steelergirl83 Doctor Who: Scream of the Shalka is one of my all-time favorite Doctor Who episodes and that's saying a lot because I'm not normally a fan of animated features unless they're from Disney! I was more than a bit skeptical going into this. A few of the reasons that I enjoy the live action series so much is the little nuances and amusing facial expressions of the actors on the screen. It's impossible to catch the twinkle of the eye or even something like the movement hair. Surprisingly, even though these details weren't present in this feature, the actors voicing the Doctor, Alison, and even the Master really brought the characters to life. Richard E. Grant, Sophie Okonedo and Derek Jacobi are just a few of the famous actors who lent their voice talents to this little masterpiece and later starred alongside the Doctor in the live action series. You know how great they were in the new series so you can imagine how wonderful they were in this animated bridge between classic and new Doctor.Now for the monsters -- the Shalka. The Shalka, a reptilian-like alien species didn't have much to say, but as you may have guessed from the title of the DVD, their screams are quite grotesque -- not to mention the fact that they took over human bodies to lead earth and humanity into death and darkness. Aliens that can grow out of human foreheads is enough to give anyone the shivers! The Shalka are indeed a very frightening alien, up there with the Weeping Angels and the Silence. I was very impressed with the animation, the story-line, the monsters, and each of the characters. As much as I enjoyed this, I was a little disappointed that the ending was left open for more adventures with the Doctor and Alison but to my knowledge, there never were any. Still, Doctor Who: Scream of the Shalka is yet another wonderful DVD for anyone who loves Doctor Who and for those who want to build their DVD library with shows the whole family can watch and enjoy together.~ My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars ~ *I received a complimentary copy from the publisher/publicist for review purposes. I received no compensation. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.*

pipedreams1 I hate reviews where the watcher/reader clearly hasn't seen or read the whole thing. Unfortunately I must now deliver such a review. I had wanted to watch the entirety of this animation but I found myself unable to do so. Not only didn't it engage me but within 3 'parts' I found myself starting to have negative feelings about Dr Who...This seemed to have everything in it that people have taken the Mick out of Whovians for. The Dr Who animated episodes that I saw were stilted and frankly a huge disappointment. I won't say anything more as it is terrible to badmouth something someone has put a large amount of effort into.Thank goodness for the news series and thank goodness they decided to ditch this animated concept.Perhaps watching this twice a day may help with withdrawal symptoms from the excellence new series... the problem is you might be so turned off by it that you decide not to tune in for the Christmas Invasion.

burnt It's a pity that the BBC didn't cast Richard in the forthcoming revival of the television series. He was a great Ninth Doctor in this production, and I'm sure that he would have been great in a television series as well. Now it seems that this will be a one-off production. There is a brief piece of fiction featuring his Incarnation at the Doctor Who BBCi website, but now Christopher Eccleston will take on the role of the Ninth Doctor (following Paul McGann's Eighth Incarnation in the 1996 television movie)in the forthcoming series, due to begin production this Summer, and to be on British screens(BBC Wales)in 2005. I strongly suggest catching this production if at all possible. It may be released on DVD in the near future from what I hear.

Morpheus2k3 The BBCi has recently webcast another animated adventure featuring our favorite Time Lord. This one, the Scream of the Shalka, had all the earmarks of those classic 3rd Doctor (Jon Pertwee) tales: Earth in mortal danger, military seeking the Doctor's somewhat coerced help, and, after a fashion, The Master. Just like Paul McGann's BBCi webcast of The Shada, this one captured my imagination. Richard E. Grant steps into the role as the new Doctor. (9th, perhaps?) Plopped down on Earth to help battle a new race of nasties - the Shalka - bent on taking over the world, the Doctor picks up a cool new companion and does his bit for humankind. Although not as deeply bound to Who lore as The Shada, the Scream of the Shalka was nonetheless good story telling. Plus, on my short list of candidates for the 9th Doctor, Richard E. Grant!