Doctor Who: Jon Pertwee Complete Season Four (BD) [Blu-ray]

With each of these bluray boxsets of Classic Who the BBC puts out, the extras are just as worth watching as the serials themselves. In the case of this particular boxset, I can not recommend the behind the sofa segments enough. In addition to the surviving actors from the Third Doctor era (Katy Manning, John Levene and Richard Franklin), this segment includes two New Who writers (Joy Wilkinson and Pete McTighe) and one New Who producer (Phil Collinson). The writers and the producer worked on different eras of the show (both writers have worked on the same era, while the producer was part of the RTD era), and only two of the three are Classic Who fans (the third is of course a fan of the New series and the way she responds to watching this season is amazing. If you - like me - enjoy seeing someone fall in love with a show you already love, this is just a delight). Their conversation is a fascinating insight into the different ways people in the industry, and specifically people who either have in the past or are at present being paid to think about this specific universe and its characters, interact with the series. I would wager that anyone who would even consider dropping money on something like this, and therefore is reading the reviews to decide if it is truly worth purchasing, is someone who already loves this series, it's characters, the concepts etc. which is to say that you probably already know what is in Season 10 itself and don't need any of that reviewed for you. Which is why I am focusing on the bonus features. If you are the sort who turns to extras not just for trivia (something that the excellent and often amazingly humorous infotext provides if that is your thing), but also for insights into the thought process behind the creation of a show like this, I can not rec. these extras enough. One moment that really stuck out for me, and very much shows how and why getting to watch a panel like that enjoy the show together is worthwhile, is when the Doctor emerges in a new costume in "Planet of the Daleks." Wilkinson points out the costume change, and that the Doctor had been seriously ill and comatose just one scene earlier. She laughs, and McTighe joins her in joking about how the Doctor is, in all of their incarnations, very much the sort who would take the time to change their costume for the sake of drama regardless of their health. Collinson, very much seeing things as a producer, cuts into their amusement to then point out the very practical reasons why the change in costume was absolutely needed - with the setting and backgrounds used in that particular episode, the previous costume wouldn't have stood out and the Doctor would have faded as a subject of the camera's focus. The costume change ensured that the Doctor would pop on screen, since he really *couldn't* continue wearing a green costume while in the jungle. This exchange (along with many simular ones), for me, was a wonderful reminder of all the different levels of thought that go into a production, and how practical decisions made for entirely Doyalist reasons can also work as characterization building moments when seen through a more Watsonian lens. Which is to say that the extras on this particular boxset are phenomenal and really do allow a viewer to consider scenes and stories in a variety of different ways, some of which they may have thought of before and others they might not. They cover the gambit from personal stories from the set told by the people who were there, to trivia and behind the scenes making of documentaries, to interesting thoughts and analysis of what is taking place on screen. The number of bonus features are incredible! In the time since I got my box set I've been making my way through them at a fairly steady pace, and I have yet to see them all. In fact with all of the Classic Who bluray sets I've gotten (I have all that come out in the US so far) I'd say the number of extras more than justifies the price entirely on their own, and (admittedly thanks to some rationing of these things on my part) I have not fully exhausted a single boxset of new commentaries or documentaries. There are countless documentaries, clips from old interviews and TV appearances, commentaries, newer interviews, and more. Truly the BBC has done a fantastic job with all of these releases. If you are a fan of Doctor Who, I can not rec this bluray set (or any of the others) enough, I really can't.

To me the best Dr will always be Tom Baker. I only need two seasons after I bought this one, found out they haven't been done yet. What is it about Tom Baker? Sometimes an actor is just a good fit. Some may think its silly for an adult to be a fan of what started oit as a cheap kiddie show but it just has a certain charm

If you like the slow pace of Classic Who, and enjoy Pertwee's personality, this collection is for you. Discs were OK, arrived as advertised.

It's the last bit with Katy Manning and she does her character well (and is fun in the supplements). It was getting a bit predictable at this point but still fun, though the six-episode stories could strain attention. Still, worthy of purchase.

I found the blu-ray transfers to be good. I'm not an expert on video though so I don't really know how to compare them in depth to the DVD editions (which I did have previously). Excellent extras, you essentially get all the extras that were on the DVD editions plus more that only come on the blu-rays. I had all the DVD editions except for Sylester McCoy and I only found 3 extras in all of them that weren't present in all of the blu-ray "complete" editions.

Works

One of my favorite seasons of Baker and another winning set on Blu Ray. Haven't devoured all the new special features but wanted to point out that there is one vintage feature missing. Might not be a deal breaker for you but for me I think it means a 4-star set versus a 5-star one. On the original special Edition of The Invisible Enemy, there is a 2nd disc featuring the pilot show of K-9 and Company as well as all the features that come with it. Presumably this was included with this episode because it introduced K-9 and was the final word on K-9 until New Who. Whatever the reason, it's disappointing to not have it here (I think most fans would have paid a little more for an extra disc). Perhaps it will be included on another season release? In the meantime, don't get rid of your DVD!

The best doctor and now entire seasons instead of single episodes on VHS. Now on Blu-Ray. What can be better?

The product arrived very quickly and in excellent condition. The episodes are very clear in picture and sound and the subtitles are accurate. This is my first time watching these episodes, and the quality has been very good in my opinion. This era of the show is fun and adventurous, and this season has seen a lot of development for Jo Grant as the companion. The destinations that the Doctor and Jo visit in this season are a lot more dynamic than the previous Pertwee seasons, and the variety definitely keeps me interested. The Three Doctors is a silly story that was a thrill to watch after being a fan of the 2005 show and the multi-Doctor stories from that series. Throughout this season there are lots of character elements and lines that were later re-used and mirrored throughout Series 7-10 of the 2005 show (from what I could tell). It has been a wonderful time to experience these older stories for the first time in high quality, and to own them on physical media is something I will treasure for a long time.

An inexpensive alternative to the limited edition UK version which is now being resold for hundreds of pounds. Ignore the warning about DVD being Region 1, this is a region free Blu-ray, so works fine on UK players. Quick delivery too, only 5 days from the USA. It does have a pared down feel, even for a North American version. Basically you get the identical content on the discs, but with the same picture on each of them, no card insert, and definitely no fancy packaging. Having said that, it's a much cheaper way to add the season to your collection, whether you name it Jon Pertwee Complete Season Four (North America) of Dr Who The Collection: Season 10 (UK).

This set is the best of the Pertwee era with treasures such as The Three Doctors, Frontier in Space and The Green Death. The special features are jammed with goodies such as Katy Mannings return to locales, a ton of interviews and the sofa chats. Simply stunning quality and cheaper than elsewhere.

Very good collection fast delivery too

Hadn't watched these since I stayed up until 4am to watch them as a teenager. fun to see them again with the lost episodes restored.