h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Well at least someone likes her!!!

It occurs to me that there's a bit of a flaw in the dreamworld part of the "Forest of the Dead" episode. When we see Tate with her two children it's believable because the girl looks somewhat like her (in particular - ginger hair). But if all the children in the 'world' have ginger hair they're not going to look too much like they're 'parents' ...

The episode also throws up a classic time paradox. Where does the new, improved sonic screwdriver come from? River Song says that The Doctor gave it to her on their previous and last meeting. She then gives it to him and although he initially leaves it with her diary; he then runs back and picks it up to save her. So, unless the screwdriver gets destroyed and recreated somewhere in the following episodes, it is the one he will give her and has no actual creation. Not necessarily a plot flaw, just a classic paradox of time travel ...

If that's the same sonic screwdriver, then that's just the same as Sally Sparrow giving the Doctor her folder with all the information he needs, or the tenth doctor knowing how to fix the Tardis in Time Crash because he remembered being there as the fifth. See also several Harry Harrison novels, like The Technicolor Time Machine. Like you say, it's the classic time paradox plot element - an object or information which effectively only exists in a loop of time.

Of course, it could simply be the Doctor's actual screwdriver, but modified by him in the future.

I though it was Vash du Nirada? And what happens in the next episode again? I can't wait, it's about... ooh... three hours to go?

Well, how about that then?

I think having a non-corporeal threat made it scarier, because everything bad that happened or nearly happened was because of people, letting fear and paranoia rule them and bring out their darker natures. Setting it all in one small area helped to - much like the film Phone Booth, if any of you have seen that.

And the trailer for next week looks amazing! Rose's return, "There's something on your back!" and maybe something happening to Donna. Is it the episode without a title? When is the series finale?

I thought that was a bit pants, should have been tense but wasn't, possibly down the acting. The set was pathetic too.

Still, I've still got last week's on the hard drive for a reminder of how good it can be!

I thought that was amazing. I was on the edge of my seat towards the end. After quite a bit of the all-powerful Doctor able to talk his way out of any situation, having him first unable to influence the others, and then have no voice at all was truly frightening.

Next week's episode is, I believe, called 'Turn Left', in which the Doctor retakes his driving test. Or something. Looks fairly scary, whatever happens. I'm happy not knowing until next week.

Traveller in Time a bit ashamed of the behaviour of the apes
"I specially likes the phone Donna held, only the handpiece with an empty socket for the wire "

Really enjoyed that. Every time I begin to think the series is getting old hat and predictable they come up with a story that I'd never have imagined would occur on DW. A wonderful study of fear, paranoia and cabin fever (and glad they didn't try to explain the 'monster')

Next week's ... isn't it the Doctor Lite episode? Hence he's 'dead'. Watched last week's Confidential and they said that Rose is working for Torchwood in the other universe (as stated at the end of Doomsday) which begins to explain how she's come to get back to this one.

Traveller in Time watching again
"Interesting the map of the detour showed at about three quarters of the tour a name: 'Winter Witch Canyon' looks like a warning of some kind.

I can not find any glimpse of anything moving on the outside view Must have been too fast

Always thought Diamond would make funny mountains, but right angled spikes "

Ok, just watched the new one. This was obviously some new definition of 'creepiest episode so far' that I wasn't previously aware of (and Lindsey Coulson was more frightening in Eastenders). Not at all scary or creepy like all the week long hype has been saying it was going to be. I don't think the BBC Wales Who mob are capable of creating the sort of dark, shadowy atmosphere needed for a storyline like this. HD cameras need too much bright lighting, presumeably. David Troughton was woefully underused too. In confidential they were comparing it to the Deadly Assassin... nah

Didn't watch Confidential- compared to the Deadly Assassin Nowhere near! It wasn't even Ghostlight. To me, it was the Doctor lite episode but the Doctor was actually in it. The concepts of fear, paranoia &c were there but I felt it was done in too "glossy" a fashion. It would possibly have worked as a ninety minuter (so that we got to know more about each character) or the episode should have been darker in every sense. And all that "no entertainment so we'll have to entertain ourselves and we all have a story to tell" was a quick way of doing what RTD did in Love & Monsters... but it didn't have the same effect because it was all crammed in to a few minutes. The "alien" behind it all was intriguing (and I loved the bit where Rose was on the monitor behind him silently shouting 'Doctor, Doctor') and it may be that the 'alien' has a meaning in the final episodes but it all seemed like much ado about nothing to me.

Still, a Donna lite episode will appease the CT haters and kebab lovers who are dieting

And it's still Doctor Who; I'd rather criticise the best thing on television than justify the bad things on television.

Van

Just out of curiousity, has Doctor Who done a 'bottle' show before? There were, I think, a total of four sets in the whole show, and very little CGI. So it was probably the cheapest episode this season.

Also interesting was that it presented a problem that the Doctor couldn't solve. That he couldn't talk his way out of. After River Song described an all-powerful Doctor in the previous episode, we were suddenly presented with a powerless Doctor.


Geggs

A bottle show? Basically the 'bottle' shows are cheap stories that allow them to spend the budget on locations and effects elsewhere (like The Library).

I'm sure there have been a few along the way ... reminded me a lot of Gridlock in the early stage especially with the banging on the doors.

We did mention the Twilight Zone before and it could easily have been an old rehashed episode of that. I'm not complaining but as someone else said it was somewhat DoctorLite, and out of character with the series (no running, no choice (for The Doctor), no bees, some mentions of dating/coupledom ...).

Also the use of 'subtitles' (20 Kliks later) was out of the ordinary for the series; although I didn't know why they then went to Hours on the final one ?!?!

Well, RTD couldn't have the Dr succeed without a companion around to actually save the day like usual.

I'm sorry but that was brilliant. I thought the acting was fantastic, Lesley Sharp could make a shopping list sound sinister! The way they behaved, influenced by the whatever-it-was was basic human behaviour but magnified. I'm glad too that they didn't try to explain what IT was. Kyla off Holby has gone up in my estimation too! Saving his life like that, just as he remembered what a damn fine actor he was.

I watched it at a party and so I didn't manage to take everything in but what I did see was very impressive. The way the alien was represented was commendably old-fashioned (no SFX, just clever use of sounds and actors) and I agree that making the Doctor both ignorant of and powerless towards the entity made for a cracking amount of tension.

I liked it. Start and end were a bit flat, but the bits in the middle with the voices were really gripping. Struck me that must be a great deal more difficult to do than it looks. Which is probably why they got Lesley Sharp in the first place. I'd quite happily turn up to watch her read out a shopping list.

>I'm glad too that they didn't try to explain what IT was

I agree. Quite a few people have mentioned that the episode had something of a "Twlight Zone"/"Outer Limits" feel and keeping the alien a mystery added to that. I hope they don't feel the need to "return" to the Midnight mystery in a later series; it should just be left alone and unsolved, a creature the Doctor couldn't understand.

I know what you mean