"Mister blue sky please tell us why
You had to hide away for so long
Where did we go wrong?" (ELO "Mr Blue Sky")

This episode is not "The Doctor Show". It is however "Doctor Who" a series based around a question. A mystery. In many ways, "Love & Monsters" has been done before. Its old hat. Specifically the first 25 min episode of the entire series "An Unearthly Child" where two school teachers become enamored about the mystery surounding an unusual girl in their class, leading to a mysterious old man in a junkyard. "Doctor Who?"

Its also been done before with "Rose" where a young shop girl meets a stange man in the middle of the night, who blows up her workplace. Both of these stories begin with outsiders confronting the central question that is the basis of the show. Both the school teachers, and Rose are us. The viewer that has been invited into discovering and unraveling the mystery. In the case of "Love & Monsters" The journey is Elton's and his group of friends that come together to work towards this end. Even the 'monster' is us to some degree.. the viewer that knows more about the show than the rest, and ruins the fun for those that are finding simple enjoyment in the fun of the mystery. For Elton, much as all of us, we met the Doctor when we were a child.. in our living room. And like Elton, we have all become enamored with the Doctor and the mystery and questions that surround him and his world.

The episode itself, is told in a broken narrative style, fraimed by Elton's video diaries, and flashbacks. Elton himself is a squeaky, endearing character.. but one whose identifiable traits are not his hights, but rather his faults. His frailty as a human. He dances in his apt when no one is looking, he is confused by love when it is staring him right in the face, he hides from secret pain.. and in the end, he just wants to make sense of it all. This mystery that has been in his life. "Doctor Who?"

Elton's life has intersected events in Doctor Who in many ways.. the Auton invasion from "Rose", the Slitheen ship crashing, the Sycorax threat from Christmas day, and most importantly when he was a small child on one fateful day. We then branch out into the other core characters that make up this drama. Ursula.. the mousey yet forthright geeky girl. Mr Skinner, Bridget and Bliss. Bless Bliss, they used to say. They form a collective group of friends, that eventualy brings much needed joy into their lives. These disparate characters have all come together for the mystery, and end up having fun and enriching each other. Then enters Victor Kennedy.. and from there it is all downhill for them. Hes the typical archetype of the bully who spoils the fun. Obsessive, dominearing, and joyless. A funny but telling line of his is the exclaimation "I dont like to be touched physicaly, OR metaphoricaly."

Jackie Tyler gets a chance to shine in this story as a character. Her interaction with Elton runs the gamut of her character in such a way, that it adds layers and depth on a already much interesting and humorous character. The other remaining regulars Rose and the Doctor, do get some choice moments, but most of these are played for comedy. Which between last story and the end of the season coming up will shine as a welcome bit of our heros just really enjoying themselves in their oddball life of traveling and defeating great evils. And the way the Doctor delivers "ELTON!!! Fetch A SPAAADE!!!" is absoultly hysterical in its urgancy.

In "Love & Monsters" the physical presence of the Doctor isn't around for much of the story. However, the impact of his character is. He is completly central to this story, and in many ways more than stories that he has ample screen time. And as far as the past goes, we have "Mission to the Unknown" a one episode story that doesnt even have the slightest hint or impact of the character of the Doctor, as well as various episodes in stories in the first three seasons where the actor playing the Doctor, has taken some time off and isn't seen much. Locked in a cell and unseen, made invisible by a god-like entity, ect. Or even in the case of "The Massacre" Where the Doctor is only in the beginning and the end of the 4 part story, and the actor who plays him does another seperate role as the villian of the piece. Or "Kinda" where Nyssa sleeps right though an entire story, or "The Invasion" where Zoe is off screen for some of the first half, and Jamie is off screen for much of the end. So historically moving the Doctor (and companions) on and off screen has little impact on the show overall, as it not "The Doctor Show", Or 'The Marc Cory Show" or even "The Rose Show". It is forever "Doctor Who".. a show that asks a question. Sometimes the Doctor is the one facing the question (such as last week's "Satan Pit") or in the case of this old formula, using an outsider to peer into this world and try and make sense of it.

