Doctor Who (TV Series) Bad Wolf (2005) User Reviews

Alert..Alert.....we are detected, near perfect episode.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 10/10 · 12 August 2015]

Firstly, my heart sank when I saw the recap of the Long Game, I thought please not a follow up to that, within 2-3 minutes I knew I was watching a classic. Bad Wolf is wonderfully imaginative, appealing on so many levels. I cannot find any faults with it, it's so quirky, slick and different from all that's gone before. It has a truly epic feel to it, ten years on and it's still arguably the best cliffhanger to feature in Nu Who, huge arguments for. It's insanely good.

The Doctor is in Big Brother, Rose is on the Weakest link and Captain Jack was being undressed by Trinny and Susannah, how random. What on Earth is going on at Satellite 5, and why do the games all have a very dark side? The Doctor's actions in the Long Game was the start of a hundred years of misery, Lynda makes the Doctor realise that was when it all went wrong. Rose is killed by the Anne-Droid, the daleks are unmasked, surprising as we were lead to believe they were gone.

The Show Doesn't Get Much Better Or Bolder Than This

[Theo Robertson · 9/10 · 10 June 2007]

Despite my earlier criticisms of RTD this episode gets off to a corker BANG The Doctor finds himself in the BIG BROTHER house , Rose becomes a contestant with THE WEAKEST LINK while Captain Jack finds out what the face off means in a fashion show . Even if you don't like the concept of post modernism you have to admit that all this is bloody bold and works superbly

RTD has written a witty episode while director Joe Ahearne shows the viewers that he should be directing Hollywood blockbusters . This really is feature film material with its doom laden atmosphere and very special special FX , and the cast really shine , most of all Eccleston who upon thinking of the characters has been murdered by Ann Droid gives one of the greatest acting performance seen by an actor playing The Doctor . When I say this happens with absolutely no dialogue you start to understand what a great actor he is

This episode also contains one of the best cliffhangers the series has given us as the villains are revealed , it might have been even better still if the previous week's trailer hadn't given this away , but it looks like The Doctor and humanity have suffered an irreversible defeat and you genuine wonder how he's going to get out of this one . I remember counting the seconds to the series finale just as I did when I watched the show in the early 1970s . Anyone want to confess that's the way they felt on a Summer evening in 2005

Let the Games Begin...

[Xstal · 9/10 · 22 November 2021]

The Doctor, Rose and Jack are wrenched from the TARDIS to the deadly Game Centre previously a.k.a. Satellite 5 where they find themselves contestants in some dubious game shows and in a fight to stay alive. After some silliness and shenanigans they all manage to survive, before rising up the vessel and at floor 500 the Doctor and Jack arrive - where they discover the reason for their attendance, the summoner of contestants, the plans of murderous mutations in their evil machinations, all the worst a deadly enemy can connive.

One of the Best Doctor Who Cliffhangers since the 70s

[The_Sandheaver · 8/10 · 2 November 2006]

In this extraordinary episode, The Doctor has to try and solve a huge mystery as he, Rose and Jack are all suddenly separated from each other after they are seemingly abducted from the TARDIS. To make things even more bizarre, The Doctor is suddenly a house mate in Big Brother, Rose is a contestant on The Weakest Link, and Jack is in what not to wear. Stranger still, all the hosts seem to be murderous robots.

However, when the Doctor finally finds out just where he is, he realises that the consequences of something he did at the very same place some time ago is having serious ramifications now, and the people of Earth are easy prey to one of the Doctor's deadliest enemies...one that the Doctor is determined to fight against to save Rose. Brace yourself for one of the most extraordinary cliff-hanger endings of a Doctor Who episode ever...

Big Brother Doctor

[MaxBorg89 · 10/10 · 18 September 2010]

Just when we were starting to ask ourselves what purpose The Long Game served in the season's ongoing arc (since Russell T. Davies doesn't really do standalone stories), here comes the excellent Bad Wolf (the title refers to a cryptic expression heard throughout the first season), which puts the other episode in perspective while simultaneously setting up an undoubtedly spectacular finale.

Remember the Satellite Five bit in The Long Game? Well, turns out said concept has evolved to the point that in a distant future the only thing people do is either watch stupid programs on TV or - even worse - participate in them. This is something the Doctor gets to experience directly, as he ends up in the Big Brother house, while Rose becomes a contestant on The Weakest Link and Jack... well, he doesn't really complain. As the games get more and more dangerous (whoever loses is physically eliminated), the Doctor realizes something more complex is going on, and works hard to uncover a horrifying truth that could bring to the ultimate destruction of planet Earth.

