Episode: The Idiot’s Lantern
Story Number: 173
Series: 2
Screenwriter: Mark Gatiss
Director: Euros Lyn
Thoughts:
Rose and The Doctor arrive in London in time for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. An alien entity called the Wire (Maureen Lipman) uses television to feed on humanity and takes advantage in the surge of TV purchases by patriotic Britons wanting to watch the pageantry. There are some interesting ideas here and the Wire has a “Twilight Zone” feel, but the episode feels kind of bland overall. Rose gets some good moments investigating on her own but then essentially gets fridged to allow Tennant to overact how angry he is about it. The story of the abusive father doesn’t work because he’s portrayed entirely as evil so the redeeming moment at the end feels unearned. Luckily, 17 years later Russell T. Davies will find another way to use the early history of British TV in a more effectively haunting way.
Score: 5 of 10
It Is About Space and Time 
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