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  Average Rating for Doctor Who - Series 4 Vol.3 - 4 out of 5

  
  (based on 1 user reviews)
• Doctor Who - Series 4 Vol.3

  Mark Harrison 10 August 2008

  

  In a series that has in a way become a victim of its own successful formula, this volume comprises the three best episodes of the fourth series. While people might be opposed to Russell T. Davies' shopping list approach to crafting stories in other volumes, the episodes here are undeniably original and behind-the-sofa-scary.
  "Silence in the Library" and "Forest of the Dead" form a two-parter, and are written by Steven Moffat- the man who will replace Davies as head writer in 2010. Moffat's creepy creation this time, in the footsteps of the living statues and gas mask children before them, is the Vashta Narada, a race that lives in swarms, devouring meat like "piranhas of the air." Moffat seems to revel in scaring the hell out of younger viewers, and here they're made to fear the dark, as the swarms terrorise the Doctor and the motley crew of archaeologists that explore the long since abandoned library. The story is full of wonderfully original elements, including a sub-plot with Donna Noble, brilliantly played by Catherine Tate in this one, living in a virtual existence in which she becomes entirely immersed. The performances are top-notch, as is to be expected from David Tennant's Doctor and the sterling guest cast that the series attracts, here headed by Alex Kingston and the enigmatic River Song.
  The fear factor doesn't let up in the following episode, written by Russell T. Davies himself- "Midnight" is on a much smaller scale than we usually see in Davies' somewhat overblown finales, and I personally think he writes better in stories like this than in epics featuring the Daleks or Cybermen. This is very much an episode written for David Tennant on the surface, as it's somewhat "companion-lite", surrounding the Doctor with hostile characters in an environment where he swiftly loses control. You can appreciate what a master of his craft Tennant is when you consider that single scenes last up to about 20 minutes at a time in a confined environment in this episode. It's the claustrophobia of this episode that makes it so effective, and the pace is kept up without the aid of action setpieces that have tended to characterise said Dalek stories. Lesley Sharp too is excellent here as the unfortunate Sky Silvestry, a surprise for someone like me who generally can't stand Sharp or her previous performances- a testament to the quality of Davies' writing here. All of this makes for a truly frightening episode, the likes of which Davies should've done more of- the only other Davies episode that's anything like this one is Series 3's "Gridlock", another exemplary episode.
  To conclude, to any fan of Doctor Who, this volume is a must-buy, and it's a terrific jumping-on point for new viewers to. The sheer terror that is invested in these episodes epitomises the show's mission statement, but perhaps caution should be taken before letting more easily scared children watch. "Midnight" is the last great Davies episode before another one of "those" finales, while the Library two-parter is a good omen of Moffat's reign as head writer come Series Five in two years' time.

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Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 (Europe) or region Free DVD Player in order to play Hot on the heels of the acclaimed third series Doctor Who returns for a fourth instalment with a familiar face alongside the Doctor Award-winning comedienne Catherine Tate returns as the Doctor&39;s new companion revisiting her role as Donna Noble from the 2006 Christmas special The Runaway Bride These three episodes see Donna continuing her adventures with the Doctor "Silence in the Library" sees the Doctor and Donna enter a world of terror inside an abandoned library They&39;re given only one warning &39;Count the shadows&39; In the second episode "Forest of the Dead" the Doctor forges an alliance with the mysterious River Song But can anyone stop the shadowy Vashta Nerada? The whole shebang is wrapped up with "Midnight" where the Doctor is trapped powerless and terrified on the planet Midnight as the knocking on the wall begins

Episodes 8-10 from the fourth series of the BBC's relaunched version of the sci-fi classic, starring David Tennant as the legendary Time Lord. Comedienne Catherine Tate co-stars as the Doctor's assistant, Donna Noble, with Alex Kingston as Professor River Song. Episodes comprise 'Silence In The Library', 'Forest Of the Dead', and 'Midnight'.