Doctor Who has undoubtedly become a pop-culture phenomenon. With over 60 years of iconic history, the show continues to enthral audiences worldwide with its time-travelling adventures, dynamic characters and imaginative storylines. Now celebrating its Diamond anniversary, writer Russell T. Davies returns to spearhead the trio of hour-long specials and the new series with 15th Doctor Ncuti Gatwa starting this Christmas with “The Church on Ruby Road”. This new regeneration of the show looks to be the third new beginning, following the original classic run, from 1963 to 1989, and the modern revival, which began in 2005 as Davies delivers a brilliant start to the new era that ultimately kickstarts the 60th celebrations in style.
It’s been two years now since the exciting and surprising announcement that Russell T. Davies, the man who revived Doctor Who in 2005 after its 15-year hiatus and helped the show soar to incredible new heights, will be returning as showrunner for the 60th Anniversary and series beyond. Now, it’s time to find out what the future looks like.
The second special, “Wild Blue Yonder,” premiered on Disney+ worldwide and on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK on Saturday, December 2nd. Check out our review below and check out next week for our coverage on “The Giggle” to see what Whovians can expect in the final 60th Anniversary Special.
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At the end of “The Star Beast,“ Donna accidentally spills a cup of coffee onto the console of the TARDIS, activating its time and space capabilities and sending it into pure chaos as it explodes and whirls her and the Doctor off to worlds unknown. Unlike The Star Beast, returning showrunner Russell T Davies was certainly secretive about the second instalment, in DWM issue 587, Russell expressed his dream that Special 2 would air with no previews, not even the press received screeners beforehand so we discovered everything as it aired. Ultimately this shrouded secret led to wild fan theories, none of which could have predicted what was to come.
“Wild Blue Yonder” takes the Doctor and Donna to the furthest edge of adventure. To escape, they must face the most desperate fight of their lives, with the fate of the universe at stake. Written by Russell T. Davies and directed by Tom Kingsley, The Doctor and Donna find themselves all alone on a spaceship with no TARDIS, no sonic screwdriver, and no idea where or when they are.
THE GRAVITY OF THE SITUATION
The episode opens on quite a light note with the Doctor and Donna landing in an apple tree in 1666 at the moment Sir Isaac Newton discovers the concept of gravity, or in this case, mavity. With a few lighthearted jokes, the TARDIS whisks the duo off once again only to land them at the very edge of the galaxy on a seemingly uninhabited spaceship. Chucked out of the TARDIS, which is actively repairing itself, makes itself scarce as it realises that there is a menacing force on board this ship. After the Doctor displays confidence and ingenuity, the Doctor and Donna grapple with the weight of being abandoned by the escaped TARDIS. The two blame each other and tempers boil over, before the pair focus on the situation at hand. Donna realises how isolated she is and panics. She is comforted by the Doctor, who again displays confidence before Donna resolves to overcome whatever threat activated by the TARDIS’ HADS protocol.
Donna and the Doctor march right into the action and set about figuring out where they are, finding nothing but a ship’s log revealing that an airlock was opened and closed three years prior. Whenever the voice speaks, the physical layout of the ship shifts. Panels turn, lights flicker, and it’s all a bit of Event Horizon. This isn’t stopping the Doctor and Donna from summoning a tuk-tuk and heading down the Very Long Corridor, though, passing a Very Old rusty Robot as they do until they get to the control room confirming that they are indeed on a spaceship. Not a starship, though, for there’s an astonishing lack of stars and outside is complete darkness…
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WILDLY BIZARRE
There’s something seriously weird going on here, as the episode refers back to the horror aspects that ramp up the tension. Why is there a rusty robot loitering in the corridor? Why are there no lifeforms on board? Why did an airlock open and close three years earlier? Why are there no stars outside? What’s that banging? And why has the air got a little bit chilly all of a sudden? Director Tom Kingsley adds all this to your growing sense of unease by making the camera peer through holes or rounded corners as if the Doctor and Donna are being watched. The plot and pacing of this episode are extremely different from that of “The Star Beast” ” where the first special had to accomplish a lot very quickly. “Doctor Who: Wild Blue Yonder” has no problems with taking it slow. as it’s a creepier, quieter, and slightly bizarre chapter of the three 60th Anniversary specials that echos as a slow-burn claustrophobic mystery.
