Why These 5 Hated Doctor Who Episodes Aren't As Bad As You Think

WHY IT'S HATED: Where to start... It's fair to say that the Abzorbaloff didn't go down terribly well here, thanks to a combination of three equally poor decisions. Firstly, the decision to let a ten-year old design a monster for a prime-time television show, secondly, the terrible casting of Peter Kay, and finally, but by no means least, the decision to send the prosthetics department away with seemingly about a tenner to design the costume for this week's villain. There's also no glossing over the fact that this episode makes perhaps the strangest and completely out-of-place joke in fifty-six years of Who by suggesting that our protagonist has done the dirty with a paving slab that has Moaning Myrtle's face.

WHY IT'S NOT BAD: Next time you watch this episode, simply turn it off just as Elton and Ursula leave to get a curry, and pretend that they go off and live a happy life without a concern for Victor Kennedy or the Doctor. You'll find yourself with a heart-warming little tale about a man who chases for answers all his life at the expense of living for himself, before finally realising that his own happiness is far more important. Plus you'll avoid pretty much everything that makes this episode fall apart.

Love and Monsters gets a terrible, terrible wrap, but subtracting the terrible elements leaves you with proof that the Doctor-lite idea absolutely can work, a concept that was applied far more effectively the following year in the universally acclaimed Blink. Marc Warren does a brilliant job as star Elton Pope, carrying the show and giving it a different but very welcome vibe and sense of humour, as well as a switch up to the usual pace and formula. The episode is essentially written as one giant metaphor for the Doctor Who fandom and it's rather sweet at heart, with the scenes of the LINDA gang bringing a real wholesome, light hearted atmosphere to the entire thing. Finally, the episode gives some much needed depth and characterisation to Jackie Tyler, setting up her role in the finale brilliantly.

Also, who doesn't love a bit of ELO.