Bad Wolf combines all the best elements of the series: ambition, fun, danger and a healthy dose of satire. Specifically, Davies' stabs at the British entertainment industry (Big Brother especially) are a delicious mix of mockery and irony, given that, on some level, he is also contributing to that same industry. The scenario also allows Eccleston, Piper and Barrowman to have fun with their respective characters (the Doctor's opening "You've got to be kidding!" is a hoot), before the writing suddenly shifts into darker mode with a brilliant cliffhanger, raising the stakes for the season's epilogue. Unmissable

One of the best episodes of series 1. Bad Wolf is tense, action packed, and disturbing.

[pjgs200 · 8/10 · 14 July 2016]

Bad Wolf is by far one of my favorite episodes in series 1. Series 1 had one of my favorite Who arcs ever, "Bad Wolf," and what I love about this episode is that it keeps the mystery going. Aside from being an excellent episode, Bad Wolf develops the arc in a way that makes it more interesting than it already was and builds the anticipation for next week's finale even more. From the beginning, Bad Wolf jumps straight into the action, with the Doctor, Rose, and Jack suddenly appearing in game shows. Who brought them here and why? The anticipation just keeps building.

I love how Russel T. Davies has used other episodes in the series to unknowingly build up the finale. Even if the Long Game and Boom Town were the weakest episodes this series, without them this episode wouldn't be what it is. History has gone wrong again, and this time it's the Doctor's fault. The Anne Droid in the Weakest Link is really crazy, and the way that people just walk to their death in the Big Brother House is just as insane. I thought the Dalek reveal could have been done differently, because as soon as we see the blue-tinted lens we know who it is that's behind this. I love how the Daleks appearing was a surprise, but the way it was executed could have been better.

Bad Wolf is easily one of the best episodes of series 1. It's tense, mysterious, slightly disturbing, and action packed. Also, it doesn't give us any answers.

Both fun and grim, with an incredible cliffhanger

[ScreenReviews · 9/10 · 19 February 2021]

Bad Wolf, the 12th episode of the Doctor Who Revival's first season, is a brilliant episode of Television. The story is engaging, the performances great, and the script sharp. It doesn't hurt that it also features one of the mist iconic cliffhangers in Doctor Who history.

The episode opens with some light-hearted parodies of current TV Shows in 2005. Watching this in 2021, it's slightly dated, but there are enough Reality/Quiz/Fashion shows nowadays that it still works. Captain Jack trying on all the outfits was particularly hilarious, and the Weakest Link scene was actually chilling.

Christopher Eccleston is once again incredible as the Doctor, and definitely extremely underrated, and Billie Piper is good as well, although she gets less to do in this than in the finale. John Barrowman is brilliant as always, and Lyanda with a Y is a charming and likeable side-character, how would have been a great companion.

The episode also features a dark second half, with the frightening image of the 'Controller' sending chills down viewers spines, as well as the revelation of what the Earth has become. The second half also builds up to the cliffhanger expertly, and the speech at the end is amazing.

The Murray Gold score is also great, and the effects are great, looking still passable by today's standards. Russell T. Davies's writing is fast and fluid, even if it does take a while to get going. Overall, Bad Wolf is a great episode that is worth a watch/Rewatch - a great prelude to the finale...

Overall rating: 9.3/10 Best Momment: The last 5 minutes are incredible. Worst Momment: The Doctor's 'Big Brother House' Reality Show is a little dated.

Bad Wolf

[studioAT · 9/10 · 30 July 2020]

A brilliant start to the two part S1 finale that sadly would lead to Christopher Eccleston (who to this day deserves more recognition as the 9th Doctor) departing.

Intelligent without being over-complicated and beautifully performed, this was great stuff.

Bad Wolf...

[wetmars · 10/10 · 3 August 2020]

Man, I don't know what to say. This had a fantastic cliffhanger.

You are the weakest link. Goodbye.

[MrFilmAndTelevisionShow · 9/10 · 17 March 2021]

The Anne Droid was the funniest thing I've ever heard, it genuinely made me laugh out loud. It'll be hard for any future episode to do or say anything funnier than that.

Nothing ages faster than a future inspired by the present

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 26 March 2018]

As this episode opens we are told it is taking place a century after the events shown in 'The Long Game'. The Doctor, Rose and Captain Jack Harkness find themselves transported to Satellite Five where each of them wakes to discover that they are taking part in one of three gameshows. The Doctor is taking part in 'Big Brother'; Rose is in 'The Weakest Link', hosted by the Ann-Droid; and Jack is in a makeover show. At first it seems harmless but then it becomes apparent that those eliminated from the games are killed. The Doctor and Jack manage to escape from their shows and set about trying to find Rose and discover the sinister truth behind the games.

