The Sleepers of the Earth Review (What if Doctor Who Wasn't Axed?)

Please Note - This is a review for the story The Sleepers of Earth from the What if Doctor Who Wasn't Axed Series which explores an alternate timeline where Doctor Who Wasn't Axed. To view it click here:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEfK7Qf8yhwwtvwIY3G09-015UqzHXiML This review is written as if it's a review from the time of this episodes transmission written by a fan. Please enjoy!

The Sleepers of Earth

written by Christopher Chibnall

directed by Ashley Way

Broadcast - 30th June 2001-21st July 2001

The Silurians are back and they’re not as good as they used to be.

As the story aried, I actually enjoyed it far more than it deserved. The Pertwee tributathon, with the Welshness and the drilling and the Green Veins Of Death and all, was an easy win. And we’ve come to realise that whatever rubbish is onscreen, if Richard E Grant’s Doctor is in it it’s going to be sprinkled with sparkly magic dust that lifts the material far higher than it actually rates. Also, they do a much better job of showing the utter terror of being dragged down through the earth than Frontios manages. But despite all that, as the episodes unspooled the horrible reality was creeping through to us. It’s actually pretty awful. And think about it even for a second and it crumbles to dust.

Christopher Chibnall is a new writer for Doctor Who and it seems a shame his first shot is a remake of Doctor Who and the Sillurians and not something more original. All it does is make us dismiss him as a writer when he maybe able to write some crackers for all we know. Sleepers of the Earth do not, shall we say, display much originality.

Take the characters. The teaser’s actually very nice, with some good characterising stuff between Mo and his son, so that we actually care when Mo slithers away into the dirt. Then they chuck all that away when we don’t see Mo for, like, ever, and when we do he could be anybody. Elliot is a really great kid (and since we have a low nausea threshold for adorable little tykes that’s high praise from me), and his interaction with the Doctor is great, but again, it all comes to nothing.

None of the others are any better, either. Whatever’s good about Meera Syal’s character Nasreen - the warmth, the realness - comes from her: the bad bits - the total lack of sciences, not to mention the confusion about what kind of scientist she actually is - come from the script. Tony is a complete nonentity (apart from one weird moment we talk about later) and we’re not buying his apparent relationship with Nasreen for a second. And Ambrose (Ambrose?) is just plain terrible.

Nor do the Silurians escape. Who do we have? The psychotic twins, literally played by Davros, on one side, cuddly Stephen Moore on the other. Not what you’d call light and shade, is it? The one Silurian who isn’t one-note, the scientist, doesn’t make any sense whatsoever - he seems terribly nice, doesn’t he, and the Doctor clearly likes him a lot, but wait a minute. Isn’t this the same guy whose hobby is vivisection? What the hell’s that about?

That’s the trouble with the plot, too. Half of it’s smack-you-in-the-face obvious, the other half is utterly loopy. And not in a good way. The Doctor and Sammy investigate the drilling operation Watch out for the magic dust, because Richard E Grant is sprinkling it on deliciously. Then, in the charm of the exchanges between the Doctor and Elliot, you can almost forget the silliness of the Doctor insisting on them gathering in the church (wouldn’t the TARDIS be a lot safer, even if it can’t take off?). Or the hilarity of them setting up a CCTV network that covers the entire village in twenty minutes flat. And admiring the steel behind the Doctor’s smile as he asks Ambrose to put away the weapons nearly makes you forget how unreasonable the Doctor’s being: if you’re going to “temporarily incapacitate” somebody with a sonic pulse, what’s the diff between that and biffing them with a cricket bat?

And ooh! Little green men! Or Silurians with included horribly CGIed tongue. And the Doctor in sunglasses, which is lots of fun, and then it’s apparently okay to squirt someone in the face with a fire extinguisher even if you disapprove of cricket bats. Oh yes, Sammy. But never mind her, because the Doctor’s talking to Davros – umm sorry – Alayd the Silurian. Terry Molloy gives an exceptional performance through all those prosthetic which I’m glad they updated but not competently changed and kept the same feel of the Silurians.

