Doctor Who: Blast from the Past Returns

One of the first special projects to appear on this blog was ‘Blast from the Past’, where one story from each of the seven classic Doctors’ eras was thoroughly reviewed during a single week on this blog.

In January 2011, ‘Blast from the Past’ will return to this blog so that a story from the Eighth, Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Doctors’ eras will be reviewed. The Eighth Doctor story will be the 1996 TV Movie, but the stories of the three new Doctors can be chosen by you on the new ‘Blast from the Past’ section.

The form will only take a few seconds to complete, and will hopefully mean that at least one of your chosen stories is reviewed.

Doctor Who Blog - TheRedDalek Reviews

TheRedDalek has begun writing a brand new series of reviews for Doctor Who episodes, and his first review for ‘Rose’ is now available to view on his blog. The site has a very slick design, and contains the links to many Doctor Who episodes so that you can watch them online.

“Rose Tyler is just an ordinary shop worker living an ordinary life in 21st century Britain. But that life is turned upside down when a strange man calling himself The Doctor drags her into an alien invasion attempt!”

Doctor Who Series 5 Dalek Strategist Action Figure Review

This brand new video review of the Strategist Dalek action figure was created by Blink. The figure is currently out of stock in most shops due to high demand, however updates on the availability will be shown on Forbidden Planet.

Blast from the Past: Survival

By the time that this final story of the classic series came around, Doctor Who had been a dying show for a long time. With ratings at their lowest recorded levels for the show, and stories looking cheaper than ever, the BBC were more determined to cancel the once adored science-fiction show. The title of ‘Survival’ was ironic for the era when it was shown, as Doctor Who was fighting for its own survival. A fight that sadly wouldn’t be won…

The computerised effects seen in this story are surprisingly realistic, and very impressive considering the small budget that was given to the show. However, the practical effects of various cats in this adventure (with remote-controlled heads) are less than impressive, and unfortunately add to the criticism about the programme being technologically behind the American science-fiction shows.

The Cheetah costumes are another disappointment in the story, as the fluffy head masks they wear weren’t going to convince the audience that they were real, as well as not allowing much expression of the actors to be seen. However, this is partly made up for by the excellent acting and sound effects which are used to bring these (somewhat fake-looking) creatures alive.

The original and engaging script by Rona Munro is the main factor which saves this story, and proves that a high budget and state-of-the-art production values are not what make good television. The death scene of one of the Cheetahs is a particularly effective and moving moment in the story, as the supposed monsters are given an emotional side to them. Sophie Aldred also gives a strong performance as her (posh gangster) character of Ace in this scene, and her expressive acting makes her one of the most believable companions.

Sylvester McCoy had been an excellent Doctor, offering a new mysterious take on the legendary Time Lord, yet for various reasons no-one was bothering to watch the show anymore. Doctor Who may have been a dying show, but that didn’t stop the production team from creating some of the finest stories in the show’s history. The thrilling tale of ‘Survival’ meant that Doctor Who ended on a high note, with the Doctor and Ace walking peacefully into the distance. If only they had been given a fair chance…

Blast from the Past: Vengeance on Varos

The Sixth Doctor’s era was a very rough time for Doctor Who, where the stories coming in seemed to be getting worse and worse. A few weeks after the original transmission of this story, the BBC decided to put the show on hiatus, as it was considered too expensive to make and becoming far too horrific for children to watch. ‘Vengeance on Varos’ almost certainly contributed to this decision, as it is an extremely gothic and even disturbing tale…


Having said this, it is by far one of the strongest stories to emerge from Colin Baker’s time on the show, and the production team’s execution (of the executions) should be complimented. The darker lighting of the sets add to the gothic tone of the story, and make a nice change to the brightly-lit studios which often ruined tense scenes in previous episodes. The design of the base also fits the story well, where the dark colour schemes and constant surveillance give it a prison-like feel.

