Love and Monsters begins with the most promising and unusual premise to the new series yet. Elton, an endearingly idiosyncratic young man (we soon learn he likes the soccer, a drink, and the Electronic Light Orchestra), comes across the Doctor and Rose in a disused factory. In a joke that apparently never gets old for the new seriesВ’ writers, the Doctor and Rose are running back and forth across the screen, entering and exiting different doors on either side of the factory hallway, alternately chasing and being chased by a В‘monsterВ’. This Benny Hill type chase scene (complete with bucket of water) seems intended to build the light comic relief which characterises the episode, and this particular monsterВ’s presence is in fact then forgotten for the remainder.

Elton spends the rest of the episode documenting his story through soliloquies to his video camera, with cuts to the real action of the episode as it progresses. Elton recalls, from a strange night in early childhood, finding a mysterious man (the Doctor) in his house for a reason that later becomes clear (although unlikely). With a terrifically amusing sequence, we then see Elton getting involved with four other charming characters who have developed a fascination with the legend of the Doctor. At their regular meetings, they build a happy friendship that is much more fulfilling than the Doctor-obsession that originally brought them together.

Unfortunately, the mysterious and eccentric Victor discovers the group and his depth of knowledge on the Doctor and authoritative air quickly have them running errands trying to track the Doctor down. ItВ’s unfortunate, because one by one Victor asks members of the group to stay behind, and one by one they mysteriously disappear. This is rather annoying, as they all had the potential to offer quite a bit more to the episode. Along the way, Elton has some very entertaining adventures finding and ingratiating himself with RoseВ’s mum, and again, the development of his friendship with her makes him realise that love and friendship in the real world is more fulfilling than his interest in the semi-mythical Doctor.

Sadly, the episode then needlessly self-destructs. The innovation and great comic timing of the parodic first half collapses into distasteful perversity as yet another unlikely monster is revealed, more unsatisfying speculation about the DoctorВ’s dark side is briefly and ineffectively touched on, and Elton is left at the end holding a disembodied (yet alive) womanВ’s head with which we are told he has a В‘love lifeВ’. The inescapable conclusion that this means kissing and fellatio between a man and a disembodied head is off-putting, to say the least.

Despite the poor finale, the beginning of this episode and a few of the other episodes this season do show that the new series of Doctor Who can find interesting new ground. Yet it remains a wasted opportunity that 22 of the first 27 episodes have been grounded on Earth (or in near space). HereВ’s hoping that the remaining two episodes of the season provide some segue for the TARDIS to break free of our solar system for the next season.

PS. I can't help thinking about the Satan Pit. Surely it would be more interesting for the TARDIS to materialise around the spaceship, rather than the rather silly В‘towingВ’ scene. ItВ’s high time we saw some of the cavernous TARDIS interiors beyond the control room.

Do you think ANYONE on the production team is able to turn to RTD and say 'actually, no, Russell- I think it's really bad and quite lazy. What on Earth are you trying to do?'

I just listened to the commentary on this episode. On it RTD chuckles at the absurdity of a steaming bucket being thrown at an alien to attack it and muses on the indignation of fans seeing this and that while the internet is buzzing he'll be in his hot tub. Personally I didn't mind the steaming bucket in the least. I do mind not knowing why it was there or what was going on but then RTD doesn't seem to think anything like plot matters so long as you've got snappy one-liners and soap-opera moments. I don't agree.

This was, in short a complete waste of our time. Yes is was sometimes smirkinlgy funny and quite sweet but so is alot of what's on TV and Dr Who is supposed to be better than that. I'm not just saying that because I count myself as a fan but because the new series have won so many awards, had so many viewers and so many RT covers. It IS better, more interesting and more engaging than most programmes on TV and what Love & Monsters did was, frankly boring.

The metaphor for Dr Who fans is now quite tired and beginning to get boring. Why not include metaphors for the BBC, JNT and Mary Whitehouse and write a plotless character piece about a group of schools kids making a magazine? This was SO trite, banal and pointless- the only vaguely interesting thing was Elton's mother being killed by a Shade escaped from the Howling Halls. But then we al know how good RTD is at thinking up sparkle and dressing without any thought, substance or plot behind it.

Peter Kay is apparently a really good actor aswell as a great comedian. He might be- it may have come across in the episode but to be honest all I could see was reasonable pantomime.