The interrogation scene is, thanks to the actors involved, very nice indeed. We love Alayd’s lizardiness, and while we could do without his one-note foamy-mouthed attitude, Terry Molloy brings complete conviction to it. The Doctor-style interrogation is also great, and it’s not all jelly babies either: the Doctor shows his teeth more than once. It’s a great two-hander.

Then off we go with the good old Silurian Question. It’s their planet, too, so what are we going to do about it? You’d have to be a lot less cynical than we are to envisage an answer to this question that doesn’t involve a good few rivers of blood, but it’s always worth a ponder. Of the four times Doctor Who has now had a go at said pondering, the first time was the most interesting and complex (and shocking): this, alas, is the least. We know Bad Things are going to happen to Alayd when the Doctor leaves her alone with assorted humans: it’s just a question of when.

That’s not helped, of course, by a script that makes Tony, whose grandson is being held hostage and whose life might depend on a prisoner exchange, suggest that they dissect her. Dear God. Yes, it’s supposed to be all parallel and stuff, but it’s ridiculous. Also, is the dome thingy gone or not? If it’s not, why does the Doctor suddenly think it’s OK to use the TARDIS when he didn’t before? And if it is, now that the door’s open, wouldn’t you think the others, whose loved ones’ lives are in the balance, would suggest TELLING SOMEBODY about this mysterious scourge from below rather than indulging in a spot of impromptu surgery themselves? What the hell good would finding the weak spots do for this bunch?

Oh, well. Onwards and downwards. (They said it, we didn’t.) Sammy manages to pick lovable old Dr Mengele’s pocket while having her hand completely clamped down, and Richard E Grant turns in some really excellent screaming and writhing. And we don‘t say that lightly: practically every other Doctor has gurned their way horribly through torture scenes. Back on the surface, there’s a really odd moment with Tony and Alayd in which he offers to let her go if she cures him. Shouldn’t this be a character-defining thing? After all, his grandson’s life might depend on keeping Alayd, so he’s trying to trade Elliot’s life for his. Despite this, it’s never referred to again and he keeps cruising on as one of the good guys. Huh? Similarly, Ambrose zaps Alayd just because of a bit of taunting, thus endangering her entire family, and Tony has the cheek to reprimand her when a few minutes before he was going to let Alayd go. Consistency? Not so much. This isn't character shading: it's picking incidents out of a hat.

The Doctor proposes a swap, and Restoc, instead decides on a clear message. Yawn, another fanatic. Not exactly ringing the changes, are they? But it’s insanely nice Eldane to the rescue, who negotiates with Amy and Nasreen despite having sensibly asked whether they have any authority and getting an accurate answer. Very heart-tugging but also very stupid. Also very stupid is Sammy’s brilliant plan to plonk all the lizards in the Sahara and the Outback and the Nevada Plains because they’re deserted. Right, Sammy, we pick you to tell the Tuareg and the other 2.5 million people who actually live in the Sahara. And the indigenous Australians living in the Outback. Not that we really need to take them into consideration, of course. After all, they’ve only been there for tens of thousands of years.

And then oops, here’s your minion who’s just a tiny bit dead. The Doctor assures Eldane that humanity are better than this, although considering his previous Silurian outings we’re not sure where he’s getting that idea from. Tony declares his love for his grandson - shame he didn’t remember him when he was trying to release Alayd, isn’t it? The toxic fumigation, a mad scheme if ever we’ve heard of one, kicks off.

It’s not 100% terrible. We think I can safely predict that nothing with Richard in as the Doctor will ever be that. But it’s profoundly, depressingly unoriginal. The dialogue clunks like a Clunk-O-Matic 2.0. The characters remain sadly random and/or undeveloped. And the plot machinery keeps poking through the holes in the tissue of gauze stretched across the top. In so many ways, it’s far from the Silurians’ finest hour. It might set out to be a homage, but instead only reminds us of how far we’ve come - the wrong way down the street.

Who Killed Kennedy? Review (What if Doctor Who Wasn't Axed?)

