祝日 / Permanent Vacation
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@theartofmadeline
occasionally subtle
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YOU ARE THE REASON
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Today's Document
Keni
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PUT YOUR BEARD IN MY MOUTH
styofa doing anything
if i look back, i am lost
Sweet Seals For You, Always
DEAR READER
"I'm Dorothy Gale from Kansas"
Misplaced Lens Cap
RMH
blake kathryn
Xuebing Du
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@classicwhocatchup
The episode opens with a recap of the 1966 First Doctor story The Tenth Planet , the story which introduced the Cybermen. The episodes lists...
Here’s my Doctor Who Unlocked Post for Twice Upon A Time featuring behind the scenes info, notes on continuity and more!
The Company of Friends
The Company of Friends is an Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann) audio anthology by Big Finish which features four 25 minute long episodes. Each episode pairs the Doctor with a companion that hadn't appeared on audio before.
Benny's Story by Lance Perkin Professor Bernice Summerfield (Lisa Bowerman) is one of the most well-liked characters from extended media but this was my first introduction of her. She's an archeologist and in many ways a precursor to River Song, although I have to say she's a better character. This is the first time Benny and the Eighth Doctor meet and it's a lot of fun. Fitz's Story by Stephen Cole Fitz (Matt di Angelo) is the Eighth Doctor's longest serving companion in the 'Eighth Doctor Adventures' novels but this is his only appearance on audio. He's a superb character, a mixture of Danny Dyer and Donna Noble which works brilliantly. The story too is a good one as the pair investigate Alien Defence Incorporated which is using the Doctor's image to make money from protection from aliens. A genuinely funny and engaging story. Izzy's Story by Alan Barnes Izzy (Jemima Rooper) is the Eighth Doctor's longest serving companion in the Doctor Who Monthly comic. She's a geek and this is reflected in the story where she uses the TARDIS to track rare copies of comic Aggrotron! A great story which has a lot to say about the idea of being a fan dealing with reboots of things you loved when you were young. Mary's Story by Jonathan Morris Throughout the Eighth Doctor audio stories prior to this it had been often joked that the Doctor was friends with Mary Shelley (Julie Cox) and this story confirms that by depicting when they first met. This is a really clever story, using Frankenstein as inspiration for the story, which obviously in turn later inspires Shelley. It's also the only story here which goes a bit deeper with the character- here Mary's relationship with her husband Percy is explored and is the key to her leaving with the Doctor.
It's a fun set of stories which focuses more on humour than drama. In my mind that's no bad thing and works well here. The companions are really well defined given how little time we actually spend with them, largely thanks to the monologues which open each story and all four actors fitting the parts perfectly. A really enjoyable anthology.
I welcome the actors playing the new companions and briefly speculate on what they mean for the show.
SJA: Death of the Doctor
I continue my look at the children’s Doctor Who spin-off, The Sarah Jane Adventures.
254: The Sarah Jane Adventures: Death of the Doctor
“I don't look back. I can't. But the last time I was dying, I looked back on all of you. Every single one. And I was so proud.”
Format: 2 episodes, each 25 minutes long
Writers: Russell T. Davies
Team Bannerman Road:
Sarah Jane Smith
Eleventh Doctor
Jo Jones (nee Grant)
Clyde Langer
Rani Chandra
Story: When the Doctor is declared dead, old companions Sarah Jane Smith and Jo Grant meet for the first time and join forces to discover the truth. As an interstellar conspiracy gathers around UNIT HQ, Clyde finds he holds the fate of the Time Lord in his hand – quite literally!
Overall thoughts: This feels a little different to most SJA stories and not just because the Doctor and Jo turn up. It’s the only story I can think of where the teenage characters are largely cast aside so the story can focus on Sarah Jane (and Jo Grant here).
It’s so lovely to have Katy Manning back as Jo. Fortunately Russell T. Davies is the man behind bringing Sarah Jane back so he knows how to do it well. We learn she has been travelling the world having adventures which seems to right for the character and had children and grandchildren along the way. She even has her version of Luke Smith, grandson Santiago. It’s a real celebration of the character and Manning steps back into the role with ease.
Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor fits into this show really well, perhaps the most suited of all the Doctor’s incarnations. He loves to show off and have fun and with two former companions and their teenage friends he really has the opportunity. At the same time though there’s a real element of warmth as the Doctor settles Jo’s worries about being left behind. As always, Matt Smith balances the humour and the warmth so very well.
