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Immortal Beloved

21ST JANUARY 2007

(50-MINUTE EPISODE)

On the back of two such stirring stories, Immortal Beloved feels uninspiring. Whilst it is good, solid Doctor Who throughout, it lacks the energy and enterprise that both

Blood of the Daleks and Horror of Glam Rock possessed in spates.

Neither of the key elements that make up Immortal Beloved are new to the world of Doctor Who. Helicopters over ancient Greece are reminiscent of the zeppelins over Rome in the Virgin novel State of Change, and the idea of someone living on after death by transferring their mind into the body of another has been done many a time before and in a multitude of different ways. However, despite Jonathan Clements’ reluctance to offer us anything new or particularly innovative in his script, the all-star cast that breathe life into this episode ensure that it is at least a resounding success on one front.

“He’s my heir, and my spare.”

Paul McGann provides another cool and controlled performance, and this week he even brings his son along for a line or two. Ian McNeice and Elspet Gray are both outstanding

as Zeus and Hera, the “immortal beloved” to whom the title refers. McNeice is particularly loathsome in his portrayal of Zeus, especially when it comes to his distressingly perverse intentions towards Lucie, but for me, it is Lucie Miller that really makes this one shine. It

is Lucie that drives the action forward whilst the Doctor takes a backseat, his time spent verbally sparring with Zeus rather than actively opposing him. It is Lucie who is most vocal about Zeus and Hera’s reprehensible plan to use Kalkin and Sararti as vehicles for their consciousnesses. And it is Lucie who takes the initiative to do something about it, even when she probably should just leave it to the Doctor who, as ever, has things well in hand.

I was surprised that Immortal

Beloved didn’t progress the

story arc any further though. I

expected Katarina Olsson’s

mysterious Headhunter to

show up in every episode,

and although she hasn’t really

done anything yet, I was a little bit disappointed when she didn’t appear. Still, Clements will no doubt have appeased many with a flood of continuity references, ranging from mentions of Susan to jokes about the Doctor not being able to land the TARDIS in Blackpool. The old ‘Blackpool’ in-joke has certainly taken on a whole new meaning in this series…

All told then, the fourth instalment of this BBC 7 radio series is probably its weakest offering thus far, but it is still an enjoyable enough story that really excels in showcasing the merits of Lucie Miller.

Copyright © E.G. Wolverson 2007

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