Please Note - This is a review for the story Who Killed Kennedy? from the What if Doctor Who Wasn't Axed Series which explores an alternate timeline where Doctor Who Wasn't Axed. To view it click here:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEfK7Qf8yhwwtvwIY3G09-015UqzHXiML This review is written as if it's a review from the time of this episodes transmission written by a fan. Please enjoy!

Who Killed Kennedy?

written by David Bishop

directed by Barry Letts

Broadcast - 29th July 2000-19th August 2000

What an inspired episode. It’s almost as if this were an anniversary special. It certainly seems that way with it’s use of multiple Doctors – McCoy and McGann – and archive footage of Jon Pertwee. It’s certainly a treat but perhaps not such a treat for non-fans but I believe it still makes some sense. The idea to go and follow a new character for the majority of the run time that is finding out about the Doctor is certainly original and interesting however I do find it a missed opportunity not to have made James a companion.

David Bishop obviously knows Doctor Who extremely well. He can write Doctor Who fluently and unlike some other stories so far this season – Cough, Cough, Never Eat Shredded Wheat Cough, Cough – this story is not only just held up by McGann’s and the rest of the cast’s acting but also the terrific writing. It’s just well plotted, hard as nails drama that is aimed straight at your heart.

Why was this so good then? Well the very premise is one that should be admired for its audacity. Basically the story follows reporter James Stevens throughout the early seventies, a man obsessed with his work and uncovering the secrets hidden in the government. He becomes aware of a secret Intelligence service known as UNIT as more and more terrorist actions are taken against the UK, dummies massacring people in the street, a plague at a London train station, the loss of Mars Probe seven... and sets out to expose this UNIT and their frightening ability to cover up these incidents. The public have a right to know they are being manipulated and James is determined to be the one who writes the full scoop on this UNIT and their mysterious scientific advisor known as the Doctor...

What a brave, brilliant idea to have a story focussing on the public's reaction to the bizarre happenings during the Pertwee era. It is a lot of fun to see how easily the media rationalise the Auton invasion, the Silurian Plague, etc, and it is also nice to see just how many casualties there were during these adventures... a point that is skipped over in most of them after the menace has been fought. What David Bishop manages to do is to see many of the early Pertwee stories in a different light, videos that we have watched again and again now have a new angle to explore. What a clever man, I have already re-watched Inferno and The Mind of Evil since watching this episode on Saturday.

But even cleverer than that is his ability to slip his character into those TV stories. Go watch The Silurians, when the Brig picks up the phone and says "The daily what? How did you get this number?" ...well that's him! You see a strange looking man examining the Keller machine in The Mind of Evil, well it seems that’s Mr. Stevens too. You have to admire the man for his audacity, to find all this possible appearances must have taken some work but it pays of handsomely... I was grinning like an idiot.

The use of all these continuity references - Dodo, Watkins, Sutton, Petra, Black Thursday, Wenley Moor, Mars Probe, Stalhman, Liz, Jo, plastic daffodils, the Keller Machine, Magister, Ogrons... the links to previous Doctor Who episodes are relentless but amazingly this does not matter because the story was designed to slip into these stories and have a nose around. That is the very purpose of the story, rather than just slipping in references to old Who episodes for the hell of it (Mr. Moffat!) this Who Killed Kennedy takes established continuity and embellishes it, improves it. I shall certainly never look at any of these stories in the same light again.

And anyway it is one of the greatest mysteries about Doctor Who; it is fun to speculate just what happened to the companions and friends of the Doctor after he has left them. Dodo is done extremely well here. She is played effortlessly by American actress, Nana Visitor, it it really works. Dodo was packed of to the country in The War Machines and never to be seen again, Who Killed Kennedy takes advantage of her ambiguous exit and weaves her effortlessly into this story, having had her brain-washed and living in total poverty it seems only natural this elfin and sweet young lady could provide a touching romantic interest in James Stevens.

