I've always wanted a story seen from The Master's perspective. I may yet. LOVE & MONSTERS was no season filler. MISSION TO THE UNKNOWN aside, which for contractual reasons did not feature the TARDIS crew and was a prelude to THE DALEKS MASTERPLAN which did, this was the very first time in the history of DR. WHO that an entire story did not revolve from the POV of either The Doctor or Companion. Yet the Doctor was so central to Elton & the LINDA group, that the sparse air-time David Tennant & Billie Piper could fit in among filming "THE IMPOSSIBLE PLANET" & "THE SATAN PIT" didn't matter.

With Marc Warren's endearingly vulnerable Elton Pope, I'm hoping this will be an audition piece for a new semi-regular character. I love his BUDGIE-esque cheekie chappy con man in HUSTLE and he now joins Edward da Souza in a very exclusive club (just two) of leading men who are not The Doctor.

And the unusual approach and framing was novel and worked. Elton's video diary. Lots of montage shots (nice cutaway to Elton John), happy upbeat atmosphere and ELO. The humanity and warmth that sprang from the close-knit LINDA group was life-affirming and should inspire loads more small, manageable & personal DR. WHO groups - which may well have been the intention.

They were a continuation of Clive from the opening episode of last year, which itself was continued by Mickey via TV & TARDISODE: the figure at the Internet, trying to uncover the unknown. As a bonus, we even returned to where it all started. The 2005 Auton invasion - coupled by that month's chart-topper, Peter Kay. The Autons were a lovely gesture for Russell to throw in. They have now appeared in four stories and I refuse to accept there won't be a fifth. In fact the reprising of classic moments from the new series helped build up Elton's story and would persuade those not immediately drawn by the offbeat approach this was still DR. WHO they were watching.

Jackie was so Jackie, so it looked like Elton would succeed in his penetration exercise. Really grown-up DR. WHO, but she was daffy & he was likeable. Then the photo of Rose was discovered, so Game Up. Jackie delivered the previously unspoken - on behalf of all those mothers, fathers, boyfriends, girlfriends and colleagues that are "left behind". Given the usually spot-on interpretations of the Ood and the news on BBC 24 this week, we must pray for her sake that Rose will return, permanently. Anyway, Jackie must have got on the mobile to Rose - because she and The Doctor came from the other side of the solar system to confront Elton. So we have this juxtaposed image of the galactic & the ordinary Earthbound that was classic DR. WHO in the 70s, re-energised following the first two-parter on an alien world.

Peter Kay's Victor Kennedy voice was so unlike his own and so convincing. Elton was finding love at LINDA, but Victor was working his way through the team one by one. He was the Absorboton, Absorbolon, the Absorbaloff ("Yes, I like that!"). A truly inspired bit of invention from nine year old BLUE PETER competition winner, William Grantham. If Russell hadn't run that competition, this wouldn't have happened. Is it going to happen again next year? Funnily enough, I imagined Peter Kay filling out the Absorbaloff.

When I first saw the hideous obese green swine come to life, I thought one of the absorbed human heads was The Doctor, but it turned out to be the equally bespectacled Ursula. Saved, of sorts, by The Doctor - because he couldn't help Elton's Mum. There's something very Father Christmassy about Davies'/Tennant's take on The Doctor. The Time Lord as Angel. Very endearing. Elton was left with Ursula's face on the paving stone. Genius wit from Russell T when Elton remarked they even "had a love life, of sorts, but we manage". A whole lotta oral going on! Of course, it would have gone right over the heads of kids, but it was a gem.

Russell T. Davies' experiment has worked. "LOVE & MONSTERS" was one of his best scripts. There must be one completely left of field episode like this (or rather, not like anything!) again next year and for every subsequent series of DR. WHO.

"Are you sure we are on the right channel Dad? This isn't Doctor Who."
(Alastair James... Age 6 )

Out of the mouths of babes !

I don't know whether to praise this episode for attempting to break free of normal expectations or ridicule it for being so far off the mark it lost sight of 'Who' and what it was.

And because I'm not quite sure how to deal with it, it leaves me with one major problem...which is...I quite enjoyed it.

