Doctor Who Mummy on the Orient Express

11/10/14: Written by Jamie Matheson/ Directed by Paul Wilmshurst / Starring: Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, Frank Skinner, John Sessions

Reviewed by Sean Alexander

Immortal.  Unstoppable.  Unkillable.  Doctor Who has been many things over the years – political satire, murder mystery, straight comedy – but it’s usually when its roots are showing that it delivers to the widest audience.  ‘Mummy on the Orient Express’ may be a one-line pitch from show-runner Steven Moffat, but in the hands of newcomer scribe Jamie Matheson that simple premise becomes possibly the purest piece of Who this series.  And if last week’s ‘Kill the Moon’ channelled the spirit of Philip Hinchclife’s still feted era of gothic chills, ‘Mummy…’ takes it one step further by placing Egyptian myths and Agatha Christie into the same, period-dress melting pot.

"See sense man, I'm not Jon Pertwee, oh no"

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Doctor Who Kill the Moon

04/10/14: written by Peter Harness / directed by Paul Wilmshurst / starring Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, Hermione Norris, Ellie George
The Moon retains a fascination that Peter Harness manages to evoke perfectly in an episode that manages to wrap a serious dilemma around a fanciful notion. The results are bold and more than most episodes of contemporary Doctor Who gives the viewer something more to chew on than just the usual threats or time tricks. It’s possibly Peter Capaldi’s first classic episode (you can never tell these things after one watch), certainly it’s up there with the weightier sci-fi heavy likes of `Waters of Mars` and `The Beast Below` which come to think of it also had orange spacesuits in them. Maybe they’re a good luck charm for the show?

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