Review

Here is Lizo's review of The Unicorn And The Wasp

Gosh, we're already more than halfway through the series. Doesn't time fly when you're having fun? And fun is definitely what this episode is.

After landing in the 1920s, The Doctor and Donna are quickly drawn into sinister goings on at a country house.

People are being killed off one by one - just like they are in the mystery stories by the famous author Agatha Christie, who also happens to be a guest.

There's a giant wasp somehow involved too.

So The Doctor and Donna team up with Agatha Christie to try and solve the mystery, and find the murderer.

Lots of fun

It must be said, the plot of this episode does get a bit overcomplicated towards the end, but you don't really care because you're laughing so much.

This is by far the funniest story so far this series. David Tennant is on great form, helped along by a script that delivers a gag a minute.

And of course Catherine Tate, who's got a strong comedy background, gives a perfect performance too.

So with things looking like they could be getting much darker over the second half of the series, this is just what Doctor Who needs - a story that's sure to put a huge grin on your face for 45 minutes.

Spoilers

Here are the Digital Spy spoilers but 3 of them are fake:
Doctor Who's fourth season is back on track with this fabulously delicious slice of murder mystery and insect intrigue. A fine ensemble cast, including Felicity Kendal, and the wonderful use of the 1920s period setting ensure a fun, thrilling romp of an episode. In particular, a certain death-defying scene set in a kitchen may well be the funniest in Doctor Who's 45-year history. Here are a few hints about what lies in store, including three fake spoilers...

Donna tries to blend into the time period by saying "spiffing" and "chin chin".

There are spinning newspapers.Fans of Cluedo will love the pre-credits sequence.Agatha

Christie makes a s*xual advance towards Donna, but is loudly knocked back.

An arrow-armed Doctor is seen in flashback in Hercule Poirot's old hunting ground.

The Doctor tries to down a jar of anchovies.

Part of a Cybus Cyberman turns up in the episode.

Donna thinks that 'Murder On The Orient Express' is a song by Sophie Ellis Bextor.

There is an explicit reference to the events of 'The Unquiet Dead'.

Donna tells Agatha Christie that her plot twists are nothing compared to the Jeremy Kyle Show.

The Doctor disappoints Donna by telling her that Enid Blyton's Noddy is not real.

Chief Inspector Smith from Scotland Yard makes an appearance.

Silence in the LIbrary sypnosis

The sypnosis for Silence in the Library has been given by the BBC press office:

One hundred years ago, the universe's greatest library was sealed off, leaving only one warning: "Count the shadows". But now, the shadows are moving again. As Russell T Davies's Bafta Award-winning time-travelling drama continues, the Doctor and Donna must uncover the terrible truth behind the Nodes and the horrifying Data Ghost, to find the library's secret.



David Tennant plays the Doctor and Catherine Tate plays his companion Donna Noble, with guest stars Alex Kingston, Colin Salmon and Steve Pemberton.

Sounds great doesn't it and it is written by Steven Moffat who wrote The Empty Child, The Doctor Dances, The Girl in the fireplace and last seasons episode, Blink.
In my opinion all these episodes were the highlighs of each season and so I can't wait for his two-parter this year.

Site update

The BBC Doctor Who site has been updated here



Here is the new fear factor

0 min
Yells and shouts and lots of running around - and that's just the kids as the episode starts! Great excitement as everyone remembers how the previous episode ended. Samuel: "The hand is bubbling!" Adam: "I wonder why he didn't just throw it out?" Mum: "Have you looked at your own room recently?"

1 min
"Oooh, that's gotta hurt," says Harry.

2 min
"Hurrah!" shouts the watching family.

3 min
"Wxxxxxs!" yells Samuel delightedly. "What are they?" wonders Amy.

4 min
"I hope they haven't killed xxxxxx," worries Adam. Samuel is chewing his fingernails. xxxxx gives "xx xxxx" a mouthful, and the family all grin.

5 min
"She's talking pidgin English," says Dad.

6 min
"What are they reaching kids in PHSE these days?" wonders Dad. "I'm not a xxxkxx, Jenny tells the Doctor. "And we haven't met your uncle," adds Adam.

8 min
Adam. "They're very affectionate," smiles Samuel. "Look, they think xxxxxx is a xxx." "They're xxxxxxx her head!" laughs Harry.

11 min
"This is serious!" whispers Harry. The Doctor unearths a whole series of xxxxxxx hidden on the xxx. "It's an Easter Egg!" laughs Adam. He shuffles a bit nearer to the screen. "What about those four down there?"

12 min
A cheer of recognition from the family. "Are the Hath good or bad?" asks Amy.

16 min
Donna presses the xxxxxxxxxxx to each of Jenny's xxxxxx. The Doctor seems lost for words. "A Txxe Lxxy!"

17 min
"He is a soldier!" Samuel says sadly, and bites his nails some more.

18 min
The cxxxkxxxk xxxxx gets a big laugh when it goes off in the Doctor's hand.

20 min
Samuel's very impressed by the view: "Three xxxxs!" Adam is too: "It's very gothic." Harry's less sure: "Hmm, not the nicest planet!"

22 min
What are Time Lords for? The Doctor says that, in his life, there's a serious amount of xxxxxxx involved. The kids grin. "That's very true!" says Harry.

