While there's plenty of gems in there, series 4 isn't one of my favourite's and I wasnt sure whether or not to review any others in series 4. However I felt like I had to talk about this episode as I think it's just brillinat and yet it doesent seem to be recognized as being that good. On a number of threads e.g. the worst stories ever etc (both my threads and I think, others) I've seen this episode and I wanted to know why it's seen so negatively, more than to just review it as really, it's a very good episode and certainly, it's the most fun episode in this series.

Remember this isnt meant to be a Midnight or an episode meant to be taken totally seriously. As RTD says it's an out and out comedy, their first "comedy" episode and while bringing in some powerful drama e.g. with the loss of Lady thing-y's child and the preist being revealed as him (forget moving statues and gas mask wearing zombies, while the actual vespiform wasn't at all scary (just cos it didnt look real, obvious CGI) I ****ing HATE that buzzing noise, comes from a phobia of Wasps, I cant stand Wasps, cant STAND them!), this episode is meant to be the funny one and it CERTAINLY succeeds in that respects. It's so funny throughout. Love the scene's where the Doctor and Agatha question each of the suspects in turn at the beginning, particularly fond of the old guy looking back at looking back at his old army days e.g stripclubs, and Lady Eddison taking a swig of whisky, so funny. Normally Catherine Tate can irritate me a bit but she's great here, love her just calmly munching at sweets during the big reveal scene! And that scene just summarises what this whole episodes about, it's not really taken that seriously with everyone being accussed and the guy in the wheelchair thinking he's been rused and standing up when in fact he didn't have to at all! A half parody of/half tribute to the works of Agatha Christie and the 20's. Also LOVE the scene when the Doctor's been poisoned, BRILLIANT!

"Is Noddy real? Noddy's not real! Tell me there's no Noddy! Tell me there's no Noddy!"

"There's no Noddy."

LOVE IT!

I agree - I love TUATW. So, so funny, Gareth Roberts is a genius. I love the bit where the Doctor shouts "MAIDEN! What does that mean?", it gently pokes fun at the tenth doctor's character.
A very good guest cast too, particularly Fenella Woolgar.

I too enjoyed this episode, Series 4 wasn't one of my favourites, but I own this episode on Dvd along with the Sontaran 2 parter and The Doctor's Daughter as they were my favourites of the series (as well as Turn Left, Stolen Earth, Journey's End).

I wanted so much to like this episode, but I'm afraid I find it shockingly bad.

I hate the comedy in it
I absolutely hate the poisoning scene
I hate the monster
I totally hate the forced references to Christie's works

Sorry but the episode just didn't work for me at all.

Personally I hated the episode..primarily because I thought the "comedy" was very badly written and performed (although of course we all have different tastes).

For me it was the sort of cringeworthy unfunny comedy that would even make the likes of Bobby Davro cringe and blush with embarrassment. It wasn't even worthy of CITV or CBBC.

To be fair on the episode... I thought almost all the "comedy" under the RTD era was very poor. For all the flaws of Moffat era...I find the cringe factor has been vastly reduced.

the "comedy" sinks it, its too arch,,too wink at the audience.

No tension in the piece. And Felicty Kendal has sex with a wasp?

I think I laughed at all the comedy episodes of C21 DW. Maybe I like them because they switch off the "serious, dark, brooding" bollocks which bores me to death. That's probly why the department store one is the only one I wholeheartedly enjoyed last year,

This one was great fun, and I am a total Agatha Christie fan so was in my element. The only problem is that I watched it the day after broadcast, and someone had already told me whodunnit before I had chance to watch it. Very bad etiquette for a whodunnit ...

It was a pretty good episode. Loved the Noddy bit and the poisoning scene but the resolution wasn't brilliant

Lol - they are the only Series 4 DVDs I have too (in fact, they are the only DW DVDs I own at all, full stop - and I didn't even buy them, my husband did!)

