Doctor Who: The Doctor The Widow And The Wardrobe (2011)
So, imagine Christmas 2011. The excitement for Sherlock Series 2 on New Year's Day, a new episode of Doctor Who (the last for a while) and some fat bloke coming down your chimney. Oh well, who does The Doctor The Widow And The Wardrobe hold up?
The episode begins with the Doctor escaping an exploding spaceship. As much as this sequence utterly destroys the ending of Series 6 - with the Doctor becoming more withdrawn - but it is still a fun scene to watch. Who cares about science? It's science fiction - the suspense of disbelief is all you need, and funnily this bit pulls it off brilliantly. A perfect introduction to the episode.
Then, the Doctor is found on Earth by Madge Arwell (played by Claire Skinner, the mum off Outnumbered) and taken back to the TARDIS (eventually). In this bit we are introduced to Alexander Armstrong (Mr Smith from SJA!) as the dad, of whom is the first wasted guest star. I'll talk about Lily and Cyril later.
From then on, we are told that the father has been killed, and Madge hasn't told Lily and Cyril, who children, and can't because she doesn't want to ruin Christmas for them. She decides to take them out into the country. It isn't explained whether they are evacuees (and if they are, why is Madge there?) so I can presume its just a break.
They then meet the Doctor - or caretaker, or getoffthisplanet - who gives them a guided tour of the house, which, according to Cyril, is haunted. The tour is painful to watch and the joke wears off after the first three rooms. By the end of it, you feel like murdering the editing guy and Steven Moffat in the same room with a pick-axe for extra pain.
The rest of this episode takes the children, the Doctor and Madge (who stalks her children with a gun) to Narnia where they meet...wooden people. Moving on...
Madge, however, also meets Bill Bailey as one of the Androzani Miners - also known as the worst guest casting in the Universe. These characters are so much more enjoyable to watch than the ones we're lumbered with, but are completely wasted.
Madge is a character I have to talk about because Claire Skinner cannot play her right. First of all, her character is badly written, second: she varies between hammy and wooden and third: what the hell is up with her???
Madge is, if you like, an example of a badly-written and badly-acted character, and something everyone should avoid.
Lily is a nice character, but that is literally it! Cyril is a very boring character - neither relate-able nor cute, nor funny, and is just there. I am not criticising the actor, merely what they've done with him.
The rest of the episode is just as bad. Madge was stalked by her husband so he could marry her; Madge is one of the worst mothers in history (and the most cringe-worthy); the tree people are just Androzani trees (nice nod, Moffat) that disappear; and the ship is a Sontaran one.
The directing is OK, nothing fancy - and nor are the sets.
The end of the episode is quite nice, with the Doctor seeing Amy and Rory again for Christmas.
Overall, a great opening sequence, and end, with Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, Bill Bailey and Alexander Armstrong as the hilights of the episode, I have to give this a 3/10 - worst Christmas special YET.
The episode begins with the Doctor escaping an exploding spaceship. As much as this sequence utterly destroys the ending of Series 6 - with the Doctor becoming more withdrawn - but it is still a fun scene to watch. Who cares about science? It's science fiction - the suspense of disbelief is all you need, and funnily this bit pulls it off brilliantly. A perfect introduction to the episode.
Then, the Doctor is found on Earth by Madge Arwell (played by Claire Skinner, the mum off Outnumbered) and taken back to the TARDIS (eventually). In this bit we are introduced to Alexander Armstrong (Mr Smith from SJA!) as the dad, of whom is the first wasted guest star. I'll talk about Lily and Cyril later.
From then on, we are told that the father has been killed, and Madge hasn't told Lily and Cyril, who children, and can't because she doesn't want to ruin Christmas for them. She decides to take them out into the country. It isn't explained whether they are evacuees (and if they are, why is Madge there?) so I can presume its just a break.
They then meet the Doctor - or caretaker, or getoffthisplanet - who gives them a guided tour of the house, which, according to Cyril, is haunted. The tour is painful to watch and the joke wears off after the first three rooms. By the end of it, you feel like murdering the editing guy and Steven Moffat in the same room with a pick-axe for extra pain.
The rest of this episode takes the children, the Doctor and Madge (who stalks her children with a gun) to Narnia where they meet...wooden people. Moving on...
Madge, however, also meets Bill Bailey as one of the Androzani Miners - also known as the worst guest casting in the Universe. These characters are so much more enjoyable to watch than the ones we're lumbered with, but are completely wasted.
Madge is a character I have to talk about because Claire Skinner cannot play her right. First of all, her character is badly written, second: she varies between hammy and wooden and third: what the hell is up with her???
Madge is, if you like, an example of a badly-written and badly-acted character, and something everyone should avoid.
Lily is a nice character, but that is literally it! Cyril is a very boring character - neither relate-able nor cute, nor funny, and is just there. I am not criticising the actor, merely what they've done with him.
The rest of the episode is just as bad. Madge was stalked by her husband so he could marry her; Madge is one of the worst mothers in history (and the most cringe-worthy); the tree people are just Androzani trees (nice nod, Moffat) that disappear; and the ship is a Sontaran one.
The directing is OK, nothing fancy - and nor are the sets.
The end of the episode is quite nice, with the Doctor seeing Amy and Rory again for Christmas.
Overall, a great opening sequence, and end, with Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, Bill Bailey and Alexander Armstrong as the hilights of the episode, I have to give this a 3/10 - worst Christmas special YET.
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