Every time I see it, Ghost Light never fails to dazzle me. An advantage of the show being so small and unimportant in the late 1980s was that, by having nothing to lose, it could afford to be daring and as a consequence we get this extraordinary story that is simply unlike any other episode. I’m not going to claim that I’ll grasp the multitude of subtexts it presents in this review – after all, how many thousands of words do you want to read?

Like many stories it’s the visuals that make the first impression, and the opulent yet un-showy sets and subdued lighting create an oppressive atmosphere of decay from the start. Add to this the music – Mark Ayres is just about the only person I can think of who made an electronic score work in a period setting, and here he does his best work for the series. He is correct to say in interviews that it’s too loud; this is however a problem addressed with the 5.1 surround mix on the DVD. The whole opening is enigmatic and bizarre, with a montage of unexplained happenings (mysterious figures in chairs, secret passages in walls) that set the scene for a story that never quite divulges its secrets. That said, Ace is definitely not at her most charismatic here (before her catharsis in The Curse Of Fenric), and I do cringe a bit when she talks to the stuffed emu; a childish moment in such a mature and esoteric story seems very incongruous.

In quick succession we are introduced to the first members of the oddball cast: Rev. Matthews, Mrs. Pritchard and Redvers Fenn-Cooper. The guest actors here cannot be faulted and neither can Marc Platt’s dialogue for them; Alan Wareing’s direction is also excellent as the camera ominously follows Mrs. Pritchard around. The eloquent Nimrod is a fascinating character and almost funny in a bizarre kind of way, but the real crown has to go to Ian Hogg who has to be one of the best guest stars the series ever had. He plays a true enigma, a man crippled by acute senses that harks back to Edgar Allen Poe’s ‘The Fall Of The House Of Usher’; these references are so subtle that for an English student like me they’re fun to pick up on, but for a casual viewer they simply add to the overall kaleidoscope. 

The Doctor mentions a Chinese firing piece: is this a reference to The Talons Of Weng-Chiang I wonder, one of Platt’s favourite episodes? I’m currently in my third year of an English degree so I pick up on many of the literary references – Joseph Conrad’s Heart Of Darkness being the first – and I can say that they help to make the story what it is, as many of its elements may not have been present were it not for them.

The “bog-brain” line shows all that’s wrong with Ace: by having as a companion the kind of character who realistically would swear like my old boss, many strange and totally unbelievable insults have to be substituted to make the character suitable for a family audience. However, this does make her growth in the second half of the season all the more notable and one of my greatest regrets about the series being cancelled when it was is that this burgeoning character arc is cut dead. Also a point for criticism is the glowing snuffbox: while a very dramatic scene, to be sure, it is the one moment of the complex story that I genuinely think should have had more explanation. 

One of my favourite moments in the story is the Doctor’s confrontation with Ace, which finally sketches in some plot amongst the madness. I have to say though that I’ve never had any great problem with the plot; it’s the subtexts and undercurrents that make the story so complicated, and all the exposition that’s needed is there provided you have your brain switched on. I would say that this is no more complicated than the following story The Curse Of Fenric, but then again I was six when I first saw that one and twenty when I first saw Ghost Light, so there’s bound to be a discrepancy in how I view them. I would strongly dispute the claim in The Pocket Essentials Guide To Doctor Who, one of the lamest episode guides there ever was, that it makes no allowance for the casual audience – it is fully open to the casual audience, containing none of the inward-looking insularity of old. I just makes no allowance for people who need their plots given to them on a silver platter. And if we’re talking about subtexts, then Gwendoline singing ‘That’s The Way To The Zoo’ is the icing on the cake. The advancing husks make for a surprisingly traditional cliffhanger, but those monsters work as concepts.

Inspector Mackenzie asleep in the drawer shows that the story is capable of pulling surprises all along its length, but really it’s a bit hard to know what to say about the story now because every time I seem to have a handle on something the story veers away onto something else.

Control’s release is one of my all time favourite pieces of direction that the show ever had: a shapeless figure leaps from the dungeon and moves down the tunnel. However, even though the camera is facing directly towards her we can’t see her due to the dark lighting and the other characters until her hand comes round the door. Brilliant – and her Eliza Doolittle-style dialogue works well too.

