TV Corner - Doctor Who Season 8 Review

As the clock reaches half past November another season of Doctor Who has gone by and its time for this viewer to cast a critical eye over this years offerings. Its certainly been an engrossing year, I for one have certainly found it dynamic but ladies and gentle readers lets dive in and see if I thought it was any good...

Deep Breath

If I have to pick one word to describe this episode it would be awkward, not only the episode it fits the Doctor too. After the traumatic regeneration of the Christmas story he still hasn't recovered yet, which is wonderful as we get a story with a bonkers Doctor whose personality hasn't settled down yet. A really good aspect I like of this is for the first part of the story he's still talking as if he's his previous self - certainly now that 12's got a season under his belt yelling at a dinosaur calling her sexy is clearly not him. On top of that among the supporting cast is the Paternoster gang more commonly associated with the 11th Doctor. In short theres a lot of 11 Doctor trappings in this story to keep the casual viewer comfortable as we embark on the adventures of the current Doctor, rather akin to how Tom Bakers start was wrapped up in a UNIT story feeling like it could have fit anywhere in Jon Pertwees reign.

When Peter Capaldi gets going we see him in short bursts, he falls asleep, wonders off and disappears at various stages when he's in full flow pulling the viewer in and wanting to see more of this new Doctor I'd probably blame the English. This Doctor is wonderfully awkward as is his interactions with Clara and everyone else, its noticeable that the most Doctorish Capaldi gets is when he's finally facing a villain. As an episode its quite an odd one, I've gotten the thought into my head that given the title it echoes taking a deep breath after some kind of traumatic event given the stop start nature of the story. There's a lot going on here, the after effects of the regeneration, the spontaneous combustion mystery, Clara getting to know this new Doctor and the Paternoster gang. As a villain the cyborgs are an interesting take and update on the clockwork robots and its understandable we're not getting an original villain as the main focus on this story is the regeneration. 

As an episode I think its a juicy start to the season, personally I think visually it looks like there's been a change of style. As I said its a little bit stop start and the direction is also much of the same and for a rather intimate story it did make me feel somewhat uninvolved. My personal rating of this story is that its rather a nice little gentle start with an odd surprise in Missy and an unexpected cameo from Matt.

Into the Dalek

I know it sounds daft saying this but I think this episode is one that will be able to fit anywhere into Capaldi's era. Already in his second story Peter feels like he's on top of his game and has nailed the character, I actually found it a little disconcerting how dynamic his performance is after standing awkwardly while getting hugged at the end of the previous episode. He's able to pilot the TARDIS to the point he can materialise around someone and he's facing off against one of his biggest enemies. A world a way from the previous episode, as is the direction which is strange as its the same director. Visually its very blue and it works with the Dalek and in this scifi environment, from memory I think its a colour the series hasn't really embraced and helps differentiate this story from other Dalek episodes. Talking about Rusty, in his action shots this may be the best the Daleks have been shot on camera since Joe Ahearne back in 2005.
We get the introduction of Danny this episode as well as seeing Clara at Coal Hill School, it also gives us our first look at the Doctor picking her up for a trip which we'd see a lot of this season. Another good aspect of this story is the rebel crew of the Aristotle, Zawe Ashton is fantastic and I really wish we'd have seen more of Michael Smiley who I find very watchable.
Summing up this is a very strong and pivotal story with a good hook of being shrunk and going inside the Dalek. The Doctor is on his game throughout the story so the end when he's taken aback about Rusty seeing so much hate in him is a rather unexpected swerve - Capaldi looks so sweet in that final scene with Clara. Really good and strong stuff stuff however the format of the show slightly reigns the glory of this episode in, I think it should have been a two part story, theres a bit of rushing near the end and there are so many directions to take the story concept that the story doesn't venture into.

Robot of Sherwood

Every so often theres a story that comes along for a Doctor where the stories fun, the cast & crew are having a ball and the viewers are having a ball - the tradition that is the good old romp. Pick a Doctor and I'll reel a off a romp - Hartnell has The Myth Makers, Pertwee has The Time Warrior, Davison has The Visitation to name a few. You've got a returning writer who can pen a yarn, a star a few stories in two guest stars Ben Miller and Tom Riley, lets do Robin Hood! We get what it says on the tin, a good fun romp, some good scenes the cast throw themselves into, a good little story and some highly quotable lines. 