Nabil Shaban’s character of Sil has a very convincing prosthetic costume, which allows a believable alien character to be created, and as a result enhances the disturbing feel of the story. The political system on the planet is soon revealed to be corrupt, with powerful figures (including Sil) manipulating the Governor into no-win situations. The idea of voting to save or kill political leaders based on a television performance is a very powerful one, and shows how a television obsessed society could go too far.

If there is one scene that is always criticised by fans (and there is!), then it is the fight sequence between the Doctor and two prison guards, which ends up with both of them boiling in a pool of acid. Critics often claim that the Doctor murderously and deliberately throws them into the acid with the rage of an assassin (well… that is exaggerated). The deaths were of no particular fault to the Doctor, however his comical comments made afterwards have no place in this tragic scene.

‘Vengeance on Varos’ is a slightly controversial adventure in Doctor Who, where some viewers welcome the darker tones of the storytelling, whilst others argue that it is not right for the family show. While it may not be considered a ‘classic’ story, it is still a thrilling tale with some extremely powerful themes and images throughout. The corrupt society that we see in this story has some parallels to our own world, where television shows begin to change the way we see the world, and sometimes for the worst.

Tomorrow: Survival

Blast from the Past: The Robots of Death

Tom Baker’s era is famous amongst fans of the show for having the strongest run of stories, in particular during his first three seasons, and ‘The Robots of Death’ falls within this time. The quality of acting, script writing, editing, and directing makes this story a ‘classic’, and it will always be remembered amongst the other popular stories from this era. Although the title gives away the enemy in these episodes, there are plenty of surprises along the way…

Chris Boucher’s script is a particularly strong one, offering terrifying images and creating believable characters (apart from one squealing girl who cries a lot). It has all of the elements of a classic gothic tale, including a remote location under attack from a mysterious force, a futuristic world where technology is fighting back, and a villainous man who betrays his own side to the enemy, before they fight back and destroy him as well.

One of the most terrifying shots in this tale is of a damaged Robot with dried blood on its hands, which is particularly morbid as it shows the true horrific power of these creatures. Gothic images like this were common during Robert Holmes’ era as the Script Editor of the programme, and are part of the reason why Tom Baker’s first three series are so fondly thought of, as the production team could introduce horror into the show whilst still keeping it child-friendly at the same time (unlike the Colin Baker era, where it was kill, kill, kill! ).

If there had to be a negative about these episodes, then it would simply be that the lighting of the studios is very bright, which slightly ruins the dark and sinister atmosphere of the story. However, over-lighting was a common feature of programmes in the twentieth century, as the BBC were supposedly worried that elderly people would think that there televisions had broken if the picture wasn’t bright. (What were the BBC smoking?)

‘The Robots of Death’ is a thrilling tale of betrayal and the problems of technology, and is one of many fantastic stories which Doctor Who produced during this era. Sadly, this long run of triumphs would soon disintegrate into a run of mediocre stories, as Robert Holmes left the show after his third season in the job. While he was the Script Editor though, the programme had never been so popular amongst fans, and he ensured that Saturday nights would remain as ‘Doctor Who night’ for many years to come…

Tomorrow: Earthshock

Blast from the Past: The Green Death

This is another outstanding story from the history of the programme, delivering sincere political messages to the viewer, whilst still having a fun and dynamic story to accompany it. Everyone really pulls together to make this story work, and the result on screen is staggeringly good, especially considering the very limited budget and short amount of time that the production team. Bring on the maggots…

The most impressive scenes within this tale are where Professor Jones talks about the possibilities of future energy resources and how we are damaging our planet, a concept which was unusual at the original time of broadcast, but is an everyday concern in our modern society. This is a story out of its time, tackling issues which have only become widely known about in recent years.

Robert Sloman’s script is of a very high standard, combining horror with humour, and morals with maggots. The story is fully brought to life by Jon Pertwee’s action-craving Doctor (with a martial arts scene every five minutes), where he and Katy Manning have a great spark together and clearly enjoy their roles. Pertwee is clearly having the time of his life when he disguises himself as a washerwoman (you have to see it to appreciate it – good old Doris the cleaner!)

