Confusion reigns as the Doctor delivers Rose back a year later than expected, but bewilderment soon subsides, as an alien pilot more traditionally found in pies, charts a peculiar path from distant far-flung skies. In tandem, the Prime Minister seems to disappear and the Time Lord's excitement soon turns into fear, as the true culprits let rip with a sound you can hear, while presenting without any noticeable ear - they are aliens after all, although not having ears is the least of our concern considering their more noticeable features and characteristics - and the running CGI for that matter.
29 Reviews
Larger then life in many ways
Sleepin_Dragon11 August 2015
Finally the first real indication in any Doctor Who that a companion's disappearance can have an impact on people's lives, their friends and families. Camille Coduri was genius casting as Rose's mum, her upset at Rose's unexplained year long absence is great, she was such an endearing character. Mickey is also much better in this one, he's seemingly been under suspicion for murdering Rose due to her absence. There are some real goodies in this one, the Bad Wolf theme is now ringing alarm bells as it's quite prevalent. We hear the Doctor call Micky 'Ricky,' Jackie's sideboard looks like it's full of tonics of some sort, both themes are picked up later on. We get the first new series appearance of UNIT and a first appearance of Toshiko. We get the usual BBC NEWS 24 updates (what happened to those, I used to love a news update.) Aliens of London is big and fun, from the Spaceships falling through London destroying Big Ben, the Slitheen themselves and the glorious performance of Penelope Wilton as Harriet Jones. It is hard not to watch this without a smile on your face, it's not iconic but it's fun. I understand the farting cabinet will irritate some of the die hard fans, but humour can be great when it's combined with a dark element, had this been a darker more sinister episode it would have worked a lot better, as it stood, it was a bit too light. Finally we get a Doctor Who cliffhanger and it's a good one, with multiple characters in danger, the Next week clip gave too much away though.
Stinkers from outer space!
ShadeGrenade11 June 2010
Warning: Spoilers
After three excellent episodes, the 2005 season of 'Dr.Who' came crashing down to Earth with the first instalment of this Russell T.Davies-penned two-parter. It starts off well enough; the Doctor returns Rose to her home on the Powell Estate, thinking only a few days have elapsed. It turns out he's miscalculated, and it is twelve months later. Rose's mother Jackie ( Camille Coduri ) has gotten sick out of her mind with worry, and boyfriend Mickey ( Noel Clarke ) has been suspected of her murder. This touches on an aspect of the show we have not seen before - the effect of the Doctor's travels on his companion's families.
We next see a spectacular ( for television anyway ) sequence in which a spaceship crashes into Big Ben and lands in the Thames. A body is found. The Doctor leaves Rose temporarily to find out what it was - the answer is surprising to say the least, it is a pig, its brain augmented by technology. The spaceship came from Earth. Aliens disguised as humans have taken over Downing Street ( so what else is new? ) and have faked an alien invasion in order to get the country's top brains under one roof so they can kill them...
Like I said, it starts off well enough, but the moment the Slitheen - looking like over-sized green jelly babies with pincer claws - are introduced, and start making farting noises, the story collapses and never recovers. This originally went out a few weeks before the 2005 election, and Davies must have hoped to try and influence the result by portraying politicians as flatulent aliens. If so, he miscalculated badly. It is like one of those old 'Tomorrow People' episodes from the '70's where caricatures of General Idi Amin and President Jimmy Carter were thrown in to try and amuse what few adults were watching.
Eccleston and Piper are as watchable as ever, and Camille Coduri gets to show off her acting chops a bit ( slapping the Doctor at one point ), and who cannot resist a smile as a limousine whisks the Doctor and Rose to Downing Street, but overall its an embarrassment. Fortunately, the show recovered two weeks later with Robert Shearman's brilliant 'Dalek'.
We next see a spectacular ( for television anyway ) sequence in which a spaceship crashes into Big Ben and lands in the Thames. A body is found. The Doctor leaves Rose temporarily to find out what it was - the answer is surprising to say the least, it is a pig, its brain augmented by technology. The spaceship came from Earth. Aliens disguised as humans have taken over Downing Street ( so what else is new? ) and have faked an alien invasion in order to get the country's top brains under one roof so they can kill them...
Like I said, it starts off well enough, but the moment the Slitheen - looking like over-sized green jelly babies with pincer claws - are introduced, and start making farting noises, the story collapses and never recovers. This originally went out a few weeks before the 2005 election, and Davies must have hoped to try and influence the result by portraying politicians as flatulent aliens. If so, he miscalculated badly. It is like one of those old 'Tomorrow People' episodes from the '70's where caricatures of General Idi Amin and President Jimmy Carter were thrown in to try and amuse what few adults were watching.
Eccleston and Piper are as watchable as ever, and Camille Coduri gets to show off her acting chops a bit ( slapping the Doctor at one point ), and who cannot resist a smile as a limousine whisks the Doctor and Rose to Downing Street, but overall its an embarrassment. Fortunately, the show recovered two weeks later with Robert Shearman's brilliant 'Dalek'.
