DOCTOR WHO THE GIGGLE REVIEW

09 Saturday Dec 2023

Posted by Paul Bowler in All, Doctor Who

Tags

14th Doctor, 60th Anniversary, Bonnie Langford, Catherine Tate, Celestial Toymaker, David Tennant, Doctor Who, Doctor Who 60, Doctor Who The Giggle, Donna Noble, Jemma Redgrave, Kate Stewart, Mel, Ncuti Gatwa, Neil Patrick Harris, TARDIS, The Church on Ruby Road, The Giggle Review, The Toymaker, UNIT

Doctor Who The Giggle

Review by Paul Bowler

The final 60th anniversary Doctor Who Special, The Giggle, sees the Doctor (David Tennant) and Donna (Catherine Tate) return to Earth to find a mysterious puppet is driving the entire human race to the brink of insanity. With the fate of the world teetering on the brink, the Doctor finds himself rendered powerless when his old foe, the Toymaker, played by American star of stage and screen, Neil Patrick Harris, returns and the Doctor realises this is a fight he can never win.

The Giggle, written by Russel T Davies and directed by Chanya Button, is a thrilling hour-long finale to the anniversary specials, and this time the stakes are higher than ever before. The sheer scope and scale of the Toymaker’s power is terrifying as he literally pulls the strings and makes the world and everything in it dance to his tune. David Tennant and Catherine Tate once more take centre stage as the Doctor and Donna step into a world gone mad. The Toymaker has been lurking on Earth since 1925, the time has come for the final game against the Time Lord, and the ongoing mystery of why Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor regenerated into David Tennant’s familiar face will finally be revealed in then most moving way imaginable.

It seems the superstition the Doctor invoked in Wild Blue Yonder at the edge of the universe allowed the Toymaker to break into reality, and using the inception of televisions first image he has drawn the Doctor into his cosmic trap. Indeed, the return of the Toymaker makes for an epic face-off with the 14th Doctor, in more ways than one! The Giggle is a far darker adventure than the previous specials, with the Toymaker’s designs drawing out a warped social commentary of recent times like poison from a wound. The Doctor and Donna are soon reunited with UNIT as they rally against this toxic environment the Toymaker has stoked. Nightmarish scenarios must be faced, with a deadly game of hide and seek, and a genuinely disturbing puppet reminiscent of Saw’s own Jigsaw puppet turning the world upside down.

This special features an impressive guest cast which includes Yasmin Finney as Rose, the daughter of Donna Noble, Donna’s mother Sylvia played by Jacqueline King, with Karl Collins as Donna’s husband, Shaun, along with the Doctor’s UNIT pals Kate Lethbridge Stewart (Jemma Redgrave), new scientific advisor Shirley Bingham (Ruth Madeley) and Bonnie Langford as Melanie “Mel” Bush who having returned to Earth is also now working with UNIT at their impressive new Avengers Tower style HQ. Charlie De Melo also stars as Charles Banerjee, John Mackay plays John Logie Baird (the Scottish engineer and inventor known as ‘The Father of Television), and Alexander Devrient is Colonel Lbrahim.

Neil Patrick Harris gives a magnificent performance as the Toymaker, one of the Doctor’s oldest foes, who now returns with a new face and an old score to settle. Of course the Toymaker was originally played by renowned actor Michael Gough, who first played the role of the Toymaker to oppose William Hartnell’s first Doctor in the 1966 story The Celestial Toymaker. The luxurious robes and celestial prefix may have gone but this is still very much the classic villain of old. Neil Patrick Harris exudes sinister menace throughout, bringing a creepy spin to the role, and the Toymakers games as he clashes with the Doctor are every bit as fiendish as ever.

Ultimately though it is Tennant and Tate’s performances gives the episode even greater depth and clarity. There is a real sense that the Doctor has been completely outwitted this time, the Time Lords panic and frustration is almost palpable, but it is always Donna that gets him back on an even keel. Being the culmination of the 60th anniversary there are of course a wealth of callbacks and visual clues to the show’s past for fans to enjoy.

