the unquiet dead is actually one of my favourite new who historicals, especially in the rtd era. for me it feels a lot like the christmas special we would never get for eccleston.
Series 1 seems to follow a nice pattern. Rose introduces you to the show itself. The End of the World and the Unquiet Dead give you a more detailed introduction to the Doctor and the Time War. Aliens of London and World War Three gives you a more detailed introduction to Rose. Dalek gives you more detail on the Doctor's back story. Skipping forward, Father's Day gives you more detail on Rose's backstory. Going back, The Long Game gives the set-up to the series finale. The Empty Child and The doctor Dances gives a introduction to Captain Jack. Boom town shows how the heart of the TARDIS can open up. Bad wolf and The Parting of the Ways is the series finale that it's all been building towards up to now.
Season was is a great intro to doctor and tells u exactly what dr who is all about , Historicals, ALien invasions infiltrations like" body snatcher" stories and space station stuff.
I do like how this gets indirectly referenced in Journey's End with Gwen (and I enjoy the Torchwood parts of the 2 parter with my recent semi binge of Torchwood... of which I'm now up to Children of Earth so I'm preparing to feel depressed).
I never saw all of children of the earth. Last week I saw someone giving a brief review of it, but was bummed that I couldn't watch it online. Last night I found the dodgy DVD rips I made a long time ago and I'm kind of scared!!
@@stevenhale2935 finished it the other day and started to lose faith in Humanity at around Day 4. Currently on Miracle Day which a) has a disturbing scene around half way through episode 1 and b) has left me saying at multiple points "Why does the Doctor not give a shit about Humanity becoming immortal?!" Also Children of Earth is on BBC iPlayer along with the rest of Torchwood.
@@stevenhale2935 yeah I was gonna say you can just get it on iplayer along with the rest of new who, if you’re not from UK then I’m pretty sure you can just get yourself a VPN
And yet, when "Miracle Day" came along to be all about people not being quite dead after suffering fatal injuries, the Gelth were not even name-dropped as a prospective explanation. I can only assume that the same decision-maker on the American side of the co-production who decided that there should be a chase scene in which a helicopter was unable to outspeed a land rover was the same person responsible for demanding a far stupider explanation of that final series's central mystery. Sigh.
It's mark gatis. What did you expect? On a more serious note I think mark Gatis would have made a great show runner. He understands his limitations and wouldn't go too bombastic unlike moffat, but knows the value of cannon and the history of the show. Shame his episodes have never really gotten above a 6.
I dunno, man. I think the biggest problem with his work is that they weren't edited enough but the showrunners. Both Russell and Steven are friends with him, so I guess he got some leeway. I do like his episodes more often than not, tbh.
I won't say that Moffatt is too bombastic. But I think he made better use of Whovian past because he's more bullish than Davies on the tools in the toolbox.
@@mightybluespider I think the problem with Moffat is that he tried to add too much without thinking it through, rather than using what was already there, probably the worst instance of which being him ignoring the Doctors time war based attitude towards the Daleks in favour of him forgetting all about that and them not knowing he existed (which went nowhere) and them having an asylum and a parliament (even though all Daleks think the same way and if there were faulty ones they would just destroy them).
@@kanashimi4356 Moffat's biggest problem is yes, he's too obsessed with clever story ideas and never pays any attention to characters. This is how we end up with the out of character Doctor of "The Girl in the Fireplace" who falls in love with Reinette, when the entire series 2 arc is that he’s desperately in love with Rose. He’s obsessed with clever story ideas and pays zero attention to continuity And then there was the Silence were a much worse offender as far as Moffat boo-boos go. See, the big issues with the Silence is that whole concept of silence/Silence changed with every season from 5-7. In "The Eleventh Hour" and "Vampires in Venice", it was hinted at as being a literal, permanent silence. They went to Venice because the Silence was coming. And then we found out that the crack in Amy’s wall was time collapsing on itself, and that anything that touched the crack would be completely removed from existence-so, the absence of all those people and lifeforms leaves behind a silence. Then in Season 6, we had the actual Silence. Who were basically a religious cult in gray suits. And in Season 7, silence will fall/silence must fall. Because the question will be asked, the question that must not ever be answered, and silence will fall. So, now “silence” means all the bad guys of the universe are trying to silence the Doctor from giving out his name, because if he does then… something.? Moffat took the line from "Eleventh Hour" and just used that word "silence" to mean whatever he wanted it to mean from season to season. I love plot lines that run through entire seasons. Bad Wolf, Torchwood, Vote Saxon, DoctorDonna-those are all good because they stayed consistent throughout the whole time they were being used. Silence just… doesn’t do that. At all.
This was the episode that hooked me into the series. Not because it was an amazing episode, although it is one of my favorites of the season, but because (a) I had just seen an episode of the present, an episode of the future and now an episode of the the past, and had a marvelous time with all three and (2) Charles Dickens. Oh, and the creepy shot of the audience with the dead woman smack in the middle there. I basically gave myself three episodes to check out Doctor Who, and the Dickens story got me. I spent the next two months watching the rest of the series to that point. And am so glad I did.
I can definitely see why Russell commissioned Mark for this script. He needed a historical, refugees of the Time War and an introduction to the Rift - and gothic *is* Mark's strong point.
Though I agree with exploring the moral dilemma of the Gelph taking over the bodies of the dead were GREAT and it would be cool if it was explored further, I personally kinda like they were evil. The reason being is because it showed the Doctor was fallible, and showed he was too hasty for helping the Gelph, despite there being something CLEARLY going on with them, up to the point where the Doctor kinda got Gweniff killed, despite Rose's pleading.
I think individual aspects of the episode could have been better, but holistically I think it was good for New Who. I think another crazy episode after the last 2 would have been too much for the audience - a slower, simple, historical episode helped to balance the season a bit. It's definitely very average, but it has charm (or maybe that's just my nostalgia for it).
Yeah, I see what you mean. As I say in the video, it's great for showing the versatility and range of Doctor Who, but I think the average outweighs the charm, unfortunately
I still enjoy The Doctors line about a Donor Card to Rose. At the end of the day, whether or not the Gelth were evil, it made sense. This is basically giving a healthy heart of a dead man to a dying man, only this time, it's giving a healthy dead body to a dying soul.
