ANDREW'S
DOCTOR WHO REVIEWS 
This is another very unusual story, with a really small cast
and an odd set up with Amy hardly being in it and the Doctor semi-adopting
another character as a surrogate companion. Like Vincent and the Doctor before
it this story very much lives or dies on the quality of its main guest star,
James Corden, who does a sterling job.
The TARDIS arrives in modern day Colchester. Before Amy can
leave the TARDIS it suddenly departs, stranding the Doctor. The cause of this
interference seems to be coming from the upstairs flat in a normal house in a
normal street. The ground floor flat is occupied by Craig Owens (James Corden)
who is advertising for a lodger. The Doctor takes up that offer.
He meets Craig’s co-worker, Sophie (Daisy Haggard), who
Craig has a massive crush on, but is too scared to say anything. Accidentally,
the Doctor encourages Sophie to travel the world, much to Craig’s disgust.
Meanwhile, a disembodied voice from the upstairs flat is
asking for help and luring people into the flat, and they never come back out.
Amy, aboard the TARDIS, contacts the Doctor and informs him there is no
upstairs flat at Craig’s house and never has been. Craig, upset with the
Doctor, decides he should leave and whilst they argue Sophie returns and is
lured into the upstairs flat.
The Doctor and Craig follow her and realise that there is a
spaceship masquerading as the upstairs flat and it has been luring people in to
try to fix itself, but they have accidentally died. Craig fixes the ship to
rescue Sophie and the upstairs flat vanishes. Craig and Sophie get together and
the TARDIS returns to pick up the Doctor.
This is a great fun story, focussed mostly on humour which
you might expect with James Corden as the main guest star. There’s some really
great stuff with the Doctor trying to fit into human society (and singularly
failing) and Matt Smith is at peak awkwardness here and does it superbly, you
really warm to his ungainly and uncomfortable persona here.
It has to be said, not having Amy in the story much doesn’t
harm it at all, Craig is immediately a more realistic character than the rather
oddly-stagey Amy – so much so that a sequel was immediately commissioned.
The actual threat of the stranded spacecraft is of minor
importance here, but there are a few spooky sequences of people being lured
into the top flat and you do feel anxious for Sophie when she is lured up
there.
Really this is all about Craig and the Doctor and their
comic interactions and the story succeeds magnificently there. A lovely little
distraction before the big finale story and one of the strongest tales from
this season.
NEXT UP: THE PANDORICA OPENS / THE BIG BANG
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2022
