I think I said this for a previous episode of this season of Doctor Who, but I find myself hard pressed to come up with a better word to describe this episode.

WOW!

I mean, super wow. This isnВ’t how a good writer or reviewer describes things heВ’s reviewing, but I donВ’t care. Wow wow wow.

ItВ’s all been leading up to this boys and girls! I read some reviews for В“BoomtownВ” last week, and a lot of people said that they thought the episode was destined to be crap but then surprised them all, even though it involved a retread creature that wasnВ’t extremely popular to begin with. I didnВ’t quite feel the same way about Boomtown but I sure do about В“Bad WolfВ”!

I literally sighed when the Doctor escaped the Big Brother house to find he was on Satellite 5 again. I mean, I just said in my review last week that part of the magic this show was starting to miss a little was the sense of wonder, of where each show would take place. It was only a matter of when: The В“whereВ” would always be Earth it just depends on past, present or far future. I love the show but please letВ’s see what the TARDIS is actually capable of some time!

Well first off, each situation was hilarious. The DoctorВ’s irritation at the В“MTV generationВ” and subsequent acceptance of their own death at the conclusion of the game was done very well. We also have a possibility of another companion, though highly doubtful. Besides the fact that the Ninth Doctor is almost dead (am I the only one regretting the fact that we know this more and more with each episode?), I sense a touching and possiblt noble death scene for the sweet В“Lynda with a yВ”. RoseВ’s encounter with the android was a little more scary but still very entertaining. It helps that we Americans have these two shows as well and so for one of the first times in the series we can completely relate to the humor of how these shows evolved over the centuries.

The best however is Captain Jack Harkness. This guy is excellent. Not only is he extremely entertaining (and handsome for the ladies!) but he is pretty much the perfect soldier. I thought that Rose was a great fit for this Doctor at the beginning of the series. He had just recently regenerated, presumably from dying in the Timelord/Dalek Time War which destroyed his entire race and forced him to kill many (but now we find out not all!) Daleks, something he clearly did not want to do but had no choice. This left him a little rattled and needing that sense of wonder that a young, new companion like Rose could give him. Since that first episode though, weВ’ve seen the Ninth Doctor hardened. A complaint several people have had about this Doctor is that he seems to be bumbling around a lot and letting humans do most of the heavy thinking or work. Having faith in Doctor Who, however, I saw this as planned. Whether is was the age old В“Humans have to do things for themselvesВ” argument, or the much more likely rattling the Time War did to our fair Doctor is not sure. I do believe the writers meant this Doctor to be a little less pro-active than his predecessors. Until now that is. Just as in the episode В“DalekВ”, we see the anger and pure hatred the Doctor has for these creatures. This is the perfect time for Jack Harkness. Besides his confidence and great personality (which help out the show as a whole I believe), he has really taken his part as the DoctorВ’s crew seriously. He takes orders from the Doctor with no question, but still has the military mind to think ahead and come up with plans (plans the Doctor graciously accepts when he feels they are correct). Besides all that, his scene with the two robot dressing units was excellent! В“Your viewing ratings just went up ladiesВ” В“ThatВ’s a Compact Laser Deluxe! Where were you hiding that?В” В“You really donВ’t want to knowВ”. Classic stuff and just adds to his characterВ’s humor and yet seriousness when itВ’s needed. Jack was never once scared, he went with the two androids until the situation got sour and then calmly implemented an escape that obviously could have come at any time he wanted it to. Jack is the perfect warrior to go after Rose and attack the Daleks.

Which brings us toВ….who writes the previews for the next episodes anyways?! It was completely, COMPLETELY unnecessary to destroy the surprise of there being Daleks alive at the end of last weekВ’s episode. There was plenty of footage they could use without you ever knowing what was to come. Then, at the end of this episode, itВ’s pretty well done right. Shots of the Daleks attacking the TARDIS, Daleks attacking Satellite 5, a scene with Chris saying he is either dead or close to (is he supposed to die here or at some future Xmas episode, IВ’m not sure) and last scene, the voice but not actually seeing the Supreme Dalek. Oooooo so cool. I think the appearance and knowledge that Daleks escaped the Time War could have had 1000% more impact if we didnВ’t know about it for a whole week.

Wrapping up, excellent acting as always, excellent effects and fantastic story that has been building this entire series. It is a terrific twist that somehow the Daleks have been manipulating this incarnation of the Doctor almost from his regeneration. On one hand I am very sad that this series and ChrisВ’ Doctor is almost gone but it has been an excellent run and В“Bad WolfВ” was by far the best episode to date.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is it! We are at war!

The Doctor wakes up with amnesia, to discover heВ’s a contestant on a futuristic and deadly game of Big Brother. Fantastic idea. Rose wakes up, also with amnesia, to discover sheВ’s playing a futuristic, and just as deadly, game of The Weakest Link. ErВ… pretty good idea. Jack wakes up to discover heВ’s on a futuristic/deadly What Not ToВ… yawn. TwoВ’s company, Russell; threeВ’s padding. The first twenty minutes or so of this episode just drag by, and it doesnВ’t get going at all until the Doctor announces heВ’s going to break out.