The epsiode was intended as an experiment- a change of format for the show. Good. Fine. Absolutely no problem. The 'Adventuress of Henrietta Street' was a BBC novel with a radically different format, told in the form of fragmented historical documents, heresay and excerpts from prostitutes' diaries. It was also the most engaging, intelligent and exciting Dr Who book I have every read. I have no problem with experimenting with the bounds of the show's format but SURELY if you are going to do something risky and unusual you need a really good REASON to do it? There was nothing here- just some pretty standard TV fair about a group of people enjoying themselves and being taken over by a more coporate/unhappy ethos and then losing friends. It wasn't deep, it wasn't interesting and certainly wasn't worth my time.

It was also a complete spoof. Like the burping bin, the EXCESSIVE farting of the slitheen and the three stooges slaptick at the beginning of the epidose it was a very obvious denial of the world in which the characters live. It's like a boom coming into shot or having canned laughter over the top of the soundtrack. These little quirks and one-liners that pepper RTD's writing are not only pathetic when compared to the comedy and plotting of other writers but also ruin our belief in the world the character's live in- how can we care about Billy's character when we're constantly being made aware of the writer's sense of humour. The kind of ridiculous juxtapositions RTD puts in like the boy-next-door keeping a living paving-stone in his room which whom he has arelationship could probably be carried off by a writer like Paul Magrs- he is outlandish in such a way as create believable worlds with explanations and intelligent themes. Can you imagine the response that the first episode of 2005 would have had if Rose was attacked by and Abzorbaloff in the basement rather than Autons? NO ONE WOULD BE WATCHING.

On a similar theme the Abzorbaloff was terribly realized. The idea the 10y/o kid had is good as far as I can see and despite the Earth-referencing sumo pants and mohican a nice idea for an alien mencace. Contrary to RTD's comments it is perfectly obvious from the drawing that it should have been the size of a double decker bus (a whole body is visible in its forearm) and it should have been see-through... but never mind. Unfortunately it looked like a goblin/orc/gremlin/ogre/troll from any fairy-tale book and NOT like an alien. My point is it looks very much like a human fantasy of a monster - essentially a very ugly human being - rather than something that evolved on a very different work an developed a different culture. Compare this to the Ood who look wonderful and SO believeable. If there was some kind of explanation that the reason we conceive goblins/trolls/bogeymen as looking a bit like Abzorbaloffs etc suchas them actually stalking Bavarian villages in the fifth century and being recorded in our popular consciousness as fairy tale monsters- then suddenly they'd be believable and more frightening. As it is it looks like a fat guy in suit and if I were a 10y/o viewer I'd be insulted.

As I said there were moments that were funny and sweet. But anyone and any TV show can do that- Dr Who needs to have more to it.

Watching "Love and Monsters" counts as possibly the best forty-five minutes spent in front of a television for many years. I would sincerely rate this as one of the freshest, finest, funniest and most gloriously life-enhancing episodes of Doctor Who that has ever been screened.

There is little point in discussing the details of "Love and Monsters". There are plenty of other sources and reviews dedicated to discussing the script, plot, dialogue, acting, effects and production : all of which were from the top drawer.

For this is really not a review of the story per se, but a meta-review, a consideration of fans' reactions to the story as evinced by the polarised opinions expressed on Outpost Gallifrey and elsewhere. I think it important that Doctor Who fans pause for reflection and consider the impact of "Love and Monsters". For it crystallises Russell T. Davies' effect on the programme and epitomises his vision. This is the show that forces us to nail our colours to the mast and declare whether we are Who-radicals or Who- conservatives.

The presence of so many negative reviews for "Love and Monsters" reveals, as if it needed any revelation, that many Doctor Who fans are deeply conservative. That is to be expected : fandom is composed of people who love something, and what they love they seek to protect from change lest it become something they love less, or not at all.

But I think this conservative reaction to "Love and Monsters" is not only undeserved and unnecessary, it is poison to the show they love.

The negative reaction of the conservatives is undeserved because this was an excellent story. It had pace, rhythm (and blues), humour, terrific lines, character, heart and soul. In Peter Kay's Absorbaloff it had an alien somewhat in the mould of Nabil Shaban's Sil from Vengeance on Varos, and superbly realised. Some of the pure CGI creatures we have seen in earlier episodes of Series Two (especially the werewolf from "Tooth and Claw" and the Krillitanes from "School Reunion") lack any real presence for the simple reason that they have none – they are added on afterwards, and it shows; they simply do not interact with the sets or cast in a truly convincing way. The Absorbaloff is a brilliant creation, galaxies away from previous generations of latex aliens, and one which has a tremendous, tactile vitality.