This is a story all about the notion of being a companion and being left behind. It’s been touched on in Doctor Who before but this story gives enough time to really explore it from the companion’s point of view. The closing scenes of The End of Time are given further poignancy when the Doctor explains he visited all his former companions and there’s a delightful scene where Sarah Jane discusses some former companions she’s managed to track down.
This is the most grown-up episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures we’ve had so far and it’s a lovely homage to 70s Who.
Next Time: Rani and Clyde alone on Earth and adventures in time!
SJA: The Nightmare Man/ The Vault of Secrets
I continue my look at the children’s Doctor Who spin-off, The Sarah Jane Adventures.
253: The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Nightmare Man/ The Vault of Secrets
“This world has faced so many nightmares and there's always been someone there to stop them. Us. You know, I was so scared because I thought my mates wouldn't be there from me. Never mind Oxford, they followed me into my nightmares!”
Format: 4 episodes, each 25 minutes long
Writers: Joseph Lidster/ Phil Ford
Team Bannerman Road:
Sarah Jane Smith
Luke Smith
Clyde Langer
Rani Chandra
K9
Story:
The Nightmare Man: Luke faces life-changing events, and Bannerman Road will never be the same again. But when Sarah's son has his first nightmare, he's haunted by a dark figure from his dreams: the Nightmare Man. A strange entity is reaching out to our world through Luke, with terrible consequences for the whole human race. With Luke, Clyde and Rani trapped in a bizarre dreamscape, Sarah must fight alone. As the Nightmare Man grows stronger, only K9 might hold the key. But can Luke summon the courage to face his adult life before the whole world is trapped in an endless nightmare?
The Vault of Secrets: When an old enemy, Androvax the Veil, returns to Earth asking for help, the gang face a dilemma — should they trust him? Or does the legendary Vault hold an even greater terror? A second threat arises, when android guardians threaten to destroy anyone who uncovers their secrets. As the battle between Sarah, Androvax and the androids reaches its climax, Rani has to save her mother from being caught in the crossfire. The Vault opens and the destiny of the entire Veil species is at stake. Is it too late to save them?
Overall thoughts: Actor Tommy Knight wanted to reduce his commitment to the show and I can only imagine the panic amongst the writers when they learnt this. There solution is very neat, to have Luke to go off to university early because he is a genius after all. It allows for a very personal and psychological episode and plays to the shows strengths- giving real life teenage issues a sci-fi twist.
This story aired only a couple of weeks after I started university and for me it felt so right. It’s terrifying and there’s always that thought that your family and friends won’t want to know you any more. But you return home at Christmas and realise that hasn’t happened at all.
The nightmare man himself is a great villain, genuinely unsettling and played so well by Julian Bleach (who is also New Who’s Davros). Then in the next story we see the return of another great villain, Androvax, an alien who can take over bodies. The story uses him really well, given him a more vulnerable side rather than having him as a villain who is simply evil.
The Vault of Secrets isn’t really that special in itself but it’s still a great story. It’s a classic Sarah Jane Adventures romp which has a decent plot and real humour to it. Mister Dread and the ‘men in black’ work really well here, better in fact than their previous appearance in Dreamland. Plus the subplot involving Gita getting involved with a UFO group is brilliantly funny.
These are a great pair of stories to steer people towards to explain why I love The Sarah Jane Adventures. Sci-fi plots helping to deal with teenage issues, romps with great villains and genuinely funny moments.
Next Time: Sarah Jane meets Jo Jones (nee Grant) and the Eleventh Doctor!
Eighth Doctor Audio Stories
Over time I’ve collected various Big Finish Doctor Who audio stories through freebies such as from Doctor Who Magazine and from buying them during sales. I’ve been listening to stories featuring the Eighth Doctor recently so here are a few thoughts on the random selection of stories I’ve obtained.
Invaders From Mars: There are aliens in New York on 31st October 1938. That’s the date of the infamous Orson Welles War of the Worlds radio play. Perhaps there’s some truth into the panic it caused after all? A neat idea and lots of fun running around with New York mobsters, one of whom is played by Simon Pegg (not that you can tell through the accent). The Doctor is a lot of fun here and I grew to quite like Charley too, though she doesn’t have too much to do here.
Living Legend: A clever little story where the Doctor and Charley convince some potential alien invaders that they are present as Time Lord observers of history and trick the aliens into fighting with each other. A very funny story which I really enjoyed.
