The British have an interesting habit of keeping the runs of their television shows short and sweet, a practice that seems antithetical to the American way of doing things.
In this, Doctor Who is undoubtably an outlier—a British television staple that has been an almost constant presence since it premiered in the early 1960s. Yet, despite its impressive streak, Doctor Who endures because it is constantly refreshing itself, offering new beginnings and opportunities for the curious to hop on and become fans.
In this spirit it was announced last year that everyone’s favorite Time Lord would find new life in the States at Disney+, starting with the three-part 60th anniversary celebration.
As of this review two of them have been released, The Star Beast and Wild Blue Yonder, and, while these episodes are probably a little more difficult for newcomers to completely comprehend than they should have been, there is no doubt that they will win over some new hearts.
Wild Blue Yonder will, anyway.
The Star Beast is a bit rougher, if still endearing in that cheesy way that only Doctor Who can pull off. While it is still thoroughly a BBC production, it is obvious that The Star Beast had some of that Disney money behind it that it wanted to flex, leading to a more action-packed adventure than usual for the Doctor, which in and of itself isn’t a bad thing.
But the main plot revolving around the titular star beast is bland and uninspired, and perhaps even more questionable is the fact that the episode chooses to resolve a big ongoing plot point that was introduced all the way back in 2008. As a relatively longtime Whovian I found this resolution incredibly unsatisfying, and I’m sure that newcomers will be completely baffled no matter how many let’s-catch-you-up conversations and recaps there are.
Wild Blue Yonder on the other hand is classic Who. I’ve always felt that the show was at its best when it was smaller, more thoughtful, and even a little creepy. The sci-fi elements and the core mystery are satisfactorily compelling, and even though a past episode or two are alluded to it doesn’t feel like you need to go back and do