Why, oh why, couldnВ’t this episode have been based entirely around the deadly Big Brother concept? It couldВ’ve been so, so good. But instead, weВ’ve got dull scenes of the В“Anne DroidВ” (the jokeВ’s lost on us Aussies) asking countless silly questions, and a naked Jack with two oversized Lego figures, playing dress-ups. What couldВ’ve been a paranoid thriller has been turned into a camp nightmare unparalleled since The Happiness Patrol. And even that was cleverer, with its political agenda!

Oh well. At least weВ’ve got the lovely Jo Joyner as Lynda-with-a-Y, proving that there are better potential companions out there than the nauseating Adam, or even Jack, who I must admit has begun to annoy me a little at this point. He was good in Boom Town, but underused, and his scenes in this episode with those ridiculous robots are truly cringe-worthy. Not John BarrowmanВ’s fault, naturally В– that manВ’s a terrific actor, and perfect for Doctor Who. No, I just donВ’t like this script. Sorry, Russell. I loved what you did with Boom Town, but youВ’re really letting me down here.

Mercifully, things begin to pick up once the DoctorВ’s broken out of the game, and we discover weВ’re back on Satellite Five. The Doctor and Lynda are still being watched, from the Floor Managers on good olВ’ Floor 500. They give great performances, as does the Controller, a very chilling and very well-written character. RoseВ’s final scene with the Anne Droid is nicely suspenseful, and although we all know sheВ’s not really dead, itВ’s nice to watch the Doctor go more melancholy than heВ’s been all series (and thatВ’s saying something). When he breaks out of incarceration with Jack and Lynda, itВ’s with a В“LetВ’s do itВ”, and unfortunately not a В“Now!В”, which in my opinion wouldВ’ve been better. Less hokey. Oh well.

Finally they make it to Floor 500. And finally weВ’re in for some good drama, first from our leads, then from the Controller. I cheered when Jack discovered what was really inside the mysterious Archive 6 В– our trusty TARDIS. And even though I already knew it, I cheered again when Jack told the Doctor heВ’d discovered Rose was still alive. Perhaps it was the look on their faces as they hugged.

And here comes a shock. The Daleks are behind it all. Okay, not a shock in the slightest. But why on earth are the Daleks producing reality TV? And a century before, why were they behind the news stations? I mean, these are Daleks! Actually, I know why. Russell T. Davies. And his obsessions with media manipulation (Aliens of London, The Long Game) and reality TV. Okay, heВ’s running this show, he can do what he likes. But heВ’s also got a reputation as a good storyteller, so why all this self-indulgence? Like Aliens of London, this episode seems just like one forty-five minute private joke. Save it for Torchwood, Russell. This is Doctor Who.

Anyway. The Dalek ships look excellent. CanВ’t tell if theyВ’re models or CGI В– which is a good sign. The Daleks themselves wobble a little, but when it comes down to it, who cares? I certainly donВ’t. The Daleks are scary as everВ… until the army is revealed. IВ’ve hated the look of CGI Daleks ever since I saw The Curse of Fatal Death all those years ago. I know itВ’d blow the budget to make that many Dalek props, but it all just looks so fake this way! Seriously, the last shot just looked like a cartoon! Give me an В“armyВ” of three (like Day of the Daleks) any day.

So in conclusion, Bad Wolf was a big let-down for me. As I said before, it couldВ’ve been brilliant. Joe Ahearne delivered again, as did all the leads, but the weakness of the script, and the CGI Daleks, have put this story down in my bottom three of this series. Sorry.

WHAT IS RUSSELL T DAVIES DOING TO OUR BELOVED SERIES? WHEN DID DOCTOR WHO BECOME A SOAP? WHY ARE THERE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS WHEN THERE ARE MONSTERS TO BE FOUGHT? MODERN DAY CARDIFF…WHAT IS THAT FOR A SETTING? WHEN WILL BE SEEING SOME REAL DOCTOR WHO WITH WOBBLY SETS AND GAMMY ACTING AND PLOT, PLOT, PLOT…?

…and so on and so on.

I had my lovely friend Matt over last week and being a fellow Doctor Who nut we decided to watch every single episode of the new series over two days. Boy did we argue. Its part of the fun of being a fan really, you all love different stories and it can be an incredibly rich experience to find a friend who you can debate the merits and demerits of such a diverse fourty year old show. We walked away from the visit with very different opinions, he loved Dalek, Father’s Day and The Long Game and I loved The End of the World, World War Three and now I can add Boom Town to that list. Matt despised the gratuitous bodily functions RTD is determined to put in his scripts and the overdone humour (“The telephone is actually red!”) and I got a headache watching Father’s Day. The Long Game aside, I have thoroughly enjoyed RTDs scripts for the series….whilst The Unquiet Dead, Dalek and Father’s Day were all brilliantly dramatic not one of them is half as entertaining as Davies’ work. The only writer who has come close to capturing the sense of whimsy and fun that comes with travelling with the Doctor and still keeps the deeper, emotional material is Steven Moffat. RTD understands television, he knows how to make a series a success and more importantly he recognises that Doctor needs a good sense of humour for it to appeal to the masses. I’m sure Doctor Who fans adored Father’s Day but I reckon the mainstream audience would rather watch World War Three…I know which ones my boyfriend, his mother and my mummy preferred.