Pigs in Spaaaaaaace
southdavid28 February 2020
The first two part story of "Nu Who" opens with Aliens of London. A ballsy episode that eschews keeping the aliens under wraps and instead makes the media response to such a event part of the story.
Heading back to present day London, aiming for just a few of hours after they left. A miscalculation with the Tardis leads to Rose (Billie Piper) and the Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) arriving almost a year later. Jackie (Camille Coduri) has reported her daughter missing and is naturally astounded when she shows up. Their reunion is cut short though, when an Alien ship crosses central London, crashes into Parliament Tower and lands in the Thames.
What I like about this episode of "Doctor Who" is that it's the first time that interaction with the "real world" happens. Usually, in most episodes, the exposure to the alien is limited to a few people who are either killed, or saved by the Doctor and keep their stories to themselves. This one, the invasion is on worldwide TV almost as it happens - and the Doctor has to brush up against the Army, U.N.I.T and the Government before getting to the centre of what's happening in this episode. There are a few other aspects of the show that are interesting. Penelope Wilton debuts as Harriet Jones, a politician who will feature a few times across the Russell T Davies era and Naoko Mori debuts as Sato - who will go on to feature in "Torchwood". It's a nicely plotted first half of a story that's both exciting and relatively clever.
It's let down, somewhat, by its alien threat though. The Slitheen are OK when they're in their natural form towards the end of the episode, even if their faces could have been a little scarier. But the repeated farting gag gets tiresome pretty quickly and the unzipping and transition effects don't really hold up that well. I appreciate it's a balancing act, in not scaring the children too badly, but the Slitheen could really have benefited from being slightly more scary overall.
It's a good episode though, with the second half to come.
Heading back to present day London, aiming for just a few of hours after they left. A miscalculation with the Tardis leads to Rose (Billie Piper) and the Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) arriving almost a year later. Jackie (Camille Coduri) has reported her daughter missing and is naturally astounded when she shows up. Their reunion is cut short though, when an Alien ship crosses central London, crashes into Parliament Tower and lands in the Thames.
What I like about this episode of "Doctor Who" is that it's the first time that interaction with the "real world" happens. Usually, in most episodes, the exposure to the alien is limited to a few people who are either killed, or saved by the Doctor and keep their stories to themselves. This one, the invasion is on worldwide TV almost as it happens - and the Doctor has to brush up against the Army, U.N.I.T and the Government before getting to the centre of what's happening in this episode. There are a few other aspects of the show that are interesting. Penelope Wilton debuts as Harriet Jones, a politician who will feature a few times across the Russell T Davies era and Naoko Mori debuts as Sato - who will go on to feature in "Torchwood". It's a nicely plotted first half of a story that's both exciting and relatively clever.
It's let down, somewhat, by its alien threat though. The Slitheen are OK when they're in their natural form towards the end of the episode, even if their faces could have been a little scarier. But the repeated farting gag gets tiresome pretty quickly and the unzipping and transition effects don't really hold up that well. I appreciate it's a balancing act, in not scaring the children too badly, but the Slitheen could really have benefited from being slightly more scary overall.
It's a good episode though, with the second half to come.
S1, E4 - Aliens of London: 'Excuse me, do you mind not farting while I'm saving the world?'
liamdonovan20102 October 2011
Warning: Spoilers
After a series of adventures Rose calls time and heads back to London to see her family. However something is wrong. She has been missing for a year. Before they can resolve this a spaceship crashes through London and lands in the Thames. The Doctor investigates and discovers a 'mermaid' and a sinister truth proving a stand-in government to be hiding a dark secret. We also meet Harriet Jones, a back-bencher who witnesses first hand the real story behind the events.
This is the two-parter everyone loves to hate. People just cannot stand the sight of farting aliens. I can agree with that. It all started out well. An interesting dilemma which all seemed to be forgotten about very quickly. In fact, there didn't seem to be much point to the 'gone for one year' thing apart from making the story quite dramatic from the off. Still, the spaceship flew in and everything looked quite exciting. The episode then hit a bit of a lull. As it was the first part I expected this and the discovery of the mermaid (pig on legs) got things rolling again. Throughout the episode this farting started not only making the antagonists obvious but also degrading what seemed a fairly serious episode into a bit of a joke.
The cliffhanger is good. The Doctor worked well with the Slitheen, and this was the only real moment of peril in the two-parter. Harriet Jones was slightly annoying to begin with and this was a theme until the second part where she found a bit more of a backbone. Ecclestone makes the best of some average material and Rose seems non-existent for the first part. The Slitheen are not bad looking aliens. They do look pretty scary but the insistence on making them fart all the time just degenerates them into the farce zone; which is a shame.
OVERALL - 6.0: A decent first part where most things made sense but the pace it set it self was lulled into mediocrity and the farting aliens take away the merit of what could have been a great two-parter. A good cliffhanger and some good work from Ecclestone are the redeeming factors.
