Gareth Edwards’ TV Review 05/09/2011

AFTER the whizz-bang timelord duel opening episode, those fans getting a bit exhausted by the twisty storylines will no doubt have been steeling themselves for another hour of trying to guess what the hell was going on.

Refreshingly this, instead, was something more like a classic Doctor, all about the imagination of children, scary monsters in the cupboard and hapless companions running around getting into trouble.

Writer Mark Gatiss was clearly having fun, not just with the concept of the Doctor making a house-call but also the chance to run riot in a child’s nightmares, from the spiky shadows on the wall to the rattle and moan of strangers walking past the window.

And for all its chills - apart from the bleak inner-city high-rise setting, the chunky-headed wooden doll monsters were certainly among the more frightening Who monsters - this was a perfect episode for kids, with lots of laughs and a cuddly message.

Next week, though, it’s back to form with a kung-fu robot imposter bash-up in the future.