The only factor which lets down this story is the special effects, which were overambitious for the time when it was made. The Colour Separation Overlay (CSO) effects allow the production team to film the actors against a blue screen, whilst the set behind them can be just a still picture or even a scale model of the location. However, this technique was a new concept in the early seventies, and the bright lighting of the maggots’ lair creates large obtrusive outlines around the actors, which ruins the believability of the scene.

These dodgy effects are more than made up for by the quality of the story though, combined with the sharp direction and energetic cast. It is these aspects which make a real classic episode of Doctor Who, and ‘The Green Death’ certainly falls into that category. Despite the deep political messages and sentimental departure of Katy Manning as Jo Grant, this story will always be remembered as “the one with the giant maggots”!

Tomorrow: The Robots of Death

Blast from the Past: The Tomb of the Cybermen

This was one of the many unfortunate stories of the early sixties to be junked by the BBC after transmission, so as to save space in the vaults for programmes which were considered more valuable. In 1992, fans of the show would hear of some exciting news about this legendary Cyberman adventure: The entire four-part story had been discovered in Hong Kong! After all this time, would the story live up to expectations…

This was the third story to feature the popular enemies of the Cybermen, and the production team were trying to find new and interesting ways to use the creatures. The story is in a typical base-under-siege format, which increases the fear levels as there could be a Cyberman around any corner. This story is also iconic for being the first to feature the almighty Cyber Controller, whose brain is encased in a dome-shaped container above its head.

One of the greatest scenes in this story is a subtle conversation between The Doctor and Victoria, where they discuss the people who they have lost in their past (Victoria’s father had died in the previous story), and how they can move on from their grief. Patrick Troughton and Deborah Watling excel in this scene, giving their characters real depth and emotion, which acts as a good opposite to the fast paced action scenes which follow.

The fight sequences between Toberman and various Cybermen have become famous throughout long-term fans of the programme (in particular for the mysterious wire which magically assists a Cyberman to lift Toberman). The hero of the day is Toberman himself, who manages to throw the Cyber Controller (who looks suspiciously like a dummy) across the control panels, before slamming the electrical tomb doors shut on the damaged Controller, electrocuting himself in the process.

This story has been highly regarded by many fans of the show (including Matt Smith), due to all of the brilliant elements which really come together and gel to make the stunning result. A thrilling encounter with the terrifying Cybermen, a great cast to make each individual character come alive, and Deborah Watling in a very short dress are sure to please the viewers. You can’t ask for much more than that!

Tomorrow: The Green Death

Blast from the Past: The War Machines

Huge metal creatures glide across the ground, stalking the streets of London, and armed with two powerful weapons emerging from the front of their case. This description could easily be that of a Dalek, but instead it is of a War Machine. The resemblance that they bare to the Daleks has often been noted by fans of the programme, but that doesn’t stop this story from creating changes of its own…

The opening aerial shot of London feels new and fresh to the show, with this being the first story to be solely set in the present day. The scenes in the ‘Inferno’ bar offer another new atmosphere to the show, where we get to see everyday people having a fun time, and meet the lively characters of Ben and Polly. However, I’m not overly impressed with some of the extras’ boogieing and jiving, which is quite embarrassing to watch (imagine when your Dad used to dance in front of your friends or relatives, and you’d be weeping on the inside - that sort of dancing).

Jackie Lane’s character of Dodo is soon whisked off by a phone call to the Post Office Tower, however she seems to be acting rather strangely. After being possessed by WOTAN, she is given instructions to collect the Doctor (who is in the bar, where she has just been summoned from). It doesn’t take the Doctor long to realise what has happened though, and Dodo is set to rest for the day. Strangely enough, this is the last time that we see Dodo, and she never has a proper farewell scene with the Doctor. Her character is as dead as a Dodo (pun intended - sorry).

