Doctor Who: Scream of the Shalka

The BBCi has recently webcast another animated adventure featuring our favorite Time Lord. This one, the Scream of the Shalka, had all the earmarks of those classic 3rd Doctor (Jon Pertwee) tales: Earth in mortal danger, military seeking the Doctor's somewhat coerced help, and, after a fashion, The Master. Just like Paul McGann's BBCi webcast of The Shada, this one captured my imagination. Richard E. Grant steps into the role as the new Doctor. (9th, perhaps?) Plopped down on Earth to help battle a new race of nasties - the Shalka - bent on taking over the world, the Doctor picks up a cool new companion and does his bit for humankind. Although not as deeply bound to Who lore as The Shada, the Scream of the Shalka was nonetheless good story telling. Plus, on my short list of candidates for the 9th Doctor, Richard E. Grant!

A dictionary definition of the word "Animation" reads as follows....."The act, process, or result of imparting life, interest, spirit, motion, or activity".

After watching the online Dr Who i was unable to identify any of the above qualities in the programme, if any body can there are places you can receive proper medical attention.

Richard E Grant is as "wooden" and one dimensional in this as he is in all his outings. The rest of the cast obviously have debt collectors after them or they surely would have avoided such a cheap and amateurish project.

I was urging the Shalka to speed up their plan of world domination to end the agony of the hysterical laughter i was reduced to whilst watching this tripe.

I hate reviews where the watcher/reader clearly hasn't seen or read the whole thing. Unfortunately I must now deliver such a review.

I had wanted to watch the entirety of this animation but I found myself unable to do so. Not only didn't it engage me but within 3 'parts' I found myself starting to have negative feelings about Dr Who...This seemed to have everything in it that people have taken the Mick out of Whovians for.

The Dr Who animated episodes that I saw were stilted and frankly a huge disappointment. I won't say anything more as it is terrible to badmouth something someone has put a large amount of effort into.

Thank goodness for the news series and thank goodness they decided to ditch this animated concept.

Perhaps watching this twice a day may help with withdrawal symptoms from the excellence new series... the problem is you might be so turned off by it that you decide not to tune in for the Christmas Invasion.

It's a pity that the BBC didn't cast Richard in the forthcoming revival of the television series. He was a great Ninth Doctor in this production, and I'm sure that he would have been great in a television series as well. Now it seems that this will be a one-off production. There is a brief piece of fiction featuring his Incarnation at the Doctor Who BBCi website, but now Christopher Eccleston will take on the role of the Ninth Doctor (following Paul McGann's Eighth Incarnation in the 1996 television movie)in the forthcoming series, due to begin production this Summer, and to be on British screens(BBC Wales)in 2005. I strongly suggest catching this production if at all possible. It may be released on DVD in the near future from what I hear.