Rev. Matthew’s transformation is darkly comic in a spooky and very grotesque way, and this is contrasted with Mrs. Grose (named after Henry James’s The Turn Of The Screw), the one normal member of the cast. Nimrod’s soliloquy to the fang is a very atmospheric moment among many, as is the Doctor’s musings on what Light actually is.

The frozen staff in the attic are very creepy, and the final form of Matthews is really something. The second episode finishes with another great cliffhanger as Light, whatever it is, finally begins to emerge from the lift. John Hallam’s slightly effeminate performance as Light is a bit of an acquired taste I will admit, but I really like it. I find it a pleasing irony after Matthews denouncing evolution as blasphemous to find a character who is simply bored and frustrated by the whole process.

Oh man, the gurning. It comes to something when the lead actor is the worst in the story, but there you are. At least this time I was writing in my notepad and so didn’t have to watch it. Ace’s flashback is a nice idea but a bit dodgy in practice, as red lighting and Sophie Aldred’s dodgy acting fail to convince that the stuffed animals are coming to life.

The death of the maid shows Light’s amorality as opposed to sheer evil, and the scene where he turns Mrs. Pritchard and Gwendoline to stone is deeply poignant as well as showcasing some excellent special effects.

The forgotten sub-plot of the assassination of Queen Victoria is finally given some time here, and it leads to a dramatic scene at dinner where Aldred actually gives a decent performance as Control threatens to burn the house down. The Doctor talking down Light, while not exactly thrilling, is appropriate to the story although the stop-the-countdown ending tacked on to make it seem more exciting is very artificial and contrived. However, there is finally some good interplay between the regulars at the end.

Ghost Light is, quite simply, amazing. It’s hard to judge it by the standards of other stories as it’s so unlike them, but taken on its own terms it is one of the most original and unique pieces of science-fiction I’ve ever seen. So when’s Marc Platt writing for the new series?

I love these DVD releases of the old series. Not only do you get a good quality version of the story, but also a package of lovingly produced extras. Not that this is a review of last years DVD release of ‘Ghost Light’, but its important to note how much my understanding of this complex story has been aided by the various extras found to be found on the disc. You see, even after multiple viewings of my VHS copy, I never truly understood the intricacies of this serial until only recently…

‘Ghost Light’ is famously the last Doctor Who serial produced as part of its original twenty six year run. It is also, perhaps, the only Doctor Who story that still gets fans scratching their heads over the complexities of the plot fifteen years after the original broadcast. There are various explanations for this. Firstly, ‘Ghost Light’ is a genuinely complex story about evolution and various conceptions of it. So, we have the Reverend Ernest Matthews dismissing entirely Darwinism, and Josiah Smith believing in ‘survival of the fittest’. We know this from his plan to take over the British Empire by killing Queen Victoria, the ‘Crowned-Sax-Coberg’. This illustrates Josiah’s misconceptions about evolution. Secondly the narrative doesn’t flow as it normally would in other more traditional forms of storytelling. There is no clear beginning, middle and end (or exposition, explanation and resolution) in the traditional sense. The viewer has to piece these things together for themselves. Thirdly, some fans dislike ‘Ghost Light’ to such an extent that they won’t even attempt to figure out what its all about, many are turned off completely by the unconventional manner the story is being told. Finally, it has to be said that no matter how many times we are told (by people who worked on the serial) that all the pieces of the puzzle are there, up on the screen, some of them aren’t. For example, the viewer could probably figure it out for themselves that the husks are Josiah’s cast offs from previous ‘regenerations’, but why do they still contain residual life? If they are indeed ‘empty shells’ then how is it possible that they are still animated? No explanation is offered. Also, why and how does Reverend Matthews devolve into an Ape by eating a banana? A script that makes the viewer work hard is fine by me, but when key plot points are never explained, it merely confuses, and, ultimately, frustrates. It makes many fans dislike ‘Ghost Light’ and means that they’ll never enjoy what is otherwise an excellent McCoy adventure.

