Doctor Who 10x00: The Return of Dr Mysterio

The 2016 hiatus is over at last. The companion introduction was nice, as was the Doctor’s cameo appearance in Class, but there’s nothing like a full episode of Doctor Who to satiate the viewing appetite. The Return of Dr Mysterio is a fairly lightweight episode by Steven Moffat's standards, but even his average scripts can still be more vibrant and entertaining than those middle episodes of Class.

Doctor Who has tackled many genres over the years, from horror to romance, but a superhero story has never really been done properly. The Second Doctor met a superhero called the Karkus in the Mind Robber, but that was very brief. The Doctor himself has had superpowers on occasions over the years, but a costumed hero has never been the focus of the story. Nowadays people can’t seem to get enough of superheroes, what with all the TV shows and films being churned out by Marvel and DC so it makes sense to do this story now more than ever.

The superhero of this story is the Ghost and the pre-titles sequence gives us his origin story.
On Christmas Eve in the 1980s, a young comic book fan Grant meets the Doctor and swallows a gemstone which he mistook for medicine. The gem bonds with Grant, giving the power of  flight and super strength. Twenty or so years later, Grant is grown up. By day he works as a nanny for journalist Lucy Lombard. By night, he is the Ghost, a superhero with a costume similar to Superman’s and with the voice similar to Batman’s. He and the Doctor meet again when the Doctor, Nardole and Lucy are investigating an organisation called Harmony Shoal.  The Ghost rescues Lucy. What follows is a farce between Grant and Lucy while the Doctor and Nardole continue to investigate Harmony Shoal.

The Ghost and Lucy relationship is clearly inspired by the Superman and Lois Lane relationship from the Christopher Reeve/Richard Donner movies.This is a wise move as they are better as family friendly movies than some of the modern darker fare. The dinner scene witht he Ghost and Lucy is similar to the scene in Superman. There's also a nice namedrop of Shuster and Siegel, Superman’s creators. Sadly the budget does not seem to stretch to a flying scene for Lucy and Grant. Justin Chatwin is likeable enough as Grant Gordon or the Ghost. The Ghost is Superman with the voice of Batman. Grant himself is a bit of Rory as the guy who waited. As in some of the best comic books, the hero underneath the mask is more interesting than the hero. Lucy Fletcher nee Lombard was a good enough character if an obvious riff on Lois Lane. At least this is a reporter who is also a single parent, a nice riposte at the comic book creators of the 90s who seemed to think that their heroes couldn’t have families.

While Grant and Lucy are busy, the Doctor and Nardole uncover Harmony Shoal’s plan.
This is to explode their spaceship, forcing the world leaders to flee for refuge in their laboratory where they can swap brains Given the state of current political events, it would hardly be surprising if this had really happened. It's somewhat similar to Aliens of London, with aliens disguised as humans orchestrating a spaceship crash, although the tone works better than the other, slightly wonky, story. This plot also feels slightly disconnected to the superhero plot.  Perhaps a comic book style super-villain would have been more appropriate for this story.

The two plots do eventually come together at the end as Harmony Shoal attempt to gain the Ghost’s body. It all ends on a bit of wish fulfilment as Grant reveals his true identity to Lucy before he and Lucy dispose of the falling space ship. The Doctor dismisses Harmony Shoal rather too easily, although they promise to be back. We’ll see if future episodes end up showing this.

Peter Capaldi is as great as ever as the Doctor. He is much more of a fun figure this time around, which makes sense for a Christmas episode, but I still miss the rebel Time Lord of Series 8. At this point in his timeline the Doctor is still mourning the departure of River Song. It is odd that Clara’s departure is not mentioned through.

Nardole turned out to be a lot better than I as expecting.  The character has undergone a bit of revision and time around he has some insight into how the Doctor thinks. He gets to be the one who tells Grant and Lucy about River Song. It is arguable that he was not entirely needed in the episode as anyone could have been there for

The monsters of the story, Harmony Shoal, were a creepy idea, though their representatives, Dr Sin and Mr Brock, had very little personality. It seems they are related to the Shoal of Winter Harmony from The Husbands of River Song. It seems like an odd connection, unless Moffat is planning an ongoing thread through his Christmas specials from now on.

The best moment came from the idea of superheroes going through puberty. I don't know if Smallville ever did the X-Ray eye gag but it should have done.  The little visual gag about teeenage Grant 'rising' when he sees teenage Lucy was a nice touch

Overall this was a good Christmas special. Nothing extraoordinary. nothing terrible but plainly in the middle. It reminded me very much of Planet of the Dead. A lone event which had to fill up the show until later.

8/10

Class: The Lost

After last week's arguments split our characters apart, something big was needed to bring them all back together again this episode certainly goes for big. As if the murder of Ram's father and Tanya's mother by the Shadow Kin in pre-titles sequence wasn't enough, we find out that Miss Quill has become pregnant. It's a shocking opening, though I am slightly disappointing that we won't be seeing any more of Ram's father. I quite liked him.

To deal with the impending threat, our characters are forced into different roles. April must look after Ram and her own mother. It's interesting that April and Charlie's decision to ignore violent solutions has lead to a drastic situation.

Tanya learns to cope with her grief by learning self-defence from Miss Quill. It's a good development for a character that has been on the sidelines.

The story concludes when Charlie finally uses the weapon to destroy all of the Shadow Kin. The point perhaps that although he has lost his people he still has his friends. April  sacrifices herself to stop Corikanus. However she ends up in the body of a Shadow Kin. What will she do?

Could this really be the end of the Shadow Kin as antagonists? They've not exactly been the most exciting of villains. If this show does come back for a second series, the one thing it can definately do better is to better recurring villains.

The episode ends on a positive and negative. We finally learn a bit more about the Governors  who are allied with the Weeping Angels. It's sad that Dorothea Ames had to die since this was another character that could have stuck around.

The series has been alright. Not terrible not fantastic but alright. It has taken elements of Buffy but not quite been as astounding as that show. Hopefully, the show will get a second series so it gets the chance to enhance itself.

