IMDb > "Doctor Who" The Idiot's Lantern (2006)
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"Doctor Who" The Idiot's Lantern (2006)



IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
6.8/10   548 votes
Director:
Writer:
Mark Gatiss (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Idiot's Lantern on IMDbPro.
TV Series:
Original Air Date:
27 May 2006 (Season 2, Episode 7)
Genre:
Plot:
In 1950s London, the police are hunting down strange, mute creatures. The people of Britain gather around their new-fangled "tele-vision" sets to celebrate the new Queen's coronation - but is something affecting the signal? full summary | add synopsis
User Comments:
Slightly Disappointing more (7 total)

Cast

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Additional Details

Runtime:
45 min | 45 min (50 episodes)
Country:
Language:
Color:
Certification:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
This episode was watched by 6.758 million viewers on its original transmission. more
Goofs:
Crew or equipment visible: A camera and a crew member are reflected in the Doctor's and Rose's glasses whilst they are riding on the scooter shortly after the opening credits. more
Quotes:
Eddie: You! Get the hell out of my house!
Rose: I'm going, I'm done! Nice to meet you Tommy. Mrs Connolly. And as for you Mr Connolly, only an idiot hangs the Union Flag upside down. Shame on you!
more
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FAQ

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6 out of 8 people found the following comment useful.
Slightly Disappointing, 6 May 2008
6/10
Author: Theo Robertson from Isle Of Bute, Scotland

I remember looking forward to this since it was written by THE LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN'S Mark Gatiss who wrote the previous years story featuring Charles Dickens and gas zombies . But after seeing the episode I felt rather disappointed and it's down to one very simple reason . The entire plot is summed up in the pre title sequence . After this - which I do agree is effective enough - we still have to endure a story which we know will end up with the Doctor defeating the alien and it's just a question of how . There's little surprise involved and this week's obligatory dysfunctional family subplot is more irritating than usual .

There is one other aspect conspicuous by its absence and that is Gatiss is a big fan of the QUATERMASS serials . For some reason the story is set at the Queen's coronation which was no doubt a big national event at the time but surely 1950s television was the decade where Nigel Kneale as a household name . Imagine if the audience had been watching an episode of QUATERMASS ? Wouldn't that have been a brilliant post modernist tour de force ?

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