Considering he has already written six aired episodes of the series it is astonishing that RTD is still producing fresh, entertaining material as it would be so easy to fall into the I’m writing every episode even if it does go stale (ala JMS over on Babylon 5 and Terry Nation on Blake’s Seven) where they start off well and end up running out of ideas and eventually running out of steam. Whilst The Long Game suggested RTD was losing it he has bounced right back to form with Boom Town, a triumphant 45 minutes of character drama boosted by some great jokes.

Doctor Who is clearly still finding its feet in series one and one of the joys of that transition is to try out new things and see what works. Much like the first few years of sixties Doctor Who this means it is period of imaginative experimentation with something for everyone but everything for no one. Some people will hate Boom Town, in fact I’m certain many people will consider it the worst of the season but rather than bury it for exploring new ground I will have to take the opposite reaction and praise it for exactly that reason. This is unlike anything in Doctor Who, before and since and as such it stands a unique little tale.

It’s all about consequences. Both the Doctor and Rose have to deal with the consequences of their travels and neither of them are particularly comfortable with the idea. It’s probably why Captain Jack feels a bit superfluous this week, being new to the team he has very little baggage yet and nothing to regret. It is RTD asking questions again that nobody ever bothered to before, just like dealing with Rose returning home in Aliens of London. Cleverly, Boom Town picks up two plot threads from World War Three, Rose’s relationship with Mickey and the Doctor’s plan which wiped out all but one of the Slitheen family and shows there are repercussions to these adventures of his. Does Rose have the right keep poor Mickey hanging on like a lost puppy? Is he a victim of their happy-go-lucky travels or a beggar to his own demise? Does the Doctor have the right to step into people lives, make a mess and walk away and leave them deal with it? Does he make a quick exit because he scared to look back and see what he caused? Can he look somebody in the eye and take them to their death?

It was almost as if RTD was answering all of Matt’s worst fears. The Slitheen are back and in the first scene Margret is farting and acting a bit OTT. Looks set to be Aliens of London part two. It only takes RTD two or three scenes to subvert viewer expectations with a wonderfully touching and silly scene in a bathroom between Margret and a journalist. It is faintly ridiculous for a huge, slimy, green alien to be sitting on a toilet and at the point of lurching forwards to kill a woman who threatens her plans but backs down and has a heart to heart instead, discovering the woman is getting married and having a baby. But that is beauty of RTDs writing, he actually manages to make something this absurd work, he writes the scene so well that you are soon feeling sorry for Margret and the fact that she is the last of her family on Earth. When she lets the journalist leave alive it is hard not to feel something for her, despite her icky, muscly visage.

Almost as if replying to fan reaction to the childishness of the Slitheen RTD instead takes the creatures on an entirely different path, using Margret to power a moral dilemma plot that puts the Doctor under the microscope. Maybe she was just using words to bide her time but some of what she says really strikes home, especially in the uncomfortable moment where she defies the Doctor, Mickey, Rose and Jack to look her in the eye knowing they will escort her to her death. Annette Badland has such an expressive face and she pulls off these scenes with great aplomb, convincing as the moral judge of the time travellers. It helps that Margret seems genuinely scared of the Doctor and as such is literally talking her way out of a death sentence. This is edgy stuff and throws a harsh light over the Doctor who seems determined to put an end to her menace. During the marvellous dinner date sequences the two characters knock dialogue back and forth like weapons and I was agreeing with each of them, pretty much all of the time. Is the Doctor the sort of person to condemn the death sentence? Isn’t that what he has always done to the monsters he fights? The Slitheen is talking through a dead woman’s lips, does she have a right to survive when so many others have died? Are the two characters much more alike than we thought, both sparing people from defeat to make themselves feel better? There are no easy answers and it is probably wise that the huge earthquake ruins their date and Margret reverts to villainous form because I fear there would be no right and wrong here. Just grey. Just how I like it. And just when you think RTD has taken the easy way out by proving the Doctor right about Margret she thanks him for the chance to go back and do it all again. There was a spark of regret in there, a trace of humanity. Oh is that Slitheenity? Whatever, its wonderful stuff, RTD wrong-footing us at every step.

Far more soap opera-ish but no less interesting is Rose’s reunion with Mickey. She contrives an excuse for him to visit her in Cardiff and like an obedient puppy he rushes up to see her. He tries to make her jealous by telling her he is seeing somebody else and she takes the bait. All the small talk and pretence drops away and the two lovers are left to face what is really eating away at them. In the most emotional sequence of the series yet (for me anyway…I genuinely had tears in my eyes) Mickey breaks down and tells Rose how useless she made him feel when she dumped him for her life with the Doctor and how pathetic he is clinging on to the hope that she will come home to him. It sounds awful doesn’t it? But Noel Clarke has come a long way since Rose and delivers a fantastic performance, packed with emotion and the look on Rose’s face when she realises how much she has hurt the man she loves is heartbreaking. Clearly there is a lot of emotional mileage in this what you leave behind stuff so score one to RTD for successfully introducing a spanking new element to Doctor Who, one which allows us to look at the show in a brand new way, fourty years on. Clearly there is still much more to learn about the series. Even more brilliant is the lack of a solution to this problem, Rose dashes back to help solve the latest crisis leaving Mickey rejected once again but rushes out to find him immediately afterwards. He spots her but she doesn’t spot him and he walks off, making his decision to walk away this time and move on with his life. Despite all the wonders she has seen and the fun she has with the Doctor and Jack she is still lacking something that Mickey can give her, her tear streaked face at the climax proves that. Fascinating stuff.

