Tag Archives: Doctor Who

Doctor Who: The Legend of Ruby Sunday – TV Review

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TL;DR – This did everything it needed to do for a penultimate episode, as well as remind us how short this season was.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that viewed this series.

The TARDIS flies into UNIT Headquarters.

Doctor Who Review –

Well, we are almost at the end of the first season already, and goodness, what a ride it has already been. Since we started in earnest with The Church on Ruby Road, back in Christmas, we have seen Space Babies, gone back in time with The Devil’s Chord, discovered that the Doctor needs to watch where he is walking in Boom & 73 Yards, tried to save naïve racists in Dot and Bubble, and went Rogue in Rogue. But it is time to get that Part 1 energy on and dive back into UNIT.


So to set the scene, we start with the TARDIS smashing through the atmosphere and slamming into the control room of UNIT headquarters in London, UK. As you can see, The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) has two problems. The first is everywhere he goes since Wild Blue Yonder, he sees the same lady (Susan Twist). But Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) can conger snow at will, which is a neat trick but also a harbinger of some powerful timey-wimey stuff. Well, it’s a good thing UNIT is monitoring the situation and has cobbled together a time window for just such an occasion. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

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Doctor Who: Rogue – TV Review

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TL;DR – An entertainingly camp episode, playing into the current hotness.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that viewed this series.

The aftermath of a dual.

Doctor Who Review –

It does not matter if you are Doctor Who, James Bond going into space, or that one time Deep Space Nine was James Bond. When there is a current hotness in pop culture, you know people are going to ride that vibe. Well, it doesn’t take much to see that Bridgerton is the current hotness, so slap on some suits and frocks, amp up the drama, and let’s all go to a dance.  

So to set the scene, it is the year of our Lord 1813, and we are at a high society function, my dear, in the most exotic place we can find: Bath, England. We pan down to two gentlefolk who have a row over the honour of one of their sisters. The only problem is that when a dual is called, one of the men is packing electricity. But of course, it would not be a party without The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) popping by, and well, who is that brooding man on the balcony (Jonathan Groff)? Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

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Doctor Who: Dot and Bubble – TV Review

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TL;DR – When subtlety is like a ‘two by four’ to the side of the head, you get this week’s episode.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that viewed this series.

Lindy looking into here bubble.

Doctor Who Review –

If there is one thing that Doctor Who always does, it is to shine a light on the modern world by using a fantastical setting. This is common throughout science fiction, but Doctor Who loves delving into this world. Add a dash of horror, and you will have today’s episode before it starts to fall apart.  

So, to set the scene, the colony of Finetime is a world where everyone lives in these social media bubbles in constant contact with their friends. It is so all-encompassing that they need directions to guide them through the world. No one lowers their bubble, and why would they? You are always in contact with everyone else. But what happens when you start losing contact with your friends, one person at a time? Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

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Doctor Who: 73 Yards – TV Review

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TL;DR – A tense, brooding episode, and that is just the Welsh coastline.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that viewed this series.

Warning – Contains scenes that may cause distress.

Ruby and the Doctor hop out of the TARDIS on the Welsh Coastline.

Doctor Who Review –

One of the strengths of Doctor Who is that you never know what tone you are going to get. Will this be a fun romp with Space Babies or a deep dive into historical racism with Rosa. It can be an entertaining comedy, a profound emotional time or a deep dive into horror. Today’s episode falls firmly into the latter category with a dash of the supernatural.

So, to set the scene, they land on the Welsh coast, which is full of green beauty. The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) is in the middle of reminiscing with Ruby (Millie Gibson) about his love for the place when he steps on a woven construction in the grass (my boy needs to start looking where he steps). It seems like some sort of memorial, something that kids make, but when the Doctor disappears, the TARDIS locks itself, and a figure in black signs some kind of warning. Well, things started getting weird, and why do they stay 73 yards away? Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

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Doctor Who: Boom – TV Review

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TL;DR – An episode that was both profound and frustrating in almost equal measures

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that viewed this series.

The face of an ambulance.

Doctor Who Review –

Oh, okay, I think today’s review is going to need a little bit of a preface going in. I honestly think the best work the renewed series of Doctor Who has ever done was when Steven Moffat was writing during the first Russell T Davies era. That is not to say I didn’t like Russell T Davies’ work. The recent Space Babies & The Devil’s Chord were a blast, and what Steven Moffat did when he was showrunner wasn’t terrible. Rory and Amy are my favourite companions that had ever been in the show. But the combination of the two was always fire, so I came into this episode with very high expectations and left it with some pause.