Queue scenes of battle and mayhem with killer robotic machines – perfect! After London citizens flee the streets and people in phone boxes get zapped, the Doctor makes his move and stands up to the menacing War Machines (they even knock over bins – they should get an Asbo). William Hartnell shines in the scenes with the War Machine, acting as a powerful authority over the enemies, yet still having a joyful and childlike quality to him when he achieves his task and stops their force.

This story is one of the finest to emerge from the William Hartnell era, where the use of location filming (a rarity for the time) combined with convincing studio sets (a huge rarity for the time) allowed the energetic story to fully blossom. The new “hip-and-groovy” companions of Ben and Polly gave the show a promising future, and ensured that this story was a huge turning point for the show, even if it was another Dalek… I mean, very original-looking War Machine story.

Tomorrow: The Tomb of the Cybermen

'Blast from the Past' Week Details

The exclusive ‘Blast from the Past’ week begins this Monday on ‘Blink’, where a classic story from each of the original Seven Doctors’ eras will be reviewed on this blog, along with general trivia added into the mix.

These reviews will be of a decent length, however they should be fun to read and will be in a similar style to ‘The Time Team’ feature which appeared in Doctor Who Magazine.

The Blink Review: Valentine’s Day or No Such Thing as Second Chances?

The seventh story of the online Doctor Who series, ‘Valentine’s Day or No Such Thing as Second Chances?’, brings the relationship of the Doctor and Florence to a heartbreaking end, as Florence agrees to give up the life of the Doctor in return for the resurrection of her husband John…

This series finale is quite unlike anything that has appeared in the series before, presenting the reader with very challenging and brave concepts, in particular the themes of betrayal and genocide. However, the script is presented in such a detailed and precise manner that the viewer can understand every character’s motivations, without the confusing storylines which are often found in the television series.

Florence’s betrayal of the Doctor is a very emotional scene, as she allows a mysterious figure to take his life in return for her husband John, who had tragically died at the end of ‘Remembrances’. It is only later on that we discover that the figure is Enigma, an all-powerful enemy who had appeared at the start of the series. Enigma’s deal with Florence allows her to start up a new life with her husband John, where they have a child together and live in a world of peace.

This perfect world does not last long though, when their planet is invaded and her child is horrifically killed. The emotion is once again handled very well in these invasion scenes, describing the pain that Florence is enduring, as her paradise world crumbles around her, and the terrible decision that she made to sacrifice the Doctor comes back to haunt her.

The detailed description of the ominous land where the Doctor is trapped manages to create a really bleak and depressing world, so that the viewer can strongly empathise with the Doctor as he desperately tries to escape. The scene where he constantly throws himself against the wall, cutting himself as he tries to break free, is one of the most powerful images throughout the entire series, as we see a darker and more aggressive side of the Doctor.

When he finally does manage to escape from the black void, he is immediately confronted by Florence. Instead of shouting at her and wanting revenge, he simply continues as if nothing has happened, ignoring all the hurt that she has caused. It is moments like these that make this series special, where we can connect with the characters and have real respect for them. At the end of the day it is Florence who makes the biggest sacrifice, where she manages to stop Enigma, but condemns herself to a world where she cannot interact with the Doctor as a result.

The closing few lines of the episode really sum up the entire series of adventures that the reader has enjoyed with the Doctor and Florence, because no matter what troubles they faced in their relationship, they would find a way to move on. We can leave this story with a sense of greatness, because we know that the Doctor his best friend will always be walking, hand in hand, into the sunset for the last time…

Rating: 5/5 stars

The stories are available to read at www.doctorwho4b.blogspot.com

The Blink Review: Remembrances

The sixth story of the online Doctor Who series, ‘Remembrances’, sees the Doctor and Florence arrive at Ravenna City, a wrecked world where the Humans are enslaving the Gnaecian population. Their only hope of survival is to rise up to the Supreme Consul…

The story starts onboard a contemporary-looking space capsule, where John Heinze, the lover of the Doctor’s companion Florence, is on a mission with his crewmates Harvey and Zurab. The quiet scene soon develops into a very chilling one, when they all hear a sinister voice on the intercoms. Moments later, they have become possessed.

