Release Date: July 19, 2011
Rating: NR
Running Time: Approximately 310 minutes

Matt Smith and Karen Gillan make their triumphant return as the Doctor and his companion in an all-new series of Doctor Who! The new series will split in two parts, with DVD/Blu-ray release dates in July and in early November, closely following their premiere runs on BBC America, and then a complete series gift set just in time for the holidays. In Part 1, the Doctor, Amy and Rory find themselves in Sixties America, battling the invasion the world forgot, then journey on the high seas of 1696 aboard a pirate ship, to solve the mystery of the Siren. In a bubble universe at the very edge of reality, the Doctor meets an old friend with a new face, and in a monastery on a remote island in the near future, an industrial accident takes on a terrible human shape. And waiting for them, at the end of all this, is the battle of Demon’s Run, and the Doctor’s darkest hour. Can even the truth about River Song save the Time Lord’s soul? Only two things are certain. Silence will fall. And a good man is going to die.

In Doctor Who: Series Six, Part 1, the first seven episodes of this season are available to watch, along with the “Monster Files” special feature which is definitely worth watching. I am happy to say that I found “The Curse of the Black Spot” to be the only mediocre episode of this collection. While a treat to see Lily Cole (“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”), I still did not find the pirate ship setting to be very intriguing. The first two episodes of the season are set in America. The Doctor Who cast and crew jumped the pond and ran as far and as high as with the the American backdrop as they could… and the visuals exceeded my expectations. What a sight to see.

Then there’s “The Doctor’s Wife” which was written by Neil Gaima. Need I say more? “The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People” was written by Life On Mars creator, Matthew Graham (Netflix this series if you have yet to watch it) and created two of my favorite episodes since Matt Smith and Karen Gillan joined the series. Even better though is “A Good Man Goes to War.” Saying that this episode is brilliant is an understatement. Talk about epic. Not only is the Doctor reunited with so many familiar faces, who basically owe them their lives (and some end up doing just that), but the Doctor is faced with the reality of just how his savior status really appears to so many in the universe. But it doesn’t end there! We find out just who River Song really is! Finding out who River is has to be the best cliffhanger in a long time. This mid-series finale has provided for some of the best writing for a mid-season finale.

Not only that but the new show runner has made so many bold moves, it is hard to imagine what’s next – but so much easier to anticipate. My anticipation is empty but high if that makes sense, because I do not know what to anticipate but I know that it will blow my mind for the good. There are a number of game changers and this is only the beginning. What a treat this has been to watch! My only disappointment, aside from the third episode is the lack of special features. There are no commentaries, there’s no analyses, or look into the future… there’s not much to watch. But what there is, you should watch…

Bonus Features:
Monster Files (10:57 minutes and 13:02 minutes) – This featurette is a brief analysis, history if you will, and deconstruction of The Silence (on Disc One) and The Gangers (on Disc Two). I particularly found the talk of creating the aesthetics for the monsters quite interesting. Watching Iestyn Hampson Jones in costume on set, behind the scenes and out of costume talking about the challenges of working in the costume was eye opening. Seeing and hearing the entire process of creating the look of The Gangers was equally fascinating. Perhaps I may be even more intrigued with this process of pre-production and application ever since Face Off premiered on Syfy. Needless to say, I really enjoyed this feature and I am positive that you will find it just as fascinating.

Appearing in the Disc One Feature:
Director, Toby Haynes
Head Writer, Steven Moffat
Cast Members, Alex Kingston, Karen Gillian, Arthur Darvill, Iestyn Hampson Jones, and Mark Sheppard

Appearing in the Disc Two Feature:
Producer, Marcus Wilson
Director of Episodes 5 & 6, Julian Simpson
Writer of Episodes 5 & 6, Matthew Graham
Head Writer, Steven Moffat
Prosthetics Designer, Neill Gorton
Sculptor, Dave Boneywell
Cast Members, Arthur Darvill, Karen Gillian, Sarah Smart, Marshall Lancaster, Mark Bonnar, Racquel Cassidy, and Leon Vickers

Own Doctor Who: Series Six, Part 1 on Blu-Ray and DVD today.