But how can this be?..this is NOT WHO...but then, wasn't that kind of the point.

I enjoyed it in the same way that I enjoyed the comic relief Who sketches, and as such it had a lot of fun about it and some interesting alternative perspectives. It would have been nice to have seen or heard something of Clive, the original Whovian detective from 'Rose' episode one ( before his demise at the hands of the Autons ) as he would clearly have fitted right in with this group.

And yet...there it is again... that little voice...
..this is NOT WHO
..this is NOT WHO
..this is NOT WHO...

...and if it's not Who...then why has it taken up a whole episode of real Who that could have been put to good use with a decent story line?

I certainly liked the concept. A whole episode seen through another's eyes, but for it to really work it would had to have been the most gritty and realistic of the season so far. Fathers Day worked fantastically for just that reason. It took itself 100% seriously. It was a painful, emotive bitter sweet slice of real life that just happened to get tangled up in the world of the Doctor. If this episode had taken itself as seriously it could have been superb. As Clive said..." he brings death in his wake" that's the legacy of the Doctor for so many people. Yes there is triumph and victory, but also death and pain and loss. By the end of this episode, the main character, Elton, should have been cursing the doctor as an enemy. The death of his mother, the loss of his friends, all because the Doctor 'got it wrong'...that in itself is a worthwhile idea to explore. The doctor makes mistakes, he's vulnerable, sometimes he actually makes things worse. He's a renegade for goodness sakes, by all accounts a pretty damn dangerous one at that. If this episode had brought out some of his Hartnell dark side it might have worked.

And what of Tennant? Admittedly, he was deliberately left out of most of this episode, but it still brings into question his 'ownership' of the role. For all that I had issues with Ecclston, I never doubted for a minute that he believed he was the Doctor. Tennants performances so far ( with a few exceptions...Reunion, Tooth and Claw ) have been some what lacking in energy. I think this is partly down to the writing. Eccleston was given some brilliant dialogue. With it being the first season it was needed as we were introducing the character to a whole new generation. We had the ancient history and past encounters to draw upon to flesh out the Doctors personality. Tennent's tenancy of the role has not been given the same regular dialogue opportunities. But even then, I get the sense at times that he doesn't really want to be there. Like his heart just isn't in it. In this particular episode he only gets a few minutes of screen time...but if he were the REAL Doctor ( you know what I mean here...I mean Baker or Pertwee...or yes, Eccleston ) he would have still FILLED the screen for those few minutes. His lack of 'presence' at times is a concern for me and one I hope he will resolve next season when he really feels like he owns the part. I also miss those 'Baker' moments...you know, the ones, where you're watching and the doctor says or does something and you just KNOW it wasn't in the script, it was a genuine moment of on set inspiration. Some of the episodes are becoming very clinical, sterile, obviously following the script so tightly they don't leave enough room for the actors to inject anything personal into it.

And personal was where this episode ultimately fell down. That was the essential ingredient for it to work at all as a premise.

I wanted to believe. I wanted to get inside Elton's head and really understand why HE believed so deeply. That comes down to soul searching emotional depths of internal analysis. It's a story that says, ' we are who we are because of what the word has done to us' ...in this case because of what the Doctor has done to him, his effect, his influence, his horror. This episode could have revealed more about the Doctor THROUGH the eyes and experiences of Elton than any episode before it.

Instead, we get the RTD treatment...the girl friend as a slab of concrete, the alien with a northern men's club accent ( I'll suck ya up and lick ya bones...but first, let me tell you 'bout the mother in law..." Blue bucket, red bucket...and CUE the BENNY HILL silly running about routine...So...the Abzorbalof was designed by an eight year old....did he write the script as well? These can all be added to the list of RTD indiscretions for the purist Whovian. The burping wheelie bin, the farting aliens, Jackie Tyler, Jackie Tyler...and let's not forget...Jackie Tyler. He really is going to have to redeem himself in the last two episodes.