I mentioned this in the comments last week on your 15th anniversary analysis of "The End of the World," but "The Unquiet Dead" shows the symptoms of season 1's budget issues. "The End of the World" had spared no expense as it was meant to retain viewers who had followed from the premiere. This episode was filmed in the same block as "The End of the World", and while there are special effects what with all the CGI needed for the Gelth, this episode is a period to save money by using the BBC's already existing sets and costumes without having to create any. Although it admittedly does have some of my favorite Rose moments, like when the Doctor first sees her in that Victorian gown, or when she goes off at Sneed for leaving her at the mercy of the Gelth-possessed corpses.
You say that the Gelth being evil is cliche, but it's entirely possible they weren't before they lost their home and their physical being as a result of someone else's hostility; while it's true they could have chosen to grieve rather than seek revenge, they have to demonstrate just how brutal the Time War was. They see an opportunity to get it back and exploit the most gullible race they can find. Having said all this, I think Gatiss probably left their morals open to interpretation by the viewer deliberately so that this kind of discussion can happen
Funny fact. I genuinely missed this episode the first time around and, other than a few clips, I never got to see it until this morning. Honestly it was much better than I thought it would be. It’s not an action packed episode, certainly, but it does lay groundwork that becomes important later, such as the first mention of Bad Wolf, the rift in Cardiff, and further expansion of the Time War. The thing is that the focus of the episode is Charles Dickens rather than the ghosts. It’s about learning to accept concepts that feel alien to your core beliefs. Dickens is jaded by life and estranged from his family and demonstrates this by refusing to believe that the gelth are real even when he sees them for himself. As the story progresses he grows to accept there is more to the world than he first believed and is inspired to save the day, which is a common theme for the series, and leaves happy with life again. It is also interesting to note that at the end when the Doctor is puzzled by Gwyneth's fate Dickens uses the same words the Doctor said to him at the start "there are some things in the world that are beyond your understanding". The gelth are a red herring. They are there to facilitate Dickens' growth. Does it need to be Dickens at all? Probably not, but we are more interested because of his fame and the parallels between him and one of his most well known characters, Scrooge. At the start he is miserable and jaded but by the end he is skipping through the street shouting Merry Christmas to all he meets, much like Scrooge's journey in A Christmas Carol. All in all, I rate the Unquiet Dead as "a good time, no alcohol required"
I love this episode. Not every episode needs to be an Ultimate Dalek Adventure on Universal levels. This one brought things back to Earth and gave us a wonderful Dickens.
Back in 2005, after two vivid, colourful, vibrant, exciting, energised new episodes... this one felt like something to comfort those who were hating. I was bored and that made me start nitpicking. The scene between Rose and Gwyneth was a stand out - and I later found out that it was padding by Russell T. Davies. The episode is still the one series one episode that I bypass. They made sure for historical afterwards that they had more punch to them.
Yeah, it's designed to show that these kinds of episodes are possible, but I think it's too jarring of a transition. The other RTD-era historicals are so much better, but those are probably helped by the show having found its footing
I remembered the "Next time" teaser for this episode at the end of The End of the World traumatizing me and giving me nightmares for a long time when I was 8.
Personally I find this a really underrated episode. If I had to rank series 1, Unquiet Dead would fairly high: 1. Empty Child/ Doctor Dances 2. Bad Wolf/ Parting Of The Ways 3. Dalek 4. Fathers Day 5. The Unquiet Dead I think the setting is great, 9 and rose are great and have great chemistry, Charles Dickens is one of my favourite historical figures in Doctor who and when you know the context of his troubled life, the scene at the end hits harder. That’s something great about celebrity historical. The Gelth are really cool monsters and it’s a fun ghost story. Overall I give it a 7.5/10
The Unquiet Dead was actually the first Eccleston episode I ever watched. I started watching NuWho from "The Christmas Invasion" and onwards. So when a repeat of this came on one day I watched it, and honestly I didn't think it was that bad tbh
i think beyond the world building of the rift/timewar the important part of this episode is the dialogue between rose and the doctor. its the first time she really stands up against him, and he puts her in her place quite harshly. interesting seeing Fathers Day later expand on that. also 'im so glad i met you' 'me too' is when i thought ooooohhhh its a love story! duh!
Fun fact: one of Charles Dickens real life descendants appeared in the Doctor Who episodes “Human Nature” and “Family of Blood”. His name is Harry Lloyd.
0:57 I had the same experience as you. I was 4 when series one was airing and mum thought the first few episodes were too scary. The 1st episode they let me watch was the Empty Child. Cause that's not scary 😋.
The Unquiet Dead is the first ever Doctor Who episode I have ever seen and at the time my fear of zombies was very bad (I had problems playing Doom 3 because of the zombies) When I saw the dead woman open her eyes at the beginning I bolted out of the living room and into the kitchen. I believe that it is the uncanny valley and jumpscare that sets me off, here are some examples - The floating metal mines from Spyro 2, the zombies from Left 4 Dead, the dead body that opened its eyes in Doctor Who The Curse Of Fenric, the severed heads on pikes in Walking Dead, The Girl with No Eyes from the movie Death Tunnel and that fucking ghost bitch from Lake Mungo. also can anyone remember that advert from many years ago that have a snowy blizzard and some woman wearing a massive fur coat with this creepy look on her face? gave me the goosebumps.
You say it's forgettable. I say I remember it quite well. It's not perhaps the best episode in the series, but it's a good introduction to celebrity historicals for the series, a nice step back in time for the first time since the series revival and it has a fun premise (what if Charles Dickens encountered ghosts). It works. It's enjoyable. Good enough for me. Truth be told I wouldn't call it bland. I've seen blander episodes and honestly most of them happen post 9th and 10th Doctors. Though there are some bland episodes with them too, I feel like 11, while overall enjoyable as a Doctor, had more than a few stinkers in there. The whole plot with River Song was honestly not a favorite of mine. Felt like a disappointing use of her as a character. Too much obsession with love interests in the series, if we're being blunt. I mean I do like her matching the Doctor one-for-one, it made her more mysterious, but they wasted it all on "oh I'm your friends' baby and also your future wife" like what? Yeah, it's a show about time travel but that's kinda fuckin' weird.