Russell T Davies essentially crafts a whole new Doctor Who mythology with The Giggle as the Toymaker’s scheming ultimately ends up conjoining the fourteenth and fifteenth Doctor’s incarnations – weaving an almost multiverse-like perspective into the very history of the series itself. The Toymaker, having previously played one game against Hartnell’s first Doctor, now plays another with the fourteenth, only to be confounded on the cusp of victory as Tennant’s Doctor fails to change mid-regeneration and ends up standing alongside his new Fifteenth incarnation: Ncuti Gatwa! Together they team-up against the Toymaker, turning the tables to win the game, and vanquish him once more.

With the two Doctor’s now co-existing in unison a nostalgia filled coda culminates with fifteen claiming his prize for winning the game, a new, second TARDIS! As the fourteenth Doctor remains with Donna to take a break with her family, the fifteenth Doctor departs in his TARDIS for new adventures in time and space. Russell T Davies doubles down on the core mythos and widens the scope of Doctor Who in one few swoop with this startling conclusion. I expect Tennant’s bi-generation into Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor might prove a step too far for some die-hard fans, however, I for one found it an innovative and fascinating move and look forward to seeing the amazing potential of this move unfold.

For the most part this trilogy of Doctor Who Specials has been a resounding success. The return of David Tennant and Catherine Tate was a masterstroke that delivered on every level, and Russel T Davies has certainly done a fantastic job in rejuvenating the series like never before. The Giggle proved a fitting finale and set us on the path to the 2023 Christmas Special: The Church on Ruby Road where Gatawa’s fifteenth Doctor will be joined by new travelling companion Ruby Sunday, played by Millie Gibson. Here’s to a bold new era of adventures in time and space. Roll on Christmas!

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About The Author

Hi, I’m Paul Bowler, blogger and reviewer of films, TV shows, and comic books. I’m a Sci-Fi geek, a big fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comic Books, and all things PS4.You can follow me on Twitter @paul_bowler,or at my website, Sci-Fi Jubilee, and on YouTube and Facebook

(Image: BBC Studios/Bad Wolf/Disney)

DOCTOR WHO WILD BLUE YONDER REVIEW

02 Saturday Dec 2023

Posted by Paul Bowler in All, Doctor Who

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

60th Anniversary, Bernard Cribbins, Catherine Tate, David Tennant, Doctor Who, Doctor Who 60, Doctor Who Wild Blue Yonder, Ncuti Gatwa, TARDIS, Wild Blue Yonder Review, Wilf, Wilfred Mott

Doctor Who Wild Blue Yonder

Review by Paul Bowler

Wild Blue Yonder opens with the superheated TARDIS spiralling away from its chaotic liftoff at the end of The Star Beast, sending the Doctor (David Tennant) and Donna (Catherine Tate) crashing into the heart of hostile action, and promptly abandoning them to their fate! Yes, that pesky old TARDIS defence system known as HADS – the Hostile Action Displacement System, which makes the time machine dematerialise if it comes under attack, is causing trouble again. So with the TARDIS effectively running away to rebuild itself, the Doctor and Donna set off explore the uncanny space age location they’ve been stranded on at the farthest edge of creation. However, as they soon discover, kicking the “arse” of whatever’s made the TARDIS scarper is not going to be quite as straightforward as Donna thinks.

Out of all the 60th Anniversary Doctor Who Specials Wild Blue Yonder is the one that’s been shrouded in this most secrecy. Tom Kingsley directs this weird and claustrophobic episode written by Russel T Davies, and the premise of Wild Blue Yonder stands in stark contrast to the fast-paced hijinks of The Star Beast. From the quirky opening encounter with Sir Isaac Newton in 1666, the tone quickly gets decidedly darker when the TARDIS maroons the Doctor and Donna on a giant space ship at the edge of the universe. A rusty old robot is moving at a snails pace down a huge central corridor and a brooding sense of menace builds as the Doctor detects life signs and examines the bizarre technology on board.

However, this vast spaceship is far from empty. When the Doctor and Donna are confronted by two sinister shape-shifting creatures that have become their doppelgängers, a deadly game of cat and mouse begins. These war-mongering beings want to copy the Doctor and Donna, steal the TARDIS when it returns, and escape into our universe to wreak havoc. The morphing forms of these shape-changing monsters are genuinely bizarre and quite disturbing, with their misshapen limbs, grotesque jaws, and horrific contortions as the they pursue the Doctor and through the ever changing structure of the space ship.

