With this entry on the countdown, it is not the design or execution of the creature effect that's being mocked, but rather the choice to have the Slitheen pass gas. At the risk of intruding on private grief, it's enough to say that it's difficult to explain the appeal and value of Doctor Who to a non-fan when the aliens in the episode spend all their farting. Rather surprisingly, the Slitheen who later appeared in the Sarah Jane Adventures passed wind much less frequently, and that was in a show aimed squarely at kids. This entry was a rare instance of bad taste from showrunner, Russell T Davies.
Mike has lived in the UK, Japan and the USA. Currently, he is based in Iowa with his wife and 2 young children. After working for many years as a writer and editor for a large corporation, he is now a freelancer. He has been fortunate enough to contribute to many books on Doctor Who over the last 20 years and is now concentrating on original sci-fi & fantasy short stories, with recent sales including Flame Tree, Uffda, and The Martian Wave. Also, look for his contribution on Blake's 7 to "You and Who Else", a charity anthology to be released later this year.
You can find him on Tumblr at https://www.tumblr.com/blog/culttvmike