Just because Sci-Fi is fictional doesn't mean it can't be believable. Fiction, science fiction in particular, has a duty to act as a mirror. It has the ability to pass social and political comment on the state of the world in such a unique way that we actually listen for once. Or at least...GOOD Sci-Fi can.

Was THIS good Sci-Fi? Did it change anything? Did it make you think? Did it effect you in any way?

DID IT WORK?

I think the answer I inevitably have to come to is...no. It was an interesting idea that turned into candy floss and washed away in the rain.

And yet, I hope that in itself does not deter the production team from trying such a thing again. If you look back on Who history, it is the 'Ghostlight's'of the Who universe that make it such a rich, varied and often rewarding place to belong. The episodes that took you places in a way you just weren't expecting were often the ones that stayed with you the longest. You only have to look at the dreadful format driven structural rigidity of American Sci-Fi to see how ultimately unrewarding such a path is. You see one episode of Voyager, you've seen them all.

So let's not look too closely at the questionnaires of a cross section of the viewing public in order to determine what will work and what will not. Let's not follow the insipid routine of format derived script to obtain maximum viewing figures from the lowest common denominator and the cheapest budget.

In short...let's not think about it too much. It was fun. Like it or hate it, it has been an episode that has given us all something to talk about.

BBC Wales clearly love the work they are doing. They obviously care about Who and what happens to it in the future. The fact that they have already shown such reverence and loyalty in linking the old with the new and maintaining the bond between them should mean that we continue to trust them.

Great Love comes with Great risk. Love and Monsters was not Who. It was a chance taken that didn't pay off.

But it was still a chance worth taking.

Perhaps next time, in the hands of a writer like the great and mighty Moffet, this will be the sort of episode that will reshape the way we think of Who altogether.

Unfortunately, not this time. What was this episode like?..

"Tastes like chicken"

I never really write reviews, but was forced to this week, because although I lack a TARDIS, I can see whats coming. This week the wonderful Gallifrey One will be completely full of the old guard В“Moaning MyrtlesВ” whining about Russell's scripts. It's coming now. How Dr Who has been cheapened, dumbed down, made for Kids, and so on. I have now watched it three times, and it's 03:45am.

Oh for GODS SAKES! Dry UP Myrtles! Along with your VHS collections.

This week's В“Love and MonstersВ” was a hugely entertaining 45 mins. A HUGE risk, keeping the Dr and Rose to a minimum in a series called В“Doctor WhoВ”, but this ep made some excellent valid points and showed the immense range the writing team have. This was Doctor Who's В“Once more with FeelingВ”. A massive risk that just paid off, perfectly. Where does one start?

First, it was great to be able to explore the Dr's universe from a new point of view. For a long time we have seen the Dr's life through Rose, so this was a refreshing change. We get to see Jackie's view from a third party. It is Doctor Who, as we explore someone's life through a different view, and although the Dr and Rose are fairly lacking, we see the impact they have on peoples lives, which reinforces the feeling that Rose and the Dr's carefree attitude is leading to something bigger. Since the Press Release, we all know whats coming, but this series, as with the last, is so well constructed we only get to start joining the dots now. This is why I feel it has been so important to follow Jackie and Micky. Our Myrtles complain about 'Soap Opera', but this is vital to the series. If I vanished with the Dr, what would it do to my Mum, or Dad, or Boyfriend? We're out to get a new legion of fans here, to keep the series alive after all of us that kept things going during the quiet TV years going shuffle off. EastEnders, Corrie and so on have made TV very different to audiences these days, and this is why Dr Who had to evolve to come back.

Next, the music. Murray has worked a blinder this season. Everything from last season has been used perfectly to help bring new viewers over the regeneration. The motif's, the incidental, has always been totally right. This episode we hear ELO, which is just perfect, as was В“The Lion Sleeps TonightВ”, as was В“ToxicВ”. Murray, please please keep going as you are. Impossible/Satan introduced some perfect stuff, that made them gripping, and I know you are building on the score as hard as Russell works on building the scripts. Also, loved the reference to В“FriendsВ” in the songs by Bliss. Very Phoebe.