‘Ghost Light’ features a wonderful cast. Ian Hogg, who plays Josiah Smith, is superbly sinister, and in an era in which produced few decent villains, may come as something as a surprise to first time viewers of this serial. Sylvia Simms is perfectly cast as the stereotypical Victorian era housekeeper, and Katherine Sleschinger does well as Gwendolyn. John Hallam's performance as Light I feel is a bit off. It is often described as camp, but I’m not really sure that is the correct word to describe it. It is certainly brave, but I’m not sure that the vocal tone used to play the part is correct. Also worthy of mention is Carl Forgaine who plays Nimrod, the Neanderthal butler. Forgaine puts in a superb performance, and his non-human Neanderthal body movements completely sell the character.

Of the two regulars, McCoy really shines here. Able to cast off once and for all the rather goofy elements of his character that were evident in seasons twenty four and to a lesser degree season twenty five, his portrayal of the Doctor hits its peak. Aldred is also decent here, and is helped considerably by a script that not only makes her a central player, but also gives her no cringe worthy dialogue such as "Who do you think you are, armpit?", which featured in this seasons ‘The Curse of Fenric’.

First time Doctor Who writer Marc Platt has produced perhaps the most densely written scripts of the entire series. Barely a word or phrase is wasted, which has the effect of making ‘Ghost Light’ quite exhausting to watch. The plot involves the Doctor and Ace arriving at Gabriel Chase, so as to allow the Doctor to give Ace an initiative test. This is really a front to allow the Doctor to delve into Ace’s past, although we don’t discover this until later in the serial. After this introduction, things move along breathlessly. The main point to make about the beginning-middle portion of the story is that Josiah Smith, who holds a different view on evolution to the Reverend Ernest Mathews (who presumably believes in the creationist theory), has hired Redvers Fenn-Cooper to assassinate Queen Victoria. He even attempts to hire the Doctor to do this, but is turned down (obviously). As events build to the final part, the Doctor releases Light, in order to counter Josiah Smith. This is where things can get confusing. As explained on the ‘Ghost Light’ DVD, Light is a being who travels the universe, cataloguing all life forms. The life form that evolved into Josiah Smith is a part of this process. The role of this entity is to evolve into the highest form of life on any given planet, hence his evolution into a Victorian Gentlemen. The character of Control, then, is to simply stay aboard the space craft and not evolve, so the two can be compared. This is why, when she escapes, she begins to change and evolve into a "Lady-like", and at the end of the serial the two have swapped roles, with Josiah Smith becoming the creature Control evolved out of. The climax of the story sees Light tormented by the constant evolution of life on Earth, and so initiates the ‘Firestorm’ programme to stop evolution on Earth completely. Light is defeated with the Doctor talking him to death, which I rather enjoy.

All of this takes place on a superb set, with moody lighting and high production values. It is a clichй to say that the BBC does costume dramas well, but it is true.

Mark Ayres score is superb, evoking a certain amount of mystery and complimenting the onscreen action. On the DVD he himself says that the incidental music is too loud in the mix, but since I didn’t notice this until he pointed it out, I really don’t care. The X-Files was always slathered with loud, atmospheric music, and so perhaps ‘Ghost Light’ was a little ahead of its time.

‘Ghost Light’ is a near flawless production, and the fact that you get more from the story the more you watch it means it stands up well to repeat viewings. It doesn’t do anything for a sizable minority of fans, and for the first few times I saw it, it did nothing for me either. In fact after first viewing the mid-nineties video release, I actively disliked ‘Ghost Light’. Now I have a better grasp of the complexities of the plot, however, I can’t fail to enjoy such a rich Doctor Who story. Season twenty six was building to go out with a real bang.

After weeks of waiting and anticipation we finally see the Daleks back on screen, in an episode that not only is the best in the 2005 series so far, but also one of the greatest Doctor Who stories of all time.

The beginning of the episode salutes the classic series wonderfully, with a rather touching scene containing some superb dialogue from the Doctor regarding the Cybermen. It's well executed and well written and is a fantastic teaser for the main episode.

