"Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror"

It's time for this year's visit to the past and an encounter with a famous historical figure and we have, not only the fascinating figure of Nikola Tesla, but his more famous nemesis, Thomas Edison. This is the debut story from Nina Metivier and her inexperience sometimes shows. On paper, it does feel like the paint-by-numbers version of the Doctor meets a famous historical figure and helps them fight monsters a bit too slavishly and the progression of the solution is sometimes a bit too woolly. However, the monsters in question, the Skithra, tie in well with the central theme of inspiration and inventiveness versus piracy and parasitism although the scenes of the monsters attacking lack verve on the page. One wonders what the considerably greater conceptual ingenuity of RTD and Moffat would have given to these monsters, come rewrites.

However, it is in the characters that the script really comes into its own, helped immeasurably by the performances of Robert Glenister as Edison and, especially, Goran Višnjić as Tesla. Višnjić has always shown incredible charisma, reaching an international audience in ER, a medical drama that was considerably more than the sum of its parts, but his joy at playing someone who is clearly a hero of his, is palpable. Although it was always hugely unlikely that this was going to be the best Doctor Who story he appeared in, Glenister refuses to be outshone. He very interestingly plays Edison with hints of a considerably less intelligent businessman who is currently making an absolute dog's dinner of being the President of the United States. However, Edison is an antagonist, rather than a villain and, despite his portrayal as a ruthless businessman, is shown as being loyal to his employees and his shock and sorrow of the murders on his factory floor are well-conveyed. Behind some heavy prosthetics we have the welcome return of Anjli Mohindra to the Whoniverse. Despite having matured greatly as an actress, the child-like glee she has as the Skithra Queen is fantastic. The Fam are very well written, - Ryan and Graham are their usual cheeky selves and we are treated to Tesla and Yas alternating the role of Doctor and companion in their breakaway scenes. The real Doctor is a champion of inspiration and invention and Whittaker aces every scene.

Nida Manzoor is very good with the actors and the action scenes, but strangely not so sharp with visual comedy – the revelation of Tesla’s bare laboratory could have easily been done better. This is odd, considering Manzoor’s pedigree. However, the whole production has a very cinematic feel, even though – wisely – Manzoor does not attempt to compete with Tesla's unforgettable entrance in Christopher Nolan's The Prestige. A problem with the Skithra Queen is her similarity in appearance to the Queen of the Racnoss thirteen years ago which is unfortunate.

"Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror" manages to overcome its flaws to become a very enjoyable piece of work. However it does show that the pseudo-historical is not as easy to write as it seems – a warning that future writers should take note of.

NEXT: "Fugitive of the Judoon"