The British have
an interesting habit of keeping the runs of their television shows short and
sweet, a practice that seems antithetical to the American way of doing things.
In this, Doctor Who is undoubtably an outlier—a British television
staple that has been an almost constant presence since it premiered in the
early 1960s. Yet despite its impressive streak, Doctor Who endures
because it is constantly refreshing itself, offering new beginnings and
opportunities for the curious to hop on and become fans. In this spirit it was
announced last year that everyone’s favorite Time Lord would find new life in
the States at Disney+, starting with the three-part 60th anniversary
celebration. As of this review two of them have been released, The Star
Beast and Wild Blue Yonder, and while these episodes are probably a
little more difficult for newcomers to completely comprehend than they should
have been there is no doubt that they will win over some new hearts.
Well, Wild Blue Yonder will, anyway. The
Star Beast is a bit rougher, if still endearing in that cheesy way that
only Doctor Who can pull off. While it is still thoroughly a BBC
production, it is obvious that The Star Beast had some of that Disney
money behind it that it wanted to flex, leading to a more action-packed
adventure than usual for the Doctor, which in and of itself isn’t a bad thing.
But the main plot revolving around the titular star beast is bland and uninspired,
and perhaps even more questionable is the fact that the episode chooses to
resolve a big ongoing plot point that was introduced all the way back in 2008.
As a relatively longtime Whovian I found this resolution incredibly
unsatisfying, and I’m sure that newcomers will be completely baffled no matter
how many let’s-catch-you-up conversations and recaps there are.
Wild Blue Yonder, on the other hand,
is classic Who. I’ve always felt that the show was at its best when it
was smaller, more thoughtful, and even a little creepy. The sci-fi elements and
the core mystery are satisfactorily compelling, and even though a past episode
or two are alluded to it doesn’t feel like you need to go back and do some
homework to understand things moving forward. Perhaps the best part of this
episode is the fact that it takes the time to slow down a bit and focus on
David Tennant’s Doctor and Catherine Tate’s Donna Noble, two fan favorites
whose return was one of the main selling points of the anniversary specials.
They are as fun to watch as ever, neither missing a beat as they step back into
roles that they haven’t inhabited in years.
Six decades and fifteen actors later the
future of Doctor Who looks as bright as it ever did. Jump on in, if
you’re curious. The fandom's warm.
The first two Doctor Who 60th
anniversary specials are now available on Disney+. A third one will release on December
9th followed by a fourth on Christmas Day.
This review was first published in the
Keizertimes on December 8th, 2023. Visit at www.keizertimes.com.
Note: when this was published the third
special had not come out yet, but as of the repost on my blog it is now available.
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