It appears as if Doctor Who is undergoing a renaissance amongst the British viewing public. The 60th anniversary specials have chimed with what a certain generation recognises as their Doctor Who; with David Tennant and Catherine Tate both reprising their beloved roles. As well as the mastermind of the series’ 21st century revival firmly back in the hot seat, it appears as if the narrative has been firmly set that all Who before 2010 is exceptional and the rest is best ignored. Admittedly during personal encounters with the fandom this perceived wisdom was believed and preached. Clinging onto vague flashes of memory from a time 2 decades ago.
However, recent re-watches and research have provided a fresh evaluation of the fifth series. Undertaking the unenviable task of following a much loved iteration of the programme, Series 5 bursts onto the screen and carries you along at breakneck speed to its conclusion. Some of head writer Steven Moffatt’s later work would try to reach for the stars, only to fall at the last hurdle. Although, it is overlooked that Moffatt had already began work on Series 5 by January 2008 and this luxury of 2 years from script to screen may not have been as readily available in later years. Moffatt manages to hold everything together, whilst still delivering the quality episodes fans had hoped for when it was announced he would be inheriting the programme.
Positives
It should come as no surprise that the strongest episodes are those penned by head writer Steven Moffat. Having an already established history of excellence (The Empty Child, Blink, and Silence in the Library) Series 5 allows him to throw everything at the wall, unfortunately in later series this approach meant not everything stuck.
Series opener ,The Eleventh Hour,is a near perfect 60-minutes of television. By the quarter of an hour mark, the viewer is at home with the new era. Although rocking the previous incarnations outfit, Matt Smiths performance as the Eleventh Doctor boasts an assurance that makes it difficult to believe it was the third episode the actor filmed for the role.
Patrick Troughton’s mercurial twinkle that Smith stated as an influence on his portrayal of the Doctor is on full display, interactions between Smith and Catlin Blackwood sell the Wizard of Oz meets Father Christmas summation of the Doctor’s character. The success of the episode can be summed up, when Tennant appears in the flashback of Doctor’s it feels like a lifetime ago.
At heart a children’s show, series five is the first time that Doctor Who leans into fantasy proper. The conclusion to The Eleventh Hour is pure fairy tale. Most evocative of J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, with new companion Amy Pond poised as Wendy Darling, running off with a fantastical being in the middle of the night. This tone is supported by Murray Gold’s score, pieces such as Amy in the Tardis and The Mad Man in a Box drip with the wonder of falling down the rabbit hole to wonderland.
Returning to the Weeping Angles could have been a risky gambit, but their evolution in Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone keeps them ethereal and utterly terrifying. Their conceit as a deadly version of Grandmother’s Footsteps excels in the base under siege format, even if the narrative beats borrow extensively from Aliens (1986, James Cameron).
The series reaches its highpoint with the finale. The Pandorica Opens feels as if it should be at the end of a doctor’s era, not their first series. With hindsight the Pandorica arc is what the entirety of Smiths tenure should have revolved around. As subsequent seasons suggested a lack of knowing where to go next with the ideas coined in Series 5.
Negatives
Not everything Series 5 did has stood the test of time. Moffatt himself has identified the scene where companion Amy Pond (played by Karen Gillan) launches herself at the Doctor, as a severe blemish on a fantastic episode.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Series 5 of Doctor Who is a fantastic one. Excellent performances and writing combined with a confident production propelled the series into the 2010’s.
8/10
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