By Shannon Lush
Doctor: Eighth (Paul McGann)
Companion(s): Lucie Miller (Sheridan Smith)
Writer (s):
Eddie Robson
Director: Barnaby Edwards
Producer: Nicholas Briggs
Duration: 1 episode, 60 minutes.
Following on from the problematic ‘Skull Of
Sobek’ which I reviewed in the previous entry, the next release in production
order, ‘Grand Theft Cosmos’, is, quite simply, refreshing. The story is simple; in 19th century Sweden, The Doctor and Lucie are
traveling on a miracle of the ages, an electric train. While Lucie grumbles
over being forbidden to bring her iPod for fear of cultural contamination, The
Doctor engages in conversation with an expert in the works of the artist
Claudio Tardelli. Turns out Tardelli is more than he seems; he’s an alien and his work contains dangerous
by-products that can and do harm the
fabric of the universe. The Doctor has been attempting to suppress the
man’s work across time and space, going so far as to ensure that is continually
discredited. But now his work is being snapped up by the King of Sweden. The
expert, Simonsson, has been charged by His Majesty to hunt for Tardelli’s
little-known and rare work. The Doctor realizes that he is responsible for
creating a collector’s market for Tardelli’s work, given the man disappeared in
the 17th century.