KERBLAM!

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WRITER: Pete McTighe

DIRECTOR: Jennifer Perrott

GUEST STARS: Julie Hesmondhalgh, Lee Mack and Callum Dixon

WHEN: Sunday 18th November at 6:30pm

SYNOPSIS:

A mysterious message arrives in a package addressed to the Doctor, leading her, Graham, Yaz and Ryan to investigate the warehouse moon orbiting Kandoka, and the home of the galaxy's largest retailer, Kerblam.

TRAILER:

CLIP:

praying that the robots seen in the trailer are a major part of the episode because (a) they look creepy and (b) WE NEED MONSTERS!!!1. I know the writer is a massive fan of the show (and I recently discovered he wrote some of the inserts for the classic DVD range after stumbling across his name!) so hopefully he brings us a classic episode. The clear target on Amazon is a bit worrying though as it may mean that takes centre stage like in the other episodes this series. The political messages really do not bother me at all when done right (Rosa/Demons) but I don't need it when it is in the way of a good story (all I can now think of Tsuranga is the random pregnant man which I still am not sure what it was trying to achieve)

 

Fingers crossed!

I'm really looking forward to this episode! :wub: The reviews I've read seem to be hailing Pete McTighe / the episode the best thing to happen to the series so far and the closest we've come to 'traditional Doctor Who'.

Looking forward to this episode, and note the start its 6:30 from this week onwards, instead of the usual 7:00 start

The robots look really freaky, I'm feeling that this one could be a good one!

 

Plus Julie Hesmondhalgh :wub:

Now that was more like it! Hands down my favourite episode this series. Loved the story, supporting characters and the suspense! Beware that bubble wrap eh :lol: Nice little nod to Series 4 with Agatha Christie and the wasp too.

OMG... that was brilliant, killer bubble wrap :rofl: I will never touch bubble wrap again. :lol:

 

Brilliant episode though, it was fun and very fast pace, loved it when they went down the chute. :lol: that was bloody brilliant, has to be one of the best episodes with clever production.

Favourite episode so far! Loved the references. :lol:

A fab episode - loved all the references and felt like a very real threat! Felt much more like a Doctor Who episode than some of those this series.

Really good episode, probably my highlight of the series. A really good threat, a fear of something that we are all familiar with (bubble wrap), and there was a great satirical element running through it - Kerblam was obviously a send-up of Amazon's "Fulfilment Centres", and some of the seemingly far fetched elements of the factory are things that Amazon actually does ie tags its employees so they know where they are at all times.

I enjoyed that one. The idea of a real threat but no certainty about where it was coming from worked well.

 

Oh, and fezzes are cool.

Kerblam!, in 10 Words Or Less

 

"Bubblewrap. Guess I won't be popping that sh*t again!", 9/10

 

 

 

Nice little nod to Series 4 with Agatha Christie and the wasp too.

 

I too was amused by the callback to The Unicorn And The Wasp. Not the only time a different Doctor era made a callback to the Tennant era. In 'The Time Of The Doctor', there's a good use of applying continuity from The Stolen Earth/Journey's End where an old 11th Doctor tells Clara about his false alarm regeneration at the end of the first part of that two-parter, when the episode was referring to his limited number of regenerations.

 

Definitely the episodd that feels more Doctor Who so far which makes it all the more enjoyable. I think I therefore haveto compare itto other series rather than this one. I feel it was strong but not, say, amazing. Just a good solid episode which is what we want.

 

- Glad we got to see lots of the robots as they definitely look creepy although they still weren’t used too effectively I feel. Those neon eyes were fantastic though

- Nice that all main characters had something to do and tasks to achieve and they used their own violation! Feel like this has only been properly achieved in Rosa so far

- liked the mix of the comedy and dark themes. Although maybe gets a bit too dark when the Doctor plays a part in killing a person!

- liked the reveal of the real enemy - both of the bubble wrap (a child’s favourite toy!) and the cleaner

- Twisty <3 move over pting, i got a new fave toy

- Some of the effects were great, particularly as they went into the dispatch area

- Loved the music as the army were discovered, really helped to increase the threat level

- the references to Eleven and Unicorn and the Wasp <3 perfectly done so that it doesn’t affect you if you’re new to this series

 

So yeh, very solid episode, really utlising the setting amd the charactes!

Just finished and I enjoyed it... although I don't think it reached the heights that it could have as the premise was really strong.

 

The robots were great and I enjoyed all the characters too, the twist was good also and yet I still feel like it could have been something more if it had more time to develop as a two parter.

 

I didn't really understand why the people were disappearing in the first place if I'm honest, if nobody was allowed down in the bottom levels then nobody was ever going to spot the army building and why sacrifice people if the end aim was to save people in the future - it just felt like a plot diversion to throw the viewers of the scent.

 

But anyway, minor grumbles aside it was a strong enough episode.

Agreed with everyone, was so good to finally get an at least relatively strong threat and the social commentary not being overbearing, I mean yes it was the human and not the robots in the end, not the system the one who abuses it etc. but the robots were still pretty intimidating and I didn't see that twist coming, I thought the employees were being turning into robots, it was a bit convoluted an idea and I'm still trying to get my ahead around Charlie's plan, but it's not like Who's not given us this kinda thing before.

 

I think the best thing was the DOCTOR ACTUALLY DID SOMETHING, that's the most resourceful I've seen her this series, and the companions didn't feel as sidelined and they weren't afraid to be quite dark this time - actually having the balls to kill the villain off and also the innocent semi-hero as well was a dark turn but felt refreshing. I wouldn't rank it amongst my favourite ever Whos, in any other incarnation it'd be quite filler, but coming in a season that's severely lacked thrills and fun, it feels a lot better than it was!

 

 

 

 

I'm in the minority but I didn't think much of that episode. I think there's only one episode I've enjoyed less and that's the one on the ship with the pregnant man (which was dire.) It's been a strong series so far but I really just want a fast-paced, sci-fi adventure like the GOOD OLD DAYS. The pacing is really grating.

Quite an enjoyable and different episode that was.

I'm finding a lot of episodes this season a real struggle. The first was interesting because it was new and Rosa was flat out great but aside from Demons I've found the rest quite dull and almost quit this last episode midway,

 

I feel like a good Doctor is being wasted on poor stories.

 

Am I alone on this?

I'm finding a lot of episodes this season a real struggle. The first was interesting because it was new and Rosa was flat out great but aside from Demons I've found the rest quite dull and almost quit this last episode midway,

 

I feel like a good Doctor is being wasted on poor stories.

 

Am I alone on this?

 

I feel the exact same, this episode wasn’t terrible but no way will it be memorable in the long run - much like any other episode this year. Jodie is really carrying the show right now so I can see her having a lengthy stint as the Doctor but the entire show can’t just rely on her

I feel the exact same, this episode wasn’t terrible but no way will it be memorable in the long run - much like any other episode this year. Jodie is really carrying the show right now so I can see her having a lengthy stint as the Doctor but the entire show can’t just rely on her

It's a bit worrying really, I consider myself a fan of the show and having been watching since quite early in Tom Baker's run but the only period in its history that I have actively stopped watching was during McCoy's tenure where the show had similar issues. Admittedly I was about 16 at the time and more interested in going down the pub but I made almost no effort to watch it back then because it was painful to endure. Boring is just as bad really