DW: Voyage of the Damned!

Hey, wait a minute, that didn't open with a zoom into London! Oh well, on to epic adventure!

Well, that intrusion into the TARDIS was easily resolved, wasn't it? With no explanation for why (different dimension!) nor any reaction from the crew that something weird happened before. Huh.

Anyways, ... what the hey? Yes, there is the obligatory explanation for what's going on, but it's still a paper thin reason for suddenly having a spaceship called Titanic turn up over earth, then threaten to plummet into it. Clearly, RTD wanted to do a disaster story, but I'm not thinking this was a good pick. Story took a definite backseat to the amazingness of the sets and the cast.

Yeah, let's talk about Kylie... was there any reason it that Kylie in particular was playing this role? It could have gone to any actress as far as I could see. The main point seemed to be to use her status as a shorthand for getting the audience to care about her so we would care when she tried to replicate the "get away from him you bitch" moment. Not to say she wasn't good in the role, just that Astrid wasn't much a part worth taking note of. (Yes, I wasn't moved at the big moment. I'm a hardhearted bastard.)

As for the other cast members, oh look, it's Geoffry "I'm a doctor, and I want my sausages" Palmer and Bernard "Sssppppoooooooonnnnsssss!!!!" Cribbins! And a bunch of others distinct enough so that we can remember them when they are a party moving through the ship (and note: the black guy died first!). Props all around, but Jimmy Vee stole the show. (And there was also some guy called Tennant around, but eh...)

As for the ship itself, the model looked gorgeous. Now there's a prop that needs to be sold! The sets were fine, with the BBC more than ready for the period costumes that the people wore (if anyone produced a period drama long running series, they'd need zero costume budget as that is all the BBC really seems to care about and stores everything period...). The Host... why? Does the planet Stow have the same mythological roots as the earth? Why angels with halos? (Or were they a deliberate rip from earth mythology... but again, why then and not, say, reindeer as something more appropriate.) There's no reason for them, honestly, and the heads were not the best feature of their outfits.

Overall, it was good, and the bit about London being evacuated was funny, but the show rocked from melodrama to farce in... well, a snap of the fingers. Not a failure by any means, but nothing special to me either.


Previews: Series Four - ooh, I recognise those beasties! Lots of stuff to come. Torchwood - eh... notice we see lots of the crew looking around, but nothing plot-wise (other than the presence of James Masters).

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