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Rumour has it that the next Doctor might very well be Paterson Joseph. His is a name that has been associated with the role since long before the show was resurrected; since 1996, in fact, when he starred as the Marquis de Carabas, effortless scene-stealer and charming anti-hero of the BBC fantasy mini-series Neverwhere. I've been meaning to rewatch it for some time, and this seems like a good excuse. Episode one, then.
Richard Mayhew is an ordinary bloke living in London, but when he stops to help an injured girl in the street, he finds himself mixed up in all kinds of peculiar goings-on. The girl is Door, and she's being chased by a fabulously despicable pair of thugs; Mr Croup and Mr Vandemar, who will stop at pretty much literally nothing to get what they want. Door needs help to stay out of their clutches, and with Richard's help she acquires the services of the Marquis de Carabas, a vain, egocentric, utterly magnetic oddball in one of the best costumes ever, who swaggers onto the screen and steals the show in an instant. Shame about the blond highlights though, it has to be said. The Marquis spirits Door away, leaving Richard to go back to his life being boring in his office job. Or at least, that's what he tries to do. The problem is that Richard is now, to all intents and purposes, invisible. His former friends and colleagues look straight through him; his fiancée can't remember who he is; his job is gone, his credit cards cancelled and his flat about to be rented out to somebody else. His entire life has vanished, and the only thing he can think of to help get it back is to set out after Door and the Marquis, and try to find out what the hell is going on.
That's pretty much it for episode one. It's all about scene-setting, with little as yet seen of London Below, the half-magical world that exists beneath the regular one. All that we've seen of it so far are the characters - Door, who seems to have some ability to open doors where there are none; the Marquis, who despite his airs and graces treats Door like royalty; Mr Croup and Mr Vandemar, who'd skewer anything just to hear it squeal; and Old Bailey, a man dressed in feathers, who lives on the rooftops. The Marquis gives him a small silver box as soon as he's hired by Door, and tells him to keep it safe. There's magic in that there box... but that's for subsequent episodes. For now things are barely getting started.
Logo prettiness.
Richard, pre-adventure. Being boringly normal in London Above.
Door. Wet, but generally well-meaning.
Mr Croup and Mr Vandemar. Definitely not well-meaning.
The Marquis. And Doctor #11?
Old Bailey. Very likely thinks he's a pigeon.
Important plot point alert!
Oops. Or how not to venture into London Below.
Richard Mayhew is an ordinary bloke living in London, but when he stops to help an injured girl in the street, he finds himself mixed up in all kinds of peculiar goings-on. The girl is Door, and she's being chased by a fabulously despicable pair of thugs; Mr Croup and Mr Vandemar, who will stop at pretty much literally nothing to get what they want. Door needs help to stay out of their clutches, and with Richard's help she acquires the services of the Marquis de Carabas, a vain, egocentric, utterly magnetic oddball in one of the best costumes ever, who swaggers onto the screen and steals the show in an instant. Shame about the blond highlights though, it has to be said. The Marquis spirits Door away, leaving Richard to go back to his life being boring in his office job. Or at least, that's what he tries to do. The problem is that Richard is now, to all intents and purposes, invisible. His former friends and colleagues look straight through him; his fiancée can't remember who he is; his job is gone, his credit cards cancelled and his flat about to be rented out to somebody else. His entire life has vanished, and the only thing he can think of to help get it back is to set out after Door and the Marquis, and try to find out what the hell is going on.
That's pretty much it for episode one. It's all about scene-setting, with little as yet seen of London Below, the half-magical world that exists beneath the regular one. All that we've seen of it so far are the characters - Door, who seems to have some ability to open doors where there are none; the Marquis, who despite his airs and graces treats Door like royalty; Mr Croup and Mr Vandemar, who'd skewer anything just to hear it squeal; and Old Bailey, a man dressed in feathers, who lives on the rooftops. The Marquis gives him a small silver box as soon as he's hired by Door, and tells him to keep it safe. There's magic in that there box... but that's for subsequent episodes. For now things are barely getting started.
Logo prettiness.
Richard, pre-adventure. Being boringly normal in London Above.
Door. Wet, but generally well-meaning.
Mr Croup and Mr Vandemar. Definitely not well-meaning.
The Marquis. And Doctor #11?
Old Bailey. Very likely thinks he's a pigeon.
Important plot point alert!
Oops. Or how not to venture into London Below.
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