This is the two-parter everyone loves to hate. People just cannot stand the sight of farting aliens. I can agree with that. It all started out well. An interesting dilemma which all seemed to be forgotten about very quickly. In fact, there didn't seem to be much point to the 'gone for one year' thing apart from making the story quite dramatic from the off. Still, the spaceship flew in and everything looked quite exciting. The episode then hit a bit of a lull. As it was the first part I expected this and the discovery of the mermaid (pig on legs) got things rolling again. Throughout the episode this farting started not only making the antagonists obvious but also degrading what seemed a fairly serious episode into a bit of a joke.
The cliffhanger is good. The Doctor worked well with the Slitheen, and this was the only real moment of peril in the two-parter. Harriet Jones was slightly annoying to begin with and this was a theme until the second part where she found a bit more of a backbone. Ecclestone makes the best of some average material and Rose seems non-existent for the first part. The Slitheen are not bad looking aliens. They do look pretty scary but the insistence on making them fart all the time just degenerates them into the farce zone; which is a shame.
OVERALL - 6.0: A decent first part where most things made sense but the pace it set it self was lulled into mediocrity and the farting aliens take away the merit of what could have been a great two-parter. A good cliffhanger and some good work from Ecclestone are the redeeming factors.
Toilet Trouble
A_Kind_Of_CineMagic5 December 2018
A first two part story of the newly resurrected show begins with the episode Aliens of London and concludes with World War Three.
The first part features an alien spacecraft crashing into Big Ben in a very well done effects scene. It turns out alien race the Slitheen have a dastardly plot which involves them gaining access to the Prime Minister and senior officials and inhabiting their bodies. The Doctor goes to Downing Street with Rose where UNIT and world scientists are gathering in the Slitheen's trap. He then has to battle the Slitheen to stop their plan. Backbench MP Harriet Jones (Penelope Wilton) helps them out. Wilton is a great actress and is fabulous in her role as Harriet Jones who went on to appear in later stories with the 10th Doctor. There are lots of other positives too and this is a fun adventure overall but there are flaws which detract from its quality.
There is a cheesiness to some of this production and some silly humour involving Slitheen making farting sounds as they struggle to remain hidden inside smaller human bodies. Those aspects do not make it bad in my opinion and indeed I am sure that a new generation of fans found it amusing but from my point of view as an older fan I couldn't help thinking that if this had been a darker story with Slitheen as a fully menacing and scary alien it could have been a better story. I personally wished the farting aspect wasn't used and that the humour had been restricted to the witty aspects with banter between Rose and the Doctor and Harriet Jones. I feel maybe pressures were felt to not be too dark and scary and maybe trying to make it kid friendly. In fact, many kids love to be scared and to have some dark edge to their entertainment. It is people judging what is 'good for kids' who have pressured Doctor Who makers to soften the content throughout the show's history. In this case they definitely softened the story for a family audience but Russell T Daves is clever enough not to take that too far and he still provides plenty of scary scenes as Slitheen reveal themselves and chase and kill people. So overall whilst this isn't a favourite of mine it is good fun for all the family.
My rating for both episodes: 7/10.
The first part features an alien spacecraft crashing into Big Ben in a very well done effects scene. It turns out alien race the Slitheen have a dastardly plot which involves them gaining access to the Prime Minister and senior officials and inhabiting their bodies. The Doctor goes to Downing Street with Rose where UNIT and world scientists are gathering in the Slitheen's trap. He then has to battle the Slitheen to stop their plan. Backbench MP Harriet Jones (Penelope Wilton) helps them out. Wilton is a great actress and is fabulous in her role as Harriet Jones who went on to appear in later stories with the 10th Doctor. There are lots of other positives too and this is a fun adventure overall but there are flaws which detract from its quality.
There is a cheesiness to some of this production and some silly humour involving Slitheen making farting sounds as they struggle to remain hidden inside smaller human bodies. Those aspects do not make it bad in my opinion and indeed I am sure that a new generation of fans found it amusing but from my point of view as an older fan I couldn't help thinking that if this had been a darker story with Slitheen as a fully menacing and scary alien it could have been a better story. I personally wished the farting aspect wasn't used and that the humour had been restricted to the witty aspects with banter between Rose and the Doctor and Harriet Jones. I feel maybe pressures were felt to not be too dark and scary and maybe trying to make it kid friendly. In fact, many kids love to be scared and to have some dark edge to their entertainment. It is people judging what is 'good for kids' who have pressured Doctor Who makers to soften the content throughout the show's history. In this case they definitely softened the story for a family audience but Russell T Daves is clever enough not to take that too far and he still provides plenty of scary scenes as Slitheen reveal themselves and chase and kill people. So overall whilst this isn't a favourite of mine it is good fun for all the family.
My rating for both episodes: 7/10.
Farting Aliens!!!
elo-equipamentos8 November 2017
In another bizarre episode exploring a good premise when a UFO spaceship crash at Big Ben's Tower landing in the Thames river provoking a panic in the city, but drop with a several farts loose by aliens whose take over the Preme Minister's house, going to a laughable and distasteful episode instead to drive into a serious UFO crash in London, some weird situation for all over, worst to be continued in next episode!!!
