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Review: 2005 series available in one set.
Released today by 2 Entertain is Doctor Who - The Complete First Series Boxset, comprising of five discs in a TARDIS-shaped box.
For the first time, all 13 episodes can be heard with 5.1 surround sound. It's amazing how much difference this can make to the viewing experience - particularly on stories like End of the World and Parting of the Ways. They really come alive when you can hear space debris, Daleks and the time vortex whizzing around your front room.
Each story also has a commentary recorded with key members of the cast and crew. It's fascinating to hear how Russell T Davies vetoed the original sonic screwdriver effect or Annette Badland talking about how freaky it was to see her Margaret Blaine body suit. But it's Billie Piper's admission to not having watched the series and being stunned by how great the final product looks that makes the commentaries essential listening. She's genuinely impressed at the first sight of the Emperor Dalek and explains in detail how she and Chris were simply acting against a green screen.
Special features on the disc include a host of video diaries from the likes of Russell T Davies, writer Mark Gatiss and Billie Piper. We get to see Billie's younger sisters fawning over Bruno Langley (Adam) in one scene and it's interesting to see how - despite the hard work - the task of playing the Doctor's companion looks like so much fun! We also find out more about Captain Jack's alter ego John Barrowman and there's an in-depth look at how many of the series' special effects were created.
The fifth and final disc contains all 13 episodes of Doctor Who Confidential (minus the archive footage which was removed for copyright reasons) plus a brand new 14th episode which focuses on the Christmas special.
¹Watch Billie's excited commentary
¹Go behind the scenes with Doctor Who: Confidential
Send us your comment now. We'll publish the best on this page.
Dalek Jack
An amazing series of human entertainment files,worthy to be saved from our supreme dalek power. The next time that we,the daleks, dominate your defencless earth, we will attempt to capture this series,as well as an...um...I beleive you call it a...DVD player,yes.
But until then..."Exterminate!"
charley
I loved it and I loved the confidentail's
laura
love the show... great discs... major shame about the packaging... why couldnt it have been like series 2
michael
Contains ALL 9th Doctor episodes and confidential so it HAS to be best ever!
Mikey
Wicked! It even has the Daleks AND Confidential episodes off BBC3
becky aged 12
really cool i love the commatraies
ed
who cares what the older people say that 'the old series was better' this is the best box-set ever released by bbc. JUST GET IT!
Amanda Smith
Millions of fab episodes squished into one small box. A genius!!!
ella(13)
I allready have the separate discs of the christopher ecclestone series and the boxset. i have the available 2 discs from the david tennant series and am planning to buy the boxset aswell.how many series of doctor who is there gonna be? cause theres not much room left on my shelf!!!
Phillip Nicholls
A great return for Doctor Who with a fitting very good box set with all 13 episodes in 5.1 Dolby with some equally good extras. Thankyou Christopher Eccleston for being such an intensely dramatic fun Doctor and heres to David Tennant and Billy Piper continuing on very well into the future!
Dr Nick
i think that the first series of the doctro who boxset is fantastic but i was disappointed to see the doctor leave as he was the best doctor that i have ever knew but David Tennant is also good but christiphore was the best.
Emily (12)
I insisted on getting one for my birthday! You know what I got it and watched eps. 1-13 that day! Love the TARDIS shape!
Steve (in The States)
Hooray for Dr. Who! The new series of Dr. Who has created something exciting and innovative while culling the best elements from the classic series. I posess all episodes from series one and soon plan to purchase the boxset. It's impossible to keep a good TimeLord down! "The Doctor...splendid chap. all of them!"
Anita Boreham
Shaped like the TARDIS, full of gallifrey goodness, even has confidentials on top of the 13 episode series! What more could you want from a fantastic Doctor Who Box Set?????
EXTERMINATE05
I am very sorry to say that i have not seen any of the episodes of the first series of doctor Who. you see i started with series 2 because it had sexy David Tennant in it. actually that was the only reason i started to watch it but after about 1 minute and 30 secomds i realised that this was what my life had been missing. i will now go oiut and buy the first series on dvd no matter what all the other complainers on this web page have been saying. LONG LIVE THE DOCTOR!!!
William Ramsden
It's rather difficult to actually find anything serious to criticise on this box set- the fault in watching episode 5 in standalone is unfortunate, but given that it's part two of a two parter, and the second episode on the disc, it's not overly inconvenient to watch it on Play All. The episodes look and sound fantastic- the remixed sound is beautiful, the menu layout is good, and, most important, the content is wonderful. Getting a chance now that the novelty has worn off (and he's no longer current) to reappraise the Eccleston Doctor it's clear just what a marvellous choice for the part he was, turning the Doctor back into a real, alien, person, instead of the cardboard cut-out eccentric he'd been flattened into by Tom Baker in his later years. Now, the Doctor is real, dangerous, funny *when he's supposed to be*, and alive. So, a few traditionalists don't like the Doctor being three dimensional, and having emotions? Well, as Jack Harkness said when faced by similar beings: "I kinda figured that."