8/10

Class: The Metaphysical Engine, Or What Quill Did Next

Miss Quill has been one of the more interesting characters in the series, and we have finally reached an episode that is devoted to her. It's a particularly important turning point for her, as she is about to release the Arn, with a bit of help from Dorothea, a shape-shifting surgeon called Balon, and a device known as the metaphysical engine. What should be a fairly straightforward surgical procedure made more dramatic through the metaphysical imagery.

Compared to the previous episode, the visual scope was certainly greater. The Metaphysical Engine allows Quill, Dorothea and Balon, to visit a vast number of terrains, including a pink leafed forest of 'Arn heaven' and the cave of Lore hell, while culminating in a desert manifestation of the Cabinet of Souls. We also get a decent monster this week in the manifestation of the Quill Goddess.

Despite the greater number of locations, this was once again an episode which focused on a small group of characters, albeit less familiar ones. Quill, Dorothea and Balon all get some development here. With Quill, we learn about the death of her mother, see her come face to face with the Quill Goddess, become closer to Balon and then forced to watch him kill himself. We see how she has become a fighter to cope with the things taken from her.

We also get to see the more vulnerable side to Dorothea Ames as she is thrown into an unfamiliar situation. It makes the character surprisingly more likeable. Her words suggest that she is genuinly interested in Quill's well-being, unlike the rest of the Governors.

The newest character, Balon, Miss Quill's surgeon, is suitably played. There's not much of a personality, a gim guy who turns out to be likeable but he is okay. Ultimately we come to pity both him and Miss just at the point where they kill each other. The alternation between them chatting and them killing each other is nicely done.

A few nice Doctor Who references thrown in what with UNIT and Zygons. It would be nice if more actual elements from the parent series would appear in this show, but what we got here was okay.

It ends as last week's episode ended with the promise for more to come, but this time we see what happened next. Quill collapses. How her students cope with her now remains to be seen.

7/10

Class: Detained

Every TV show has a bottle episode at some point and this is the one for Class. The episode is set mainly inside a classroom with Miss Quill locking everyone inside for detention. Inside the classroom is a rock containing an alien entity which forces confessions out of the main cast. This acts as a means for them to work through some of their issues.

Some of those personal issues are ones that we, the audience, were already aware of. We already knew to some extent that Matteusz felt scared of Charlie's alien nature. We have also known that Tanya feels like the others were treating her differently. It was a nice change though for the sports jock to b the one who wanted a committed relationship and felt unsure that the nice girl felt the same way. It's usually the other way around.

The episode ends on a fascinating note with a longer haired Miss Quill free after having the arn in her head removed. This plot thread has certainly escalated more quickly than I was expecting. By the time that Spike had the chip taken out of his head in Buffy, he had already changed enough that he no longer wanted to kill humans. This is still only the first series of Class and it's hard to see how Quill can be anything but a villain at this stage.  Perhaos the next episode will shed some more light on her nature. With all of the cast split apart by their arguments how will things change?

This is a decent enough episode, although not as exciting as the plot developments it promises for later episodes. It has done a good job of making viewers intrigued for what happens next.

6/10

Class: Brave-ish Heart

We're halfway through the series now and things are heating up in the world of Class. When we last left off April had gone to the planet of the Shadow Kin  to kill Corikanus and reclaim her heart. More allusions to Buffy are abound this week as April gets to wield blades and face the Corikanus in one-on-one combat. The whole fight is good but the ending is a bit predictable. The whole thing of killing an alien to become ruler of their species was done better and more fun in The Tenth Doctor's debut, The Christmas Invasion.

Ram gets to support April throughout this episode. It is more of a sidekick role but since Ram has already proven himelf in The Coach with the Dragon Tattoo, this is acceptable. His best moment comes when he and April have an interesting conversation about the nature of faith. Ram puts forward a more positive slant than is usually shown in sci-fi shows. It's a welcome change from the old cliches.

Back on Earth, Miss Quill, Charlie and Matteusz are faced with their own problem. the Governors, who want Charlie to use the Cabinet of Souls as a weapon against the petals. If Charlie tries to use the Cabinet then it will destroy the Rhodian souls and everyone on Earth. The bit where Miss Quill punches Charlie is very reminiscent of the time Spike let his chip fire off in Buffy.

Tanya spends more time on the sidelines. This time she is forced to mediate between Ram and April's parents. So far she is still a character who is less interesting in herself than in the way she relates to the world around her. The parents themselves get a bit of development, having to adapt to their children's views in the new world. April's father finally gets a moment to pull April back from the brink.

The  Shadow Kin's planet, the Underneath, was fairly well realised, with its rocky surfaces and blue sun. The effect of the petals eating humans was also pulled off well. The scene of a man slamming into glass, bleeding from the petals, was very effective and chilling.

With the plot about April;s heart resolved, and the intervention of the Governors, it feels like we're entering a new period of the show.

7/10

Class: Co-Owner of a Lonely Heart

We've had an episode for Ram, then an episode for Tanya, now it's time for April to get her own episode.  April's link with Corikanus' heart, is strengthening and the situation is made more complicated by the fact that her father has recently been released from prison and is trying to see her, against her own wishes.

Sophie Hopkins gets a lot of good material this week as April, and the actor does a good job alternating between April's regular, sweet, personality and the angry and violent outbursts when the with Corikanus strengthens.

The Shadow Kin are also given greater depth by this story. Corikanus, the King, shows a more indecisive size, struggling with his vanishing heart. It is nice to see his world in its CGI glory, as well as getting to meet other members of his Kin. He even gets a monster sex-scene, which is pretty unusual for a creature in an all prosthetic suit. It's a disappointing that his voice has a generic deep and rumbly sound, but otherwise he is becoming interesting.

Charlie also gets some character development. His superior attitude towards Miss Quill, and thoughts of using the Cabinet as a weapon, is starting to alienate Matteusz and Tanya. It often seems to be the case that Tanya is less an interesting character in herself than the way she forces the others to think about themselves. She acts as a conscious to the increasingly arrogant Prince.

