Doctor Who: Arachnids in the UK

Arachnophobia seems to be an affliction on many people. They find spiders to be scary and hideous.
Personally I’ve never been that scared of spiders. I actually like them. They get rid of annoying flies. Your attitude toward this episode may depend on how you feel about our eight-legged friends.

The story begins similarly to Aliens of London. The Doctor manages to return her friends to Sheffield as she promised, only half an hour after they left. The Doctor and Ryan go to have tea with Yaz at her flat while Graham decides to return to his own house. These separate scenes serve to flesh out the characters. At Yaz's flat we are introduced to her Dad and her sister. Graham returning home to mourn Grace shows how far he has developed. These scenes are written well.

Unfortunately, the sci-fi story in the middle lets it down.  Arachnids in the UK is basically the Green Death condensed into 50 minutes. Toxic waste is turning spiders into giants. There is no real mystery as to why the spiders are going big. We go from mysterious business types trying Yasmin’s dad explaining how rubbish is built up and references to rubbish chutes, and then spiders. It’s easy to see how everything fits together. No real twists along the way. Nobody other than our regulars are threatened by the spiders. You would think Yasmin’s family would come under threat to up the tension, but only her mum does.

The Spiders themselves are good CGI creation. Glad they weren’t the enemy. Sadly the Doctor elects to kill them ‘humanely’ rather than use the Tardis to take them to another planet. The death of the Big Spider is supposed to be sad but since it was going to die anyway, it’s not much. It’s similar to the death of the Triceratops in Chibnall’s Dinosaurs on a Space Ship. Also similar to exploited meat creature in Torchwood’s Meat.

The supporting cast are thinned down to three primary characters. Yasmin's dad and sister are likeable, if straightforward. Yasmin’s mum is doubter like Jackie. Professor is just dumping exposition Doand Trump character is funny for a minute. Yasmin’s dad and sister are fine.

The Doctor seemed a bit more like Matt Smith or David this week. Commenting and rambling. She referred to regeneration as though it had just happened whereas she seemed fully in control last episode.

Bradley Walsh is fanstatic this week grieving over Grace. Yasmin gets a bit more fleshed out. There is either going to be love interest in Ryan or love interest in the Doctor. Ryan gets the least to do in this episode though he does get funny moments making spider shadow puppets and using music to lure the spiders.

If there’s one thing that’s becoming apparent with the Chris Chibnall episodes, it’s that the character moments are strong and the plot is weak.  As with The Ghost Monument, I found myself checking the time which is not a good sign. Let's hope the upcoming episodes are better.

Rating = 6/10

Doctor Who: Rosa

Before this episode aired, I was very nervous. The American Civil Rights movement is a very sensitive subject matter and there are so many ways that this episode could have gone wrong. Fortunately the writers, Malorie Blackman and Chris Chibnall, were able to navigate the difficulties and the result was a very good episode.

The most important thing that this episode gets right is that the Doctor and companions did not in any way inspire Rosa's act of protest that led to the bus boycott. Instead our time travellers are on the edge of events, trying to keep history free of interference from a another time traveller, a racist  criminal called Krasko, who wants to create small changes that will stop the bus boycott and stop the Civil Rights movement from happening. There is no big plan for an alien invasion. The villain is all too-human, motivated by petty racism.

It's probably the closest to a pure historical since the William Hartnell years. We get references to Emmett Till and Ryan gets to meet Martin Luther King. As the villain is humanoid, we get no bug-eyed monsters. The enemies in this case are human. Unlike other episodes, where racism is allegorical with aliens, here it is very raw and real feeling.

I complained last time about the pacing problems. Although The Ghost Monument was set on a hostile alien planet, our regular characters never felt like they were in danger. This week, in part because of the grim subject matter, there was a lot more tension. Only minutes after leaving the Tardis, Ryan is slapped by a racist man. Every few moments there was peril afflicting our characters. It was Krasko, then it was the Police Officer. The characters were constantly kept on their toes. Their attempts to make Rosa get the bus were being disrupted and they had to improvise to make it work.

I continue to like this new Doctor. Jodie was effective, whether she was joking about being Banksy, or being serious when she confronts Krasko. The companions were also very good. Ryan and Yasmin both get to deal with racism. Ryan having to keep his cool was good. There was also a hint of chemistry between them. Graham was great. Him having to be the catalyst for Rosa Parks was good. He is fully supportive of Ryan. All were really effective at the end when they were reluctantly part of that bus journey.

