27 December 2008

Doctor Who Christams Special 2008: The Next Doctor

I'm unsure what to say about The Next Doctor. Personally, I'm getting less and less impressed with Russell T Davies as the series has grown in popularity outside of the UK. Instead of interesting stories that made the first season of revived series so good, further under Davies tenure the show has gotten rather silly. Of course, its a kids show (as some will say), but if it is, then what is The Sarah Jane Chronicles? This version of Who is suppose to be somewhere between Sarah Jane and Torchwood, but I've always felt Who should be more like Torchwood than Sarah Jane. But under RTD tenure, the show has become somewhat boring -much like what happened during the final years of JNT's time.

This new take on Doctor Who has left some of the best elements of TOS -the dark tales and equally dark humor - and made the show somewhat simplistic. It's become the same thing as American TV, full of sound and fury, but ultimately dull and pointless.

The one thing that saves this show -and unlike most of its American cousins, is the acting. David Tennant shines, as always, in the role of the Doctor, while guest star David Morrissey proves to be just as competent. Velilie Tshabalala proves she is just as tough as most of the series female companions, along with Dervla Kirwan as Miss Hartigan. These female characters are RTD's strength, btw.

Beyond that, the episode proves rather pedantic, with (for the fourth Christmas Special year in a row) the Doctor battling robots, though this time its the rather potentially good bad guys, Cybermen. And while the story has some rather interesting aspects at times, however, it makes me hark back to the first season, when all things looked new and show had so much potential. But then final 15 minutes happens, and it quickly becomes a retread of the ending of The Runaway Bride.

How disappointing is that?

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