Increasing the entertainment of the episode tenfold is the marvellous comedy which had me and Simon roaring. The sequence chasing Margaret out of the Mayor’s office and into the grounds is hilarious, with the Doctor, Mickey, Rose and Jack all working wonderfully together. The sight of Annette Badland waddling away only to be zapped back right in front of them is like something out of a Woody Allen movie only very funny. The dialogue is fizzy too with RTD regaining his wit after a brief detour in The Long Game with some lines that had me in tears (“What have I ever done to you?” “Apart from trying to kill me and blow up this planet?” “Apart from that!?”) which some excellent quick fire scenes between the Doctor, Jack and Rose that marks the enjoyable chemistry between them. I love it when a writer gets the balance of drama and comedy perfect and scenes such as Margaret begging for her life whilst hilariously trying to kill the Doctor through various means shows potential writers how to get it just right. You’re laughing but you’re not quite sure if you should be laughing. I like that.

Joe Ahearne proves just as adept at comedy as he was at drama (especially Dalek) and balances the SF, soapy drama and humour just right. What’s more he convincingly stages an end of the world atmosphere on a TV budget with lots of glass smashing, lights exploding and ground cracking. It reminded me of the TV Movie somewhat, lightning streaking through a gorgeous location, the TARDIS central to the end of the world action and lots of shouting!

Boom Town surprised me a lot. It really didn’t seem to have a lot going for it one paper (even the DWM preview wasn’t as OTT complimentary as usual); modern day Cardiff and the Slitheen back but it proved to be far more thoughtful than I expected. Even with the deux ex machina ending it was a skilfully crafted piece of writing and beautifully executed and performed. It was a far more contemplative piece of television than I am used to, especially from Doctor Who and it worked as a drama far more effectively than some earlier attempts this year. And by God it was funny!

Oh and RTD had canonised the books! I could kiss you!

After watching Boom Town! I've come to the following conclusion: The New Doctor Who is the most wildly uneven and inconsistent show IВ’ve ever seen. In any given episode there are classic scenes В– some of the best in the history of the show В– paired with some of the worst acting and worst dialogue IВ’ve seen since watching the last episode of Seventh Heaven. After each story ends IВ’m not sure what I think of the series. I try to like it, and be as forgiving as a casual viewer would be, but as both a fan of the show, and a fan of quality television, I am often left feeling disappointed. There is a lot about the show that is great. But the series has a lot of BIG flaws that are getting harder and harder to ignore with each passing episode. So IВ’d like to explore the series as a whole В– the good and the bad В– to work out my own feelings towards it, and to see if any of my opinions might generate some interesting discussion and constructive criticism of the show. (My goal is not just to tear down, but to build up.)

As a sign of good faith, and to demonstrate that I am not just a cranky jerk, I want to begin with what I like about the new show:

The new Doctor Who: The Good

1) Guest actors
Far and away the greatest joy of the current series of Doctor Who has been the guest stars. The Unquiet Dead had the best ensemble work, with Eccleston and Piper putting in some of their finest work, and with Simon Callow and the actress playing Gwyneth offering truly nuanced and beautiful performances. Florence Hoath stole the The Empty Child (and would make an excellent choice as a companion to replace Rose, should Rachel WieszВ’s public request to replace Piper fall on deaf ears). Other bright spots include Penelope Wilton, Simon Pegg, Noel Clarke, Jasmine Bannerman (sp?), and the fellow who played Dr. Constantine.

2) The Big Finish Adaptations
Davies was wise to choose to do a fairly direct adaptation of Jubilee, although the short format meant that some of the meat of the conversation between Dalek and Companion never made it to the screen. While I like Jubilee better, the superb visuals (and EcclestonВ’s solid performance) made Dalek great in its own right. Importing the villain of The Holy Terror into the story for The Empty Child was another smart move. To this end, I hope that the rumors are true and that next season will see Spare Parts brought to the screen. I can think of several other audios IВ’d like to see make the jump, but Davies was on the right track starting with Shearman (and maybe Platt).

3) The visuals
Aside from some cheapness in The Long Game, the show looks great. Highlights: The design of the Dalek casing and the creature inside was great, and its rampage was a sight to see. The scene of Rose hanging by a rope during the blitz was visually stunning. And I adored the effects in The End of the World.

4) Horror elements
There are some very scary very effective moments, especially in The Unquiet Dead, Dalek, and The Empty Child.

5) Dialogue between regulars and guest characters
Usually quite good, especially if it is between a member of the TARDIS crew and a working-class woman, or if it involves Dickens.