Which brings me to the man of the hour, James Stevens. Whoever decided this story should be shown from James’ point of view and not the Doctor and Sammy’s deserves a big kiss! He manages to see conspiracies everywhere and as a result the story takes on a dark, oppressive tone that is really gripping. James is never a saint, he is a reporter, which means he's out for the dirt and will ruin your life for a good story and acts like a complete twit at times. But he is still the hero of the piece and you never doubt his good intentions once he thinks UNIT is a genuine threat to the world.

One of my favourite aspects turns up here and that is abusing of the characters in an almost pleasurable way. Stevens goes to hell and back during this story and it is possible to see Bishop taking an almost perverse joy in making the guy's life more and more miserable. Losing his wife after being set up with another woman is one thing, the numerous beatings he gets is another but to let him find true love with Dodo and to have her killed by the man Stevens released and then to have his work ridiculed on live telly straight after leaves Stevens ready to put a gun to his head and end it all. It is torturous stuff for Stevens and t is for the audience too. And this may have been the very reason this story has received so many complaints during it’s airing but it is great television and it feels far removed from the Kids Show feel of McCoy’s first season which nearly killed the show. In Who Killed Kennedy you feel close to Stevens because of the pain he is put through, because you know he is wrong about UNIT and the suffering he is going through trying to prove they are bad business is for nothing. The moment HE realises this is tear-jerking stuff.

For a good while I was convinced that it would be the Doctor who killed Kennedy. I was also convinced that the title of this story was all wrong because although the story opens with a dramatic sequence in the White House Kennedy plays no real part in the story. The real shock comes when the story flowers open to reveal just how far the Rogue is willing to go to destroy the Earth, we know about his brainwashing techniques and Private Cleary but I never guessed he would send the guy back in time to stop the assassination. Such amazing storytelling, this is the stuff of proper Who as Stevens is forced to shoot the President just to make sure history is put on the right track. Sheer genius and an ending most stories would die for, the moment he looked through the sights to shoot I had goose pimples all down my spine.

However the Kennedy assassination is just the icing on the cake. This goes to prove just how well Doctor Who can be without much of the Doctor. Blink from McGann’s first season featured the Doctor less but still had him playing a major part, but here you can just have the Doctor and Sammy in it for about 20 minutes spread across the four episodes and it really works. 

Another great aspect of Who Killed Kennedy is the title sequence. It’s wonderful! Although I think the ‘Starring Paul McGann as the Doctor’ and ‘Jennifer Lien as Sammy Thompson’ is slightly misleading but it gives you a real sense of the story. Also can we please have that Jazz theme full time? 

Who Killed Kennedy is a masterpiece, a story that grips you throughout. I have seen the whole thing three times now and it’s just an utter joy. It was such a shock when Sylvester McCoy appeared at Dodo’s funeral and it was great to see him back, although I expect it was probably filmed at the same time as the Lazarus Project from last year. I would recommend this story to anyone who enjoys a good thriller and anyone who loves their Who a little bit more dangerous than usual.

The Most Questionable Decision in the Universe Review (What if Doctor Who Wasn't Axed?)

Please Note - This is a review for the story the Most Questionable Decision in the Universe from the What if Doctor Who Wasn't Axed Series which explores an alternate timeline where Doctor Who Wasn't Axed. To view it click here:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEfK7Qf8yhwwtvwIY3G09-015UqzHXiML This review is written as if it's a review from the time of this episodes transmission written by a fan. Please enjoy!

The Most Questionable Decision in the Universe

written by Marc Platt

directed by Gary Russell

Broadcast - 6th May 2000 - 27th May 2000

Since their first appearance in The Tenth Planet back in 1966, fans have been debating the origins of the Cybermen, the half human half machine race from Earth’s long lost win planet Mondas. So it seems natural that the show would eventually take the Doctor and companion, who in this case is Sammy, to Mondas at the point of the Cybermen’s birth. What doesn’t seem to be natural is what writer Marc Platt did with the story. The Most Questionable Decision in the Universe, yes that is it’s real title, isn’t just another Doctor Who adventure by any means. It’s a compelling blend of science fiction and drama in a story that asks one of the most basic questions of human nature: how far would we go to survive?

