The latest issue of Doctor Who: The Complete History collects together four Tenth Doctor serials, including some rather divisive episodes.
It also features the behind-the-scenes details for one of my favourite stories… ever. See if you can guess which one. And no, it won’t be that difficult. Volume 53 of the partwork includes:
The Impossible Planet/ The Satan Pit
A team of scientists investigates the impossible nature of the planet Krop Tor. Cut off from the TARDIS, the Doctor and Rose join the expedition to discover what evil lies within the Satan Pit.
Love & Monsters
Meet LINDA – the London Investigation ‘N’ Detection Agency. Why are they looking for the Doctor, and who is Victor Kennedy?
Fear Her
London 2012: the Doctor and Rose discover strange things happening on Dame Kelly Holmes Close. Children are vanishing and Chloe Webber’s drawings are coming to life!
Army of Ghosts/ Doomsday
Ghosts are everywhere, and the answer lies high up in the Torchwood Tower. As Cybermen and Daleks fight over the Earth, the Doctor has to make the greatest sacrifice of all.
A varied bag, I think you’ll agree, but certainly not through-and-through bad. Reckon you know which is my favourite?
That’s right: Love & Monsters The Impossible Planet/ The Satan Pit! I love it. I’m always fascinated by the nature of religion, and this is ambiguous enough not to offend anyone, but instead give you plenty to think about. David Tennant and Billie Piper are great, as is the supporting cast, and it has some truly chilling scenes and dialogue. There’s a weight to this adventure for the normally-care-free Time Lord.
Love & Monsters, meanwhile, suffers from being the first show of the 2005- present series to have limited time with the Doctor and Rose, and there’s some unnecessary silliness; nonetheless, I’m a Peter Kay fan so I do enjoy seeing him in Doctor Who. Fear Her gets a harder time than it deserves – it’s average at worst, and it actually has a lot going for it. Army of Ghosts/ Doomsday gets a mixed response, but I think that’s just because a new generation learnt the term “deus ex machina,” and didn’t realise they sounded very tiresome when shouting it every 3.8 seconds.
Doctor Who: The Complete History #33 is on sale now, priced £9.99 in the UK, and $24.99 in Australia and New Zealand.