6) The Dalek in Dalek.
Everything I could have hoped for and more. He RULED!!!!! And he wasnВ’t a spiderВ…

The Bad and the Ugly

Unfortunately, when an element in the new series doesnВ’t work В– like, say, the humor В– it UTTERLY fails. Not just by a little, mind you. UTTERLY. ThatВ’s bad. Here are some flaws that need addressing:

1) Not enough science
Everything Christopher H. Bidmead said about this new show is spot on. While BidmeadВ’s episodes could be a little dry, we need more of his sensibilities on this show. (Also, while I never used to hate the sonic screwdriver like Bidmead does, this new show is teaching me to hate it. The Doctor is ALWAYS using it.)

2) Not enough blood and gore.
The show doesnВ’t have to be as rough as The Two Doctors, Attack of the Cybermen, or Brain of Morbius, but it should be more violent than it is.

3) The snarkiness.
ThereВ’s a snottyness, a snootiness, a bitchery, a world-weariness, and an adolescence to the tone that has to go. The body function humor, the pseudo-deep and one-sided political commentary, and the grotesqueness of villains like the Slitheen and the skin-woman from End of the World are all wearing on the nerves. The original series seemed to be aimed at a broad target audience. The new show seems to be for bar-hopping hipsters in their twenties and thirties who hate Americans and who love to deconstruct the plot holes in Star Wars. Blah. The DoctorВ’s dialogue seems to be 85% formulated in this vein, and so he doesnВ’t feel much like the Doctor to me. (Sorry if this point is conceived in anger. It is angry in reaction to the anger I perceive lurking behind much of the dialogue in the show itself.)

4) The humor
Almost none of the jokes are funny, unless delivered by Penelope Wilton.

5) No women writers. No female Doctor.
WhereВ’s Jacqueline Raynor, Vanessa Bishop, Sarah Waters, or any other female writer? Women were responsible for some of the best Doctor Who. Women wrote Survival and Enlightenment, a woman directed Pyramids of Mars, and a woman was the best producer the show ever had. Can we have more estrogen in the show, please? And I suppose my pipe dream of Emma Thompson becoming a Doctor is just that, but can we please have a woman Doctor down the road?

6) The sexuality
I like it when the Doctor gets romantic. His romances in The Aztecs, The End of the World, and the TV Movie all work for me. I would have been curious to see some sexual tension with the Rani or even a romance with some of the companions В– maybe Romana, Liz Shaw, Peri, etc. The romance could be sweet, it could be highly erotic, or it could be ambiguous. I could also see the Doctor involved in a gay relationship, provided the relationship was handled realistically and emotionally and dramatically. What I do not like is the treatment of sex in this show, which seems to boil down to a series of adolescent jokes and empty flirtations. Words mean things, but the members of the TARDIS crew say one outrageous thing after another to each other with seemingly no resonance or consequences. I donВ’t know about you, but if the person IВ’m living with makes a joke about us going to bed with one another В… I react.

7) Dialogue between the TARDIS crew members.
The problems enumerated in points 3,4, and 5 are most evident in the dialogue. Except for В“RoseВ” and В“The End of the World,В” which included a number of excellent conversations between Rose and the Doctor, the exchanges between members of the TARDIS crew have been almost uniformly awful. The dreadful conversations recur in almost every episode, and tend to assume one of the following forms:
a. a syrupy sweetness that rings false (В“IВ’m so glad I met you.В”) blah. When the Doctor calls Sarah Jane his best friend in The Seeds of Doom I believe it because theyВ’ve known one another for ages and clearly are best friends. This over-the-top stuff is even harder to take than the 8th Doctor and Charley in those god-awful audios. And, like much of the dialogue in the show, the Doctor speaks too soon and is too hyperbolic. Sometimes less is more. DonВ’t spell everything out.
b. sex jokes:
i. juvenile orgy jokes along the lines of В“LetВ’s have a threesome in the TARDISВ” that pack no punch whatsoever В– they are not sexy, not affectionate, not funny, and are not credible. My high school friends donВ’t even talk like that after six pints, let alone when sober or when waiting for aliens to break down the door.
ii. В“The Doctor is an easy lay. (Or not.) But whoВ’d want him with that nose and those ears?В” Insulting to Chris, irritating to me.
iii. Rose is promiscuous and likes cute but evil men who share traits in common with the Doctor. SheВ’d do the Doctor instead if only heВ’d have her. (Potentially an interesting storyline--reminiscent of Jo GrantВ’s marrying a Doctor substitute in The Green Death--that is not explored in an interesting manner in this series.)
c. В“DidnВ’t you know? This is just a tv show!В” Constant self-mocking of the absurdity of the sonic screwdriver, the dated nature of the Police Box exterior of the TARDIS, the things the Doctor В“always does,В” and the generally constant breaking of the fourth wall, which was done well in the first two seasons of Buffy and then wound up ruining the whole series. It has yet to be done well here at all. Also, who would talk about bananas while running from gas-masked zombies? Realism now, please.
d. В“ItВ’s all my fault.В” The DoctorВ’s guilt complex was interesting for a time in the sixth Doctor Big Finish Audios. Now it is an utter bore. While it is nice, in this age of George W. Bush, seeing a В“moralistВ” hero capable of self-doubt and self-reflection, the Doctor shouldnВ’t be so neurotic and self-flagellating.
e. The DoctorВ’s racist and anti-human remarks. A few side-snipes at humans in Remembrance of the Daleks went a long way. It distanced McCoy from humans, but he didnВ’t harp on it by doing it in every episode. The Doctor decries humanity once or twice, heВ’s alien. He does it all the time, heВ’s racist.

