Certainly an episode that hasn’t aged tremendously well, with the flippant treatment of Martha’s race and the plot hinging on the words of the all too infamous JK Rowling. Its strength is everything relating to Shakespeare, from the winks and nods to his work as well as the performance from Dean Lennox Kelly in the titular playwright’s role. The Carrionites are also interesting monsters, utilizing the strength of words and the aesthetics of witchcraft.

William Shakespeare is probably one of this country’s most famous historical figures. Being that he is associated with the performing arts, it’s only natural that a show as steeped in literature as Doctor Who would want to visit the great man himself. Until the new series however, the Doctor’s relationship with the Bard was restricted to fuzzy images on the Time-Space Visualiser and witty Douglas Adams one liners (or 'surprise' appearances in a couple of audios).

The new series’ penchant for ‘celebrity historicals’ seems heavily biased towards writers probably, as I say, because of how Doctor Who is tied into literature – borrowing ideas left, right and centre from a wealth of classic plays, novels, films and even, in the more modern era, television itself. Shakespeare is even more appropriate due to his own habit of borrowing heavily from already existing myths, stories and other plays.

Each of the encounters has revolved, at least partly, around a mystery involving the writer; Agatha Christie’s disappearance; the ending of Dicken’s unfinished novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood and with Shakespeare, the lost play – Love Labour’s Won.

Taking this as the core of the plot, The Shakespeare Code is packed with educational content. We find out about Shakespeare’s life, his plays and Tudor life in general. The script is littered with references to his work, some factually and some through in-jokes.

Historically we are told about the Globe theatre and even meet it’s real life architect, Peter Streete (although his death by Carrionite is, unsurprisingly, a fictional addition). The shape of the Globe – a tetradecagon – is central to the plot.

We are also presented with a fairly accurate representation of how Shakespeare’s plays were considered in their time – as populist entertainment. People nowadays forget that Shakespeare’s plays were the equivalent of our television and film. He wrote dirty jokes, he wrote sequels, everyone from the poor to the rich experienced what the Bard had to offer. The only misstep is the idea that people visited the theatre at night. Plays were always performed during daylight hours being as artificial light was a little way off invention.

Included in this wealth of historical fact are two real contemporaries of Shakespeare, William Kempe and Richard Burbage, and mention of the fact that Tudor plays were all-male affairs with men dragging up to play the female roles.

We also have the presence of the Master of the Revels, basically the Tudor censor board for plays. Although the character himself, Lynley, is a fictional person (presumably because he dies at the hands of Lilith), the role and attitude are very much historical fact.

References to Shakespeare’s plays litter the dialogue and visuals: the three witches from Macbeth are reflected in the three Carrionites; the Doctor quotes from As You Like It and Hamlet, among other plays, as well as mentioning the Sycorax (a name which Shakespeare uses for an unseen character in The Tempest); The Elephant Inn is a reference to Twelfth Night and there is implication that the ‘Dark Lady’ referred to in Shakespeare’s sonnets could be Martha.

Shakespeare’s life is commented on including his wife, Anne and his son Hamnet who had died from the Black Death. The subject of Shakespeare’s sexuality is considered briefly (with another great line of dialogue from the Doctor) and comments about Dean Lennox Kelly looking nothing like the usual images of Shakespeare – all bald head and collar ruff are played with, alongside the deliberate inclusion of a Midlands accent for the Stratford-upon-Avon born playwright.

Tudor life is superbly presented in costume, location work and set design. The opening scenes showing London Bridge are like the artwork from A Groatsworth of Wit brought to life. The timber framed buildings (filmed, I believe, in Warwick) are incredibly atmospheric and the interior sets are full of detail. The whole production has feels cohesive with no one aspect feeling artificial or out of place. A problem I had with The Vampires of Venice was that, at times, I didn’t feel like I was witnessing the period but a modern representation of it. I didn’t think the supporting artists felt convincing enough and there was something about Trogir which, whilst impressive, didn’t ‘quite’ feel like Venice.

I have no such complaint about Tudor London. Maybe its because it’s a period that is easier to evoke in our own country what with the number of period buildings still standing and maybe it’s because I’ve been wallowing in Tudor atmosphere already through Point of Entry and A Groatsworth of Wit. Certainly the supporting artists convince far more of being from the requisite period. Admittedly the night time setting of the story helps enormously with the atmosphere.

The Shakespeare Code feels like a story written by a long time fan of the series (as indeed Gareth Roberts is). It is one of those tales which ‘explains’ magical happenings with scientific reasoning as in stories like The Daemons. This, I’ve always felt, is something that Doctor Who has always enjoyed doing. As a series, it is really science fantasy and leans towards ‘magic’ far more than other ‘science fiction’ series such as Star Trek or Battlestar Galactica. But, within it’s own rules, there cannot actually be magic and therefore there needs to be an explanation for the devil or magic spells or witches or dragons. To be honest, these explanations are usually fairly pat. ‘The Power of Words’ doesn’t really explain why the Carrionites magic spells work and often, as in this case, a reference to psychic energy is thrown in – which is basically saying ‘it’s magic’. I don’t have a problem with this, though, as it’s the sandpit that Doctor Who has always played in and it allows for fun stories involving witches, vampires and werewolves.

