The Curse of Fatal Death

A fun Comic Relief sketch that isn't without its flaws. The plot is a comedic take on the stereotype of a Doctor Who story, which pokes loving fun to common tropes. While the jokes are funny, sometimes they go on too long or are repeated too much. The acting is good, but that is to be expected with the cast that was assembled. I've found that this story looses its charm the more times I have seen it, but for a first time viewer that is familiar with classic Who, then this should be a fun watch.

Objectively the greatest Doctor Who TV episode ever made. Sorry, I don’t make the rules/j

This final piece of 20th Century Doctor Who sums up why these elusive, rare and half official stories from the 1990s are so exciting. It gives a glimpse of 'what might have been', whilst mixing sensibilities from the clearly defined new and old eras.

The Curse of the Fatal Death is pleasingly filmed in studio on multi-cam, giving it a proper "Classic Who" feel, but it is treated to updated CGI which makes it an uncanny watch for dedicated fans. It is of course written by the most prolific Doctor Who writer of the 21st Century (and to be honest, all time) Steven Moffat, marking his first contribution to thousands of hours of television. It marks lots of firsts and lasts and comes from a time when it looked like a new, non-comedic version of the show was completely out of reach. We would have to wait a further 4 years before RTDs first era was announced.

The most pleasing thing about this charity special is that it is properly, properly funny. With Moffat's trademark humour throughout. For the most part the jokes are well judged - even the fart gags. The Master falling down the same trap door three times is an absolute treat. Its also very timey wimey. Before timey wimey Doctor Who even existed.

It makes for a far more substantial effort than most charity specials. You can't even compare this to the abysmal and embarrassing Dimensions in Time. This story makes it obvious that the old team behind the Classic show needed to pass the batten on to new blood. This story was also (thankfully) given the budget it deserved and has an incredibly star studded cast - with no EastEnders' crossover at all.

If I had one minor criticism, it would be that a lot of the gags rely on a factually incorrect memory of the show. It is home to comedic, knowing clichés that were never really clichés. "I'll explain that later." But who cares? Its Rowan Atkinson and Julia Sawala being hilarious. In our show! When our show was incredibly unfashionable and shunned by society. Its Hugh Grant. The biggest star in the world. In our unpopular, unfashionable show. Proving that the formula, even when being played for cheap laughs - works fantastically.