The Lazarus Experiment
- Episode aired Aug 10, 2007
- TV-PG
- 45m
The famous Dr Lazarus has appeared to discover the secret of eternal youth - but do his experiments hide a sinister secret?The famous Dr Lazarus has appeared to discover the secret of eternal youth - but do his experiments hide a sinister secret?The famous Dr Lazarus has appeared to discover the secret of eternal youth - but do his experiments hide a sinister secret?
- Guest
- (uncredited)
- Guest
- (uncredited)
- Guest
- (uncredited)
- Guest
- (uncredited)
- Paramedic
- (uncredited)
- Guest
- (uncredited)
- Guest
- (uncredited)
- Guest
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- Stephen Greenhorn
- Sydney Newman(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe Doctor says, "It shouldn't take that long to reverse the polarity. I must be out of practice". "Reverse the polarity!" was the catchphrase (and strategy) of Jon Pertwee's Third incarnation of Doctor Who (1963) in the early 1970s.
- GoofsWhen The Doctor and Martha are in Martha's apartment for the second time, a boom mic is visible in front of the police box, just above the 'Public Call' wording.
- Quotes
Professor Richard Lazarus: I find that nothing's ever exactly like you expect. There's always something to surprise you. Between the idea and the reality, between the motion and the act...
The Doctor: Falls the shadow.
Professor Richard Lazarus: So the mysterious Doctor knows his T.S. Eliot. I'm impressed
The Doctor: Wouldn't have thought you'd have time for poetry, Lazarus, what with you being so busy defying the laws of nature and everything.
Professor Richard Lazarus: You're right, Doctor. One lifetime's been too short for me to do everything I'd like. How much more I'll get done in two, or three, or four.
The Doctor: It doesn't work like that. Some people live more in twenty years than others do in eighty. It's not the time that matters, it's the person.
Professor Richard Lazarus: But if it's the right person, what a gift that would be.
The Doctor: Or what a curse. Look at what you've done to yourself.
Professor Richard Lazarus: Who are you to judge me?
- ConnectionsFeatured in Doctor Who: Human Nature (2007)
- SoundtracksDoctor Who Theme
(uncredited)
Written by Ron Grainer
Arranged by Murray Gold
Performed by BBC National Orchestra of Wales
The build up through the first half of the episode is excellent in many ways. That horror feel permeating the episode which could be traced back as far as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as well as 50s science-goes-wrong movies and 80s body horror films, is perfect for a Doctor Who episode. It feels hugely promising up up to and including the initial change by Dr. Lazarus into a monster.
The transformation scene is great and evokes yet another horror classic An American Werewolf in London for a moment before cleverly leaving the finished appearance of the creature to the imagination. The husks of bodies from the creature's victims is effectively repulsive too. All is set up for a classic episode despite a couple of less interesting scenes along the way. With a great second half and a well designed monster this would have been awesome.
The acting is also great as guest stars Mark Gatiss and Thelma Barlow put in fabulous performances as well as regulars David Tennant and Freema Agyeman. Gugu Mbatha-Raw is solid as Martha's sister too though the character is weak and a pale shadow of the wonderful Martha.
The problems begin when we see the monster properly. It is not so much the CGI which is at fault (although it isn't very impressive), it is the design of the creature that bothers me. It is reasonably scary looking but is unconvincing and over the top. The idea that it is a genetic throwback from Lazarus's DNA is a nice idea but a huge scorpion like beast just seems the wrong thing entirely. It wastes the opportunity for a terrifying and believable body horror.
In addition the plot goes nowhere once the monster arrives. It goes straight into a big monster on the loose action sequence that then seemingly ends only to repeat in an overly similar sequence in Southwark Cathedral which has a rather silly resolution.
The acting maintains its quality when Gatiss and Tennant get their moments towards the end but the episode overall has by then dropped away from the promise shown earlier on. It would have been much better with some good make up and a scary but basically humanoid monster. Gatiss could have carried it off well and it could have been fabulous and frightening as well as thoughtful. Instead it went overboard on the monster and its marauding about. What a pity.
I still give credit for the great first half, the ideas and the acting but a possible 10/10 drops down to a 7.5/10 for me.
- A_Kind_Of_CineMagic
- Jan 28, 2019
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Filming locations
- Senedd Building, Cardiff, Wales, UK(Lazarus Laboratories - main room, storeroom, corridors & stairwells)
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime45 minutes
- Color