It's pronounced "Faun Hochhhh"!
Well that was rather magnificent, wasn't it?
The Doctor and Vincent (and Amy).
Finally a true stand-out story this season. Can we have Richard Curtis as head writer please?
The director done good too. Well done Jonny Campbell.
One can forgive the tiny production flaws when there's so much good stuff on show. Gags that work (I laughed very loudly at least twice, and chortled some more times), a reasonable stab at hinting at the nature of depression as much as one probably can in a 40-minute action serial for kids, and a truly great, sometimes astonishing acting performance from the guest male lead. It was all there in the script - but it was a very demanding script, especially that last scene with Bill Nighy which could have been truly bathetic in the hands of a lesser actor than Tony Curran.
The actor playing The Doctor was excellent too, but then that should be a given in a long-running series.
Even though I've drunk nothing stronger than a cup of tea, I cried. (Long before the 2010 scene, in fact; I shed a manly tear at how good it was before VvG entered the TARDIS). Not at the dead monster though - that was a bit silly; presumably that was for the kids watching.
Can't wait to see this one again. The Radio Times review was spot on (though I didn't mind the music in the 2010 scenes):
Oh and we finally got the ultimate ginger joke, hopefully laying to rest the "anti ginger agenda" imagined slight which led to so many complaints to the BBC.
The Radio Times review was spot on (though I didn't mind the music in the 2010 scenes):
Doctor Who Saturday 05 June
6:40pm - 7:30pm
BBC1 West
10/13 - Vincent and the Doctor
They're both passionate visionaries, hopeless romantics and explorers of starry nights, so it was only a matter of time before the Doctor met Vincent van Gogh. Their scenes together are a delight in Richard Curtis's elegant tale as Amy and the Doctor visit 1890 Provence to meet the great painter (played by Tony Curran) and try to track down the bete noire that troubles him. Curran's Scottish burr is an initial surprise, but his casting turns out to be a masterstroke: his performance as the tormented artist gives the story a strong heart and focus. Despite one inadvisable soft-rock number on the soundtrack, Vincent and the Doctor is a beauty. A Bill Nighy cameo and crisp gags add to the fun, and the way familiar scenes - the humble digs, cobbled streets and cornfields - come alive is extremely cute. In particular, the moment the Provencal night sky swirls into Vincent vision is a magical series highlight.
Radio Times reviewer - Mark Braxton
VIDEO Plus+: 933563
Subtitled, Widescreen, High definition, Audio-described
Episode written by Richard Curtis
Simulcast on BBC HD
Cast
The Doctor - Matt Smith
Amy Pond - Karen Gillan
Vincent - Tony Curran
Maurice - Nik Howden
Mother - Chrissie Cotterill
Waitress - Sarah Counsell
Schoolchildre - Morgan Overton, Andrew Byrne
Directed by: Jonny Campbell
Another nice touch is that the church-painting was set between 1-3 June, so this week is its anniversary, and 3 June was my birthday, so this episode made a superb birthday present this week. Thank you Mr Curtis!
Heck, I don't even rate Van Gogh that much as a painter, but this made me interested enough to want to know the history. What any good historical should do, right back to "The Aztecs".
The Doctor and Vincent (and Amy).
Finally a true stand-out story this season. Can we have Richard Curtis as head writer please?
The director done good too. Well done Jonny Campbell.
One can forgive the tiny production flaws when there's so much good stuff on show. Gags that work (I laughed very loudly at least twice, and chortled some more times), a reasonable stab at hinting at the nature of depression as much as one probably can in a 40-minute action serial for kids, and a truly great, sometimes astonishing acting performance from the guest male lead. It was all there in the script - but it was a very demanding script, especially that last scene with Bill Nighy which could have been truly bathetic in the hands of a lesser actor than Tony Curran.
The actor playing The Doctor was excellent too, but then that should be a given in a long-running series.
Even though I've drunk nothing stronger than a cup of tea, I cried. (Long before the 2010 scene, in fact; I shed a manly tear at how good it was before VvG entered the TARDIS). Not at the dead monster though - that was a bit silly; presumably that was for the kids watching.
Can't wait to see this one again. The Radio Times review was spot on (though I didn't mind the music in the 2010 scenes):
Oh and we finally got the ultimate ginger joke, hopefully laying to rest the "anti ginger agenda" imagined slight which led to so many complaints to the BBC.
The Radio Times review was spot on (though I didn't mind the music in the 2010 scenes):
Doctor Who Saturday 05 June
6:40pm - 7:30pm
BBC1 West
10/13 - Vincent and the Doctor
They're both passionate visionaries, hopeless romantics and explorers of starry nights, so it was only a matter of time before the Doctor met Vincent van Gogh. Their scenes together are a delight in Richard Curtis's elegant tale as Amy and the Doctor visit 1890 Provence to meet the great painter (played by Tony Curran) and try to track down the bete noire that troubles him. Curran's Scottish burr is an initial surprise, but his casting turns out to be a masterstroke: his performance as the tormented artist gives the story a strong heart and focus. Despite one inadvisable soft-rock number on the soundtrack, Vincent and the Doctor is a beauty. A Bill Nighy cameo and crisp gags add to the fun, and the way familiar scenes - the humble digs, cobbled streets and cornfields - come alive is extremely cute. In particular, the moment the Provencal night sky swirls into Vincent vision is a magical series highlight.
Radio Times reviewer - Mark Braxton
VIDEO Plus+: 933563
Subtitled, Widescreen, High definition, Audio-described
Episode written by Richard Curtis
Simulcast on BBC HD
Cast
The Doctor - Matt Smith
Amy Pond - Karen Gillan
Vincent - Tony Curran
Maurice - Nik Howden
Mother - Chrissie Cotterill
Waitress - Sarah Counsell
Schoolchildre - Morgan Overton, Andrew Byrne
Directed by: Jonny Campbell
Another nice touch is that the church-painting was set between 1-3 June, so this week is its anniversary, and 3 June was my birthday, so this episode made a superb birthday present this week. Thank you Mr Curtis!
Heck, I don't even rate Van Gogh that much as a painter, but this made me interested enough to want to know the history. What any good historical should do, right back to "The Aztecs".