Doctor Who and The Star Beast: The Noble Thing to Do

For those that have been living in a cave for the last 60 years, the character known as The Doctor, is an alien from the planet Gallifrey, and more than that, he is a Time Lord.  He travels space and time in a blue Police Box (sort of like a telephone booth) known as the Tardis which is bigger on the inside than on the outside. He always travels with companions, usually earthlings, although not always and when his life is at an end, he has the ability to regenerate every cell in his body and become a brand-new person. He has had many faces over the last six decades, but he always fights on the side of good, helping those in need.  When we last saw the Doctor, she had just regenerated and uniquely, she regenerated into someone she had been before, and now the “new” Doctor (David Tenant) must figure out why. He lands in London and runs into a former companion, Donna Noble (Catherine Tate).  Previously, to save the universe, Donna absorbed all the knowledge of a Time Lord, but that amount of information would kill her, so to save her life, the Doctor wiped her memory, for if she remembers the Doctor, or their time together, she will die.  Then, a spaceship crashes nearby and Donna and her family, including her trans daughter Rose (Yasmin Finney), are drawn into a new adventure with the fate of London and the Earth in the balance.  Can the Doctor save London without killing Donna?  Watch and find out!

I have been a Doctor Who fan since the early 80s and have loved just about every incarnation of the character, but like all fans, I definitely have my favorites.  David Tenant ranks up near the top and to bring him back into the fold is very exciting, even if it is only for the 60^th anniversary specials and to reunite him with one of his most beloved fellow travelers, Donna, is a stroke of genius.   The man behind that stroke of genius is Russell T. Davies who returns as showrunner and writer. Russell was the showrunner at the height of modern series popularity.  The Star Beast was also a good story to start off with, instead of jumping into much deeper and darker storylines, Russell is easing us back into the world of the Doctor with something that was a bit more whimsical and funnier.  Russell is amazing at writing compelling characters that feel real and grounded, and yet putting them into extraordinary situations while adding in a lot of social commentary and this episode does not disappoint. In addition to the fun and exciting plot, the series also had a more polished look and feel.  The special effects seemed better, and the redesign of the Tardis console room is amazing, reminiscent of the classic series, but still modernized for today’s audiences.

This series has been an important part of my life for a very large portion of it and I am always excited whenever Doctor Who is returning with new episodes, but this one almost felt like coming home. Seeing David Tennant and Catherine Tate returning is like meeting up with old friends whom you haven’t seen in a while, yet it feels like no time has passed. The first episode of Doctor Who premiered on November 23, 1963, and The Star Beast on November 25, 2023.  The classic series went off the air in 1989 with the modern series returning in 2005.  Instead of doing a complete reboot, the new series is a continuation of the classic series and even incorporates the TV movie that showed on Fox in 1996. The Star Beast is the first of three specials celebrating the 60^th anniversary all starring David Tennant which will lead into the 14^th season starring Ncuti Gatwa in the title role.