Miss Quill is becoming less and less happy with being Charlie's protector and this leads into her new deal with Miss Dawes, the new head teacher, who speaks for the Governors. Miss Dawes is amusingly camp and vicious. The progressing petal problem absorbing the blood of its victims is quite a creepy concept.

This episode is far more successful than Nightvisiting at developing the character it is focused on. Hopefully next week's episode will make the story better. The theme of not having to apologise to a parent is a good one, although the disabled parent being able to walk again felt false.

8/10

Class: Nightvisiting

(Spoilers Ahead)

TV shows with an ensemble cast often have the same series structure where specific episodes are given to developing a specific character within the group. Class did something like this last week with Ram and the synopsis to this week's episode made it look like it would focus on developing Tanya. It certainly does so, although all of the characters are developed in some capacity.

Tanya's dead father was mentioned in the previous episode and now he comes to visit her in the dead of night. It's blatantly obvious to a genre-savvy audience that the dad is a disguise by an alien being, and it's somewhat obvious to Tanya too. Nevertheless, she has understandable doubts.

The alien parasite, the Lankin, is not too bad a monster. It is yet another monster that matches the theme of the episode, this being grieving for loved ones. A giant series of roots stretching from the rift in Coal Hill, through to peoples' homes. it is more successfully realised than the CGI dragon from last episode.

Ram also receives a visitation by his dead girlfriend, but it isn't long before he and April go on the run, try to sort the situation out, and eventually kiss.  Some might find it odd that Ram quickly moves from  missing his girlfriend to making out with April in a matter of hours, but I would disagree. Ram already faced his fears last week, so him kissing April is the final move towards losing those fears. April doesn't get a visitor but she knows the term nightvisiting from her fiddle practice and this segues to her backstory and drunken father. Her use of the term nightvisiting makes it seem like this is her episode.

Charlie and Matteusz develop their relationship and Matteusz moves in. They get the first sex scene in the show. His subplot is alright but he feels like the character with the least to contribute to the overall plot.

Miss Quill is by far the most efficient of the protagonists this week. She quickly susses that the dead sister is a fake and moves on to a nasty interrogation. She saves the day by driving a bus into it. It is also kind of sad at the end of the episode that she is ignored by the group. If this show is like Buffy then this episode is 'Dead Things' and Miss Quill is season 4/5 Spike, a character left on the sidelines who wishes to be part of the group but cannot entirely be trusted.

The blatantly obvious plot stops this episode from getting too higher marks. Occasionally the 'I'm your relative...no you're not' conversations do get a bit repetitive. Nonetheless it is an alright episode that does at least give Tanya more depth and gives Ram an interesting new direction now that he is no longer grieving from his girlfriend.

6/10

Class: The Coach with the Dragon Tattoo

(Spoilers Ahead)

Second episodes can sometimes be much better at setting the tone of the series than the first.  For Tonight We Might Die struggled with having to introduce the main characters and tell an action-adventure story within a limited time. The Coach with the Dragon Tattoo, had much less to take on, and was better for it. The story had a better chance to breath. Instead of focusing on an entire group we get to focus on Ram's journey.

After the events of the prom, Ram has been struggling with the death of his girlfriend and also trying to play football with an artificial leg. Ram is the kind of character that would have no interest in Doctor Who in the real world, so it is interesting seeing someone like that having to adapt to a sci-fi/fantasy universe.This is ultimately a story of a young person recovering from trauma. It is well written by Patrick Ness and pulled off superbly in performance by Fady Elsayed.

Ram's football Coach, Dawson, has his own issues. He has bonded with a female dragon which takes the form of a tattoo in his body. He is now being hunted for by the dragon's mate while he personally uses his tattoo for power. The resolution of Ram persuading the dragon to adjust to his mate's new condition is an obvious parallel to the heroes events.

The other characters featured less prominently. Charlie and April taking a backseat to Ram's story while Matteusz was absent. Tanya got the best moments as she could relate to Ram's loss through the loss of her own father. Most of the comic relief went to Miss Quill in an amusing subplot involving an OFSTED inspector who turns out to be a robot which was eaten by the dragon. This was where most of the comedic bits went. There were also some nice digs at the education system.

There were still a few Doctor Who references in this episode, along with Ram holding a bat which is similar to the one Ace used in Remembrance of the Daleks. Sadly the headmaster, Mr Armitage, died in this episode. it was a shame because he was a likeable character. It will be interesting to see whether the new headmaster will be a more permanent fixture on the show, like Buffy's Principle Snyder to Principle Flutie. With less references it felt like Class was coming into its own though hopefully it won't entirely forget the parent show.

The Coach with the Dragon Tattoo was certainly a much better than the previous episode and is hopefully a sign of things to come.

8/10

Class: For Tonight We Might Die

(Possible spoilers Ahead)

In the same month that Doctor Who fandom is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the dark, sexy BBC3 spin-off, Torchwood, another dark, sexy spin-off series has just begun, and on the same channel. Perfect timing. There have certainly been mixed reactions towards Class in the build-up to its release. Some fans were disappointing at the idea of a spin off where the only real link to the main show is the name of the building. On the other hand, those who had read the works of Patrick Ness seemed to be looking forward to this writer's contribution to the 'whoniverse'.  They were both, in some senses, right.

Some critics and bloggers have compared the show's format with that of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This episode definitely shares similarities to Buffy's first story, Welcome to the Hellmouth. In both instances we have a group of mid-teen students and a schoolteacher being forced to work together and fight monsters drawn through a portal at their school. Buffy is even gets a name check in the dialogue. However, there are a few differences. In Buffy, the protagonists became friends fairly quickly. The protagonists in Class start out from separate paths and even by the end of the episode it more time will be needed for the characters to become proper friends.

The tone of the show is an area where the show differs from Buffy. Where Buffy often relies on the written wit of Joss Whedon, Class is a little more moody but with some humour peppered throughout it. The Doctor's 'ikea' gag was funny, and Mrs Quill is funny when she chews the scenery.Buffy's first story concluded with the new students friends being very perky about their new role to save the world whereas Class concludes with the students returning home, stunned at facing a new, uncertain future.

