With his eighth Doctor Who episode currently filming, CultBox presents a rundown of Mark Gatiss’s best stories so far…
2. ‘The Unquiet Dead’ (2005)
New Who’s first celebrity historical and first trip into the past saw the Ninth Doctor aiming to take Rose to Naples in 1860. Missing by a few years and quite a few hundred miles, they arrived in Cardiff for an encounter with some walking cadavers and Charles Dickens (Simon Callow).
Praised by Callow for its characterisation of an older, weary Dickens, the story saw the elderly writer reinvigorated by his encounter with the gaseous Gelth and hinted at a very much unexpected ending to his unfinished novel ‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood’.
1. ‘Robot of Sherwood’ (2014)
With its tongue firmly in cheek, this tale of the Doctor’s encounter with Robin Hood is perhaps the most fun Doctor Who has had in years. Fulfilling Clara’s wish to meet the infamous outlaw, while at the same vehemently denying his existence, the Doctor successfully pilots the TARDIS to Sherwood Forest.
Following death, destruction and Daleks, the lighter notes in this romp play up beautifully against the moody temperament of the Twelfth Doctor as he takes on Robin with a spoon and teaches him a move or two.
Complete with a pair of larger than life performances from comedian Ben Miller as the Sheriff of Nottingham and Tom Riley (Da Vinci’s Demons) as Robin, this tale of robotic knights is bold, brave and unashamedly fun.
What’s your favourite Doctor Who episode by Mark Gatiss? Let us know below…