Arachnids in the UK

*Spoilers*

Armed with my retro sausage sandwich, I snuggled down on the sofa for a 1970s-style Doctor Who experience, and it didn't disappoint.

Evil businessman, toxic waste down a coal mine, giant creepy-crawlies: this was The Green Death for the 21st century. I'm not a huge spider fan, so this episode was definitely scary.  It may be a while before I can face having a bath again.

There were some echoes of the Russell T Davies era as well.  The suspicion of Yasmin's Mum Najia about her daughter's new 'friend' was very similar to that of Jackie Tyler, Francine Jones and Sylvia Noble. 'Why is it always the mothers?' the Tenth Doctor wondered, after having his face slapped by Francine in The Lazarus Experiment. There was also an Aliens of London/World War Three moment with Chris Noth's evil businessman who seemed extremely like a certain American president. It didn't come quite as close to the bone as the 'massive weapons of destruction line' as it was made clear that he intended to challenge Trump (perhaps the lawyers made them put that bit in) but the reference was hardly subtle.

I have a few niggles though.

I spent quite a lot of time worrying about Yas's dad and his terrible pakoras. He'd gone to all that trouble and the guests had vanished.  How rude! I hope the food wasn't wasted.  

The resolution seemed rushed. The final scene in which 'Team TARDIS' signed up was good, but we never learned who is going to clear up the spider web and carcass, to say nothing of the toxic dump in the mine. What happened to the spider in the flat?

Still, 10/10 for the title.

Vote Dalek!

19 April 2017

Those of you who pay some attention for what passes as the real world these days may have noticed that there is going to be a General Election in the UK on 8 June.

Back in 2005, when the show had only just returned, Russell T Davies was able to get away with a plot involving aliens taking over 10 Downing Street and trying to provoke a war on the basis that (faked) aliens had 'massive weapons of destruction' that could be deployed within 45 seconds* the Radio Times ran with a cover, during a General Election campaign, which said 'Vote Dalek.'

Well, I was tempted. Very tempted.  So when it came to the County Council ballot paper, and I really didn't care much for any of the candidates, I may, just possibly,  have omitted to put an X against any of the candidates, and written 'vote Dalek' at the bottom of the ballot paper.**

I don't recommend this as a course of action (imagine if everyone did it and we ended up with Davros in charge) but if you really don't know who to vote for, it is better to make the effort to turn out spoil your paper and register a protest than to stay at home and be counted as apathetic. Remember that the candidates (or at least their agents) get to see the spoilt papers.)

Women fought long and hard to get the vote.  It is important to use it.

*This was highly topical at the time.
** Of course, I could have imagined the whole thing. 

Zygon Times

Sunday 1 November 2015

My German colleague (notable as the only German I have ever met who watches Doctor Who) has raised a question about The Woman Who Lived? Why didn't she use the repair chip to save one of her children?  Were none of them 'good enough'?

Oh well, moving on to this week's episode, The Zygon Invasion.  I like Zygons.  Their debut story, Terror of the Zygons is one of my favourites.  But I found The Zygon Invasion a bit tedious to be honest. 

In 2005, when we were all just so surprised and happy to have Doctor Who back on our screens, there was a two-part story Aliens of London/World War Three in which aliens disguised as politicians took over 10 Downing Street, and attempted to start a war, claiming that there were aliens with 'massive weapons of destruction' that could be deployed within 45 seconds. I was so amazed at the sheer cheek of this topical reference in the run up to a general election that I almost fell off the sofa.

Ten years later, and the (real) world is not a safer place.  The Zygon Invasion starts by reminding us of the small piece of unfinished business from  Day of the Doctor.  You know, the peace treaty between humans and Zygons that was to be negotiated with neither party knowing which side they were on. What with saving Gallifrey, and the Great Curator and everything, no one bothered to ask how it turned out.  Cue another flashback to the Tenth Doctor (and the Eleventh and the other one). Sadly, it all went downhill after that.

It turns out that the Zygons have been living among us, but now a faction among the young are being radicalised.  They are taking hostages, making videos and killing people. One of their bases is in a country ending in -stan.  It doesn't take a degree in Media Studies or Politics to see where this is going.

So we have heavy-handed political satire, locations that range from the amusingly-named Truth or Consequences in New Mexico to somewhere in (presumably) Central Asia, via a London estate; a regular who has been replaced by a Zygon, UNIT (run entirely by women now, it seems) and it somehow fails to gel.  It felt more like an episode of Torchwood  or The X-Files to me.

At least Osgood is back (for now). And it's always nice to see David Tennant.

Update: My aforementioned German colleague wants to know why the Doctor needed a Presidential Plane to get to the Zygon-istan.  He has a point.  I'm not sure where exactly this Zygon village is supposed to be, but it must be at least 6 hours flying time. Husband's response (as per Girl in the Fireplace) 'they can't use the TARDIS, they are part of events now.' 

April 2005: the new series continues

Saturday 2 April 2005

Find two month old copy of Doctor Who Magazine.  Russell T Davies’ column has a lot in it about the fun he and David Tennant had on the set of Casanova, doing Doctor Who in jokes.  Was the writing already on the wall?

Watch The End of the World. This is really good.  It’s a bit rushed – they could have stretched it to two parts easily, but the effects are great.  And we get to see the fabled Moxx of Balhoon, if not for long.

Watch live version of Quatermass.  After a few minutes, husband remarks that David Tennant is supposed to be in it, but he hasn’t seen him yet.  “No,” I reply, “I think he’s playing the doctor….”

Sunday 3 April 2005

Watch double bill of Enterprise.  O look, the planet Earth is being destroyed.  Again.  But Doctor Who’s exploding planet effect was better!

Watch BBC3 repeat to make sure.

Yes.  Definitely more impressive.

Monday 4 April 2005

Doctor Who still ahead of Ant and Dec.  Keep up the good work.

Saturday 9 April 2005

Russell T Davies has said that Christopher Eccleston was never going to do more than one series.  The end of the final episode was apparently meant to be a big surprise.  This doesn’t surprise me much (see 2 April above) but how on earth can they have imagined they were going to keep that secret?

Watch The Unquiet Dead.  Aaarrgghhh!  It’s actually frightening.  Some of the lame jokes could usefully have been edited out though -“happy medium”, indeed!

Saturday 16 April 2005

Oh dear!  Nice spaceship crash, shame about the pig and the farting aliens.  Jackie Tyler’s reaction to the Doctor was quite amusing though.

Saturday 23 April 2005

Definitely better than last week.  I can’t believe they were allowed to get away with the ‘massive weapons of destruction’ line this close to an election though.  Presumably no one in politics (except Tim Collins?) is expected to watch it. 

Sunday 24 April 2005

On the subject of politics, off to the West Midlands to assist friend’s doomed campaign. Am horrified to discover that her children haven’t watched Doctor Who yet.  What sort of parent is she?

Saturday 30 April 2005

The one with the Dalek.  Apparently we are supposed to feel sorry for the Dalek at the end.  I don’t.  I’m too busy wondering when they decided that Dalek mutants were now to be a fetching pinky-mauve instead of green.