Comic Relief: Doctor Who - The Curse of Fatal Death (1999 TV Movie) User Reviews

"We'll explain later!"

[MaxBorg89 · 9/10 · 9 September 2008]

Following the original series, which ran from 1963 to 1989, and Fox's unsuccessful attempt to Americanize Doctor Who in 1996, the closest we got to a revival of Britain's most celebrated TV show was this affectionate Comic Relief spoof from 1999, which pays homage to and lampoons the Time Lord's adventure.

Structured like a regular story from the classic show (i.e. divided in multiple parts), The Curse of Fatal Death stars Rowan Atkinson, once a candidate to play the role in the official series, as a mock-up version of the Ninth Doctor, who's traveling through time and space with a new female partner when he runs into the latest incarnation of the Master (Jonathan Pryce) and the Daleks.

At this point, any sign of actual plot evaporates, as Steven Moffat, who later went to write the new Doctor Who series, is more interested in making fun of two of the show's trademarks: time paradoxes and regeneration. The first aspect is handled through a classy battle of wits between Master and Doctor, based on an elementary pattern: the Master traveled back in time to set up a deadly trap, the Doctor anticipated the move and traveled further back in time to stop him, and so on. The second aspect, the fact that Time Lords can have thirteen different incarnations, constitutes the bulk of the episode's second half, as the Ninth Doctor is wounded and keeps regenerating, effectively using up all his lives. Then again, why complain when you transform into Richard E. Grant, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Grant and, um, Joanna Lumley?

It's all a bunch of nonsense, but delivered with that typical Britishness which makes it a must-see. The dialogue, no matter how stupid, manages to come off as extremely witty, and the actors are a joy to behold, especially Atkinson, the two Grants and Pryce, as they infuse their performances with the correct mix of seriousness and self-parody. And let's not forget the terrific idea of having everyone, including the Daleks, address possible continuity problems or plot holes with the deadpan "We'll explain later!".

Bottom line: fan of Doctor Who? You'll love this humorous take on the legend. To quote the "real" Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston): "Fantastic!".

A funny and surprisingly apt nostalgia piece

[Calli-2 · 9/10 · 3 November 1999]

Being American, I was unable to watch this 4-part, 30-minute skit in all its PAL-encoded glory. Instead, I watched it in the grainy RealVideo version provided for a short time by the BBC. I was blown away.

Astonishingly, this comedy sketch captured the essence of "Doctor Who" better than the 1996 film (although Paul McGann's performance was magnificent, the rest of the film was mediocre). There are cheap sets, identical corridors to run down, backstory to be related by the Doctor, popular old villains (including the Master and the Daleks), the TARDIS.... Even the music was genuine, recycled from many old "Doctor Who" episodes.

Plus, this skit had quite possibly the most star-studded cast "Doctor Who" will ever have. And they were all working for free.

Rowan Atkinson played the Ninth Doctor surprisingly straight; if the series does pick up again, he'd be an admirable choice for the part. Julia Sawalha portrays his companion (and fiancee!) Emma, a classic Who companion who manages to never look stupid when she asks the Doctor to explain the situation. The incomparable Jonathan Pryce plays possibly the hammiest Master yet, with strong shades of Anthony Ainley showing through. And as beautiful as the past voices of the Master might be, Pryce has a real gift in his voice for playing villains.

In the last episode, the Doctor regenerates repeatedly, showing us Richard E Grant (the Doctor has now been played by both Withnail *and* I!), Jim Broadbent, Hugh Grant and, of course, Joanna Lumley. All characterizations of the Doctor, although done for laughs, are flawless. The Daleks are their usual horrid selves.

This skit was the highest-rating portion of the Comic Relief marathon. Perhaps this should tell the BBC something? For instance, it could tell them they *don't* have to do a big-budget "Doctor Who" to satisfy their audience!

