"Doctor Who"
The Lazarus Experiment (2007)

Director:

Richard Clark

Writer:

Stephen Greenhorn (written by)

TV Series:

"Doctor Who" (2005)

Original Air Date:

5 May 2007 (Season 3, Episode 6)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

Plot:

The famous Dr Lazarus has appeared to discover the secret of eternal youth - but do his experiments hide a sinister secret?

Plot Keywords:

Eccentricity | Man With No Name | Girl Heroine | Space Hero | Conflict

Cast

David Tennant	...	The Doctor
Freema Agyeman	...	Martha Jones
Gugu Mbatha-Raw	...	Tish Jones
Reggie Yates	...	Leo Jones
Adjoa Andoh	...	Francine Jones
Mark Gatiss	...	Lazarus
Thelma Barlow	...	Lady Thaw
Lucy O'Connell	...	Olive Woman
Bertie Carvel	...	Mysterious Man

Runtime:

45 min | 45 min (50 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:PG | UK:PG (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Wells Cathedral, Wells, Somerset, England, UK

Trivia:

An old head-cast of Vincent Price was tracked down and used by 'Neil Gorton' to add an aged and wrinkled look to the prosthetics Mark Gatiss wore when playing the elderly Dr Lazarus.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: When 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:

The Doctor: Oh, look, they've got nibbles! I love nibbles.

Movie Connections:

References This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

A simple tale, wonderfully executed

"The Lazarus Experiment" is a solid, highly entertaining episode from writer Stephen Greenhorn. Returning Martha to her home, 12 hours after she left on her intergalactic travels, The Doctor's interest is raised by Dr. Lazarus' claims of changing forever what it means to be human.

Lazarus is played by "Doctor Who" fanatic and "The League of Gentlemen" star Mark Gatiss. Gatiss is always superb and his portrayal of the ageing scientist given a major face-lift is excellent.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw is cute as a button as Martha's younger sister, Tish, while Adjoa Andoh plays the mother role to perfection.

The special effects take centre stage in "The Lazarus Experiment". Neill Gorton's makeup effects are as realistic as ever and the CGI work from The Mill gives the episode a Hollywood feel. The Lazarus creature is a marvellous design and the dynamic action scenes are jaw-dropping for a UK television production.

While this is a simple enough tale, the story continues the Mr. Saxon arc, really building up the suspense factor.

The future episodes look like absolute crackers from the sneak preview. Strap yourself in for what appears to be a true roller-coaster ride with the return of a familiar face...

9 out of 10. Great fun.