8) The companions
Rose showed some promise at first, but she canВ’t touch Evelyn Smythe, Ace, Leela, Barbara, Ian, the Brigadier, Sarah Jane, Peri, Liz, or Jo. Aside from making friends with the proles (which has resulted in some very touching moments) and romancing morons, Rose has little to do with the actual story. Liz and Romana could push the plot forward with their knowledge, the Brigadier and Leela could be of physical help to the Doctor. Turlough was an interesting anti-hero. Like Victoria and Tegan, Rose is neither brilliant nor strong, so she has a choice between being sweet or mouthing off. Not very interesting. And her mother is in way too many episodes. BUT В– she was really great in the first four episodes, so maybe sheВ’ll go back to being cool before she leaves the show. I have very little hope for Captain Jack, however. He and Adam are the pits В– two consecutive riffs on Turlough and Adric that are not evil or smart enough to be interesting, played by pretty boy actors with limited acting range who seem to be the male equivalent of a Roger Moore Bond-girl В– nice scenery for those who find pretty boys attractive.

9) Same villain, same setting.
Regarding the Villains - weВ’ve had three CGI mouths (Rose, EOTW, TLG), lots of zombies (sitting around in The Long Game and on the march in the Empty Child В– and the Autons have a zombie quality to them in Rose), and two Rupert Murdock types (Dalek and The Long Game) and several jabs at George W. Bush (Dalek, the Slitheen trilogy, etc.). All of these are good villains in their own right, but there should be less repetition. Especially of CGI mouths. And the settings seem to boil down to modern-day London, Cardiff, and a space station in orbit around earth. Dull. We need more planets, even if they do just look like quarries. (After all, alien planets really do look like quarries, and quarries are more interesting than studio-bound space-station sets week after week.)

10) The Time War
Who cares, really? I canВ’t believe that Gallifrey was destroyed between television shows. A story that big should have been shown. In the hiatus between the old series and the new one we were teased with interesting glimpses into the DoctorВ’s culture and his past. We had Lungbarrow from the old regime of Cartmell and Platt, and we had some hints about the DoctorВ’s parents in the McGann film. While many fans objected to one or both of these storylines, both would have been more interesting than just blowing up Gallifrey. One can always make the Doctor more tragic, and more like Superman, by blowing up his home. One cannot always do a Lungbarrow-type story. I understand why this was done. It frees the creative team from years of Robert Holmes continuity and restores mystery and tragedy to the Doctor. Still, I would have preferred to find out more about the Doctor before seeing that whole segment of the show shut down. And the implication that the Rani, the Master, Susan, the Meddling Monk, and Romana are all dead is really depressing. Was it really necessary to wipe out all those characters? Most of these old characters are more interesting than the new ones weВ’ve been seeing week to week here.

11) Bad Wolf
The showВ’s format is too frantic and too short to develop an interesting mystery. When the official website of the show does a better job offering clues than the show itself, then something is wrong. Unless a really awesome villain pops up at the last second В– the Master or a God like Sutekh, Fenric, or Toymaker В– it will probably fall flat.

12) The endless social commentary.
As a New Yorker who voted for Kerry, who hates American imperialism, and who always sympathized with the displaced Palestinians, I was inclined to agree with the kind of thoughtful В“war on terrorВ” commentary found in Big Finish Audios such as The Twilight Kingdom. I liked the evil American President in Love Actually, who combined the worst traits of Bush and Bill Clinton. I even liked the villain in Dalek, who seems to be based on Rupert Murdock and Bill Gates. So I am open to social commentary and anti-American sentiments if it results in good drama, solid humor, or helps inspire real-world political activism by addressing serious issues in science fiction. Unfortunately, the Slitheen stuff is not as funny as the Sunmakers, or as intelligent and even-handed as the first X-Men film, and is not as outrageous and cutting-edge as Soylent Green. It is, in fact, nothing but annoying. And, while Bush is guilty of a great many evils, the fact that it suggests that he planned September 11 is a bit beyond the pale even for someone like me, who agrees that heВ’s an utter nightmare of a world leader. An episode like that will change no oneВ’s mind and just preaches to the converted. And I resent the implication, advanced in numerous episodes, that all I ever do is watch tv. Eccleston has said repeatedly that weВ’re sitting on our couches watching Doctor Who when thereВ’s a В“war on terrorВ” going on. HeВ’s right. IВ’ll get right on it. IВ’ll change the world. First thing IВ’ll do is follow his advice and stop watching Doctor WhoВ…

13) The Doctor
Because of all of the above, I do not believe that Chistopher Eccleston is the Doctor. He does not dress like the Doctor, he does not talk like the Doctor (his dialogue, that is В– I donВ’t mind the accent one bit), heВ’s not as smart as the Doctor, and heВ’s not as heroic as the Doctor. HeВ’s not the Doctor. Sorry.

