Doctor Who: Season 28 Buses And Review

The latest season of Doctor Who got underway on Prime TV here a couple of months back, and this time Auckland’s bus advertising really kicked into gear:





There were also billboards on Queen Street...


...and down by Auckland Harbour...


...which by today had changed to a more generic Prime TV advert:



I’ve seen the whole of season 28 now, and I think it's a heap better than season 27 was. The obvious hook to hang the improvement on is new lead actor David Tennant, who as Doctor 10 is livelier, more versatile, and funnier than Doctor 9.

But let’s be fair here – he’s had better material to work with. There have been a few more episodes this season written by contract writers, and once again these have proved the show’s original multi-authored format to work better. (the episodes in the 1960s-80s series were written by many different authors, while a whopping 14 of the new ones are all by the same, apparently overwhelmed, in-house writer)

To illustrate my point, let’s look at the similarities between last season and this one.

Episode 1: (Rose / The Christmas Invasion)

Both are written by the same in-house writer.
Both are set on present-day Earth.
Both feature a public alien invasion.
Both put Rose centre-stage for most of the episode, only concentrating on the Doctor towards the end.
Both guest-star Jackie and Mickey.
Both feature an alien attack in a shopping-centre.

Episode 2: (The End of the World / New Earth)

Both are written by the same in-house writer.
Both are set on / in orbit around Earth 5 billion years in the future.
Both feature Cassandra as the villain.
Both also coincidentally guest-star the Face Of Boe.

Episode 3: (The Unquiet Dead / Tooth And Claw)

Both are set on Earth in the past.
Both feature a real-life historical character. (Charles Dickens / Queen Victoria)

Episodes 4-5: (The Aliens Of London / World War 3 / School Reunion)

Both are set on present-day Earth.
Both feature aliens masquerading as humans in positions of authority.
Both guest-star Mickey.

Episode 6: (Dalek / Rise Of The Cybermen)

Both are set on a slightly futuristic version of ‘our’ present-day Earth.
Both feature the return of a famous classic monster.
Both feature an extra short-term companion who is also Rose’s boyfriend.

Episode 7: (The Long Game / The Age Of Steel)

Both feature an extra short-term companion who is also Rose’s boyfriend leaving.

Episode 8: (Father’s Day / The Idiot’s Lantern)

Both are set on Earth within living memory.

Episodes 9-10: (The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances / The Impossible Planet / The Satan Pit)

Both are two-part horror stories, featuring zombies.

Episode 11: (Boom Town / Fear Her)
(I sincerely hope the super-pretentious Love & Monsters was a one-off)

Both are set on present-day Earth.

Episodes 12-13: (Bad Wolf / The Parting Of The Ways / Army Of Ghosts / Doomsday)

All 4 episodes are written by the same in-house writer.
Both feature parodies of current TV shows, with presenters playing themselves.
Both feature the return of the classic monster from a few weeks ago.
Both feature the sudden return of the Daleks at the end of the first episode.
Both feature a hidden second alien power showing up and fighting the main enemy in the final episode.
Both stories revolve around 2 syllables that have been (awkwardly) forced into the background of most of the preceeding episodes.
Both stories guest-star Jackie and Mickey.
Both feature swarms of Daleks attacking the Earth.
Both feature the Doctor sneakily sending Rose away to safety, only for her to find her way back again.
Both feature the Doctor telling Rose goodbye in the final scene.
Both goodbyes are immediately followed by a stranger appearing in the TARDIS as an end-of-season cliffhanger.

There are a couple of episodes I missed-out, but even these seem similar. The Girl In The Fireplace and The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances have a lot in common too, and are both by Steven Moffatt.

Ultimately though the new formula as a whole seems to boil down to zombies, (The Unquiet Dead, The Long Game, The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances, The Christmas Invasion, New Earth, School Reunion, Rise Of The Cybermen / The Age Of Steel, The Idiot’s Lantern, The Impossible Planet / The Satan Pit and Army Of Ghosts / Doomsday) disembodied faces, (The End of the World, / New Earth, The Idiot’s Lantern, Love & Monsters and Fear Her) and aliens publicly invading a present-day Earth where no-one remembers the previous episodes in which this has happened. (The Aliens Of London / World War 3, The Christmas Invasion, Fear Her and Army Of Ghosts / Doomsday)

Not to mention the ratings-terrified kissing.






Remember when it was different every week?

Now, that Children In Need Special was refreshingly original...

:)

UPDATE:

... as was Attack Of The Graske...

:)