The first non-RTD story of the new series is one of my favourites not just of this series but since it returned. Written by former League of Gentleman funny man Mark Gatiss, this was the first historical story of the new era and also saw the first famous historical figure appear in the show. We also get our first Bad Wolf moment which is the story arc that would spread throughout the whole series. The opening bit where the women comes back from the dead and kills her son before leaving and walking towards the camera in agony was quite a horrific moment. In fact the whole story is quite grim and dark. Set in 1869 in Cardiff. The story sees the Doctor and Rose along with Charles Dickens trying and make contact with the Gelth. The story features Eve Myles who plays Gwyneth who lives in Cardiff in this and a short time later would play Gwen who lives in Cardiff. There is even a line in one of the Tennant specials where the Doctor makes a joke about whether Gwen has any relatives that lived in Cardiff.
Charles Dickens is played superbly by Simon Callow. The Dickens we get in this is quite a sad and lonely figure at the time. I never knew much about him and I’m sure that this portrayal of him is 100% faithful but there must be a certain truth to it. He started off as quite down and sad but after everything that happens leaves with a smile and a new spring in his step. I quite liked the line What the Shakespeare is going on? Is a joke to the phrase used today where people say “What the Dickens is going on?”. Simon Callow is brilliant in this. Its quite easy now for famous names to come into Doctor Who when the show is a success but Callow and others in this series took a gamble with it. Callow’s Dickens is just a joy to watch and is one of the many highlights of this story.
The Gelth are trying to get into the rift. They use to have a solid form but due to the Time War they lost their form and became the gas form. They occupy dead bodies so that they can feel whole again. They con the Doctor to allow Gwyneth to make the bridge to allow them to enter. The way that they are defeated is quite inventive. Essentially they just turn up the gas and that defeats them. I liked the moment where Rose and Gwyneth are talking and the time difference is clear. Rose talks about looking at boys and their bums and this clearly shocks Gwyneth who thinks bunking off school is the height of being naughty. There’s also a nice moment where the Doctor and Charles Dickens talk after the Doctor tells Dickens to shut up.
I really like this story because it action packed through every of the 45 minutes. Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper are starting to bond more and more and their morals clash as the Doctor thinks its acceptable what Gwyneth is going to do whereas Rose thinks its wrong and the Doctor brings up the fact that people have Donor cards. The Rose/Ace point starts to take shape in this adventure. All the other characters not just Charles Dickens were very strong and likeable. Definitely one of the best from the early days of the new Doctor Who.
Charles Dickens is played superbly by Simon Callow. The Dickens we get in this is quite a sad and lonely figure at the time. I never knew much about him and I’m sure that this portrayal of him is 100% faithful but there must be a certain truth to it. He started off as quite down and sad but after everything that happens leaves with a smile and a new spring in his step. I quite liked the line What the Shakespeare is going on? Is a joke to the phrase used today where people say “What the Dickens is going on?”. Simon Callow is brilliant in this. Its quite easy now for famous names to come into Doctor Who when the show is a success but Callow and others in this series took a gamble with it. Callow’s Dickens is just a joy to watch and is one of the many highlights of this story.
The Gelth are trying to get into the rift. They use to have a solid form but due to the Time War they lost their form and became the gas form. They occupy dead bodies so that they can feel whole again. They con the Doctor to allow Gwyneth to make the bridge to allow them to enter. The way that they are defeated is quite inventive. Essentially they just turn up the gas and that defeats them. I liked the moment where Rose and Gwyneth are talking and the time difference is clear. Rose talks about looking at boys and their bums and this clearly shocks Gwyneth who thinks bunking off school is the height of being naughty. There’s also a nice moment where the Doctor and Charles Dickens talk after the Doctor tells Dickens to shut up.
I really like this story because it action packed through every of the 45 minutes. Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper are starting to bond more and more and their morals clash as the Doctor thinks its acceptable what Gwyneth is going to do whereas Rose thinks its wrong and the Doctor brings up the fact that people have Donor cards. The Rose/Ace point starts to take shape in this adventure. All the other characters not just Charles Dickens were very strong and likeable. Definitely one of the best from the early days of the new Doctor Who.
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