The opening scenes of this episode, where the protagonists are in the game shows, shows the risk of blatant pop-culture references... it looks horribly dated when the shows referenced have either disappeared from our screens or become far less popular; it also seems rather unlikely that in the distant future the most popular game shows will be ones that aired in the first decade of the 21st Century. It might have seemed clever at the time of first broadcast but it would have been far better to make up some shows. Thankfully things improve greatly when the level of danger becomes apparent and The Doctor escapes and starts uncovering the truth behind the station. The final reveal was pretty good... it might have been great if the trailer at the end of the previous episode hadn't spoilt it! Overall a fairly mixed episode; the start was weak but the rest was really good with a proper sense of danger and some good reveals.

Weakest Link in the series ?

[southdavid · 6/10 · 3 June 2020]

This first season of rebooted Doctor Who turns inward yet again, as we revisit the venue of a previous adventure and discover what an old enemy has been up to.

The Doctor (Christopher Eccleston), Rose (Billie Piper) and Captain Jack (John Barrowman) wake up on various TV show sets and are forced to participate in deadly variations of popular early 20th century TV shows. Once The Doctor escapes his Big Brother set, with Lynda (Jo Joyner) he discovers he's back in the satellite from the "The Long Game" which now is operated by a sinister company named Bad Wolf.

Despite its late episode revelations, which are quite good - I didn't actually think that this episode was as great as some of the others. The TV spoofs have aged the episode a bit now, given that all three finished being culturally relevant before that decade was out, let alone lived on for thousands of years. Jack having a ball on Trinny and Suzanne, and producing his weapon was probably the highlight of those scenes. Paterson Joseph gets an early cameo as another contestant on "The Weakest Link" and an implausibly young looking Jo Joyner gets a lot of screen time as Lynda and even teases potentially joining the crew.

My other issue with the show comes with the revelation that (SPOILERS) the Daleks are behind Bad Wolf and have been systematically slowing human progression for a century. Whilst that makes for a solid twist, it doesn't, in retrospect, feel like a particularly 'dalek' thing to do. They are the marching space Nazis, killing everything they come across that isn't a dalek immediately, this plan is way more organised and scheming than they would usually bother with.

All that said, I'm reviewing this now having not seen the second part of this story for years, so there might be underlying reveals that explain all this. For now though "Bad Wolf" has solid effects and stars in minor roles, but in and of itself isn't a wonderful episode.

When the best imitate the worst...

[xorys · 1/10 · 19 December 2013]

This has to be the worst episode of the entire 50 year run of Dr. Who. Why on earth (and yes, we are still stuck on earth) would one of the best scripted shows to emerge in a century of television feel that it had something to gain by drawing inspiration from the worst dregs of the death of all that is any good in television? When the best start to deliberately imitate the worst, you have to start fearing that the human race is really going to hell under its own power, without needing Daleks to help it. This was a bad mistake, and a sad day for Dr. Who. But keep the faith... forget this rubbish and soldier on - better things do await.

Bad Wolf, Good Fun, Mixed Plot

[A_Kind_Of_CineMagic · 8/10 · 7 December 2018]

Bad Wolf is an interesting first part of the two part season finale. The Doctor, Rose and Jack find themselves transported into distant future game shows being made aboard Satellite 5 which is 100 years further into the future than the previous time The Doctor and Rose visited.

It is a good, fun episode but a couple of aspects are not to my taste: It was fun to use popular hits of the day but even at the time I remember thinking it lessened the credibility of the distant future setting. It is jokey and fun but a bit cheesy and there is some silly humour involved. It isn't a major issue at all but it doesn't fully appeal to me.

My second issue is how the Doctor, Rose and Jack are brought into the situation supposedly in a planned way. To do this via life threatening gameshows is such a strange and unreliable method. If it was the Daleks bringing them they surey would not do so in such a way. If they could transmat them they would surely just kill them or at least capture them in a simple way. If it was Rose's Bad Wolf influence bringing them there then why are they put into deadly gameshows? It just felt a bit of a contrived circumstance.

The darker parts of the episode are much better as the episode goes on with the Bad Wolf arc starting to come to fruition and what happens to Rose followed by an epic cliffhanger with the arrival of the real villains behind things - the Daleks. It is an absolutely brilliant revelation as the Daleks are revealed with a great scene that sets up the next episode.

My rating: 7.5/10.

Stellar opening of an epic finale....

[stevenjlowe82 · 10/10 · 18 October 2023]

This episode for me was just truly excellent stuff that built upon the rest of this opening revival series with the reappearance of the ominous Bad Wolf and wow it so well done.

I enjoyed most of the modern meta settings (of the time obviously) that our main trio found themselves in. The Doctor being placed in the BB house was a hoot and I loved his contempt for it, it's just as high as my own. Rose being placed in a killer version of the Weakest Link was also good fun with the robotic killer version of Anne Robinson terrorizing her. The Captain Jack segment was just meh and his corny dialogue and acting still irks me.

The build up to the Dalek reveal was superb and does a great job in building the audiences anticipation for the finale.