Lol this was my first ever doctor who episode. I walked into the room while my brother was watching it on Netflix. Then I watched the rest of series 1, maybe some of 2 and then went back for Rose and the End of the world.
Thomas Kirkness-Little Rose somewhat did that once in season two’s “Tooth and Claw”. They thought they were going to a concert in the 60s/70s (I don’t remember which), but they ended up in Victorian Britain
@@hannahmerlino2462 Yes, I liked that. "Why is this girl naked?" More of that. All these aliens and people from the past and future never bat an eye at the weird clothes the Doctor and co are wearing.
I actually really like this episode. It's one of my favorite historicals. But that's probably solely because of Charles Dickens being such an enjoyable character.
My favourites actually victory of the daleks- aside from the space airplanes and the ending, it's a perfect episode for tone and I think Smith yelling at the dalek has to be my favourite 'speech' ever
I just read the inconsistency of the "period clothing" rule to be a reflection of the Doctor's personality. The Tenth or Eleventh Doctor wouldn't be too concerned with that, unless they wanted to dress for the time period for fun. The Ninth Doctor and the Eleventh Doctor did that more often because they were more concerned with the laws of time.
Idk about you but I love this episode, it’s like a gothic fairytale. The message is also pretty nice too, there’s always more out there to discover. We never have the full picture even though we seem to think we do sometimes. So let’s just enjoy what we think we understand and stay curious with everything else!
I was a year older than you, and I did watch it, and I didn’t watch another Doctor who episode until Tooth and Claw, because this episode scared the piss out of me
I think this is a great episode. Dickensian Britain looks fantastic, Dickens is brilliantly portrayed, the other characterisations are lovely and the story is good. It's a really nice way to introduce us to modern historicals in Dr Who. Personally, I'm fine that Dickens isn't that instrumental in the episode - I don't think it was necessary. His presence and characterisation was more than enough. I can agree a bit more haunting wouldn't have been amiss, though!
Another superb review. I understand your views on this one, and without doubt it isn’t the best, but still has quality writing from Gatiss- especially the end sacrifice scene. That is beautifully written and well acted. Eccleston shows his wonderful acting range, once again. Keep the reviews coming- please!!!👏👍
I remember my parents saying it was too scary for me (I was 6) but only after we had watched it.. so I always kinda revered this episode as the one I was never allowed to watch again so would secretly watch it (this plus the impossible planet 2 parter) it kind of gave it an extra bit of mysteriousness as one of the banned episodes when we got the DVD. I acc really like this episode tbh I thought the gelth were a great villian and the scene with Gwen and rose is amazing!! The mentioninv of the time war - I did find the thing where the gelth suddenly changed from it's nice freindly blue form to orange with fangs and a deep scary voice to show that they were really evil all along a little bit silly but it's campy and fun. But it doesn't really make sense as a strategy .. by revealing they were evil straight away at that point they were defeated before they could really do anything.. if they had pretended to be good all angelic and waited until a large number of them were in human form to reveal their true nature it would have been much more successful. Also they would have been able to easily find a "few million" corpses across the whole of the world even in that time period the doctor could have taken them to Asia / China ect where millions die every day... By killing ppl they completely ruined their chances of actually succeeding But yeh the line about how she was dead the moment she stepped in that arch was pretty chilling and definitely really frightened me as a kid.
I just felt very old when you said you were 5 years old in 2005. It just goes to show that a millennial like myself, who was born in 1985, is not young anymore.
This episode scared the shit out of me as a 7 year old kid. Something about the effects of the dead old lady still send shivers down my spine just thinking about it.
I don’t think it deserves the derision you provide because I don’t see anything wrong with New Who having stories that function for providing continuity. On the other hand they can’t all be gems all the time but this certainly is not the worst I’ve seen. Side note: I wish RTD would bring back Torchwood with Eccleston as the Doctor because he took the role to work with RTD and there’s plenty to work with there. But thanks for the new video.
The Unquiet Dead is one of the few episodes I haven't rewatched since it aired in 2005. I don't remember it as *bad* but it just feels like a single watch episode
I was 2 at the time and I did watch and didn’t remember it until I rewatched it years later, I like the episode, it’s nothing special but I do enjoy it and everyone gives a great performance
I rarely revisit Mark Gatiss stories as they either average, mediocre or boring. It just feels like most of his stories are just intended to be merely filler and that's it.The only episodes that I've really enjoyed from Gatiss are Robot of Sherwood and Night Terrors but it was mostly because of the strong acting in these stories than the writing itself.
I've been watching you're videos for a bit now got to say nice work and thank you for answering my questions in you're q&a, wierd questions but you say you didn't watch it because you was 5, I was wondering how old are you then? I'm 24 and can't remember when I frist watched it
I always found this episode kind of boring, although it has its moments. Do you think you'll do an episode on The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit? I recently rewatched them - I'd forgotten how amazing they are.
I will do a video on that two-parter eventually. By my calculations, if I keep on with one per week, I'll get to the Impossible Planet/Satan Pit in early July!
This episode is my earliest memory of watching the show. I was sitting on my Dad's knee waiting for the show to start and I yanked my tooth out 😂 Set me up for the whole episode 🤣
Not only was Eve Myles cast in Torchwood after this, Gwen Cooper was written specifically with Myles in mind. I'm actually fine with The Unquiet Dead, I don't mind it at all. as Gatiss episodes go, we certainly have worse. I hope you do make a video on the Slitheen two-parter. It is my very own "defending the despised" kind of episodes cause I always have a lot of fun with it.
That's fair enough! And I agree, there are worse Gatiss episodes. I think it just suffers from being in such a strong series. And yes, I have a Slitheen two-parter ready for next week. 😛
Wow. I have been watching you for a while. But I just found this video. Then when you said you were 5 when this came out and you were not allowed to watch it. I realized I AM OLD enough to be your mom. My youngest was 5 when this came out and I let him watch it. He was not scared and actually yelled at the doctor to "Get them".