Charlie and his teacher. Miss Quill. are the most interesting characters so far. Both are survivors of the same planet. Charlie is an alien prince made socially awkward through his ignorance towards Earth customs. As Charlie's protector, Miss Quill is ruthless and gets most of  the best lines here. I can see her become a fan favourite, though time will tell whether she stays loyal to the team or betrays them if someone comes along who offers her the freedom she wants.

The remaining protagonists are fairly straightforward archetypes at the moment.  April is nice on the outside but hides a fiery heart, Tanya is the fish out of water. The nerd looking for friends among older students. Ram is the cocky sports player who pretends to be cool but cares about things deep down. By the end of the episode we can see how these characters may yet evolve from their traits.. Ram losing his girlfriend and his leg on the same night will undoubtedly have emotional and physical consequences. April's speech at the prom has forced her to stand up for herself for the first time.
Tanya may now have found the friends she wanted. Another character is Matteusz, Charlie's prom date, who was not in any of the promotional material. It is unclear whether he will go on to become an important character or is just being set up as a sacrificial lamb for a future story.

The appearance of the Twelfth Doctor, played by Peter Capaldi, was necessary to link the show to the parent series. With his darker attitude, he is the Doctor most suited to appearing in this particular spin-off. There were a lot of other nice Doctor Who references sprinkled throughout the show. Coal Hill School might have been updated to Coal Hill Academy, but at least the Headmaster from The Caretaker was back as a recurring character. I also liked the callbacks to Clara Oswald and Danny Pink. It would be nice if they could at least sneak a picture of William Russell as Governor Ian Chesterton into one of the later episodes.

Blaire Mowat has done a decent job at composing the music for this episode. The theme tune is nothing special, but the music does feel nicely different to Murray Gold's. There weren't any particularly memorable tunes but it sets the tone well. I especially liked the electric guitar version of the Twelfth Doctor's theme.

It's tricky for the writers any new TV shows to pull off a good first episode. They need to convey the gist of the show without being an info-dump. This episode wasn't a game-changing piece of television but it at least it was solid. I feel this show definitely has the potential to grow into something really good.  I will certainly be watching to see if it becomes better than Torchwood, and even more impressive if it surpasses the high bar set by The Sarah Jane Adventures. 

7/10

Doctor Who and Class News

These last few months have seen a dearth of Doctor Who related news, so it's just the right time for more information to be revealed.

The Christmas special is titled The Return of Doctor Mysterio which guest stars Justin Chatwin as a superhero. The actual costume that Justin wears looks pretty good, with only the mask looking a little plastic and naff. It is not clear yet what the 'G' on his logo stands for.  The name 'Dr Mysterio' not only sounds like a weid super villain name but it is a nice callback to the name the show was billed as during early Spanish broadcasts of the show. It will be interesting to see whether the Doctor wants to help the hero, compete with him, or whether the superhero is really a villain. Doctor Who has done many genres over the years including horror and Wild Westerns so it's about time there was a superhero episode in a time when Marvel dominates the Box office.

Some new trailers have been released regarding Class and its becoming more intriguing now the details of the story are being made clearer.. The show appears to show students protecting the school from rifts in time. The second trailer acknowledges the debt owed to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and other shows of its ilk. Other images suggest that this will be a bloodier, darker show and that should be fun. It's a shame American viewers won't get to see the show until next year.

Threads (1984)

I've seen a lot of retro-tv in my time, but Threads is definitely one of the more disturbing dramas out there. This acclaimed piece of television drama, written by Barry Hines and Mick Jackson, focuses on the idea of a UK in decline after nuclear fallout.

The story focuses on the Beckett and Kemp families. Ruth Beckett  becomes pregnant  with Jimmy Kemp's baby and they are due to be married. Their plans for the future are cut short when war breaks out and the Soviets launch nuclear missiles over the United Kingdom.

There is a sense of hopelessness. The Sheffield authorities try to survive in an underground bunker, but there is a cave in at the entrance. By the time the rescue team dig to the bunker all of the authorities are dead. Jimmy disappears and we never truly find out if he's still alive.  Jimmy's parents die of radiation sickness. Ruth's parents stick to the government regulations, they still end up dead - killed by looters who are trying to steal their food.

Jimmy's dissapearance means that Ruth is the closest thing to a main protagonist. She has no goals other than to survive. It is through her trying to live her life that we see the burned victims and

The one tiny bit of hope is the birth of Ruth's baby, Jane. The story flashes to ten years later and things have only improved a little Farming is difficult due to increase in insects and the use of old fashioned farming tools. Jane and the other children of the post-war world are illiterate. Jane gets pregnant and her baby is a stillborn mess.

There is no incidental music. The horrible sound of the howling wind, or the burning fires, help to create an atmosphere more than just shoving in some faux-dramatic orchestra. There is no need for music to bludgeon through.

Putting this in a blog called 'The House of Trivia' is somewhat troubling. The subject matter can hardly be considered trivial. All in all this is one of the more interesting depictions of a Britain in decline. I would highly recommend this, although the DVD version seems to have been coped from an old VHS release. It's not a particularly nice tale, but it is a very compelling one.

9/10

Doctor Who:...???

 

Since Peal Mackie's casting announcement there's been little to no news on production of Series 10 of Doctor Who. Today we got a lot of new information at once. The headline being that Matt Lucas will be reprising the role of Nardole from The Husbands of River Song and this time he will be a regular character.

With his departure iminent, has Steven Moffat gone a little bit madder? Of all the new characters to appear in the modern series, I can't pretend that Nardole was one I particularly wanted to come back. I like Matt Lucas but the character he played didn't really stand out as anything special. I suppose that could be the point. Perhaps Moffat felt that Matt Lucas had been underused and decided to give him a better developed role. Who knows.  It's hard to say how Nardole will change now he is a regular character. Will he simply be a comic relief character like Strax? Or whether he will be a more layered individual? Time will tell.

The more exciting news is that some of the writers and directors have been announced. Apart from Steven Moffat, the other returning writers are Frank Cottrell Boyce and Sarah Dollard. While In the Forest of the Night had its faults I'm willing to see if Frank has done better this time around. Sarah Dollard's return is certainly a welcome one. Face the Raven was a highlight in the last series, so I'm quite interested in what new ideas she'll bring with her.