These were my only experiences of companion Charley Pollard, played by India Fisher who I know best as the narrator of UK Masterchef. I wasn’t overly enamoured with her from this short introduction but it’s interesting to spot the Doctor’s clear respect for her given that they later had a romantic relationship.
Orbis: The Doctor is thought to be dead but is actually living on the planet Orbis amongst intelligent jellyfish. They are being threatened by intelligent giant snails. It certainly makes use of the lack of visuals as this would have looked odd on screen (I’m thinking it would be like an underwater Web Planet). It has a really bleak ending which feels very un-Whoish.
The companion here is Lucie Miller played by Sheridan Smith who I took to very quickly. She’s a lot like Rose Tyler but Lucie is funnier and tougher than Rose ever was.
The Beast of Orlok: A monster is apparently killing people in the Black Forest in the early 19th century. The Doctor and Lucie arrive to uncover a mystery involving golems. This was my favourite audio story so far- very funny in places, a real sense of danger and a proper mystery with some stunning revelations. Superb!
The Scapegoat: The Doctor and Lucie end up in Nazi occupied Paris and meet the most literal idea of a scapegoat ever. This is one of those stories based around one excellent idea but it has some dark humour and some great voice acting. It does seem odd that you’d set a story in such a dramatic setting and then barely use it though.
Death in Blackpool: This is Lucie’s leaving story and revolves around the fact that her Aunt Pat is actually dead and has been replaced by a Zygon, a secret the Doctor kept. It’s not the greatest story but the inevitable ending when Lucie finds out the truth is heart-breaking for the Doctor.
Situation Vacant: Someone advertises for a time traveller’s companion so the Doctor decides to take on the role of interviewer. Four would be companions deal with giant robots and missing people but all have major flaws. A very different story which I really enjoyed.
Nevermore: The Doctor and new companion Tamsin (who I have to say I didn’t really take to) end up in a prison inspired by the work of Edgar Allan Poe. It’s far-fetched even for Doctor Who but there are some clever ideas.
The Great War (Dark Eyes Part 1): The Doctor is on his own again and is desperately looking to find hope in the universe. He finds himself in the middle of WW1 where he meets volunteer nurse Molly O’Sullivan (who I thought was great) and saves a train of injured troops and nurses from a mysterious glowing gas. A great story but it doesn’t work so well as a standalone one!
The Eleven (Doom Coalition Part 1): One of my favourite stories, largely due to the brilliant villain. The Eleven is a criminal Time Lord suffering from regenerative dissonance- the minds of eleven regenerations are in his head at the same time. The Doctor and companion Liv Chenka are dragged to Gallifrey when the Eleven escapes. Again, this carries on in the next part but it works reasonably well on it’s own.
The Pandorica Opens/ The Big Bang
I’ve covered every episode of the first ten Doctors so it’s time for the Eleventh Doctor!
252: The Pandorica Opens/ The Big Bang
“There was a goblin, or a trickster. Or a warrior. A nameless, terrible thing soaked in the blood of a billion galaxies. The most feared being in all the cosmos. And nothing could stop it, or hold it or… reason with it. One day it would just drop out of the sky and tear down your world.”
Format: 2 episodes (1 x 50 mins, 1 x 55 mins)
Writer: Steven Moffat
Team TARDIS:
Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith)
Amy Pond
Rory Williams
River Song
Story: A Van Gogh painting ferried across thousands of years offering a terrifying prophecy, a message on the oldest cliff-face in the universe and a love that lasts a thousand years: in 102 AD England, Romans receive a surprise visit from Cleopatra. Nearby, Stonehenge hides a legendary prison-box. As it slowly unlocks from the inside, terrible forces gather in the heavens. The fates are closing around the TARDIS. The Pandorica, which contains the most dangerous threat in the Universe, is opening. Only one thing is certain: "The Pandorica will open... Silence will fall".
Thoughts: Whilst the series finales of New Who has always wrapped up themes running throughout the series, this goes one step further by featuring characters and settings from throughout the series (albeit briefly).
The first episode gradually builds tension as we learn what the Pandorica actually is. It’s full of great moments like River Song’s message, the Doctor taking ages to notice that Rory is back and his wonderful speech at Stonehenge. I think Matt Smith is the best at all the Doctor’s at delivering these huge speeches and combined with Moffat’s wonderful writing it’s a match made in heaven.
We have one of the New Series’ best cliffhangers here. The Doctor is trapped inside the Pandorica, the TARDIS is exploding with River Song inside and destroying the universe and plastic Roman Rory has inadvertently killed Amy. It’s a seemingly hopeless situation.