Other sci-fi shows that have used a similar forumla of the outsider looking in (some with even the same broken narrative structure) are X-Files "Jose Chung's From Outer Space", Buffy The Vampire Slayer's "The Zeppo" and "the Storyteller", Babylon 5's "A View From The Gallery", DS9's "In The Cards" and Star Trek: TNG's "Lower Decks".

Production-wise, this episode starts a new trend as far as the New Series, in the fact that due to having a 14th "Christmas Episode" in the shooting schedual, less time has been afforded to the principal actors. The trade off to having an additional 60 mins of New Who each year, is that one of the remaining 13 will have to be 'regular actor'lite. So for those who cry foul at this concept, just consider it an additional 45 mins each year in the Doctor Who Universe, rather than loosing one of the 13 primary series episodes. The fictional universe of WHO, is so much richer because of this new production decision. And will be next year as well.

So, in the end "Love & Monsters" is a cute, harmless episode with squeeky characters. It may not seem that central to the overall fictional universe that is this show, however it is quite simply what is at the heart of all of it. Us, the common person, the viewer, the one who confronts the mystery of "Doctor who?" and of the great mysteries of the universe. Elton and Ursula join the ranks with Ian and Barbara, Chang Lee, Rose, and everyone else that has blundered into the fascinating yet dangerous world of the Doctor and has the bravery to confront the mystery of it all. And like them will be forever changed by it.

The story has a lot of heart, humor and warmth. And characters that are almost impossible not to fall in love with. All of them, the most adorable three-legged puppies you have ever seen. After 45 minutes you have found you have really come to know them, and feel for them.

Is "Love & Monsters" to be considered "The Doctor Show"? Never. It is however, "Doctor Who". The exploration of mystery both external and internal. And above all.. what to make of the answers that are found. And in a smaller way, its about "Love"... and "Monsters". Which as a fandom, as viewers, and as people.. are us. The episode may be a harmless one, but its wealth of meaning and warmth are priceless.

As the Doctor said of the common man, "Two in the morning. Street corner. Taxi ride home. Ive never had a life like that." Its the common man thats most important. Be it school teachers in a junkyard, a shop girl in a basement, or Elton dancing around to ELO. In his underwear.. Awkwardly.

"Mister blue, you did it right
But soon comes mister night creepin' over
Now his hand is on your shoulder
Never mind I'll remember you this
I'll remember you this way" (ELO "Mr Blue Sky")

After the dark fable delights of 'Impossible Planet / The Satan Pit' which is currently a pole position contender for the best of this hit and miss season, I was hoping we were on a roll with the series but……

In respect of the current offering 'Love and Monsters', I honestly have to comment that I have never had to sit through approximately 50 minutes of pure diarrhoea as I had to with this travesty.

What the bloody hell were the team thinking of? Are Russell T. Davies et al, trying to lose viewers? If not they really are going the best way about it in churning out the maximum in dire. This has to be the contender for the worst example of 'Who' drama in the entirety of the 'New Who' stable, not just Tennants' tenure.

The acting was so wooden I anticipated a shower of splinters in some of the sequences. The lead character Elton was portrayed as weak and uninteresting, did we care what happened to him and the bunch of raggedy- rawny misfits – NO!

I wish Peter Kays creation absorbed the bloody lot in the first few minutes and had the Doctor and Rose trying to get them back, which would've been better but in no way could polish this turd.

I loved the monster and seeing Peter Kay in his element, it is a crying shame that they were both wasted. If I had been the kid that designed the monster and seen it used in such a terrible way I would've cried and held my head in my hands.

The acting 'ability' (and I use this term loosely) of Marc Warren and Shirley Henderson may have shone in a third rate amateur dramatics burlesque but definitely has no place in such a show that has the potential of being such of a high calibre. Were they picked off of the streets?

At times this travesty of a tale bordered on Brian Rix farce and should have been titled 'Whoops there goes my Bloomers!' This mortifying attempt at 'slapstick' or should that be 'sh*tstick' humour was agonisingly apparent when the Doctor and Rose are pursuing an alien with a bucket of 'Martian eradicator' this whole sorry state of affairs came across as simply pitiable.

