Doctor Who- 60th anniversary special trilogy and Christmas special

9/10

For the start of Doctor Who's move to Disney+, we get a trilogy of specials for the 60th anniversary of the show and a Christmas special. In the trilogy, the Doctor has surprisingly not regenerated into a new form but into a previous one, his Tenth (played by David Tennant). He ends up running into his old companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) which places her in danger again. The two end up going against three threats. Then, we get the debut of the new 15th Doctor (Sex Education's Ncuti Gatwa) who will be helming DW's upcoming season. In his Xmas special, The Church on Ruby Road the Doctor goes up against baby-napping goblins.

Russell T. Davies, the creator of the recent DW and show runner of the first four seasons is back. When he originally left, I was okay with it and ready to give the next guy a chance. Davies could be silly/childish, maybe have the Doctor be a little too emotional at times, and throw too many ideas into one episode. However, I realized I took Davies for granted and didn't appreciate what I had with him. Davies understood this was a show for the young and old and though death always follows the Doctor, this is a show about hope. The other show runners forgot that and could forget the human element or go too dark and/or nihilistic. 

The human element definitely feels back here. Donna's married now, and it's been so long that we've seen her that she's now got a daughter Rose (Heartstopper's Yasmin Finney). It used to bug me that every companion had to have a full family attached, but I realized this keeps them grounded, and I missed the feeling of family that Davies effortlessly brought. I particularly realized how much I missed the Noble family in general. Tate hasn't missed a beat as the sharp-tongued Donna, and Jacqueline King as her mother Sylvia is very watchable when you see her in her protective mode and her sheer dislike of putting up with another of the Doctor's adventures. The Doctor generally cared for Donna and her grandfather, and his reactions to reuniting with the Nobles feels really pure here. Tennant and Tate have still got it and they work off of each other so well.

Though the specials of the new Who are a resetting of the tone, Davies doesn't brush aside previous show runners' decisions (including those two very controversial decisions from last season) under the rug and does a surprisingly good job of running with them. The whole crux of these specials is Tennant's Doctor dealing with his baggage in a surprisingly meaningful and emotional way. 

The humor of the early years is back and it is infectious.

As for the three specials themselves: The first is just a fun adventure in Davies' vein of DW. The second is one of the "ominous threat" style of episodes. If you love those, you'll like this as it's very well done. The second is a big finale and is an excellent combo of heart, grandeur, and scares. Not to mention that this has one of the best villains/villain performances in the entire show. That third episode is simply one of the most satisfying finales in the history of DW.

Now to the Xmas special. Only one episode in and I'm already liking Ncuti. He's more of an openly high energy life-loving/good-natured style of Doctor. His new companion is Ruby Sunday (Coronation Street's Millie Gibson). I do fear we may have some companion fatigue as her persona does feel a little derivative of previous companions. That having been said, Gibson does ain't too shabby in the part, especially when she's being enthusiastic.

The special isn't as fun as the last three, but it still makes for a solid episode. The goblins make for silly but still threatening foes.

What all four specials have in common are improved special effects due to the show's deal with Disney+. Yeah, the recent seasons have been looking pretty good for British television budgets, but the effects are at another level here. There is a whimsical splendor to some of the sets/digital backgrounds here.

Highly recommended. The 60th specials in particular are must see and the third may be one of the best in the show's history. If you once loved DW but lost interest after Davies left, you may want to return, because what you originally loved about the show is back.

Doctor Who- Eve of the Daleks

9/10

In this latest Doctor Who New Years special, the Doctor (played by Jodie Whittaker) and her companions find themselves trapped with the Daleks in a Groundhog's Day situation (yeah, for a show about time travel that's been around since the 60s, I'm surprised that they haven't done this yet) where time resets each time they're killed.

People may be getting tired of current showrunner Chris Chibnall using the Daleks for each New Years special, but they work pretty well as foes for this scenario. If the whole story involves people dying and you need someone for quick kills, the Daleks are the right fit. The show makes good use of their tactical expertise in this more than the average DW episode. 

This is probably one of the most fun and humorous episodes from Chibnall's run. The real strength of this is the two guest characters: grumpy Sarah (Aisling Bea) and awkward, good-natured Nick (Adjani Salmon). They're really the stars of this and not the Doctor & Co. They're both really entertaining and well characterized. The Doctor's newest companion Dan Lewis (John Bishop) is the standout of the regular cast here. He continues to be the most humorous and likable of the gang, and Bishop really sells the character. It's too bad that he'll probably be gone soon due to an upcoming showrunner change (at least it's traditional for companions to change; they might surprise us).

Recommended. This was just an all-around well-done story.

Doctor Who- Fury of the Deep

8/10

In this remastering of a lost Doctor Who serial (original audio is combined with animation), the second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) and his companions end up at a gas refinery with some sinister goings on.

This is prime Doctor Who. I can't say it is one of the more original ones or stands out from the rest, but it nails all the beats. This is just a fun sixties sci-fi tale. For a show from this era, it manages to maintain a surprisingly creepy atmosphere. 

This is back when there isn't as much character development with Doctor Who companions, but Victoria (Deborah Watling) is given some decent personality stuff to work with.

I like the background art in this. Has a pseudo painting-style to it. Though there is one "Easter egg" detail in this that bugs me, because it's non-chronological.

Overall, this is a fun watch. If you like sixties Doctor Who, then you'll probably like this.

Doctor Who- The Faceless Ones

8/10

The Faceless Ones is one of the lost Doctor Who serials. The original footage for all but two of its episodes was eliminated by the BBC sometime between the late Sixties and late Seventies. However, the audio still exists and so the story was created for this fully animated release. The adventure has the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton)  investigating the sinister Chameleon Airlines at Gatwick Airport. This was an interesting entry.

What separates The Faceless Ones from other serials is that it has kind of a Cold War spy-like feel as the Doctor has to outwit and outmaneuver a group of aliens pretending to be humans. The villains feel a little different than your regular extraterrestrial foes. They're motivations are more nuanced and there is more individuality amongst their ranks.

The cast is fine in this. The airport commandant (Colin Gordon) might be up there with some of the best authority figures who don't trust the Doctor at first. He has such a huffy manner.   

It's a good story but like many DW six-parters the long length is to its disadvantage as, especially in the first third, things can feel too stretched out. 

This is a change from previous DW restorations. In the past, they'd just animate the lost parts. This one has two existing live-action episodes, but they chose to animate those too. From what I understand, it was done to not confuse those unfamiliar with the situation. I see the argument, but I'm disappointed I don't get to see the original episodes as they truly were. All the episodes are in color (the original was black-and-white), and I'm also disappointed we don't get the original Sixties feel.

The character design is like if Archer was a lot sketchier. Not the biggest fans of them, but I appreciate how fluid the movement is in this. Gives a lifelike feel. I guess you have to sacrifice one element for another. Compared to photos of how the aliens originally looked, I was disappointed how they were animated. The designs don't quite match and loses some of the eeriness.

I'm not saying this is the best Doctor Who episode, but it is an enjoyable one. Highly recommended to any fan.