The performances from the regulars are nothing short of astonishing. Paul McGann is at his best as the Ninth Doctor, going from reluctant innocent abroad to the man trying to change history for the better. Late in the story there’s a plot twist that shocks the Doctor and Cybermen battle to its core and McGann plays it incredibly well. Spurring him on is companion Sammy, played to perfection by Jennifer Lien who also gives her single best performance in the role. In fact it is Sammy’s friendship with the Hartley family that makes her force the Doctor to make that change. The performances of these two give the story much of its emotional depth and make it even more compelling.

The supporting cast is just as phenomenal. The Hartley family as played by Paul Copley (as the Dad), Kathryn Guck (as the optimistic and sickly Yvonne), and Jim Hartley (as the impatient Frank) serve as a microcosm of the people of Mondas, trying to remain hopeful in a world fast running out of hope. On the other side of the spectrum is Darren Nesbit as the spare (body) parts dealer Thomas Dodd, the shady businessman thriving on the pain and suffering. Yet he’s the sane one when compared to Doctorman Allan (Sally Knyvette) and Sisterman Constance (Pamela Binns), just two of many scientists and doctors slowly converting the population into Cybermen for work on the surface…or so it starts out. Then there’s the voice of the Cybermen, Nicholas Briggs. Briggs provides the voice not just for the various Cybermen but for the Central Committee who runs the city and there’s something about the voices (the Cybermen’s based on their voices in The Tenth Planet and the Central Committee’s on the Cyber-Controller’s voice in Tomb of the Cybermen) that sends chills down the spine.

If the performances weren’t enough, Marc Platt’s script is enough reason to consider this story amongst the best for the show. Platt made the smart choice not to do a Cybermen version of the Tom Baker story Genesis of the Daleks but to do a story entirely different. At its heart Spare Parts is the story as old as history of a civilization on the verge of collapse desperate to survive by any means possible. The means in this case is the use of saws and laser scalpels to remove emotions and insert cold logic, in essence the death of humanity and the birth of machines with human bodies.

In fact, the most chilling sequence of the story comes when a member of the Hartley family finds themselves in the assembly line for that process. To hear those saws and lasers coupled with screams, tears, and cries for help makes for a moment where even the most hardened television viewer stops to feel the shiver going up one’s spine. Platt plays the horror of that and when coupled with how closely Mondas is like our own world in the mid-1950’s (a fascination with television and even a form of Christmas) there’s only one description for it: chilling. The dilemma faced by the people of Mondas is only slightly different from the questions we face regarding genetics and other scientific advances that give us reason for pause.

The fundamental question of the Most Questionable Decision in the Universe is how far must we go to survive and what must we sacrifice to do so? Marc Platt’s script asks that question and gives us a horrifying answer. That script, when coupled with the excellent performances, makes for one of the best Doctor Who stories ever. Science Fiction works best when its not just adventure but a question of moral importance. It’s disturbing and glorious. Marc Platt has given the show a great story to add to it’s history and I’m sure this will be remembered for years to come.

Next Week, however, we have an odd story called Never Eat Shredded Wheat and from it’s title and DWM Preview alone, I am going to have wild stab in the dark and predict it’ll be a bit rubbish.

The Forest of the Dead Review (What if Doctor Who Wasn't Axed?)

Please Note - This is a review for the story the Forest of the Dead from the What if Doctor Who Wasn't Axed Series which explores an alternate timeline where Doctor Who Wasn't Axed. To view it click here:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEfK7Qf8yhwwtvwIY3G09-015UqzHXiML This review is written as if it's a review from the time of this episodes transmission written by a fan. Please enjoy!

The Forest of the Dead

written by Steven Moffat

directed by Geoffrey Sax

Broadcast - 4th October 1997-25th October 1997

Steven Moffat has a lot to live up to. First he’s written two of the best stories in the last few seasons – Hatred of the Daleks and Blink – so he's set himself a high standard. And if that weren't enough, just before The Forest of the Dead screened he was announced as Who's future Script Editor, an event guaranteed to have fans looking viciously at the episode for a glimpse of the shows new direction with him and Sanderman. That's a heavy weight to carry. Does The Forest Of The Dead live up to the hype?

