| The Killer Dwarf Bandits | |
|---|---|
| Time & Space episode | |
| |
| Promo Poster. | |
| Series 8, Episode 7 | |
| Air date | June 7, 2013 |
| Written by | BradDalek3012 |
| Production Code | 8.7 |
| Starring | |
| Sir Ian McKellan as The 13th Doctor
Charlotte Church as Carys Young | |
| Guest Starring | |
| Sally Lindsay as Pamela Vaye | |
| Episode Chronology | |
| Previous | Next |
| Confessions Of A Megalomaniac | TBA |
The Killer Dwarf Bandits is the seventh episode of the eighth series of Time & Space, aired on 7 June 2013. It was written by BradDalek3012 and edited by Cybertrash.
Plot[]
Synopsis[]
Carys and the Doctor accidentally visit Jazzam - a planet made up mostly of graveyards. Once there, they meet bubbly mortician Pamela Vaye, who is already hating her first day of working at the mortuary. All three quickly become embroiled in a frantic battle for gold between Jazzi gangsters and irrational dwarf bandits.
Continuity[]
- Vicky can be seen reading a holographic magazine with the headline "I fell in love with an Adipose." Adipose appeared in the Doctor Who episode Partners In Crime.
- Upon arriving on Jazzam, Carys states that the Doctor promised her "somewhere fun after all the chainsaws." Chainsaws featured heavily in the previous story Confessions Of A Megalomaniac - making it clear that this episode is set directly after that adventure. Chainsaws get another mention later on when Carys names popular fears.
- The Doctor says of the TARDIS materialising in the wrong place "perhaps all that rewiring didn't quite have the desired effect." In the earlier episode Heartbreaker, the Doctor is seen to be trying to fix dodgy cables under the console.
- Carys gets asked out by Baxton Krane, but despite fancying him and briefly flirting - she still appears uneasy about moving on from Kevin Matthews.
- McDonald's gets a mention - a recurring theme during Series 8 due to Carys having worked in a McDonald's before joining the Doctor on his travels.
- Mr Crypt is named after the cult TV series Tales From The Crypt.
- The Doctor states that the bandit gold comes from the Palatov galaxy - a galaxy first mentioned in the T&S Series Two episode Time Stands Still. Jannie Brax - the Torth dancer at the centre of a murder mystery - is said to have come from the aforementioned galaxy along with the rest of her family.
- Jamie Good - a character who has appeared in episodes Carys and Heartbreaker - gets spoken about briefly when Carys, Pamela and the Doctor are thinking up ways to cause a distraction in order to sneak past the dwarf bandits and get onboard their ship.
- Movie classics The Goonies and Charlie & The Chocolate Factory get mentioned.
Production[]
BradDalek3012 was first approached to pen an episode of Time & Space back in Series 6, but due to the series being cut short - no episode was ever written. Production on The Killer Dwarf Bandits began in March 2013 when BradDalek3012 was commissioned to write an "alien planet romp." The episode moved into post production in May 2013 with Cybertrash completing the edits.
Broadcast and Reception[]
Broadcast History[]
The Killer Dwarf Bandits was first released on June 1st 2013, but then withdrawn due to dissatisfication with the edits. The episode was then re-released on June 7th 2013 following several corrections.
Critical Reception[]
The Killer Dwarf Bandits received mixed to positive reviews from critics.Rose Addict praised the episode saying "It had it all really - a pulse racing cat and mouse game between the pirates and the bandits, a range of exciting settings to explore (reminded me of a maze/complex at times!) and a wonderful engaging character in the form of Pamela at the very centre of the action." BigDocFan also enjoyed the inclusion of supporting character Pamela and said of the episode "As usual Brad, your alien descriptions are fantastic." Captain-Tybo also praised Pamela and the dialogue throughout, but felt somewhat underwhelmed by the episode summing up "Overall not the strongest T&S story of the series, but it still had some standout moments." Orky Kultur praised the Jazzam descriptions and the simplicity of the story, but also felt disappointed saying "Overall, this episode just didn’t live up to my expectations." The episode has an AI score of 72.5%.