From what IВ’ve heard, Season Two sounds like it will be a lot better. I like the sound of Cybermen in a few episodes, IВ’m ready for a new Doctor and a new companion, IВ’m glad RTD is writing fewer episodes, and IВ’m excited for the possible return of Sarah Jane (assuming her dialogue isnВ’t snarky and it doesnВ’t break the fourth wall).

As one of the few fans of Doctor Who that actually liked the Paul McGann film (largely because his performance was pitch-perfect, but also because of Grace, the visual look and set design, and the harrowing emergency room segment) I empathize with Ian LevineВ’s anger at fans who have written bad online reviews of the new series. I have held out for this long because I wanted to give the new show time, and I was just delighted to see it again. Nevertheless, I am leaning more and more towards the camp of those who dislike the show, and I am writing this open letter in the hopes that my opinions might reach the creators of the new show and be taken into consideration for future seasons. I realize that fans are divided, and I think it is possible that more fans like it than dislike it. I also realize that fans are not the sole concern of the producers, who are trying to reach a broader audience. Still, I do not think that my opinions suddenly donВ’t count because they are from a die-hard fan, or from a minority voice. My hope is that my opinions are expressed well, are thoughtful, and are not too, too rude. I am sorry if they are.

IВ’m very sorry that I, on balance, am beginning to dislike this new series. I never expected this series to be the exact same as the last one. I never expected it to be as good as the first season or Season 14. But I never expected that, by the end of the first season, IВ’d be saying В“Well, its better than Trial of a Time Lord and that season with Horns of Nimon in it.В” Still, I want to keep watching the show, I want to like it more than I do, and I want it to continue to be a ratings success. I just want it to be kinder to the fans. IВ’m glad that Dalek gave me back the Daleks exactly the way I wanted them to be. Now all I want is the Doctor back. Is that too much to ask?

And to all of you who like the new show В… IВ’m jealous. Have a ball with it. Be grateful that it is back and that you love it. And please, if youВ’re not too angry with me В… hold a place for me. I hope to be joining you soonВ…

Ah, leftovers; with the news that В‘Boom TownВ’ would feature a Slitheen, Mickey, the rift from В‘The Unquiet DeadВ’ and the return to script-writing of Russell T. Davies, I found myself wondering if it would be padding between MoffatВ’s two part story and the two episode season finale. In a sense I was right, but as it turns out В‘Boom TownВ’ feels like an attempt to provide closure before the end of the series, and in other ways feels like the calm before the storm.

В‘Boom TownВ’ doesnВ’t start especially well. IВ’ve become increasingly disillusioned with DaviesВ’ approach to the series, and В‘Boom TownВ’ exhibits many of his worst traits. With the return of Blon Fel Fotch Pasameer-Day Slitheen, the last survivor of В‘Aliens of LondonВ’/В‘World War ThreeВ’, we once more get the toilet humour based flatulence associated with the creatures, and Davies outdoes himself with a scene in which Blon enters a toilet and makes even more gastric noises than before. It isnВ’t funny, itВ’s just crass and juvenile. Worse still, my fears about the addition of Captain Jack to the crew are borne out as the episode opens with ghastly sixth form flirting, Jack asking В“How come I never get any of that?В” when Mickey hugs Rose and the Doctor quipping, В“Buy me a drink first.В” We also get Mickey objecting to Rose travelling with the handsome Jack, but not the big-eared Doctor. More examples of facile would-be wit include the cafГ© scene in which Jack raucously bellows В“Fifteen of us, naked!В” to which the punch line delivered by Mickey might as well have been В“As the Vicar said to the vestal virgin.В” It really is astonishingly contrived, as is MargaretВ’s conversation with the reporter, as she tries to shrug off the mysterious deaths surrounding the nuclear power plant project and responds to the question about the GovernmentВ’s nuclear advisor with В“He slipped on an icy patch.В” When the reporter points out, В“He was decapitatedВ” she replies, В“It was a very icy patch.В”

Then thereВ’s the horribly choreographed scene in which Blon tries to poison the Doctor in three separate ways, which flags up the fact that there are lapses in logic throughout the episode. If sheВ’s taking about last resorts, why not just rip off the skin suit and eviscerate him? Not to mention the ludicrous premise of building a nuclear power plant in the middle of city, which simply wouldnВ’t happen, regardless of whether or not London gives a toss about Wales. I should also mention the В“pan-dimensional surfboardВ”, not because it doesnВ’t make sense, simply because its trite bollocks. DaviesВ’ writing negatively impacts the regulars too, with Rose yet again having trouble with a word that sheВ’s just heard several times (on this occasion itВ’s Raxacoricofallapatorius rather than Jagrafess, but even so), and the Doctor reduced to a gurning, grinning buffoon. As for Jack, when Mickey asks him, В“What are you Captain of, the innuendo squad?В” the answer unfortunately seems to be yes.

