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Comic Relief: Doctor Who - The Curse of Fatal Death (1999) (TV)
9 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
Hilarious Parody - But Not for Oversensitive Purists, 13 April 2004
Author: Johanna Mead from San Francisco, CA
I grew up with Dr. Who, I enjoy the show, and I laughed my socks off during "The Curse of Fatal Death"
The piece tries to amuse both long-time fans of the show, and casual viewers who only know it 'that cheesy British sci-fi show', so it has a fair bit of juggling to do. However, the the comedy draws from both ends of the spectrum and, I think, can provoke laughter from anyone who has a passing familiarity with the original.
All of the actors (Atkinson, REG, Broadbent et al) manage to put their own mark on the character during their brief interlude as the Gallifreyan Timelord and seemed to have fun doing it. Pryce was clearly having far too much fun hamming it up as The Master. Pryce's comments about prepping for his role make watching the 'making-of' segment on the video worth the time, alone - and the rest of it is quite entertaining, too.
Granted, the humor can be a bit broad, but this isn't a subtle social satire, folks, it's a blatant parody and, as such, some silly things are going to happen. I've heard rumbling complaints from purists about CoFD being "disrespectful" or something and I think that mayhaps those fans are taking themselves too seriously. If you can't laugh at yourself, then it's probably too late for you...
7 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
A funny and surprisingly apt nostalgia piece, 3 November 1999
Author: Calli-2 from Twin Cities, Minnesota
Being American, I was unable to watch this 4-part, 30-minute skit in all its PAL-encoded glory. Instead, I watched it in the grainy RealVideo version provided for a short time by the BBC. I was blown away.
Astonishingly, this comedy sketch captured the essence of "Doctor Who" better than the 1996 film (although Paul McGann's performance was magnificent, the rest of the film was mediocre). There are cheap sets, identical corridors to run down, backstory to be related by the Doctor, popular old villains (including the Master and the Daleks), the TARDIS.... Even the music was genuine, recycled from many old "Doctor Who" episodes.
Plus, this skit had quite possibly the most star-studded cast "Doctor Who" will ever have. And they were all working for free.
Rowan Atkinson played the Ninth Doctor surprisingly straight; if the series does pick up again, he'd be an admirable choice for the part. Julia Sawalha portrays his companion (and fiancee!) Emma, a classic Who companion who manages to never look stupid when she asks the Doctor to explain the situation. The incomparable Jonathan Pryce plays possibly the hammiest Master yet, with strong shades of Anthony Ainley showing through. And as beautiful as the past voices of the Master might be, Pryce has a real gift in his voice for playing villains.
In the last episode, the Doctor regenerates repeatedly, showing us Richard E Grant (the Doctor has now been played by both Withnail *and* I!), Jim Broadbent, Hugh Grant and, of course, Joanna Lumley. All characterizations of the Doctor, although done for laughs, are flawless. The Daleks are their usual horrid selves.
This skit was the highest-rating portion of the Comic Relief marathon. Perhaps this should tell the BBC something? For instance, it could tell them they *don't* have to do a big-budget "Doctor Who" to satisfy their audience!
6 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
I Enjoyed This Amusing Parody, 8 October 1999
Author: Charles Daniels
Curse of Fatal Death is one of the best produced Doctor Who parodies I've ever seen. It has jokes not only poking fun at the show but jokes genuinely meant to appeal to fans of the series. Rowan Atkinson makes an excellent choice as the comic Doctor along with the various other surprising guest stars to play the role in this rapid regeneration riot.
Produced originally for Red Nose Day this will no doubt be a favorite of fans for years to come. Highly recommended to all Doctor Who fans!
5 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
For Whovians., 13 July 2003
Author: jacfu from Iowa
I have seen every episode of the Doctor Who series, and so I felt obligated to watch this as well. I loved it. Rowan Atkins as the 9th Doctor is totally believable. You wonder why he never was picked as the Doctor in the tv series. Johnathan Pryce made the most hilarious Master, giving credibility to such lines as "The deadly vengeance of deadly revenge!". Long time Doctor Who fans should love this. In fact, anyone who never saw an episode of Doctor Who will find it funny as well.
4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Excellent parody!, 23 June 2004
Author: dittoheadaz from Phoenix, AZ
Rowan Atkinson filled the role so well, there's some consideration that he will be picked for the new series... hey, he's got MY vote!
