altariel | Doctor Who: season 15

Horror of Fang Rock

altariel: Creepy and atmospheric. I don't think it's a classic, but I think it does everything it sets out to do, and does it more than competently.

mraltariel: I'd say it does it with more panache than most of the Hinchcliffe Gothic episodes, with the exception of 'Talons'. The Doctor and Leela are better together in this one, and the supporting cast are all smashing.

altariel: Good start. This season has begun well.

The Invisible Enemy

altariel: Ah. Now. Episode 1. Rather splendid. Then K9. Like the tin dog. But I think this one doesn't fulfil the promise of the start.

mraltariel: One thing I like about Bob Baker and Dave Martin is that they treat Doctor Who episodes as little standalone stories. You don't have to have seen the previous weeks to enjoy each part, and they all have a beginning, a middle, and an end. I think the only real problem with this is that the BBC visual effects team do a good job of realising the giant prawn they were asked to make. It does look exactly like a giant space prawn.

altariel: For good or ill, mostly ill, that is what it looks like. Don't Bob Baker and Dave Martin sound like the drummer and the bassist from some 60s moptop band?

Image of the Fendahl

altariel: It's Quatermass-lite, but I like it.

mraltariel: Stone Tape-lite, really. And I prefer it to The Stone Tape. But, still, there's something that never comes together with this story.

altariel: Ma Wotsit the Witch is a proper brilliant old biddy character though.

mraltariel: She's Mrs Poo from To The Manor Born.

altariel: You are literally talking shit.

mraltariel: That might not be how you spell it.

The Sun Makers

altariel: Ah, this is what we want! A comedy about tax.

mraltariel: With Vila.

altariel: You can't ask for more, really, can you?

mraltariel: And great hats.

altariel: And great minion. Or is he a lackey?

mraltariel: He's a lackey.

altariel: Were there any minions?

mraltariel: The only minions had non-speaking parts.

Underworld

altariel: This was a lot better than I was expecting. The CSO gave it an oddly alien feel.

mraltariel: Yes, and a decent sense of being underground. Funnily enough, it turns out that I remember this one from the first time round.

altariel: Have you watched this show before?

mraltariel: *looks shifty*

The Invasion of Time

altariel and

mraltariel: OHARRRRRRAHARRGGNNGNNGGGGNNNG

altariel: Jesus fucking Christ that was desperate! Poor Milton Johns! Poor everyone!

mraltariel: Except - BAD TOM BAKER. He was excruciatingly awful in that.

altariel: I want my licence fee money back.

mraltariel: That was quite the worst story we've ever had, by a long way.

altariel: I thought it couldn't get worse than episode 5. And then we had episode 6.

mraltariel: And we didn't even get Boba Fett's Beat Revolutionaries to liven things up, like in 'The Space Museum'.

altariel: All that walking around. And making the Sontaran speak slowly.

mraltariel: It made episode 1 look good in comparison.

Ranking
Horror of Fang Rock
The Sun Makers
Underworld
Image of the Fendahl
The Invisible Enemy
The Invasion of Time

altariel: It's hard to look back past that dreadful last story.

mraltariel: But it's a decent season with a terrible end.

altariel: What a bad send-off for Louise Jameson, who I think has been a great companion.

mraltariel: Not one of the greats - Ian, Barbara, Zoe, Jamie, Sarah Jane - but not bad for a Tier Two (Jo, Steven, Vicki). The one thing that's quite apparent is that I've had enough of Tom, and he really needs to go. One day I predict they'll cast someone else and I'll think the same about him.

altariel: *cough*Tennant*cough*

mraltariel: Are you getting another one of your headaches?