Moreover, this story most emphatically was echt-Doctor Who. In fact, in its closing revelations it speaks more about the Doctor and what he stands for and does than many more ordinary stories. Anyone with a knowledge of Classic Who knows there are plenty of occasions where the Doctor's behaviour seems distinctly at odds with what we think it should be; the way in which he seems just a little too keen to dispatch the bad guys, a few touches of callousness, or sometimes a seeming acceptance of what should be unacceptable situations. Tennant may have been on screen for only a few brief moments, but those scenes perfectly articulated the Doctor's mission, his essence.

That this story is regarded as radical or experimental is itself an indictment of the limited imaginations and timidity of many Who fans. For in reality, it is barely either of those things. It is less experimental in many regards than Ghost Light, and vastly more entertaining and well-written that that travesty of a story – a story which did not so much hammer the nails into the programme's coffin as suck them in from inside the casket.

What exactly did the Who-conservatives think that writers meant when they said that the best thing about Doctor Who was the flexibility it offered them, the fact that any story could be told in any way? Apparently it meant any story and any way as long as it started with the Tardis materialising and featured the Doctor in most scenes. Pour me some more Mogadon; I have a hundred and fifty stories on video and DVD like that.

Why is it so outrageous to the Who-conservatives that this story hardly features the Doctor and Rose? How can any thinking fan think that this means it is "not proper Who"? Have you never read a book or seen a film which occasionally switches viewpoint or voice, even for a single chapter or scene? Have you never wondered what impact the Doctor must have on a planet he dedicates so much of his time to saving? Are we forbidden from seeing the ripples he makes in the lives of those he meets? Can we not be spared 45 minutes in which to see these things? Russell T. Davies is absolutely right to lift the drab veil which has hitherto prevented us from bearing witness to those whose lives have been touched by one of the most extraordinary creatures in the universe.

Of course, it's not just the almost Doctor-less nature of the show which has the conservatives howling. The show has music! And humour! Worst still, a joke, possibly referring to oral sex! And we know that these things are anathema to the po- faced, sexless conservatives. They didn't like the Slitheen's flatulence. They don't do the kissing. Captain Jack's sexual ambiguity is not something they care to ponder. For their vision of Doctor Who is an arid, dusty one; a show of lofty concepts and portentous moments – "Have I the right?"- to be contemplated with Time Lord-like disdain. Heaven forbid that the programme should actually be entertaining, should appeal to the non-fan, should dare to rise above the ankle-high limits required of it by fandom.

Restrict quality writers with the conditions required by the conservatives, and I'll tell you what you'll get : three more series of corridor athletics. Except you won't get three series, you'll get none, because the audiences would drop Doctor Who like an osmium anvil.

"Love and Monsters" was the embodiment of ideas expressed in this season's stories "School Reunion" and "Age of Steel" : the necessity of change and the utter failure which will result from attempting to keep things static and under control. And this maxim applies as much to the show itself as to the characters and events portrayed within it.

Were the Doctor real, he would adore "Love and Monsters". He would revel in its energy and humour, its "radical" nature, its portrayal of real people, and he would run screaming from the conservative's vision of the programme – no sex, no fun, no change and nothing tasting of human beings behaving in a believable manner.

So I rebut those reviewers who have used the "worst ever" gag from "The Simpsons"; and I do so partly because it is very nearly true, and partly to provoke and stimulate the debate. Inevitably, then : "Love and Monsters"…best episode ever?

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 d e 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!

Many years ago, Blue Peter ran a competition for young Doctor Who fans to design their own monsters. The winning entries, the Steel Octopus, the Hypnotron, and Aquaman, were built by the BBC special effects department and filmed in the studio as a reward. Wisely, this was as far as the prize went. Unwisely, when the Blue Peter ran a similar competition in 2006, Russell T. Davies thought it might be a good idea to actually feature the winning entry in Doctor Who itself. And thus В‘Love & MonstersВ’ came to pass. Forced to write an episode revolving around a green fat man in a thong however, Davies does the only sensible thing and plays it for laughs; the result is arguably the single most divisive story of the new series to date.

