Doctor Who: Season 7 Part 1: Blu Ray Review

Doctor Who: Season 7 Part 1: Blu Ray Review

Rating: PG
Released by Roadshow Home Ent and BBC

So, this is goodbye.

For Matt Smith's 11th Doctor, Karen Gillan's Amelia Pond has been the one constant. She was with him when he regenerated and has been travelling with the Doc in the TARDIS for the last 3 years. But now with the start of the new series, it was time to say goodbye. And that's something which hangs over these 5 episodes, each of them feeling more cinematic than the last.

In the first, Asylum of the Daleks, The Doctor's plunged onto Skaro to help the Daleks destroy the asylum of their insane; but below is a terrible secret - and one hell of a brilliant surprise with the introduction of the actress who will be the new companion. From then, it's Dinosaurs on a spaceship, a filmsy romp which is all laid out in its title; then a Western seeing the Doctor lose some of his sanity in A Town Called Mercy. The fourth is set on the latter day earth and is an interesting tale of what the Ponds do when the Doc's not around and whether they want to keep travelling with him. Finally, the end comes with The Angels Take Manhattan, in which Amy and Rory leave in heartbreaking fashion.

While Doctor Who: Season 7 Part 1 feels like a swansong throughout, there's a feeling of hope with the introduction of Jenna Louise Coleman; her freshness is evident in the writing and spark on screen. But it's Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill who impress most in this set - Matt Smith,as ever is on top of his game. While the adventures are varying, this is still very strong Who and worth investing in.

Extras: Doctor Who: Season 7 Part 1: Blu Ray has a flimsy amount; a couple of prequels, the making of the Gunslinger and The Science of Dr Who (A BBC America doco which is ok). It's a shame there's no retrospective doco and interviews with the cast given it's such a big change, but maybe those are being saved.

Doctor Who: Season 7 Part 1: Blu Ray Review Rating: