I do really have a big soft spot for that Story.

Always liked the idea of Richard E Grant playing the Doctor and while obvious not as good as many of the canon ones (mainly because it’s his first outing and fairly rarely do the Doctors get me in their first outing), I still very much enjoyed this one. I think Cornell is a great Writer, yes this might be lower in comparison to his other Who Outings, but the Idea of the Shalka and how it gets defeated is absolutely lovely.

I do think the limited Animation are pretty solid too, even through I much more prefer Cosgroves later Who Outing with the Invasion Animation.

Overall, it’s definitely an oddity. I do think with maybe more Outings, E Grant could have found more of his footing in the role. Because while as I said I really like this Story at parts it’s fairly obvious that Richard hasn’t fully found his way in the role yet.
I guess the Story would have benefit more from having more follow-ups fleshing out this Incarnation, because there would have been certainly some great Potential in it (at least in my eyes).

I certainly witnessed this. I feel like I was going insane the whole time but I certainly witnessed it.

The animation is terrifying, the Shalka were sadly not that cool, the screaming got old very fast.

But the rest is 10/10!!!! Richard E. Grant's Doctor is as good as they say. Really feels like a mix between Eight and Nine, amazingly. Maybe a bit of Twelve as well? Allison, the companion, is also very nice, dumps her boring boyfriend to go travel with the Doctor, as she should. But the android Master the Doctor just has hanging around in the TARDIS??? Android Master that the Doctor built??? Amazing. Congrats on the wedding. Very Twelve/Missy coded. No further comments.

PRIME: Stand aside, lower creature.
MASTER: I pride myself that I'm the dearest companion to the owner of this craft, so I'm very much afraid I shall not.

I think this was a fun watch. I loved the dynamic between The Master and The Doctor in this one, and the fact that they end up travelling together. I enjoyed the story and Richard E. Grant was a brilliant Doctor.

Oh but it's fun

Richard E Grant's Doctor was a delightful blend of mysteriously gothic and also deeply silly. Alison I also loved dearly, and I think she played well off the Doctor. The Master was fun, the Shalka even looked pretty cool despite the animation* and the awful sound effects

*I will accept it has a certain nostalgic charm but that does come about from it being A Little Bit Shite

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!

"SCREAM OF THE SHALKA: THE DOCTOR WHO ALMOST WAS"

Scream of the Shalka is a fascinating oddity in Doctor Who history, offering a glimpse of an alternate Ninth Doctor in animated form. The Flash animation has a nostalgic charm, providing surprisingly fluent character movements and crafting some genuinely atmospheric scenes. While the limitations of the format make some sequences feel stiff and choppy, the animation still manages to capture the eerie tone of the story.

The TARDIS interior design is a highlight, brimming with a unique and striking aesthetic. And that opening title sequence? It screams very 90s, complete with a distinct rendition of the theme tune.

RICHARD E. GRANT'S DOCTOR – A DARKER TURN

Richard E. Grant brings a compelling, colder take on the Doctor, feeling like a worn-out middle ground between McGann’s Eight and Eccleston’s Nine. His performance is layered—frustrated, aloof, yet unmistakably the Doctor. It’s a bold interpretation, though one that never got the chance to evolve further.

Paul Cornell’s writing leans into modern sensibilities, crafting a Doctor who blends technobabble with quick thinking, humour, and flashes of deep emotional weight. His approach eerily foreshadows RTD’s Time War backstory—Cornell’s Doctor is also shaped by the destruction of the Time Lords, a theme that would soon become Doctor Who canon.

A STORY WITH A CLASSIC FEEL… AT HIGH SPEED

The plot unfolds like a six-part Classic Who serial told at breakneck speed. It takes a while for all the puzzle pieces to fall into place, and the storytelling can feel rushed at times. Some scenes feel oddly short, leading to abrupt tonal shifts, while others—particularly those involving the companions or the Master—never fully pay off.