This sets up the thrilling episode which follows, with the Doctor and Florence’s relationship given a breath of fresh air when he returns to save her, admitting that he could never just let her go. Their beautiful friendship which was created from the very start of the series goes from strength to strength in this episode, when Florence has to deal with some painful losses, and there is only one man who can help her through it.

The greatest scene of the story came when the possessed John realised the monster that he had become, and gave his life to destroy the creature inside him. The emotional scene between him and Florence was very powerful, as he smiled at her for the last time. This sacrifice had great effects on the Doctor and Florence, yet made them determined to fight for the future of the planet, and built up an alliance between the Humans and the Gnaecians.

The only criticism of this episode would be the final scenes in the graveyard near the end of the script, where John is once again able to communicate with Florence by the psycho-refractive metals in his tombstone. Unfortunately this had the negative effect of making the earlier death scene less dramatic, by resurrecting the character only a few pages later and making him immortal.

However, the emotion was soon restored when Florence built up the courage to leave this consciousness of John, and left the graveyard with the Doctor. Although this may not have been the best episode of Dan Harma’s series, it was still a very enjoyable script with such detailed description of the characters and locations, which builds a whole world inside the reader’s head.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Please comment and rate below.

The stories are available to read at www.doctorwho4b.blogspot.com

The Blink Review: The Pandorica Opens, The Big Bang

I’m confused. Really confused. So please excuse me for this confusing review of the confusing series finale which had some clever and confusing points but also lacked some crucial confusing details which left me confused and wondered how I would be able to write a review without saying the word ‘confused’. I think I’ve managed not to say it so far…

‘The Pandorica Opens’ was an absolutely brilliant episode, and by far my favourite of the series, with an engaging and emotional script by Steven Moffat, a surprisingly good use of CGI effects, and a tantalising cliffhanger that left everyone in suspense. A great first part to a story, which surely the second part couldn’t live up to.

And sadly it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. There were some really great ideas in ‘The Big Bang’, in particular Rory guarding Amy throughout the centuries to protect her, and it was a very enjoyable episode to watch, but overall it seemed a bit shambolic, with lots of jumping between locations and coming up with random explanations.

Wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey stuff is great in small amounts, when the Doctor can use it to cheat his way out of small problems. However, using it every five seconds to get out of every problem makes the viewer feel cheated for having watched the first part, as every threat that occurred was overwritten with a quick trip using the vortex manipulator. Similarly, the sonic screwdriver was really overused in this story, and provided a ridiculously simple solution to opening up the Pandorica, which supposedly nothing could open.

“Silence will fall!” screamed the menacing voice at the end of ‘The Pandorica Opens’, who turned out to be… Oh wait, that wasn’t answered! If there’s one thing that annoys me, it’s having to wait for ages to get an answer to a question, and we’re going to be waiting for another year to find out whose voice that was!

However, I’m probably being a little harsh here. In fact, I’m being very harsh. It’s in my Weeping Angel nature. There were some fantastic scenes in the episode, mainly the terrifying Stone Dalek chase sequences, and the sad departure of the Doctor before he zoomed off into the greatest explosion in history.

The series as a whole was fantastic, with my favourite episode being ‘The Pandorica Opens’ and my least favourite being ‘Victory of the Daleks’, which still feels like an incomplete story despite the return of the Daleks in the finale. ‘The Big Bang’ was a pretty decent story, with many ups but also some irritating downs. I think it’s time we meet the Yeti! Roll on Christmas…

Rating: 4/5 stars

You can also give your rating in the new poll, ‘BANG! And the world is gone…’

The Blink Review: I Am a Clone

The fifth story of the online Doctor Who series, ‘I Am a Clone’, sees the Doctor’s companion Florence wake up in a mysterious world of clones, where they are abused by the human race to help advance their planet. This is yet another powerful story by Daniel Harma, with a deep message at the core of the tale which everyone can relate to, especially in our modern society which is broken.