Peter Kay. Brilliant. В“Every Planet has a NorthВ”, and we're also reminded of previous episodes in a flashback here. MUST be a reason. Russell's good like that! In Peter's case, I only know him as a comedian, so to see him play this so well was a pleasant surprise. Again, the costume department need an award, but Peter brought this to life in a great new way. Casting brought us Ecclestone for #9, Piper as Rose, all left bat, but they were right. Again they are here.

The story? Personally, I loved it. Something so off tack again, challenging us, delivering a great dose of humor, and relief. After the darkness of Impossible/Satan, this was the sweet to the last 2 weeks sour. Should not work, but served together and in the right amounts they worked so well. Somehow I doubt Russell is going to deliver Pork to be garnished with this sauce thats been so well prepared.

To sum up, I have not had one bad story as yet, In either new series, and the series continues to deliver. David, Billie, Russell, to name 3, but everyone tagged in the titles deserves an award for В“EventВ” television. Not one person I know has not enjoyed every ep, so I am glad about that. I also wonder if Russell had a bit of В“Tounge in CheekВ” casting В“Moaning MyrtleВ” in this Ep, as it will be the one the usual traditionalists bitch about.

If you love good drama, good comedy, good characters, and a great story (cut the USA audience out straight away then!) watch this one. Open mind, think Buffy's В“Once more with FeelingВ”, suspend disbelief, and have a wicked wicked wonderful 45 mins.

This is my first Doctor Who review, after reading and enjoying this website for several years now, this episode has sparked me to write to you!

As a hardcore fan of Doctor Who since Tom Baker (when I was growing up), right through to present day, and experiencing the highs of the series (Genesis of the Daleks, Pyramids of Mars for example), and the lows (The Two Doctors, Mark of The Rani, Twin Dilemma etc), I find myself totally enjoying the new series. I think technically and production wise the BBC team are producing top-notch quality Doctor Who for the new generation, and it pleases me to see it back on the TV regularly. I still get excited by the cliffhangers, and the return of old foes such as the Cybermen and the Daleks.

This episode then, was a dramatic change to all that I've seen before, and I must give Russell T Davies deep respect for this ambitious piece of work, looking in at the Doctor's life but not from the Doctor himself, or even his companion, but from an outsider just caught up in a moment of seeing the Doctor when he was young.

After the thrill of the two parter Impossible Planet/Satan Pit, which I regard as a real high point of the new series by far, this totally threw the audience again into a whole new direction. No more revelations here about Rose potentially dying, or the dark undertones that have been present recently, but instead we get a fun, almost hilarious episode that, although I should hate and detest with every fibre of my being as a Doctor Who fan, I cannot!

I thought it was great fun. Peter Kay as the Abzorbaloff just made me laugh outright at the screen, especially the chase sequence into the street towards the end. Nobody else could have pulled this character off than Peter Kay - who did fabulously! I must also give respect and admiration to Jackie Tyler here, who I have found annoying and irritating throughout the two new series', but here I see a different side to her - the moment where she finds Elton's photograph in his jacket is excellent. The way she defends BOTH the Doctor and Rose adds to her character, and was excellently played by the actress.

I think the series needed a small breather in between all the excellent stuff that has gone on before, and this provided clean, healthy fun and entertainment. I did not take it seriously at all, nor is it destined to be a 'must see' doctor who episode, but it just goes to show the versatility and ambition this show still has, after all this time.

I know that if I had the coveted job of writing for Doctor Who (and boy I have tried!) I would be writing darker, more atmospheric pieces quite like The Satan Pit. This is the Doctor Who I remember, the scary ones, the ones with excellent stories and sci-fi, the ones that challenged your views and beliefs.

This was a complete contrast, but perfect for the 7 O'Clock time slot, and perfect to give us a bit of comedy and fun into the series. I am sure I will be smiling in a few weeks time at the image of Peter Kay running as the Abzorbaloff!

After last week's amazing epic and frankly superb episodes what were you doing?

Telling your friends how great Doctor who was after all these years?

Convincing them to watch on Saturday night?

Telling them that they were wrong about Doctor who?

You needn't have bothered.