24 min
xxxxx hits a xxxx and, to the kids' delight, xxxxx comes out and stops the xxxxxx.

25 min
The lasers are back on! Jenny raises her arms, takes a deep breath and shows off her impressive xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx. She xxxxx-xxxxxs through the lasers, and earns a big cheer from the whole family. "Way to go!" yells an extremely impressed Harry. "She's certainly very fit," says Dad.

26 min
Samuel points to the Hath: "Lucky he's a fish."

27 min
"Awwwww!" groan the whole family. "Amy's very sad that she's lost her xxxxxx.

28 min
"It'll be full," says Adam. "Of women!" grins Samuel.

29 min
"I've been a xxxxxx before," the Doctor admits. "Oooooh!" says Samuel. "Yes! Sxxxn!" says Harry excitedly, who's recently seen an old story on DVD.

32 min
The boys boggle with amazement. Amy can't see what the fuss is all about.

33 min
"She's dirty!" Samuel warns them."

34 min
"That reminds me of the Exxn Pxxxxxt," observes Samuel, who remembers a family holiday to... "xxxxxxxx!" laughs Adam. "That explains the General."

36 min
Amy and Harry look alarmed!

38 min
Harry slaps his forehead in exasperation.

39 min
He's angry. Very, very angry. Samuel says: "At least hit him over the head with it."

41 min
"xxxxxxx," says the Doctor. "Ooh, like last year," says Samuel.

44 min
As the credits roll, all the kids agree that this is the best story so far this series!

Here is a new script-segment

JENNY picks herself up, unharmed, excited, grinning, the Doctor is furious with her.
THE DOCTOR
Why did you do that?
JENNY
They were trying to kill us!
THE DOCTOR
But they've got my friend
JENNY
Collateral damage. At least you've still got her. He lost both of his men. I'd say you came* out ahead.

And next the new preview clip

Spoilers

Here is Lizo's review of The Doctors Daughter, he gives it a 3/5

At the end of the last episode the Tardis doors slammed shut and it hurtled off taking The Doctor, Donna and Martha with it.


The Doctor and his daughter
And when it lands on a distant planet things go from bad to worse as they end up in the middle of a bitter war between two groups.

Martha is captured by one group, aliens called the Hath. The other group, who are human, want The Doctor and Donna's help in continuing their war.

And that's when The Doctor comes face to face with his daughter.

Family ties

Georgia Moffett is superb as Jenny, The Doctor's daughter. Like him, she has astonishing abilities.

And she challenges him at every turn, making him think about things that he's never considered before. And as the story goes on, they continue to learn from each other.


Hath soldiers
This episode also picks up the anti war theme of the previous Sontaran stories, with The Doctor trying to stop the violence between the Hath and the humans, as well as trying to explore what actually makes a person a person.

It tries to cram an enormous amount into 45 minutes. And, in a way, that's its biggest problem.

Jam-packed action

There are so many interesting ideas, things that the series hasn't really tried before, that most of them don't get the attention they deserve.

As a result, you don't really end up caring about either the human fighters or the aliens. Or who's right or wrong. Which means there's never a strong sense of danger or menace.


Martha
There are some wonderful scenes with The Doctor trying to come to terms with fatherhood, and yet again Catherine Tate is fabulous; always forcing him to confront things that he'd rather not.

But Martha's story in this episode works less well. Since she's returned, she's hardly spent any time with the Time Lord. And that, in turn, makes her goodbye at the end of the story much less emotional than it should be.

This is still a terrifically ambitious episode, but one which never quite manages to live up to its potential.

And now some spoilers from digital spy

It's a case of cracking premise, lacklustre execution in this excursion to the planet Messaline. The Doctor is joined by both Donna and Martha as he is confronted with a serious case of "dad shock" after encountering a young blonde lady called Jenny. We'll spare you a full on rant about the disappointing quality of the episode (check out the full review on Digital Spy immediately after the episode has aired) and instead serve up a few spoilers (and two false spoilers)...

The Doctor is "processed".

Donna refers to The Doctor's daughter Jenny as "GI Jane".

falls into a bog.

Doctor puts a gun to a man's head.

There is talk of a being called 'The Great One'.

The Hath are genetic descendants of a race known as the Haemovores.

Martha puts a fish's shoulder back in place (or perhaps in plaice?).

The Doctor doesn't need a female to spawn a daughter - he is capable of doing it all on his own.
(I think this is false)

Jenny tells The Doctor that she saw someone called Susan die in the Time War, which upsets him greatly. (I think this is false)

After putting a stethoscope to Jenny's chest, The Doctor is surprised by what he hears.

So which ones are false and which ones are true...you decide.

New trailer

A new trailer for the Doctors Daughter is being shown on BBC...here it is

Synopsis

Here is the synopsis for The Unicorn and the Wasp

'In 1926, Agatha Christie disappeared for 10 days. Was it amnesia? A nervous breakdown? Or a Giant Alien Wasp? As Russell T Davies's BAFTA award-winning time-travelling drama continues, the Doctor and Donna join forces with the world's most famous crime novelist to encounter a body in the library, poisoned cocktails and a Vespiform seeking revenge.

In other news you can find various Doctor Who Magazine pictures from upcoming episodes here