Doctor Who

Series seven, episode thirteen
We knew they’d be back, and ‘Nightmare in Silver’ duly delivers the Cybermen. The Doctor, Clara and her young charges Artie and Angie encounter their foes as exhibits at a derelict intergalactic amusement park, Hedgewick’s World of Wonders. But don’t panic – they’ve been deactivated for years. What could possibly go wrong? Plenty, when Neil Gaiman’s on writing duties.

The author of ‘Stardust’ and ‘Coraline’ once again proves a good fit for a series which exploits childhood fears so ruthlessly. A couple of twists smack of the midi-chlorians fiasco in ‘Star Wars’ and neither Warwick Davis and Tamzin Outhwaite, hanging around the park for their own good reasons, is really given enough to do. But the relentless pace ensures loose ends are forgotten, while Matt Smith once again has a high old time when the Doctor suffers something of a split personality about a game of chess. Yes, it’s that sort of episode.