This review contains spoilers!
Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!
“The Infinite Quest: A Bold Adventure That Misses the Mark”
The Infinite Quest, broadcast during Doctor Who’s Series 3 in 2007, is an intriguing anomaly in the Whoniverse. Designed as a standalone animated story for CBBC’s Totally Doctor Who, it follows the Tenth Doctor and Martha in an adventure divorced from the main series timeline. Originally aired in twelve bite-sized parts, this review focuses on the 45-minute omnibus version. Despite its potential as a high-concept escapade, The Infinite Quest stumbles under the weight of its fragmented storytelling, uneven execution, and overly child-friendly tone.
An Infinite Number of Ideas
The premise—a hunt for a legendary relic ship from the Dark Times—is brimming with promise. The titular Infinite, a mythic artefact with a connection to the franchise’s deeper lore, could have been a fascinating centrepiece. Unfortunately, the concept remains just that: an idea that never fully materialises. Instead, the narrative becomes a haphazard Keys of Marinus-style fetch quest, leaping between planets in search of puzzle pieces with little time to flesh out any of its stops.
The individual worlds and challenges are hit-and-miss. A visit to an insectoid planet evokes memories of The Web Planet, but its lack of narrative significance makes it feel like filler. Similarly, the prison planet segment fails to build any real tension or contribute meaningfully to the plot. The final confrontation with Baltazar, while marginally more engaging, still feels hollow and rushed, culminating in an unsatisfying conclusion.
Lacklustre Villains and Wasted Potential
Baltazar, the supposed antagonist, is disappointingly generic. Voiced by Anthony Head in a surprisingly uninspired performance, the character feels like a haphazard amalgamation of Doctor Who tropes without any unique identity. His sparse appearances rob him of any real menace, leaving him a mere afterthought in a story that desperately needed a strong central threat.
The supporting cast fares no better. The golden owl character, intended as comic relief, comes across as irritating, while the pirate crew—a potentially rich source of tension and humour—falls flat. The skeleton crew gag, in particular, is squandered by being played purely for laughs rather than menace. Ulysses Mergrass, the most promising new character, is sadly underused, though his name is at least memorable.
Animation: A Mixed Bag
While the animation offers some imaginative visuals, it suffers from a lack of polish. Character models are often stiff and awkward, with simplistic movements that fail to convey emotion or energy. Tennant’s and Agyeman’s voice performances feel similarly stilted, as though both actors were uncomfortable with the format.
That said, the animation does have its strengths. The alien worlds, robotic designs, and large-scale action sequences benefit from the freedom animation provides. These visual elements add a scope and variety that live action would struggle to achieve, offering a glimpse of what the story could have been with a more cohesive execution.
Ambition Without Focus
If nothing else, The Infinite Quest deserves credit for its ambition. Writer Alan Barnes clearly aimed to create a sprawling, galaxy-hopping adventure with intriguing ideas and high stakes. However, the short runtime and fragmented format leave these concepts underdeveloped. The dialogue often feels clunky, and the story's child-friendly tone undercuts any real sense of danger or drama.
The Verdict: A Noble Failure
The Infinite Quest is an experiment that falls short of its potential. While the animation brings a colourful vibrancy to the proceedings, it cannot compensate for a story that feels rushed, scattered, and emotionally hollow. Tennant and Agyeman, so charismatic in their live-action roles, are uncharacteristically flat here, and the script fails to give them the material they deserve.
📝47/100
For all its flaws, The Infinite Quest might still hold some charm for younger audiences or dedicated fans curious about this oddball entry in the Doctor Who canon. But for those seeking the depth, wit, and excitement of the series’ best, this quest is one you can safely skip.
MrColdStream
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