Listen

We've had a romp and now we go for another Doctor Who tradition, the atypical story that really puts proof to the mantra you can do anything in Doctor Who. Some other examples of this are The Mind Robber, Warriors Gate, Fathers Day & Vincent and The Doctor. The kind of story which is one giant curve ball and leaves the viewer constantly stating "I wasn't expect THAT!" If I was the sort of person who rated things out of 10 this episode would be just a string of tens. That shot of Peter sat on the TARDIS meditating before opening his eyes is fantastic - the money shot of the advertising campaign. Its another strong directorial performance, Douglas Mackinnon I take my hat off to you. 

All through the episode I never took my eyes off the screen once, I was glued through the scenes and surprises. I love the bedroom scene with Danny, those not into the horror genre may not enjoy it so much but I really dig these scenes that start off as one thing but turn up the tension and become something else. There were so many twists and turns in this story, the date being interrupted by someone in a space suit, the last room at the end of the universe, an unexpected trip to Gallifrey and things that go bump under the bed. I truly think this story was something special.

Time Heist

I'm in two minds over this story, on one hand we have a good little caper going on and the other a disappointment. Theres good stuff going on here but to me this is the classic example of an episode that is ruined by the format. I like it but it should have been given more room to breathe, we're thrown in at the deep end which is nice but after that its rush rush rush as they try to cram the plot and set pieces into 45 minutes. Keeley Hawes is good value with a nice little twist to her role, the rest of cast are good, a nice little swerve at the end and being thrown in at the start with no knowledge of whats going on is a fantastic move. A good little story but could have been so much better.

The Caretaker

This is a rather charming cute little story, the Skovox is a fun bit of fluff but the main meat of this story is The Doctor, Clara and Danny. Theres no way of beating around the bush, I lost interest in Danny at this point he becomes a complete buzz kill and starts killing every scene he's in. Danny discovers Clara's double life and its not done in an interesting or dramatic way to keep me watching. I lost interest in the episode, found myself glancing at the clock. There's a lot of cute scenes with The Doctor passing as a caretaker but there isn't really enough of this. There's no beating about this bush I don't want these stories from Gareth Roberts - I want the Gareth Roberts who wrote An English Way of Death, The Once Doctor, The Plotters and The Shakespeare Code not the one who does banter/filler episodes. There's good stuff here but its not a story I really care for.

Kill the Moon

Rather like the previous story I have to declare I find the central moral set piece of this story uninteresting, however I still think its a cracking episode. The school girl is quite fun and Hermione Norris adds tons of weight to her role. This episode is at its best early in the story when its trying to do a Hinchcliffe the Hinchcliffe era and scare the kids. Proper good stuff here as they explore the colony, its loses itself in the moral set piece but the verve of the story is enough to pull things along. I think the end is at best clunky, The Doctor has form of this sort of thing and as Clara was spliced along his time line she should be aware of this. All in all good but not great and a decent stab at tackling horror.

Mummy on the Orient Express

Right from the opening seconds of this episode I knew it was going to be a good one, a creepy mummy slowly walking towards an elderly lady who is the only one who can see it - IN SPACE! Whats not to like The Doctor is lured onto the train by Gus to investigate and its a crash bang wallop 45 minutes as The Doctor attempts to solve the problem and save everyone. I must mention Frank Skinner as he's utterly wonderful as Perkins, also of note is David Bamber whose also good value. As well as the mummy, Gus the computer system is also a good villain (He knows the Doctors phone number!), sounding all pompously middle management then calmly killing the cooks to make his point - this is the sort of character that reminds me of Robert Holmes. There are a few twists like when most of the crew are revealed to be holograms and a lovely few scenes with The Doctor and Clara tucked away at the end. Really really good stuff from all involved and a cracking story.

