Thin Ice

As an adventure I thought it was a pretty decent story, loved the Thames setting, loved the almost early classic series vibe about it, the whole linking random historical events to the show, and given a sci-fi explanation. The visuals were great, really impressive, zany in a way, the circus, the elephant, stalls etc. I love the concept of something menacing lurking under The Thames.

Bill's reality check was the highlight of the show, I thought that conversation she had with The Doctor was fantastically well done, she's showing an emotional presence that hasn't existed in a companion I'd argue since Donna, Bill is truly proving to be the real deal.

I wasn't blown away by the character of Lord Sutcliffe, I am a fan of Nicholas Burns, the character wasn't given any time to make any sort of impact. Nicholas Burns is about as villainous as a Labrador puppy.

I loved the ending, I desperately want to know what exactly is behind the doors, could it be the Mondasian Cybermen?

Next week's looks a cracker.

Liked this one 8/10

The Doctor and Bill have landed in Regency London during the last great frost fair on the Thames.

Bill enquires about the ramifications of treading in the past but when a little street urchin falls inside the icy river and devoured by an underwater chained up beast which excretes some kind of explosive poo, the Doctor only cares about retrieving his sonic screwdriver from the child's hand before the lad plunges completely into the water.

An appalled Bill asks how many people has the Doctor seen being killed. We know the it is in the millions. The Doctor answers 'I don't know,' 'I care but I move on.'

Bill then asks the Doctor if he has ever killed someone. Again we know the answer, millions. The Doctor is still reluctant to answer, we know why he always moves on so he does not have to look back.

Lord Sutcliffe was the hissable villain of the week, he had no empathy for his fellow man and his racism led to a punch in the face from the Doctor.

Sutcliffe also controls the beast for his own ends, although the story was simple, the early part of the episode was just a bit slow to get going. The production values and photography though were top notch. Mist was craftily used to cover up the limitations of the sets, for interiors, canvas and tents were deployed and the underwater sequence with CGI were rather niftily done.

The Doctor and Bill arrive in London 1814 and learn of a creature living in the frozen Thames

!!!!! SUGGESTIVE SPOILERS !!!!!

So far this year we've been treated to a rather low key show and this is by no means a complaint . In fact it tends to work in the show's favour because the writing , performances and all round drama have replaced an over-reliance on spectacle and noisy nonsense . Thin Ice continues this feel. But there's always a conjunction

But....

.... the downside is it feels like it was written by what's known in British popular culture as a "Guardianista" . Let's see now:

Racism is wrong ? - Check

Capitalism is cruel ? - Check

Men are even more cruel ? - Check

So the monster is the goodie and the baddie is a white male capitalist . One of the great things about classic Who is that it was able - like the very best of science fiction - to mix mind blowing entertainment with subtext. The Silurians from 1970 and Genesis Of The Daleks from 1975 are amongst the greatest pieces of television the show has come up. Continuing the theme here it just feels too obvious and a whole lot of nothing. On top of that an organisation like the BBC should be among the last people on Earth to lecture others on morality since their own track record has been so poor . In fact I was reading an old edition of the Radio Times the other day and took me a while before I realised it was the sex offenders register. Sad but true

While a little bit more exiting than last weeks episode, this still had the same form in the rushed ending. The bit about being black in 1800's England was done way better with 10th Doctor and Martha in the Shakespearean era, but I guess they have to repeat themselves nearly word from word every now and then?

Doctor who in the thick of its element. Love it. Well paced, Silly, smart, character development, a great step in series. I love bill and Peter Capaldi is just in his prime here. Very underrated episode.