I love this Episode as it actually is the Episode that got me into Doctor Who, this is one f my favourite Episode of Doctor Who , I will never forget the episode for as long as i live. i give it a B. the way this casual line was said in anser to his question "There Aliens" may have been the line that turned me into a life long fan of the show.
@@kanashimi4356 I was already a lot older when Hide came out. Blink gave me a good dose of adrenaline rush and a high heartbeat, what Doctor Who does at its best.
It would have been more interesting if Charles had randomly ended up at the funeral parlour by mistake and been caught up in the drama, instead of being inadvertently brought there by the Doctor.
Got the series 1 box set in for my christmas years ago and the only episode I skipped was The unquiet dead. I still haven't watched the episode to this day.
Excellent review again. This has always been my least favourite Series 1 episode, but in my latest rewatch, I found that I didn't dislike it as much as the dud episodes of Series 2 (episodes 1, 2, 3, 7, 10 & 11, in my view) I hope you don't hate on Aliens of London/World War Three too much, I love those episodes in spite of the childish humour :P
It's definitely the weakest episode of Series 1, but then again, it's Series 1, so that doesn't mean much! (Because it's such a great series) And in terms of the Slitheen two-parter? You're just going to have to wait and see next week...
I really like These Reviews of yours! :D Are you planning to go through each episodes of the available Seasons? :D I'd like to know what your thoughts are on further episodes. :)
@@HarboWholmes Will you treat two or three parters as one Story to review? :) Or will you review each Episode regardless of whether it tells a whole Story?
At the moment I'm treating two-parters as one video. But I know for the Series 3 finale it'll be separate videos since they're so different. Apart from that, all one video at the moment
Is curious still see the Doctor says to Rosie to change her closes to something the fits to time period even he still his wearing Jacket after all but anyway The Unquiet Dead is not perfectily but is kinda, fun seat down and see this story again.
I have to disagree with you entirely. _"The Unquiet Dead"_ is arguably some of the best the revival era gave us, and is by far the closest to traditional DW the revival era has got (along with a few other select episodes). It was a perfect mix of gothic horror and Victorian aesthetic, with numerous scenes obviously paying homage to _"The Talons of Weng-Chiang."_ If this is what you call "bland" then I can't imagine what you must think of _"Boom Town"_ or _"Gridlock."_ The former is virtually 45 minutes of the characters talking to each other.
This episode is the only one I would disagree with your critiques, and has always been one of my favorites do to the atmosphere and characters. The only downside is the ending, with the quick easy star trekky solution, but this is common to a lot of new who.
So, your parents deemed some CGI bags and some Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides Zombie-lookalikes to be scarier than the literal End of the World?
the unquiet dead is actually one of my favourite new who historicals, especially in the rtd era. for me it feels a lot like the christmas special we would never get for eccleston.
williamsdrake In my head I actually count this episode as ecclestons Christmas special.
Never thought if it that way, but you are right!
couldn't tell you where, but ive definitely heard RTD express that he considered it an unofficial christmas episode
@@summer6100 that makes a lot of sense. it just has that quiet vibe all the good specials do.
As a history fan and classic who fan I’m insulted that you would call this a historical.
I like that the RTD TARDIS has Gallifreyan written on the post-it notes next to the monitor.
I recently noticed that too, I think it's a great little touch
Series 1 seems to follow a nice pattern.
Rose introduces you to the show itself.
The End of the World and the Unquiet Dead give you a more detailed introduction to the Doctor and the Time War.
Aliens of London and World War Three gives you a more detailed introduction to Rose.
Dalek gives you more detail on the Doctor's back story.
Skipping forward, Father's Day gives you more detail on Rose's backstory.
Going back, The Long Game gives the set-up to the series finale.
The Empty Child and The doctor Dances gives a introduction to Captain Jack.
Boom town shows how the heart of the TARDIS can open up.
Bad wolf and The Parting of the Ways is the series finale that it's all been building towards up to now.
I agree, it's nice in that every episode serves a wider purpose in the season
Well, everything comes back in the final three episodes, yeah.
Season was is a great intro to doctor and tells u exactly what dr who is all about , Historicals, ALien invasions infiltrations like" body snatcher" stories and space station stuff.
I do like how this gets indirectly referenced in Journey's End with Gwen (and I enjoy the Torchwood parts of the 2 parter with my recent semi binge of Torchwood... of which I'm now up to Children of Earth so I'm preparing to feel depressed).
I never saw all of children of the earth. Last week I saw someone giving a brief review of it, but was bummed that I couldn't watch it online.
Last night I found the dodgy DVD rips I made a long time ago and I'm kind of scared!!
@@stevenhale2935 finished it the other day and started to lose faith in Humanity at around Day 4. Currently on Miracle Day which a) has a disturbing scene around half way through episode 1 and b) has left me saying at multiple points "Why does the Doctor not give a shit about Humanity becoming immortal?!"
Also Children of Earth is on BBC iPlayer along with the rest of Torchwood.
@@stevenhale2935 yeah I was gonna say you can just get it on iplayer along with the rest of new who, if you’re not from UK then I’m pretty sure you can just get yourself a VPN
And yet, when "Miracle Day" came along to be all about people not being quite dead after suffering fatal injuries, the Gelth were not even name-dropped as a prospective explanation. I can only assume that the same decision-maker on the American side of the co-production who decided that there should be a chase scene in which a helicopter was unable to outspeed a land rover was the same person responsible for demanding a far stupider explanation of that final series's central mystery.
Sigh.
I really like it whenever Doctor Who lampshades one actor playing multiple characters. Freema Agyeman, Eve Myles, Peter Capaldi.
I actually thought this was comfortingly classic feeling, coming after the tonal dissonance of The End Of the World. And Eve Myles rocks
It's mark gatis. What did you expect? On a more serious note I think mark Gatis would have made a great show runner. He understands his limitations and wouldn't go too bombastic unlike moffat, but knows the value of cannon and the history of the show. Shame his episodes have never really gotten above a 6.