Lyd.J.G
It's TARDIS shaped - what more need I say!
It's a shame that it doesn't have any outtakes or deleted scenes on it but otherwise it sounds fantastic! I want one.
Sarah Brierley
I have just had a look at the Backstage at Christmas bit of the Doctor Who Confidential DVD and I think it looks great. There are some funny bits but I won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it.
Dave USA
Please hurry with Region 1 boxsets, it's hard to bear the immense new Dr. Who series deprivation over here.
Laura c aged 14
this boxset is amazing! i dont know why so many people are complaining about the packaging because I thought it was fantastic!my brother has been trying to knick them from me all day, but since he is about 32, i told him he can go and buy his own. i do have one thing to say that is not about the boxset and it is bring the doctor who exhibition back to brighton!!!! please!!!
Ben in Surrey
I already own the vanilla release DVDs and wether or not to buy the box set never actually occured to me. Its a MUST HAVE item.
Sorry for all of those with bad experiances with it, but you really just have to ask yourself... How much do you LOVE this series? I tell you, anything is worth it just to have it back on the screens!
Keep up the good work folks! Your doing the Doctor proud ^_^
charlie (15)
Loving my boxset!!! the extras are great but its a shame there are no outtakes or deleted scenes!
Snowy
Thanks to the BBC and Mr. Davies for a GREAT new series. I think it was worth waiting for the box set. Some nice features. (It's just a shame the packaging fell apart the second time i opened it and now it doesn't shut properly.)
Jacob R. Mason
It's "Fantastic"! A real insight onto how the show was made. Right, sit down to 'An Empty Child'...
wayne
I think the box set is great waited for this for the extras, dissapointed we only get the cut down confidential and no deleted scenes etc. Hope the BBC can include them in the series 2 boxset??
Steven Williams
Wow what a terrific set, i am glad i waited for this release, 5.1 surround really brings the episodes to life, i am a little disapointed with the Box large and bulky but these are small complaints, was looking forward to a little bit more on the Xmas special but you can not have it all, all in all well pleased although a few deleted scenes would not have gone amiss, the big question is would i recomend this to my family or freinds.....YES without doubt, well done now can we have more of the same (season or multi story releases) for the original series, can not wait for Season Two.
jenni
my boy friend loves it were can i buy it
Ken Beatson
The discs are great, unfortunately the packaging isnt. When I opened the box, one tray was barely attached and another was completely free. Shoddy considering the price.
mark butcher
It is a thing of beauty and wonder.
Stu Maddison
I have to say, I'm not sure why I waited rather than getting the 'vanilla' releases. Why no extended episodes or at least the extra material as deleted scenes? Commentaries are of no interest to me – I'd always rather just watch something again as it is, not spoken over, no matter how wittily.
Steve C
Shame it lacks 'all' the deleted scenes that the commentaries continally mention will be on it!!!!
Note to 2|Entertain, next time make it smaller and less fragile inside please!!
JG
Couldnt we have a seperate release with just the extras...for those of us who couldnt see the confidential series...or those who bought the earlier releases..it makes sense to me.....
Jack and Lewis
I am Jack and I am 5yrs old, Lewis my brother is 3 yrs old (mum is helping my type this) We love Doctor Who and we watch it all the time, We have asked Father Christmas to bring us the Red and Green Dvd's cause we already have the Purple and Blue dvd's. We also have asked for some Daleks! We cant wait until Christmas now. From Jack and Lewis in Blackpool. x
Mark Lomas
Absolutly brillant. I recieved mine yesterday and I think it's the best package for the best TV drama ever. Well done Russell T. Davis, you've brought Doctor Who well and truely back to our screens, and I for one must say thanks you.
Stephen
Great discs, lovely 5.1 track, nice commentaries. But... Confidential is a waste of a disc that could have had new features on. (Sorry but that's what anyone who does have digital will surely feel.)
Why is the special TARDIS box big enough to hold the entire 7 DVD boxset seasons of Buffy? Learn from the Americans in how to package a series sensibly...
Dave Martin
Fantastic set - extras give a very real insight to the show and it's characters - can't wait to hear the commentries. Only one thing though: there's no TARDIS door in the menus - oops!!
Colin John Francis
A very nice set that looks good. However, my shelf space is limited, so one big TARDIS shaped set is fine, but any chance of something smaller and more practical next year?
Keith
I do wish everyone would stop moaning "oh, it's not fair - I already bought the separate releases" or "it's not fair - I didn't get 5.1 or commentaries on my separate dvds". Puh-lease! The Beeb announced this boxset in the SAME announcement of the separate releases. Many thanks to the Beeb and the Doctor Who Team for such a fantastic 2005!!! This boxset is definitely worth the extra money and the box is a lot sturdier than it looked in the publicity pictures! I recommend everyone Wolf their way through it in the Baddest possible way!
