Earth Station Who Episode 94: Love & Monsters

It’s somewhat telling that Underground Toys released an action figure of the Hoix monster from the beginning of Love & Monsters but not the main alien, the Abzorbaloff. 

 

The Abzorbaloff was designed by nine-year-old William Grantham by way of a Blue Peter contest. I’m sure Mr. Grantham – now seventeen if my math is right – is well into regretting this particular victory. 

 

All in all I have always had a fondness for this particular story, mostly stemming from Marc Warren’s charming performance and the use of the magical tunes of the Electric Light Orchestra. This is probably the fourth of fifth time I’ve seen it and for whatever reason the alien bothered me a lot this time. I know I never particularly cared for it, but this time it really made me groan. On top of that, once Earth Station Who got underway certain other things were pointed out. Some are story problems, some are social issues that I think certain folks might be overly tweaked about.

Things I love about this story – Marc Warren as Elton, Peter Kay as pre-transformation Mr. Kennedy (Kennedy), the interaction and companionship of L.I.N.D.A., E.L.O., and the continuation of the theme of the collateral damage the Doctor leaves in his wake.

Things I do not love about this story – everything having to do with the post-transformation Abzorbaloff, the fact that most of L.I.N.D.A. dies, the horror of the Ursula Tile, and the fact that there wasn’t more E.L.O.

Join me, Director Faber, Mike Gordon, Jennifer Hartshorn, and our special guest Mary Ogle as we take a look at this story from David Tennant’s first season as the Doctor:

Earth Station Who 94: Love & Monsters