Wild Blue Yonder is crammed with classic Doctor Who tropes, naturally the Doctor and Donna become separated, there’s lots of running down corridors, and a desperate fight to survive while the fate of the universe hangs in the balance. The new distribution deal with Disney has also brought a sizeable boost to the budget, which it is clearly evident here with the huge scope of the spacecraft and Hollywood-style visual effects that make the Doctor and Donna’s doppelgängers so ghoulishly convincing.

This episode puts the Doctor and Donna in the spotlight like never before, and it’s this connective narrative that’s blended in with all the frenetic Sci-Fi / horror wackiness that makes Wild Blue Yonder such a compelling and enthralling episode. We are treated to a masterclass by David Tennant and Catherine Tate as we catch up with everything that’s been happening to the Doctor and Donna since they originally travelled together. Considering the extreme circumstances they now find themselves in, Russel T Davies’ clever scripting provides some wonderful character moments as the Doctor and Donna run a gauntlet of emotions, and these pivotal story beats are brilliantly woven into the action by director Tony Kingsley. Tennant and Tate’s dual performance as their freaky shape-changing doubles is astounding as well. Wild Blue Yonder features some fan-pleasing references as well, and there’s a substantial nod to the lore exploding legacy of the Flux – the Doctor Who arc from 2021 – at key points which further solidifies its canonical place in the Whoniverse.

So, what was all the hype and secrecy surrounding Wild Blue Yonder for then? Well, the reasons become clear when the Doctor and Donna are eventually reunited with the TARDIS and return to Earth, where they are greeted by none other than Wilfred Mott (the late Bernard Cribbins), who is now wheelchair-bound but he’s still ready to face whatever danger the Earth now mysteriously faces! Bernard Cribbins filmed scenes last year before his death, and his surprise return during this episodes cliffhanger was a joy to see. In the end Wild Blue Yonder turned out to be a classic base-under-siege style story, one with a clever concept at its core, and a terrific payoff with the return of Wilf.

Everything is now in place for The Giggle, the finale of the 60th anniversary specials, which also marks the return of the classic villain The Toymaker (now played by Neil Patrick Harris) – and we can assume David Tennant’s eventual regeneration into the 15th Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) Russel T Davies has worked his magic again, along with Tennant and Tate, to revitalise Doctor Who and bring us to the cusp of a whole new era for the show.

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(Image: BBC Studios/Bad Wolf/Disney)

DOCTOR WHO THE STAR BEAST REVIEW

25 Saturday Nov 2023

Posted by Paul Bowler in All, Doctor Who

≈ 17 Comments

Tags

14th Doctor, 60th Anniversary specials, Bernard Cribbins, Catherine Tate, David Tennant, Doctor Who, Doctor Who 60, Doctor Who series 1, Doctor Who The Star Beast, Donna Noble, Miriam Margolyes, Ncuti Gatwa, Rose Noble, TARDIS, The Meep, The Star Beast, The Star Beast Review, Wilfred Mott, Wrath Warriors, Yasmin Finney

Doctor Who The Star Beast

Review by Paul Bowler

The Star Beast kicks off the first of the hour long Doctor Who 60th Anniversary specials with a bang! With Russel T Davies back at the helm as show-runner the RTD2 era is finally here at last, and it also reunites David Tennant as the new 14th Doctor with Catherine Tate as Donna Noble. Based on the classic 1980’s Doctor Who Weekly comics, strip written by Pat Millis and John Wagner, and drawn by Dave Gibbons, The Star Beast is beautifully written by Davies and stylishly directed by Rachel Talalay. Along with Davies’ welcome return, some 12 years after he left the BBC’s hit sci-fi show, we now also have the streaming service Disney Plus brining Doctor Who to an even bigger audience world-wide for the first time.

The question is, does it live up to the hype? Well, the simple answer is, YES! The Star Beast is a fittingly traditional style adventure, full of action, excitement, and its just about everything we could’ve wanted as part of the 60th Anniversary celebrations of Doctor Who – especially given that this fondly remembered comic strip story is also making the leap from page to TV nearly 60 years since An Unearthly Child first aired in 1963!

