Doctor Who: The Complete Second Series (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
- Publication: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
- Date: 2007-01-11
- Author: Larry Roberts
- Page: W-32
- Language: English
★★★
When the long-running "Doctor Who" left the BBC airwaves in 1989, it wasn't really the end for the Doctor, who continued to appear in books and radio programs marketed on compact discs. The Doctor had also gained a foothold in the United States, where PBS stations broadcast the campy series, complete with cardboard sets and a history that had seen the title figure regenerate (fresh appearance, different actor) seven times.
Even in the face of an ill-fated network TV movie made in the United States, highlighted by yet an eighth regeneration, the BBC launched an entirely new series, this time with modern production techniques. With Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor and Billie Piper as his companion Rose Tyler, the first season was a solid hit in the U.K. before landing on the Sci Fi Channel last year.
The second season brings a new face for the Doctor, now played by David Tennant, and a wonderful series of adventures. Tennant is one of the most exhilarating and exuberant actors to take on the role of the Time Lord, and his energy leaves his associates and the viewer breathless as he confronts old enemies like the Cybermen and runs headlong into a traveling companion from the years of the third (John Pertwee) and fourth (Tom Baker) Doctors.
What is compelling about the series and its new six-DVD package set, "Doctor Who: The Complete Second Series" ($99.98; BBC Warner) is that it is edgy television that is not dependent on the earlier broadcasts. For aficionados, what's remarkable about the second season is the emotional entanglements and the rise of passions, which never seemed to involve the impassive Time Lord over the years.
The cherry on this earthly sundae are the special features, including video diaries by Piper and Tennant, a view of the technical construction of the stories and special effects, truly funny outtakes, deleted scenes and a detailed look at the Eccleston Doctor becoming the Tennant Doctor — creating a bridge between the first and second series.
Spelling correction: Jon Pertwee
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- APA 6th ed.: Roberts, Larry (2007-01-11). Doctor Who: The Complete Second Series (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). Pittsburgh Post-Gazette p. W-32.
- MLA 7th ed.: Roberts, Larry. "Doctor Who: The Complete Second Series (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette [add city] 2007-01-11, W-32. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Roberts, Larry. "Doctor Who: The Complete Second Series (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, edition, sec., 2007-01-11
- Turabian: Roberts, Larry. "Doctor Who: The Complete Second Series (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2007-01-11, section, W-32 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Doctor Who: The Complete Second Series (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Doctor_Who:_The_Complete_Second_Series_(Pittsburgh_Post-Gazette) | work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | pages=W-32 | date=2007-01-11 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=23 December 2024 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Doctor Who: The Complete Second Series (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Doctor_Who:_The_Complete_Second_Series_(Pittsburgh_Post-Gazette) | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=23 December 2024}}</ref>
