The Star Beast
I'd been dubious about the return of Russell T Davies, David Tennant and co. ever since hearing the news. I always think going backwards, in art or in life, is a bad move and this return of the Who old guard seemed a regressive nostalgia-grab to me. As it turned out, I enjoyed the 14th Doctor stories more than I'd expected, and I was never the biggest fan of Ten / Tennant.
Based on a well-loved Doctor Who Weekly comic strip by graphic storytelling titans Pat Mills and Dave Gibbons, this first Special was a breezy, full-tilt romp, deftly reintroducing Donna Noble and her now-extended family, as well as The Meep ( cutesy action-figure-in-waiting turned intergalactic villain voiced by Miriam Margoyles ) and the pleasingly panelogical Wrarth Warriors. It was good to see appearances by the wonderful Ruth Madeley and British TV legend the late Bernard Cribbins in his final role. Lots of colour, action and spectacle, with hints at the ongoing storyline to come. All of RTD's expected strengths and weaknesses were on display, but it certainly gave the show the kick up the arse it probably needed.
Wild Blue Yonder
After doing a splashy "Earth in danger" story, the second Special flipped to science fiction weirdness. Trapped on a giant spaceship at the very edge of the universe, Donna and the Doctor found themselves alone, without the Tardis, and up against a uniquely terrifying enemy. More or less a two-hander, this episode gave the stars a chance to bounce off each other and act their socks off, as the characters faced distorted versions of themselves. A cool concept, some very unsettling tea-time body horror, and plenty of chewy dialogue for Tennant & Tate to get their teeth into. "My arms are too long!"
The Giggle
The finale ( or was it? ) of the 14th Doctor era, this third Special finally saw the arrival of The Toymaker, the ancient foe of the First Doctor, now regenerated into Doogie Howser. This was a suitably crazy episode, taking in creepy puppets, John Logie Baird, dance routines to the Spice Girls and, oh yeah, the end of the world again. Neil Patrick Harris was great fun as the immortal, games-obsessed villain, while there was some satisfying closure to the "lonely alien" aspect of the 10th / 14th Doctors' personalities. Easter Eggs abounded throughout the episode and, for all those fans constantly harping on about a multi-Doctor story for the 60th, this came about in a roundabout fashion as the Doc "bi-generated", with the 15th Doctor splitting away from his predecessor. This was a canny move as it opened up the chance of Tennant's Doctor returning yet again someday ( and, surprisingly, I wouldn't be too upset if he did ) and also gave some proper screen time to Ncuti Gatwa, making a big impression ( in his boxers! ) as the next Doctor.
The Church On Ruby Road
And so this is Christmas / And what have you done? / Another Doc over / A new one just begun
( Sorry. )
Christmas Day saw the ol' blue box show returned to its rightful place in the festive TV schedules with the proper, full-length debut of the 15th Doctor. ( Yeah, the whole Timeless Child storyline ensures this numbering is irrelevant but we still seem to be calling him the fifteenth, so I'll go with it. ) And, what a debut! Fizzing with energy, colour and vigour, this "soft reboot" of the show saw the newly-regenerated Doctor meeting up with new companion Ruby Sunday and her family, some hungry goblins and... Davina McCall?
From the first glimpse of Gatwa's Doctor, spinning deliriously around on a dancefloor, he was a whirlwind of charisma and style, with a grinning, positive energy that pumped an injection of sheer exuberance into this 60-year old show. Equally adept at the quieter, more reflective moments ( although there weren't many of those! ), he more than lived up to the promise of The Giggle. Millie Gibson's Ruby was a sparky, warm character, with an underlying melancholy due to her "foundling" status. Ruby's mysterious past will obviously play into future stories and RTD instantly connected her rootlessness with the Doctor's own recent discovery of her / his own uncertain origins. The Church On Ruby Road was hugely entertaining and firmly placed Doctor Who back in the mainstream with its unabashed Labyrinth - meets - It's A Wonderful Life vibe, and with all that Disney money up on the screen in the form of a huge goblin ship floating over London, and a full-on musical number for Ruby, the Doctor and those pesky goblins. ( A lot of fans hated that, but I thought it was a blast. )
After my misgivings about the RTD2 era, these Specials turned out to be a lot of fun and I'm really excited for the next season. May can't come soon enough...
No comments:
Post a Comment