A Thrilling Setup to a Heartbreaking Finale

[hwiltshire-06889 · 9/10 · 3 April 2024]

The first part of the epic series finale, Bad Wolf masterfully raises the tension and sets the stage for a bittersweet farewell. It's a rollercoaster of action, humor, and genuinely shocking twists that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

Bad Wolf delivers the unexpected in spades. The Doctor, Rose, and Jack find themselves thrust into a future reality TV nightmare, their lives treated as entertainment. The satire is sharp, the parody versions of familiar TV shows hilarious, but a true sense of danger lurks beneath the surface.

This episode is a testament to the acting chops of the leads, who have to run the gamut of emotions. Christopher Eccleston's Doctor balances manic energy with dawning horror, while Billie Piper transforms Rose from plucky companion to a warrior fighting for survival. John Barrowman's Captain Jack, initially hesitant, rises to the occasion with determination.

Perhaps the biggest shock is the twist near the end. It's a brutal moment that shakes the entire dynamic of the TARDIS team. The cliffhanger ending promises heartbreak, leaving the viewer desperate for the resolution of The Parting of the Ways.

While a few moments veer into over-the-top territory, matching the episode's in-universe game show absurdity, Bad Wolf is a thrilling, unpredictable ride. It's a testament to the show's ability to blend humor with darkness, and a powerful build-up to one of the most emotionally devastating finales in Doctor Who history.

Weak beginning but strong cliffhanger ending

[dkiliane · 8/10 · 30 January 2019]

The whole game show aspect was rather weak but each character's escape (minus Rose technically) was interesting to see. After the escape is when the episode truly gets started. It's also the first time we really see the Doctor truly become unhinged. Captain Jack Harkness is entertaining as always and there is an interesting connection to previous episode "The Long Game." Except, this episode, while suffering from some of the cheesiness associated with the other, moves much beyond it, in terms of production value, drama, characterization and suspense - - and a decent amount of twists to boot. The cliffhanger with the reintroduction of the Daleks was particularly satisfying. Would have been a 9 if it weren't for the weak first act with the game shows, but as it stands... 8/10

Shame about last episode's preview!

[Otter_ · 8/10 · 18 November 2018]

Bad Wolf is a great episode. I loved the setting and idea behind it, but the only reason I didn't rate it higher was because I found it a bit cheesy at times. The characters were awesome, and the reveal of the Daleks is also fantastic - it's just a shame it was completely spoiled by last episode's preview.

Christopher Eccleston continues to be an amazing actor, and Jack continues to be so much fun. Rose's "death" was done so well that I was surprised even though I've already seen this episode before.

A really unique and clever episode!

A game show?

[ianweech · 8/10 · 18 January 2021]

Satellite 5 returns from that 1 bad episode. This episode is a bunch of game shows. The ending was very good. This episode was ok, I'm looking forward to the next episode.

"This is SICK!"

[coasterdude44 · 8/10 · 22 May 2021]

Funny and entertaining DW episode where The Doctor rips on Big Brother which was very popular in the 2000s as he rips on the various tropes of the reality show, while Rose is on an evil version of The Weakest Link where the host robot kills the contestants with an Instakill laser which turns them into skeletons, where Rose replies "what is this, this is sick!" which I thought was pretty funny. Good episode.

It's good but.....

[warlordartos · 6/10 · 6 April 2020]

Just not as good as it has been made out to be. A little flat. I liked the mysteries and the weird but deadly.....game-shows, i guess you would call them. Just not feasible that it has been Daleks all along running everything. Out of all the times I've seen the Daleks it's not like anything they have ever done or that they could be seen doing.

It's Good But it's Outdated

[rohanumpleby-34057 · 6/10 · 16 February 2023]

The Game show stuff which I wasn't really a big fan of to be honest, Big Brother was kind of a waste with the Episodes premise. I think it was the fact it just dragged on, and it wasn't entertaining. It's by no means a well-written episode, atleast not by Season one's standards anyway. The jokes just didn't Stick the landing for me, they weren't as funny as they were from Boom Town. It's also probably because the Jokes are outdated, which is the feeling I get with this Episode.

The Good Bits

Captain Jack was brilliant though however, being with those 2 girls and being naked was surprisingly funny. Killer Robots I have a soft spot for, there designs for the time was surprisingly good. The only good bit from the Big Brother show. Doctor didn't really have much to do though, and Rose in a quiz game just didn't interest me. However I enjoy Captain Jack Harkness quirky side of things and his sense of humour, he was the highlight of this episode for sure. The reason why I give it a 6 though is because the plot-twist is definitely in the top 10 " Best". It was smart and was unexpected. However I don't think the Daleks would try and run a game show, it just doesn't make much sense. Regardless it was a brilliant plot Twist ending for the tense action-Packed Finally of a really good Season 1.

Still one of the best siries of the show, Season 2 was nowhere near as good unfortunately.

My Verdict: 6/10, 61% Fresh Score.