You may prefer other episodes, but I think it's unfair to dismiss 'Blink' as mere "flashy plot structure". That's part of its appeal, but so is the pathos, the tension, the unforgettable villains, and the direction. I can see why you may feel that a Doctor-lite episode is too much of a deviation to qualify as the best…

Well, often, the letter-grade is all people want to talk about, so at least this time you know they've read the "Next Time" footer, too!

It's an episode that isn't well served by trailers - whereas you probably knew all you needed to know about 'The Lazarus Experiment' from its preview.

These two episodes make an interesting pair, because they can each be reduced to hackneyed high concepts ( rampaging monster ; endangered spaceship ), but differ vastly in quality. The execution of the former is pretty hum-drum, whereas '42' has, in my opinion, a tight script, great design, and superb directing and…

'The Lazarus Experiment' is further let down by having such a forgettable monster. Its design is messy and inelegant, the CGI is mediocre, and all the beast does is charge around devouring people. If you're going to have an episode all about running away from monsters, it helps if the monster is, say, as potently…

I'm glad to see Alasdair give this two-parter such a thoughtful and even-handed review, since it's all to often dimissed outright. I think it had a lot more potential than it's given credit for, although the execution does let it down. I actually like the way the Daleks have a scheme here that goes beyond…

What Smith did so well was to turn his performance down when the Doctor was angry, so instead of bellowing and emoting he just sort of seethed with barely-contained rage. Think of him berating the Colonel in 'A Good Man Goes to War', for instance, or even the end of 'Dinosaurs on a Spaceship'.

Mister Saxon = I'm no sex star

With just one set to redecorate various ways, the designers really give it their all, with some nice quirky touches. Even the American Gothic reference that Alasdair mentions lends an offbeat visual distinction to a fairly routine scene.

They have the body of a kitten, but the mind of a baby!

After Dickens and Shakespeare, I did find Christie to be a come-down!

There's a Season Five episode featuring Vincent van Gogh that works well because it treats the "and then there is a monster" plot as an intrusive nuisance, and wraps it up perfunctorily early on to allow more time for nuanced character study. Also, I hadn't thought of it at first, but 'The Girl in the Fireplace' is a…

Yea, I suppose that succeeds well on its own terms because it goes for full-on genre pastiche, rather than historical veracity. (I do find that episode a little too goofy, though.)

The premise of 'Gridlock' may not stand up to logical scrutiny, but it's still a compelling concept. It makes for a vivid sci-fi setting, it has a sort of tart satirical edge, and even serves (at a stretch) as a bleak, Beckettian metaphor, with life as a slow journey to nowhere, with all comforts proving illusory.

I think I like historical-celebrity episodes in principle more than I usually like their execution. It's an easy way to generate an exciting premise, but they often end up superficial and facetious. Certainly, the two Gareth Roberts has written just take a well-known figure, concoct a slapdash sci-fi plot out of…

'The Runaway Bride' must be the Christmas episode that makes the least effort to disguise the fact that it was filmed in summer.

I think that if the actor's name appears in the opening credits, then the character is a primary companion. Arthur Darville featured in the credits from 'A Christmas Carol' onwards.

I felt the same the same way about Martha on first viewing, but now I think her character is very carefully shaped. In the first few episodes, she's a little bedazzled, and is just along for the ride, but 'The Lazarus Experiment' marks her acceptance as fully-fledged companion, and she consolidates that in '42',…

They occupy an odd category, in so far as they're not outright villains- even in this episode, the Judoon aren't the main antagonists- but are morally dubious mercenaries . You'd think that would make it easy to fold them into a plot.

I wasn't really enamoured of Martha when this season was first broadcast - in part because I find Freema Agyeman sort of wooden, and in part because the character seemed like an underdeveloped substitute for Rose. On re-watching the series a few years ago, I liked her a lot more. She's smart and capable, and has a…