There’s an awful temptation when thinking about The Star Beast about all of what it is, which in turn contrasts it against other eras of Doctor Who–and then essentially what they are ‘not’–which then in turn could be easily seen as slights about what went before. It’s an all-too-easy trap to fall into, which we’ll hopefully navigate below.
- So this is what having money spent on Doctor Who feels like. Of course, there are always choices involved in getting what you see to screen. But you can’t deny there’s an awful lot of money being thrown at The Star Beast. The 1996 TVM is the only ‘real’ equivalent in terms of seeing what Doctor Who could potentially look like with more resources put towards it. Even from 2005 onwards one could see that there were going to be stories that got more ‘love’ and others conspicuously less. And that’s not only okay, it’s necessary. One of the ways The Star Beast scored was that it felt more ‘populated’ than Doctor Who has more awhile. If only Jodie Whittaker stories hadn’t felt so spare. Of course, it’s worth repeating that were only one story in so far.
- RTD has always been known as an ’emotional’ writer and showrunner, and that was in full evidence here. Moffat and Chibnall wrote and produced to their own voices, respectively. Perhaps it’s one of those things which you didn’t know you missed until you saw it in full flower once again.
- Tennant and Tate just sparkle together. An astounding revelation to be sure, but RTD sure knows how to write for these two. There’s a lot of subtle acting going on here, and Catherine Tate is up to it. And so are we.
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Caps for The Star Beast are now online. But in some respect they might be considered incomplete. We have chosen NOT to include anything from the two-minute prologue to the story–kind of an elaborate ‘Previously On’– because it sure felt tacked on in a way that would allay confusion for the casual viewer. On that matter the Tour is decidedly not casual, although the caps are lovely.
