DOCTOR WHO: DINOSAURS ON A SPACESHIP - TV REVIEW

DOCTOR WHO SERIES 7: EPISODE 2 - DINOSAURS ON A SPACESHIP

Air Date: Saturday 8 September **

Channel: BBC One (UK), BBC America (US)

Starring: Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, Rupert Graves, David Bradley, Mark Williams, Riann Steele

Reviewed by Helen Henderson

The Doctor has six hours to save a spaceship but what terrifying truths lie within?

The second outing of this latest run of Nu-Who is crammed with many things that are likely to raise spirits and rekindle the more joyous and upbeat tone of the series, with the episode title alone instantly hinting as such. But don't be fooled by this apparent lightness of touch and the simplicity of the title; for despite this being a somewhat lighter affair than last weeks series opener, Asylum of the Daleks, the complicated, hurried nature of the plot means that the episode may thrill momentarily but ultimately leaves the viewer feeling a little unsatisfied and longing for what could have been. Yes, Dinosaurs on a Spaceship is a rip roaring adventure with plenty of action but with little true drama and a plot with various issues and omissions it could end up feeling a little disjointed and out of place in the narrative of the series and ultimately a throwaway episode with a few admittedly impressive or notable elements.

DOCTOR WHO: ASYLUM OF THE DALEKS - TV REVIEW

DOCTOR WHO SERIES 7: EPISODE 1 - ASYLUM OF THE DALEKS

Air Date: Saturday 1 September **
Channel: BBC One (UK), BBC America (US)
Starring: Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill

Reviewed by Helen Henderson

The Doctor, Amy and Rory are surrounded by Daleks but is everything what it seems?

With the previous Doctor Who episode, Christmas special The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe, coming off as a tad disappointing, all eyes were on Steven Moffat and the team to bring something epic to the table for the start of this new series of Who. Thankfully with season opener Asylum of the Daleks they have done exactly that. With the recent release of movie-style posters for each of the episodes by the BBC it seems clear the mantra behind this series is to be big, bold, Hollywood-esque. Asylum was a sprawling tale that was concise without coming across as rushed, featuring the Doctor’s greatest and most prolific foes, Daleks, and the reintroduction of the Ponds for whom this is the beginning of the end – and not just because the episode began by introducing us to their getting divorced.