Yeah, Gatiss has great knowledge of Doctor Who and good ideas, but unfortunately his actual episodes often fall short for me
I dunno, man. I think the biggest problem with his work is that they weren't edited enough but the showrunners. Both Russell and Steven are friends with him, so I guess he got some leeway. I do like his episodes more often than not, tbh.
I won't say that Moffatt is too bombastic.
But I think he made better use of Whovian past because he's more bullish than Davies on the tools in the toolbox.
@@mightybluespider I think the problem with Moffat is that he tried to add too much without thinking it through, rather than using what was already there, probably the worst instance of which being him ignoring the Doctors time war based attitude towards the Daleks in favour of him forgetting all about that and them not knowing he existed (which went nowhere) and them having an asylum and a parliament (even though all Daleks think the same way and if there were faulty ones they would just destroy them).
@@kanashimi4356 Moffat's biggest problem is yes, he's too obsessed with clever story ideas and never pays any attention to characters. This is how we end up with the out of character Doctor of "The Girl in the Fireplace" who falls in love with Reinette, when the entire series 2 arc is that he’s desperately in love with Rose. He’s obsessed with clever story ideas and pays zero attention to continuity
And then there was the Silence were a much worse offender as far as Moffat boo-boos go.
See, the big issues with the Silence is that whole concept of silence/Silence changed with every season from 5-7.
In "The Eleventh Hour" and "Vampires in Venice", it was hinted at as being a literal, permanent silence. They went to Venice because the Silence was coming. And then we found out that the crack in Amy’s wall was time collapsing on itself, and that anything that touched the crack would be completely removed from existence-so, the absence of all those people and lifeforms leaves behind a silence.
Then in Season 6, we had the actual Silence. Who were basically a religious cult in gray suits.
And in Season 7, silence will fall/silence must fall. Because the question will be asked, the question that must not ever be answered, and silence will fall. So, now “silence” means all the bad guys of the universe are trying to silence the Doctor from giving out his name, because if he does then… something.?
Moffat took the line from "Eleventh Hour" and just used that word "silence" to mean whatever he wanted it to mean from season to season. I love plot lines that run through entire seasons. Bad Wolf, Torchwood, Vote Saxon, DoctorDonna-those are all good because they stayed consistent throughout the whole time they were being used. Silence just… doesn’t do that. At all.
This was the episode that hooked me into the series. Not because it was an amazing episode, although it is one of my favorites of the season, but because (a) I had just seen an episode of the present, an episode of the future and now an episode of the the past, and had a marvelous time with all three and (2) Charles Dickens. Oh, and the creepy shot of the audience with the dead woman smack in the middle there. I basically gave myself three episodes to check out Doctor Who, and the Dickens story got me. I spent the next two months watching the rest of the series to that point. And am so glad I did.
i fully agree
I can definitely see why Russell commissioned Mark for this script. He needed a historical, refugees of the Time War and an introduction to the Rift - and gothic *is* Mark's strong point.
Yeah, atmospherically it's great, but personally I think it's just overall a bit too forgettable
Though I agree with exploring the moral dilemma of the Gelph taking over the bodies of the dead were GREAT and it would be cool if it was explored further, I personally kinda like they were evil. The reason being is because it showed the Doctor was fallible, and showed he was too hasty for helping the Gelph, despite there being something CLEARLY going on with them, up to the point where the Doctor kinda got Gweniff killed, despite Rose's pleading.
Gelth, Gwyneth
I think individual aspects of the episode could have been better, but holistically I think it was good for New Who. I think another crazy episode after the last 2 would have been too much for the audience - a slower, simple, historical episode helped to balance the season a bit. It's definitely very average, but it has charm (or maybe that's just my nostalgia for it).
Yeah, I see what you mean. As I say in the video, it's great for showing the versatility and range of Doctor Who, but I think the average outweighs the charm, unfortunately
@@HarboWholmes I agree
I still enjoy The Doctors line about a Donor Card to Rose. At the end of the day, whether or not the Gelth were evil, it made sense. This is basically giving a healthy heart of a dead man to a dying man, only this time, it's giving a healthy dead body to a dying soul.
I actually like the unquiet dead. It got me excited for the historical stories to follow.
I mentioned this in the comments last week on your 15th anniversary analysis of "The End of the World," but "The Unquiet Dead" shows the symptoms of season 1's budget issues. "The End of the World" had spared no expense as it was meant to retain viewers who had followed from the premiere. This episode was filmed in the same block as "The End of the World", and while there are special effects what with all the CGI needed for the Gelth, this episode is a period to save money by using the BBC's already existing sets and costumes without having to create any.
Although it admittedly does have some of my favorite Rose moments, like when the Doctor first sees her in that Victorian gown, or when she goes off at Sneed for leaving her at the mercy of the Gelth-possessed corpses.
You say that the Gelth being evil is cliche, but it's entirely possible they weren't before they lost their home and their physical being as a result of someone else's hostility; while it's true they could have chosen to grieve rather than seek revenge, they have to demonstrate just how brutal the Time War was. They see an opportunity to get it back and exploit the most gullible race they can find. Having said all this, I think Gatiss probably left their morals open to interpretation by the viewer deliberately so that this kind of discussion can happen
The Gelth (woman) has one of my favourite voices in any TV show.
Funny fact. I genuinely missed this episode the first time around and, other than a few clips, I never got to see it until this morning. Honestly it was much better than I thought it would be.
It’s not an action packed episode, certainly, but it does lay groundwork that becomes important later, such as the first mention of Bad Wolf, the rift in Cardiff, and further expansion of the Time War. The thing is that the focus of the episode is Charles Dickens rather than the ghosts. It’s about learning to accept concepts that feel alien to your core beliefs. Dickens is jaded by life and estranged from his family and demonstrates this by refusing to believe that the gelth are real even when he sees them for himself. As the story progresses he grows to accept there is more to the world than he first believed and is inspired to save the day, which is a common theme for the series, and leaves happy with life again. It is also interesting to note that at the end when the Doctor is puzzled by Gwyneth's fate Dickens uses the same words the Doctor said to him at the start "there are some things in the world that are beyond your understanding".