The terrible treatment of the clones in this story is an excellent parallel to the treatment of many black people who were enslaved by rich men of America and Britain, and tried to break free from their torture by standing up to their supposed ‘owners’. This was clearly shown in the scene when a clone attempts to board a train, trying to prove that he has just as many rights as the other passengers, but is murdered by the ‘superior’ humans who can’t face the truth.

As the story progresses, we learn many emotional facts about this world of both humans and clones, and how there may not be as much difference between them as we were led to believe. The greatest moment of the episode came when it was revealed that this Florence is really a clone, as is every other member of the planet, who all lives in denial. Once again a tear jerking script, with beautiful characterisation and a powerful message.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Please comment and rate below.

The Blink Review: The Lodger

No matter how hard I try, every week I seem to write paragraphs and paragraphs of information for my review. The reason for this is simple; there are so many brilliant scenes in every episode, which really deserve to be praised! ‘The Lodger’ was no exception, and followed on from the spectacular ‘Vincent and the Doctor’ last week.

The episode gets off to an interesting start when The Doctor is trapped on Earth, after being thrown out by the TARDIS, and is forced to lodge in a house owned by a pleasant man named Craig. This scene sets up the entire story and the unusual relationship between Craig and the Doctor, when his first line on meeting is ‘I love you’, intended to be said to Sophie.

James Corden and Daisy Haggard really excel in their roles as Craig and Sophie, making their obvious love for each other very realistic whilst funny, (before they realise that Matt Smith is spying on them – naughty Matt!) Speaking of ‘Naughty Matt’, I would like to confirm here that you do not see the Doctor’s – how should I phrase it? – manly instrument in the shower scene, and that he is in fact wearing boxers!

This shower scene was also a good flash-from-the-past, mimicking one of Jon Pertwee’s first scenes as the Third Doctor in ‘Spearhead from Space’, where he is seen singing in the shower of a hospital – and no, you didn’t see his manly instrument either. Another fan-pleasing moment was the revelation of what the spaceship actually looked like from the outside, which was highly reminiscent of the Jagaroth spaceship from ‘City of Death’.

As for bad points, I can’t think of any this week. Blimey, now I know I’m getting old! The only bizarre factor was that the winning Blue Peter TARDIS wasn’t shown, although it may appear in the finale. (Everything else is appearing in the finale!) Apart from that though, it was a faultless episode with a great cast, great writer, and –
dare I say it – great special effects! Time to open the Pandorica…

Rating: 5/5 stars

You can also give your rating in the new poll, ‘House of horrors…’

The Blink Review: Vincent and the Doctor

Before the fifth series of Doctor Who had even started, this episode was the one that I was most looking forward to, with a brand new writer making his first television breakthrough (think his name was Richard Curtis, ever heard of him?), and the spectacular Bill Nighy (famous for being the tentacle guy from Pirates of the Caribbean).

The first time I watched the episode, I really wasn’t sure what to make of it. Although it was the most daring and emotional that Doctor Who had ever attempted to be, these factors seemed to dominate the rest of the story, and took away from the fun and energy that is usually associated with the show.

Then I decided to watch the episode again, knowing what to expect from the story, and it was spectacular. Bill Nighy was utterly hilarious in his role of Dr Black (not related to the character that dies in Cluedo), and the scenes both at the beginning and end of the episode between him and Matt Smith are some of the funniest ever performed in Doctor Who, exchanging quirky remarks about each other’s cracking bow ties.

However, it was Tony Curran as Vincent van Gogh who stole the show, performing great emotion in his scenes of depression, and excelling in the heartbreaking final moments in the Musée d’ Orsay, realising that he was not a failure and that his work would one day be loved. I was on the verge of tears at that point, literally.

The main negative of the episode was the computer effects, making the dinosaur-like monster look incredibly fake and of no particular threat, particularly in the brightly lit daylight scenes. It seems that The Mill can do settings and planets really well, but fail when it comes to creating believable monsters.