The performances in the story are excellent, particulaly main guest stars Dean Lennox Kelly as Shakespeare and Christina Cole as Lilith. Even small roles such as Dolly Bailey and Shakespeare’s fellow actors convince throughout (in fact I only really noticed how good Kempe and ‘Dick’ were this time round, in their brief scenes together – they’re actually very funny). The two mothers are a little ‘over the top’ but I think when playing ugly witches, you can allow a bit of scenery chewing.

The obvious influence on this story is Shakespeare in Love. The whole ‘sexy’ Shakespeare aspect and slightly comedic slant spins off from that film and it even includes a cameo from Queen Elizabeth I at the end. There is also a little nod to Silver Nemesis when the arrow embeds itself in the TARDIS door (and that’s another story with a cameo from a Queen Elizabeth). There are lots of more obvious references throughout the script and my absolute favourite is the Doctor’s use of Back to the Future to explain to Martha something which it took the Fourth Doctor a whole TARDIS trip to explain to Sarah Jane in Pyramids of Mars (I particularly like his sarcastic retort to Martha’s query of ‘the film?’; ‘No, the novelisation! Yes, the film!’. It’s all very metatextual which is fitting for a story about a lost Shakespeare play.

When I originally watched this story on broadcast I remember being a little underwhelmed. This time I enjoyed it a lot more, probably, as I have said, because I’m revelling in the Tudor period at the moment. That said, however, I did find the ending a little ‘easy’. The Carrionites, in their ‘normal’ form are a little difficult to get a handle on visually as they flit around the screen very quickly. The ending does seem a little glib and the use of ‘expelliarmus’ is maybe the one time the ‘metatextual’ nature of the story goes one step too far.

All’s well that ends well, though (sorry….) and overall I think this story is an excellent example of new series Who. It’s funny, but received fan wisdom seems to have it that Series 3 isn’t very good – Martha is no Rose or Donna, the finale with the Master is rubbish and the season includes fairly ‘bad’ stories such as Daleks in Manhattan, The Lazarus Experiment and 42. Oddly, at the time of broadcast I remember my wife and I commenting that we felt Series 3 was the best yet and we really enjoyed the variety of stories. Series 3 gave us Blink and Human Nature and I also adore Gridlock and actually think 42 is alright, loved The Sound of Drums (although I’ll concede that Last of the Time Lords is a bit of a let down). The Shakespeare Code has improved on repeated viewings for me and consequently I do feel that Series 3 is a unfairly maligned.

Three years in and the celebrity historical is a non-negotiable for each new series of Doctor Who. Whilst William Shakespeare’s appearance doesn’t quite reach the heights of Dickens, it certainly trumps Queen Victoria, it being especially funny when The Doctor casually uses his full name.

The trio of witches are a good match for this era, Gareth Roberts would have had to work harder to bring them into a contemporary setting. They efficiently help him tap in and out of an understood threat within 45 minutes.

The sexual energy in this production is something else. Wiggins and Lilith, Lilith and the script inspector, Martha and Shakespeare, Shakespeare and the wench, Martha pining after The Doctor… I’m sure there’s more! It fuels the show with a cheeky energy.

It’s been often said but I think Russell pushed Martha’s pining too far. Two episodes into her run, you’d hope The Doctor would stop mentioning Rose by now, but it’s one of the series’s returning themes. I understand plot wise why he is doing it, after “falling in love”, to be true to the character he can’t just forget her, but I think The Runaway Bride / Smith and Jones covered this base sufficiently.

It’s a fun, stylish, well plotted story. The “power of words” ending would usually not be enough to go on but Roberts puts in decent groundwork with the Carrionites’ use of “words as magic” - they get away with it.

Queen Elizabeth chasing The Doctor in an outrage is a particularly fine way of signing things off - even without a payoff yet planned!

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

“THE SHAKESPEARE CODE – TO BE, OR NOT TO BE (A CLASSIC)”

It’s a curious fact that it took until Doctor Who's 2007 revival for Shakespeare to take centre stage in a televised adventure. The Shakespeare Code sends Martha Jones on her very first trip through time and space to Elizabethan London, where witches stalk the Globe and the lost play Love’s Labour Won holds a sinister secret. While the episode blends historical romp, sci-fi threat, and theatrical homage with considerable style, it never quite conjures the magic it promises.

A STAGE WELL-SET

Visually, this is a triumph. The BBC’s period production teams always know how to make historical London look rich and lived-in on a modest budget. The costumes, set design, and authentic-seeming Globe Theatre setting all impress, and Murray Gold’s score – particularly the Elizabethan lute pieces – help embed us in the era with delicate flair. The story paints a lively picture of 1599: dirty, dangerous, but buzzing with ideas and energy. It even pokes fun at the romanticised version of history, reminding us that the “Golden Age” of culture also smelled of sewage and was full of angry mobs.

