The Doctor and Leela land in Victorian London at a time where they're much needed, girls are disappearing.
The start of one of the greatest Doctor Who stories of all time, this first episode has it all, the vibe, the Ripper theme, Tom in his Sherlock Holmes get up. The Theatre, the mystery. Apart from the one issue, which I'll address later on, it is one of the best.
This managed to intertwine a story where you have realistic events, tangible crimes (the girls going missing) with genuine sci fi, an impressive mix.
The dialogue is exquisite, the lines are sublime, funny and quirky, each delivered with brilliance. Mr Jago is one of the best characters of all time.
Production values are incredible, nobody does costume drama like The BBC, and those values are evident here, it looks high quality. Tom and Leela's costumes are gorgeous.
The attention to detail is outrageous, look at the old lady that discovers the body for example, she has a tiny part, but she massively adds to the story, and overall feel.
I have purposely left this until the latter stages of my Doctor Who reviews journey, as I understand it's problematic for some. All I will say, is that it was made back in1977, attitudes were clearly very different, and nothing like this would ever be made in 2020. If you are offended by the display of racist attitudes, and John Bennett's appropriation of a Chinese man, I would recommend you avoid.
As an opening story, this is about as good as it can get. 10/10.
The start of one of the greatest Doctor Who stories of all time, this first episode has it all, the vibe, the Ripper theme, Tom in his Sherlock Holmes get up. The Theatre, the mystery. Apart from the one issue, which I'll address later on, it is one of the best.
This managed to intertwine a story where you have realistic events, tangible crimes (the girls going missing) with genuine sci fi, an impressive mix.
The dialogue is exquisite, the lines are sublime, funny and quirky, each delivered with brilliance. Mr Jago is one of the best characters of all time.
Production values are incredible, nobody does costume drama like The BBC, and those values are evident here, it looks high quality. Tom and Leela's costumes are gorgeous.
The attention to detail is outrageous, look at the old lady that discovers the body for example, she has a tiny part, but she massively adds to the story, and overall feel.
I have purposely left this until the latter stages of my Doctor Who reviews journey, as I understand it's problematic for some. All I will say, is that it was made back in1977, attitudes were clearly very different, and nothing like this would ever be made in 2020. If you are offended by the display of racist attitudes, and John Bennett's appropriation of a Chinese man, I would recommend you avoid.
As an opening story, this is about as good as it can get. 10/10.