My other small negative was the music playing when Vincent van Gogh visited the future, which didn’t seem to match the style of the rest of the episode, and wasn’t very good to be honest. Perhaps they could have used the man on Britain’s Got Talent who made up his own song? (Yes, I did watch the final yesterday! What are you gonna do about it?)

Overall though, it was an amazing episode, and my favourite of the series so far. It may have taken a second viewing for me to really appreciate it, but the story certainly left everyone with a strong message. When you next look up the sky, don’t see the blackness. See the blues, and the yellows, and the swirling whites of the wind. See the magnificence of Vincent van Gogh.

Rating: 5/5 stars

You can also give your rating in the new poll, ‘Art attack…’

The Blink Review: Shrapnel Wounds

The fourth story of the online Doctor Who series, ‘Shrapnel Wounds’, sees an elderly woman called Helen settle down on a new planet, after her old civilisation was ruined by technology and advancements in robots. Her only hope lies with one man: The Doctor…

The story opens in a very unique and engaging way, when we hear the charming notes of a nursery rhyme, and gaze upon a planet in a beautiful starlit sky. Then the story immediately cuts to the planet surface, where we see an old lady who tells the story of her lifetime, and how an ever technology-advancing planet has brought her nothing but misery.

Daniel Harma once again manages to create a very believable character that the audience can connect with, which sets up the story for all the emotional and painful times that her character will have to experience. This is enhanced in the scene where she breaks down in the pub, realising that she has nothing left on her own planet, and desperately wants to find a new and better way of life on this one.

Helen is soon introduced to a mysterious man who lives in a little cottage, known as the Doctor. However, this is not the same Doctor that we have grown to know and love. He is a very old man now, at the end of his life, and has been exiled to the planet to die a dull and lonely man. The two characters form a strong bond, and spend a lovely couple of years enjoying each other’s company.

However, like all things in life, the happiness doesn’t last forever. A gang of assassins soon invade the planet, with only one intention; to kill the Doctor. The scene where the Doctor watches the planet burn from inside a prison cell is extremely emotional, which leads to his noble sacrifice in order to save the world and the people he loves. After the Doctor is shot by the assassins and left for dead, his last wish is to travel through eternity in the TARDIS, just like it all started.

The revelation that the script was literally a script is a very clever plot twist, as we discover that the elderly Helen has been writing about the end of the Doctor’s life, and the pain that everyone on the planet endured once he was gone. We also learn that she is telling all of these events to the Tenth Doctor’s current companion, Florence, who listens to her tales of love and loss, knowing that her adventures with the Doctor won’t last forever.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Please comment and rate below.

The Blink Review: City of the Daleks

After spending a tedious 20 minutes downloading the new interactive game, ‘City of the Daleks’, the moment had finally arrived to take on the challenge of playing as the Doctor. But after all the hype surrounding this adventure, was it actually worth the wait? Let the games begin…

The concept of an interactive adventure is exciting, and it could really work if a good story and fun game was combined, but in this case it wasn’t to be. The execution of the game was poor, with graphics that were oUt Of SyNc with the dialogue, even on the lowest possible setting, and games that just frustrated the player instead of challenging them.

The basis of the story is very simple; a world destroyed by the Daleks, which requires a quick trip to Skaro and a bit of sonic screwing to sort it out. How original. The producers add a bit of interest to the story when they introduce the character of Sylvia, the last survivor of the human race. This is soon ruined though, as after chasing her for a whole level in the underground, she’s exterminated by a Dalek. What was the point in that?

The worst factor of the game was the Daleks, who it appears have suddenly become blind and stupid. In order for a Dalek to detect your presence, you have to walk within its narrow green eye path, which only then starts sending off alarms. This in itself meant that they were very easy to get past, but then the Daleks don’t even bother to chase after you. They just sit there, guarding something for some reason that they never cared to state.

You may think that I am being a little harsh on this game, so I will try to focus more on the positives of the adventure. The animated characters looked very realistic, especially the detailed Doctor and Amy, and the interior and exterior design for the Dalek city was very impressive and original, whilst keeping the basic structural designs from the very first Dalek story.

