One of the more bizarre episodes of the new series was aired tonight. It was an enjoyable light-hearted romp. I enjoyed the geeky video by the obsessive character who was trying to find out the Doctor - a video diary. For me though, I thought Peter Kay's character as the villain was slightly disappointing until turning into that green slob. Given his grand entrance, I was expecting a lot more. I just felt he could have been a lot more chilling and evil ... while still maintaining that marvellous sense of humour.

The lack of the Doctor and Rose appearing in long swathes of the story was clearly a measure to save time and money on the BBC's part but bringing in Peter Kay captured the attention. While he showed he was a good character actor, there weren't any major thrills till near the end when he turned into the big green absorbing monster.

It was great to see Rose's Mum again and I would imagine she will also be leaving when Rose goes at the end of the series which will be a great shame as Camille is an excellent actress and you could really warm to her in tonight's episode.

The flashback to the previous series with the autons, and UFO smashing into Big Ben was a nice touch. As usual, the show pulled on the emotional heartstrings towards the end of the episode though I thought the paved stone which the Doctor managed to save with his trusty screwdriver was completely unusual way to finish the episode.

There were some subtle hints to the difficulties the Doctor and Rose have yet to face in future episodes.

It was all very enjoyable stuff tonight and I did enjoy it as it was well filmed with good ideas and a decent premise for a story. Kay's monster look was very good and was suitably grotesque and disgusting with all the faces coming to life. A very good idea from the Blue Peter competition winner (much better than the one suggested in the 1960s. I thought this was when Kay truelly excelled - I just thought that the loss of the characters during the episode was getting a bit hackneyed and predictable as they were asked to wait behind, and then the screams afterwards. This was repeated three times and could have been done with a bit more imagination?

A good fun episode which gave a more rounded look at the Doctor's coming and goings and the impact it has on different people. Incidentally, I thought it was a great touch for the Tardis to appear in those Egyptian hieroglyphics! Now there is somewhere the Doctor should go back to - Ancient Egypt!!!

I have been a DOCTOR WHO fan since 1978. I remember thinking at the time what a great story THE SUNMAKERS was when it first rolled out.It was lighthearted,funny and satirical to the bone and different to alot of what was being done at the time of its production. Unfortunately, a few years earlier when Mary Whitehouse started to point her fingers at the show for being too violent and scary for children, the show suddenly shifted as Graham Williams took over from the wonderful Phillip Hincliffe and closed the door on a golden era of Doctor Who. The SUNMAKERS was a bright spot, but soon THE HORNS OF NIMON would make me cringe to the point of embarrassment and Tom Baker's wit and humor would start to go over the top and bleed off into camp. I remember celebrating the show's 20th anniversary in 1983, and now over 20 years beyond the transmission of THE FIVE DOCTORS, let me tell you that I thought" LOVE AND MONSTERS " was one of the most absolutely entertaining hours I have ever spent in front of the televsion. It was FRESH, ORIGINAL,and CUTTING EDGE like the way the best episodes have always been. It was a daring attept to try new things and while I was never a fan of overt over the top comedy and campiness in DOCTOR WHO, this was a darker than dark, pitch black comedy about the Doctor's dizzy universe and the innocent people who fall into it. This perspective has become one of the hallmarks of Russell T. Davies' repackaged resurrection of the old series. This had its own style,its own rythym and beat, and Dan Zeff, the director has done a wonderful levitation act with the material and prevented it from going over the top . And what to do with the Absorbaloff???,a creature created for a BLUE PETER contest with no connected story or plot whatsoever.This was an episode that I actually FEARED I would instantly hate. However,amusingly, Russell T Davies' has unw ittingly tapped into the utter and intangible vestibule containing the pure unrefined magic of what DOCTOR WHO is. Uncle Russell manages to achieve this through focusing on a loveable bunch of characters woven into this story who become "L.I.N.D.A.,the London Investigative...N' Dectective agency spearheaded by Elton Pope who happens on a chance meeting with the Doctor as the episode begins and suddenly finds his life changed forever by the Doctor.