Not quite. I’m not saying it's bad: it's certainly a great Season Opener and I’m not sure Moffat has it in him to churn out a bad story. But unfortunately the really good stuff that's here is also undermined by some nasty flaws.

The Forest of the Dead starts fantastically well. The little girl catches you completely off balance and you have no clue what the hell's happening: always an excellent beginning. And the Library, as well as being an inspired idea, is just gorgeous: the location shooting works a treat.

Then the Doctor and Grace drop in. I was astonished to find that this bit has been criticised as being too slow: I think the pacing is perfect. The intrigue is at full throttle, having just the two of them draws the maximum possible attention to the location and underlines the creepiness of the situation, and they turn in a wonderful two-hander. We were hoping it was going to be just the two of them, plus the little girl, as the Library gradually gave up its secrets.

No such luck. Instead, Generic Bunch Of Victims waltz in and trample all over the atmosphere, and in an instant the plot goes from the highly-desirable Could Be Anything to the rather less unpredictable Pick 'Em Off One By One. Boo.

The consolation, of course, is the wonderful Maggie Stables as Professor Evelyn Smythe. She’s a wonderful character who is great fun and isn’t just the generic expedition leader as we saw in something like Tomb of the Cybermen.

The trouble is, though, that the reason for all the racing around and pronouncing of doom falls a bit flat. As with a lot of stuff in here, the development of the Vashta Nerada isn't taken far enough. Are they dead scary, or aren't they? They seem pretty scary to us, but apparently the space-suited ones don't seem to think so. Why bother setting up all the stuff about not crossing the shadows when three seconds after the Doctor delivers his dire warning they're all tromping over each other's shadows like mad? Why, after the Doctor tells them to set up a circle of lights, don't they ever actually get round to doing it, even after they start getting munched? (And why don't they grab the lights and make a run for the TARDIS/their spaceship?) How come staying out of the shadows doesn't seem to matter when they're standing round waiting for Miss Evangelista's ghost to die?

Ah yes, Miss Evangelista. Ugh. First, there's the hideously clichéd setup, with her trying to make a point and being ignored, then she trots off to her doom, completely ignoring the Doctor's warnings about avoiding the shadows as she goes. After this unsympathetic beginning, we're then apparently supposed to be all choked up at the pathos of it all as her voice falters to a stop in the gathering darkness. Well, sorry. Unlike Grac e, who cries yet again, we don't think Moffat works anywhere near hard enough to justify the emotion he's trying to wring out of us. Even with the Music from Dennis McCarthy being full-on wistful. 

That's the problem with the swarm lurching along in Proper Dave's suit as well. Probably meant to be scary; in fact, especially when teamed with Grace repeating herself in the giant spoon.  But we weren't too busy laughing not to wonder why, if the Vashta Nerada are such efficient hunters in the shadows, why they'd bother standing on each other's shoulders in a spacesuit, or how a spacesuit moving at the speed of frozen is supposed to be a danger in the first place.

The bits with the little girl, in contrast, hit all the right notes. They do give the game away a bit by having her thrashing around on a rug that's the same shape as the logo on the Access Denied screen, but other than that, the suspense is excellent. We haven't a clue whether the girl, her Dad, Ulysses or none of them are evil or what, and that's exactly how it should be. The Doctor appearing on the girl's TV is a little too Blinkish, but this is made up for by her interacting with the Library. 

By the time we get to Grace inside the computer the story really picks up with a bang. The jump cuts we take for granted as a device to show the passage of time are here really all of Grace's new life. It's a terrific wheeze and we take our hats off to Moffat and director, Geoffrey Sax.

Meanwhile, though, it's more of the same with the Vashta Nerada.  And half the ime they seem to have forgotten all about them anyway. They know Anita is infected, but Evelyn is turning her back on her half the time.

