Doctor Who review: The Complete David Tennant Collection really lives up to its name

The whole of David Tennant’s era has been released in one comprehensive Blu-Ray box set. Is this an essential purchase for North American Doctor Who fans?

Very shortly, Season 23 of Doctor Who will be released on Blu-Ray! At least, in the UK. For people in North America, we’ve sadly got a couple more months to wait – in fact, we’re still awaiting the release of Season 10!

In the meantime at least, there is a brand new Blu-Ray release that we can enjoy over here. Well, technically new. You see, The Complete David Tennant Collection – as you might expect – is essentially a repackage of all of the Tenth Doctor’s stories.

It’s not the first time we’ve had such a release – The Complete David Tennant Years was released several years back on DVD, and more recently the considerably cheaper The Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant Collection was released just last year, again on DVD. But this latest Blu-Ray release is the best repackage we’ve had yet.

For one thing, it’s extremely cheap. While The Matt Smith Years and The Peter Capaldi Years are both selling for literally hundreds of dollars each on Blu-Ray, The Complete David Tennant Collection is currently just over 30 dollars in the US. That’s incredible value for money.

Of course, The Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant Collection also has these episodes on DVD too, and for a similar price. Considering you get more episodes with Eccleston’s series included, what makes Tennant’s latest Blu-Ray set any better?

All the major stories and meetings are featured in this collection, which covers David Tennant’s entire run on the series – and even beyond…

(Image credit: Doctor Who/BBC. Image obtained from: BBC Press.)

All the extras

Well, if you enjoy extras, then this collection has exactly what you’re looking for. While last year’s DVD set features just the episodes – which isn’t bad value, if that’s just what you’re looking for – this latest Blu-Ray set retains all of the original special features from the original DVD releases. Commentaries, documentaries, video diaries, and of course the Children in Need minisodes, they’re all here.

(Speaking of the Children in Need short scenes – this collection actually features the broadcast version of David Tennant’s first ever scene as the Doctor. Occasionally referred to as Born Again, the version of the minisode released on UK DVD and Blu-Ray features a “rough-cut” version which wasn’t meant to be included, featuring the wrong music and missing the Cloister Bell sound. The US release corrected this, so it’s nice for this Brit to actually own the true version of David Tennant’s opening scene.)

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Every story. Every appearance.

But perhaps most satisfying of all is how much the collection actually lives up to one crucial word: “complete”. This set really does include everything, and I mean everything Tenth Doctor related. Not only does it feature all of his episodes within the television series itself. It also includes his two animated specials – The Infinite Quest and Dreamland, respectively – and even his appearance in The Sarah Jane Adventures, The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith. In fact, it looks like the only thing that’s missing is his appearance in The Day of the Doctor, although considering that’s more Matt Smith’s Doctor’s story (well, Smith’s and John Hurt’s), that’s understandable.

On top of all that, the Blu-Ray also has an exclusive – a brand new retrospective interview with David Tennant himself! He discusses a lot of key topics, including the fame that comes with being the Doctor; living in a family with so many roots in the show, and his personal views on Chris Chibnall, Jodie Whittaker, and where Doctor Who is right now. At over fifteen minutes, it’s a pretty interesting watch. (This interview was also featured in screenings for The End of Time earlier this year, as you can see in the trailer above.)

So if you’re living in North America and still need to get all of David Tennant’s episodes – or even most of them – then Doctor Who: The Complete David Tennant Collection is definitely an essential purchase. It’s extremely comprehensive, featuring virtually all of his appearances on television, features a huge amount of special features, and it’s excellent value for money. Here’s hoping that both Matt Smith’s and Peter Capaldi’s eras are given the same treatment very soon.

Are you considering this new collection for the Tenth Doctor? Do you believe it’s good value for money? If you’re a UK fan, are you hoping for a UK release? Let us know in the comments below.