It’s a story that even when the threat begins to appear, becomes rather insidious. It’s a cerebral, scary plot, and the frights are unique within Doctor Who invoking elements from favourites such as ‘Midnight’ and ‘Listen’. It’s close to body horror while also featuring trickery and spatial manipulation. Most of the episode takes place within the isolation of the spaceship, which has a haunting quality. When the duo separates for the sake of getting the ship back online, imposters appear for each of them pretending to be the other with convincing enough charm and enough of their memories until warped horror begins to give them away. From there, “Wild Blue Yonder” forces the Doctor and Donna into a deep character study that examines their duality, both together and individually, as they fight the copies of themselves and face some difficult truths.
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These beings, which are called “Not-things,” come from the darkness and are filled with a malevolent rage that they wish to unleash upon the rest of the galaxy. To achieve that goal, they go about turning themselves into perfect evil replicas of the Doctor and Donna, determined to trick the TARDIS into bringing them back to Earth upon its return. All the while they’re able to bend and manipulate their bodies into horrific shapes and terrorise the Doctor and Donna with secrets hidden in the depths of both of their memories. This Special features some of the most disturbing scenes within Doctor Who history, with CGI and practical FX techniques brilliantly Crafted by Millennium FX and that may not have been possible before the collaboration with Disney+.
Tate and Tennant. what a duo to have led this claustrophobic entry. They are phenomenal together, blessed with the script from Davies, who knows and adores the characters so much. Both characters get a chance to have a speech on their own, which is an intelligent scene. It allows the performers to shine and the characters to demonstrate just how far they have come. Donna imagines what Shaun, Rose, and Wilf will do if she never returns to London with a parallel scene where the Doctor proffers a future for the abandoned TARDIS.
The friendship and the chemistry may be eternal, but lifetimes have passed. Fifteen years for Donna, potentially hundreds and four regenerations for the Doctor. Both the familiarity and that are obvious. These are the first honest conversations the best friends have had in so long, now untampered by blocked memories. The exposition has to be told by them because there is no one else to do so, and the unravelling of the mystery is superbly written. Throughout, this episode was a chance to focus on them and to see what they’re like in extreme circumstances. The entire episode is a tribute to their talent. As the tension builds it becomes harder to determine who or what is real. It is to Tennant and Tate’s credit that it is immediately evident that these additional characters are not the Doctor and Donna, and that later scenes can play with the are-they-or-aren’t-they dynamic, as the not-things learn to replicate more accurately.
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The 60th Anniversary specials being so different in tone is a brilliant example of the spectrum of stories that can be told and why the show has so much longevity. This one draws the best out of two of the most talented actors to have ever graced the series and is helmed by one of the greatest writers and executive producers.
HELLO ME OLD SOLDIER
Following a last-second rescue from the TARDIS and a much-needed double take from the Doctor, he and Donna make it out by the very skin of their teeth, clinging to each other in the now-repaired time machine. This episode reveals a sweet surprise after putting the viewer through emotional turmoil. When Donna and the Doctor arrive back in London, they find themselves face to face with none other than Donna’s grandfather Wilf (Bernard Cribbins). The reunion with Wilf is perfectly delightful and emotionally heartbreaking to see the late Bernard Cribbins in his final onscreen appearance as the beloved character. His pure spirit lifts our hearts after everything we’ve watched the Doctor and Donna go through. However, moments later, it’s revealed that all of humanity has gone mad as shops explode and planes fall from the sky, setting up the third and final special which is still to come.
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FINAL THOUGHTS
“Wild Blue Yonder” the second special celebrating the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who is an episode that’s so wild, fun, bizarre, very experimental & original like nothing that’s ever been done in Doctor Who before! It’s a slow burn claustrophobic mystery, classic who style! Anchored by two incredible dual performances from Tennant & Tate! in this special alone they’ve delivered a masterclass in character-driven storytelling! Davies writes a truly weird/unhinged episode of Doctor Who pushing everything to the limit including budget
Doctor Who ‘Wild Blue Yonder’ is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer in the UK and Disney Plus in the rest of the world.