The gelth are a red herring. They are there to facilitate Dickens' growth. Does it need to be Dickens at all? Probably not, but we are more interested because of his fame and the parallels between him and one of his most well known characters, Scrooge. At the start he is miserable and jaded but by the end he is skipping through the street shouting Merry Christmas to all he meets, much like Scrooge's journey in A Christmas Carol.
All in all, I rate the Unquiet Dead as "a good time, no alcohol required"
I love this episode. Not every episode needs to be an Ultimate Dalek Adventure on Universal levels.
This one brought things back to Earth and gave us a wonderful Dickens.
Back in 2005, after two vivid, colourful, vibrant, exciting, energised new episodes... this one felt like something to comfort those who were hating. I was bored and that made me start nitpicking. The scene between Rose and Gwyneth was a stand out - and I later found out that it was padding by Russell T. Davies. The episode is still the one series one episode that I bypass.
They made sure for historical afterwards that they had more punch to them.
Yeah, it's designed to show that these kinds of episodes are possible, but I think it's too jarring of a transition. The other RTD-era historicals are so much better, but those are probably helped by the show having found its footing
your videos have been saving me from self-isolation, i've been binging them for days now
Well, it's nowhere near as good as Sleep No More!
*Everyone other than Harbo will read this sarcastically.*
I remembered the "Next time" teaser for this episode at the end of The End of the World traumatizing me and giving me nightmares for a long time when I was 8.
Personally I find this a really underrated episode. If I had to rank series 1, Unquiet Dead would fairly high:
1. Empty Child/ Doctor Dances
2. Bad Wolf/ Parting Of The Ways
3. Dalek
4. Fathers Day
5. The Unquiet Dead
I think the setting is great, 9 and rose are great and have great chemistry, Charles Dickens is one of my favourite historical figures in Doctor who and when you know the context of his troubled life, the scene at the end hits harder. That’s something great about celebrity historical. The Gelth are really cool monsters and it’s a fun ghost story. Overall I give it a 7.5/10
The Unquiet Dead was actually the first Eccleston episode I ever watched. I started watching NuWho from "The Christmas Invasion" and onwards. So when a repeat of this came on one day I watched it, and honestly I didn't think it was that bad tbh
i think beyond the world building of the rift/timewar the important part of this episode is the dialogue between rose and the doctor. its the first time she really stands up against him, and he puts her in her place quite harshly. interesting seeing Fathers Day later expand on that. also 'im so glad i met you' 'me too' is when i thought ooooohhhh its a love story! duh!
Fun fact: one of Charles Dickens real life descendants appeared in the Doctor Who episodes “Human Nature” and “Family of Blood”. His name is Harry Lloyd.
I could watch Eve Myles fighting ghosts until the universe ends tbh.
I've watched the first five seasons again because of your videos, keep them coming!
Wow, really? Thank you! :)
@@HarboWholmes Really, they make me think about the show in all new ways
Vincent and the Doctor really set the standard for the category of "historical celebrity" episodes. Nothing before or since comes close in NuWho.
0:57 I had the same experience as you. I was 4 when series one was airing and mum thought the first few episodes were too scary. The 1st episode they let me watch was the Empty Child. Cause that's not scary 😋.
Yeah, totally suitable for all children
The Unquiet Dead is the first ever Doctor Who episode I have ever seen and at the time my fear of zombies was very bad (I had problems playing Doom 3 because of the zombies) When I saw the dead woman open her eyes at the beginning I bolted out of the living room and into the kitchen. I believe that it is the uncanny valley and jumpscare that sets me off, here are some examples - The floating metal mines from Spyro 2, the zombies from Left 4 Dead, the dead body that opened its eyes in Doctor Who The Curse Of Fenric, the severed heads on pikes in Walking Dead, The Girl with No Eyes from the movie Death Tunnel and that fucking ghost bitch from Lake Mungo. also can anyone remember that advert from many years ago that have a snowy blizzard and some woman wearing a massive fur coat with this creepy look on her face? gave me the goosebumps.
You say it's forgettable. I say I remember it quite well.
It's not perhaps the best episode in the series, but it's a good introduction to celebrity historicals for the series, a nice step back in time for the first time since the series revival and it has a fun premise (what if Charles Dickens encountered ghosts). It works. It's enjoyable. Good enough for me.
Truth be told I wouldn't call it bland. I've seen blander episodes and honestly most of them happen post 9th and 10th Doctors. Though there are some bland episodes with them too, I feel like 11, while overall enjoyable as a Doctor, had more than a few stinkers in there. The whole plot with River Song was honestly not a favorite of mine. Felt like a disappointing use of her as a character. Too much obsession with love interests in the series, if we're being blunt. I mean I do like her matching the Doctor one-for-one, it made her more mysterious, but they wasted it all on "oh I'm your friends' baby and also your future wife" like what? Yeah, it's a show about time travel but that's kinda fuckin' weird.
As a man who grew up in Wales, I can confirm that the Gelth are from Brecon
Truly alien!
I love the doctor just going with that for the explanation.
Lol this was my first ever doctor who episode. I walked into the room while my brother was watching it on Netflix.
Then I watched the rest of series 1, maybe some of 2 and then went back for Rose and the End of the world.
It took me this long to realize that Gweneth is the same actor who plays Gwen in Torchwood
Wtf man, we are the same age, you are one of my favorite youtube channels!!! You're great man
I'd like to see them dress up in period outfits and always be slightly off. For example they go to 1570 but wear outfits from 1540.
I’m not sure much of the audience would be able to tell.
Thomas Kirkness-Little Rose somewhat did that once in season two’s “Tooth and Claw”. They thought they were going to a concert in the 60s/70s (I don’t remember which), but they ended up in Victorian Britain
@@hannahmerlino2462 Yes, I liked that. "Why is this girl naked?" More of that. All these aliens and people from the past and future never bat an eye at the weird clothes the Doctor and co are wearing.
I actually really like this episode. It's one of my favorite historicals. But that's probably solely because of Charles Dickens being such an enjoyable character.
Thank you, Harbo, I had absolutely no memory of this episode.
I think the best Gatiss episodes were the ones with the Ice Warrriors- Empress of Mars and Cold War.