Words fail me how this ever got passed script stages (may have something to with the producer writing this abortion), the same could be said of New Earth and the dire Cyberman escapade (the writer commented his fond nostalgia/inspiration went back to 'Silver Nemesis' - I anticipated this two parter was going to be potentially bol*ocks due to the inspiration so wasn't let down that much) but they were 'classics' in comparison to this. It made Sylvester McCoy's era look like a Belle Époque in the science fiction dramas' history – and believe me for those not in the know- that's' really saying something !!!!!

The humour (?) was not funny, just pathetic; the characters were as weak as water and tried half heartedly to boost up such an incongruous piece of slapdash; commonly known to us all as a 'script'. With toe curlingly embarrassing situations littered throughout, I shook my head in sheer disbelief at how a show such as this had sunk so low.

The whole sorry saga demonstrated how not to do 'Who' and quite frankly showed a complete lack of respect for a show now termed as an 'institution'.

Experiment with new ways – yes sure, but for Pete's' sakes do it well! In a show like this it has to be of a high calibre, what was demonstrated was completely the antithesis.

I am wondering now if when Tenant and Piper were approached with this script they were relieved to find out they weren't in it long. I would be ashamed to be associated with it in all honesty.

I still feel Tennant thinks he is Casanova in a brown suit, he still , in my opinion, hasn't 'cemented' or stamped his mark on the pivotal role and I feel won't do until the script writers do him justice and as long as T. Davies churns out this crap it'll be a long time coming.

Why is this series so different from Ecclestons'? Where is the dark, foreboding atmosphere that added so much mystery in 2005's season. They had the balance almost perfect last year – what's' going wrong?

This has really made me, my friends, my colleagues at work and their children (plenty of age groups and cross sections!!!!) start to turn their backs on a show that was such an exciting Saturday night pizza & beer 'ritual'.

I am getting to the stage where I don't care if I miss it or not - last year Saturdays at 7 p.m were sacrosanct not just for me but it seemed for just about almost everyone. This show seems to be dieing or lacking in an essential ingredient that just simply isn't there.

I really do feel if ideas aren't 'bucked up' then Love and Monsters could be the first death nail for the show.

Mr. T Davies please stick to producing and writing overrated history revisionist outings, leave it to the experts dear - those who know how to write an exciting yarn and respect Doctor Who a damn sight more than you have displayed this year so far. Can't Mark Gatiss produce from Season 3 onwards and give you a much needed (by the seem of things) break?

Well, letВ’s get the basic news out the way В– this episode wasnВ’t good or well written, it was bloody marvellous, with a very funny and touching script by RTD. Anyone nervous about a repeat of last seasonВ’s Boom Town neednВ’t have worried (and, yes, I know that episode has its defenders but, apart from the restaurant scene, and minus the SlitheenВ’s assassination attempts, I just donВ’t happen to be one of them).

This time around, RTD has noticed that if youВ’re going to have an incompetent and comical villain, itВ’s probably best not to have the Doctor aroundВ…

It seems odd to writing about what is now officially my favourite Doctor adventure, and yet to be almost exclusively comparing it to one of the worst, but letВ’s face it В– we were all nervous. We knew the Doctor and Rose werenВ’t going to be in it much; we knew there was going to an emphasis on comedy; we knew Jackie was going to have a major role В– how could we not be nervous? (and let me say that IВ’ve never thought Camille Coduri was a bad actress, or even that Jackie was a bad character, but, after The Christmas Invasion, I doubted that she could carry an extended role effectively В– particularly without Rose or the Doctor to bounce off).

So, there we all were, sitting down at seven oВ’clock, full of hope and good wishes, but surreptitiously expecting at best disappointment, and at worst abject embarrassment, and the show started. A bit of video diary from Marc Warren, okay so far, and thenВ… well, that wasВ… enjoyable: A blasted landscape, the totemic sight of the TARDIS (was that a nod to 2001?), and then a truly surreal cameo by Rose and the Doctor. Oh, and a monster. And buckets.

After that, I just let it wash all over me, and Christ, was it fun. And not only fun, it was eloquent and touching as well.

The main character, Elton Pope (Marc Warren) was one of a rag-tag bunch В– a group of people whose sole connection to each other was some vague association or encounter with the Doctor. As a child, Elton, woken by the sound of the TARDIS, had gone downstairs and found him standing in the living room with a sombre expression on his face. The others, presumably, had similar stories to tell. But of course we knew who these people really were. They were us. The fans.