The supporting cast were also very effective. Vinnette Robinson was good as Rosa Parks. She felt like a dignified human being, intelligent and brave. The show did not glamourise her or patronise her. It was very well done.

Krasko was an interesting villain. An escapee from stormcage with a vortex manipulator. He couldn't actually hurt anyone so could only manipulate. Some might wonder if he should be there or not. The story might have worked if he had been an ordinary time agent accidentally changing things.  Still, his motivation of racism did fit in with the theme.

Mark Tonderai's direction was good. I particularly liked the opening scene of the camera following the bus and then moving off into an alleyway where the Tardis materialised. A nice continuous shot. The crane shot of the motel down to the Doctor and her friends was good as it showed them oppressed by its sign.

The only thing I wasn't sure about was the song 'Rise-Up'. It was effective in the scene where Rosa was arrested and where the Doctor talks about Rosa's importance in history. I don't think it needed to be in the ending credits.

Rosa was a good episode. Where the previous two episodes of Series 11 were safe introductions, this one feels as though it is trying new things and exploring new areas for the show. A proper success.

Rate = 9/10

Doctor Who: The Ghost Monument

Fans commenting on Doctor Who have noted that the second episode of a new era defines that era more than the first episode.  The End of the World introduced Cassandra, the Face of Boe and the Doctor being the last of the Time Lords. The Beast Below introduced themes that Moffat would play with such as memory and monsters that turn out to be innocent. The impression I get from The Ghost Monument is that the Chris Chibnall era will be character driven but linear in terms of plot.

Last week's cliffhanger ending is resolved fairly quickly. Ryan and Graham are scooped up onto the ship of Angtrom (Susan Lynch). The Doctor and Yaz are scooped up onto the spaceship of Enzo (Shaun Dooley).  After their space ships crash on Desolation we then get introduced to Ilin (Art Malik) who explains the plot. Epzo and Angstrom are part of a race to reach the Ghost Monument.  Whoever gets there first will win money. To survive they must pass all the natural perils on the planet including alien micro-carnivores in the drinking water. The audience would little time to work out that the 'Ghost Monument' is actually the Tardis and thankfully, the Doctor doesn't take long to work this out. There are no real other surprises after this.

The characterization of the guest starts is also fairly straightforward. Epzo is the typical guy who has learnt to survive on his own. So you know straight away that he is going to end up working together. The theme of teamwork that binds this episode together is a fairly straightforward one. The character of Ilin, played by Art Malik, is really just an exposition engine. I can't think of any interesting character traits he had.

The only real surprise is that it transpires that the weapons were developed for the Stenza, the creatures that Tim Shaw was a member of. It is also revealed that the Doctor remembers something called 'The Timeless Child'. Although it'll be interesting to see the Stenza fleshed out, I'm less keen on the Timeless Child. I really hope it does not end up being like the Hybrid. I've had enough of things from the Doctor's past

Unfortunately the slow pacing issues that were there in last week's episode are really ramped up here. After the exciting space crash landing sequence, the episode crawls to a halt when they are crossing the water on the boat. There's a lot of chat and we get a lot of character backstory but without good dialogue it feels a little lifeless. I wonder if there was a cut scene where someone drops something in the water and eats it. The scene would have been more dramatic if the boat had started sinking.

Fortunately, things start to pick up again once the characters get to the abandoned ruins. Robot Guards and flying toilet rolls go after our heroes. These Robots look impressive but are really just an obstacle and are not that interesting in themselves. The Doctor weirdly complains about Ryan using guns and then uses an EMP Device and a cigar to burnt the atmosphere.

The crew reach the Ghost Monument. It is no surprise that Epzo and Angstrom work together and are transported away.

The new Tardis interior is a mixed bag. I like the walls and crystal pillars but am not keen on some of the quirky buttons. I do quite like the custard cream dispenser though.

The characterof Ilin was a bit vague. I'm not sure for whose benefit he's put n this race. Are others watching this somehow? What does Ilin himself get out of it?

There's not much development for our companions this week. Ryan is still dealing with the dyspraxia. Graham is still geting over Grace's death. We find out that Yasmin has a dad and a sister but that's it.