I enjoy watching TUATW, the 'how many titles' can you spot thing is funny when you're an AC fan like I am, and Catherine Tate is great in this (I loved her as a companion anyway - hate her comedienne line of work, though).

Anyway, that's what I think, but it seems to be a fairly even split between those who don't like it and those who do.

A very underrated episode.

sadly an episode I could never watch .. . phobia of wasps

I'm scared of them to, although, as I say above, dont really find that a problem. The vespiform doesent look real in this, it's really quite bad CGI. The only thing that gets me is that sound, buzzing, eeurgh, HATE it

I really enjoyed it too. I think the actress who played Christie was great and it could have been a lot worse if they'd cast someone else in that role.

But, one of my favourite scenes is Donna munching away coming out with "So, she killed him?" at random intervals at the end before the Doctor says "You, Donna Noble" and with a mouth full she squeals "Who did I kill?". So funny.

And also the "When I say giant, I don't big, I mean FLIPPIN' ENORMOUS".

I do love this episode. Its a pastiche sure & it could have been terrible but its warm and funny.Doctor to Donna 'You are ever so plucky!' and off she goes investigating finding a giant wasp.

Te scene where the Doctor is poisoned and gesturing madly with his hand .Donna :What do you want : Shake,.... Cocktail Shaker.... A Harvey Wallbanger ?The scene with the reveal where Donna is trying to follow who did it is hilarious.

Fenella Woolgar is a fascinating Agatha Christie- veryproper and classy English. She wouldnt be out of place in a Poirot story and I do like Felicity kendall in this ( clearly very dotty !)

I liked S4.

I also happen to like this episode.

I like the humor in it and thought it played well.

For a fun lighthearted episode, this is a good one

As a Christie fan, I did enjoy spotting the titles. It's not a great story other than that, really.

Absolutely loved this episode for a variety of reasons. First and foremost...the cast. Everyone was brilliant here, everyone had a brilliant role to play, and I think that aside from the odd joke being laid on a bit too thick the comedy was brilliant.

I love the fourth series as a whole, but my one gripe with it as a whole was the scale of the stories. All of them seemed absolutely world-changing before this episode and as much as I loved them all (The Doctor's Daugher aside), this was a lovely change of pace and a nice simple, self-contained story that the revived Who didn't do quite enough in RTD's era.

And more than that, this was just absolute fun. Mid-Series 3 dragged as Ten hadn't warmed to Martha, Mid-Series 2 was too dragged down with the Ten/Rose romance. This was a mid-series that balanced fun and good-storytelling before a run of really dark episodes that followed.

.....

Fenella Woolgar has been in two Poirots!

Forgot tos ay earlier: a couple of weeks ago, I stayed in the hotel where Agatha stayed during her disappearance. A thrilling experience for me, to walk in Agatha's footsteps. It looks nothing liwe the hotel seen in DW!

The poisoning scene is one of my favourite comedy moments ever.

Oh that's too salty!

Loved the Colonel's recollection within a recollection.

I always duck when the wasp starts chasing them up that staircase!

It's not very often that they do an all-out comedy. I LOVED this! And I also love Agatha Christie mysteries. So this was a real treat to see the Doctor and Donna in the roaring 20's!
It was very tongue-in-cheek - but it still retained the mystery and 'scariness' of that BIG wasp! Loved the parodied 'flashbacks' and the build-up to the final reveal.
Just a nice change from the norm!

If anyone didn't enjoy it - they should get a life!

There's a reason for that - it's not where she stayed! But glad to see that now it's more of a majority for this episode with fewer against it. It's one I can watch over and over and never get bored with. Now, maybe that says more about me than it does about the episode - I don't know - but sometimes it's good to have a few things you don't mind watching again and again, which become familiar 'old friends', and just sort of keep you company when you need a bit of distraction.

Did Russel T Davies jump the shark with this episode, it did it happen before the BBC assigned him to the series in the first place?