Things I've Learnt from Watching My Favourite Doctor Who Stories: Part 42 - Boom Town

 42: Boom Town

Everyone deserves a second chance... Even a green farting alien!

I was in a class once where a supply teacher announced that she believed in "No second chances!" She wasn't wearing a dressing gown or had just dispatched an alien with the help of a satsuma but I thought she's going to have a problem with the workshop I was about to do. As I work for a Christian schools charity and Jesus is obviously one for giving second chances to people....

Does the Doctor believe in second chances? Well the Sycorax excluded, the modern day versions of the Doctors often tell their enemies that they have one warning or face the consequences. Warnings have been issued to various villains such as the Krillitanes on School Reunion, the Racnoss in The Runaway Bride or Skaak, the commander in War of the Sontarans. But here in this story, it seems the Doctor is happy to act as judge and jury against Margaret Slitheen and send her back to her home planet to face trial and inevitable execution!

Being a sequel to the earlier Aliens of London and World War Three, Boom Town has the honour of being on my Top 60 list whereas the earlier episodes don't. Being among the first episodes in production meant it was early days for the production team and inevitably the tone and execution is a bit varied. I'm not going to blame anyone, but by the time we get to Boom Town, the production is like a well-oiled machine. Director Joe Ahearne is a strong pair of hands giving life to Russell T Davies' script which is a heady mix of fun runaround comedy in the early parts and the fascinating discussion on morality, indeed the Doctor's morality. 

The idea of the Doctor writing wrongs and leaving the survivors to it is all very idealistic, so who's to say the Sevateem and the Tesh don't slaughter each other after the Doctor and Leela go, or that Steven Taylor doesn't become the despicable tyrant Peter Purves jokes about?

I was delighted they brought back Annette Badland for this. Out of all the actors playing Slitheen she seems to get that you do have to rein it in a bit as a baddie in Doctor Who to keep it credible. In World War Three she's quite sinister at times, just watch the expression on her face when the Doctor closes the door to the conference room on her. She balances the fatuous nature of the creatures with the farts (what a brilliant idea, no seriously!) with the notion they're cold blooded killers. Certainly better than her co-stars, you can actually believe she killed the real Margaret. 

The dinner scene is a superb showcase for both actors and RTD's talents as a writer, examining the ethical dilemma of the Doctor, who he is and what he does in ways not explored before at that point in the series history. It doesn't answer the question as to whether the Doctor would take Margaret back to Raxacorolicophalaptorius, as the decision is taken away when the TARDIS turns her back into an egg. Slightly convenient perhaps but in a way seeing her killed off would have seemed wrong. 

Christopher Eccleston meanwhile demonstrates why he's such a good Doctor, the humour and the drama expertly played. The "She's climbing out of a window isn't she" is perfectly delivered and the scene where he keeps sonicing Margaret running back towards them is very funny. 

And while this is a sequel to the previous two parter and a breather before the frantic two-part finale, it more than holds it's own as a piece of drama with some very funny moments. 

Next Time : You need the right pair of shoes!