Doctor Who: Smith and Jones
by Russell T Davies; dir. Charles Palmer (BBC, 2007)
A diverting enough romp that throws everything at the mission brief: introducing Martha as the Doctor’s new companion. Freema Agyeman makes a strong first impression. The militant bureaucratic Judoon are sufficiently ridiculous that Davies can take walloping great liberties with the plot.
Terry Nation’s Dalek Special
ed. Terrance Dicks (Target, 1979)
The odd typesetting gives this a fanzine appearance, as if Dicks has cut-and-pasted his material from elsewhere. Includes a potted Dalek history, random Dalek puzzles and photographs (B&W), and a truly amateurish (more nonsensical than ever) MG story courtesy of Terry Nation.
Doctor Who: Nightshade
by Mark Gatiss; adapted by Kyle C. Szikora (Big Finish, 2016)
Though Gatiss aims for substance, Szikora’s adaptation isn’t always smooth. The character moments in particular—Ace’s romance, the Doctor’s weariness, though welcome additions—are handled far too quickly, given no more prominence than the confused monster shriekings so favoured by Big Finish.
Doctor Who: Blink
by Steven Moffat; dir. Hettie Macdonald (BBC, 2007)
No ‘Doctor-lite’ episode should work this well, but Moffat’s script offers an adroit balance of humour, suspense and timey-wimey SF, the Weeping Angels are creepily effective (at least as a one-off), and Carey Mulligan, taking the lead, puts in a virtuoso performance.
Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time, Volume 2
by Scott & David Tipton
ill. Philip Bond, John Ridgway, Kev Hopgood, Roger Langridge (IDW, 2013)
One relatively perfunctory story each for the Fifth through Eighth Doctors, with dark-hued illustrations respectively cartoonish, deep-etched, gritty and caricatured. (The companions don’t come off at all well.) While contributing to a wider arc, this isn’t particularly edifying as a standalone volume.
Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor
The Many Lives of Doctor Who
by Richard Dinnick, various illustrators (Titan, 2018)
A graphic novel anthology featuring three- to six-page outings for every incarnation of the Doctor prior to Jodie Whittaker’s. We’re given random companions, no great character likenesses, and stories ranging from facile vignettes to scenarios without plot. Minor nostalgia value at best.
Doctor Who: Demons of the Punjab
by Vinay Patel; dir. Jamie Childs (BBC, 2018)
A beautifully filmed historical episode (technically pseudo-historical but the titular demons are something of a MacGuffin). The bigger context of the partition of British India allows for an impactful small-scale story where the TARDIS crew contribute little but empathy, which is enough.
Doctor Who: The Woman Who Fell To Earth
by Chris Chibnall; dir. Jamie Childs (BBC, 2018)
The best debut story since Rose. Jodie Whittaker hits the ground running, and Chibnall strikes a nice balance between SF threat, comfort humour and character introduction. All the soon-to-be regulars show promise (while Sharon D. Clarke is immediately much missed as Grace).
Doctor Who: The Great Beyond
by James Kettle (Big Finish, 2024)
A six-parter structured around a proper SF idea. While the plot follows recognisable patterns and the support characters play to standard, unnuanced types, Kettle lands a poignant denouement that allows the Doctor to live and grow from the consequences of his actions.
Doctor Who: The Power of Three
by Chris Chibnall; dir. Douglas Mackinnon (BBC, 2012)
An important episode in Amy and Rory’s storyline. Gentle humour, endearing character moments, but the ‘stuff of nightmares’ Shakri are brushed aside with laughable ease. Chibnall might have done better to spend less time on Rory’s dad and more on the resolution.