Resume:
First watch: 2017 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 6
Resume:
First watch: 2017 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 6
A good first part
pjgs2008 July 2016
Warning: Spoilers
I don't really see why everyone else dislikes this two-parter so much. I think the story is great, the aliens are weird albeit interesting, and there's a decent amount of action. I didn't like how the aliens kept farting, and some of the performances were hammy, but overall the Slitheen are pretty good villains. I liked how we got more news updates again; having updates from around the world is a really great way to build tension and give the audience an idea as to how huge the situation is, and watching this really makes you wonder what it would be like if aliens really invaded Earth.
I noticed a few plot conveniences though. One of the biggest ones was that the scientist who was analyzing the alien was left completely alone with it, even though there were armed soldiers in other areas of the hospital. Also, Harriet Jones sneaking in and reading the security protocols would have never happened in real life. Overall, Aliens of London is a good alien invasion story with a great amount of action and mystery, but the silliness of the aliens and the plot conveniences take a lot away from the episode. 7.5/10
I noticed a few plot conveniences though. One of the biggest ones was that the scientist who was analyzing the alien was left completely alone with it, even though there were armed soldiers in other areas of the hospital. Also, Harriet Jones sneaking in and reading the security protocols would have never happened in real life. Overall, Aliens of London is a good alien invasion story with a great amount of action and mystery, but the silliness of the aliens and the plot conveniences take a lot away from the episode. 7.5/10
An intriguing premise ruined by silly villains
dkiliane9 January 2019
Warning: Spoilers
This 2-parter is arguably one of the lowest rated that Russel T Davies penned. A good drama about the consequences of the Doctor accidentally returning Rose home 12 months later instead of 12 hours later is quickly overshadowed by a first contact/ potential invasion plot.
To be fair, this mystery aspect is actually neat but unfortunately just turned out to be a set up to introduce the real villains, a family of flatulent large green aliens called the Slitheen. The aliens themselves are too campy to really feel all that dangerous (although Davies was clearly also trying to portray them as such) and with this treatment of the villains also fled my interest in the episode. The episode did have some good moments from the Doctor and even Jackie and Mickey but overall I couldn't get past how silly the villains were to take the episode seriously.
6/10
Too Me By Surprise
KatherinePetersdorf18 January 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Watching the previews for this movie, I didn't expect it to be as well thought out as it was. I was seeing aliens invading and making a calculated mistake in landing, I didn't see the wonderful and interesting twists that would follow.
I must say that I am not a fan of Mickey (or Rickey as the Doctor would call him). I understood his plight in Rose's 12month span, but his hate for the Doctor made him someone that I could not side without, that and he was dating Rose and I am a die-hard Rose X Doctor fan.
All in all it left me dying to see the next episode, to chase Mickey away, slap Rose's mum, and cross my fingers that Rose and the Doctor survive.
I think if you like Sci-Fi and you love getting surprise after surprise that you will love Doctor Who. The series isn't just about aliens and outer space (which are my favorite episodes BTW), but it is also about time travel, historical events, paranormal happenings, and so much more.
I must say that I am not a fan of Mickey (or Rickey as the Doctor would call him). I understood his plight in Rose's 12month span, but his hate for the Doctor made him someone that I could not side without, that and he was dating Rose and I am a die-hard Rose X Doctor fan.
All in all it left me dying to see the next episode, to chase Mickey away, slap Rose's mum, and cross my fingers that Rose and the Doctor survive.
I think if you like Sci-Fi and you love getting surprise after surprise that you will love Doctor Who. The series isn't just about aliens and outer space (which are my favorite episodes BTW), but it is also about time travel, historical events, paranormal happenings, and so much more.
Farting Aliens
warlordartos5 April 2020
One for the kids, as in to have them laugh and also scare them more than any other episode of the New Who. A little to extreme at both ends of the spectrum for my taste. Too much switching from scary to childish in one episode.
Still worth the 7 stars
Still worth the 7 stars
"900 years of time and space..."
MaxBorg8918 December 2008
After handing The Unquiet Dead to Mark Gatiss, Russell T. Davies returns to write the first ever two-part episode of the new Doctor Who: London, an alien invasion and loads of humor.
The laughs come aplenty already in the teaser, when the Doctor arrives in London and tells Rose she can go home, since he set the TARDIS coordinates so that she was gone only twelve hours. Naturally, something went wrong, leading to our favorite Time Lord being accused by Jackie Tyler of kidnapping her daughter for a year. With the matter settled, a new inconvenience emerges: a spaceship has crash-landed in the Thames and the Prime Minister is mysteriously absent, which might have to do with the fact that his replacement is actually an alien in disguise.
Aliens of London works because it takes one of the original series' trademarks (something bad happening here and now, in broad daylight) and adapts it to 21st century paranoia and angst. It's sort of reminiscent of old stories like The Invasion (1968), which starred Patrick Troughton - the Second Doctor - and introduced the organization known as UNIT, which returns briefly in this episode (no interaction with the Doctor, though: Davies and BBC were adamant that no complicated references to the old mythology be made during the first season). Plus, it's funny as hell: when Rose finds out the Doctor (who got slapped by Jackie, by the way) is 900 years old, she remarks: "My mum was right. That is one hell of an age gap!".
