The Doctors: 30 Years of Time Travel and Beyond

Those uninitiated into the cult of Doctor Who need not waste their time with this slipshod, loosely-assembled jumble of behind-the-scenes footage, old BBC coverage, and archival interviews. No effort has been made here to either lay the groundwork for this British science fiction classic or obtain the rights for clips from actual Doctor Who episodes. Instead, the documentary relies on grainy, out of context footage of Brits rambling on about episodes and actors, all the while simply assuming viewer familiarity. People already in the Doctor Who fold who can't get enough stories of Daleks and Cybermen may appreciate hearing from four of the men who once played the title role (Sylvester McCoy, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, and John Pertwee), as well as some of the creative minds behind the show, including director David Maloney, and lesser lights, such as the parade of former assistants who give their impressions. Neophytes, though, will find this a very poor introduction, in both a technical and narrative sense (at the very least, voiceover narration could have provided some backstory). Not a necessary purchase. Aud: P. (D. Fienberg)