Kinda

Sublime television, surprisingly modern in everything from direction to tone.

Despite being studio bound, set design is tastefully handled with stark contrasts and unique interpretations of satirical interplanetary colonialism. The political satire is utterly undetectable to all but those looking for it, as are the plentiful Buddhist homages and philosophical explorations. All of this is simply the icing on the cake, with Kinda functioning as a sublime Doctor Who serial for newcomer alike.

The aforementioned set design is not the only aspect of the production that feels far more financially endowed than we're used to. The guest cast is without exception, exceptional, and play straightly everything from madness to high sci-fi. There's snappy direction, that is flat out experimental art-house for scenes with Tegan, who's treated with a dignity sorely lacking in Four to Doomsday. Furthermore, there's a genuine sense following the resolution that plot elements had a dramatic psychological impact - dramatic weight and payoff quite rare for Doctor Who after a good few years of harmless science fantasy fluff.

All in all a superbly produced inventive script, making the most of Doctor Who's format to really engage viewers of all ages and interests.

Kinda was a very fun and enjoyable story, despite things that would seem to make it not work. The Doctor is essentially held in check for the first 2 1/2 episodes. Nyssa is absent, Tegan's only role in the story is to dream and be possessed. Adric has a fairly strong story. He does try some trickery to help the Doctor and he makes a few contributions to the plot (though his biggest in Part Four is mostly unintentional.) He and Tegan share a scene in Part Four where they confirm how useless they are to the overall plot and Adric has his only annoying moment of the serial.

So why does this work? Kinda is so enjoyable because it takes a well-worn concept of "primitive people" v. "outsiders" that Doctor Who has done to death and makes it very fresh. Christopher Bailey does a great job world building and mixing in powerful imagery into the story. The cast of characters inside the exploratory dome are fantastic and the madness of the security chief beginning with the cliffhanger in Part One. Other than the few shots in Parts Three and Four that assure us that yes, Tegan is still sleeping on the ground, this story never ceases to entertain. The Doctor does come on strong and sell the solution to the problem of the Mara quite nicely. A surprisingly entertaining story.