Doctor Who: Space Babies Review - 7 Ups & 3 Downs
3. DOWN - The Big Space Arse
It's been 19 years since Aliens of London/World War Three, and Russell T Davies still finds farts as funny as ever. You can imagine him hooting with laughter as he writes the directions of a giant space arse guffing its way through the stars.
However, in an episode that also features a monster made of bogies and a companion covered in snot, the giant guffing space arse just comes across as embarrassing.
Without wanting to get all serious and scientific about a space arse, methane can be used as a rocket propellant. So yes, a space ship powered by farts, or in this case rotten nappies is a funny idea.
The problem is that RTD flogs the joke to death by showing the space station's globes parting to eject a big cloud of methane. Sure, it's probably really funny to a generation of kids that watch Captain Underpants and Thunderpants.
However, shouldn't Doctor Who's big bold Disney+ era be skewing more toward a young adult audience? Particularly with Sex Education's Ncuti Gatwa as the lead?
Still, at least they showed some restraint by not playing a huge comedy fart sound when the giant space arse ejected its nappy gas.