I would say this is the Doctor's episode. She is more clear in the head. She is slightly less quirky and she seems to rely on her friends a lot more. She takes charge but in a less overt way than Capaldi Doc.  we et to see her hipocracy at not using guns but still destroying the robots. Her excitement at seeing the Tardis and her love for seeing it.

Another notable feature of this episode is the opening titles which are really well designed. The swirly blue ripples are reminiscent of the non-specific swirls and shapes seen in the sixties and seventies opening.

7/10

Quatermass (1979): Ringstone Round

Quatermass is the first of the series to not be made by the BBC. The 35mm film recording certainly gives this serial a different feel to the others.

The different feel is enforced by the setting. Whereas the 1950s serials were roughly contemporary with their time of broadcast, this serial is set in a dystopian future Britain.  Feral gangs of youths roam city streets, armed police are forced to use violence and power cuts are frequent. It's quite possibly a vision of what Jeremy Corbyn's Britain will look like.

The episode begins dramatically with Professor Quatermass returning to the city only to be mugged by the youth gang. He is saved from losing his teeth by Doctor Kapp, a scientist and Jew and taken to a television centre and talk on the new link up between the US and Soviet satellites. The television studio debate is reminiscent of the media focus that Quatermass had in the first and third serial. Quatermass is more interested in finding his grandaughter, who is presumably a daughter of Paula and quite possibly the other soldier from Quatermass II. He gives a moralistic speech int he styleof the ending of he previous serial but it fallson deep ears. The TV crew also refer to the Experiment, when they talk about the first crew.


When the link up goes wrong, he and Doctor Kap return to the country side where a cult of teenagers called the Planet People, are searching for means to leave the Earth.

Kapp takes Quatermass to his home in the country where two satellites are in operation. Quatermass meets the team and family and becomes interested in the dig site that Mrs Kapp found and  following the Planet People who are heading for Ringmans Round.

The episode ends dramatically with the stand-off between he police and the planet people. As Quatermass and Kapp depart, they see a bright light beaming down seemingly leaving nothing behind but white dust. It's an effective cliffhanger.

John Mills' Quatermass reminds me of Andre Morell version, especially with his costume and cap.  Both of those versions of the character are away from the Rocket Group, solving their own problems.. Mills' Quatermass doesn't seem quite as charismatic as the Morell incarnation but he is still good.

So far Doctor Kapp seems to be the equivalent of Doctor Matthew Roney from Pit. The ally who has very strong views and a passion for science and a dislike of the planet people.

Mrs Kapp and the research team are likeable characters. Alison is likeable as well.

The music is very different to the Quatermass, although the electronic music suites the dystopian theme.

While the first episode of the new Quatermass was less focused on horror than he others, it was interesting enough to keep mehooked. Ringstone Round is a good start to Kneale's last original Quatermass serial.

Doctor Who: The Woman Who Fell to Earth

'The Woman Who Lived' marks the third big reinvention of Doctor Who. We have a new showrunner, Chris Chibnall and it is also the first time that the Doctor has ever been played by the woman. It is also the first time since the 1980s that there have been three companions in the Tardis and the first time there has been a new music composer for the show since 2005. Fortunately, the production team have done well enough here to prove that those things show promise,.

Chibnall begins this story, as his two predecessors did, by introducing the new companions first. These are Ryan, Graham and Yasmin as well as supporting character Grace. We get all of the companions' motivations laid out very clearly. Ryan has dyspraxia and difficulty with co-ordination. Graham is trying to be a grandfather to Ryan. Yasmin is a police officer who wants more. It's quite a way into the story that we are introduced to the new Doctor and the monster of the week. It's a risky ploy, as some younger members may find the talking scenes boring, but in this case, it works out.