And if we were mocked (which we were), then it was with affection. More than that, the script both recognised and reminded us that, if В“Doctor WhatВ” connects us, it isnВ’t what sustains us - that would be ELO, football, the pub, Spain and love.

So, that was one level. Beyond that, we had a lot of insight into JackieВ’s concern for Rose (and given the amount of foreshadowing the fate of Rose is getting this season, itВ’s about time she started wearing a red jumper). It was, as you saw through EltonВ’s eyes and diary, a hell of a burden to bear. Consequently, the failure of Jackie and EltonВ’s friendship was a real blow, and I can only hope that they are reconciled at the end of the episodeВ…

В…Because Elton was a real sweetie. His every encounter with the Doctor was associated with misery and loss В– yet there he was at the end, picking up on and extending Sarah Jane SmithВ’s coda from School Reunion, В“some things are worth the painВ”.

And somewhere in all of this, we had a plot. Of sorts. A grotesque, but essentially inept monster, recruits humans to help him track down the Doctor in order to absorb him and steal the TARDIS. He fails. Indeed, he barely registers as a threat to the Doctor, who facilitates his dispatch almost as an afterthought. Rose and the Doctor are only there so that Rose can give Elton a hard time for upsetting her mum.

All in all, a cracker - pathos, smiles, and some real laugh-out-loud lines and scenes (I particularly liked the ease with which Elton found and made friends with Jackie) В– what more could we ask for?

Thinking about it, I suppose the only thing that I might have asked for was not to be left with the indelible image of oral sex with a paving stone etched on my mind.

Not out of prudery - just from a basic respect for my sanity.

The episode showed some sparks of genius and some fantastic acting but it simply was not Doctor Who.

Amongst the shambling story of everyday folk lies a romantic tale of love and monsters as indicated by the title. Peter Kay is not the only monster on display here as the team of В“Who spottersВ” are drawn together through, loneliness and loss, as well as a need for community and common cause.

Marc Warren carries the story (helped most noticeably Shirley Henderson), easily breaking the camera barrier a trait which has worked well for him in the past in the BBC drama the В“HustleВ”. The use of a video diary to capture his banter and tell the story initially works well, but as the episode unfolds it becomes obvious that this is his (EltonВ’s) story and not really Doctor Who.

When you reach the fifteen minute point and the Doctor has barely been seen, you start to get the feeling that the cast, have had a hiatus while the bag is carried by others. In fact throughout the entire episode you sit waiting for the Doctor to appear which distracts from the story itself. I think David Tennant spent more time on screen during the Children in need episode than he did here.

Stalwart Camille Coduri puts in a good turn as Jackie Tyler, injecting both humor and pathos into her well established character, while Russell T Davies does what he does best, giving new characters depth. Kathryn Drysdale (Bliss) has a very short screen time but is every bit a member of В“LINDAВ” and even Bella Emberg makes a brief but purposeful cameo. The much hyped appearance of Peter Kay is gloriously camp and climaxes with his character Victor/ Absorbaloff running down the street chasing Elton. Kay was definitely the villain of the piece, but lacked the screen presence to epitomize bad as Simon Pegg did in season one.

Overall this could have made a good В“TorchwoodВ” story, offering a Doctor cameo, but really is not what we tune in for on a Saturday night.

Well, I never thought there would be a Doctor Who story that made Dimensions in Time look good...

This episode is bound to divide opinion, but I can't help feeling it was actually decidedly average. Not abysmal, just mediocre.

Let me say this: I am not opposed to the idea of an episode without the Doctor and Rose taking centre stage (or even featuring heavily). This happened routinely in the '60s when the lead actors needed to take a holiday, and I don't think the series suffered because of it. Nor am I closed to the idea of an episode being narrated by a 'third party' as if to give us a view of the regular characters that we would not usually get. Nor am I even opposed to the idea of an episode lampooning Doctor Who fans. The Greatest Show in the Galaxy did this pretty obviously, although it actually seems subtle in comparison with Love and Monsters. Nor am I against oddball stories - I thought Bad Wolf, Father's Day, and The Girl in the Fireplace were all excellent.