Flatline

As an episode it didn't really click with me, theres some fun stuff like The Doctor getting stuck in the TARDIS and Clara having to handle things outside but I feel like I'm watching a first draft. Christopher Fairbank is wasted and the guest characters are awful - truly awful. At the end the survivors are having an emotional moment including a train driver who only turned up five minutes before the end. The Boneless are at time wonderfully scary and at other times vaguely hotchpotch looking not quite all there. In short decent but it feels rushed.

In the Forest of the Night

A quiet little story tucked in near the end of the season before the crash bang wallop finale. I like this one, as a story its what I like to refer as a "short trip" one of those quick stories that if novelised would come out at the length of a short story. Again its shot very well, in particular Maebh running through the forest and I was glued to the screen throughout. Its rather atypical and as a result I found myself more drawn in wondering where things were going than usual. Once it settles down it does feel a tad twee however it remains enjoyable. The kids are quite good value and most of them get characters, Capaldi is on fine form throughout. I mentioned earlier that I lost interest in Danny earlier but here he's down right annoying. All in all a nice little diversion before the end and it actually does better than quite a few stories from seasons past tucked in before the end.

Dark Heaven

As is traditional in Doctor Who fandom when we get a two part story we glue the titles together for a joint title and I'm going with Dark Heaven. I've mentioned previously that a few stories were let down by to much rushing and not having room to breathe, here we have a perfect example of why two parters rock. The first episode is mainly swerve balls being thrown at the audience - a regular is killed off before the titles! The volcano scene is brilliant as is The Doctors reaction at the end. When the TARDIS lands in St Paul's Cathedral I genuinely thought they'd landed in the after life. Missy pretending to be a robot is fantastic - just before she reveals her identity I was convinced she was Susan the one you abandoned. Danny plot line in this story is quite moving and Sam Anderson actually gives his best performances here. All in all the first part is surprise after surprise and even if you didn't avoid spoilers there must have been some that took you by surprise. The end of the first episode with The Doctor surrounded by The Master and the Cybermen is brilliant - ST PAUL'S certainly pressed my buttons.

I don't think the second part is as strong as the first, we get rather a cheap swerve as Clara declares she's The Doctor and suddenly gets an appearance in the title but we know its bollocks. Michelle Gomez comes into her own in this episode her interpretation of The Master as a bat shit crazy Mary Poppins on acid is brilliant. I'm already preferring her to the previous incarnation. UNIT put in an appearance but to be honest bar the set piece of the plane being ripped apart and Osgood's death it feels like their scenes are treading water and killing time. 

I'm not to crazy about the Cybermen to be honest, I don't think they are a monster that the series has got to grips with post 2005. There is however a brilliant scene as they come to life in the graves as Clara walks through the graveyard. Also I'm in two minds about the Brigadiers appearance, whilst it was lovely he saved Kate and got a salute I don't really like the idea of Lethbridge-Stewart (or any other dead companion like Jamie) going through hell in the Nethersphere as The Master tries to get them to delete their emotions.

Oh but the ending is bittersweet as The Doctor believes The Masters final lie, Capaldi is brilliant - I love that he opened the doors to see with his own eyes instead of using the scanner. Its a sad ending as both The Doctor and Clara part ways each trying to bluff each other that they've moved on but a fantastic ending as The Doctors life takes an unexpected turn.

As a general overview I really enjoyed this season (as you'll have learnt from above I am a notoriously hard marker) and I think this is the best season in recent years. The majority of the last two seasons have included stories which improved on a re-watch when this seasons felt more dynamic and made an instant impression. Peter Capaldi with a season now under his belt has shown to be an impressive Doctor, he's as different from Matt as Matt was from David. I enjoy the spikier more awkward Doctors and look forward to The Christmas special. We had a number of high quality quest stars this year with Frank Skinner, Hermione Norris and Michelle Gomez impressing. I hope to see more of Michelle Gomez as I don't believe The Masters dead one bit. Bar the odd story I wasn't to keen on the writers have put a good shift in this year but the stars of the production team have been the directors with Rachel Talalay for the finale, Ben Weatley for Into the Dalek and Paul Wilmshurst for his two episodes being the most impressive.