Nevertheless, underneath all of this twaddle, В‘Boom TownВ’ works rather well. The inclusion of Mickey initially seems gratuitous, but proves to be important, as his date with Rose turns sour, Mickey explaining that heВ’s В“going out with Tricia DelaneyВ”. RoseВ’s bitchy comment, В“SheВ’s a bit bigВ” indicates that this touches a nerve (and also that Davies dislikes fat people, since he also poked fun at them in В‘Aliens of LondonВ’/В‘World War ThreeВ’) and when she angrily starts to retort further, Mickey shouts at her, В“At least I know where she is! You left meВ… I canВ’t even go out with a stupid girl from the shop, because you pick up the phone and I come running.В” The scene works well because despite his incredibly wooden performance in В‘RoseВ’, Noel Clarke delivers on the promise he showed in В‘Aliens of LondonВ’/В‘World War ThreeВ’ and conveys MickeyВ’s heartbreak extremely convincingly. At the end of the episode, when he slips away into the night, the Doctor asks Rose, В“Do you want to go and find him? WeВ’ll waitВ” she replies, В“No need, he deserves betterВ” looking very glum as she says it. All of which suggests that Rose and MickeyВ’s story is at an end and the series wonВ’t keep getting dragged back to London council estates.

Jack gets much less to do here than he did in В‘The Empty ChildВ’/В‘The Doctor DancesВ’, but his role in the crew is at least well established; after he enthusiastically announces a plan for cornering the Slitheen, the Doctor glares at him and demands, В“Excuse me, whoВ’s in charge?В” Jack defers without objection, and later, when Blon threatens Rose, he automatically looks to the Doctor guidance. He also spends a great deal of time helping the Doctor perform maintenance on the TARDIS, all of which suggests that he has the potential to be a useful addition, assuming that he lasts long enough.

But the best aspect of В‘Boom TownВ’ concerns the Doctor, as Davies explores the morality of the character. With Blon a prisoner, the Doctor announces that heВ’s taking her home, and Jack asks, В“IsnВ’t that the easy option, like letting her go?В” It transpires that the answer to this question is no, as she quietly informs him, В“Take me home and you take me to my death.В” Unexpectedly, the Doctor asks, В“Not my problemВ”, thus raising a moral issue relevant in a time when terrorist suspects face possible extradition to countries where they might face the death penalty. Mickey tells her, В“You deserve itВ”, a response that is easy to sympathize with considering her crimes, whereupon she replies, В“YouВ’re very quick to say so. YouВ’re very quick to soak your hands in my blood. Which makes you better than me, how?В” to MickeyВ’s obvious discomfort. Davies doesnВ’t go much deeper and the episode isnВ’t likely to change anyoneВ’s mind about the death penalty whether they support or oppose it, but at least the effort is made to make the episode relevant and thought provoking. Davies also raises the always controversial question of whether or not people commit crimes as a result of a bad upbringing, with Blon informing the Doctor that she was forced to commit her first kill at the age of thirteen, and later, after sheВ’s been regressed to an egg, the Doctor hopes that if raised by a decent family, she might turn out better next time round. Jack notes that she might turn out worse, but the Doctor decides, В“ThatВ’s her choice.В” Again, the issue isnВ’t taken to any real conclusion, and unfortunately Davies rather sabotages himself when it turns out that sheВ’s been up to something all the time sheВ’s been captured, which is a shame.

There is a scene early on in the episode in which Blon decides not to kill the reporter when she finds out that she has a boyfriend and is В“with childВ”, whereupon she sadly informs her intended victim that she is all alone. ItВ’s strangely poignant moment, especially as we get a close-up on the SlitheenВ’s mournful baby face and it raises the issue of redemption. What impresses me about this, is that it didnВ’t go the way I thought it would, as the Doctor proves that he isnВ’t a soft touch. When Blon tells him that she spared someone and can therefore change, he tells her, В“You let one of them go, but thatВ’s nothing newВ… thatВ’s how you live with yourself, thatВ’s how you slaughter millions. Because once in a while, on a whim, if the windВ’s blowing in the right direction, you happen to be kind.В” Not only was it not the response I was expecting, but BlonВ’s riposte to that is, В“Only a killer would know that. Is that right? From what IВ’ve seen your funny little happy-go-lucky life leaves devastation in its wakeВ… playing with so many peopleВ’s lives you might as well be a god.В” ItВ’s a fairly accurate assessment, and as she noted earlier, he doesnВ’t usually have to deal with consequences; it clearly touches a nerve, and the scene is electrifying, mainly because of a decent performance from Eccleston and a frankly astonishing one from Annette Badland. Again, itВ’s slightly undermined by the fact that Blon is deliberately keeping him occupied whilst her pan-dimensional surfboard is powering up in the TARDIS, but itВ’s a great scene nonetheless.

Finally, В‘Boom TownВ’ is worthy of note for one final thing; the references to В“Bad WolfВ” scattered throughout the series are finally mentioned by the Doctor, who ponders, В“Everywhere we go, two words, following us. Bad Wolf.В” ItВ’s a very dramatic moment, utterly ruined by his flippant dismissal of it as В“just a coincidenceВ” but it sets the scene for the following episode with a promise that it we are going to get an explanation for it. WeВ’re also apparently going to get a pastiche of reality television, which has the potential to be either blistering satire on the unimaginative nature of that most creatively bankrupt of television genres, or an unimaginative tongue-in-cheek exercise in camp extravagance. I hope itВ’s the former, but either way, with an entire fleet of Daleks putting in an appearance, IВ’ll certainly be watching it.