Excellent performances throughout - Jon Pryce was great as the pseudo-Master (and had a somewhat striking resemblance to Roger Delgado) - and it was a nice surprise to see Joanna Lumley again. (It's ALWAYS nice to see Joanna Lumley...)
If you got the video rather than just seeing it on the Beeb, you got to see the Lenny Henry sketch. I give that a thumbs-up as well, mainly because of Lenny Henry - his characterization reminded me of Gareth Blackstock (Chef!) and his delivery is flawless (of course, the parody script was quite goofy, but then it's supposed to be...)
4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Just for the fun of it, 10 February 2002
Author: John Langbein (medrjel) from Dixie, USA
I read the reviews. Most say it's brilliant. Some say it's terrible. I think it's just what you could ask for a parody. It can stand up on it's own, but if you are familiar with the series, it can be a lot of fun. Take Dr. Who, Steal a bit from "Bill and Ted", and add a twist of Blackadder and you get a suprisingly good story that's easy to follow and fun to watch. The multiple regenerations are quite silly, but what do you expect. Jonathan Pryce adds a touch of class as the Master in spite of everything. If you know anything about Dr. Who, you will probably enjoy it if you remember not to take it too seriously.
5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Outstanding!, 14 January 2001
Author: Robert Perry (drwhobob@azstarnet.com) from Tucson, AZ
This parody, originally aired on Red Nosed Day as a 4-part skit, is now available in the US as a two-part story on VHS, along with additional footage on the making of, and some interesting extras, and is well worth the purchase.
Rowan Atkinson is brilliant in his very Tom Baker-ish portrayal of the Doctor, although I do detect a hint of Sylvester McCoy. Jonathan Pryce is hilariously sinister as the Master, bringing much Roger Delgado to the role.
The show pokes good-natured fun at the original series, especially the infamous "I'll tell you later" asides that are never explained.
Worth a look by all Dr. Who fans.
3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Moo-ha-ha-ha-ha-haaaaaaaaaaa!, 26 March 2001
Author: zedthedestroyer from Chicago
Although not to be taken seriously, "Curse of the Fatal Death" is a labor of love. The script features a lot of fan-pleasing moments and references. Rowan Atkinson proves how good a Doctor he could've been by playing the character straight, and not primarily for laughs. On the opposite end of the spectrum is Jonathan Pryce, who is just as excellent as the Master, going waaaaaaaaay over the top. The best part of the sketch is the quick-change regenerations near the end where Richard E. Grant, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Grant, and Joanna Lumley all play the Doctor in less than five minutes. Richard Grant is hilarious as the sex-fiend Doctor who has a good laugh over the Master's Dalek "bumps". Hugh Grant surprised me with his portrayal.
The video release also contains a "Making Of" special which may even be more funny than the sketch itself. Jonathan Pryce is the highlight of this section, proving how completely bonkers he really is. His interpretations of the Master's various laughs are hilarious.
3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Extremely funny and smart tribute to the series., 1 August 2000
Author: (hispro@bright.net) from Celina, Ohio
I found this comedy to be hilariously funny and smart. A fitting tribute to a series that still can attract millions of viewers and should continue for many years to come. The writer and producers were very careful not to make this into a "parody" and send up the series - this would have been wrong and objected by its many fans.
Rowan Atkinson makes a fine Doctor Who. Jim Broadbent is remarkably similar to the Master in the actual Doctor Who TV series - they should allow him to continue the role should the series ever be brought back. And the surprise appearance of Hugh Grant was wonderfully placed - he would also make a very fine Doctor Who should it be continued.
Overall, a very enjoyable adventure.
Positively Bloody Marvelous!, 14 June 2007
Author: qijdigoldwing from United States
I've watched Dr. Who ever since 1974 and have seen virtually every Who ever made... including several of the off shoots of Who... Frankly... This is one of the best bits of Comic Relief I've encountered so far... I mean!... Absolutely Everyone in the short film spots is very famous and talented... Seeing Saffron after all these years is a real pleasure and Jim Broadbent was a real surprise.. Frankly... I'd like to see many more of these sorts of Truly entertaining comedies based on one of the founding stones of my entertainment life... Rowen as the " Good Doctor " is just tooooooooooooooooo much... Capricornian sarcastic wit is really a hoot. Thanks to everyone who participated... Thanks so much.. Blessed Be.
Q.
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