Been making steady progress through my Doctor Who series 1 DVD set — slowed by basically watching each episode twice (once to rewatch it as-is, once with the commentary track on) and by preferring to watching it with Margie rather than blow through it just on my own.
The eps hold up extremely well on re-watching, especially knowing what’s coming over the rest of the season. The commentary tracks are pretty good, too, with a variety of talent across the actors and production and writing staff participating, 2-3 per show. There’s some great stuff here, even in just the first five episodes (ironically, the first ep is one of the weakest). I’m struck by how much emotion’s on display here — not melodrama, but honest-to-gosh acting. The personal costs of
being a Companion are laid out more clearly in just these five eps than in the forty years of Doctor Who preceding — and the hints at the emotional costs of being the Doctor are just as strong.
I really want to get through the set before passing it around amongst the uninitiated of our friends, but I might not be able to wait …
And, in an amusing side note, Les offers up a tribute to Doctor Who fans — which, with appropriate remapping of music and imagery, could work for pretty much any of our geeky obsessions …