The laughs come aplenty already in the teaser, when the Doctor arrives in London and tells Rose she can go home, since he set the TARDIS coordinates so that she was gone only twelve hours. Naturally, something went wrong, leading to our favorite Time Lord being accused by Jackie Tyler of kidnapping her daughter for a year. With the matter settled, a new inconvenience emerges: a spaceship has crash-landed in the Thames and the Prime Minister is mysteriously absent, which might have to do with the fact that his replacement is actually an alien in disguise.
Aliens of London works because it takes one of the original series' trademarks (something bad happening here and now, in broad daylight) and adapts it to 21st century paranoia and angst. It's sort of reminiscent of old stories like The Invasion (1968), which starred Patrick Troughton - the Second Doctor - and introduced the organization known as UNIT, which returns briefly in this episode (no interaction with the Doctor, though: Davies and BBC were adamant that no complicated references to the old mythology be made during the first season). Plus, it's funny as hell: when Rose finds out the Doctor (who got slapped by Jackie, by the way) is 900 years old, she remarks: "My mum was right. That is one hell of an age gap!".
Do You Mind Not Farting While I'm Saving the World?
humanoidgaming14 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This is another interesting episode. It's the first two parter of the modern series and has a pretty decent first cliffhanger. Let's get into it. We're going to go over what I disliked first.
What I Disliked:
*Farting Aliens- Why is it farting aliens. Much of this story does take itself seriously except for the fact that the monsters are farting aliens. The Slitheen in general are just weird looking monsters, but maybe that's the point. But the farting, are you kidding. I personally prefer seriousness with these stories.
*Harriet Jones- The next episode uses her character much better but she's just an idiot in this episode. She wants to talk about Cottage Hospitals after an alien spaceship crashes into Big Ben. There had to be a better way to write her character and keep her in Downing Street until the Doctor and Rose arrive.
*Time Jump- The time jump to 2005 to 2006 is kinda dumb. First off, Rose did call Jackie in "The End of the World" which is never talked about. And then the whole time jump event is never mentioned again. What is the point of this? It screws up the entire Doctor Who timeline, making it confusing. It never really becomes fixed until "The Big Bang."
What I Liked:
*Perspective- I like how we see the events of the crash from the Doctor's perspective and how he's in the background until the end of the episode. He has to watch the news and is blocked by a crowd of pedestrians and such so he can't reach the river. Using news reports also helps worldbuilding and realism, something I always appreciate in this show.
*The Crash- It crashes into Big Ben, it looks awesome, even for 2005.
*The Mystery- I like how this episode creates its own mystery over the crash. We see a body being pulled out of the river and the Doctor discovers the pilot of the ship was a pig, creating a mystery. He solves it at the end of the episode that the ship was a diversion as the aliens take over the government. The Prime Minister being killed makes this plot very intense but the aliens farting all the time does take away from the tension.
In conclusion, this episode would be a lot better if the aliens/monsters weren't farting all the time, or Slitheen. Let's move forward!
What I Disliked:
*Farting Aliens- Why is it farting aliens. Much of this story does take itself seriously except for the fact that the monsters are farting aliens. The Slitheen in general are just weird looking monsters, but maybe that's the point. But the farting, are you kidding. I personally prefer seriousness with these stories.
*Harriet Jones- The next episode uses her character much better but she's just an idiot in this episode. She wants to talk about Cottage Hospitals after an alien spaceship crashes into Big Ben. There had to be a better way to write her character and keep her in Downing Street until the Doctor and Rose arrive.
*Time Jump- The time jump to 2005 to 2006 is kinda dumb. First off, Rose did call Jackie in "The End of the World" which is never talked about. And then the whole time jump event is never mentioned again. What is the point of this? It screws up the entire Doctor Who timeline, making it confusing. It never really becomes fixed until "The Big Bang."
What I Liked:
*Perspective- I like how we see the events of the crash from the Doctor's perspective and how he's in the background until the end of the episode. He has to watch the news and is blocked by a crowd of pedestrians and such so he can't reach the river. Using news reports also helps worldbuilding and realism, something I always appreciate in this show.
*The Crash- It crashes into Big Ben, it looks awesome, even for 2005.
*The Mystery- I like how this episode creates its own mystery over the crash. We see a body being pulled out of the river and the Doctor discovers the pilot of the ship was a pig, creating a mystery. He solves it at the end of the episode that the ship was a diversion as the aliens take over the government. The Prime Minister being killed makes this plot very intense but the aliens farting all the time does take away from the tension.
In conclusion, this episode would be a lot better if the aliens/monsters weren't farting all the time, or Slitheen. Let's move forward!
S1 EP 4: Aliens of London (Director: Keith Boak)
lhardman-2793112 June 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Aliens of London is the first episode of the NuWho era to take up the two-parter format. It's also where the series feels like it's no longer in warm-up. It's an episode with a lot of attention paid to the classics. It's more than a little goofy, over-the-top and the plot feels like it has definitely been done a few times in various forms over the years.
