The Unquiet Dead

I had higher hopes than i should have for this episode. While it has the potential to scare the younger viewers like the Classic Who did; for the adult viewers it drags on a little too long and so loses some of the grip.

Still an above average episode however, as it does have a catching ending

It is 1869, the Doctor and Barbarella Rose materialise in Cardiff on Christmas Eve where those passed are reanimating, leaving Charles Dickens hyperventilating, and a little bit flustered and confused. What are the gas light spectral forms that raise the dead from their coffin box dorms, enlivening cadavers into zombified forms. Friend or foe, we just do not know, until Gwyneth starts to radiate and glow, breaching the rift to set up the flow, a torch to a darker side woodn't you know.

The third episode of the returning Doctor Who was a key one in many ways, not only was it the first historical recreation and the Doctors first interaction with a famous character, but it was the first one written by Mark Gatiss, is a universe debut for Eve Myles and provides the cornels of the idea behind "Torchwood".

After the far future last time, The Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) and Rose (Billie Piper) head to Earths past, not exactly where they were planning on heading too, but they land in Cardiff in 1869. The inhabitant fo the local funeral parlour are, alas not staying as inactive and their death would have suggested, which is much chagrin to the Undertaker Mr Sneed (Alan David) and his assistant Gwen (Eve Myles). The city is also preparing for the celebrated Charles Dickins (Simon Callow) to give a reading of his "A Christmas Carol".

One thing that's struck me, but I haven't mentioned before, is how much I like this version of the theme, with its string section supporting the classic Theremin tune. I don't hate the current version, or any of the ones that have come in between, but this is my favourite.

This is a really strong episode. There's very little CGI, with most of it used to enhance practical or make up effects - so it hasn't aged . . . questionably . . . like elements of the previous two have. The plot is a lot tighter and makes more sense than the last one. Though perhaps it could have done with a little more genuine peril in the middle to keep the story running. I like how much this Doctor loves a good pun (or a bad pun even) but it doesn't effect that pervading dangerousness about this character.

The Doctor and Rose travel back to meet Charles Dickens, only to discover that the dead are restless.

This is the early episode I remember most fondly, and it's excellent. The Unquiet Dead delivers Gothic horror with corpses bursting from coffins, Simon Callow's brilliant portrayal of Dickens, and a wealth of visual treats. The filming locations are glorious - particularly the streets of Swansea - and the production values are top-notch.

Christopher Eccleston continues his brilliant work as the Doctor, and Billie Piper shines as Rose; I didn't fully appreciate her talent back then, but she's consistently impressive here. Alan David is glorious as Sneed, and it's a good first Doctor Who outing for Eve Myles. The Gelth are a great invention, and the episode also nods to the Bad Wolf arc through Gwyneth.

Pacing is swift, the horror elements land well, and everything feels carefully constructed. A truly strong early episode that balances scares, character, and period atmosphere.

8/10.

I feel like stories and serials set in the past are always a very mixed bag with who but this is definitely one of the better ones. We get the first proper horror episode of the revival and I remember being genuinely unnerved and frightened by it when I first watched it back in 05. The whole idea of setting it at Christmas and having Charles Dickens who at the time is touring A Christmas Carol mixed in with the Ghost/Aliens is a stroke of genius and really makes this one stand out. The episode isn't without fault by any means, the pacing is a wee bit strange among other things but I'd definitely recommend this one for fans of the back in time stories. I'm going to give "The Unquiet Dead" a 7.7 to a 7.8