When she appears, we see that Jodie Whittaker is going to be really good as the Doctor. While I initially thought of her as Beth Lattimer, the interviews with her in the months following her casting revealed that she has a very quirky personality and that shines through here. As in The Eleventh Hour, she is up and about but there is less time spent on her having regeneration problems other than having a bit of a nap.  She gets several great moments in the episode. These include the moment, she builds her new sonic screwdriver from bis of metal and alien technology, the moment she jumps from a crane to confront an enemy and then at the end when she eulogises on her family in a speech reminiscent to the Troughton's Doctor gave in Tomb of the Cybermen. She exactly the same as a male Doctor which is as it should be. She's also very good at physical comedy and the scene where she sticks her fingers up her nose is the sort of thing you don't usually see with female tv characters. When she apolgises to her friends for seeing what Tim Shaw is doing to his victims, she deliverse those lines with more earnestness than I would have expected. Perhaps I've gotten too used to the Twelfth Doctor's snark

As with the other episodes that introduce a new Doctor or companions, the threat faced by the Doctor in The Woman Who Fell to Earth fairly straightforward. Tzim-Shaw, a member of the Stenza warrior race, has come to Earth in order to hunt a random human. This will prove himself worthy of becoming leader of his species.  A man called Karl has been tagged so the Doctor and her new friends have to work together to rescue Karl and stop Tim Shaw. The creature, Tim Shaw, is remniscent of predator and the idea that he has teeth in his face and that he collects the teeth of his victims is suitably scary for teatime viewing. Tim Shaw is also assisted by the Relay Coil, an effective tentacle monter which is a well done bit of CGI.

One way in which this episodes differs is that the defeat of the monster ends on a downbeat note. Grace sacrifices herself to stop the relay coil. Throughout she is a sort of Doctor surrogate, encouraging the others. Sharon D. Clarke is likeable in the role and part of me would have liked her to stay alive and fulfil the Jackie Tyler role. Here, she has a similar role to Danny Lattimer in Broadchurch, whose death triggers he events of the story. The scene at her funeral feels very similarly like something from Broadchurch. It is new and interesting territory for Doctor Who to explore.

Another way in which this episode differs from previous introduction episodes is that it holds off from introducing all of the Doctor Who elements. There is no title sequence this time around and we do not get a Tardis. The episode ends on a cliffhanger wit the Doctor following the trace of the Tardis and accidentally beaming herself and her friends into deep space.

The cast are all very good. Ryan is the first friend we're introduced to and pretty much the main focus for this episode. I wasn't sure about Tosin Cole's acting at first but as the episode progressed I saw his talent. He has dyspraxia which is a good way of showing the representation. As someone diagnosed with mild dyspraxia it was surprisingly nice to see it on a prime time tv show. Him learning to ride the bike was good.

Bradley Walsh is fantastic as Graham. He reminds me of Wilfred Mott in that he is the every man of the series.The reveal that he is in remission from cancer is, like Ryan's dyspraxia, an issue for him.  A very likeable character with a lot of promise.

Yasmin Khan gets the least development and I'm sure that will improve. As a Police Officer who wants to do more, you can see that companion thing of wanting to fulfil their potential. There are nine more episodes to get to know her.

One of the most obvious thing to point out about the show is the new visual look. The anamorpic lenses that are used int he cameras give the whole experience a very filmic look. Sheffield, the main setting for this adventure, looks gorgeous as do scenes set on the peaks. It feels like as much of a visual leap for the show as The Eleventh Hour in 2010. The CGI team should be happy with their realisation of the relay coil monster and the electrical storms around it are effective.

The tone of the episode was interesting. The teasers gave the impression that this series would have a lighter tone but there was a surprising lack of humour in this episode. The Doctor was the only really funny person int he episode, that and Karl with his self-help tapes. There is none of the quippy dialogue that would be found in Steven Moffat's stories. Your mileage will vary in how you felt about this. Some may find the dialogue a little flatter now but I feel that it works for giving the series a more grounded feel.

One undoubted success in the episode was the music by the new composer Segun Akinola.  His music here appears to be more about mood and creating atmosphere. It was less about the bombast as Murray Gold's was. Both are good but it's nice to have a change. The new theme music was only heard at the end of the episode but it sounded very good.

The episode held off from introducing the Tardis or the new opening titles. This is an interesting way to hook viewers to come back. It will be interesting to see if it pays off.

The only minor niggle was the guest star list shown at the end of the episode. It was an odd way of promoting the show. I'm not the biggest TV watcher so I didn't recognize many of the names and faces  Perhaps it's because Chibnall wouldn't let them show monsters.

I have to say I enjoyed this episode. Despite some pacing issues it is a compelling watch. While I never went off Steven Moffat I have felt the show has needed to change for some time. With more grounding in reality and better visuals, this works. The Woman Who Fell t Earth is not quite as good as The Eleventh Hour, it is definitely a better first episode than some. A good start to the new era.

My Rating = 8/10