The Big Bang is more fun than most series finales. Whilst the threat is huge it’s all done in a small scale with just a few characters in a museum. It’s the first chance that Steven Moffat has to really play around with the idea of time travel- it’s never been so fun and so casually used as it is here. It concludes with a triumphant ending and a clever take on the ‘something old, something new, something borrowed and something new” tradition.
There are places where the story doesn’t quite work. The idea of the Alliance between all the Doctor’s enemies seems so unlikely given how badly they usually get on. It’s also set in Roman times, long before most of these species have ever come across the Doctor. Why do the Alliance go to all the trouble of making the Pandorica only to allow it to be opened by a sonic screwdriver? And I’m still not convinced that it could have saved Amy from death?
These things don’t really matter though when we get so a fun finale. In some ways this is more over the top than the Russell T. Davies finale but it doesn’t go as dark and dramatic as they tend to, keeping the fun and warmth of the show. It’s not perfect but this is my favorite series finale so far.
Next Time: More from Sarah Jane Smith!
The Lodger
I’ve covered every episode of the first ten Doctors so it’s time for the Eleventh Doctor!
251: The Lodger
“Now all I’ve got to do is pass as an ordinary human being. Simple. What could possibly go wrong?”
Format: 1 episode x 45 mins
Writer: Gareth Roberts
Team TARDIS:
Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith)
Story: A mysterious force blocks the TARDIS — with Amy inside it — from landing, keeping it stuck in a materialisation loop. It's up to the Doctor to work out what that force is, lest Amy be lost forever along with his home/motor. As he investigates, the Doctor learns of a house on Aickman Road, with a staircase which people walk up but never come back down. To solve this mystery, the Doctor must pass himself off as a normal human and share a flat with Craig Owens.
Thoughts: This episode is essentially a Doctor Who rom-com. The Doctor is the person trying to get two people that are hopelessly in love together. The sci-fi element is largely irrelevant until the end and it’s feelings which solve the problem. It doesn’t appeal to everyone but I certainly like it.
Matt Smith shows his comedy skills for the second episode running. His incarnation of the Doctor is one of the most alien and he doesn’t really blend in with humans very well at all. Having a lead actor who was nearly a professional footballer also means we get an awesome football match.
James Corden plays Craig Owens, the companion for the purposes of this episode. He splits opinion in the UK with many not liking his Gavin and Stacey character nor the way he hosted blokeish sports programmes. I quite like him though and he tones his blokeishness down here. I think he fits the character perfectly and his friendship with Matt Smith provides a chemistry we might not have had with someone else.
The solution requires Craig to show his feelings, that he wants to stay because of Sophie, and that causes the ship to implode. It’s too sentimental and easy for some but for me I think it just about gets away with it. It sorts out the relationship plot that was brewing from before the opening titles and fortunately the idea that Craig doesn’t want to go elsewhere is given early in the episode.
Doctor Who has a go at the rom-com genre here at does a great job with it.
Next Time: The Pandorica!
Vincent and the Doctor
I’ve covered every episode of the first ten Doctors so it’s time for the Eleventh Doctor!
250: Vincent and the Doctor
“The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and… bad things. The good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don’t necessarily spoil the good things or make them unimportant.”
Format: 1 episode x 45 mins
Writer: Richard Curtis
Team TARDIS:
Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith)
Amy Pond
Story: While taking Amy to several peaceful locations, the Doctor's trip to a museum takes turn for the worse: his interest is caught by a painting of a church by Vincent van Gogh. What troubles the Doctor is that there's a face in the church's window; it's not a nice face, it's a curious, shadowed, creepy face with a beak and nasty eyes. The Doctor knows evil when he sees it and this face is definitely evil; it may pose a threat to the one who painted this face into the church. Only one thing will calm the Doctor's nerves: a trip in the TARDIS to 1890 so the Doctor can find out from the artist himself.
Thoughts: Richard Curtis was another of the more unlikely writers who wrote for series 5. He’s well known for comedies like The Vicar of Dibley and Love Actually so Doctor Who didn’t seem a natural fit for him at the time. He ended up creating one of favorite episodes of all time.
In some ways this isn’t a million miles away from other celebrity historical that the show has done. The Doctor and the companion team up with a famous figure to fight an alien with allusions to their famous work along the way. It’s a strong edition of a familiar format and particularly funny at times as you’d expect from a comedy writer.