My favourites actually victory of the daleks- aside from the space airplanes and the ending, it's a perfect episode for tone and I think Smith yelling at the dalek has to be my favourite 'speech' ever
@@hgwsavage YOU, ARE, MY ENEMY! AND I AM YOURS!!
@@daybreakrebornedits YOU ARE EVERYTHING I DESPISE. THE WORST THING IN ALL TH-cam.
I just read the inconsistency of the "period clothing" rule to be a reflection of the Doctor's personality. The Tenth or Eleventh Doctor wouldn't be too concerned with that, unless they wanted to dress for the time period for fun. The Ninth Doctor and the Eleventh Doctor did that more often because they were more concerned with the laws of time.
Idk about you but I love this episode, it’s like a gothic fairytale. The message is also pretty nice too, there’s always more out there to discover. We never have the full picture even though we seem to think we do sometimes. So let’s just enjoy what we think we understand and stay curious with everything else!
I'll always love the moment in this episode when a startled Charles Dickens exclaims "What the Shakespeare?" 😂
I absolutely love this episode.
I was a year older than you, and I did watch it, and I didn’t watch another Doctor who episode until Tooth and Claw, because this episode scared the piss out of me
15 years ago Jesus
I know, right?!
I still remember watching it for the first time back then, doesn’t feel that long ago.
I think this is a great episode. Dickensian Britain looks fantastic, Dickens is brilliantly portrayed, the other characterisations are lovely and the story is good. It's a really nice way to introduce us to modern historicals in Dr Who.
Personally, I'm fine that Dickens isn't that instrumental in the episode - I don't think it was necessary. His presence and characterisation was more than enough. I can agree a bit more haunting wouldn't have been amiss, though!
Ohhh, that claustrophobic scene with changed future was in Pyramids of Mars!
Another superb review. I understand your views on this one, and without doubt it isn’t the best, but still has quality writing from Gatiss- especially the end sacrifice scene. That is beautifully written and well acted. Eccleston shows his wonderful acting range, once again. Keep the reviews coming- please!!!👏👍
I remember my parents saying it was too scary for me (I was 6) but only after we had watched it.. so I always kinda revered this episode as the one I was never allowed to watch again so would secretly watch it (this plus the impossible planet 2 parter) it kind of gave it an extra bit of mysteriousness as one of the banned episodes when we got the DVD. I acc really like this episode tbh I thought the gelth were a great villian and the scene with Gwen and rose is amazing!! The mentioninv of the time war - I did find the thing where the gelth suddenly changed from it's nice freindly blue form to orange with fangs and a deep scary voice to show that they were really evil all along a little bit silly but it's campy and fun. But it doesn't really make sense as a strategy .. by revealing they were evil straight away at that point they were defeated before they could really do anything.. if they had pretended to be good all angelic and waited until a large number of them were in human form to reveal their true nature it would have been much more successful. Also they would have been able to easily find a "few million" corpses across the whole of the world even in that time period the doctor could have taken them to Asia / China ect where millions die every day... By killing ppl they completely ruined their chances of actually succeeding
But yeh the line about how she was dead the moment she stepped in that arch was pretty chilling and definitely really frightened me as a kid.
I’d really like to see the Doctor teaming up with a historical figure. That’s part of why I like these “celebrity historicals”.
Great video man , I did find the episode a bit bland but I loved the portrayal of Dickens.
Yeah, Dickens is brilliant
He (Simon Callow) truly is magnificent as Charles Dickens. I have a framed photograph of Dickens on my wall and the likeness is uncanny.
I always loved gwens talk with rose, gives me the goosebumps
I can’t believe gweneth is literally Gwen from torchwood 😂😂
Tosh and Gwen both started in Doctor Who although it was actually Tosh we saw and Gwen’s ancestor.
Rams Craft aliens of london
Aw I like this episode, it's fun, especially with Dickens aficionado Callow hamming it up and the Raiders of the Lost Ark visual effects.
I just felt very old when you said you were 5 years old in 2005. It just goes to show that a millennial like myself, who was born in 1985, is not young anymore.
This episode scared the shit out of me as a 7 year old kid. Something about the effects of the dead old lady still send shivers down my spine just thinking about it.
Don't mind me just leaving a comment to prove I was a subscriber at 7.62k before you become famous
I do actually like this episode! I have no complaints really. I watched it last week and still thoroughly enjoyed it!
I don’t think it deserves the derision you provide because I don’t see anything wrong with New Who having stories that function for providing continuity. On the other hand they can’t all be gems all the time but this certainly is not the worst I’ve seen. Side note: I wish RTD would bring back Torchwood with Eccleston as the Doctor because he took the role to work with RTD and there’s plenty to work with there. But thanks for the new video.
Did you coincidentally mention Phantasmagoria the second main range big finish story written by Mark Gatiss.
What's next? The episode that introduces Tosh
One of the best retcons in Doctor Who, imo
The Unquiet Dead is one of the few episodes I haven't rewatched since it aired in 2005. I don't remember it as *bad* but it just feels like a single watch episode
One of my favorite episodes of S1. And easily the best of the Mark Gatiss episodes.
I was 2 at the time and I did watch and didn’t remember it until I rewatched it years later, I like the episode, it’s nothing special but I do enjoy it and everyone gives a great performance
I rarely revisit Mark Gatiss stories as they either average, mediocre or boring. It just feels like most of his stories are just intended to be merely filler and that's it.The only episodes that I've really enjoyed from Gatiss are Robot of Sherwood and Night Terrors but it was mostly because of the strong acting in these stories than the writing itself.
Those are two of my favorites When I just don't know what I want to watch, I often go to Robots of Sherwood and especially Night Terrors.
I like Sleep No More and Night Terrors, but pretty much every Gatiss episode just feels too formulaic to me
After watching this,I felt like the dead should have stayed quiet.
I've been watching you're videos for a bit now got to say nice work and thank you for answering my questions in you're q&a, wierd questions but you say you didn't watch it because you was 5, I was wondering how old are you then? I'm 24 and can't remember when I frist watched it
I'm almost 21. I only have vague memories of watching the early RTD-era, I just remember certain episodes I wasn't allowed to watch 😂
I always found this episode kind of boring, although it has its moments. Do you think you'll do an episode on The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit? I recently rewatched them - I'd forgotten how amazing they are.
