| VOYAGE OF THE DAMNED by Russell T Davies |
| Story 33 Synopsis: The TARDIS extracts itself from the Titanic, which the Doctor finds is a spaceship replica of the famous ship. It's come from the planet Sto, to visit Earth for Christmas. But it's struck by three fireballs, causing massive damage (including ejecting the TARDIS, which falls to Earth) and killing many of the passengers. Most of the survivors are then killed by the robot Hosts, normally servile, but under new orders. The Doctor tries to get a small band of survivors to the bridge, but as they face greater dangers, some die. Finally, he confronts the Host, and gets them to take him to Level 31, where their new orders originate - from Max Capricorn, the head of the tour operator, who planned the ship to crash into the Earth to ensure his board were all indicted, allowing him to return and regain control. He is sent to his death by Astrid, a waitress the Doctor has inspired, but who also dies in the process. The ship is now falling towards Earth, but the Doctor is able to use entry into the atmosphere to refuel the engines, and avert collision. With only one member of staff and two other passengers alive, the Doctor tries to rescue Astrid, but fails. He allows Mr Copper, who claimed to be an Earth expert to come on the cruise, but was lying, an escape to the planet, to start a new life. Then he enters the TARDIS, for pastures new. |
| Review:- All aboard! It's time for a Christmas disaster (of sorts)! The Titanic turned out not to be the infamous liner which crashed in 1912, but a spaceship with the same name, although only the Doctor (and presumably Max) knows the connection. A mix of upper class pleasure-seekers and other oddballs are enjoying a pleasant trip through space. Then it all starts to go wrong... Once the initial strike has pitched our doughty band of heroes together, then it's a simple matter of trying to stay alive - but the Doctor's promise proves too hard to keep. At 70 minutes, it's the second longest single episode ever (after The Five Doctors), but it probably filled the time well enough. The initial solving of the Titanic crash in a matter of seconds was perhaps a taste of what was to come, but the Doctor deciding to take a break aboard a luxury ship seems quite in keeping. The brief jaunt down to Earth, which did at least provide an amusing continuity with the previous 2 years' specials, and a well-played spot by Bernard Cribbins, existed mainly to set up the big finish, with the Queen left in London. Another nice turn came from Geoffrey Palmer, running the ship, but bribed into committing an act of gross negilgence by the need to secure a safe future for his family - a familiar story. Though surely he'd have been shooting to kill - Frame lasts a long time given he seems almost dead. The two main guest turns which dominate the episode are Kylie Minogue as Astrid, and Clive Swift as Mr Copper. Astrid soon wins the Doctor over, so much that he brings her along on the short trip down to Earth. He also seems keen, or at least willing, to take her with him. But then, the best laid plans of Time Lords and Bannakaffalatta gang aft agley... the short redhead alien proves to have hidden depths, although the implication that he is just a mouthpiece for gay rights does no favours to anyone. The Van Hoffmans make a warm and engaging couple, and it's little wonder the Doctor prefers their company to the likes of Rickston Slade. But adversity brings people together... the malfunctioning Hosts and the fireballs that cause the problem also remove the TARDIS from a quick getaway (though if it falls to Earth, why no impact crater?). After a short pause for food, the action brings everyone to a narrow divide over certain death, and which takes the lives of three more of the survivors. Perhaps most affecting is Foon, committing suicide in a definite parallel to hanging. Many will go for easy metaphors such as Foon's vote-rigging antics, but surely suicide is worth a mention? Anyway, when the Doctor, Cooper, Slade and Astrid seem to have a plan of action, it's down on Level 31 where destiny awaits... Max Capricorn, out for revenge as a business matter, willing to kill billions to get his way. Astrid's act of vengeance might be compared to Cathica's in The Long Game, but it's scarcely smooth justice, and the slow-motion soundless act that kills her and Max is a directorial/production touch that the story could have done without. Also, whilst one slow-mo fall-to-death might be affecting, doing it three times just breeds contempt. Then the story really starts to fall apart, as the Doctor suddenly turns vigilante of retribution, mimicking a Christ-like pose, and being borne aloft by angelic robots. Subversive, or just plain smug? You decide. As the Titanic plummets towards Earth, it suddenly becomes clear why we were told that the Queen had not abandoned London (the captain going down with the ship, see), and the Doctor manages to save the day by sheer luck. For which the Queen is smugly grateful. That'd be the same Royal Family slagged off in Tooth And Claw, then. Nice. The Doctor's desperate yet futile attempt to save Astrid is his last failure. Leaving Slade to Frame, he passes judgement on Copper, allowing him another chance on Earth. Though Slade and Copper both finish up rich in different ways, Copper has a greater appreciation of what he had earned, and is thus to be considered the more noble. He might have made a good addition to the TARDIS, but then so might Astrid. Time may tell on her chances, though. So the snow fell on another Christmassy adventure, and again it was from a spaceship in the atmosphere. The Doctor righted a wrong, but at great cost. What does this foretell for the future? Probably nothing. As entertainment, this passed muster. But it was far from ideal. And I've never seen The Poseidon Adventure, either. |
| Disclaimer: I have watched this story. |