We also have a new writer in the form of Mike Bartlett who wrote the well recieved BBC drama, Doctor Foster. That's a pretty good creditfor a writer and I'm excited to see what this new writer does.

While I can't say I'm particularly happy or unhappy for Nardole's return, the writer news is exciting enough and hopefully Series ten will be good. Filming is supposed to begin next week so let's see.

Doctor Who: 20 years since the TV Movie

Twenty years ago, on this date, Doctor Who returned briefly to television screens in the UK. It was on this date, while spending my bank holiday in a rented cottage in Devon, that I personally became aware of the show. Its creators hoped that the movie would succeed as a backdoor pilot to relaunch the show. Sadly they did not reach the required ratings for this to be the case.

The failure of this pilot could perhaps be attributed somewhat to do with a continuity-heavy beginning
 with the Master being put on trial by the Daleks on Skaro and exterminated. We then move to the Tardis itself with the Doctor, still played by Sylvester McCoy, already established. It's a bit of a baffling beginning. After the Master's remains break free and attack the Tardis, the ship crash lands in San Fransisco, 1999, where Chang Lee is witness to the Doctor's death. These city sequences feel like they should have been the beginning.

Sylvester McCoy's presence is not a bad thing, but he is in it far too much for someone who is going to disappear. Still, it was great to see this brilliant Doctor for one last time. Even if he is a more passive figure, sitting down, reading books and drinking tea rather than the energetic, spoon playing trickster of the tv show. In his tweed he is now the American idea of an Englishman, very much like Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Although the plot is heavy, scriptwriter Matthew Jacobs makes it easy to understand by threading a theme of death and rebirth throughout the piece. Two Time Lords, like two angels descending on San Franscisco. Both are reborn. The Master wants to kill and the Doctor brings Grace and Chang Lee back which might seem corny but works in this story alone.

Paul McGann was a great casting choice for the new Doctor. He shows exuberance in all of the important scenes. Just as McCoy's Doctor played the quintessential Englishman in tweed, McGann is playing the effete Victorian gentlemen. In a way this lumbers him. He is often shown  a position of bewilderment or weakness, running away and being chained up. He is at his best when he is riding motorbikes, pocketing Professor Wagg's key and and running through the ITAR building. If the show had gone to series they would have had to toughen him up. Night of the Doctor would show how much of a swashbuckling adventurer he could have been.

Daphne Ashbrook was likable enough as Grace Holloway. The character is closer to the Liz Shaw or Barbara Wright style of professional companion who is an older woman with her own hopes and ambitions At points she is winy but I would have no objection to her being in a whole series.

Eric Roberts was adequate as the dying cadaver Master. The character has always been pretty camp so having him camp here does not make any difference. Dressing him up like the Terminator felt odd but he is delightful.

Yee Jee Tso is also good as Chang Lee. It's difficult to know whether he would have been a companion or an earthbound aid like Mickey or Danny. Still, he's a pretty different character for the show.

The rest of the cast are mostly background characters with little in the way of defining character traits although Professor Wagg is particularly memorable for being eccentric, as is Pete, the hospital attendant.

The music in this show is fairly conventional. The orchestral version of the theme is decent if not as striking as the more electronic, ethereal versions.

Visually this film is far more gorgeous than most Doctor Who stories. The Vancouver setting brings in a feeling of X-Files but the gothic look of the Tardis works against this.

The TV Movie was a failure, but by bringing Doctor Who back in the public spotlight, if only briefly, led me to become a fan. So for that, I am grateful. And at least we can enjoy the Eighth Doctor through Comic strip, the BBC Books and through the Big Finish Audios.

New Companion: Pearl Mackie

The months of speculation as to the identity of the new Doctor Who companion are finally over. The mini episode, Friend from the Future was broadcast yesterday on Match of the Day Live during half-time and revealed that Pearl Mackie will be joining Peter Capaldi's Doctor as 'Bill', in Series 10.

Introducing the new companion in the middle of a football match is certainly one of more unusual stunts that the publicity team has pulled. It's good to see Doctor Who being promoted during a mainstream sporting event although I suspect that by the time the next series is actually broadcast, most casual viewers will have forgotten who the new companion is. Still, the same could be said of the long wait until Matt Smith's introduction, and this was worth it to see all the tweets from fans who were angry at having to watch a sport they hate. Better for a wider promotion than just on the internet or Comic Con. 

The advantage of this three minute sequence meant that we catch a glimpse Pearl Mackie's acting as well as hearing the accent she will bring to the character. One could say the character is quite glib, but this is only a small fragment of a larger series. The name is also curious. Is 'Bill' short for Billie or some other unusual name? It's also the only time until possibly Class when we will see Peter Capaldi's in action. I think I preferred this to a bland interview in which the actor evades answering any questions. 

In the end, fans have no reason to think Pearl Mackie will be better or worse than her successors. While I was hoping it would be Rakhee Thakrar, as the rumours suggested, I am not disappointed at this choice. Pearl Mackie may not be a household name, it is exciting to see a young actor suddenly step into a big franchise and become a bigger name. There a lot of questions. Is she a modern companion or not? Does she have a family? Is she only staying for Steven Moffat's last series or will she carry over to the Chris Chibnall era? I look forward to finding out answers to these questions in the coming months. 

Film Watch: Metropolis (1927)

Metropolis is the story of Freder Frederson, the son of industrialist Jon Frederson, who runs Metropolis. Jon meets the mysterious young woman, Mariah, and follows her into the lower depths of the undercity. There he discovers the exploited workers who suffer in order to kee his father's city working.  Mariah appears before the people and promises a 'mediator' who will forge communication between the workers and the industrialists.

Upon discovering this, Jon Frederson approaches the scientist Rotwang, who has invented a machine man. Jon gets Rotwang to transform his machine man into a version of Mariah. This fake Mariah causes the workers to rise up and destroy Metropolis. Freder rescues the real Mariah, helps to quell the revolution and, unsurprisingly, becomes the mediator between his father and the workers.