That being said, it does subvert the typical format somewhat with the reveal that the crash landing was a fake. This is an episode that goes to a lot of effort to build up suspense as to what the aliens will be, only actually revealing them at the end of the episode, even using a red herring with the pig creature. And I tend to appreciate when the show uses some subtlety when it comes to the creatures, The idea is somewhat muted with the cheesy acting and gaseous noises but it's the effort that counts and I would say it works overall.
As for the creatures themselves, I have mixed thoughts on the Slitheen. They certainly have an interesting design, and they can be threatening but I often find them difficult to take seriously. They're a little too campy, even for Doctor Who. They're very much a product of their time. I can enjoy their presence as villains, but I think they could've been handled better.
One thing I really like about the episode however is the family drama element. A lot of people complain about the show focussing too much on the companion's lives but I'm rarely ever one of them. Rose's year-long disappearance pushes her relationships in some interesting ways. It's also just good to see Jackie and Mickey again after two episodes largely without them. Especially Mickey, who has some great scenes here. This is also the episode to introduce Harriet Jones, one of the best reoccurring characters in the Tennant series.
Aliens of London is a very ambitious episode, and it gets enough of what it needs to right. It's a fun, cheesy episode that does have some legitimate stakes and tension. I feel it can be quite disorganised and messy but overall, it does enough to win me over and just enjoy it for what it is.
My Rating: 7/10 (Good Watch)
That being said, it does subvert the typical format somewhat with the reveal that the crash landing was a fake. This is an episode that goes to a lot of effort to build up suspense as to what the aliens will be, only actually revealing them at the end of the episode, even using a red herring with the pig creature. And I tend to appreciate when the show uses some subtlety when it comes to the creatures, The idea is somewhat muted with the cheesy acting and gaseous noises but it's the effort that counts and I would say it works overall.
As for the creatures themselves, I have mixed thoughts on the Slitheen. They certainly have an interesting design, and they can be threatening but I often find them difficult to take seriously. They're a little too campy, even for Doctor Who. They're very much a product of their time. I can enjoy their presence as villains, but I think they could've been handled better.
One thing I really like about the episode however is the family drama element. A lot of people complain about the show focussing too much on the companion's lives but I'm rarely ever one of them. Rose's year-long disappearance pushes her relationships in some interesting ways. It's also just good to see Jackie and Mickey again after two episodes largely without them. Especially Mickey, who has some great scenes here. This is also the episode to introduce Harriet Jones, one of the best reoccurring characters in the Tennant series.
Aliens of London is a very ambitious episode, and it gets enough of what it needs to right. It's a fun, cheesy episode that does have some legitimate stakes and tension. I feel it can be quite disorganised and messy but overall, it does enough to win me over and just enjoy it for what it is.
My Rating: 7/10 (Good Watch)
First Super Corny Storyline but Love the Family Development
elvirammomo7 January 2024
I hate this alien mystery storyline, it's definitely the worst so far and maybe the worst of the series' episodes centered in London. But this has to be some of the best character development episodes for Rose and her mom, Mickey, and even the Doctor. Her mom is doing such great acting and really solidifying her bond with Rose which hasn't been all that clear. And we get to see Mickey show off his hacker skills which shows a whole new side to him aside from boyfriend. And the whole Bad Wolf foreshadowing is good too. The easter eggs are being planted, and hopefully by the time I get there the story will pay off.
Bizarre, but still good
robertmooring-139025 April 2018
Hmmm.....not the best..
stevenjlowe8231 August 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This is by far the weakest of new Who episodes up until this point.
I did enjoy the kind of slow build before The Slytheen were revealed and then it was just pretty camp from that point on, that's not a bad thing really. Granted the special effects aren't always great in Doctor Who but for the most part it does a good job, particularly with it's variety of weird and wonderful alien characters. The practical make up effects are normally great but not in the case of the Slytheen unfortunately, they look silly and are a definite throwback to the style of monster I'd expect from the classic Who era. It really took me out of the episode and I just never really took seriously.
What I really did enjoy about this overall lackluster episode was how they handled Rose returning back home after some adventures in time and space. I thought it was well handled and very realistic as to how a parent would react if they're child disappeared for 12 months with a complete stranger and no contact. She was kind of a kill boy but again that's a very reasonable reaction to have in these extraordinary circumstances. I kinda feel sorry for Mickey as Rose clearly isn't that invested in their relationship and never really has been.
Also this episode introduces Harriet Jones whom I never really warmed to as a character but goes onto play an important role in this new era.
I did enjoy the kind of slow build before The Slytheen were revealed and then it was just pretty camp from that point on, that's not a bad thing really. Granted the special effects aren't always great in Doctor Who but for the most part it does a good job, particularly with it's variety of weird and wonderful alien characters. The practical make up effects are normally great but not in the case of the Slytheen unfortunately, they look silly and are a definite throwback to the style of monster I'd expect from the classic Who era. It really took me out of the episode and I just never really took seriously.