The difference here is how complicated Van Gogh is, suffering from crippling depression. The episode deals with so brilliantly, never dwelling on the darkness for too long for portraying it as an important issue all the same. The scene where Vincent sees the true value of his work is perhaps the best of the series.
Everything comes together superbly well. Tony Curran is utterly superb as Van Gogh, being both charming and heart-breaking- the random Scottish accent is easily overlooked. Matt Smith is superb as the Doctor, being hilariously funny and really portraying a caring nature. Then there’s a wonderful uncredited appearance from Bill Nighy as the gallery tour guide Doctor Black who is the perfect person to deliver the beautiful lines written for the character.
Rarely does Doctor Who get so much right in one go. Every actor is superb, it really feels like Provence and it remains one of the most beautifully written episodes of Doctor Who of all time.
Next Time: The Doctor comes to stay!
The Hungry Earth/ Cold Blood
I’ve covered every episode of the first ten Doctors so it’s time for the Eleventh Doctor!
249: The Hungry Earth/ Cold Blood
“...I’m the last of my species and I know how it sits in a heart. So don’t insult me! ”
Format: 2 episodes x 45 mins
Writer: Chris Chibnall
Team TARDIS:
Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith)
Amy Pond
Rory Williams
Story: It's 2020, and the most ambitious drilling project in history has reached deeper beneath the Earth's crust than man has ever gone before — but now the ground itself is fighting back. The Doctor, Amy and Rory arrive in a tiny mining village, and find themselves plunged into a battle against a deadly danger from a bygone age: the Silurians!
Thoughts: Each of the first five series of New Who brought back a monster/villain from the classic series. Having revived the daleks, cybermen, Master and the sontarans it's the turn of the silurians.
In many ways this is a modernization of 'Doctor Who and the Silurians', focusing on the politics of negotiating. The Silurians here look completely different from the originals which frankly is no bad thing but it would have been nice to have at least a little continuation with the visuals in some way.
Much like many classic stories, this is too long. It would have made for a good single episode but dragged out over two and it's just too slow. There are so many unecessary details here though oddly they are the best parts of the story- a dyslexic child, science vs the military and the human family the story focuses on.
It ends with the shock of Rory's death, which really doesn't feel like it is coming here. I think this is cleverly done, full of emotion from Amy but not dwelt on for too long with the whole 'never existed' idea. On reflection surely this was only done for the unexpected return in the finale which seems a bit pointless.
I found myself enjoying watching this story but it just has very little that stands out.
Next Time: Vincent Van Gogh!
Amy’s Choice
I’ve covered every episode of the first ten Doctors so it’s time for the Eleventh Doctor!
248: Amy’s Choice
“If you had any more tawdry quirks you could open up a tawdry quirk shop. ”
Format: 1 episode x 45 mins
Writer: Simon Nye
Team TARDIS:
Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith)
Amy Pond
Rory Williams
Story: It has been five years since Amy last travelled with the Doctor. However, when he arrives by accident and they have a reunion, Amy is left questioning what is real. Is she actually living with her husband Rory in Leadworth, 2015, or is she still travelling with Rory and the Doctor in the TARDIS? Which is real and which is fake? Dream or reality? Only one thing is clear: it's Amy's choice.
Thoughts: Simon Nye was one of several unusual choices for writers on series 5. He was best known for silly sitcom Men Behaving Badly but here gives us a great relationship story wrapped up in a sci-fi concept.
The episode works on several layers. It’s a good sci-fi story about which dream is actually real, one featuring killer old people and the other a star that burns cold. Both are ridiculous but ideas that I think work really well.
Then there’s the relationship layer. We still don’t really know if Amy really loves Rory or if she has now fallen for the Doctor, a la Rose. To be honest I think Amy doesn’t really know at the start of this story either but eventually she realises that yes, she does indeed love Rory. There’s real pain as she witnesses Rory’s death (something she ought to get used to) and there’s a really dark turn as we get what I think is the first suicide scene in Doctor Who (we’ve had a few sacrifices but nothing quite like this).
Speaking of dark, we also get the brilliant Dream Lord here who is a manifestation of the dark thoughts within the Doctor. The episode doesn’t really need him and I suspect he was written in mainly as a means to share the plot but he is superb. Rarely do we see the truth about what’s going on in the Doctor’s mind and never as extensively as this. It’s a real bonus having Toby Jones playing the character too because he is actually superb.
I think this is a rare episode which maybe isn’t quite so good as a standalone episode but when watched within the series it’s a wonderful highlight of the ongoing story of Amy and Rory’s relationship.