Then comes the big revelation about everyone being saved in the database. Now we say revelation, because the Doctor shouts it out, waves his hands around and draws on the table, and Miss Evangelista explains it all over again. Myself, on the other hand, was dumbfounded, because it had been obvious to me (and we seriously doubt it was just me) ever since they mentioned people being saved in the first part. Why else would the Doctor go on about the giant database, and then follow it up with Grace's pattern being lost during the transport and then recreated?

Meanwhile, as with the Vashta Nerada something else scary is being thrown away: Miss Evangelista. The figure in her black dress and veil is utterly chilling: it gave us the creeps more than anything else in these episodes.  But hey, it turns out that she's not actually scary at all: she's trying to do Grace a favour. Or is she? Let's be charitable and go that way instead, shall we? Then we can pontificate about whether Grace's ideal life with the perfect man and the perfect kids is, even if not real, worth more to her than her real life. If so, the figure in black really is a figure of doom.

Unfortunately, though, Moffat takes this line of inquiry in a direction that's even more stickily sentimental than Miss Evangelista's ghost. Grace clinging desperately to her fake children ladles on so much slush we were going down for the third time. Sentimentality is frequently Moffat's Achilles heel, and this trips the episode up and lands it face down in a pool of treacle.

That scene earlier on with Ulysses and Grace in her house as he tells her not to go to the park is nice and chilling but goes absolutely nowhere as she does go to the park and is just blatant filler.

Having left the two spacesuit swarms behind, despite the fact that the Vashta Nerada are everywhere including clinging onto Anita, it appears they're no longer scary. Emergency! Better hit the worst panic button in the world: the completely gratuitous autodestruct sequence! Why would a library even have one? I remarked: "This story's going nowhere: better put in a ticking clock." Honestly, this is so dumb and so random that it's utterly unforgivable. Big slap on the hand. It isn't even consistent: one minute the remote control's broken, signifying the destruction of the library, and the next it's magically working again to zap Ulysses.

Oops, back to scary again, as the Vashta Nerada finally get around to chomping up Anita and picking their teeth with her bones. Aaaand…not scary. All it takes is a quick cross-reference in the card catalogue, and they're off for a nap. So much for that. Why didn’t the Doctor try that a few skeletons ago? Of course, they seem a bit gullible, considering that they used to have an ecosystem with things to eat in it and all the Doctor's giving them back is a few dead trees which they seem to be in possession of already, but hey. They're a swarm, what can you do?

And on we go to the happy ending. Everybody lives? We don’t think so. "Trapped in a living death" is more how we'd put it, which made the ending as far as we're concerned rather more horrific than Moffat was probably aiming for. (We'd like to think there's meant to be some ambiguity about that, but with the huggings and the sunny voiceover we're not so sure.) We particularly like the way she rushes up and enthusiastically hugs her former crew (not to mention Miss Evangelista, who nobody liked anyway). How would you like to spend eternity with your workmates?

So who is Ulysses anyway? Moffat sprinkled us with another clues for us to have a pretty confident guess. The ‘I’m so proud of him’ line is a bit on the nose. I’m saying the Doctor’s Father. Anyway, I’m sure he’ll turn up again sometime.

It's got a lot of problems but there's a lot good stuff in here, with an original if not well-developed adversary, terrific exploration of some of the implications of time travel and virtual reality and some genuinely surprising turns. It's not Moffat's best, but it's still a win. Let’s see what Russell T Davies brings us with the Return of Nimon brings us next week… I have a feeling it won’t be as good as this.

Blood of the Daleks Review (What if Doctor Who Wasn't Axed?)

Please Note - This is a review for the story Blood of the Daleks from the What if Doctor Who Wasn't Axed Series which explores an alternate timeline where Doctor Who Wasn't Axed. To view it click here:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEfK7Qf8yhwwtvwIY3G09-015UqzHXiML This review is written as if it's a review from the time of this episodes transmission written by a fan. Please enjoy!

