"The Witchfinders"

The dour pre-Civil War Stuart period in English history, particularly the Jacobean era, is a ripe setting for drama. In hindsight, it seems that the threads that bound the opulent Elizabethan era were slowly starting to unravel. Whilst this was the age of Shakespeare and Bacon, there was a growing hysteria over the imagined rise of witchcraft and it is in this setting that the Doctor and her friends find themselves.

The setting is vividly brought to life and the viewer is very quickly brought up to speed concerning the facts about witchcraft; that it was often an excuse to settle scores, that unmarried women were often the target and that village healers, invaluable in rural communities of the area, were also suspect. If there is one thing that the story really does excellently, it is to expose the rampant misogyny that allowed this hysteria to proceed unchecked. Very cleverly, the trial-by-water is conducted by ducking stool, a device used to punish gossiping women. The Doctor's new gender means that her authority is not accepted anything like as quickly as it would have been before. It is a bit of a shame that the alien threat is not more closely tied with the gender themes of the episodes, but we have had 7 episodes without an alien race wanting to invade Earth, so perhaps this well-worn route is actually welcome. Joy Wilkinson produces a very good script, although it could have done with a couple more drafts, to iron out the plot.

Of course, key to the Jacobean era is old Jake himself, James I of England (and VI of Scotland). James was a complicated figure, but, in the context of witchcraft, he was obsessed to the point of paranoia. We are treated, here, to a wonderfully ripe performance by Alan Cumming that manages to make the man likeable, despite his beliefs and actions. His flirtation with Ryan is priceless. Equally good is Siobhan Finneran as Becka Savage, the goodwife raised to the landed gentry who becomes a vessel for something alien. Tilly Steele's Willa Twiston is a wonderfully real figure, effectively played. One thing the script does well is make the Jacobean characters all sincere believers in witchcraft – whatever their other vices, hypocrisy is not among them. The Doctor has to fight for her authority even harder and Jodie Whittaker excels, nowhere better than her conversation with King James, whilst being tied up. Although the rough edges of the plot to take their toll on the role of the Doctor's 'fam', the 'very flat team structure' is as engaging as ever. Sallie Aprahamian helms a production that recreates early-Stuart England well and critically, she makes the manifestation of the aliens terrifying, especially the reanimated dead.

Although a few more drafts could have improved it critically, "The Witchfinders"is a very enjoyable adventure, dealing well with its various themes.

NEXT: "It Takes You Away"

"Arachnids in the UK"

Undoubtedly the most purely enjoyable story that Chris Chibnall wrote for previous Doctor Who administrations was "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship". Here, we are given a similarly pulpy title, the irresistibly named "Arachnids in the UK" which offers precisely what is indicated on the packaging. Again, there are strong influences from the past, but not the obvious one – rather than being invaders from Metebelis 3, the spiders have been mutated by toxic waste accumulated by an unscrupulous company, which obviously brings to mind The Green Death. The multi-legged menace leads to a simple, yet effective plot with Dr Jade McIntyre’s (played by the brilliantly named Tanya Fear) dialogue consisting almost entirely of exposition. It does looks like we are due for another Chibnall cheat ending, but the very obvious Chekhov’s gun is used well and the fact that, in real life, spiders would not be able to survive beyond a certain size is actually crucial to the plot. Again, there is some clunkiness in the nuts and bolts dialogue – there is no need for a character to say that a room looks like a bank vault when it is immediately obvious to the viewer, for example.

Chibnall’s characterisation is very important in making the story work. Although it pales in comparison to Russell T Davies’s depictions of family life, there is some good dialogue with Yas’s family who are nicely drawn and very well acted – in particular, it is always good to see Shobna Gulati. Again, Bradley Walsh’s depiction of loss is very touching and Tosin Cole makes Ryan hugely watchable – whomsoever had the idea for the shadow puppets deserves a drink! However, we have a boss of the company, rather than a BOSS and we have the surprising casting of Chris Noth, an American actor who is very much still bankable and reminding us how much of a big deal Doctor Who is. I am not a fan of Sex and the City, but I am of The Good Wife, in which he was excellent. Noth pitches the character perfectly, with corporate American bluster moving into gun-nut fury with exactly the right level of scenery chewing. There are parallels with the most vicious, idiotic and incompetent occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but, then again, Robertson is an intelligent and competent (if amoral and ruthless) businessman who can string a sentence together! In addition, he has genuine concern over his niece’s wife (played by the even more brilliantly named Jaleh Alp). Noth's performance actually works with the deficiencies in Chibnall's dialogue, so good an actor is he – although he is helped by the fact that he seems less cartoonish than the real life former host of the American Apprentice. The budget would probably preclude it, but I would very much welcome a return appearance. The Doctor is confused by basic domesticity, but effortlessly stamps her authority on even Robertson and Jodie Whittaker continues to be a delight.

Sallie Aprahamian makes this into a very exciting and scary romp and the spider effects are excellent, with the lighting perfect. Aprahamian realises that a giant spider the size of a cat is far scarier than one the size of a bath and I’m sure many people were scared to look under their beds. The scene where Team TARDIS decide to stay has some very dreary dialogue, but Aprahamian's direction and the great performances, more than compensate for this.

"Arachnids in the UK" is a very enjoyable romp that harks back to the light touch of earlier eras. Any non-arachnophobes should have a blast!

NEXT: "The Tsuranga Conundrum"