Tag Archives: Doctor Who

Doctor Who Review – 7.2 ‘Dinosaurs on a Spaceship’

By

Posted on

Dinosaurs on a Spaceship reviewTo follow our commentary on last night’s Dinosaurs on a Spaceship, James is back with his review. Were the dinosaurs up to scratch and was David Bradley’s character a depart from tradition for a Doctor Who villian? Beware spoilers!

Dinosaurs on a Spaceship is pretty much hardwired to be something I enjoy. It’s got Dinosaurs, comedy and enough sci-fi in-jokes to choke a T-Rex. And unlike last weeks episode it actually has a plot, with a clear start, middle and end.

So on one level, this is the best episode of the series, a welcome return to form after the Daleks did their best to kill off Doctor Who as a programme (if not The Doctor himself). On the other hand, it has some of the worst CGI of new Who, some horrifically written jokes and adds very little beyond its key concept of Dinosaurs on a Spaceship.

Continue reading →

Doctor Who Commentary – 7.2 ‘Dinosaurs on a Spaceship’

By , and

Posted on

Queen Nefertiti, Amy and Ravell looking at a screenCaleb, Sarah and Emma sink their critical teeth into Dinosaurs on a Spaceship in true velociraptor fashion! But will the friendly triceratops of entertainment survive the attacks of the bounty hunter of dodgy gender politics?

Tortured metaphors aside, we discuss the importance of characterisation, the almost-return of the Silurians, and the alarming possibility of Chris Chibnall as Doctor Who showrunner. Listen now to what we had to say!

Play

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 57:17 — 52.5MB)

And once you’ve listened to our opinions, let us know what you think in the comments, or by email, Twitter or Facebook.

Doctor Who Spoiler-Free Preview – 7.2 ‘Dinosaurs on a Spaceship’

By and

Posted on

Doctor Who - Dinosaurs on a SpaceshipCaleb and Sarah preview Dinosaurs on a Spaceship, episode 2 of the new series of Doctor Who, written by Chris Chibnall, as our series 7 coverage continues – don’t forget to download our Asylum of the Daleks commentary and read our review!

With a great guest cast including Arthur Weasley, Argus Filch, Inspector Lestrade and Mitchell & Webb (also known as Mark Williams, David Bradley, Rupert Graves and, er, Mitchell & Webb), the Doctor assembles a motley gang to investigate dinosaurs… on a spaceship!

But is the entertainment factor of said prehistoric creatures be undermined by flaws in the characterisation? We give our first impressions, and a drop a few hints and teasers about what’s ahead.

Play

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 7:53 — 3.8MB)

If you want a few more hints, read on…

Continue reading →

Doctor Who Commentary – 7.1 ‘Asylum of the Daleks’

By , and

Posted on

So Doctor Who is back on our televisions at last! Caleb Woodbridge and Sarah Burrow bring you their thoughts on episode one of series 7 along with brand new guest contributor Emma Sandrey.

Are the Daleks still an effective villain? What happened to all the different Daleks we were promised? Just how did Amy and Rory get to the point of divorce? We discuss this and more in this weeks commentary and of course we consider the impact of Jenna-Louise Coleman’s early appearance – and that twist!

Souffle anyone?

Play

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:04:02 — 29.5MB)

Doctor Who Review – 7.1 ‘Asylum of the Daleks’

By

Posted on

Giant Dalek statue on SkaroJames gives us his review of ‘Asylum of the Daleks‘ as a first reaction ahead of our podcast commentary, coming later today online now! Does this story restore the Daleks as effective villains, or do they just rely on nostalgia value for their survival? SPOILERS ahoy!

It’s amazing that this episode wasn’t spoiled well ahead of broadcast, and it’s undoubtably better for it. There’s at least two twists in there that I don’t think anyone coming in blind will expect, so I’m going to save talking about those until the end so as to avoid spoiling it for you.

Let’s get right down to it. The Daleks are no longer a good Doctor Who villain. They survive more on nostalgia value than anything else, and there’s not really been a New Who episode that showcases them as potentially lethal threats since Dalek. The closest thing we’ve had to an episode in which the Daleks constitute a real threat since then is The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End, episodes which hardly stands as a high point for villainous masterplans.

Continue reading →

Opinion: Why the Doctor is not the core of Doctor Who

By

Posted on

William HartnellWith Doctor Who returning to our screens shortly and the question “Doctor Who?” hanging over current storylines, Swithun Dobson considers Time Lords, TARDISes, and Time Travel to ask: what is the essence of the show?

Contrary to popular conceptions, at its core it’s not even about the Doctor. If we travel back to 1963 we do of course meet the TARDIS and the Doctor but we soon realise that they are the frame in which the story is hanged. Ostensibly most of the first two seasons revolve around the TARDIS team trying to get Ian and Barbara home to 1960s London after being kidnapped by the Doctor for rumbling his affairs, so why take a roundabout route visiting Kublai Khan, Robespierre and the Sensorites?

Interestingly, from the modern Who perspective, none of the early serials focus on the character of the Doctor. The earliest story is The Tenth Planet but that just establishes that he can rejuvenate; the whole mythos of regeneration comes a lot later. Even The Deadly Assassin which establishes the 12 regeneration limit really focuses on the Master trying to cheat death.
Continue reading →