Russell T Davies vision for the series has always been to shove " a great chunk of the 21st century" right in the middle of Doctor Who and these elements have been hallmarks of alot of his penned episodes. This has never been demonstrated more brillantly by the wake of the storm left behind by one of the Doctor's visits. In LOVE AND MONSTERS, we see the Doctor as a total stranger, the mysterious alien as we first saw him in Totters Lane through the eyes of the Londoners who have united in a similar cause to find answers to this mysterious entity they find showing up in history books, old photos, in Egyptian Hieroglyphics, and on the internet. I was always disappointed nothing was ever made about that "WHO IS THE DOCTOR" website seen in the "ROSE" episode and continued by the BBC as a fictional novelty website that Mickey administrated. The Earth that the Doctor and Rose return to in pa st and future times is a new Earth that has seen alien invasions and the impossible happen live on network telvision. Elton Pope is a young man who has witnessed the Auton invasion in "ROSE" and has woken up on Christmas Day to the arrival of the Sycorax fleet of starships hovering above London. His world has changed ,and with it, come new obsessions. Russell T. Davies' brilliantly executed and entertaining script takes the Doctor's existance in that world for granted and treats us to Hard Rock jam sessions with L.I.N.D.A.,a romance with Jackie Tyler,the Autons and the Slitheen spacehip,BAD WOLF, Torchwood, Pizza, Laundramats, and the MUSIC.......ELO!!!! and a clip of ELTON JOHN! Oh This was so British, Soooooo Doctor Who and proof that the Doctor is trully a legend,in Elton's world and in our own. The absence of David Tennant and Billie Piper through much of the episode is not even felt because Uncle Russell has given us so much brain candy in an episode de livered in the first person narrative of our hero, Elton. I know it was different, and fans will be debating its merits for years to come, but it could have been so contrived,yet it was staggeringly innovative and was quite literally about....love....and well......er.....Monsters. Spoiler revealed. My only quarrel is the loss of most of the L.I.N.D.A. operative as I would have loved to have seen this merry bunch of misfits sleuthing with the Doctor in a future episode and dancing to more music of the "Electric light Orchestra". Another lost oppotunity it seems in what has become a season of many earthly and unearthly delights, and I hope I am not premature on this, evidence of a comfort zone that RTD has achieved with his scripts so far this season,which continues to astound in its varied patina of adventures.

There seems to be an interesting thread that has run through the fisrt two seasons of the new series. This began with Clive's comments to Rose in the first episode about the Doctor's constant companion being Death and you have to begin to wonder where Russell Davies is going with this.The darkness has crept in again,as Elton comments at the close of the episode that everyone who comes in contact with the Doctor faces death. It seems RTD is turning Doctor Who into an Anti-Hero again. It's actually a bit unnerving but it does seen to be true. Elton becomes the sole survivor of L.I.N.D.A.along with Ursula, well, at least a part of Ursula whose character seems right out of a Quentin Taratino movie. As Elton points out, Time may be running out for Jackie and Rose as well. I am not too clear on exactly why the Doctor would visit Elton as a childremarkin g something about a 'shade" in the house with him,which is a reference to a ghost and this may be a connection to the Finale in a few weeks time. The episode had its fair overbrimming share of sexual inuendo laced scenes mostly involving Jackie and Eltonwith some very adult references being played out in what is considered "family' entertainment.It was however very nice to see Jackie involved in her ordinary life, waiting for Rose to telephone or return, a reverse perspective of what we are used to seeing that fleshes out her character that much more. She also has alot of time on her hands, and while the Doctor may have "just" escaped her romantic clutches, I think her tryst with Elton may further heat up speculation about her and Mickey keeping each other company , not that it hasn't already been suggested. She seems to be a "busy" gal in the Powell Estate. ! Surprisingly, the episode ends by plunging every viewer,including children into suddenly facing the death of a parent, which is some pretty heavy stuff to serve up in the final minutes of a light hearted adventure. I am also surprised Elton didn't blame the Doctor all those years for his mothers death since the Doctor's mysterious presence in the house Elton refers to was on the night his mother died. Small complaints in what is a wonderfully entertaining little story. LOVE AND MONSTERS reminded me of how THE SUNMAKERS first blew up all away.Like Elton's poignant closing remarks about life ,this episode was a little mad and crazy, and so much more!

There are cheers in the small pub, where writers such as David Fisher (Creature From The Pit) and Pip and Jane Baker (Time and The Rani) meet. For finally, there is a new contender for WORST DOCTOR WHO STORY EVER!

I havenВ’t submitted a review for series two yet, partly due to time constraints, and partly down to the fact that I havenВ’t felt it necessary. Series Two has been quite happily ticking along, building on the success of Series One, and often surpassing it.

LetВ’s look at the good part. The Abzorbaloff, despite a rubbish name, is a very imaginatively thought out alien, coming as it does from the mind of a nine year old boy. Creepy, too, when you think about what happens to the victims. An excellent addition to the Dr Who pantheon. On paper.

However, the only person worthy of praise here, IS the nine-year old Blue Peter competition winner. Peter Kay is superb as Victor Kennedy, but just becomes Peter Kay when his true form is revealed. But IВ’m getting ahead of myself here. LetВ’s start at the very beginning (as I am told itВ’s a very good place to startВ…)

The experimental storytelling, from EltonВ’s POV, sucks. It neednВ’t have, but it does. The problem is, that as this episode contains little sight of the Doctor and Rose, any experimental elements need to be balanced by something familiar. New way of telling the story, plus new monster, plus new group of Mickey/Clive/Ricky style В“defenders of the earthВ” doesnВ’t work.

If this WAS going to work, it needed an old villain, or to centre on someone weВ’ve met before В– maybe a real-Earth version of Mrs Price. As it was, the story did not feel like a Doctor Who, even with the early shot set in the warehouse. Then we had the flashbacks to Rose, Aliens of London, and Christmas Invasion. Disjointed narrative works in things like X-Files, but even that show grounded its more off the wall stories firmly in the Mulder/Scully universe.

