The Cutprice Guignol

Well, here we are: sixty years of Doctor Who.

Let me get a little emotional on you right here at the start, before I jump into the review. Doctor Who has been a huge part of my life since I was nine years old – it’s the first show I ever started writing about in an in-depth way, and it’s how I met my long-term partner (when he was dressed as a Doctor I didn’t care for at a Halloween party and I approached him to remonstrate with him about it), and I know I’m not the only one with such fond memories associated with it, whether from the original series or this one. I love seeing the fandom come together to celebrate a big moment like this one, and this particular anniversary feels like it’s been preceded by so much joyful engagement with the show (plus some Twitter slapfights, but hey, who’s counting?).

And speaking of what preceded this episode, let’s talk about David Tennant. I made it pretty clear in my review of his first re-appearance in show that I wasn’t a fan of how they brought him back, but I am a die-hard Tennant Stan till the end of my days. I have been enormously anticipating his return to the show (especially with my beloved Donna Noble sharing the screen with him, but we’ll get to that) – and to be quite honest, it didn’t disappoint. This is very much his character from his original run on the series – I did wonder if Russel T Davies and company would try to take a different approach to him – but it’s a joy to have him back. As such a beloved Doctor, it feels right to have him leading such a seminal part of the show’s history, and his boisterous energy and occasional flashes of real, deep emotion are honestly a treat to have on my screen again.

And, of course, we can’t talk about the Doctor without talking about his assistant. Catherine Tate returns as Donna Noble here, now married with a child, and I think she might just have run away with the whole episode. Of the two returning characters, Donna was the one I loved the most here: she’s always found such an amazing balance of dramatic and comedic, and her relationship with the Doctor is a unique and profound one. Seeing her in mother mode – ready to smack down for her child, Rose – feels like an evolution that’s very true to the character, even if she didn’t get to say fuck like I asked. As in her original run, her supporting cast in her family is brilliant, especially Jacqueline King as Sylvie, her mother. One of the things I adored most about Russel T Davies is how well he fleshed out the worlds of his assistants, and if this is anything to go by, it’ll be an aspect in the future of his return too.

And speaking of family Yasmin Finney fills out the role of Donna’s child, as one of Doctor Who’s most prominent trans characters. The episode doesn’t shy away from this aspect of her character, and most of this aspect of the show is well-meaning if not always well-executed There are a few clunky moments in the exploration of her gender identity and how she navigates that within this story, but, for the most part, I was struck by how earnest the show seemed in depicting the reality of Rose’s experience as a trans person, and how important it is to feature characters like this in such big-hitting TV. Yasmin Finney was also just adorable, and I need at least six of those plushies she was making, stat.

But, aside from the characters, what about the story? First and foremost, this is a daft plot – an alien creature winds up in Rose’s shed, begging for sanctuary, only to reveal itself as a monstrous supervillain intent on tearing apart London (side note: you can not tell me that this thing doesn’t look just like my cat Casper – they bear so many striking similarities, like the pink ears, big eyes, and the way he likes to hold a tiny gun). It’s a seriously funny script (the screech I let out at the coffee spill), and feels very much like it could have been pulled from the mid-point of the Doctor and Donna’s original season. It’s a throwaway story that I feel might disappoint some people looking for a bigger spectacle as the opening to the anniversary special, but the focus here isn’t on the story – it’s on the Doctor and Donna. The emotional beats that matter most are between the two of them, and the sensational chemistry between Tate and Tennant is on full display there. There were a few choices I wasn’t sure about – I thought some of the action scenes went on a little too long, and when David Tennant pulled out that wig, I did have a visceral moment of cringe – but, for the most part, this was a hoot with a heart, and that’s exactly what I look for from this show.

As a starting point to Russel T Davies return, his opening salvo as the prodigal showrunner, The Star Beast filled me with a lot of hope. As with his original run on the show, there’s a lot of kitschy, campy fun here – from the dialogue to the set design to the knowing little in-jokes – but a focus as well on landing these solid emotional beats that are well-earned within the show’s universe. It’s something I complained about missing a lot in Steven Moffat’s run of the show, and I wondered if it would be a focus with T Davies returning after so long, but this episode was a salve on those worries. It felt like a real Saturday night romp, the kind I would curl up with as a kid and watch over and over again.

Despite a few wobbles, The Star Beast was a real joy for me to watch. What did you think of the episode? Are you looking forward to the rest of this anniversary special, or do you have your doubts? Let me know in the comments!

If you’d like to read my other Doctor Who articles, you can check them out here (and take a look at my books if you’re feeling curious!). Here’s my Patreon for anyone who fancies getting access to exclusive content!

(header image via BBC)