Just for the fun of it

[medrjel · 8/10 · 10 February 2002]

I read the reviews. Most say it's brilliant. Some say it's terrible. I think it's just what you could ask for a parody. It can stand up on it's own, but if you are familiar with the series, it can be a lot of fun. Take Dr. Who, Steal a bit from "Bill and Ted", and add a twist of Blackadder and you get a suprisingly good story that's easy to follow and fun to watch. The multiple regenerations are quite silly, but what do you expect. Jonathan Pryce adds a touch of class as the Master in spite of everything. If you know anything about Dr. Who, you will probably enjoy it if you remember not to take it too seriously.

Hilarious Parody - But Not for Oversensitive Purists

[Jomead · 13 April 2004]

I grew up with Dr. Who, I enjoy the show, and I laughed my socks off during "The Curse of Fatal Death"

The piece tries to amuse both long-time fans of the show, and casual viewers who only know it 'that cheesy British sci-fi show', so it has a fair bit of juggling to do. However, the the comedy draws from both ends of the spectrum and, I think, can provoke laughter from anyone who has a passing familiarity with the original.

All of the actors (Atkinson, REG, Broadbent et al) manage to put their own mark on the character during their brief interlude as the Gallifreyan Timelord and seemed to have fun doing it. Pryce was clearly having far too much fun hamming it up as The Master. Pryce's comments about prepping for his role make watching the 'making-of' segment on the video worth the time, alone - and the rest of it is quite entertaining, too.

Granted, the humor can be a bit broad, but this isn't a subtle social satire, folks, it's a blatant parody and, as such, some silly things are going to happen. I've heard rumbling complaints from purists about CoFD being "disrespectful" or something and I think that mayhaps those fans are taking themselves too seriously. If you can't laugh at yourself, then it's probably too late for you...

I Enjoyed This Amusing Parody

[CharlesD-2 · 10/10 · 8 October 1999]

Curse of Fatal Death is one of the best produced Doctor Who parodies I've ever seen. It has jokes not only poking fun at the show but jokes genuinely meant to appeal to fans of the series. Rowan Atkinson makes an excellent choice as the comic Doctor along with the various other surprising guest stars to play the role in this rapid regeneration riot.

Produced originally for Red Nose Day this will no doubt be a favorite of fans for years to come. Highly recommended to all Doctor Who fans!

Outstanding!

[drwhobob-2 · 10/10 · 14 January 2001]

This parody, originally aired on Red Nosed Day as a 4-part skit, is now available in the US as a two-part story on VHS, along with additional footage on the making of, and some interesting extras, and is well worth the purchase.

Rowan Atkinson is brilliant in his very Tom Baker-ish portrayal of the Doctor, although I do detect a hint of Sylvester McCoy. Jonathan Pryce is hilariously sinister as the Master, bringing much Roger Delgado to the role.

The show pokes good-natured fun at the original series, especially the infamous "I'll tell you later" asides that are never explained.

Worth a look by all Dr. Who fans.

Excellent parody!

[dittoheadaz · 8/10 · 23 June 2004]

Rowan Atkinson filled the role so well, there's some consideration that he will be picked for the new series... hey, he's got MY vote!

Excellent performances throughout - Jon Pryce was great as the pseudo-Master (and had a somewhat striking resemblance to Roger Delgado) - and it was a nice surprise to see Joanna Lumley again. (It's ALWAYS nice to see Joanna Lumley...)

If you got the video rather than just seeing it on the Beeb, you got to see the Lenny Henry sketch. I give that a thumbs-up as well, mainly because of Lenny Henry - his characterization reminded me of Gareth Blackstock (Chef!) and his delivery is flawless (of course, the parody script was quite goofy, but then it's supposed to be...)

Extremely funny and smart tribute to the series.

[hispro · 8/10 · 1 August 2000]

I found this comedy to be hilariously funny and smart. A fitting tribute to a series that still can attract millions of viewers and should continue for many years to come. The writer and producers were very careful not to make this into a "parody" and send up the series - this would have been wrong and objected by its many fans.

Rowan Atkinson makes a fine Doctor Who. Jim Broadbent is remarkably similar to the Master in the actual Doctor Who TV series - they should allow him to continue the role should the series ever be brought back. And the surprise appearance of Hugh Grant was wonderfully placed - he would also make a very fine Doctor Who should it be continued.

