Just a little afterthought about 'Daleks In Manhattan'. I've read that RTD gave Helen Raynor a shopping list of ingredients to weave into her script. I have just one question..WHY? It's not as if the elements given to her to twist her script around were essential to the overall story arc of the season. They are utterly frivolous, so why interfere? Frivolous elements are only acceptable if they are genuinely funny or entertaining. The pig men & the showgirls qualify on neither account. I agree with the Co-Pilot. Why pig men again? They looked ok at best & they've been done in a much more inspired fashion in 'Aliens Of London'.
If Helen Raynor is talented enough to be commissioned to write a two-parter for a multi-million dollar institution like Doctor Who (& I believe she is), she is good enough to come up with her own shopping bag of speccy moments & idiosyncratic elements. Having them imposed makes them seem even more obviously & painfully the uninspired 'tack-ins' they really are. Think of the gritty adventure we could be watching with just the shady businessman & the poor workers involved in the Dalek scheme. Dark & desolate. My kind of Doctor Who.
Addendum: After a second (& sober) viewing of DIM, I've revised a few of my opinions a little. I was perhaps a little too harsh on the actress playing Tallulah. 'Sassy broad with a heart-a-gold' is a thankless stereotype to have to breathe life into. Her accent falters & there are plenty of cringeworthy moments, but I'd prefer OTT to wooden & forgettable any day. She gives it a lot of energy & I hope she gets a chance to improve. I also feel that with Martha, it is not so much a problem of 'wobbly characterisation' as I said in my review, it's more that there hasn't been very much of it (relative to Rose) thus far.
With Rose, the 'Companion's Journey' schtick was laid on thick. All her emotions & reactions were explored in intricate detail. It was almost a 'Time Travel & its myriad mystical effects on you & yours: 101' for viewers. This was probably a necessary evil to entice new & 'inexperienced' viewers, but now the training wheels are off & viewers are expected to make the connections for themsleves. We can assume Martha is feeling many of the same things that Rose did without time being spent/ wasted having to spell them out so blatantly again. This is a great thing because the focus is back on the Doctor (just in time for Tennant's more assured performance) the monsters & the scares. The intricacies & nuances of Martha's personality can be revealed more subtly & with a greater sense of mystery because the framework building stuff has been dealt with through Rose. I'm looking forward to it.
Oh & the incidental chanting music just before Dalek Sec's 'reveal' was diabolically inept & over the top. There were 3 pained groans in unison in my loungeroom. Never a good sign. Til next time.....
Lucozer.
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