Audience Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over Binding: DVD EAN: 5014503260927 Format: PAL Label: 2 Entertain Video Manufacturer: 2 Entertain Video Number Of Items: 6 Publisher: 2 Entertain Video Region Code: 2 Release Date: 2008-11-17 Running Time: 500 Studio: 2 Entertain Video Theatrical Release Date: 2008
Kicking off with a jam-packed Christmas special and ending with a blockbuster extended closing instalment, Doctor Who?s fourth series since it was revived is a breathless, exciting one, that also boasts some exceptional episodes.
You get fourteen episodes for your money here, and the ones in particular to watch out for are the outstanding Silence In The Library/Forest Of The Dead double header, the almost single-location creepfest that is Midnight, and the trio of Turn Left, The Stolen Earth and Journey?s End that round off the series. In the midst of those is also one of the very best cliffhangers that Doctor Who has ever employed in its long and glorious history.
This is also the series of Doctor Who that introduces Catherine Tate as full-time companion Donna Noble, working alongside David Tennant?s Doctor across time and space. And it?s--against initial expectations--arguably the best combination since the show returned. Here, there?s no hint of romance between the pair, as they instead knuckle down to business, occasionally helped by the likes of Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman), Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) and Jack Harkness (John Barrowman).
Let?s not forget too the collection of monsters we meet this time round. The daleks and Davros are the main attractions in Doctor Who Series 4, while the return of the Sontarans proves to be a bit of a disappointment. But, after viewing the series, chances are you?ll be counting shadows around you, and wary of getting on the wrong side of the Ood.
As with most series of Doctor Who, there are one or two bumpy episodes and missteps, but this is still unmatched at what it does, and finds the show in even more confident form than last time round. That, along with the immense rewatch value, is what makes this terrific piece of family entertainment such a compelling buy. --Simon Brew
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: Review of the extra's Comment: Well..
I'll leave the episodes to all the other reviewers. They were lovely.
The point I'm not so happy about is the extra's section. In contrast to previous DW boxsets, this one has only two episodes of David Tennants Videodiary. Which is a shame. Davis himself says on it that he has nothing to add to the one from last year. But I strongly disagree with him. Those diaries gave a huge insight in how every episode came together. What people thought, the little giggling on set. The 'real fun' so to say. Those diaries were one of the reasons I bought the dvd-box. (If I just wanted the episodes, I could have downloaded them)
So that was a huge disappointment. If anyone who even remotely knows David TELL HIM PLEASE TO MAKE A VIDEODIARY FROM THE ONCOMING SPECIALS!! I'll be very very grateful.
All the other extra's were same as always: cutdown confidentials and commentarytracks.
Although: I did miss the bloopertrail as well :( Liked that one very much as well :) Customer Rating: Summary: The Best Yet!!!! Comment: This is a brilliant series. The storylines are better than ever, the acting is simply sublime and I love the return of Davros!!! Yay! This is one to buy since you get all the episodes and the christmas episode; doctor who confidential and more!!! Customer Rating: Summary: Doctor Who Season 4 Please read before purchase. Comment: BUY IT NOW!!!!!
It's Doctor Who. What more can I say other than brilliant Customer Rating: Summary: Why Catherine Tate WHY!? Comment: I've been a huge fan of recent (and all) Doctor Who but this series just.........lacked. There were a few good episodes, usually written by Stephen Moffat or Russel Davis but on the whole it just never clicked the way the other "new who" did. Cathrine Tate is fantastically irritating, although I can't help feel that's because her "comedy" series has left an ashen taint in my mouth. After the last series finale (with the master) I did get an uncofortable feeling that Doctor Who had reached it's apex, and this series proves it. Sure there's a couple of good episodes here, but none better than anything previously done on the show. Nothing new here. Davros was massively disappointing too, he himself was brillaintly realised and played but he just felt pointless. As much as it pains me to say, I think David Tennant has made the right choice to leave after next year, it's getting a bit stale. Bruce Willis for Doctor in 2010! Customer Rating: Summary: Still 'Doctor Who', but much weaker than previous seasons Comment: When I sat down to watch the first episode of this series, when it was broadcast, I was highly anticipant at the prospect. It had been ten months since the end of the last series and five months since the Christmas special 'Voyage of the Damned'. I thought that the Christmas special was slightly weak but still 'Doctor Who' and still highly enjoyable. The third series had been masterful.
Imagine my suprise, therefore, when I was presented with the piece of crap that was episode one. Admittedly it was an introductory episode and therefore was bound to be worse than usual before it was even written, but still, given that it was written bu Russel T. Davis, the genious who produced 'Utopia', 'The Sound of Drums' and 'Last of the Time Lords', most notably, one would expect something much better.
Writing it off as introductory and therefore excusable, I watched 'Fires of Pompeii'. This was much better (it was actually enjoyable, which is a start) but was still far weaker that Series Three.
The series generally gets better from this point, with the only exception being 'The Docter's Daughter', which I found to be completely implausable and too absurd to acted well and, therefore, it wasn't. The Sontaran episodes are, I think, the best ones in this series and, although the ending to the series is pathetic, the final episodes are thrilling.
The main problem that I have with this series is that it is, on the whole, much weaker than previous series and streaks behing Series Three. It is still, however, highly enjoyable, cleverly written at times and, above all, is still fully 'Doctor Who'. I would recommend this to anybody who already owns the first three series but not to anybody who doesn't, as all three of the previous ones are better than it.
![Doctor Who : Complete BBC Series 4 [2008]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51NGW2XGuyL._SL160_.jpg)