Overall, a very enjoyable adventure.

The Curse of Fatal Death

[Prismark10 · 7/10 · 26 March 2017]

In the 1990s there were only three pieces of new Doctor Who, two of them were parodies.

The Curse of Fatal Death written by (future show-runner) Steven Moffat is almost played straight but at that time Moffat was known more for his comedies and elements of comedy seep through.

Rowan Atkinson plays the Ninth Doctor with Julia Sawalha playing Emma his companion and fiancée. Jonathan Pryce plays the Master with a side of ham and a piece of costume from his appearance in the Bond film, Tomorrow Never Dies.

The Master plans to eliminate his own foe, the Doctor has news to tell the Master and asks to meet him at a castle on the flatulent planet Tersurus. Both time lords have used timey-wimey to set up traps for one or another.

The Doctor plans to retire from a life of saving planets in order to marry Emma however he is injured by the Daleks and swiftly goes through his regenerations. He changes to Richard E Grant, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Grant and Joanna Lumley where the Master takes a shine to her.

The production here presumably done on a low budget and shot quickly is actually very good. Sets reused, some early CGI and an early look of some Moffat sci-fi tropes. However we get a tribute to what is now regarded as classic Doctor Who with music used from past Doctor Who.

Looking back at it, I can only admire the refreshing take by Russell T Davies in reinvigorating Doctor Who and allowing Moffat room to develop his own brand of storytelling.

I'll Explain Later

[MrFilmAndTelevisionShow · 9/10 · 3 April 2021]

I've seen this several times before and on every rewatch it gets better and better. The managed to condense a proper Dr Who episode into just twenty minutes. If this had been a proper episode there might have been a bit less human anatomy humour but it was a great parody.

Positively Bloody Marvelous!

[qijdigoldwing · 10/10 · 14 June 2007]

I've watched Dr. Who ever since 1974 and have seen virtually every Who ever made... including several of the off shoots of Who... Frankly... This is one of the best bits of Comic Relief I've encountered so far... I mean!... Absolutely Everyone in the short film spots is very famous and talented... Seeing Saffron after all these years is a real pleasure and Jim Broadbent was a real surprise.. Frankly... I'd like to see many more of these sorts of Truly entertaining comedies based on one of the founding stones of my entertainment life... Rowen as the " Good Doctor " is just tooooooooooooooooo much... Capricornian sarcastic wit is really a hoot. Thanks to everyone who participated... Thanks so much.. Blessed Be.

Q.

I felt no comic relief

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 22 February 2017]

"Comic Relief: Doctor Who - The Curse of Fatal Death" is a British 20-minute short film from 1999, so this one will soon have its 20th anniversary. The director is John Henderson and as it is Doctor Who, the writer is Steven Moffat. I read this actually consists of 4 episodes, which means each episode is extremely short, but to each their own. Early on, the Doctor is played by Mr. Bean Rowan Atkinson. But the longer it goes, the more actors show up to play this prestigious character, all of them probably bigger stars back then than today. This is also a big problem here. It really just feels like a line-up of stars eventually. The story is uninspired and generic, the sets look cheap and yet it is embarrassing how the actors try to deliver the pseudo-intellectual and pseudo-funny script in a way that feels so self-aware and over the top that I had to cringe basically from start to finish. Here and there the line delivery isn't bad, but as a whole, it felt truly embarrassing. Then again, I never understood the hype around Doctor Who and this short film made clear once again that this is probably the one cult show that is unbeatable when it comes to bad character writing in terms of female characters. Literally, the assistant only exists to make Who even more spectacular and get him even more attention. Zero shades. 4 stars out of 10 is still pretty generous. Don't watch.

For Whovians.

