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Midnight
There is an episode of The West Wing, 17 People, which is quite possibly one of the greatest ever episodes of that show. It was done without a guest cast and without much of a budget at all. All there was to it were the performances, direction and a script that was basically a stage play – a bunch of conversations that take place in one evening - and that was enough to make it brilliant.
Anyway, this was quite obviously Doctor Who's 17 People. All it had to make it brilliant were the performances, the direction and the script. And I just love it, because you get to see the craft of it all, unclouded with special effects and a hectic pace. It worked because everything was spot on. The performances were brilliant, the direction never made it feel confined and that has to be on of the greatest scripts Doctor Who has had. RTD is a quite frankly great writer (who should never ever be allowed to open his mouth in public and need to have his eyes opened to some of the subtext that has appeared in the show, but I'm not going there right now), but who knew RTD had that in him?
I absolutely loved it. If I had someone tied to a chair but only 45 minutes to show them one episode to get them to love Who, this would be on the short list.
But it wasn't just the performances, or the direction of the writing. It also said something really important about the Doctor. I think it was in the episode synopsis that it was written that the Doctor was in great trouble because he was without the thing he needed most, and it wasn't the TARDIS, or even his voice. The reason the Doctor was in so much trouble was because he was without Donna. Or Martha or Rose or any Companion. We've had the Companion save his life on so many occasions, but this really emphasised how much he needs someone, just to have someone to trust in him and defend him. Half the problems in this episode would have been solved if Donna's voice was amongst the others because she knows him.
Oh, and unexpected!(except not because BP was listed in the cast)Rose makes and appearance again. I think she make have been screaming 'Doctor' first time and 'Donna' the second. I'll have to watch it again.
Anyway, this was quite obviously Doctor Who's 17 People. All it had to make it brilliant were the performances, the direction and the script. And I just love it, because you get to see the craft of it all, unclouded with special effects and a hectic pace. It worked because everything was spot on. The performances were brilliant, the direction never made it feel confined and that has to be on of the greatest scripts Doctor Who has had. RTD is a quite frankly great writer (who should never ever be allowed to open his mouth in public and need to have his eyes opened to some of the subtext that has appeared in the show, but I'm not going there right now), but who knew RTD had that in him?
I absolutely loved it. If I had someone tied to a chair but only 45 minutes to show them one episode to get them to love Who, this would be on the short list.
But it wasn't just the performances, or the direction of the writing. It also said something really important about the Doctor. I think it was in the episode synopsis that it was written that the Doctor was in great trouble because he was without the thing he needed most, and it wasn't the TARDIS, or even his voice. The reason the Doctor was in so much trouble was because he was without Donna. Or Martha or Rose or any Companion. We've had the Companion save his life on so many occasions, but this really emphasised how much he needs someone, just to have someone to trust in him and defend him. Half the problems in this episode would have been solved if Donna's voice was amongst the others because she knows him.
Oh, and unexpected!(except not because BP was listed in the cast)Rose makes and appearance again. I think she make have been screaming 'Doctor' first time and 'Donna' the second. I'll have to watch it again.
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"And, I suppose, if it's my last chance to say it. Rose Tyler...you were brilliant at crowd control. Fantastic. Amazing. Not one angry mob tried to kill me the entire time we traveled together."
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