В‘Love & MonstersВ’ is unusual, but at its heart is a great idea. By sidelining the Doctor and Rose, Davies tells the story from the point of view of an innocent bystander whose world has collided with that of the Doctor, and in doing so he portrays the Doctor as almost mythical figure who leaves chaos in his wake. This is essentially a very sound concept, and allows Davis to revisit the idea he briefly touched on in В‘RoseВ’ in more depth. EltonВ’s speech at the end, and the revelation of his motherВ’s death, shows the Doctor as an engine of fate, who may be wonderful and magical, but who is always accompanied by pain and tragedy; thus, Elton is drawn slowly into the DoctorВ’s world and loses everything he held dear, first his mother during a childhood encounter, and subsequently all of his friends as they fall prey to the Absorbaloff, who is trying to track the Doctor down. Ominously, Elton ponders, В“Maybe thatВ’s what happens if you touch the Doctor, even for a second. I keep thinking about Jackie and Rose and wondering how soon theyВ’ll pay the priceВ” which brings a sense of foreboding in the context of the series as a whole, especially given the announcement that Billie Piper is to depart at the end of the this series.

This is not the only preoccupation of В‘Love & MonstersВ’. The members of LINDA represent an unsubtle and rather patronizing but ultimately affectionate swipe at Doctor Who fans (because of course weВ’re all eccentric and socially awkward), which ends up resulting in an episode that for the first half an hour feels rather sweet and endearing. For the first time, DaviesВ’ insistence on crowbarring emotional relationships into Doctor Who works, partly because it doesnВ’t involve the Doctor and Rose flirting at inconvenient moments, but because it feels natural in an episode that focuses on a close knit group of friends. Incredibly, one side effect of this is that Jackie actually works well, and Camille Coduri, who usually makes me want to put my foot through the television whenever she is on screen, puts in a decent performance. The scene in which Jackie does all of EltonВ’s infiltration steps for him is genuinely entertaining, whilst her predatory seduction scene is quite terrifying. For the first time, her sadness over RoseВ’s absence feels poignant rather than merely tedious and is entirely appropriate to a story that explores the consequences for those caught up in the DoctorВ’s life. And when she realizes that Elton is looking for the Doctor, her furious response, as she tells him, В“IВ’ll never let her down and IВ’ll protect them both until the end of my lifeВ” is well acted and a far cry from the usual shrill harridan turn we get from her. In fact she comes off better than Rose here, who in her brief scene at the end strides out of the TARDIS, ignores the Absorbaloff and shrieks, В“You upset my mum!В” Strident cow.

The rest of the cast is also very good, with Mark Warren excelling as endearing simpleton Elton, but it is inevitably Peter Kay, in an example of sort of guest star casting that John Nathan-Turner used to get lambasted for, who grabs the attention. IВ’m not sure whether the casting came first or the script, but KayВ’s performance works because above all else, В‘Love & MonstersВ’ has a sense of both the ridiculous and the grotesque. Victor Kennedy is rather Grand Guignol, and his constant reminders about his В“eczeemaВ” are quite amusing, Kay clearly having fun. The character verges on pantomime, but the flashes of anger and occasional urgency ring true. Once Kay switches into the Absorbaloff costume however, things go massively over-the-top in a way that is obviously intentional; the Absorbaloff is ludicrous and treated as such, from its writhing in disgusting ecstasy as it digests its victims, to the hilariously unpleasant sight of it running along in its thong and roaring menacingly (mercifully, Davies decides that it isnВ’t really called an Absorbaloff; Elton and Ursula fumble for names for the creature and then it delighted proclaims, В“Yes, I like thatВ” when they hit on Absorbaloff). ItВ’s utterly grotesque, but not nearly so much as Ursula, rescued from death by the Doctor and turned into a concrete fellatio machine, which is profoundly disturbing.

Some of the humour works less well, most notably the cringe worthy Scooby Doo nonsense with the Hoix and the buckets (and Davies is really pushing his luck with EltonВ’s, В“I just put that bit at the beginning В‘cause itВ’s a brilliant openingВ”), but there are some great lines and in particular EltonВ’s, В“ThereВ’s two women live there now, and theyВ’re a bitВ… severeВ” made me chuckle, as did the DoctorВ’s urgent, В“Elton! Fetch a spade!В” On the down side, Davies canВ’t resist sticking in references to not only Torchwood but also Bad Wolf and Raxacoricofallapatorius and the Slitheen, which somehow manages to be more self-indulgent than anything else in the episode.

Inevitably, В‘Love & MonstersВ’ is going to prove controversial, and quite possibly hugely unpopular, but itВ’s fun, itВ’s silly, and itВ’s an attempt to do something new within the series. And that in itself is worthwhile, even if posterity judges the experiment a failure.

