The End Of The World

It's interesting how marketing alters your expectations of a show - you know I really thought that the Moxx of Balhoon would be of some consequence in the episode, that the amount RTD went on about him and the report that there may be a toy version available made me think that he might - just might - affect the plot or have more that one and half lines. Oh well.

RTD seems to be fond of taking fairly ridiculous but nevertheless very inventive concepts and trying to make them work in a science fiction (or rather fantasy) context. I get the impression that this really started in the novels published since the television series ended in 1989 - for example, when Lance Parkin's 'Father Time' comes along a thinly disguised Transformer and a council tower block turning into an enormous column of roses are made wonderful and believable parts of the narrative because of the way they are explained and the serious manner in which they are done.

RTD pulls this kind of thing off wonderfully in this episode with the Earth belonging to the national trust whose lease has run out. It's ludicrous, but in a carefully put together stranger-than-fiction world it can work as sci fi and be quite funny at the same time. However as usual things are taken a bit too far. Jabe and her companions from the Forest of Cheem are clearly a flimsy allegorical statement about the rainforest being under threat and should - given that Doctor Who has some pretensions to being science fiction - be provided with some context or backstory. It's a bit much to ask us to just swallow a sentient biped is a direct descendent of the rainforest with no suggestion of how trees' evolution took this turn (it's as infuriating as R2D2 being given a medal for bravery - he's a robot, don't give him a medal - unless he's a sentient cyborg in which case make that clear!!)

In any case it is becoming clear that the new series isn't supposed to be serious sci fi, which is a shame as I believe you could achieve all of the pace, wonder and emotional drama that RTD wants and still maintain some credibility. Unless of course you have Murray Gold's score constantly undermining any credibility what you are seeing may have had. The opening shots of the space station have perfectly nice and unintrusive music and similarly when the Earth explodes, the music is fine - but when the alien guests enter the viewing room a jolly march is played as though we're watching Noddy. The music actually seems to suggest we should find the aliens funny rather than mysterious or intriguing - which is clearly the intention RTD has from a culture-shocked Rose's comments on how 'alien' they all are. Similarly the use of 'Tainted Love' as a soundtrack when Rose first gets the willies from the extraterrestrial assembly could work really well - but only with a more art-house and daring direction style. You get the impression that an American production team with the greater genre experience they have would just get these things that bit closer to the mark.

There are some great hints (or rather revelations) about the Doctor's recent past - the Time War and the destruction of Gallifrey. We now of course have to figure out for ourselves if this is a direct link to the mythology developed in the novels or is it something else? The moment with Jabe and the Doctor where Ecclestone actually sheds a tear is wonderful - but overall Christopher Ecclestone's leaping from manic excitement to austere seriousness is looking a bit forced. Interestingly it's only really Tom Baker who ever did this successfully and that was probably because it's part of who he is anyway. All three preceding Doctors and the successful performances after the fourth were when the actor was allowing their own personality to come through in the part rather than pretending to be Tom Baker which is the trap most actors seem to fall into with the part.

I do feel however that RTD's sexual references are getting a bit too frequent and just stick out as quite self conscious. The moment with Rose's mother in the first episode was fine but the

Doctor: 'there's more where that came from'

Jabe: 'I bet there is'

exchange regarding the Doctor's gift of air from his lungs and the queries about Rose and the Doctor's relationship being sexual both here and in 'Aliens of London' are starting to grate.

My final bit of ungrateful wingeing is about the closing scene. Taking Rose back to the 20th century to a shopping street to emphasise how small minded we can be focusing on the present as the extent of our world we are treated to an embarrasing shot of someone selling the Big Issue - it really starts to look like something from Comic Relief or other emotionally angled documentary. I have no problem with that kind of broadcasting but not when it stands out as needless preaching in a drama like Doctor Who. This scene however is rescued by the most wonderful delivery of 'can you smell chips' from Billy Piper who has been constantly a shining example of how to act and how to take something seriously.

More Rose please and music that we don't notice. (Toxic was good though!)