[jacfu · 13 July 2003]

I have seen every episode of the Doctor Who series, and so I felt obligated to watch this as well. I loved it. Rowan Atkins as the 9th Doctor is totally believable. You wonder why he never was picked as the Doctor in the tv series. Johnathan Pryce made the most hilarious Master, giving credibility to such lines as "The deadly vengeance of deadly revenge!". Long time Doctor Who fans should love this. In fact, anyone who never saw an episode of Doctor Who will find it funny as well.

Hilarious tribute. The first sign of Moffat's genius.

[zacpetch · 10/10 · 13 May 2015]

One-off spoof starring a new Ninth Doctor (Rowan Atkinson) and his companion Emma (Julia Sawahla) with whom he is having a romantic relationship. It sees the duo go head-to-head with the Master (Jonathan Pryce) in a battle of time paradoxes eventually leading up to a confrontation with the Daleks. Things soon go wrong and the Doctor is forced to regenerate into Richard E Grant, then Jim Broadbent, then Hugh Grant before getting killed once more irreversibly. Or not, behold the Thirteenth Doctor: Joanna Lumley! Since the Doctor and Emma had planned to wed but Emma doesn't swing that way things seem to be over for the romantic side of their relationship and they decide to go on as just friends, but then the Doctor takes a liking to the Master instead.

So there you have the entire plot and in an alternate universe where the series wasn't revived this would have been the end of the show and would probably be the last ever episode, as is this is a brief exploration of an alternate timeline were the 8th Doctor didn't turn into the War Doctor but instead became a Blackadder lookalike. And it is canon: read The Gallifrey Chronicles and see for yourself.

Each of the five Doctors has got a clearly defined character and all of the actors are clearly having tremendous fun with it. Steven Moffat's script is well paced managing to fit so much great stuff into just under twenty minutes yet never once feeling rushed. He pays a loving tribute to the show he'd be running 11 years later poking fun at its plot holes (I'll explain later) and budget issues (These corridors all look the same) as well as letting Pryce's Master have some deliciously camp lines to deliver (They're not breasts, they're Dalek Bumps, they're also extremely firm). Doctor Who has never been funnier.

10/10

Kidney Stones

[gerrydax-78680 · 10/10 · 6 January 2018]

This is what I always blame for the kidney stones moving.......I laughed so hard all the way through this that something had to give

This is flawless and more importantly, written by Steven Moffatt who is the only person to be able to say that he has written for more than ten Doctors

The script is brilliant, very reminiscent of previous Doctors and Moffatt's love of the series is evident

Rowan Atkinson is fantastic Jonathan Pryce is villainously evil - and equally brilliant

Get them back for a cameo with the new one or there will be a deadly vengeance with deadly revenge

Flaws.....none, but I'll explain later !

If I could give this more than 10 stars, I would

Awful Awful Witless Trash

[gsoropos · 1/10 · 8 February 2006]

I simply cannot understand how any Who fan, or just plain anyone could find this awful, lazy, poorly written abomination even remotely funny. It is so embarrassingly below par that it qualifies as a genuine tragedy. The potential for this was huge, it could have been great. What a shame that all that acting talent, the sets, the props, the goodwill of everyone involved was so pathetically wasted by a script that should have been burned.

There is an obvious lack of any rigorous production and quality control here. Like those hammy Hollywood movies (mad mad mad world, casino royale) where the stars are just mugging for each other and 'having a great time' which basically means picking up a cheque for doing nothing.

I could have written a better Who send-up in my sleep. In fact I have, while awake though. I did it in Year 10 in high school and performed it with a bunch of classmates. It was better, I look at it now and the gags are funnier. Steven Moffat YOU ARE A NO TALENT BUM! What a waste, what a wasted opportunity. Makes me want to cry....

Moo-ha-ha-ha-ha-haaaaaaaaaaa!

[zedthedestroyer · 26 March 2001]

Although not to be taken seriously, "Curse of the Fatal Death" is a labor of love. The script features a lot of fan-pleasing moments and references. Rowan Atkinson proves how good a Doctor he could've been by playing the character straight, and not primarily for laughs. On the opposite end of the spectrum is Jonathan Pryce, who is just as excellent as the Master, going waaaaaaaaay over the top. The best part of the sketch is the quick-change regenerations near the end where Richard E. Grant, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Grant, and Joanna Lumley all play the Doctor in less than five minutes. Richard Grant is hilarious as the sex-fiend Doctor who has a good laugh over the Master's Dalek "bumps". Hugh Grant surprised me with his portrayal.