Deep in space, an impossible planet orbits a black hole in an impossible way. It emanates an impossible cone of gravity while beknown to the human explorers on its surface, the impossible planet has an impossible, devilish secret.

Impossible, is the theme to В“The Impossible Planet/The Satan PitВ” two parter. Not just its concept, but its philosophy. This episode is as much about how the Doctor deals with the inexplicable - or should I say, the impossible - as it is an adventure trapped in a scientific absurdity.

The setting for this adventure, the impossible and unnamed planet, is crafted with an eye for detail. The base itself brings back images of all sorts of dirty science fiction TV and film shows. Visually, the story has very intentional ties to Ripley ScottВ’s В“AlienВ”. As a story, it shifts slightly closer towards the science fiction horror, В“Event HorizonВ”. There is a little of Space:1999 in the baseВ’s external design and I thought the adjoining spacecraft had a little bit of the retro rocket ship from the likes of Buster CrabbeВ’s В“Flash GordonВ”. By taking a little from various places in the genre it gives this story its own identity playing homage to the best without mimicking or feeling like a second rate copy.

As with the New Series as a whole, the acting is hard to fault, which in a claustrophobic nightmare as in В“The Impossible Planet/The Satan PitВ”, is vital. There are few minor characters to draw attention away from the main cast and being a very science fiction orientated story, you HAVE to believe in those actors. There is no question about believability which is testament to the acting and direction.

Helping them along is a wonderful script by Matthew Jones, a veteran writer from the Virgin New AdventureВ’s era. It has to be said that В“The Impossible Planet/The Satan PitВ” certainly has a taste of those seventh Doctor novels. However, it also feesl quite В“traditional WhoВ” at the same time. This story takes from the classic show in a way I felt В“Rise of the CybermenВ” failed to suceed. The story doesnВ’t just take old formulaic ideas and integrate them (my concern with В“Rise Of The CybermenВ”), it takes classic devices from the old series and uses them in a contemporary context. For instance, the TARDIS is lost within a few minutes. Very traditional Who, but actually there is no specific need to do this with the tenth Doctor. The tradition is there, but upated for the requirements of the story. Iin the sixties, Doctor Who had to find a practical reason as to why the TARDIS team didnВ’t run away - which often lead to being severed from their route back to the TARDIS - В“The Impossible PlanetВ” actually knocks this possibility aside with its teaser - Rose and the Doctor laughing at the very prospect of leaving. Yet, losing the TARDIS early on helps create that helpless environment that is required for the episode.

Furthermore, we also have some death scenes in В“The SatanВ’s PitВ” which are very old school Who. Security controller Jefferson stays behind to fight the enemy off and thereby sacrificing his life. Very typical Doctor Who, yet, in В“The SatanВ’s PitВ”, the scene uses this formula to focus on the emotional drama. No simple scream to announce the death of the straggler - we see the man and his friends dealing with his choice.

В“The Impossible PlanetВ” is a joyous piece of writing. The idea of being caught by a black hole was a premise set up in a similar vein by the aptly titled Disney film В“The Black HoleВ”, however the focus on this story is less on the collapsed star above, but whatВ’s going on below. Rather than simply become a В“monster vs humanВ” affair, В“The Impossible PlanetВ” rapidly changes direction from science fiction to mythological horror. This movement from one genre to the other is seamless. The В“OodВ”, a willing slave race, provide the obligatory monster to keep the tension up, but the real monster is the devil in the pit. The scene in which Tobey the archeologist is В“infectedВ” by the devil is probably the scariest moment in Doctor Who. What makes it even more impressive is it relies on nothing but the actor and the production crew to create the suspense. No effects, no monsters. ItВ’s just good acting, direction and a deft piece of editing.

The climax to В“The Impossible PitВ” is one of the best ones of the New Series. As with В“Aliens Of LondonВ” itВ’s a multi cliff-hanger, which really does build the tension to impossible levels. ItВ’s only weakness is the resolution is wrapped up rather fast and a little too neatly in В“The Satan PitВ”

В“The Satan PitВ” doesnВ’t start off as strong as В“The Impossible PlanetВ” ended, but it makes up for any such weakness by the final act. This episode is Doctor Who at itВ’s best. We have tension, we action, we have drama. The New Series Doctor Who knows when to lay off the comedy and British eccentricities and there is little of either in В“The Satan PitВ”. What we do have is a wonderful fusion of drama and character scenes. While Rose has the drama and action, the Doctor has the character moments and the two arcs compliment themselves beautifully.

