"Nightmare in Silver"

If "The Crimson Horror" was an attempt to do The Talons of Weng-Chiang for a 21st century audience, it is not exactly difficult to guess which 20th century Doctor Who story "Nightmare in Silver" is trying to evoke. Like The Talons of Weng-Chiang, The Tomb of the Cybermen is an iconic story that will never be forgotten by those who watched it when it was broadcast. One of those kids who were thus enthralled was obviously Neil Gaiman, who returns to the programme after the unqualified triumph that was his first story and, thankfully, whilst the influence of Tomb of the Cybermen is obvious, Gaiman immediately puts his own stamp on the programme’s second most famous monster. Gaiman takes us to the far future, where a Human Empire (a Great and Bountiful one?) rules hundreds of galaxies. The Cybermen have been the Great Enemy of this period and are considered ancient history by the time of the story. However, when they do return, Gaiman gives them their most radical revamp since their return in 2006, if not ever. The Cybermats, who were, frankly, an embarrassment in all of their appearances in the 20th century, have become the considerably more effective and infinitely more scary Cybermites. They now ‘upgrade’ once they have experienced a threat (stealing a trick from the Borg, which is only fair!) One potential danger of following in the footsteps of The Tomb of the Cybermen is that there are many (including me) who feel that it is a mediocre story with a few very effective moments that has been elevated to a classic purely because it was unavailable for so long and was hugely overhyped by those who were terrified by it as children. Happily, this is not the case with "Nightmare in Silver". The setting of the story, a planet that hosts the largest amusement park in history, certainly gives the story a fresh edge – a base under siege becomes less formulaic if it is a comical castle under siege. It seems for a while that, like The Tomb of the Cybermen, it will fall apart, yet the strands are deliciously brought together for the Doctor to defeat the foe in a truly stunning move.

The characters in the story are all well drawn and performed. It seems that the Doctor has no problem with bringing Clara’s young charges along and, whilst Kassius Carey Johnson doesn’t have so much to do as Artie, Eve de Leon Allen is wonderfully bratty as Angie, without being annoying. Having kids as companions is a tricky gamble that, thankfully, pays off. We also have Tamzin Outhwaite giving a nicely restrained performance as the Captain and the brilliant Jason Watkins is highly entertaining as Webley. In a truly fair world, Warwick Davis would be a leading man and his charisma shines forth in a wonderful performance as Porridge. Clara is nicely sparky and self-assured, but, despite the strength of his support, it is our leading man who dominates every scene in one of Matt Smith’s finest outings. His depiction of the Doctor versus the Cyber-Planner Doctor (or ‘Mr Clever’, as he calls himself) is utterly electrifying and Matt ensures that these very talky scenes never get dull.

Stephen Woolfenden has a long history with Gaiman and he really brings out the fun and zaniness of the script. If there is one criticism I could make, it is that he could have made certain scenes scarier. The new Cybermen look brilliant (with a hint of Iron Man about the chest) although the choreography is a bit overdone. Again, I have to say just how brilliant the Cybermites are – why they were never thought of before baffles me. The production is stunning throughout, from the comical castle to the planet that not only implodes, but explodes (hopefully a reference to a sadly non-canonical story) and, of course, Cyber-tombs way beyond anything that the designers for The Tomb of the Cybermen could have ever have dreamed of.

The Cybermen continue to flourish in the 21st century, with "Nightmare in Silver" being great fun from beginning to end.

NEXT: "The Name of the Doctor"

"The Doctor's Wife"

I must admit, I had some mixed feelings when I heard that Neil Gaiman was writing an episode of Doctor Who. I am not an aficionado of comic books, so my only exposure to Gaiman was the TV series Neverwhere and the film of his graphic novel, Stardust. What I found was that the worlds that Gaiman creates are absolutely intoxicating, but the stories that he tells in them are not. However, his inventiveness goes a long way- despite some narrative shortcomings, Stardust is one of my favourite films of the past few years- and the setting he creates for this story is idiosyncratic indeed- a living planet called ‘House’ that lures Time Lords to its surface to devour their TARDISes, making patchwork servants out of the bodies of the lost, all while existing outside the universe precisely not in the way that a small soap bubble clings to a large one. However, the weird setting is hjust the canvas for the story, which is based on a very strong idea- an idea that had been long overdue for airing- what if the TARDIS could talk to the Doctor?

What Gaiman and Moffat construct is a story that tells us more about what happened when the madman first found his box. It gives us the first other TARDIS we have seen this century and it finally answers a question about regeneration that has been whispered for decades. However, it is what is at the heart of the story which dominates it. It is a story about the longest relationship the Doctor has ever had, one that will only end with the death of one of the parties involved. The Doctor understands himself more clearly and, perhaps, his purpose is clearer as well. It is this which makes a story that contains numerous references to the series’s mythology and a barrage of technobabble so successful, working even with non-fans. The emotions in the story ring true, which makes all the difference and, after the technobabble is done, the solution is simple, yet brilliant.

The performances are perfect- the very talented Elizabeth Berrington plays Auntie and is ably supported by Adrian Schiller as Uncle. However, it is the wonderful Suranne Jones who captivates as Idris/the TARDIS from the moment she appears, effortlessly getting the most out of Gaiman’s time-bending dialogue and making her sexy, funny and impossible not to fall in love with. Matt Smith’s performance is very special indeed here- the Eleventh Doctor is not as traumatised by the Time War as his two predecessors, but the pain is still there. His controlled rage at losing his hope for the survival of other Time Lords is wonderfully played, as is his answer to Amy’s contention that he wants forgiveness. More crucially, we see this Doctor cry for the first time and the look on Matt Smith’s face makes him seem older than Hartnell. We must not forget the sterling contribution from the former Mr Kate Beckinsale as the voice of House (I wonder if they momentarily considered Hugh Laurie?). Amy and Rory continue to work well, their relationship strong enough to have tolerated bunk beds.

The production is practically flawless, directed with aplomb by Richard Clark. The visualisation of leaving the universe is done simply, yet so effectively and the scenes on House are very atmospheric. The sheer joy of the jerry-made TARDIS chasing its cousin is matched by the shocking scenes set in the TARDIS corridors- the scene where Amy finds Rory’s desiccated corpse amongst graffiti that says KILL-AMY-DIE-AMY- is very strong stuff, yet not inappropriate.

"The Doctor’s Wife" is one of the most satisfying stories the series has yet produced and one I heartily recommend!

NEXT: "The Rebel Flesh"/"The Almost People"