On November 23rd, 1963, when the world was still shocked at the death of JFK, in the United Kingdom, a little sci-fi serial premiered on the BBC, Doctor Who. Traveling across the stars in a blue police box called the Tardis, The Doctor is a kind hearted Time-Lord who despite having many different faces over the years, always manages to do the right thing. Now, 60 years later, the show still going strong with this excellent return to form.
Doctor Who: The Star Beast (2023)
David Tennant returns as the 14th Doctor after his departure in 2010 and runs into an old friend, Donna Noble (played by the fantastic Catherine Tate), and stumbles upon a mysterious (and adorable) alien from across the stars. While the dialogue was a little shaky at times, the emotional beats definitely landed. Despite being a part of the shows 60th anniversary, this episode is a fantastic jumping on point for any first time viewer, and with 2 more specials until Nucti Gatwa takes over the role, I am very excited about what Doctor Who has in store.
Erik’s rating: 8/10.
Doctor Who: The Star Beast is currently streaming on Disney+.
Doctor Who: Wild Blue Yonder (2023)
And now for the second of three specials, comes an introspective character study where The Doctor and Donna find themselves stuck at the edge of the universe with almost no hope of escape. While stranded and trying to find the Tardis, they also try to uncover the mysteries of the abandoned spaceship they find themselves trapped on. While the special effects were a little shaky in spots, the writing and acting were absolutely phenomenal. This was an absolutely incredible episode of television, and I have extremely high hopes for David Tennant’s swan song: The Giggle.
Erik’s rating: 9/10.
Doctor Who: Wild Blue Yonder is currently streaming on Disney+.
Doctor Who: The Giggle (2023)
And now for the final outing of David Tennant as The Doctor, and this episode certainly ends his tenure with a BANG. Neal Patrick Harris guest stars as one of The Doctor’s oldest foes: The Celestial Toymaker. He absolutely chews up the scenery and steals every scene he is in. While I don’t want to spoil the surprises any further, David Tennant succeeds in passing on the torch with an emotional and heartfelt performance. This special really managed to stick the landing, and I am incredibly excited for both the upcoming Christmas special, and Nucti Gatwa’s coming season coming early next year.
Erik’s rating: 9/10.
Doctor Who: The Giggle is currently streaming on Disney+.