Still, there’s an undeniable charm in how it captures a Doctor Who adventure. The UNIT stand-in, led by Major Kennet, is a nice touch, offering a more militaristic but competent force. And when Scream of the Shalka leans into tension and eeriness, it really delivers—especially in its best cliffhanger at the end of Part 4, which is both effective and gross.

THE SHALKA – EFFECTIVE, BUT A LITTLE TOO MUCH

The titular monsters are a standout. The Shalka are visually striking, with a terrifying design and chilling screams that genuinely unsettle. Their invasion plan is clever, their presence ominous, and their method of bringing death to a planet they deem doomed adds weight to the final battle.

However, there is an awful lot of screaming and singing in the last episode. It does add to the bizarre tension, but at times, it verges on overkill.

THE MASTER RETURNS (SORT OF)

Then there’s the Master—except this time, he’s an android trapped inside the TARDIS. Voiced by Derek Jacobi (four years before he’d play the War Master on TV), his portrayal oozes classic Delgado-style charm, but the lack of explanation for his situation leaves a lingering question mark. It’s an intriguing concept that never fully goes anywhere.

MISSED OPPORTUNITIES AND ODD CHOICES

While the central plot holds up, the supporting elements often fall flat. The companions are underdeveloped and unmemorable, which is a shame considering Sophie Okonedo (who later played Liz 10 in Doctor Who Series 5) voices Alison. Meanwhile, much of the guest cast’s voice acting feels stiff, and the dialogue can be clunky.

The story also suffers from some unnecessary filler despite its short runtime. Some scenes stretch on with little purpose, while important moments fly by too quickly, making the pacing feel uneven.

LITTLE NODS FOR FANS

For those keeping an eye (or ear) out for familiar voices, Scream of the Shalka has two notable cameos. David Tennant makes a small, uncredited appearance—just two years before being cast as the Tenth Doctor. And Sophie Okonedo holds the distinction of being the only Academy Award-nominated companion actor to date (for Hotel Rwanda).

📝VERDICT: 7/10

Scream of the Shalka is a fascinating relic of an alternate Doctor Who timeline, offering a compelling (if underdeveloped) take on the Doctor, a strong central threat, and eerie atmosphere. Its rushed storytelling, underwhelming supporting cast, and awkward animation hold it back, but there’s still plenty to appreciate—especially as a glimpse of what might have been.

good on alison for dumping joe. giving up a history degree for that mediocre white boy? girl get UP!

I never thought Richard E Grant’s alternate universe 9th Doctor would be this good. He delivers the funny lines with a lightness of touch but has a complex weight to the darker side of his performance. It’s a difficult balance to get right but he nails it.

I hadn’t contemplated how exciting it is that a lesser known slice of Paul Cornell TV Doctor Who exists. Much like the Virgin novelisations and RTD’s take on the show, it is more routed in our reality and has a greater focus on personal relationships than the classic series. It feels throughly modern.

We can’t ignore the leaps and bounds that have been made in the animation - now by the talents at Cosgrove Hall who I knew from the Invasion animation. My word I wish the last three animations had been rendered in this fashion - Death Comes to Time could have been delivered on a whole different level.

The story keeps you fully engaged for the first two thirds, then does start to slip slightly, which I blame on the Shalka themselves. A menace that mostly just screams works well for a build up and reveal, but is less interesting when it comes to the meat or the battle and finale.

My favourite moment is when The Doctor manages to avoid being sucked into the void by using only his wits. Cornell is a natural at adjusting his writing to this epic scale that is not seen in his 2005 and 2007 stories. My least favourite moments are also when monsters just get sucked into voids with little emotional payoff.

Out of all of the material from the wilderness (/theme park) years, this is the most exciting prospect and the only story I could see being the starting point for a new continuing drama. I’m looking forward to finding out more about the behind the scenes and whether anything further was planned before RTD’s return made the enterprise an impossibility.