Matt Smith and Karen Gillan. To say that both actors nailed their roles from day one is an understatement. I defy anyone not in the know to say that they could spot the first day without prior warning. There is a mid season lull with the pretty but not so great "Vampires of Venice" and "Amy's Choice" neither of which will go down as instant classics. Since their first appearance in 1970s "Doctor Who and the Silurians" the homo reptilia have returned several times in different guises. This time they receive another of the series' make overs and are far more Human in appearance. The two parter itself is something of a mish mash and after a good build up in part one fails to pay off in a satisfying manner. The look is once again great and the extras perform brilliantly including in the twist shock ending. Another fan favourite pulls the series back up with the poignant "Vincent and the Doctor" a tale that revolves around the non sci-fi theme of manic depression! Yet the story is so well handled and beautifully acted that one cannot fail to be moved by the interaction of the central characters, and as the resolution pays off in spades it will remain a high point of the series. Yet again the next episode split fandom in a love/hate reaction. "The Lodger" based on a comic strip from the official Doctor Who Magazine, features an Amy-lite story and brings in the character of Craig, with whom the Doctor lodegs during the adventure. Revealing that the 900+ year old time traveller is a fantastic footballer, the story is a comic lull before the storm. That storm comes in one of the best season finales ever. The two part tale ("The Pandorica Opens" and "The Big Bang")feature the return of the popular River Song; who has some strange connection to the Doctor and his companions. Filled with the trade mark "timey-wimey" twists the final episode is an affirmation of all that has made this a great season cementing Matt Smith as a truly great Doctor Who. The box set of the series comes with a lenticular cover that features the main elements of the season. The space saving package features a small introductory leaflet from series head writer Steven Moffatt. As for the Blu-rays themselves, no Doctor Who has ever looked this good on home video. Previous releases (the specials) were dogged with silly picture issues (a 60i release in the UK's 50i territory was cost sutting on the part of the video company). The HD picture and sound on this release is truly wonderful, and brings Doctor Who to the standard of any show currently in production. The cinematography is beautiful, and very gothic - like a sci fi fairy tale. The sound is equally as impressive. So why dear reader do I gove this release 4 and not 5 stars? Its the rather slip shod extras included in the set. Again we get the Confidential Cut-Down programs rather than the full versions. Whilst this is not world ending it is disappointing. The other extras include a couple of "between episode" segments that show what happened in the TARDIS when the story on TV ended. Seven episodes include an invision commentary (sadly not all). For a high profile (flagship in fact) show, Doctor Who deserves more attention. The wonderful work done with the classic series shows what could be done - and some of those episodes are almost half a century old! However, you will be buying this to review - or enjoy for the first time - the 13 episodes in season five. At its current price its an amazing addition to your collection. I recommend it to fans new and old.

There's an unfortunate divide in opinions on this series, and it largely comes down to the split in the fanbase, one which to an extent has always existed in the show but has only been exacerbated since Russell T Davies' tenure. Fortunately it's now the place of Steven Moffat to take over. Long one of my favourite writers, writer of the majority of my favourite recent British television; Coupling, Jekyll and of course many of the best episodes of Dr Who, including Blink and The Empty Child, and his first season as show runner in no way dissapoints. Matt Smith is absolutely perfect in the role, despite his age he immediately comes off as an old, forgetful youthful and energetic explosion of a character. A charming combination of Patrick Troughton, William Hartnell and Tom Baker. The Eleventh Hour is easily the strongest first episode for any Doctor since the 1st, within the space of the episode I quickly found myself forgetting anyone else had starred in the role. The episodes to my mind never once falter. The two stand outs, to my mind are the unique and original Amy's Choice and Vincent and the Doctor. Both stretch far from the usual comfort zone of the show and are made wonderfully memorable as a result. Moffat's output is consistently high, after four seasons of cliff hangers where the day has been saved by magic powers, deus ex machina or conveniently placed "destroy all daleks" buttons we're presented an intelligent, mad, almost psychedelic finale which younger viewers and older must pay close attention to and which links back to numerous, cleverly placed clues earlier in the series. So in opposition to what some reviews have posted here I say the series started out simply filling the shoes and soared to dizzying heights. It may not appeal to all of the original audience, but it is a more intelligent show now, and has returned to include something for the adults as well as the eight year olds - it has returned to being, as I have always known it, a family show. At the end of the day though the show is many things to many people, it has changed many times over the decades, and each time the reaction has been mixed. Those who had become used to the mindless cries of exterminate may not be welcoming this new format... to me however this has been the season of most consistently high quality since Tom Bakers first back in 1974, that being long before my own birth I am absolutely ecstatic about this return to form and hope that Steven Moffat, Matt Smith et al continue to produce such high quality entertainment. There are a couple of low points, there are no episodes I would describe as poor (which is a remarkable improvement on the previous season), but the Silurian two parter, the Beast Below and Victory of the Daleks are all just so much filler, not that there is anything wrong with that, but it does leave just a little room for improvement in season 6.