Things do get off to a rather peculiar, fourth wall breaking, start. But, with the recaps swiftly out the way, we quickly have a spaceship crashing in north London as The Star Beast explodes into Donna Noble’s busy life with husband Shaun (played by Karl Collins) and their daughter, Rose (played by Hearthstopper trans-trailblazer Yasmin Finney). After discovering an alien in her garden shed: The Meep (voiced by the brilliant Miriam Margolyes), Donna learns that Rose has given this cute little alien fugitive refuge and has been secretly hiding the Meep in their garden shed. Its not long before the Doctor suddenly shows up, chaos ensues. and hulking Wrath Warriors (voiced by Ned Porteous and John Hopkinson) come tearing down the street! It would seen that Donna’s past is finally catching up with her! Only trouble is the Doctor wiped her memory to save her life back in 2008’s Journey’s End, so if Donna remembers who he is now she will die, and this time the Doctor might not be able to save her when destiny comes calling.

Doctor Who is always at its best when it barges into everyday, domestic settings. Russel T Davies’ has crafted a wonderful adaptation of The Star Beast, there’s a marooned starship, a frightened alien on the run, with even bigger aliens hot on its tail, and the Doctor struggling to keep Donna’s family safe in the midst of it all. Then there’s the 14th Doctor’s recent regeneration to contend with; which also mysteriously gave him the face of his 10th incarnation!

Seeing David Tennant and Catherine Tate together again is truly a joy to behold. Its brilliant fun, at times it almost feels like this fan-favourite TARDIS team has never been away, and their on-screen banter and chemistry is still as sparkling as ever. Tennant doesn’t just give us a 10th Doctor 2.0 either, he’s playing the 14th Doctor now, so naturally there are significant new facets blended in with his Doctor’s familiar traits. Donna’s life has moved on since we saw her last in 2009-10’s The End of Time. She’s happily married with a family of her own now, but she’s still the same extraordinary and resourceful Donna that we all know and love – even though she still can’t remember her time with the Doctor. The Star Beast is a rollicking good adventure in its own right, but Davies has masterfully woven deeper themes of identity and humanity into the mix as well.

Yasmin Finney shines as Donna’s daughter, Rose, she brings an endearing warmth to the entire Noble family, who of course still remain as chaotic as ever!. The excellent supporting cast features Jacqueline King and Karl Collins returning as Sylvia Noble and Shaun Temple, Dara Lail plays Rose’s friend Fugde Merchandian, and Ruth Madeley (Years and Years and The RocK) is introduced as a promising new character, UNIT scientific advisor Shirley Bingham.

Those Disney megabucks have clearly been well spent too! Doctor Who has never looked glossier and more spectacular than this. No expense has been spared in brining The Star Beast to the screen. The result is truly stunning, if you’d told me the comic strip I’d read as a child in Doctor Who Weekly would ever become an episode like this I’d have laughed in your face. Doctor Who now looks as good as any sci-fi show out there right now, but it’s still every bit the same Doctor Who that we’ve cherished for all these decades. The Star Beast is packed with nods to past stories and Easter eggs to look out for. There are so many standout moments in this episode. The animatronic SFX for the Meep are some of the best we’ve ever seen in Doctor Who, the sonic screwdriver had a major upgrade as well, as have UNIT, and the stunning new TARDIS interior will blow you away! Sure the meta-crisis ending does come across as a little convoluted, but it’s beautifully done to enable the Doctor and Donna to reunite at last! Its clear everyone involved in making The Star Beast has poured their heart, soul and love of Doctor Who into making this episode something really special!

So, there we have it. The Star Beast and the 60th Anniversary of Doctor Who is now well and truly under way. There’s perhaps never been a better time to be a Doctor Who fan than now, there’s so much in The Star Beast for fans old and new to enjoy, and its a perfect jumping on point for total newbies as well. But that’s not all. The Star Beast is just the start, we have two more specials, Wild Blue Yonder, and The Giggle to look forward to and then the Christmas Day Special where Nucuti Gatwa will take over the keys of the TARDIS for a whole new season of adventures as the Fifteenth Doctor!

(Images: BBC Studios/Bad Wolf/Disney)

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