Dr. Who Next Doctor

The thing that immediately impressed me about "The Next Doctor" was that you don't necessarily have to be a long-time fan to enjoy it. But for those viewers who ARE faithful followers of the traveling Time Lord (myself included), it's a fine combination of elements that have traditionally worked in Doctor Who stories. The episode is full of action, humor, pathos, better-than-average performances, and a sense of wonder that has long been missing from t.v. science fiction.

[SPOILERS AHEAD] The Doctor is delighted to find himself in Victorian England at Christmastime. He is soon surprised, however, to encounter another fellow claiming to be "the one, the only, the best" Doctor. With his own companion, sonic screwdriver (sort of) and TARDIS (a wonderful twist which I refuse to spoil), this Doctor is man with some crucial memories missing. What the REAL Doctor finds out about this mystery man is tragic yet inspiring, and touches on the whole history of the series. Oh, and did I mention the Cybermen are on-hand as well?

The entire production is first-rate, from the gorgeously-realized snowy streets to the impressive spectacle of the Cyber King on the march. Guest star David Morrisey is so good in his role, you almost wish he WAS the next Doctor. And like the best of the modern episodes, the resolution is both satisfying and leaves you wanting to see more.

The disc also includes an interesting special, "Doctor Who at the Proms." This is an hour-long concert of the show's music peformed at the Royal Albert Hall. In addition to big screens projecting images from the show's first 4 seasons, there are actors dressed as Cybermen, Judoon, etc. that roam through the aisles to the delight of the crowd. Freema Ageyman hosts, with a special appearance by Catherine Tate. It's a fun way to enjoy the great music from the show.

I have no doubt that BBC will eventually release all the one-off specials featuring David Tennant in a box set when all is said and done. But if you can't wait, "The Next Doctor" is a perfect way to pass the time.

For reasons passing understanding, this program, the Christmas Doctor Who special for 2008, has been released this month (September), while its successor in this season of Doctor Who specials on the BBC, "Planet of the Dead", was released earlier this summer. This episode is by far the superior story.

The strongest element in the program, besides the characteristically endearing Doctor of David Tennant, is the "Doctor" of David Morrissey (for those who haven't seen the episode, I'll leave it at that). Morrissey is familiar to many of us for his stellar contributions to "State of Play" and the BBC "Sense and Sensibility". Morrissey is, by turns, dashingly heroic, confused, and crushed, as the true nature of the presence of Tennant's Doctor is made manifest. His is that increasingly rare feature of the "new" Doctor Who--a sympathetic male companion, evoking nostalgia for the likes of Nicholas Courtney's Brigadier and the late Ian Marter's Harry Sullivan, not to mention Frazer Hines' Jamie.
Dervla Kirwin is delightful as the villain, following in the footsteps of such Doctor Who femmes fatale as the Rani and Chesene, the murderous Androgum. And Russell T, Davies' favorite baddies the Cybermen make a grand appearance as well.

The screenplay is superb, set in a Dickens Christmas London, one of the time periods that this era of Doctor Who has been most successful at evoking. There isn't a wasted scene, as the script moves at a fast pace, but manages to give Morrissey time to flesh out his character.

These one-shot episodes are pretty skimpy as to extras, and this one features only one--but it's pretty special: the BBC Night at the Proms concert that was devoted to the music of Doctor Who, composed by Murray Gold. Freema Agyeman serves as MC, and there are guest appearance by Catherine Tate, Davros, and several Cybermen, Sontarans, Judoon and an Ood or three. The highlight is a special video appearance by David Tennant's Doctor.

It will be a sad day indeed when Tennant's Doctor regenerates into his new body in the person of Matt Smith. This terrific program gives us an insight into what might have been....

... and it's not a horrible story. I've seen worse.

Plus, most of the Christmas specials are filled with fluff anyway, in keeping with the holiday spirit. That being said, this story is a fun bit of Christmas cheer, although it lacks depth on some levels, but I'll still line it up with the other Christmas specials for Christmas morning viewing. I will say though, I thought the Cyber-Shades were kind of creepy and I hope they bring them back at some point. On the other hand, the Cyber-King "ship" was a bit too much on the cheesy side for me, and while I first relished the character of Ms. Hartigan, she completely crashed and burned into the cheese fest.

Another thing that stirred the bee in my bonnet was the Rosita character, and I'm going to say something that a lot of people ~ especially fans of the new series ~ won't like: Enough with Rose Tyler, already! I mean, come on. Bleeding hearts of the world unite! Enough with the references, the inferences, the parallels, the longing, the tragedy of it all, etc. The writers, including Russell T. Davies, whom I happen to actually love, being a writer myself, have beat this like a dead horse and to a bloody pulp. Yes, we know the Doctor has great affection for her; yes, we know he can never be with her, but let's move on. Please.

It's for this reason that I am really anxious for Steven Moffat to take the reins of the series ~ and in a way, I'm glad there's a new Doctor. I love David Tennant and I think he's been absolutely brilliant ~ right up there with, if not surpassing, Tom Baker ~ but this whole, galactic playboy thing (as further evidenced in Planet of the Dead) is wearing thin. The character of the Doctor is NOT Captain Kirk and he is NOT about romantic baggage, thank you very much ~ and I'm saying that as a chick, who initially loved the character of Rose and her deeper friendship with the Doctor. It was different than the classic series, with a little more humanity thrown in, instead of the cold, androgynous, teacher-student, master-apprentice dynamic. But enough.

There, I said it. I feel much better now.

On the upside, David Morrissey's portrayal of "The Doctor" was quite fun to watch as a romanticized, chivalrous version of our favorite Time Lord, and some of his dialogue and interaction with the real Doctor was thrilling, thinking that this might just be a future version him, with memories lost. Alas, 'twas not meant to be, which is kind of a bummer, because I think Morrissey would have made a great eleventh Doctor.

On the whole, though, it's a fun little frolic ~ not on the A-list, but rather on the B-list, in the canon of the Whoniverse. But like I said, I've seen worse, and as we tick down the days and months to David Tennant's departure, I do feel a certain sadness. He's been MY Doctor of the revived series, just like Baker was in the classic, even though I loved Christopher Eccleston, too, and I will be sad when Tennant leaves.

But hey! Viva la Doctor! As one chapter ends, another begins. And that's what the Doctor's story is all about!

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