The script doesn’t shy away from meta-commentary, either. Shakespeare’s language is deployed with theatrical glee, full of literary nods and cheeky jokes. The writers are clearly having a ball referencing and riffing on the Bard’s famous phrases, even if it occasionally tips over into self-satisfied fanboyism.

SHAKESPEARE UNBOUND

Dean Lennox Kelly’s portrayal of Shakespeare is colourful and crowd-pleasing: this is the Bard as a swaggering rockstar and lyrical genius. He flirts with Martha, cracks wise, and sees through the Doctor’s psychic paper like no one else. His superpowered use of language is eventually what saves the day – naturally. While it’s fun to see Shakespeare placed on this sort of pedestal, there’s also something slightly too polished about it. The show adores him a little too much, and his portrayal never quite escapes the air of mythologising.

Still, the story does find clever ways to blend Shakespeare’s world with sci-fi. The “science behind the spell” approach, typical of Doctor Who, is in full swing. The Carrionites are not really witches, of course, but aliens using language as a form of technology – spellcasting through wordsmithing. It’s a clever conceit, linking the magic of language to the literal power of words, and it allows for some memorable moments – even if the execution isn’t always as sharp as the idea.

THE WITCHES OF WORDCRAFT

The Carrionites make a strong first impression. Their grotesque design, witchy cackles, and murderous glee in the cold open are deeply effective. Sadly, they never quite maintain that menace. As the story progresses, their threat level drops and their presence becomes more pantomime than petrifying. They hover menacingly, speak in rhymes, and wave around space-brooms – but ultimately don’t do very much. There’s a missed opportunity here to really explore or develop them beyond their initial fright factor.

Their leader’s eventual confrontation with the Doctor is oddly lacklustre. While the premise of a lost Shakespearean play being a Carrionite incantation is a smart hook, the resolution feels chaotic and silly. Shakespeare saves the day with a last-minute burst of poetic rhetoric – culminating in the Harry Potter gag “Expelliarmus!”, which, while amusing, undercuts the moment.

MARTYRS TO MARTHA

This being Martha’s first proper adventure, The Shakespeare Code does a decent job of establishing her as quick-thinking and capable. She immediately ponders the dangers of time travel and even considers the implications of being a Black woman in 16th-century England – though the episode doesn’t really do anything meaningful with that line of thought. Still, it’s refreshing to see a companion take the butterfly effect seriously from the outset.

Less successful is the early setup of Martha’s unrequited love for the Doctor. The moment she gazes longingly at him while he’s reminiscing about Rose is jarring and forced, especially in the context of such a fresh adventure. It’s a weak note in an otherwise engaging debut.

FLIGHTS OF FANCY

Like many historical episodes, the pace here is fairly relaxed until the final act. The first two-thirds revolve around world-building, witty banter, and the slow emergence of the plot. There’s not much action until the climax, and even when it arrives, it feels more like a box-ticking exercise than a dramatic crescendo. There’s also another dose of cartoonish Doctor slapstick, with the now-too-familiar moment of Martha jumpstarting his heart with a slap to the chest – echoing Smith and Jones in both tone and awkwardness.

The real joy of the ending comes not from the witches or the wordplay, but from a surprise royal cameo: Queen Elizabeth I shows up in a fury, revealing that she knows the Doctor – and hates him. Her cry of “Off with his head!” is an excellent punchline, made even better by its future payoff in The Day of the Doctor six years later.

📝 THE BOTTOM LINE:

The Shakespeare Code is a witty, well-mounted historical with a strong concept and clever flourishes, but its uneven pacing, underwhelming villains, and slightly smug tone keep it from greatness. A fun jaunt for literature lovers and Martha fans, but not quite a classic. 6/10.

The Shakespeare Code does the one thing no Doctor Who story should do - be forgettable. The story is so bland, the monsters are so boring, and most of the characters save Shakespeare are written in a pretty mediocre way. I do like how they presented Shakespeare as a sort of every-man - which probably challenges a lot of people's perceptions of him in what seems to be a historically accurate way. I feel like this person has a lot of interesting potential to be depicted in Doctor Who yet production here did so in the most simplified way possible.

The Carronites as I said are boring but at least aesthetically fit with stuff like Macbeth nicely. Even Martha and the Doctor here felt disappointing - like a weaker version of Ten and Rose which already was a bit too romanticized for my tastes. Martha really doesn't feel well used here - serving as mostly a love object of sorts and her identity as a MD is basically forgotten already. I'm not a big fan of this episode overall.

New Who Review #30

The Shakespeare Code

This story wasn't my favourite. It was about the power of words and how they can influence and change things. The witch's were cool. Martha was ok in this. The whole setup with Queen Elizabeth the first is amazing because that is quite important in the 50th. 5/10

This episode is just kind of boring for the most part

I don’t find the carrionites to be particularly interesting, the real highlights of this episode are The Doctor’s relationship with Martha and Shakespeare’s dialogue

The Doctor seems to not want Martha to be a full time companion like Rose was, going so far to say Rose would know what to do when Martha doesn’t, which is probably wrong knowing Rose but also frustrating to Martha(he talks about Rose like an ex lol)

Is there any other episode in the modern show that has aged as badly as this? Ironic as all hell.