WRITER: Helen Raynor DIRECTOR: James Strong
CAST: David Tennant (The Doctor), Freema Agyeman (Martha Jones), Miranda Raison (Tallulah), Laszlo (Ryan Carnes), Hugh Quarshie (Solomon), Andrew Garfield (Frank), Eric Loren (Mr Diagoras), Flik Swan (Myma), Alexis Caley (Lois), Earl Perkins (Man #1), Peter Brooke (Man #2), Ian Porter (Foreman), Joe Montana (Worker #1), Stewart Alexander (Worker #2), Mel Taylor (Dock Worker), Nicholas Briggs (Dalek Voices), Barnaby Edwards (Dalek Operator #1), Nicholas Pegg (Dalek Operator #2), Anthony Spargo (Dalek Operator #3), David Hankinson (Dalek Operator #4) & Paul Kasey (Hero Pig)
The Doctor and Martha arrive in 1930's New York during the Great Depression, where they find homeless people are disappearing and The Doctor's greatest enemy are involved...It's the second visit to New York this year (albeit separated by millennia) and Daleks In Manhattan is another strong episode for the third season. Dotor Who has always been most successful in its period settings; be it Tudor times (The Shakespeare Code), Victorian times (The Unquiet Dead) or even the more recent 1950's (The Idiot's Lantern).
Here, the juxtaposition of glamour and poverty in 1930's New York is brilliantly given life via a combination of greenscreen, CGI models, set design and minor location shooting. The production does an excellent job of creating a believable period of history, despite a few hazy greenscreen shots and dodgy "New Yoik" accents.
Writer Helen Raynor pens an enjoyable storyline with a simple plot that's fun to watch unfold, if never wholly surprising. The set-up, with The Doctor and Martha arriving in the Big Apple, meeting the "Hooverville" slum residents and the early introduction of the Daleks in the Empire State Building is all great stuff.
However, once the Daleks are introduced, story soon slow considerably in the middle, as the plot becomes quite obvious and slightly tedious. It's one of those episodes where the audience is one step ahead of The Doctor, which destroys a sense of development and surprise.
The Daleks have always been a favourite enemy for fans. Their appearance every year in the revived series hasn't lessened their impact, although Daleks In Manhattan is certainly the most mundane entrance for them. It's great to see the Cult Of Skaro subplot continue from last year's finale and this episode's cliffhanger ensures it's satisfyingly different to previous Dalek stories. But it might be wise to let the Daleks rest for awhile after this two-parter...
David Tennant can always be relied on to give good performances as The Doctor, although it's clear Raynor doesn't have the same grasp of the character compared to writers like Russell T. Davies and Steven Moffat. There just isn't much eccentricity or humour, which is a shame. Freema Agyeman is also disappointing because of the bland dialogue she's given -- although there are some nice allusions to her intellect.
The supporting cast are all okay, despite a few overblown accents here and there -- particularly noticeable in Miranda Raison as showgirl Tallulah. Andrew Garfield is the only memorable character as Frank, the leader of the Hooverville slums who becomes The Doctor's cohort, being both believable and likeable.
James Strong is probably the best director working on the show (alongside Euros Lyn) and keeps things visually appealing whilst fully utilizing the wonderful sets and props. The only sequences that disappointed me were a glib song-and-dance routine with Tallulah and some repetitive moments in the New York sewers.
Overall, Daleks In Manhattan is a decent episode in terms of technicality, but the narrative didn't really grab my interest. The production design is great and it's always fun seeing the Daleks gliding around barking orders, but the supporting cast were unmemorable and Raynor's script didn't have much meat for Tennant or Agyeman to chew on.
However, the cliffhanger certainly seems to have set-up more exciting and entertaining possibilities for next week...