My problem with this episode is that is just doesn't work - and that it doesn't add up to anything. Elton Pope had to be a sympathetic and interesting narrator, but surely he was just too geeky and cringe-worthy to appeal to non-fans and too close-to-the-bone for most fans to (willingly) identify with. (Actually, the scenes in the flat with Jackie reminded me of Confessions of a Window Cleaner, but that's neither here nor there).

The point of the episode was obviously to parody fans of the series, but there is a problem with this too: Doctor Who fans do not actually get to meet the Doctor!! And, if it was a parody, what was is SAYING? I find it difficult to detect any coherent message, except that we are all kind of sweet but basically pretty cretinous. And, if the point was to investigate the relationship between fans and the series, surely it missed one very significant idea - i.e. that many fans adopt Doctorish mannerisms in their everyday lives. Or do we become obsessed with the Doctor to make up for some loss - e.g. a parent? Really? Is that a fair - or even an interesting - generalisation?

And what does it say to the new fans of the series we desperately need to retain? You are like this? You will become like this? The series really belongs to people like this and not to you? Perhaps others are smart enough to see a coherent message in all of this, but I JUST DON'T GET IT.

I guess another reading is that we get to see what happens to the people the Doctor leaves behind (like Sarah Jane). But, other than Elton, the 'fans' do not have any backgrounds. (At first, I thought Ursula reminded me of the girl with the collecting tin in Survival, but of course she wasn't - she was just some random.) And even so, the theme is surely not strong enough to sustain a whole episode - it cannot replace the story!

I don't think this episode was as bad as Boom Town! or The Idiot's Lantern, but it really was a missed opportunity. If only RTD had used the slot as a Part 2 for New Earth or Tooth and Claw and fleshed out some of those ideas. Or why didn't we revisit the guy from Rose who took an interest in the Doctor? Or why didn't we touch on a few earlier Doctor Who adventures - e.g. the 'Zygon gambit'. Love and Monsters had the feel of a RDT clips show.

But the biggest problem is simply that the series is losing the knack of telling a good story. This sort of navel gazing would be fine if it ran alongside a story and complemented the action, but here the story was given over entirely to navel gazing.

Admittedly, the brilliance of the series lies in the unique flexibility of the format, and so perhaps we just have to accept that experimentation will sometimes deal us a duff episode. But we are all being asked to tolerate RTD's indulgences. If any other writer served up an episode like this, it would surely go straight in the bin. RTD has got to understand that you can do the funny stuff and the self-reflexive stuff, but it has to complement a good story. Love and Monsters has done something I didn't think possible: It has got me pining for The Krotons.

I love Doctor Who, so it pains me to say this but....Worst episode ever.

This is not to say it was a horrible episode, it had very touching moments and some very good acting by actors I might recognize if I was in the UK. The little bit with Jackie was pretty good too, and shows that even though she slapped the Doctor and was very upset about him taking Rose from her, she has accepted the fact that Rose cares very much for him and Jackie will "defend them to the ends of the Earth".

Still, the "villain" was pretty goofy and even though he would have fit in very well in the pre-Ninth era very well I just don't think he was quite what we expect from our 2005/2006 incarnation.

When I rave about an episode, I just can't stop talking about it but when I see an episode like this, I don't know what to say. The absorbing FX were very good, but poor Ursela's fate even after being freed was a bit disturbing. To live out all eternity as a head coming out of a square made of plaster is not something very many of us would agree too and truthfully it seems a bit cruel (although the quick reference to a "sex life" for the two was rather funny).

I appreciate that Doctor Who in this 21st century world is a bit of a character study but to have an entire episode devoted to a conspiracy theorist's journey just isn't what I'm watching the show for, no matter how likable all the characters are. When "The X-Files" created The Lone Gunmen, they tied those characters very deeply to the creation of Fox Mulder and his journey as a character. If these people really had some tie to The Doctor other than seeing him in passing, it might have worked better. If this guy is a possible replacement for Rose than that would change everything because it would be background story on a companion however that is very, very unlikely. I'm not a fan that needs aliens and 45 minutes of special effects every single week but more time with The Doctor than we had for "The Christmas Invasion" is a requirement to fully enjoy an episode.