"42"

When I heard that Chris Chibnall would be writing for Doctor Who, I had mixed feelings. I am only really familiar with Chibnall’s writing from Torchwood and Life on Mars. On Life on Mars, he wrote some excellent and moving stories. However, his Torchwood efforts had a tendency to be derivative and uninvolving and it cannot be a coincidence that Torchwood skyrocketed in quality when he left as showrunner. Which leaves us with "42". The influences are easy to spot- the real time narrative is inspired by the wildly popular 24 (thankfully, "42" does not have a simplistically reactionary political agenda) and the final act reveal is very similar to Planet of Evil (sentient planet in one, sentient sun on another). The problem is, of course, that while 24 is a thrilling ride, I find that it has little rewatch value, at least after the first season. There is a clear similarity to Danny Boyle’s 2007 film Sunshine but this is probably an unfortunate coincidence, however. There are a few choice bits of dialogue (the best, by far, being ‘Here Comes the Sun’), but beyond that, it is a standard monster on the rampage story that contains some incredibly silly pseudo-science (magnetism is obviously stronger than the gravitational pull of a sun!) and some scattershot plotting- one of which was hilariously pointed out by comedian Toby Hadoke- the sun should have made its catchphrase ‘Can I have my bits back, please?’ rather that ‘Burn with me!’ Characterisation is thin, but this is remedied by some good performances from William Ash and Anthony Flanagan. However, in the key role of Captain McDonnell, Michelle Collins only just avoids being awful. She is woefully out of her depth, something which becomes very obvious when she shares scenes with any two other actors. The regulars are excellent as ever, with David Tennant effectively portraying the Doctor’s possession and fear and Freema Agyeman again injecting life and vigour into every scene.

However, there is one considerable asset that "42" possesses- the direction. Never before has a mundane script been elevated to something else entirely by its realisation. Every scene, indeed, every shot and editing choice looks sublime. The Doctor going outside the ship to save Martha is unbearably tense on screen, belying the fact that it is very lazy and contrived plotting on Chibnall’s behalf. There are scenes of sheer wonder- the awesome death scene of Korwin and McDonnell, the beautiful shot of the Doctor and Martha staring at each other as Martha and Riley’s pod floats towards the sun. Ernest Vincze’s cinematography is just as stunning- look at the lighting on Martha in the pod, where she is lit with red on one side and blue on another. The special effects and design work is up to the task, with some nice little touches, such as the name on the unlocking device.

Despite the lacklustre script, "42" is a triumph for Graeme Harper, a real visual feast. However, it seemed at the time that Doctor Who was losing its mojo somewhat- was it going to be stuck in a rut of mediocrity?

NEXT: "Human Nature"/"The Family of Blood"