Because if they tunned in to watch this weeks episode I can only imagine that they wont be tuning in again. Ok that is a bit overly harsh, as a comedy episode it works well. As a spoof of doctor who it's funny but please put this show on BBC 2 so I can watch a real episode of Doctor Who on BBC 1.

The problem with changing writers every other week is that the tone of the episodes changes so dramatically. We have moved from two episodes of heavy drama with no comedy to an episode dripping with it. In some ways its nice to have a comedy episode after such a dramatic 2 parter but in the same way it feels disjointed as the story line could have been building towards the final episodes to come. And then to further confuse matters the show is carried by a character that people did not tune in to watch.

Now I bet this episode cut down on Billie and David's filming schedule and it was probably pretty cheap to shoot but so much more could have been made of it. Some of the writing on the series is starting to feel lazy just because its a kids show it doesn't mean that it doesn't have to make sense or have a decent plot.

The best thing about this episode were the jokes. Peter Kay was on good form and the one liners were cutting and well delivered, some I was surprised to hear in a pre 9 pm show. Some great comedy about how he finally tracks down Jackie Tyler did make me smile and several other clever moments: One of the voices sounded muffled and I thought it can't be there but oh yes it was! The return of the Sleveen, or at least their sister planet, very funny, very clever but one too many jokes and somehow the show doesn't feel real any more. And that is the problem with the comedy, good as it was, it ends up making Doctor Who feel more like pantomime than drama.

The main actors pulled off a doctorless episode well and I really was beginning to care about them just before they got sucked into Peter Kay's waist coat. But to not include your best to actors, your most dramatic characters what a waste! It's like trying to play table tennis with your hands tied behind your back: you could do it but you're gonna look damn silly trying.

Best moments:

The opening sequence
Most of Peter Kay
The most easy detective work since “who stole Ronald McDonald's hamburgers.”
The Doctor confronts Peter Kay

The worst moments

Seduction Jackie Tyler style
Peter Kay running down the street in a big green fat suit and a black thong?. Frightening for all the wrong reasons.
That montage band sequence What? Why? Were you even interested?
The ending.

Like watching the friends spin off Joey, funny but you kept wondering what the other characters were doing. I kept thinking “what is the doctor doing?” “Is it some kind of cunning plan?” Perhaps its all building up to why the doctor was in his house that night. But no it wasn't and no it didn't. And when the doctor finally turns up he doesn't seem to do any thing other than standard defeat the monster tactic no. 3 pretend you aren't bothered about the hostages. Defeating the Peter Kay monster was poorly explained and so disappointing but at least he went out with a squelch. And did he swear? I know It was cut short but not short enough because it really sounded like he did. This is a show for kids!

The best thing I can say is it was funny and in places very funny. It felt like one of the big finish Christmas productions but following last weeks effort it just seems like a completely different show.

If there was one rule this show broke it was “show don't tell the audience” because voice over included, this did a lot of telling.

I'd give this episode 4/5 for being a comedy episode and 2/5 for being an episode of Doctor Who

Oh and don't get me started about that “we have some kind of love life” line!!!

What a load of codswallop!! It was like watching a story from the Sylvester McCoy era! I always had an idea that this episode was going to be "odd" from things I had read and knowing that the story was created as a result of the Blue Peter design-a-monster competition.

I started to watch this episode with an open mind, and in a way I quite enjoyed seeing the story from Elton's point of view. However, in a very short while though it seemed as though no-one was taking the script seriously, which was a shame as there were good actors in this show.

What really made the story so awful was when Peter Kay entered the room.........

He was hamming it up completely like they did in the late 80's oddball stories that I hated so much. At this stage I couldn't take the story seriously at all and was almost tempted to even stop my DVD recorder! The Abzorbaloff was not a convincing monster, not that I'm sure it was meant to be judging by the tone of the whole story. It was just Peter Kay in a rubber suit talking in his northern accent. Not sure how anyone could have taken this seriously really.

I laughed at the end when we saw Elton hold up the slab with his beloved's face on it talking to him, but only because I found it so ridiculous. This story would have been better suited as a sketch within Little Britain.

Definitely the worst episode I've seen in a long time.