Blood of the Daleks

written by Steve Lyons

directed by Nicholas Briggs

Broadcast - 20th July 1996-10th August 1996

Right, Blood of the Daleks. A solid story but slightly tiresome due to the Dalek story just last year, Hatred of the Daleks, and another Dalek story starting in 5 weeks time, the Time Ravages. I love the Daleks as much as any self respecting Doctor Who fan but sometimes it can be a little too much more my liking and I hope, after the Time Ravages, we don’t get another Dalek story for sometime.

The Doctor is rather interesting this episode as we see another take on the Doctor. He seems more tired than previous stories but whether that’s supposed to be the effects of the last story, Hatred of the Daleks, or it’s just Steve Lyons writing inconsistently, I don’t know. The Doctor very early on declares it is too late for the people of Red Rocket Rising without even trying to see if there is anything he can do. I do love his ruthless condemnation of the Daleks, if he saw the slightest hint of redemption he would be thrilled but he doesn’t think they are capable. It’s really nasty when he gets a live cable to his back! The Daleks peg him as a terrorist whose actions have claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Daleks.  The Daleks get very excited about the Doctor! At times he is bitingly witty the likes of which we haven’t seen since Tom Baker’s fourth Doctor at his height. The Daleks reckon him to be an efficient ally! He will not allow there to be two races of Daleks and will help one side commit genocide to prevent this – wow.

He gets a newsflash from Grace, if she waited for him to save the day she would still be waiting. The Doctor’s plan is sheer murder and he has to walk into the heart of it. For the Doctor this is like a recurring nightmare, he could stop the birth of this new race of Daleks just like in Genesis of the Daleks. He taunts the dying Daleks, praying for a scrap of decency but mocking their unflinching prejudice even in death.

The TARDIS is not even scratched when a speeding car smashes into it. The people of Red Rocket Rising are like animals, using the exodus to surrender to their baser instincts. The fallout of the asteroid strike is literal acid rain, earthquakes, tidal waves and most of the population died within minutes. Martez needed human tissue so he violated barely dug graves and took living specimens. I love the Daleks offering the hand of friendship – they caused the disaster in the first place! ‘We wish to help you’ indeed! Painting the Daleks as patient, compassionate saviours is fantastic and it shocks me that writers can still find new facets to these creatures. A much-maligned species to be pities who have offered their help to prevent the people of Red Rocket Rising from becoming like them? The Doctor suggests that the Daleks are afraid of everything, which is a really good point. Martez found a crashed Dalek spaceship and began to turn his own people into Dalek mutants based on the creatures he found in the wreckage. He sent out an invitation to the Daleks to help him with a birthing of a new strand of Daleks but instead they deflected the asteroid in an attempt to destroy the abominations. When they realise they have not succeeded they land under the cover of helping them to find the mutants and murder them. The Daleks shot down the exodus ships and the ionic dust in the atmosphere is from the engines of the evacuating ships. The waited, watching this world die. Martez realises what she has done when his Daleks call their own brothers reinforcements. Their creed is that everyone is an enemy of the Daleks, everyone must die and all this death and destruction doesn’t make them rethink that one bit. The blood of the Daleks must remain pure.

The music, from Dennis McCarthy, is superb with some really dramatic beats and bursting with tension and excitement. It makes the story feel really urgent and important. There’s unforgettable choral music as the Daleks arrive. Listen to the music as the Daleks ask for the Doctor, its crashing drumbeats and really aggressive.

Blood of the Daleks is a juicy dramatic story to see Paul McGann’s Ninth Doctor battle against the Daleks. It starts rather weakly (the first 15 minutes are a little awkward) but as soon as the Daleks arrive it just gets better and better, adding layers to the apocalypse storyline and truly driving home their dislike for the unlike. In fact it is a fabulous story for the Daleks because they are absolutely evil; indiscriminate murderers, perverse plotters and genocidally evil. Paul McGann and Daphne Ashbrook get to bounce off each other wonderfully. A good solid story from Steve Lyons and I can’t wait until he delivers his next one.

Next Week, however, we revisit the world of two of the worst Doctor Who writers, Pip & Jane Baker, as they bring back the Autons.