The film carries with it a fairly obvious theme of workers exploited by big businessman. The revolution is shown to be a bad thing and at the end of the day, the businessman is allowed to live with no recriminations. It can feel a little mawkish at times, but it's still a relevant message.

This film took many months to make and the effort definitely shows int he final product. There is a great abundance of stunning studio locations, from the recreational park at the beginning, the steam ridden hellish world of the undercity to other things. Mariah's retelling of the tower of babel story is also a fairly interesting scene, The Machine Man is a striking creation and would go on to influence the design of C-3PO in 1977's Star Wars. There is also a wonderful dream like quality to the film with Rotwang's house feeling bigger on the inside with various doors that open and close of their own accord.

Given that this is a silent film, the characters are, by necessity, very broad so that their personalities are clear to the audience. Freder is the ernest and emotional young man, Jon is the cold hearted industrialist. Rotwang is a fairly typical mad scientist. Mariah could be seen as interesting in leading the people, but she is kidnapped and replaced by  he machine man, the real Mariah becomes a damsel in distress to be rescued by the male characters.

9/10

Class: Details Revealed

With the long gap until the next series films, there's been a drought of news in the world of Doctor Who. This changed today with the reveal of the cast of Class just before it went into production.

Greg Austin, Fady Elsayed, Vivian Oprah and Sophie Hopkins have been cast as Coal Hill sixth formers while Katherine Kelly has been cast as one of their teacher. A few of these names had already started to leak out in rumours but it was nice to have them confirmed. I can't say I've seen anything with these actors in before. The four 'sixth formers might look a little old for mid teens, but hopefully their acting talent will compensate for this.

According to the main article, one of the characters will be an alien who was hidden on Earth by a time traveler for their safety. Not only will this alien have to deal with school life but also with the aliens who have pursued them to Earth. It seems obvious that this 'time traveller' will be the Doctor, that is unless scriptwriter, Patrick Ness, decide to wrong foot us and have it be Missy instead. The Doctor would be the better choice. He is more likely to want to protect someone and it would be great to have Peter Capaldi guest star in one of the episodes.

Steven Moffat has described the show as being a 'British Buffy'. With  a cast four students and a teacher it certainly fits the model of the first three series of Buffy which had Buffy, Xander, Willow, Cordelia and Giles. How the characters will be similar or different it is hard to say. Whether the teacher will be a mentor for fighting aliens or simply a guide imparting real life lessons it's hard to say. It will certainly be interesting to see the Buffy format updated to include modern teenage issues.

While the show's connection to Doctor Who still feels tenuous, I feel strangely optimistic about it. Patrick Ness' twitter feed shows that he is strongly opinionated on certain issues, which might make for a compelling show. Hopefully this will be a successful spin that stays around for a while.

Old Boy (2003)

After getting drunk on his daughter's birthday, Oh Dae-Su is abducted off the streets and imprisoned in a small room for fifteen years with only a television set for company. The television scenes of political events passing just help to emphasize how small and insignificant Oh Dae-Su is within his cell. In this time his wife is murdered and he is set up for it. Rather than accepting defeat, Oh Dae-Su rebuilds himself and becomes a stronger man. He spends his time trying to break through the wall in his cell. After he is released, he meets a young chef, Mido and they set out to find the man responsible for the imprisonment.

The plot may sound similar to the Counte of Monte Cristo, or any other revenge story but Oldboy manages to put its own stamp on the old tropes. It helps that the protagonist, Oh Dae-Su is compelling to watch. He is a serious man who looks as though he is dead inside. He is simultaneously a tough guy and cool but also prone to depression and is not particularly in control of the revenge narrative. The scene where he eats a live octopus is obscene, but given how little gratification he has had for years, you can understand the urge to absorb life itself.

The supporting lead, Mido is also a well played character. Her interest in the older Oh Dae-Su appears to come out of nowhere. At first it seemed like the fantasy of a frustrated old male script writer, but I was surprised to find there was actually a good reason for this in the plot and one that makes you rethink their relationship.

The third major character is, of course, the target for the revenge, Lee, the man responsible for locking Oh Dae-Su up. On the outside, he appears a smarter, more sophisticated man, yet his backstory and obsession hint at something more monstrous.

The level of violence in this film is pretty high. Our protagonist undergoes plenty of pain and there's a pretty grim sequence at the end of the film. Yet at the same time there's a good sense of humour to the film. The director does a nice job. The uninterrupted fight sequence is a highlight The shot of our hero trying to save a man from suicide is neatly paralleled with the villain doing the same thing later on.

8/10

Film Watch: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Alfred Tennyson once wrote that 'it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all'. Wise words that apply to Joel Barish, the protagonist of  Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, written by Charlie Kauffman and directed by Michel Gondry. Joel is upset when he finds out that his ex-girlfriend, Clementine Kruczynski has used a service, Lacuna, to erase Joel from her memories. Joel decides to undergo the treatment himself to erase Clementine. However, after the procedure starts to take effect, old memories resurface that remind Joel that he still loves Clementine after all.

The scenes inside Joel's head are the highlight of the film. Initially the memories make sense, but as the process continues, memories start to blue together and blank spots appear where the memories start to go. Director Michel Gondry does a really good job of presenting what a strange dreamlike state this would be. The acting also helps, as we see Jim Carey play Joel as an adult, and also adult Joel reexperiencing what it is like to be a child.

The Lacuna process gives the audience more insights into the relationship between Joel and Clementine. Joel is outwardly shy and nice but is often cautious to the point of being boring. Clementine's colorful hair, interesting clothing and outwardly fun personality hide her insecurities and drinking problems. As the relationship goes on they both start to get on each others nerves. Clementine finds Joel boring while Joel finds her unpredictable and careless. Neither of them are more right than the other and they both could have made better decisions within the relationship.

While Joel is experiencing the erasing procedure, events are also occurring in his apartment back in he real world. Patrick and Stan, the two Lacuna workers performing the erasal are having their own relationship dramas. Patrick is dating Clementine while Stan is dating Mary who secretly likes Howard. It is also fun watching their dialogue bleed into Joel's unconscious mind, forcing him to fight for Clementine.
Over time we discover that the Lacuna are people are just as badly affected by their relationships as Joel. Ultimately, all the characters realise that their memories are important.