Next Time: Silurians!
Vampires of Venice
I’ve covered every episode of the first ten Doctors so it’s time for the Eleventh Doctor!
247: Vampires of Venice
“You know what’s dangerous about you? It's not that you make people take risks, it's that you make them want to impress you. ”
Format: 1 episode x 45 mins
Writer: Toby Whithouse
Team TARDIS:
Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith)
Amy Pond
Rory Williams
Story: The Doctor takes Amy and Rory, soon to be married, on a romantic trip to Venice, 1580 to make Amy focus on her relationship with her fiancé. However, things there aren't quite what they seem.Warnings of the plague are spreading about despite having died out years before, and pale, creepy girls who don't like sunlight are lurking around. Could it have something to do with the school run by the mysterious Rosanna Calvierri?
Thoughts: It’s interesting to see Doctor Who do proper relationship drama. In the classic series companions regularly fell in love with random people they met on their travels. We saw the Doctor end up breaking up Rose and Mickey's relationship but they rarely felt like a couple. Here though we finally see the effect the Doctor can have on a relationship.
I love Rory. He’s one of the funniest characters Doctor Who has ever had, simply a nice man who says funny things. But he’s also one of the few companions who really recognize the danger of the Doctor. I think it’s something the Doctor himself tends to forget (perhaps on purpose) so when Rory reminds him you can see the pain on his face. But even Rory ends up sucked into the adventure.
This strikes me as an episode that had a title before it had a plot. The Venice setting is largely irrelevant other than little use of the canals. The episode was filmed in Croatia and frankly it doesn’t look anything like Venice at all. The vampires are well used though and I quite like that this went with the trend at the time of sexy vampires.
They are of course not vampires at all but Saturnyns and they get a full rendering when in their natural form. Even now this seems ambitious- we’ve still had very few completely CGI aliens. I love the design of the Saturnyns but the heavy CGI means they never feel quite real. They do work well as villains, especially due to Rosanna being played by the excellent Helen McCrory.
This is a well-balanced episode, with lots of humour, proper monsters, a strong villain and some great relationship stuff. I love Toby Whithouse’ Being Human and this is the closest his Who writing has ever got to that show. A lot of fun.
Next Time: The Dream Lord!
The Time of Angels/ Flesh and Stone
I’ve covered every episode of the first ten Doctors so it’s time for the Eleventh Doctor!
246: The Time of Angels/ Flesh and Stone
“Every statue in this maze—every single one—is a Weeping Angel. And they’re coming after us.”
Format: 2 episodes x 45 mins
Writer: Steven Moffat
Team TARDIS:
Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith)
Amy Pond
River Song
Story: The enigmatic River Song hurtles back into the Doctor's life, but she's not the only familiar face returning — the Weeping Angels are back! Following River's calling card, the Doctor is recruited to help track down the last of the Angels, which has escaped from the Byzantium starliner and into the terrifying Maze of the Dead.
Thoughts: After the success of Blink, here the Weeping Angels return. And Steven Moffat gets to have great fun with them again- we see them move, they catch the Doctor by coat, take a voice, the CCTV angel becomes real and one gets in Amy’s head. They are also more brutal here, snapping necks rather than sending victims back in time. That was the one problem with them in Blink, that they killed you nicely but even that’s gone now.
River Song also returns here though I’m not sure why. In every other story she’s in there’s a significant development in the ongoing plot threads. But other than the odd tease about her story there is no reasons for her to be here and with all the clerics too there isn’t even that much for her to do.
This was the first story of the series filmed and therefore the first for Matt Smith and Karen Gillan. You can almost see in their performances, especially Smith’s. There’s no way I would describe him as bad here but he’s not quite the Doctor yet- mind you this as his first performance was a good indication of how suited to the role he was.
There’s lots in the background that builds the new universe. We’ve got a bit more info about River Song, more on the cracks in time and the introduction of the 51st century church. The Tenth Doctor era seems an age ago.
I think this is a good story but you can’t help compare it to it’s predecessor Blink which is one of the best Doctor Who episodes ever. This doesn’t reach those heights but there’s certainly a lot to enjoy.
Next Time: Vampires! Rory! Venice!
Victory of the Daleks
I’ve covered every episode of the first ten Doctors so it’s time for the Eleventh Doctor!
245: Victory of the Daleks
“The Daleks have no conscience. No mercy. No pity. They are my oldest and deadliest enemy. You can not trust them.”