The video release also contains a "Making Of" special which may even be more funny than the sketch itself. Jonathan Pryce is the highlight of this section, proving how completely bonkers he really is. His interpretations of the Master's various laughs are hilarious.

If you like poop jokes and Dr. Who, this is for you

[I_saw_it_happen · 5/10 · 6 July 2010]

If you're a Doctor Who fan, you'll probably watch this regardless of how bad anyone says it is, because you're own opinions are not all that influenced by people telling you how bad something is; after all, you're a fan of Doctor Who. Kudos to you.

Nonetheless, Doctor Who (and apparently all related media) has a tendency to get very dated, very fast. As far as comedy goes, the humor is quite below the levels of humor that recent Doctor Who episodes have engaged in. Pointing out the silliness of Daleks and the pompousness of the Master seems kind of tired, at this point.

Don't expect much. It's light fare. Better than some of the Season Specials of the real show, but quite meager compared to the real deal.

could've been funnier, really

[dr_foreman · 2 February 2004]

This is something of a two-joke production. Nobody on Doctor Who had sex or went to the bathroom, so there's lots of sex and bathroom jokes. That's certainly one way to spoof the show, but I would've preferred something more accurate.

Okay, so the sets look about right. And the Master really is that hammy. But, like "Spaceballs," this misses the mark somehow. The techno-babble jokes don't work (the original show really didn't have much of that), and the Daleks are under-used. In the end, I think this spoof is based too much on what the public perceives Doctor Who to have been like, instead of what it was actually like.

To me, this is more interesting as an audition piece for future Doctors than as a stand-alone comedy. Isn't Lumley awesome? Isn't it strange watching Atkinson play it pretty straight? And isn't Richard E. Grant obviously all wrong? With Who's return imminent, it's fun to speculate uselessly about such things.

A bitter mockery of Doctor Who

[The Spectacular Spider-Man · 11 February 2001]

Are fans of the good Doctor so desperate for new material they'll accept anything - even a pantomime take of their favourite show? It certainly seems so, judging by the reaction they gave to this extremely cheap, poorly-written slapdash spoof that aired on Children in Need night in 1999. It was never intended for fans, but for average viewers who remembered the TARDIS and the Daleks and the cheap sets. The show attempts to laugh with them at the conventions of the show, while obviously trying to distance the BBC from Doctor Who and delivering a stinging slap in the face to Whovians: "This is the show you love? It's silly garbage, of course we're not going to make it again." Some of the spoofing is not even accurate - the writer was obviously less than a fan of the show, and makes assumptions of it's content. He decides that the Doctor used to inform companions, "I'll tell you later," to avoid explaining his miraculous feats, which is quite the opposite in fact.

Rowan Atkinson admits playing the Doctor has always been an ambition of his, but surely one of the most talented comedy actors of the last twenty years should have known better. Although he immedietly works as the titluar Timelord, he continually reverts to a milder version of his beloved Blackadder character instead of grasping the opportunity with both hands. Julia Sawalha's character emphasizes the sarcastic nature of the production from the word go, while Jonathan Pryce embarrases himself, as do the rest of the cast, and special effects are recycled from the excellent 1996 movie (an infinetly better purchase). Don't be fooled by the stars on the cover (Hugh Grant, Richard E. Grant), they appear for less than a minute. It's sad to see the BBC ridiculing both it's most successful show and it's fans, yet this is what Curse of Fatal Death does. Sadder still, the BBC slap the official Doctor Who logo on this spoof and sell it across the world, even though it's only 30 minutes long (shorter than the Making Of documentary!) - if we can have this on video, why not the far superior Dimensions in Time from 1993? Saddest of all, the fans will go out and buy it.