EltonВ’s search for the Doctor smacked too much of RoseВ’s contact with Clive, and the formation of L.I.N.D.A was a cheap, fanw**ky reference to Doctor Who fan groups. Once Victor arrived, and started them on a proper investigative trail (telegraphing his evil nature early on by the offscreen absorption of Bliss), the episode descended into soap. JackieВ’s В“seductionВ” of Elton was clumsy, OTT, and straight out of one of those soap operas that show in the daytime schedules. Its obvious that RTD has never encountered the attentions of an older woman. Besides, Jackie is an attractive woman for her age В– the very concept that she would need to seduce a hapless geek is quite insane. Of course, the ep lifts itself briefly, when Jackie has one of her В“outragedВ” moments, on discovering she was just being used.

Then we head into the Abzorbaloff strand. Frankly, although the lad who created the concept is no doubt pleased as punch to see his creation brought to life, by the time heВ’s in his mid-20В’s, heВ’ll be trying to sue the BBC for wrongful representation. For the first time since the seriesВ’ return, we have an obvious В“man in a rubber suitВ” monster. Its awful. Again, I must re-iterate that I donВ’t blame the boy, but the 30-somethings that realised his dream.

Things do pick up in the last 10 minutes, although Rose and the Doctor arrive a little too late to save the episode. Once again, in a desperate attempt to ground the episode in the seriesВ’ milieu, it is revealed that the Abzorbaloff is from the twin planet of Raxicorifallipatorius В– and a slip of the script hints that the Slitheen are a race, rather than a family (its unlikely the Abzorbaloff would have such venomous dislike for a single family). We get no indication of the В‘LoffВ’s motives for tracking down the Doctor.

Finally, to give the episode a В“yeuchВ” factor, thereВ’s the disturbing concept of the В“love-lifeВ” Elton enjoys with Ursula in her paving slab form.

After the episode aired, it occurred to me that the weakest episodes of both Series One and Two, are those that were written by RTD himself. This episode in particular has the air of someone who has a toy that he wants to play with, but is ignoring the instructions. Series Two has 3 episodes to redeem itself, and lessons must be learned, or Series 3 will be the lastВ…

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!

Not only is this the worst episode of the 2006 series, not only is it the worst episode of the 2005 & 2006 series (even worse than the awful "The Long Game") but this is the worst episode in the whole history of Doctor Who! It is astounding that it was given the green light but since RTD is an executive producer as well as head writer I suppose there is nobody to stop him churning out whatever drivel he wants to.

"Love and Monsters" shows once and for all that RTD cannot write Doctor Who stories. This was in many ways not a Doctor Who story in that the Doctor and Rose are hardly in it. The "plot" is absurd. A group of people who meet to discuss the mysterious "Doctor" end up working for the equally mysterious Peter Kay. Kay turns out to be an alien who absorbs people and wants to absorb the Doctor. To go into more detail would just be too tedious.

The acting is good, especially from Marc Warren, considering the poor material that the cast has to work with.

This episode shows yet again RTD's inability to plot properly. He comes up with a few ideas slaps them together and hey presto an episode of Doctor Who appears! It is significant that the best plotted of all RTD's episodes has been "Tooth and Claw" which he was not originally scheduled to write. RTD may think much of "Love and Monsters" is funny but it's actually just stupid.

I still find it amazing that RTD won the Dennis Potter award for writing. That is surely an indictment of the lack of good writers working in TV.

If this episode is a signpost for the future then Doctor Who is heading in a direction that will make the era of JNT at it's worst look like a golden age.

3/10

What on earth was all that about!!!!!!!! A pity after two genuinely excellent episodes.

I’ve tried to be careful not include spoilers. I don’t think I have..

First of all The Doctor and his assistant Rose are barely in it. Much of the programme is narrated (yes narrated) by Marc Warren, who plays someone who first met the Doctor when he was eight. He meets up with others who have also met the Doctor at some point in the past. The programme is much about them, whereas the Doctor and Rose make only fleeting appearances.

It is also another supposedly funny episode, although I thought that most of the humour widely missed the mark. Some of the humour is along the same lines as the Slitheen episodes of the first series. It is also another episode written by Russell T. Davies, so perhaps I should not be surprised at how weak the episode was, as he has been widely criticised for some of his weak scripts. To be fair he has written some strong scripts too.

Don’t get me wrong. There have been some excellent episodes this series, for example the previous two to this shambolic effort, and The Girl in the Fireplace. I just think that there are far too many weak episodes in this series, perhaps due to the fact that the writers used up most of their best ideas in the first season (although there were a few below par episodes there too).

Lesson number one then writers, (if you ever visit), too much humour in Doctor Who doesn’t work.

Lesson two, the humour used is too infantile to appeal to anyone over the age of 11 (yes I know the family audience is a target - but still).

Saying that, the joke at the end was obviously targeted at adults - in fact I thought it rather witty. How the allowed this joke so early in the evening surprises me - but I guess kids wouldn’t understand it.

To conclude - I will continue watching after thoroughly enjoying the first season, but if we continuing getting a larger number of weak episodes to the stronger ones - well I might just give up, bu