Love & Monsters

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.

I lived in england at the cool age of 13 and watched jonathon pertwee cavort with characters who looked like they were glitterock backup singers with mild disbelief...

...But as a young adult in the early 80s I fell in love with the weird insouciance of the Tom Baker era, followed by a mild rooting interest in Peter Davison, further declining until Ecclestone and Tennant revived the franchise for the new millennium...

Back in the 80s the local PBS station KTEH helped fill me in on the doings of the good doctors that preceded Baker and I grew to appreciate Pertwee, and his nemesis The Master... good times...There were also some very well constructed plots/story arcs (the planet pirates, for example) which would take many episodes to resolve But enough of my fanboy credentials

This is an art film episode of Dr Who as told from the the view of the red shirted star trek crewman who will probably perish on the plant's surface.

It is a unique take on the normally unseen collateral damage these great events and adventures have upon the incidental characters. This teleplay looks at the effect on those who are merely aware and interested in the Doctor. It's probably the very first PoMo dr treatment apart from Comic Relief, etc.

This is Rosencrantz and Guildenstern with a handycam and it has that same unsettling realism that the more recent Dr Who episodes have had, and such as were found in some of the 'Historical' Pertwee and Baker episodes that were set in Medieval and Cavalier times in which some technologically advanced being attempted to subvert the flow of history for their advantage.

If this is from the guy with his hands on the franchise then I cheer for the revival of one of the most thoughtful TV scifi series of all time.

I actually really enjoyed the first 3/4 of this episode. That was, until the monster is revealed and the rest of the episode becomes disturbingly bad.

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.

I can understand why there's loathing for the series' Marmite episode, but I fall firmly into the "love it" camp. Love and Monsters dares to be different. It's often grouped with Fear Her as being terrible or lazy, but that's unfair - Fear Her's script was lazy, this one isn't. It's fresh, full of life, and packed with laughter. The script fits together beautifully, delivering something quirky, touching, and very Doctor Who.

The humour works throughout, blending silliness with genuine warmth. The opening with Rose and the Doctor sprinting in pure Troughton-era chaos sets the tone perfectly. Camille Coduri is utterly brilliant - her seduction of Elton is comedy gold, played with warmth and just the right hint of absurdity. Even Bella Emberg's cameo had me in tears of laughter; she's a joy to see.

There's also great heart beneath the comedy. The Doctor's visit to young Elton, and the quiet sadness around his mother's death, add real poignancy. The scenes of the LINDA group bonding are beautifully written, full of humanity and sincerity. The climax is touching and bittersweet, and Marc Warren's performance gives the whole episode emotional weight.

Peter Kay clearly had a blast playing Victor Kennedy and the Abzorbaloff. He's a larger-than-life presence, both funny and menacing, and the effects hold up surprisingly well. It's one of those episodes where everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, and it shows.

I love the subtle connections back to Aliens of London and Rose, and the wider continuity touches are lovely too - Victor's home planet Clom reappearing when the Daleks steal the worlds in Series 4, and that first sly mention of Harold Saxon for Series 3's arc. (Plus, spotting my friend Eve's face behind Marc Warren - fantastic!)

It's a story with warmth, humour, sadness, and energy. A bold experiment that paid off. Love and Monsters is just a joy - a misunderstood gem that celebrates fandom and feeling.

One I'll always defend with a smile.

10/10.