Russell T Davies (RTD) did a great job in resurrecting Doctor Who back in 2005, and as a long-time Who-fan, I will always be grateful that he did and he wrote some very good stories as well, 'Midnight' anyone. However during his tenure, I always felt something was not quite right, too much emphasis on the 'EastEnders' type of storytelling, ie the whole Rose Tyler storyline was overkilled and took away from telling good consistent stories which is what Doctor Who was always about. The other big mistake during the RTD era, was of course the casting of John Simms as the Master. He's not a bad actor, but grossly miscast as the Master, making him a yelping, screaming idiot. But there were positives during the RTD era, not to mention all of Steven Moffat's scripts and RTD's brilliant season one finale. Finally after four seasons and several specials, Doctor Who returned in what would be its strongest and most consistent season to date, Season Five. With Steven Moffat at the helm, Matt Smith as a very eccentric but alien doctor (what he should be) and Karen Gillan as a strong-willed and very well characterised assistant, it was clear Doctor Who was in very good hands. Season Five is made up of thirteen episodes with the standouts being the Angels two-parter, 'The Time of Angels'/'Flesh and Stone', 'Amy's Choice', 'Vincent and the Doctor', and of course the best finale since season one, 'The Pandorica Opens'/The Big Bang'. The thing with season five was that even the other episodes were also very good, no so-called fillers like past seasons, all very consistent and a feeling that the emphasis had finally gone back to brilliant storytelling with very good characters not the route taken in especially the first two seasons with the whole Rose saga. In fact this more than any other season in New-Who, felt closer to watching Classic-Who again. Presentation is also very nice, Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is nicely enveloping with the rears used well. 16:9 widescreen picture is also very crisp and clear. Extras include 2X 'Meanwhile in the Tardis' additional scenes, 3-Part Video Diary, 13X Dr Who Confidential Cut-Downs, 6X In-Vision Commentaries, Outtakes and over 20 Teasers and Trailers. Well served. Thoroughly enjoyable season of new Doctor Who is in very safe hands with Steven Moffat and a fantastic new Doctor (Matt Smith), roll on season 6!!! (

Great series of a fab Dr Who. Recommended. Great price.

I add the caveat that I am a Doctor Who fan (the modern Doctor Who). This is a great series with some wicked twists and turns. There are really great episodes that are well-written and really grab your attention. The villains were awesome. And not to mention that Churchill was in this series! The new companion Amy Pond is brilliant, clever, and a nice change from the previous companions (although I do miss Rose). Matt Smith's a great doctor, does an awesome job of replacing David Tennant (who I still miss!). The bow tie is definitely super cool and then add to that the wicked suspenders. Great combination! Some aspects of it certainly will anger sticklers (mostly I'm thinking of the iPod coloured Daleks) but most of it is great. It's a series that can be watched by anyone, good family fun. I do agree that it is a bit pricy but it's well-worth it, especially to promote good, quality programming and I am a bit of a sucker for BBC.

... the future of our favorite Time Lord is safe and sound in the capable hands of Matt Smith and Steven Moffat. Yes, we all knew it was going to be tricky watching after the departure of David Tennant, which was a shock to the system, but after thirteen episodes with Smith and Moffat at the helm, I am a believer. The series opens with one of the better season openers of the revived series, 'The Eleventh Hour', and we are introduced to the Doctor's new persona as he descends on Amelia Pond's life and home. Moffat did something really good with this episode: he didn't waste a lot of time on the regeneration and instead dove head first into the action, which I thought was a great decision, especially after the harrowing end to Tennant, and he needed to move Smith in there fast and get people acclimated as quickly as possible. Our introduction to Amelia ~ or Amy ~ as a child, was something new as well, and was a poignant bit of storytelling. As the series progresses, Amy sort of becomes a confusing character, and a bit irritating at times, but I think that was the way she was meant to be written, considering that her life, as the Doctor said, made no sense, up until the final episodes. As for the writing, I think this season was a lot sharper, a lot tighter than the previous four and Moffat and the other writers definitely stepped it up a notch. There were one or two weak spots ~ there always are ~ but on the whole, I think this was the best season yet, especially the episodes penned by Moffat himself. We saw the return of River Song and the Weeping Angels ~ two episodes that will give you the creeps; we saw the return of the Silurians and the Daleks (who just can't seem to go away), the advent of the mysterious Dream Lord, and a few vampire fish thrown in for good measure. One of the finer episodes of this season was 'Vincent and the Doctor' ~ there was something very touching about that episode and it was beautifully written. The two-part finale was the best of the finales of the current show, and there was something very visceral about that Pandorica and what it was designed for. Now to Smith. Well, when I first heard about his casting, I was more than a little skeptical. He seemed too young for the role and I knew he would either make or break the future of the revived series. Luckily, he made it. His portrayal of the Doctor is breath of fresh air, I think. After Tennant's reign, I think Whovians needed to be reminded of the fact that the Doctor is NOT a human, as much as we love him and wish he were. We needed to be reminded of his alienness, and Matt Smith has done that in a brilliant fashion, while maintaining a certain empathy and affection for those in his company; however, he's quirky, he's weird, he's random, he's explosive, he's arrogant, he has an old-soul quality... he's all the things that the Doctor should be as the last of the Time Lords, the last of his species, and this series deserves the five stars for Smith's portrayal alone, because it CANNOT have been easy, especially on the heels of the most popular Doctor ever (Tennant). And if you quit watching just because Tennant left, well, that's a shame, because you don't know what you're missing. In closing, I loved the new series, I love Matt Smith, I adore Steven Moffat, and I think we can all breathe a huge sigh of relief... and I CANNOT WAIT to see who exactly River Song turns out to be...

Mi è piaciuta molto. Confezioni Perfette.

この手のものにはよくありがちですが、なんかどこかで見たことがあるような、いわゆるデジャビュというのでしょうか、、、。思い出してみたら、とてもマイナーなウルトラマンでしたが、ウルトラマンネクサスの設定によく似ているような気がします。でもそれはそれ。楽しめます！

Magníficamente presentado, muy buena edición en formato BD. Subtítulos en inglés para todo el contenido, eso sí, nada en castellano, como es habitual.