Format: 1 episode x 45 mins
Writer: Mark Gatiss
Team TARDIS:
Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith)
Amy Pond
Story: Receiving a call for help from his old friend Winston Churchill, the Doctor and Amy head for World War II to assist the Prime Minister. Once there, though, the Doctor reunites with his greatest enemies, the scum of the universe — the Daleks. But why are these survivors passing themselves off as man-made weapons? And why don't they recognise the Doctor? What could these "Ironsides" have planned?
Thoughts: I’ve always liked this episode but I’m aware it doesn’t have a great reputation. I think there are two main reasons for that- the new look daleks and spitfires in space.
So, the new look technicolour daleks. Now I totally understand what the production team were trying to do here- it certainly feels like the right time for a dalek redesign. But we get hunchback daleks in primary colours. I quite like the idea of different coloured daleks but they need to be toned down- indeed we late see a more metallic red on these daleks and it’s a lot better. I don’t think an episode can be rated on just it’s design though.
The spitfires in space is one of those moments that maybe the show went just too far. Though the term ‘gravity bubble’ is used, it makes little sense how these spitfires are in space and how they got there so quickly. And where do they get laser-weapons from? Shove the dalek ship in the skies above London though and you’ve actually got a sound idea.
What I love about this episode is the performances. It’s the first time that Doctor Who has done a celebrity historical with someone everyone knows what they were like but Ian McNeice does a wonderful Churchill impression. Then there’s Matt Smith as the Doctor showing his anger towards the daleks. It’s reminiscent of Christopher Eccleston and even Amy looks shocked at the Doctor’s actions in the background. Just over two episodes in and it’s clear that Matt Smith is the Doctor and he’s great.
Next Time: Return of the Weeping Angels!
The Beast Below
I’ve covered every episode of the first ten Doctors so it’s time for the Eleventh Doctor!
244: The Beast Below
“What if you were really old and really kind and alone—your whole race dead, no future. What could you do then?”
Format: 1 episode x 45 mins
Writer: Steven Moffat
Team TARDIS:
Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith)
Amy Pond
Story: For Amy's first trip in the TARDIS, the Doctor brings his new companion to the 29th century, where all of the United Kingdom's citizens (apart from the Scottish) live aboard Starship UK, searching for a new home amongst the stars as the Earth is being roasted by solar flares. However, the Doctor soon finds something amiss onboard the vessel. The citizens appear to fear "the smiling fellows in the booths" and ignore crying children. Soon, the Doctor is forced to make an impossible choice. No matter what he chooses, death is the only outcome.
Thoughts: Steven Moffat called this episode the least favorite he wrote saying “it was quite a mess... it was all over the place”. I feel he is being a little harsh on himself but I have to agree that this is a long way from his best writing.
There are certainly some good ideas here. The whole notion of Starship UK is wonderful and the use of things like the vators in the style of London transport is lovely. It never quite feels like a spaceship though, more like a warehouse. The “protest/forget” voting system is a strong idea too, as is the star whale volunteering to help.
The problem is that the actual plot only really takes a few minutes so much of the rest of the episode is filler. The Smilers and Winders clearly only exist as an attempt to shove a monster into a story that doesn’t need them. There’s the tentacles too which don’t make much sense biologically. Plus there’s Liz 10, the reigning Queen. She’s a good entry into the plot reveal but the mystery over who she is was completely unnecessary. And there’s Mandy too, who hangs around for the whole episode yet does nothing whatsoever.
I really like that Amy saves the day here. She is fed all the information she needs and suddenly works out that the whale came willingly. And as much as the Doctor is annoyed about her actions when she votes, she did it to protect the Doctor. In this episode she is much more confident and has a bigger role to play than just following the Doctor around. Already she feels like someone the Doctor needs to have travelling with him.
This is a great fifteen-minute episode stretched into forty-five minutes. There’s almost too many ideas and the good are let down by some of the others. For me though it continues with the feel of the previous episode and makes me want to keep watching the series.
Next Time: Churchill and daleks!
The Eleventh Hour
I’ve covered every episode of the first ten Doctors so it’s time for the Eleventh Doctor!
243: The Eleventh Hour
“Why does no one ever listen to me? Do I just have a face that nobody listens to? …Again. ”
Format: 1 episode x 65 mins
Writer: Steven Moffat
Team TARDIS:
Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith)
Amy Pond
Story: After a literally explosive regeneration, the brand new Eleventh Doctor survives a crash-landing to Earth. However, he has little time to recover. With a mysterious crack in a little girl's wall and a missing alien prisoner, the Doctor is in for an adventure. However, with the TARDIS damaged and the sonic screwdriver destroyed, can the Doctor capture the rogue alien before its jailers burn Earth to a crisp?