RoseВ’s role in В“The SatanВ’s PitВ” is probably the best use of the character this series. She gets to work on her own story arc rather than just tagging onto the DoctorВ’s. Giving both Rose and the Doctor space from each other really helped the characters to breathe. ItВ’s only when they are pulled apart as in this story does one realise how their natural dynamic just suffocates the pair when they are together. My only silly quibble with Rose in this episode was during the finale where she dispatches the monster by blowing out the window with a bolt gun. ItВ’s a nice idea and a lot of fun, but when the villain is strapped next to you, youВ’d think your instinctive reaction would be to fire it into the villainВ’s chest not blow open the cabin and undo his belt. Far more dramatic - and I appreciate there is only so much cold blood you can dish out to a companion, but this sort of reaction seems a little out of character for anyone in RoseВ’s situation! Oh, and while weВ’re on minor quibbles, a superficial suggestion is for makeup to lighten up on the eyeliner. Rose has black eyes that a panda would envy.

The finale is a great piece of television full of suspence and growing tension. The whole plot resolution was a relief as I was beginning to question some of the episodeВ’s plausibility (if there is any in a story set on an impossible planet to begin with).

The devil is established as such a powerful omnipotent villain, yet when the crew fight back, he goes strangely impotent. Now this happens a lot when shows pit a mighty power against lesser powered heroes; the writer has to de-power or empower one of the two in order to create a victory for the underdog. With the characters successfully fighting back from the might of the Ood, it suddenly feels as if weВ’ve seen the devil suffer some power withdrawal. Thankfully, the end makes it clear this was never the intention.

With a whole story so steeped in mystery, the audience are kept one step behind which really serves the storyline. This is after all, unusual territory for Doctor Who; no blasГ© explanation of godly powers, no affirmation that this is an advanced alien.. the details are kept to a minimum all the way to the end. The story, in essense, makes a battle against formula and leaves the audience wondering in which direction itВ’s going to go: Will it expose the enemy as a powerful alien? Or is this the first unholy terror weВ’ve seen in Doctor Who?

The story has a great balance between dark and light. It is a tense watch, but the ending has a joyous lift which feels appropriate for the show. I suppose one could see it as a metaphor; escaping the dire gravity of the situation is almost like escaping the Black HoleВ’s pull.

Throughout, the music is wonderful. A collection of the standard Murray Gold motifs, with a natural earthy mix of strings akin to В“FireflyВ” and Chris CarterВ’s В“MillenniumВ”.

Any grumbles? A couple. The Rose and Doctor relationship explored in В“The Impossible PlanetВ” still feels naff. While В“The SatanВ’s PitВ” gives us a little glimpse into what the Doctor sees in Rose, she still seems very childish. Her dreams of settling down with the Doctor in this story, the selfish possessiveness of the Time Lord sheВ’s exhibited throughout the season - she doesnВ’t feel like a character youВ’d imagine someone as old and well travelled like the Doctor falling for. I suppose one could argue he has so much respect for the instinctive drive for mankind - as referenced a great deal in this story - someone who is so honest to their whims - to the point they are discourteous to others, may be strangely attractive to him. Either way, itВ’s still not something IВ’m personally keen on the series exploring. Madame De Pompedeau seemed a more realistic pairing. The romance isnВ’t the issue - itВ’s the subject of the romance I question.

One grumble weВ’re sure to hear is how conveniently the Doctor finds the TARDIS after his wonderfully dramatic test of faith in front of the demon. To me, it was a perfect resolution. This story is about the nature of the inexplicable; that there are some things that we canВ’t explain. Finding the TARDIS shows that same inexplicable circumstances that brings us the devil in this story - only in a more positive form. For me it made the episode, but considering how certain sections of fandom found the lack of science in having a В“Impossible PlanetВ” hard to get by, such solutions in В“The Satan PitВ” are bound to agitate.

An excellent story from start to finish. Best two parter IВ’ve seen. Yes, I believe itВ’s better than В“The Empty ChildВ”. Tennant is great, Piper does a wonderful job in part two and the whole performance shines. This is truly an ensemble story and no one letВ’s the side down.

В”The Impossible Planet/The Satan PitВ” is some scary Doctor Who that mixes wonderful homage and classic Who concepts into a story which feels fresh exciting and brimming with drama. Comparing individual episodes in such a diverse series as Doctor Who is hard, but, this has to be one of the best episodes of Doctor Who - period. Honestly dear fans, weВ’ve never had it so good.