The plot execution is pacey and interesting, but the moment everyone has been waiting for is certainly a scene to behold. The confrontation between the Doctor and the Dalek is fantastic. We finally get some more insight into the great 'Time Wars' and learn of the Daleks' involvement. The Doctor seems to be unable to control himself, as his mood swings do begin to get slightly questionable by the end of the scene although this is understandable considering the characters current state of mind.

The prospect of having the Doctor lashing out and attempting the Dalek is a wonderful piece of drama, and a bit of a shock to the viewer considering the Doctor's passiveness towards violence. The final confrontation between the two foes is also quite interesting, and we see how Rose has something of an influence on the Doctor in the way of bringing him back down to Earth.

The CGI of the episode id good, although the CGI Dalek goes seem somewhat plainer and simpler than the actual model so there is detraction. The death of the Dalek is very interesting as we finally find out what those bumps are for. However, the death is very smooth and in retrospect, a bit of a let down as it seems slightly anti climactic (there could have been an explosion at least)

The characterisation of the Dalek is a daring leap into the 21st Century. We're not used to the Daleks speaking dialogue that is typically 'human', but then again it does possess Rose's DNA and so would take on some of her characteristics. In all, the characterisation is good although a little OTT at times 'I AM FRIGH-TENED'

Bruno Langley has a somewhat small role in the episode but it will be interesting to see how and if he develops in the next episode. The last scene is good but Langley just doesn't seem to be on top acting form in his very last few lines, a little too whiney for the moment.

The teaser trailer for the next episode is good, but does seem to be a bit of a muddle, with there being no plot exposition to it when compared with others. The Daleks episode in all is a fantastic one and a dead cert at being a ratings phenomenon.

Of course this was the episode we have been waiting for - the long overdue television confrontation between the Doctor and his nemesis. And what a result! We finally see the Doctor getting rattled - and with good cause. The Dalek portrayed here is fare deadlier than anything we have previously seen.

Some reviews I've noticed criticising this episode for it's portrayal of teh Doctor as prepared to kill or losing control and temper - as opposed to Sylv 'reasoning' the black Dalek to death. I have to say that one is certainly not more Doctor-ish than the other. The Sylv thing always sort of rankled with me anyway as there really wasnt much 'reasoning' going on. "Your planet's dead" causes the Dalek to blow up? A bit too convenient.

But here, the Doctor has been through a lot more with the Daleks than ever before. He has seen them wipe out his people. He has seen them reach heights of atrocity never before seen in the series - and as such it would be a major stretch to imagine that this wouldn't have affected the Doctor's attitude towards them.

And he has certainly been capable of destroying Daleks before with violence, even to the point of encouraging Ace to kill Daleks with that bat in Remembrance again.

This was the Doctor at his most desperate, confronted with a vision from his worst nightmare. Whereas previously he always approached the Daleks with a sort of smarmy arrogance, here he is genuinely terrified of them and we can only guess at the true extent of the time war.

This was a jaw drop of an episode and Joe Ahearne has squeezed every last bit of tension from the script. Shearman has turned in something exceptional and the reasoning way in which the Dalek coldly destroys the humans whilst slowly moving through the bunker was truly chilling. Who else was incredibly impressed by the way the Dalek dispatched an entire squad with the sprinkler system and one blast? Rob did more than just present a Dalek mindlessly killing, he presented a highly developed killing machine and then continually upped the stakes.

Bravo. This episode has put the Daleks back where they belong, in people's nightmares and shown that they can exist outside of the shadow of Davros at long last.

Back in 1963 I watched the first Dalek story, if not actually from behind the sofa, then at least through the crack in the door. Since the 1960s, however, the Daleks have rarely impressed me as a terrifying presence: while this is doubtless attributable in part to the effects upon me of advancing age, it also reflects the lacklustre treatment of the Daleks themselves in too many of their subsequent televisual appearances. Happily that trend has now been reversed by Rob Shearman's triumphant episode "Dalek", in which the eponymous alien finally reinstates its species as a powerful, ruthless and cunning force to be reckoned with.

In contrast with most of the preceding episodes of this season, there was little humour in "Dalek". That was, however, entirely appropriate given the nature of the story: and it is one of the many virtues of the new series that it can accommodate more than one tone of storytelling, from the essentially comic to something (as here) a good deal grimmer. In this respect the series' eclecticism is reminiscent of the Hartnell era.