What I really did enjoy about this overall lackluster episode was how they handled Rose returning back home after some adventures in time and space. I thought it was well handled and very realistic as to how a parent would react if they're child disappeared for 12 months with a complete stranger and no contact. She was kind of a kill boy but again that's a very reasonable reaction to have in these extraordinary circumstances. I kinda feel sorry for Mickey as Rose clearly isn't that invested in their relationship and never really has been.
Also this episode introduces Harriet Jones whom I never really warmed to as a character but goes onto play an important role in this new era.
we should get the slythin to do Brexit.
jackparrishjp21 June 2019
Warning: Spoilers
This episode. Is the first GREAT episode of new who. I can't say enough good about it. But hey, I'm gonna try regardless.
So, rose has returned home with the doctor and we see probably the most mixed scene ever. On one hand the acting was great and the set up leading up to the reveal that rose has been gone for a year was really good, the music and the cinematography changing as the scene goes on is absolutely wonderful!
In addition to this, rose not being able to tell Jackie what's going on is very typical and is handelled in the most regular way possible.
Next scene, the roof scene has my favourite use of comedy so far in the show. As rose thinks about how she's the only one who knows about aliens when a massive alien ship crashes into the big Ben and causes an international incident.
Later on, I like the coacotic scenes inside ten downing Street as politicians are struggling to get their act together when the world needs them most. Speaking of which. WHEN WE LEAVING THE EU TERESA! oh wait. Anyway, it is really funny satire on how bad British governments can be when we don't have an actual leader in charge and are faced with a unique situation that the idiots cant talk their way around, wonderful!
Next, searching for the doctor and getting picked up by unit i find to be very cool and interesting world building that when I think about it doesn't turn up much in the later seasons, which does however speak to the biggest strength of Russell t Davis' era.
Now I shall talk about Harriot Jones, MP for tadfield north. She was ok, she didn't really shine and by all rights should be dead as she was holding her lanyard when the electric thing went off. But eh.
Geez, now for my favourite scene the pig shooting! Really what's great about this scene is how it uses lighting to convey emotions of fear and isolation of both the doctor and the pig. Something else great is how the doctor is very calm and nice when talking to the pig. in addition to this, when the pig gets shot and the doctor proclaimed "it was scared!" Really helps push the themes of fear causing panic and drastic actions in all people.
Those were some great things but the episode is really funny Parady for the most part but the fart jokes are just. my god. No.
So, rose has returned home with the doctor and we see probably the most mixed scene ever. On one hand the acting was great and the set up leading up to the reveal that rose has been gone for a year was really good, the music and the cinematography changing as the scene goes on is absolutely wonderful!
In addition to this, rose not being able to tell Jackie what's going on is very typical and is handelled in the most regular way possible.
Next scene, the roof scene has my favourite use of comedy so far in the show. As rose thinks about how she's the only one who knows about aliens when a massive alien ship crashes into the big Ben and causes an international incident.
Later on, I like the coacotic scenes inside ten downing Street as politicians are struggling to get their act together when the world needs them most. Speaking of which. WHEN WE LEAVING THE EU TERESA! oh wait. Anyway, it is really funny satire on how bad British governments can be when we don't have an actual leader in charge and are faced with a unique situation that the idiots cant talk their way around, wonderful!
Next, searching for the doctor and getting picked up by unit i find to be very cool and interesting world building that when I think about it doesn't turn up much in the later seasons, which does however speak to the biggest strength of Russell t Davis' era.
Now I shall talk about Harriot Jones, MP for tadfield north. She was ok, she didn't really shine and by all rights should be dead as she was holding her lanyard when the electric thing went off. But eh.
Geez, now for my favourite scene the pig shooting! Really what's great about this scene is how it uses lighting to convey emotions of fear and isolation of both the doctor and the pig. Something else great is how the doctor is very calm and nice when talking to the pig. in addition to this, when the pig gets shot and the doctor proclaimed "it was scared!" Really helps push the themes of fear causing panic and drastic actions in all people.
Those were some great things but the episode is really funny Parady for the most part but the fart jokes are just. my god. No.
A Farting Mess of Good Ideas and Bad Execution
hwiltshire-068893 April 2024
Warning: Spoilers
Aliens of London, the start of a two-part story, aims high with its political satire and alien conspiracy plotlines. Unfortunately, the show stumbles in the execution, giving us a rather mixed bag of an episode.
On the plus side, the premise of aliens faking a spaceship crash to manipulate world events is intriguing. Christopher Eccleston's Doctor is on point - frantic, quirky, and a bit scathing towards authority figures. His energy elevates the weaker moments. Plus, there are some great comedic moments, especially with Rose's lovably dysfunctional family.
However, the episode ultimately falters. The Slitheen, the farting alien villains, are more silly than sinister. The political satire feels heavy-handed, and the plot gets tangled in its own ambitions. Too many side characters lack depth, making the emotional stakes of the story feel flat.