Plaudits to all around and I can't wait for Christmas!

John Lewis Christmas Advert

Halloween has been and gone, Bonfire Night has finished in a blaze of fireworks, so whats next?

Oh yes Christmas, which means Christmas films on Ch5 two months before it starts and shops kick starting their marketing drive with adverts. Speaking of which here's the John Lewis one:

What the fuck was that supposed to be? It was bad enough when The Beatles with an A had a go at ruining Real Love, can't we just let the classics rest in peace and come up with new songs? Excuse me while I take this advert apart bit by bit.

1. You can't have a penguin on a trampoline! That's for kangaroos and bunny's.

2. You stick a penguin in with a seagull and flock of pigeons you don't get a cute moment you get a fight, multiple deaths and the RSPCA on your ass.

3. Penguins can't play football, water polo yes but not football.

4. Your saying this little boy came up with an imaginary friend who is on heat 24/7? Where was this plot development in the pigeon and seagull scene?

5. You can't take a pet on a bus that isn't on a lead without incurring a fine.

6. If he has a toy penguin his parents aren't going to get him another, as a kid my parents wouldn't let me have the Transformer Sideswipe because he was the same as Red Alert who I already had. See below pictures of aforementioned Transformers:

Parents getting two of the same toys doesn't happen!

7. So essentially what your saying is instead of getting good presents get kids anything because they have imagination?

8. This doesn't make me want to shop at John Lewis, this makes me want to not shop at John Lewis and spend the day listening to The Beatles with an A's anthology collection.

So ladies and gentle readers what have we learnt from this blog apart from the fact my parents were tight? I'll tell you what, absolutely bloody nothing.

The Big Finish Catch Up: October 2014

In this months update of my attempt to catch up with the Big Finish releases I wonder off the main range into the Eighth Doctor Adventures and The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield...

First up is Blood of the Daleks, the first story in the new range of "Eighth Doctor Adventures" an offshoot series taking the 8th Doctor out of the main range and giving us something more familiar with  post 2005 Who. I have to say I did originally hear the first season when it aired but haven't heard it since. This story feels different from the main range, its more snappy and less fluffy than the usual Big Finish play. Its a stark story albeit traditional, a colony invaded by the Daleks but this is a very bleak colony perhaps teetering on the edge of collapse before the Daleks turn up. Very few of the colonists are sympathetic and some are worse than the Daleks, if you like stories with an edge this one is for you. Getting on to the regulars Paul McGanns 8th Doctor is wonderfully put out from the onset, having a new companion and status quo forced on him - the Doctor is in a grumpy mood and wants to show it. We haven't heard McGann play the Doctor this prickly since the alternative universe season. Sheridan Smith is a welcome addition as Lucie, neither her or The Doctor like each other or wanting to spend any time together is a wonderful little twist. Lucie has been placed with The Doctor for her safety by the Time Lords for some undisclosed reason. An amusing start, an engrossing story and a little bit of spice at the end as a new character is introduced that is pivotal to the season story line.

The next listen was the final two parts of The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield box set "Random Ghosts" and "The Lights of *****." Two strong stories bringing the story to a close. On finishing the set I can best describe this as one story separated into four acts, centering on Bernice with the other characters flitting in and out. "Random Ghosts" is perhaps the most fascinating Big Finish story I've heard, I absolutely adored it (and the format) and could have listened to an expanded version for hours if it existed. The final story is quite odd, I'd advise not to look up its title as it improves the 3rd story. Its more of a small scale deep story that presents a few interesting thoughts and a lot less flash bang wallop than I expected. Strongly recommend and a welcome return for the Virgin New Adventures team.

As a whole I rate this box set highly, personally I think the price is a bit steep but this set imo has the most re listen value in anything Big Finish have produced. Every disc in the story has at least one scene or reveal I want to hear again, in particular how I missed all the clues in part one and I want to hear part three again as it packed a lot in and I'm sure I missed loads in here. As someone whose only heard the main range stories of Bernice along with the Love & War adaption and her Excelis story its made me want to listen to more stories from her range which makes this set a success in my book.