Chris
More of a question. Is the BBC going to rectify the fault with the episode world war three? Us all sending back our boxes would be bad, are they going to send us out a new disc? I don't want to have to buy a new one just to get a small fault sorted. Otherwise the series was very good. Very diverse, yet cleverly interlinking.
Geoff Major
I think the contents of the box are amazing, loved the commentaries! But like someone else said here, the packaging isn't very secure. I too opened up the box and many (nearly all) of the plastic trays weren't stuck down, the Confidential disc wasn't even in the tray and was scratched. I took it back where I bought it and another 4 boxes were opened to check, they too had trays not stuck in and discs out of trays. I have now got a perfect set.. not too sure on the magnet strip to hold the box closed though, wouldn't velcro be better. But a BIG well done on the discs!! It's great!! Thanks BBC
Joe
14 episodes of doctor who confidential! I need that box set!
Tim B
What a great boxset. Love the RTD commentry on Rose and I've even found one easter egg on disk four. Anyone else found any others????
Jess
Why did you have to tell us about the great features? Why? Why? Now it's going to be a longer wait till christmas day...
Jess (Deacons school sci-fi club leader)
Lol! I absoultley think this is fantastic! Shame i cant have it to christmas. But the special features sound good. Us sci-fi club members at deacons school are definatley looking forward to opening it at christmas time.
Mansoor Mir
Five stars for the content - great series, 5.1 surround mix and special features. Let down severely by the packaging and the technical fault on one disc. The tardis box was a nice idea and worked well with the old VHS release of Trial of Time Lord. However, this box just feels tacky and badly designed. The plastic holder for disc two fell out when i opened the box, the magnetic strip that's meant to hold the front flap in place doesn't work and the whole thing feels very fragile.
Ina McAllan
My boxset arrived yesterday. I've not played it yet, but am very annoyed by the shoddy, over-blown packaging (I will have to go out and buy a standard case to get it on the shelf - and re-cycle the cardboard box). I'm not surprised to find that there are faults on the discs either - in recent months I have had to return the Blake's Seven series 1 set because of disc faults (and that packaging was inefficient too), and am currently awaiting the replacement of the 'Hustle' series 1 in its complete format. Is the BBC capable of doing justice to its dvd releases? Or is it just cult programmes that it has problems with?
?hil
Why no subtitles for the commentaries?
Mike R
Sorry, with the comments about the disc authoring fault and the packaging issues, this has come OFF my Christmas list, and I'll probably pick it up in the January sales for a much more reasonable price.
Sorry Auntie Beeb!
Ian F
Great set. Not impressed however with the way my player seizes up a few minutes before the end of 'Dalek' or the shoddy glue 'holding' the tray for the confidential disc.
king louie
i think it would have been better if all the blue peter clips with featured guests from dr who should also be on these dvds
Robert Paulson
Although I already have the seperate discs, I just had to have the boxed set. Especially looking forward to the special features and the preview of season two. Roll on David Tennant!
Carl Wolf USA
Terrifically done! I can't wait til REGION 1 release!
Jaime
Will they have the TARDIS boxset out in Canada when they bring it out in Febuary? I hope so cause it looks FANTASTIC!
Edward Wilson
Love the box set, hope the same is going to happen with the next series
chris bourne
i bought the boxset even though i had all dvds in the seprate cases
Mark English
What an absolutely brilliant box set this is! I have been looking forward to this for months now and can honestly say that I was not in the least bit disappointed - far from it! I DID think that the box itself looked a bit flimsy in all of the pictures I'd seen of it, but it isn't at all. The design is great, the box nice and sturdy and the extras on the discs themselves.... well what can I say? Earlier in the year when the box set was announced, people were already complaining that Doctor Who Confidential wasn't on it... now if only they had waited they'd have found it here -all 13 episodes - brilliant. And Billie's video diary, Captain Jack's interview and tons of behind the scenes stuff, interviews and commentaries... this new series may have been the TV highlight of the year but this boxset is most certainly the DVD highlight of the year!
I can't reccomend it enough - and not just to fans. BUY IT!!!
Joe McNeice
I am one of the most biggest fans of doctor who EVER and I love the old series and the new ones. I also love the movies my faveorite is Daleks Invade The Earth. but I think you should put cyber men in the new series
dalek 2005
brilliant,
we can watch the 9th doctor in one box set, unless someone has bought all 4 and made a box set out of that!
Amy age 14
I had this on order and it looks brill (but I'm not allowed it until Christmas!). Oh well, I guess some things are DEFINITELY
Amanda
I'm so glad the boxset is out! Unfortunetly I can't have it till Christmas!
Really excited! Love Chris and David! Hope Christmas episode and Series 2 Is as good as The first one.
emperor daleks
The great series out in one box, it also has confidential! a must buy
Matt P
This is amazing.
Its on the top of my Xmas list!
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