The cast of this film are all excellent. It's hard to imagine anyone other than Joel Carey playing Joel. He successfully portrays  Joel as an awkward loner without making him appear too pathetic to sympathise with. Kate Winslet also shows her variety in playing a more punkish character with hidden insecurities.

Like many of the best films, Eternal Sunshine doesn't fit easily into one particular category. There are moments that could be classified as a 'rom-com' or others that feel like they come from a  science fiction film, but it never commits to either, keeping the audience on their toes. There is no happy ending at the end. Joel and Clementine get together, but they are both aware that the relationship could break apart again. It is hoped that the second time around will be better, but it is not.

10/10

Film Review: Labyrinth (1986)

With sad news of David Bowie's passing, the film itself being nearly thirty years old and the recent announcement of a reboot, it felt like the right time to look back at Jim Henson's little cult classic.

When a young girl, Sarah Williams, accidentally wishes that her baby brother, Toby, would be taken away by the goblins, the Goblin King, Jareth, offers Sarah the chance to get Toby back if she can make her way through through labyrinth to his castle. Along the way she solves various riddles and meets up with various friends, including Hoggle, Rudo and Sir Didymus, The fact that the film includes a 'Wizard of Oz' book among Sarah's belongings makes it clear the film doesn't mind you knowing the obvious influences behind the work. There are also hints of Alice in Wonderland and a showdown in an M.C Escher inspired castle.

The main theme of this film is growing up. Sarah is a well off young girl who is moody to her father and stepmother. She starts off attached to her material goods and by the end is ready to give them up to save Toby. We get the usual fantasy as therapy with toys and books from Sarah's bedroom providing the bedrock. Still, it's nice that the film stresses the importance that fantasy is necessary every once in a while.

Jennifer Connelly is decent enough int the role of Sarah. She gets the balance right by showing the spoiled side of Sarah without making the character too unlikable. She doesn't particularly outshine the other actors but is alright.

David Bowie, on the other hand, is perfect at the Goblin King. At some moments he is camp, at others sinister and attractive. Where Jennifer Connelly's Sarah might get lost among the weirdness, Bowie's Jareth owns the screen every time he is on it. The biggest challenge a reboot would face is finding an actor who can make Jareth his own and not just create a weak homage to Bowie.

Hoggle might be considered the third main character of the film as he is the only one of Sarah's fantasy friends who gets any character development. When we first meet him he is pissing in a pond and killing fairies. We also find out he's a bit of a coward. Over time he becomes more sympathetic. The combination of puppet and voice work make him feel genuine. You enjoy watching this character.

As for the other characters, Ludo is sweet but has very little personality. Sir Didymus feels like a weird homage of Basil Brush. He is an amusing comic relief character. Jim Henson's team create a whole range of amusing little characters from the tiny worm with a cockney accent to the evil Junk Lady.

Labyrinth came after The NeverEnding Story and Return to Oz and has a very similar tone to the films. The soundtrack is a nicely sinister in places and certain sets, like the junk pile and the crumbling walls of the labyrinth entrance give the thing a sombre tone. The creatures that Sarah faces are nasty and funny at the same time. From the talking hands that pull her into the abyss to the crazy red furry creatures that threaten to take Sarah's limbs from her body all while jaunty music plays in the background, there is always an element of danger in this film that is fun to watch.

Labyrinth is not exactly a life changing film but not a particularly bad one either. It is certainly worth watching at least once.

7/10

Steven Moffat to leave Doctor Who

It's been confirmed that Steven Moffat will be leaving Doctor Who after Series 10 while  Chris Chibnall will be taking over the role of showrunner for Series 11. The 'Bleeding Cool article earlier this year suggested this, and the fact that Steven kept talking about his departure in interview made it felt less of a surprise and more like a reveal of inevitable news.

I can't say I'm particularly upset at this. Steven has had a pretty good, long run at Doctor Who. In that time he has given us three great Doctors, three wonderful companions, a spectacular anniversary special, and a surprisingly wonderful female Master. All this time he has kept the show in the public eye. When he took over from Russell T Davies he reinvented the show and then when Matt left, just at the point it looked like he might dry up he changed the tone for Peter Capaldi bringing us two of his best series with a more sombre tone to them. It's better that he should go out on a high than risk getting trapped on the show, which happened to John Nathan Turner. I wish him well for whatever future projects he may go on to do after this.

As for Chris Chibnall, he's a good choice for showrunner, albeit not a particularly exciting one. Chibnall has plenty of television experience but I found his Doctor Who scripts fairly average in quality. On the other hand, I did like The Power of Three, so maybe that's promising. Chibnall won't be the cure for all the perceived 'ills' of the Steven Moffat era, but nor should he be terrible. I can imagine something far more traditional and conservative. I have a feeling I won't enjoy the Chris Chibnall era as much as the previous two, but, in a way, that's okay. Change isn't always easy but someone, somewhere, will hopefully identify this as their own era.

With Series 10 not airing until Spring 2017, and a only a Christmas special this year, it's going to be a long wait for some, but gap years have never particularly bothered me. Doctor Who should never feel like a show for people take for granted. For those who don't like the wait it's a good time to look at some other Doctor Who stuff. There's 'Class' to look forward to in the autumn.

Still, all of that is in the future. For now we've got Steven Moffat's last series. Hopefully he can make his exit every bit as exciting as brilliant as his entrance in 2010.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Warning: Potential Spoilers Below for those who have not yet seen the film

I wasn't particularly looking forward to this film. The prequel films had somewhat diminished my enthusiasm for the Star Wars franchise. Fortunately, after watching  The Force Awakens, my enthusiasm for the series has returned.

This movie is at great pains to bring back memories of the original, even vaguely following the plot structure of the original. Our first act involves a droid carrying vital information for a Resistance, being pursued across a desert planet by storm troopers. After our heroes unite, they leave the desert planet on the Millennim Falcon. Shortly after this the planet is destroyed by a planet destroying weapon, the Starkiller Base, and the heroes must try to destroy it.

