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The Doctor Dances Format Reviewed: TV/DVD Review Well, how do you follow up the excellent episode that was The Empty Child?. It's been a long time since I had been so eagerly anticipating any TV show as this episode and the result was that I was slightly disappointed. Don't get me wrong, I still thoroughly enjoyed it but I don't think it lived up to the standards of the first episode in this two parter. Captain Jack joins the Tardis crew at the end of the episode after rescuing the rest of the cast from a bomb destined to hit the Chula medical transporter. This is an excellent move. Captain Jack is an excellent character and a wonderful companion for the Doctor. The addition of Captain Jack makes for a different dynamic in the Tardis, especially given the stated preferences of Jack not caring which sex he can be attracted to. This affords the writers more freedom in the direction of their scripts, and gives them some scope unique within the existing Doctor Who universe. The guest cast puts in the same good performance as they did in The Empty Child?, with the haunting voice of little Jamie still bringing the hairs on the back of the neck to attention. The atmosphere remains dark and moody, and this is excellent given the scenario of blitz hit London. It is slightly comical however to see a large group of adults wandering around asking for their mummy, but this is still chilling and adds to the overall scene. The solution to the situation that is presented is also a pleasing difference within the annuls of Doctor Who. The statement of 'just for once, everybody lives' is indicative of what has come before in that generally death follows the Doctor around despite him coming out on top against his varied adversaries, a lot of people are hurt or killed in the process. This series has set out to dispel a lot of myths surrounding Doctor Who, and this is one that has been tackled here. Mary Whitehouse would have let out a contented sigh at this point in the episode. So, the two-part story finishes and I have to say that this has been some of the best television in years overall. THis episode wasn't quite as strong as the previous episode, but was still haunting and chilling, definitely one to get the kids scared and hooked on a British institution. Rating:  |