I will do a video on that two-parter eventually. By my calculations, if I keep on with one per week, I'll get to the Impossible Planet/Satan Pit in early July!
@@HarboWholmes awesome! Looking forward to it
This episode is my earliest memory of watching the show. I was sitting on my Dad's knee waiting for the show to start and I yanked my tooth out 😂 Set me up for the whole episode 🤣
Not only was Eve Myles cast in Torchwood after this, Gwen Cooper was written specifically with Myles in mind. I'm actually fine with The Unquiet Dead, I don't mind it at all. as Gatiss episodes go, we certainly have worse. I hope you do make a video on the Slitheen two-parter. It is my very own "defending the despised" kind of episodes cause I always have a lot of fun with it.
That's fair enough! And I agree, there are worse Gatiss episodes. I think it just suffers from being in such a strong series. And yes, I have a Slitheen two-parter ready for next week. 😛
loved your vids keep the good work up
Glad you like them!
Wow. I have been watching you for a while. But I just found this video. Then when you said you were 5 when this came out and you were not allowed to watch it. I realized I AM OLD enough to be your mom. My youngest was 5 when this came out and I let him watch it.
He was not scared and actually yelled at the doctor to "Get them".
Just had an existential crisis:
Whoah if Harbro Wholms was 5 in 2005 he's only 15 and making all these videos.
Then I realise I'm 25 and not 20 :/
It's one of the few episodes I forgot existed. Didn't remember watching it.
I love this Episode as it actually is the Episode that got me into Doctor Who, this is one f my favourite Episode of Doctor Who , I will never forget the episode for as long as i live. i give it a B.
the way this casual line was said in anser to his question "There Aliens" may have been the line that turned me into a life long fan of the show.
I'll see you next week for the two parter.
This is in my upper top half for S1.
Scariest episode of Doctor Who, in my opinion. 7 year old me was terrified when this came out
What about stuff like "Blink" and "Hide"
@@kanashimi4356 I was already a lot older when Hide came out. Blink gave me a good dose of adrenaline rush and a high heartbeat, what Doctor Who does at its best.
You were 5...Oh jesus I feel beyond old now, I was 18
Why did I just realize: Gwyneth, Gwen!
As a kid this one was meh but now I’d say its one of the better and underrated historical stories.
I find it actually properly scary. The walking bodies, and the gelths childlike voice gives me the creep
Anyone else just now learning that Gwen Cooper was already cast in doctor who or is it just me
The unquiet dead is techncially Doctor Who does Victorian nightmare before Christmas- it's Christmas and scary mixed together.
Mark Gattis is the king of writing episodes that exist. His episodes are always perfectly functional with no clear issues but are useally forgettable.
Lol! Doctor Who just uploaded a clip of The Unquiet Dead!
It would have been more interesting if Charles had randomly ended up at the funeral parlour by mistake and been caught up in the drama, instead of being inadvertently brought there by the Doctor.
7:54 yep, Time certainly was in Flux, lol ;)
I mean, it's atmospheric I guess. And Rose is written pretty well. Just a bit too formulaic, I suppose.
Overall, it's one of Mark's better scripts.
Got the series 1 box set in for my christmas years ago and the only episode I skipped was The unquiet dead. I still haven't watched the episode to this day.
Excellent review again. This has always been my least favourite Series 1 episode, but in my latest rewatch, I found that I didn't dislike it as much as the dud episodes of Series 2 (episodes 1, 2, 3, 7, 10 & 11, in my view)
I hope you don't hate on Aliens of London/World War Three too much, I love those episodes in spite of the childish humour :P
It's definitely the weakest episode of Series 1, but then again, it's Series 1, so that doesn't mean much! (Because it's such a great series) And in terms of the Slitheen two-parter? You're just going to have to wait and see next week...
@@HarboWholmes Well, if you give it a negative review... *smiles menacingly and starts unzipping forehead*
I watched the whole first season again recently and I really enjoyed every episode. Christopher Eccleston was a great Doctor
@@autumnmatthews3179 Yeah, even the weaker episodes are still watchable, and Eccleston never has a dull moment.
Please can we see your idea of what you’d do with dr who
I thought I recognised Eve Miles.
I really like These Reviews of yours! :D Are you planning to go through each episodes of the available Seasons? :D I'd like to know what your thoughts are on further episodes. :)
Yep, that's the plan! (Apart from some of the episodes I've already made videos about, like The Long Game)
@@HarboWholmes Thanks! :D I'm already Looking Forward to it! :)
@@HarboWholmes Really liking this idea, thank you for your work! :)
@@HarboWholmes Will you treat two or three parters as one Story to review? :) Or will you review each Episode regardless of whether it tells a whole Story?
At the moment I'm treating two-parters as one video. But I know for the Series 3 finale it'll be separate videos since they're so different. Apart from that, all one video at the moment
Is curious still see the Doctor says to Rosie to change her closes to something the fits to time period even he still his wearing Jacket after all but anyway The Unquiet Dead is not perfectily but is kinda, fun seat down and see this story again.
The unquiet dead was the only episode I wasn't allowed to watch either! I was 6 and my mum thought the ghosts would be too scary
I’m loving the whotube content. Think you might ever get into lists?
I liked it. Definitely preferred it to Aliens in London. I almost gave up on Doctor Who during that two parter.
I have to disagree with you entirely. _"The Unquiet Dead"_ is arguably some of the best the revival era gave us, and is by far the closest to traditional DW the revival era has got (along with a few other select episodes). It was a perfect mix of gothic horror and Victorian aesthetic, with numerous scenes obviously paying homage to _"The Talons of Weng-Chiang."_
If this is what you call "bland" then I can't imagine what you must think of _"Boom Town"_ or _"Gridlock."_ The former is virtually 45 minutes of the characters talking to each other.
This episode is the only one I would disagree with your critiques, and has always been one of my favorites do to the atmosphere and characters. The only downside is the ending, with the quick easy star trekky solution, but this is common to a lot of new who.
So, your parents deemed some CGI bags and some Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides Zombie-lookalikes to be scarier than the literal End of the World?