Category: Reviews

Doctor Who The Complete History was a series of hardback volumes which came out every two weeks and covered 3-4 stories each. These were in-depth volumes covering the production of each episode from the first in 1963 to the end of the Peter Capaldi era of the show. In addition to the extensive production notes there were also merchandise and publicity updates and actor profiles. The quality of each volume was exceptional overseen by several different editors. The volumes were only available in the UK and Ireland so were difficult to obtain in other locations. I am more of a Watsonian fan but if you are a Doyalist you will greatly appreciate these books. Even so I give the entire series a solid 8 out of 10. I will rate each episode covered below.

Hell Bent is the completion of the death of Clara trilogy that began with Face the Raven and continued into Heaven Sent. This episode does not get the praise of the previous episode but it is almost as good. Scenes that stand out are the meeting of Rassilon and the Doctor and the slow desertion of the Gallifreyan soldiers over to the Doctor’s side and the conversations between Clara, Ohila and the Doctor in the cloisters. The use of memory loss as a plot point harkens back to Donna Noble‘s departure from the Tardis. The Doctor playing Murray Gold‘s “Clara’s Theme” on his electric guitar is a highpoint. 10 out of 10.

The Husbands of River Song is a fun romp after the heart wrenching finale of the “Clara” arc. It is great fun seeing River meeting a Doctor who she doesn’t recognize the face of. The scene where River realizes who the Doctor is with his “hello sweetie” line is memorable but even more so is the final scene on Darillium in front of the singing towers. 10 out of 10.

Doctor Who The Complete History was a series of hardback volumes which came out every two weeks and covered 3-4 stories each. These were in-depth volumes covering the production of each episode from the first in 1963 to the end of the Peter Capaldi era of the show. In addition to the extensive production notes there were also merchandise and publicity updates and actor profiles. The quality of each volume was exceptional overseen by several different editors. The volumes were only available in the UK and Ireland so were difficult to obtain in other locations. I am more of a Watsonian fan but if you are a Doyalist you will greatly appreciate these books. Even so I give the entire series a solid 8 out of 10. I will rate each episode covered below.

Sleep No More is one of the lowest rated Doctor Who episodes by fandom in general. Although it is far from the best it is not totally without merit. The use of the found footage trope is unique to this story and gives us a different perspective which is always nice. Reece Shearsmith is a competent actor in every performance. 7 out of 10.

Face the Raven sees the return of Lady Me (Ashildr) and features the poignant demise of Clara. I like the concept of Trap Street and hope to see it return one day maybe in a Big Finish audio box set. Clara’s “death” does set up the future pair of stories but I feel her death was marginalized with her subsequent resurrection. The “Oncoming Storm” performance of Capaldi was very well played. 8 out of 10.

Heaven Sent is rightly viewed as one of the very best Doctor Who stories ever. Peter Capaldi gives a bravura performance throughout. The slow reveal with the changing constellations and the pounding of the harder than diamond wall are highlights. We finally get to see the return of Gallifrey. 10 out of 10.

Doctor Who The Complete History was a series of hardback volumes which came out every two weeks and covered 3-4 stories each. These were in-depth volumes covering the production of each episode from the first in 1963 to the end of the Peter Capaldi era of the show. In addition to the extensive production notes there were also merchandise and publicity updates and actor profiles. The quality of each volume was exceptional overseen by several different editors. The volumes were only available in the UK and Ireland so were difficult to obtain in other locations. I am more of a Watsonian fan but if you are a Doyalist you will greatly appreciate these books. Even so I give the entire series a solid 8 out of 10. I will rate each episode covered below.

The City of Death is one of the most appreciated of all Doctor Who stories and is definitely the highlight of season 17. The Fourth Doctor and Second Romana make a great pair and story is a nice romp both literally and metaphorically through the streets of Paris. Tom Chadbon is excellent as inspector Duggan a character I wish had made a return appearance in Big Finish. A wonderful mix of comedy and drama. 9.5 out of 10.

The Creature From the Pit sees Lalla Ward at her most voluptuous and The Doctor getting intimate with a giant green monster! This is a run of the mill episode not terrible but mediocre at best. Myra Frances as Lady Adrasta leaned towards an over the top performance but kept it just on the serious side. This was a problem in this Douglas Adams script-edited season. 7 out of 10.

The Nightmare of Eden is a decent story but as is prevalent in these Douglas Adams script-edited stories an over-the-top performance by Lewis Flander as Tryst takes you out of the narrative. The drug storyline and the use of a miniscope are both solid plot points. 7.5 out of 10.

The Horns of Nimon sees one of the worst OTT performances in Doctor Who since Joseph Furst in The Underwater Menace. Graham Crowden as Soldeed is truly awful in his choice of performance. How many Nimon are there?? 6 out of 10.