Love & Monsters

Series two of the new Doctor Who could well be one of the very best television series ever to appear on British television. I really mean that; I'm not just some raving fan. Love And Monsters was to DW what Revolution #9 is to the Beatles and will draw polarised reactions. Me, I applaud its originality, its zest, its supreme cleverness, and the fact that it was fresh, funny, satirical and wise. Peter Kay, truly proving that 'all planets have a north' was fantastic, as were the rest of the cast. But we've come to expect that from this series now, standards have been set so high. I suggest anyone who disliked this episode should expand the boundaries of their mind - there is really is an incredible world out there, just as the script said.

Through all I sit here and I wait, this filler episode will just not abate. The poorest show of season 2 (so far), the search by Elton for Doctor Who. But the Lord of Time is barely in it, the writer's fail their scope and remit (they get away with it in Blink though, Season 3). I fear the next (instalment) will not atone (it doesn't, it's gets worse) and Ursula-like, I turn to stone.

Clearly, based on the comments left here, "Love & Monsters" is a love it or hate it affair. And probably all you need to know going into it is that after 45 minutes you'll likely fall into one camp or the other. I can certainly see why it would rub someone the wrong way, and yet I feel for the DW fan who doesn't embrace this episode for the wonderful stretching of the show's format that it is.

The episode, written by show runner Russell T Davies, is a great example of why he's in charge of the new series: He's an idea man, and unafraid to try new things, rather than simply fall back on the tried and true. Maybe some of his more radical ideas don't work for everyone? Even with the most mainstream episodes, Davies & Co. don't please everyone, all the time. After watching "Love & Monsters", my 13-year old son was so into it he immediately said, "I didn't even notice the Doctor and Rose were hardly in it."

In Season One Davies took some baby steps (the highly underrated "Boom Town" springs to mind); in Season Two he's confident and willing to go even further. "Love & Monsters" is a bright, shiny example of DW for the new millennium. While many have concentrated on its humorous aspects, few mention the episode's melancholy, which for me, was the core sell.

And on top of everything else, it's got ELO tunes. This fan was in heaven.

Oh come on! I've been watching Doctor Who since I was five years old (30 years ago) and I've never seen an episode quite as funny as this one (not even the one with Bertie Basset in it). Don't take it so seriously, it was a totally played for laughs, self-mocking episode. Chasing the monster backwards and forwards across the screen at the start of the episode was straight out of Scooby Doo or classic Laurel & Hardy. Peter Kays human costume was a parody of the eccentric costumes earlier incarnations of the Doctor had worn (Ecclestone and Tennant look just too plain by comparison), and his Abzorbaloff costume harked back to the days when Doctor Who monsters were obviously just men in rubber suits (although I admit the kid who designed it couldn't have realised that, but then he did want it to be the size of a bus). Peter Kay didn't even bother trying to disguise his voice and if anything sounded even more northern as the monster. The soundtrack was great (I love ELO) and the blow job joke at the end had me in stitches. All in all the funniest Doctor Who episode ever, and a fantastic bit of light relief for between "The Satan Pit" and the next few episodes.

I'm not normally one to post reviews, but I couldn't let the one negative post sit here as testimony to this episode. Yes, it wasn't perfect. The broad comedy and grotesque nature of the central villain would obviously not be to everyone's tastes. But Marc Warren turned in an excellent performance, as did Camille Coduri. The group of people who set up the "club" were portrayed as decent sorts who didn't deserve what became of them, and there were moments of charm and sensitivity. The use of E.L.O. in the soundtrack is also a plus point! Overall, the episode was an interesting experiment. If I met Russell T Davies I'd happily discuss it with him (without resorting to the violence another on this thread seems to expound) and of course thank him for making Doctor Who popular with a mainstream audience again.