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Kerblam, is the seventh episode of Doctor Who Series 11, and the title comes into play as it’s the Amazon of the Who Universe because it’s the bigger shopping retailer around – not that you’d ever get a company who has a name that sounds like the explosion of a bomb.
The company was first encountered when a ‘space postman’ delivers an item ordered by The Doctor, which turns out to be a fez (referencing Matt Smith’s Doctor), and as she puts it on, chirps, “Still me?”
That gave me a laugh, which is more than this episode’s guest actor, Lee Mack, does. There is a better guest, though, who is Julie Hesmondhalgh (who worked with showrunner Chris Chibnall on Broadchurch), along with Claudia Jessie (Line of Duty Series 4) as packer Kira, even though her first scene was purely just to explain the plot to the gang about how each company has to legally employ 10% of its staff as human.
Anyhoo, it didn’t take long before the Scooby Doo gang were given employment at the company, in order to find who put in a note stating “Help me”, but someone needs help as the humans keep disappearing.
Kerblam tried to be more fun with Julie being quite bumbling, and Bradley Walsh being given a cleaning job, but the plot was pretty dull and didn’t require a degree in time travel to follow it, along with more overuse of the sonic screwdriver.
What’s even more dumb is that since the robots are meant to appear friendly to the humans, why would a company make them look scary like Pennywise the clown from IT?
Another problem with this episode is one that’s dogged the majority of the series – by the time we found out who was asking for help, the whole show was almost over, and instead of lots of running along corridors, there was travelling along conveyor belts. Zzzz…..
So, yes, lots of problems and a quick resolution towards the end – that’s the mantra of this series and I’m getting rather tired of it. Still, only three more episodes to go.
Next time: Witchfinders with Alan Cumming as James I. Can’t beat a bit of Cumming!
Kerblam is available on the BBC iPlayer for a month.
You can also pre-order it on Blu-ray, Blu-ray Limited Edition Steelbook and DVD.
Individual episodes can be bought in HD and SD here.
Score: 1/10
Director: Jennifer Perrott
Producer: Nikki Wilson
Writer: Pete McTighe
Executive Producers: Chris Chibnall, Matt Strevens
Music: Segun Akinola
Cast:
The Doctor: Jodie Whittaker
Graham O’Brien: Bradley Walsh
Ryan Sinclair: Tosin Cole
Yasmin Khan: Mandip Gill
Judy Maddox: Julie Hesmondhalgh
Dan Cooper: Lee Mack
Jarva Slade: Callum Dixon
Kira Arlo: Claudia Jessie
Charlie Duffy: Leo Flanagan
Voice of Kerblam: Matthew Gravelle
Previously on DVDfever:
November 11th:
Kerblam, is the seventh episode of Doctor Who Series 11, and has a trailer which shows the Scooby Doo gang are in the galaxy’s equivalent of Amazon, aka of the galaxy’s largest retailer, Kerblam. There they’ll meet Julie Hesmondhalgh (Broadchurch, Coronation Street) and Lee Mack… I do hope he dies. Can’t stand him!
Again, we have a different writer than Chris Chibnall, and it’s Pete McTighe, who has written a ton of Neighbours in recent years, plus the ongoing series Wentworth Prison, and its Dutch remake, Celblok H, and also its German remake, Block B – Unter Arrest.
It’s also directed by Jennifer Perrott, who directed episode 5, The Tsuranga Conundrum.
Kerblam is broadcast at 6.30pm on BBC1 next Sunday.
Read our review for Demons of the Punjab.
Director: Jennifer Perrott
Producer: Nikki Wilson
Writer: Pete McTighe
Executive Producers: Chris Chibnall, Matt Strevens
Music: Segun Akinola
Cast:
The Doctor: Jodie Whittaker
Graham O’Brien: Bradley Walsh
Ryan Sinclair: Tosin Cole
Yasmin Khan: Mandip Gill
Judy Maddox: Julie Hesmondhalgh
Dan Cooper: Lee Mack
Jarva Slade: Callum Dixon
Kira Arlo: Claudia Jessie
Charlie Duffy: Leo Flanagan
Voice of Kerblam: Matthew Gravelle
Check out the brand new trailer below along with a look at what police officer Yasmin Khan has on file about the Pting from episode five.
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.