Overall thoughts: This remains one of my favourite episodes of Doctor Who. I missed the original airing as I was setting up for my then girlfriend’s 18th birthday. I watched the episode hungover the next morning and even in a delirious state I thought it was superb. I’ve since watched it many, many more times.
It was a bit of a worry at the time. A new production team, a new Doctor and a new companion all debuting here. Thankfully though it worked wonderfully. There’s a fairy-tale like feel to the first part of the episode with the Eleventh Doctor proving to be hilarious, miles away from what the initial casting photos implied. It is so convincing that Caitlin Blackwood and Karen Gillan are the same character (they are cousins after all).
When we see a grown-up Amy Pond, in her kissogram police outfit, the episode shifts to a race against time thriller, albeit set in a tiny village. The setting works so well- New Who had been stuck in present day London for five years. I really liked how Moffat used time travel as a plot point- few writers have used the TARDIS’ abilities for anything beyond getting to the setting of the episode.
Many of these type of episodes which introduce a ‘soft reboot’ spend so much time introducing characters that the plot isn’t all that great. But it’s superb here, with a shape-shifting escaped criminal being pursued by a giant eye. I adore the line “the human residence will be incinerated” and the way it plays with your expectations.
The highlight of this episode is Matt Smith as the Doctor though. From the moment he first appears he’s superb. The comedy is perhaps over-played a little initially but by the time he steps out through David Tennant’s photo in costume the Tenth Doctor is almost a distant memory.
Next Time: We take a ride on Starship UK!
The Power of the Daleks (Animated)
Before I start the Eleventh Doctor’s era I have re-examined the recently animated debut story of the Second Doctor...
The Power of the Daleks
“It can do many things… But the thing it does most efficiently is exterminate human beings. It destroys them, without mercy, without conscience. It destroys them. Utterly. Completely. ”
Format: 6 episodes, each 25 minutes long
Writer: David Whitaker
Team TARDIS:
Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton)
Polly (Secretary from 1966)
Ben (Naval Man from 1966)
Story: Following the Doctor’s regeneration into a new, younger body, the TARDIS lands at an Earth colony on the planet Vulcan in the far future. Mistaken for an official Earth Examiner, the Doctor discovers that a scientist called Lesterson is reactivating two inanimate, Daleks found in a crashed space rocket. The colonists refuse to heed the Doctor’s dire warnings that the Daleks are dangerous as they appear to be subservient. Once reactivated, the Daleks secretly begin to reproduce themselves in a bid to seize control of the colony.
Thoughts: I wasn’t overly enamoured with this story when I watched the reconstructed version. But even the best stories lose something in the reconstructed versions- audio placed over stills and captions is simply not the same. I have to say thought that I did enjoy this animated version a little more.
I’m still not going to come out and say this is a fantastic story though. It suffers from what I call ‘six episode syndrome’, where the plot has been stretched over at least two episodes more than was needed. One major problem is that the daleks barely appear for the first half of the story and do very little. Much of the story focuses on a plot, with a bit of mystery, to overthrow the leader of the colony. It’s difficult to care much when you know most of them will be exterminated anyway.
There’s a few issues common to 60s Who. Both Anneke Wills and Michael Craze had a week off due to filming so their characters were locked up and not seen for whole episodes. Polly has nothing to do other than be looked after by Ben and the only other female characters spends nearly the whole time blindly following orders. It’s not exactly a feminist statement.
There are good ideas though. Ben and Polly’s scepticism over the new Doctor is one of them, though could have been extended more, is almost a prototype to most post-regeneration scenes we’ve seen since. Then there’s the daleks being subservient- literally saying “I AM YOUR SERVANT”- which works really well and has been re-used more recently.
I had mixed feelings about the animation. The human characters were frankly not very animated, mostly just moving their mouths and blinking. They do look like the actors for the most part though and this animation is still significantly better than a reconstruction. The daleks here looked amazing and there were several scenes with crowds of daleks which looked much better than they would have done on screen- there’s no budgetary restraints to how many you can show on screen at the same time.
The animation breathes new life into this story, though I feel there would have been better stories to choose to animate first. Fingers crossed in the hope we get some more animations of missing episodes in the future!
[My original post on The Power of the Daleks can be found here]