The Shakespeare Code

The first away day with the Doctor for Martha and it is off to 1599 and a rather affectionate William Shakespeare, as well as some nasally challenged witches whose...

Double, double toil and trouble, fire burn and caldron bubble, if they manage to cut just the slightest of stubble, your lights will fade, and your spirit will crumble.

All facilitated by the Carrionites who wish to bring forth their sisters and consume the world in darkness and all the other stuff witchlike creatures like to do. However, there a no cats or toads or frogs or tongues of dogs, so not true Shakespearean necromancers.

We haven't really gotten to see witches on Doctor Who, which is strange considering it's big following and being a fan favourite for many individuals. Especially when Buffy The Vampire Slayer decided to go down that route. But with all of that said, the Witches are just as fun as they usually appear on TV. And they do pose a real threat to the Doctor and Shakespeare himself, I like the high stakes of this episode, that does raise tension. Which is what Series 3 is very good at, every single episode feels like an action-packed and thrilling adventure. The Witches are trying to take down Love Labour's one, which must go on. And seeing the set designs of Queen victorian London is stunning to look at. The episode for 2007 has definitely aged exceptionally well. And Queen the first was accurately portrayed. A very Good episode, that shows us the high stakes of the episode and how it can be used effectively. Long lasting results create a deeper impact. Only nit pick is Martha's mistreatment from the Doctor.

This is the second (technically third) episode of Doctor Who Series 3, and by now the series should really be getting into the swing of things, but this episode still lacked certain elements that made the last series so successful. Normally, the 'back in time' episodes with a famous person in (Series 1's 'The Unquiet Dead' with Charles Dickens and Series 2's 'Tooth and Claw' with Queen Victoria' rank among the best episodes of the series, but this is a disappointment compared to them. It was action-packed, thats for sure and it featured a fairly clever recreation of Elizabethan England. However, on the whole, the episode was rather silly and just, not anything really. It was a slight improvement over the terribly rushed 'Smith and Jones', but the series still has a long way to go if it wants to top the amazing series 2.

"The Shakespeare Code" marks the lovely Martha Jones' first trip in the TARDIS. Rather than a trip to a space station or a faraway planet, the Doctor and his companion go back to Shakesperean England where they meet the bard himself. Dean Lennox Kelly plays Shakespeare like a Tudor rock star, including high-kicks and Noel Gallagher-like comments to the audience. Kelly's performance is excellent and his Shakespeare is a very likable fellow.

The beautiful Christina ("Hex") Cole plays the youngest of three "witches" who set out to destroy earth. Cole is always watchable and she does a great job here. The pre-titles intro will have many older male viewers grinning at the suggestion of naughty goings-on with Ms. Cole. Meanwhile, kids will run for cover behind their nearest settee as the considerable "fright factor" is introduced.

This episode is truly impressive in the visual effects department. Filmed partly in the re-built Globe theatre and on location, there's a real sense of scale. Everything is lit beautifully and the effects are gorgeous to look at. The CGI-produced Carrionites are a great design, reminding me a little of the terrifying Reapers from Eccleston's "Father's Day".

The script is superb and will have schoolchildren throughout the land rummaging through Shakespeare plays for a reference to a Sycorax. Here's a clue...they should start with "The Tempest". Thankfully, the episode doesn't try sticking to continuity with previous stories where the Doctor's meetings with Shakespeare have been mentioned. This would have simply made things messy and unnecessarily confusing.

Despite its strengths, there are one or two areas where the episode didn't gel as well as it could have done. Perhaps I'm being unsympathetic but I'm growing a little tired of the Doctor's references to Rose. Hopefully, these will soon become a thing of the past. Also, Tennant can be just a tad annoying at times. Having said this, he's a great Doctor and every incarnation of the Time Lord has had the ability to be a little annoying in certain situations.

Overall, an enjoyable episode and a strong 8 out of 10. This is big-budget television and proper family entertainment.

Martha impressed in the hit and miss opener Smith and Jones, now she gets her first outing in the TARDIS, and it's back to London in 1599 for a visit to the Globe Theatre.

The first thing to point out is the stunning imagining of London back in 1599, it looks truly impressive, Smith and Jones special effects were really dodgy, but the Shakespeare Code looks as good as any blockbuster film, great production values.

A truly scary start, with the young musician entering the Witches lair, pretty nasty for the young children. The plot is a clever one, wonderfully imaginative, Lilith and her mothers are great, I love the story of Love's Labours lost and Love's Labours won. The finale is truly a goody, the Globe setting and play are gorgeously realised. I love how the audience applaud at the end.

There's quite a good looking cast, we have the very beautiful Christina Cole and the very hunky Dean Lennox Kelly. This episode is very good on the eyes for lots of reasons.

Here we go again with the companion falling in love with the Doctor, and there are more mentions of Rose :-(

Overall The Shakespeare code is a brilliant episode, the Carrionites are a great creation, it looks stunning. 9/10

Was Queen Bes a Zygon??