Rate And Discuss: The Star Beast - 60th Anniversary Special 1

[Philipnet]

The Doctor is caught in a fight to the death as a spaceship crash-lands in London. But as the battle wreaks havoc, destiny is converging on the Doctor’s old friend, Donna

[Dino]

A nice 8. Still prefer Jodie. On board with a lot of what the episode did apart from removing the Next Time trailer.
And IPLAYER didn't mean capitals will show it in a higher definition.
The ending scene may as well have the ending incidental music from Battlefield.
Unless it was a homage to the weaker cliffhangers from the Classic Doctor Whoniverse.
There's ways it could be improved ending and setting up characters etc. But it was above average.
It seemed to celebrate the Tennant years than the entire 60th.
The next two parts have something concrete for the next two episodes to do backflips and contortions from. And yet there's no connection. The next episode will just carry on from the end of The Star Beast.
I think it will do good in the ratings. Ncuti Gatwa is already filming his SECOND series before his first episode in the Christmas special and first series next year.
Unprecedented production times in the Whoniverse! We'll never have to worry about ratings ever again!!
But the TARDIS skidding in the titles seems a bit dopey and Disney.

Still 8 out of 10. Welcome back.

[Dirk Gently]

I too gave it an 8 having watched it twice in 2.5 hrs thanks to my son wanting to watch it after I had said "yes, it's ok for you to watch".

The characters are familiar to any Whovian who has read the graphic novels/strips. It really was nice to see them realised in the flesh, as it were. It was a fun story and the get out with Donna & Rose was good although the "giving up" of the "energy" was a little too simplistic but played into the whole He/She/It theme which was threaded in the story without being too 'in your face'.

I would have loved to see some more Wilf (a mix of past filmed head shots & CGI) but I guess we'll just get a "your Grandad passed while you were away" at the end of Donna's journey.

I was a little underwhelmed by the ending. It was quite obvious to me what was going to happen.

My biggest problem was the complete mess of a theme tune....WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!? Delia would be turning in her grave.

[duncan]

It would have been nice if I could hear the dialogue. Why do they insist on quiet speech and loud music? I had to change the settings on my TV AND crank the volume right up. I noticed that with Flux, two years ago but I really struggled to understand what was being said a lot of the time.
I wasn't keen on the opening titles. They seem choppy and poorly edited. I also didn't really find it celebratory in any way. It could have been any season opener instead of a 60 year anniversary special. I thought the new TARDIS interior was just too big and way too overlit but I'm sure it will grow on me.
I'm not overly familiar with the characters as I have never been a comic strip reader but I was aware of Beep the Meep from DWM. My wife and daughter found the Meep a bit daft. But, on the whole, it was a decent enough episode.
I will give it a solid 7 but it could have got an 8 if the dialogue was louder.

[MacNimon]

I have it an 8 as well. It wasn't so much an anniversary special as it was a celebration of the RTD years, was it? Let's hope that the three specials as a whole celebrate the series history better. Having said that, it was a whole lot of fun, wasn't it...something the series had lacked for a long time. It had become too serious for its own good. This was maybe just a flimsy storyline as an excuse to bring the characters back together, and as such was just like any other RTD series opener. I loved the new TARDIS console room, although maybe just a bit large and empty...

[Dirk Gently]

I loved the new TARDIS console room, although maybe just a bit large and empty...

And still nowhere to sit!

[Dino]

With regards title sequence. The skidding made me imagine if the TARDIS had googly eyes and an "Ooch! Owch!" twisty cartoon mouth!
But the bit where the TARDIS jumps? Best ever shot in a title sequence.
And I've tried listening to it separately and just cannot take whatsoever to the theme tune arrangement!
Hahaha! It's the only part of the show I can call a hot mess! I fidget and get all Alan Partridge caravan Bond whenever I've heard it. I'm looking forward to the day I'm used to it.
Not bad if just the theme tune arrangement is wrong.

[Dirk Gently]

Having watched it a 3rd time (with my daughter) I'm struck by the fact that I'm nowhere near as bothered with the whole "family" thing as I was with the Tyler's during Tennent's 1st outing as the Doctor. Maybe it's because I'm now in that era in my life as a parent or more probably I just prefer Sylvia to Jackie.


But I still don't like THAT theme arrangement. Just awful.

[Stuart Wallis]

I'll be brief, because it's been a bad week and I don't want any of that to add to the already bad-tempered feelings I've got for the story.

I've never liked this story. The Big Finish version ended up here purely because it came with The Iron Legion (BF did them as a box-set of comic strip adaptations for those who don't know either of them). And The Star Beast strip, it bored me rigid before the end of episode 2 and was crossed the line from fun-sill to unbearably silly. This new version didn't have much silly at all left in it. I admit I've had a killer migraine since Friday night, so the music, which I don't normally notice when Murray Gold's at the conductor's pedal... made itself known while keeping some dialogue obscured.

The Wrarth Warriors were silly (I thought)comedy support in the original, and that was my main problem with them then. Now, they're characterless - odd in a story where character development and catch-up almost was the plot 'til the Meep turned up, predictable character of the year, even in 1980.
Liked the UNIT uniforms - Peter Cushing robomen, so not a complete disaster!

Oh I wish I'd have noticed the roads repairing themselves...

4/10 for the uniforms and Catherine Tate.

[duncan]

I admit I've had a killer migraine since Friday night, so the music, which I don't normally notice when Murray Gold's at the conductor's pedal... made itself known while keeping some dialogue obscured.

So, it wasn't just me then. I struggled immensely at times. I first noticed it when the Doctor first met Donna and the spaceship appeared. When Donna turned to sort out her boxes was the first time I struggled to hear what was being said and it continued from there.

[Stuart Wallis]

So, it wasn't just me then. I struggled immensely at times. I first noticed it when the Doctor first met Donna and the spaceship appeared. When Donna turned to sort out her boxes was the first time I struggled to hear what was being said and it continued from there.

Without giving anything away to those who haven't seen it yet, I've just seen a major part of the explanation of the ending mentioned on Digital Spy, which I didn't hear at all on the night. You're in a bit of trouble if post-production's getting in the way of one of your most important bits in the script!