'Doctor Who' Blu-ray boxset review: Season 8's extras

There is something oddly comforting about special features, so much so that they are at times a greater deciding factor in whether I’ll be inclined to buy a boxset than how much I liked the show or film in question.

So when Doctor Who’s Season 8 boxset arrived, I armed myself with a nice cup of hot tea, snuggled down under a warm blanket, and skipped straight to the extras.

Commentaries are available for four episodes, namely ‘Into the Dalek’, ‘Robot of Sherwood’, ‘The Caretaker’ and ‘Kill the Moon’. There are a couple of other episodes that it would have been really nice to get to hear the writers or directors weigh in on, but what we have is enjoyable; the highlight being director Ben Wheatley and writer Phil Ford’s natter about ‘Into the Dalek’, a highly animated conversation between two of the sort of people you imagine it would be good fun to eat biscuits and chat endlessly about television with.

Two features, ‘The Ultimate Time Lord’ and ‘The Ultimate Companion’, are both presented by the affable Fifth Doctor, Peter Davison, as he goes forth in his quest to discover what makes a great Doctor and companion, respectively.

A host of interesting figures are interviewed in each special, such as fellow former Doctors Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann and David Tennant, as well as current stars Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman, writer/producer Steven Moffat, and many other familiar names and faces from in front of and behind the camera. Both are quite sweet, silly fun: Davison is an engaging presenter and his guests have plenty to say on the subjects at hand, but the format and content of the two features are so parallel to one another that watching them back-to-back brings on a massive case of déjà vu.

I’d say they’re worth watching for both the casual and the devoted fan, but do be advised that you might want to watch one, then leave the other for another day, lest they be allowed to kind of blur together.

A number of shorter featurettes offer a glimpse behind the scenes of the TARDIS and some interview soundbites, but not an awful lot of new insight once you’ve already watched Season 8. The Q&A from the ‘Deep Breath’ screening is a nice addition; a lovely reminder of the flurry of excitement surrounding the premiere back in August.

The real highlight of the set is, it turns out, the lovely feature chronicling the world tour, which introduces us not just to our heroes’ journey around the world spreading good cheer and the joys of a new season of Doctor Who. Most interestingly, it is a loving and deeply respectful tribute to the immense wealth and breadth of creativity and enthusiasm that the show inspires.

How wonderful it was seeing the legacy of the wonderful Delia Derbyshire, or the creator of the beloved Doctor Puppet animations, and how enthusiasm for the show spans the entire globe. Indeed, the fans are the real heroes of the piece, and it’s beautiful to see how much creativity and love the show has inspired over its many years.