My favourite part of the game was when we saw the new Dalek Emperor, in all its giant blue glory. The animators had obviously taken into account the design of the Emperor from ‘The Parting of the Ways’, and added the new features of the current Daleks to make it feel consistent. I also preferred the look of the Daleks in this story rather than in ‘Victory of the Daleks’, as they were grubbier with subtler tones, and had a less plastic texture about them.

However, I still felt that the games and the story let down this creation. The most irritating game was the electric maze, which was very repetitive and required a very steady hand, which I found impossible with the out-of-sync movements of the game.

Overall, I was annoyed by the game. There were some really good intentions in it, but when it came to the story and having fun and varied activities, it didn’t live up to expectations. After that painful experience, which clogged up my computer’s memory and sent it running slowly, there’s only one more thing left to do on that game. Right-click. Delete. Done.

2/5 stars

(If you loved the game, please don’t send me hate mail)

The Blink Review: Cold Blood

Some reviews are funny, and some are deadly serious. Mine are usually the latter, with long paragraphs of tedious dullness and pointing out the obvious, but hopefully that is about to change. Please be aware that the following review may contain silly references to the cold, and jokes of a poor nature…

‘Cold Blood’ was another superb episode from Chris Chibnall, which immediately kicks off to a chilling start when the Doctor and Nasreen are captured by the Silurians. The visual effects of the Silurian civilisation were very impressive throughout the episode, and made the whole experience and idea of an ancient culture underneath the planet a lot more believable.

One of the highest points of the episode was the scene where Alaya’s dead body is brought down into the Silurian civilisation, and the Doctor realises that the negotiations between the two races will never work as a result. Matt Smith’s cold eyes express the sadness that the Doctor is experiencing through this situation, and once again shows his natural skill of being able to play the difficult role so well.

Another particularly powerful scene was where Rory meets an icy end when shot by a ray gun, and is subsequently swallowed up by the crack in time. This was extremely well played by the entire cast, and emphasised the emotional aspects of the scene. The idea of Amy never being able to remember Rory was also a very powerful thought, and is sure to have repercussions in later episodes.

The only negative of the episode was the narration, which did not seem to add anything to the story, and seemed to copy of the idea of a character narrating from ‘The End of Time’. On a positive note, at least he didn’t spit all over my television set like Timothy Dalton did when he was narrating.

You may have noticed that this review hasn’t included any jokes as promised, apart from the odd references to the cold. So, as a weeping angel who keeps to his word, here is a cold-related joke to finish off the review:

Q: What did the big furry hat say to the warm woolly scarf?
A: You hang around while I go on ahead.

Rating: 5/5 stars

You can also give your rating in the new poll, ‘The cold war…’

The Blink Review: Where the Freakish Creatures Play

The third story of the online Doctor Who series, ‘Where the Freakish Creatures Play’, sees the Doctor and Florence arrive on Finisterre, a distant desert planet, where one man and one child walk across the world, remembering when the Doctor destroyed their civilisation...

Daniel Harma once again pulls off an amazing script in his series, full of unique plot twists and great character personalisation, which strongly add to the realism of the drama. The idea of the Doctor killing an entire planet, through no real fault of his own, is a very powerful one indeed, and allows his character to develop in this story as he faces some very tough decisions.

The only disappointment in the script was the large argument between the Doctor and Florence at the end, which seemed unnecessary and spoilt the great chemistry that had been between the two characters. This could have been fine if there had been longer lasting consequences, but Florence seemed to go from hating the Doctor to forgiving him seconds later, without much regard for the terrible words he had said to her.

However, the ingenious plot ideas and clever use of time travel made up for this small criticism, and overall this was another brilliant story, that could easily have appeared in David Tennant’s era of Doctor Who. Daniel Harma has created a wonderful series, with stories of the highest quality in terms of plot, action, emotion and humour, and for that he should be very proud.

Rating: 4/5 stars

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