Aliens of London isn't terrible, but it's a frustratingly uneven watch. There are moments of cleverness and wit, but these get buried under rushed pacing, clunky exposition, and the infamous farting humor. It has potential but ultimately ends up a rather forgettable installment.
On the plus side, the premise of aliens faking a spaceship crash to manipulate world events is intriguing. Christopher Eccleston's Doctor is on point - frantic, quirky, and a bit scathing towards authority figures. His energy elevates the weaker moments. Plus, there are some great comedic moments, especially with Rose's lovably dysfunctional family.
However, the episode ultimately falters. The Slitheen, the farting alien villains, are more silly than sinister. The political satire feels heavy-handed, and the plot gets tangled in its own ambitions. Too many side characters lack depth, making the emotional stakes of the story feel flat.
Aliens of London isn't terrible, but it's a frustratingly uneven watch. There are moments of cleverness and wit, but these get buried under rushed pacing, clunky exposition, and the infamous farting humor. It has potential but ultimately ends up a rather forgettable installment.
Audacious and bizarre political satire.
bendtnerfc4 December 2021
Although a frustrating episode to being with, largely due to the use of modern day London as it's setting, the brillIant body-snatching Slitheen are used to full effect in a quite harsh political satire (especially for the BBC). An ever-shifting story, which introduces some new villains - only drawn-back by some odd plot points and some occasional off-putting writing.
Something For No One
Theo Robertson29 April 2007
You can just imagine Russell T Davies writing Aliens Of London /World War 3 with the explicit reasoning that it would contain something that would appeal to everyone watching . Unfortunately there's the very real danger that RTD has written something that will appeal to no one and just as bad it's at this point we start to see how much of a problem he has in creating a coherent plot structure
The story starts with a pre title sequence which has no bearing on the rest of the story - The Doctor has returned Rose to her London housing estate but the problem is that a whole year has passed since she left at the end of the first episode . Cut to her being questioned by the police as to whether she's been having a " sexual relationship " with this man known only as The Doctor . Considering Rose is 19 and has joined The Doctor of her own free will - And let's not forget she phoned her mother letting her know she's all right in End Of The World - you'll be puzzled as to why so much time is taken up with subplot . Was it just written so RTD could use the phrase " sexual relationship " ?
But it gets worse because the Slitheen arrive on Earth and they use peoples skin to disguise themselves as humans or rather human British politicians ( A contradiction in terms ? ) in order to start WW3 and in using someones skin there's a gas exchange which leads to squeaking noises which leads to a classic terrible line : " Do you mind not farting while I'm saving the planet ? " Very clever Russell I musn't say and just to prove this isn't puerile childish nonsense RTD introduces satire involving tongue in cheek references to the search for WMD in Iraq but for a discerning viewer one can't help wishing Davies had concentrated on what " Attack plan delta " is
The story starts with a pre title sequence which has no bearing on the rest of the story - The Doctor has returned Rose to her London housing estate but the problem is that a whole year has passed since she left at the end of the first episode . Cut to her being questioned by the police as to whether she's been having a " sexual relationship " with this man known only as The Doctor . Considering Rose is 19 and has joined The Doctor of her own free will - And let's not forget she phoned her mother letting her know she's all right in End Of The World - you'll be puzzled as to why so much time is taken up with subplot . Was it just written so RTD could use the phrase " sexual relationship " ?
But it gets worse because the Slitheen arrive on Earth and they use peoples skin to disguise themselves as humans or rather human British politicians ( A contradiction in terms ? ) in order to start WW3 and in using someones skin there's a gas exchange which leads to squeaking noises which leads to a classic terrible line : " Do you mind not farting while I'm saving the planet ? " Very clever Russell I musn't say and just to prove this isn't puerile childish nonsense RTD introduces satire involving tongue in cheek references to the search for WMD in Iraq but for a discerning viewer one can't help wishing Davies had concentrated on what " Attack plan delta " is
Was it good?, Or bland
rohanumpleby-3405715 July 2022
Warning: Spoilers
" Excuse me do you mind not farting whilst I'm trying to save the world " is a fantastic line. This has got to be Christopher Eccleston's best performance. The music was amazing, Murray Gold really brings his all in the music. The episode is so unpredictable that you don't know what villain it is, and you don't know where the episode is going to go. The Slitheens design is awful, woeful all of the above. They have baby faces slapped on there heads which is really weird and makes them look intimidating, which isn't a good look when people hide behind there Sofas at some of the monsters and aliens. That's honestly my only complaint. The episode is Intense with Christopher Eccleston acceling in his role and delivers a great amount of lines, that are brilliantly done as it shows layers to the doctor. It shows more of his emotions. The episode is very intense. The bit where all the geniuses were in one room was brilliantly done, and clostrophobic. That moment with the doctor getting electrocuted is amazingly done, and his no way of getting out. Part 1 Was great.
So,
Was it good?, Or Bland
It was An Hilarious blast of fun! Overall 7.9/10.
So,
Was it good?, Or Bland
It was An Hilarious blast of fun! Overall 7.9/10.
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