"Dalek" is essentially a story of parallels, contrasts and transformations. When the caged Dalek comments to the Doctor - the only other survivor of the Time War - that "We are the same", the Doctor's initial reaction is to reject the comparison out of hand. However, he then appears to render it only too plausible by attempting to destroy the Dalek with a cry of "exterminate". Subsequent events show that this was not simply an isolated rhetorical gesture on the Doctor's part, but the beginning of a process which brings him perilously close to transformation into his arch-enemy: as the latter comments, "You would make a good Dalek".

In parallel to the Doctor's transformation is the Dalek's own (equally disconcerting) journey towards a form of humanity under the influence of Rose's DNA. Ultimately, both the Doctor and the Dalek come to a realisation of what is happening to them: while for the Doctor the resolution lies in regaining his own character, for the Dalek the only way out is by a final assertion of Dalek values through extermination - in this case, its own. The Dalek's cry of "exterminate" is not only fitting for the last utterance of the last Dalek, but also brings a satisfyng closure to the sequence of transformations which began with the Doctor's own use of the word back in the cage.

The demands of the story drew strong performances from all the cast, notably of course Chris and Billie. As for the third star of the show, the Dalek was the most impressive representative of its race since "The Evil of the Daleks" not only in terms of its character but also as a physical presence. The new casing was quite superb, being appropriately solid and with fine detailing: and I especially loved the rotating centre section when it went into "battle mode".

For me "Dalek" instantly takes its place as one of the finest Dalek - and indeed "Doctor Who" - stories ever made, and reminds me why I fell in love with this monster, and this programme, back in 1963.

Um...wow.

What more can I add to that?

Well, this I guess:

[lj-cut text="EX-TER-MIN-ATE!"]

Well. This was definitely the 2nd best ever Dalek TV story (sorry, "Remembrance of the Daleks" still holds the title), and probably my favorite of the season so far. The atmosphere was tense, you knew there was going to be a high body count (that thing with the sprinklers? Daaaamn), and you knew we would see the Doctor in High Militant Mode when it comes to the Daleks. After all, he's already come yea shy of wiping them from history before they were born, he held a gun to Davros' head once, and oh yeah, also kinda sorta destroyed their home planet. So yeah, he's never really in the mood to be a nice guy where the Daleks are concerned.

Thing is, despite the greatness of it all...I've experienced this story before. And oddly enough, it was by Rob Shearman too. Because about half the Dalek's dialogue was almost a direct lift from his Big Finish audio "Jubilee." "I NEED OR-DERRRS!" "I AM WAI-TING FOR OR-DERRRRS!" "YOU DO NOT FEAR ME EVE-LYN SMY--"ERRRR "ROSE TY-LER" "I AM A SOLLL-DIER!"

So yes, unfortunately there is an element of fandom who's seen a captured, tortured, insane, suicidal Dalek before. Or heard, rather. And dammit, aren't Dalek torture-screams about one of the most bloodcurdling things you've ever heard?

At the same time tho, once again Shearman uses the Daleks to say more about humanity, in the guise of Van Statten. What kind of man DOES it take to ruthlessly collect alien artefacts, rape them for technology, and oh yeah, capture and torture a live Dalek, anyway? The same kind of man who thinks he owns the Internet. And as with all Alpha Males, van Statten quickly realizes when there's a bigger, badder, meaner dog in the yard. Hell, he had no problem with letting 200 employees die, or torture the Doctor, either. Face it, when it comes to torture and death, we're #1! We're #1! We're #1!

Rose (and I'm sure, some viewers) saw sides of the Doctor she'd never seen, and didn't much like. But then he's not human, he never will be. (ANd for you continuity wankers, half-human does not equal human. Do the math.) He, too, is the last of his kind, and he doesn't much like it.

All in all, greatness, and I'm glad Shearman was able to tell the story (although I do wonder what his alternate script was....)

SQUEEEEEEEE!!

Oh yeah, and what's with the new companion, too? Hmm...tension on the TARDIS now?