So to set the scene, we open on a battlefield as two soldiers are trying to get back to base, concerned about the landmines, understandably, and the ambulances, more concerningly. However, as John Francis Vater (Joe Anderson) is captured by the ambulance, we understand his fear. The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) arrives just in time to hear a scream and runs to the call, only to step down and see a landmine under his foot. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

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Doctor Who: The Devil’s Chord – TV Review

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TL;DR – It generally hits the right chord, with a villain who commits to the note, and a Doctor who is ready to conduct

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that viewed this series.

The Doctor and Ruby on the famous crosswalk near Abby Road.

Doctor Who Review –

When they first announced this first season, the one episode they focused on was the one where we get to run into The Beatles. It has been everywhere, and they have been dropping songs and images to the lead-up. So, I am relieved that we got to dive into this episode in the first batch, along with Space Babies.

So to set the scene, in 1925, Mr Timothy Drake (Jeremy Limb) is showing a student, Henry Arbinger (Kit Rakusen), the joys of the piano when the conversation leads to the ‘Devil’s Chord’, which is just a fancy name for a tri-tone, but was banned less it let the devil enter the room. Not that anyone takes that seriously, but not until someone starts knocking from the piano case and the devil, well, a demon, well, something called Maestro (Jinkx Monsoon) bursts forth. Well, The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) asked Ruby (Millie Gibson) where she wanted to go, and she has only one place in mind: Abby Row, 1965, to see The Beatles record their first album, and the Doctor is there to oblige. Insert obligatory crosswalk photo here. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

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Doctor Who: Space Babies – TV Review

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TL;DR – It was a deeply silly episode, yet I could not help but have a smile on my face for the entire run time.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that viewed this series.

Babies. In. Space.

Doctor Who Review –

After finishing the 60th Anniversary specials  The Star Beast, Wild Blue Yonder, and The Giggle at the end of last year and getting a small taste of our new Doctor in The Church on Ruby Road, it is now time for us to officially dive into the third era of Doctor Who. This is a series that always brings a mix of emotions, but now it is on a bigger platform than it has ever been, and it is time to see if it will thrive or flounder.

So to set the scene, after we get a crash course in Doctor Who lore, it is time for The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Ruby (Millie Gibson) to go on their first official adventure, and why not have a random landing with dinosaurs and a little chaos theory. Then, let’s jump into the future onto a space station that is having severe problems, with monsters and all. But what no one was expecting was that they landed on a baby farm. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

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Awards – My Top 10 TV Shows of 2023

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Our previous end-of-year best lists mainly focused on films because there is too much TV to get even close to a definitive list. However, this year there were too many good shows out there not to engage with them.

So this year, we will look at all the shows we reviewed last year, SEE HERE, and pick our Top 10 of the 40 shows we reviewed. For a show to count, it needed to end its run or season in 2023.  

Highly Commended – The Diplomat, Foundation, Letterkenny, Poker Face, Rick and Morty, Star Trek: Lower Decks & Star Wars: Ahsoka

So, without further ado, these are our Top 10 TV Shows of 2023. Be warned that there may be slight spoilers for the shows in question.

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The Musical Scores of 2023 That Wowed Us

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One factor that I will always look out for in a film is the musical score. I can get caught in the world of music as it sits in my head in the days, weeks, months, and even the years that come. There is immense artistry in weaving emotions from music, having us slip into the world that is created, fear the oncoming dread even if we do not know why, or rejoice in the triumph of that final victory.

Music charts the cinematic world as it guides us, lifts us up, and can crush our souls. This is its power.

Our Highly Commended in 2023 are The Boy and the Heron, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, M3GAN, Red, White & Brass & They Cloned Tyrone
Our Best TV Music in 2023 are Ahsoka: Season 1, Doctor Who: 2023 Specials, The Last of Us: Season 1, Loki: Season 2 & Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Season 2

So, without further ado, these are the musical scores that moved us in 2023. Be warned that there may be some slight spoilers ahead for the films in question.


And the Nominees are –

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Tension That Kept You On The Edge Of Your Seat In 2023!

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Well, we have looked at Emotion and swung wildly across the spectrum to Fun, and now we are completing that trifecta by looking at Tension. Tension is one of the most challenging facets of filmmaking because it requires the script, direction, acting, and editing to all work in tandem to evoke the perfect pace. If just one part of that group misses, then an essential part of the film falls apart.

In 2023, we continued to see some excellent use of tension to build mystery, to be the harbinger of the coming dread, or even to tick the clock of inevitability.   

Our Highly Commended in 2023 are Five Nights at Freddy’s, Killers of the Flower Moon, Knock at the Cabin, M3GAN, The Nun II & Saltburn
Our Best TV Tension in 2023 are Deadloch: Season 1, Doctor Who: 2023 Specials, The Last of Us: Season 1, Poker Face: Season 1 & Silo: Season 1

So, without further ado, these moments of tension kept us on the edge of our seats in 2023. Be warned that there may be slight spoilers ahead for the films in question.

And the Nominees are –

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