The numerous callbacks to the old film might make this seem like it's going to be old hat. Yet the film avoids this danger by establishing new characters. While all of them take elements from older characters, none of them are direct copies.

Finn is my favourite of the new lead characters. He is a former Storm Trooper who just wants to run. The image of him carrying the lightsaber made it look like he was going to be the Luke character. In truth he is probably closest to Han Solo in that he is interested in self preservation. He rescues resistance member Poe Dameron simply because he thinks he will help him escape. He spends time running away and then later Rey and BB-8. He just wants to run away. Like Han he has a chance to leave but turns back because he has developed feelings for Rey. His change of heart makes his journey the most fascinating.

Poe Dameron the hot shot space pilot, is only in this film briefly at the beginning and then at the end but he is likable enough. He contributes to the destruction of the Starkiller base but there is certainly more potential than that.  Here's hoping that Episode VIII can flesh him out a bit more.

The final new hero is Rey a young scavenger girl from Jakku. She is likable enough. although a scrap dealer with no parents is less relatable than a farmboy who lives racing. My only complaint is that she learned force skills remarkably quickly. Some of those skills took Luke three films to learn. Within the two hours she has learned to influence the weak minded and learned to force grab objects.

Kylo Ren is a particularly well developed character. It was always going to be difficult to make Ren 'The New Darth Vader' and the film acknowledges that and makes it part of his character. He, like most evil zealots, is deep down a pathetic man who lashes out in anger with his lightsaber. Making him hansome on the inside was a good idea.

The old cast make a welcome return. With Luke absent, Han Solo ends up fulfilling the Ben Kenobi role, assisting the younger cast before confronting the villain and dying. His death at the hands of his son is brilliant. Where Ben Kenobi might have given up on Darth Vader, Han still loves his son enough that he does not hate him. It is great to have Leia back as a General, after Return of the Jedi bizarrely made her seem lower ranking than Han.

If I had one complaint it's that the world building is not as good as when Lucas did it. We see very little of what I assumed to be Coruscant before it is destroyed. It seems that the Republic were keeping order. It is unclear whether the survivors will unite against the first order or whether the destruction of Coruscant will make it easier for the First Order to gain territory.

John William's music is decent. Although the music doesn't contain anything quite as memorable as Duel of the Fates, Rey's theme is a pretty nice piece though.

The Force Awakens is one of the better Star Wars films. Below Empire Strikes Back but better than the Prequels. Probably ranked with A New Hope. It's fun film that one could probably watch again and again. I certainly will in the future.

8/10

Sherlock: The Abominable Bride

The idea of taking modern Sherlock cast and having them play their roles in Victorian times has probably crossed every fan's mind at some point. With this slightly belated Christmas special, Moffat and Gatiss have finally scratched that itch. Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman get to dress in the more traditional idea of the detectives clothing, Mrs Hudson is a landlady proper and Watson's stories are sold in the strand. The streets of London are as foggy as any old Sherlock Holmes pastiche. Fortunately, Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss are wise enough not to make this purely a retro show. The entire Victorian facade is the invention of the 21st century Sherlock, under the influence of drugs. Having heard of Moriaty's apparent return fromt he dead he is looking back in time at another case of a faked death, that of Emilia Ricoletti, the bride who apparently shot herself but returned hours later and killed her husband.

The juxtaposition between the old and new applies to the Ricoletti case itself, as it ties back to women's rights. This is not just a pleasure jaunt through the tropes of Arthur Conan Doyle as Moffatt and Gatiss use the status of the female cast to say something about the sidelining of women. Mrs Hudson, Mary Watson and even Molly Hooper are oppressed by the Victorian times, but by forming a movement they have used the fake Ricolletti to bring revenge on men. Watson takes on a typically chauvinist attitude, but Sherlock and Mycroft, the cleverer men, are able to see the importance of the women's rights movement.

As the narrative progresses Sherlock's drugs wear off the two realities start blurring together and a slightly Inception inspired moment when Holmes and Moriaty are at Reichenbach Falls. It shows that Watson is as ever John's hope. Part of me wishes that the whole thing could have been a pure Victorian melodrama, but this kept the modern series relevant.

The cast are as good as ever. Benedict Cumberbatch is continuing to show the lighter Sherlock whose attitude has been improved through experience with John. Martin Freeman is also great as a far more authoritarian version of Dr Watson. Louise Brealy is hilarious as the disguised Dr Hooper. It was also good to see Tim McInnery making a guest appearance as a wife of one of the women's rights cult.

Overall this was a pretty strong episode of Sherlock. The only downside is the agonising wait until Series 4.

9/10

Looking back at 2015

So, the year 2016 has begun. As far as I'm concerned, 2015 started on high and plummeted towards the end. It's been a rough old time for the world at large. Nevertheless, there have been a few good moments mixed in with the bad.  Here are three of my favourite things to come out of 2015

TV: Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell

A decent fantasy that I talked about earlier in the year. The opening episode might be a littlw slow but every one after that keeps getting better and better. Bertie Carvel is easily likable as Jonathan Strange but Eddie Marsan makes Mr Norrell a good character. Even George RR Martin was impressed with

Album: Every Open Eye - Chvrches

I only started to get into Chvrches music at the beginning of last year and they've already gone high up in my list of favourite bands. The trio comprised of Lauren Mayberry, Iain Cook and Martin Doherty have been producing some pretty decent synth songs. Their newest album, Every Open Eye continues this trend with favorites including 'Make them Gold' and 'Empty Threat'. Hopefully we'll here more from them over the coming years.

Game: Contradiction - Spot the Liar

FMV games were popular in the 90s and have been making a bit of a comeback recently. Contradiction follows  Detective Inspector Jenks as he investigates a quiet english village regarding the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of Kate Ryan. The cast are pretty decent. Rupert Booth is great in the role of Jenks and Paul Darrow is predictably great as Paul Rand.

Hopefully 2016 will produce many greater pieces of ephemera as well as brilliant real world events.