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

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Euros Lyn

Writer:

Mark Gatiss (written by)

TV Series:

"Doctor Who" (2005)

Original Air Date:

27 May 2006 (Season 2, Episode 7)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

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?

Plot Keywords:

1950s | Reference To Winston Churchill | Apostrophe In Title | Tardis | Punctuation In Title

Cast

David Tennant	...	The Doctor
Billie Piper	...	Rose Tyler
Maureen Lipman	...	The Wire
Ron Cook	...	Magpie
Jamie Foreman	...	Eddie Connolly
Debra Gillett	...	Rita Connolly
Rory Jennings	...	Tommy Connolly
Margaret John	...	Grandma Connolly
Sam Cox	...	Detective Inspector Bishop
Ieuan Rhys	...	Crabtree
Jean Challis	...	Aunty Betty
Christopher Driscoll	...	Security Guard
Marie Lewis	...	Mrs. Gallagher

Runtime:

45 min | 45 min (50 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

UK:PG

Trivia:

The line spoken by The Wire: "Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin" was the opening for the BBC radio program "Listen with Mother", which ran from 1950 until 1982.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: This episode takes place on the day before and the day of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation (1 and 2 June 1953). However, at the start of the show (a scene set some time prior to the main events), the Connolly family are seen listening to an episode of BBC radio comedy series "Take It From Here" - an episode that was first broadcast on 15 June 1953, two weeks after the coronation.

Quotes:

The Doctor: Been burning the candle at both ends? You've overextended yourself, missus! You shouldn't have had a crack at poor old Magpie like that!
[the Wire electrocutes the Doctor through the portable TV]
The Wire: Hahahahaha!
The Doctor: [immediately fine] Rubber soles! Swear by 'em!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Doctor Who Confidential: Welcome to Torchwood (#2.12)" (2006)

Simply amazing

I've been a little disappointed with the last couple of weeks of Doctor Who, the Cybermen story just didn't seem to cut it for me, especially after The Girl in the Fireplace, but The Idiot's Lantern just completely redeemed the series for me. I thought the way that this episode was put together was absolutely amazing, I'm a bit of an obsessive when it comes to 50s culture and music and stuff, and this managed to pull it off brilliantly. Maureen Lipman was fantastically cast as The Wire, she actually seemed to be like a genuine 1950s style television announcer. Mark Gatiss of "League of Gentleman" fame did an absolutely fantastic job of writing this episode, it was brilliantly done, enough to terrify millions of small kids into not watching TV for fear of having their faces sucked off!!! I thought David Tennant was amazing in this episode, as ever. He just seems to get better for me the further this series progresses, and The Idiots Lantern was no exception. His emotional range in this episode was superb, especially in the scene where he starts shouting and bawling at Eddie. Billie Piper was also great last night, I'm not particularly a big fan of hers but she excelled herself last night. Brilliant episode, lets just hope the rest of the series is at the same standard!!!