In Cyberspace No One Can Hear You Rehashing Old Ideas




"Come on, cough up! I'm collecting for Caroline Skinner. She's leaving."

I love so many things about Steven Moffat! I love the fact that he spends three weeks of every year locked in  a Garden Centre display shed, conjuring up new terrifying creatures from the dark recesses of his psyche. I love how the distortion of 'time' and 'narrative order' are often used as a handy means of avoiding troublesome plot holes in many of his scripts.
But most of all, I really love his hair. It is one of nature's greatest achievements! Why it hasn't been given its own spin-off series I'll never know!!

But.....and its only a little 'but'..... I've started to detect a faint whiff of 'familiarity' emanating from Moffat's most recent offerings. Take the latest mid-season opener, 'The Bells Of St John'. While the Wi-Fi manipulating foes and Anti-Grav bike rides were all refreshingly original, many of the episodes other ingredients were not!

The head-turny 'Spoonheads' were a bit like the head-turny 'Smilers' from 'The Beast Below'. "I don't know where I am!" echoed the catchphrase based chills of "Are you my mummy?" and "Hey! who turned out the lights?".  The old chestnut of using a Robot double to dupe the enemy was deployed in both 'Let's Waste Hitler' and the big Season Six finale. And, with Clara, we have yet another new companion laden with unnecessary Timey Wimey contrivances.

That said though, I did enjoy the sound of Johnny's Bells.

As a potential new audience grabber, it ticked all the right boxes. Brisk, breezy, witty, contemporary and exciting. It provided an assortment of entertaining set pieces, a suitably hissable baddie in Celia Imrie, and some wonderful interplay between the show's two leads. 


The 'Doctor' pulls his 'I'm going to ride my bike into your office' face.

In fact, it was the Smith/Coleman chemistry that really made the episode for me. Their rapport felt so natural, so effortless. I already prefer Clara to the walking pout that was Amy Pond, and I've a feeling 'The Chin' and 'The Twice Dead Girl' may prove to be a winning combination.
As for Mr Smith.....well, with each new adventure I love him more and more. The man invests so many of his own unique ticks and quirks into the role, and over time, has managed to shape a persona that's as distinctive and memorable as either Troughton's or Baker's.


Wait for it.....'The Doctor Dances'!   Ho! Ho!

His rooftop cafe shenanigans were highly amusing. The little jigs and smiles. His is a Doctor as seemingly naïve as he is ageless and wise. As vulnerable as he is battle hardened. As delightful as he is re-watchable!!

I love him.....as well!!

Coming Soon to CBBC.