BBC Studios, out now

From Liverpool to the depths of space, via the Crimean War and a planet named Atropos, which shouldn’t even exist, fighting old foes and new creatures from beyond our dimension, the Doctor and company face a race against (and through!) time to uncover a universe-spanning mystery: what is the Flux?

Chris Chibnall’s final full season of Doctor Who is a six-part serial made under the challenges imposed by COVID, and while it ultimately doesn’t hit all of its targets, it includes two fantastic episodes (War of the Sontarans, Village of the Angels), introduces an engaging companion in John Bishop’s Dan and is never lacking in ambition.

New season villains Swarm and Azure are a welcome throwback to the big bads of old, there’s a sweet relationship between Bel and Vinder, the developing attraction that Yaz has for the Doctor, the return of Kate Stewart and Jo Martin’s Doctor – there’s a lot packed in. Once, Upon Time proved to be the toughest episode to get your head round, and finale The Vanquishers didn’t deliver all the anticipated goods, but it was never boring.

The Blu-ray and DVD boxset includes more than an hour and a half of value added material, which is more than we’ve been accustomed to in recent Doctor Who releases, albeit most of it all has already been available as social media content. The four character art cards are a nice addition, and the audio commentary on War of the Sontarans by director Jamie Magnus Stone, actors Dan Starkey and Sara Powell and costume designer Ray Holman includes some interesting behind-the-scenes chat on the production.

Verdict: A second viewing as a binge-watch is a far more rewarding experience than the head-scratching first time round, with some decent extras helping to fill in the gaps. 8/10

Nick Joy

Click here to order from Amazon.co.uk