Doctor Who (TV Series) Tooth and Claw (2006) User Reviews

Visually stunning with a solid story

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 13 August 2015]

Well they managed to cram a lot into 45 minutes, it's nice to get a Scottish theme, Terror of the Zygons seems a long time ago.

It races into the action within a minute, and the opening scenes are beautifully done, the fight scenes are tremendous, but it's not all style over substance. The story is a very clever one, very imaginative.

The Doctor and Rose land in 1879 and encounter a Werewolf in Scotland. A group of fighter monks overrun the household of Sir Robert and imprison the staff in an outhouse with 'someone.' Whilst the Doctor, Rose, Victoria and guards turn up to stay at the house. The someone turns out to be a werewolf wanting to transform mankind by overtaking the throne by biting Queen Victoria.

The Special effects are possibly the series best so far, the hosts transformation into a werewolf is amazingly done. The CGI effects work far better then those used say with the Slitheen.

Pauline Collins returns to Doctor Who to play Queen Victoria 39 years after playing Samantha Briggs in Patrick Troughton's The Faceless ones. She does a super job in the role, with enough charisma to hold the story up. Tom Smith in the short time that he plays the host is utterly brilliant, he plays it with such bleakness.

All in all a very good episode, which has tremendous pace, great effects, some real scares and again it feels unique. The solution is a particularly satisfying one.

An Alien Werewolf in Scotland

[MaxBorg89 · 9/10 · 19 December 2010]

Having started in a not entirely satisfactory fashion with premiere episode New Earth, the second season of Doctor Who ups its game considerably with this second offering, another Russell T. Davies-penned adventure that ditches other planets in favor of a (sort of) historical adventure that deftly mixes the show's trademark humor with some genuine horror.

Having left New Earth, the Doctor's plan was to take Rose back to 1979, a year he likes for many reasons (one of them being the Muppet movie). However, due to a TARDIS mishap, they find themselves in 1879, more specifically in Scotland, where they run into a vacationing Queen Victoria (Pauline Collins). The Doctor poses as a Scottish physician to gain access to her entourage, and soon discovers something dangerous is in the working: a conspiracy involving deranged monks and an alien entity in the shape of a werewolf...

While there is a bit of mythology in the script (the name Torchwood is mentioned once again), Tooth and Claw works perfectly as a self-contained story with hints of John Landis, most explicitly in a wonderful scene where the Doctor and Rose, while hiding from the wolf, giddily express their excitement about the situation. The wolf itself is a credible threat, although a couple of shots are slightly let down by the visual effects. As for Collins, who continues the tradition of portraying real people in the series (following Simon Callow's class act as Dickens in The Unquiet Dead), her rendition of Victoria is suitably cold and amusing. Plus, the in-joke of the Doctor faking a Scottish accent (Tennant's own, in fact), followed Rose trying to do the same with appalling results, is one of the funniest moments in the series so far.

Lycan this one.

[southdavid · 8/10 · 23 July 2020]

As my specific recollections about the episode start to get a little less clear, I'm feel like I'm finding them anew in some cases, and in the case of this one, it was a pleasant surprise just how good it was.

Despite aiming for the Top Rank in Sheffield, 1979, to see Ian Dury and the Blockheads, the Doctor (David Tennant) and Rose (Billie Piper) land in 1879 Scotland and into the company of none other than Queen Victoria (Pauline Collins) as she makes an annual pilgrimage. However, her arrival has been anticipated and a trap awaits her at Torchwood House, in the form of shaolin monks and a werewolf they have in their possession.

Let's start with the opposite remark to something I've said in a number of my reviews so far, the CGI effect for the Werewolf is really good. There is a classic transition, which is passible without being too scary for the children who might be watching, but then the creature itself is a pretty solid effect, maintains scale throughout and interacts with various characters and objects without giving itself away.

The rest of the episode is decent. The warrior monk aspect was a little corny, especially with the fight scene at the start, but once that was over with they played their part OK. The story was well thought out and foreshadows the ending well enough that you can follow the Doctors' reasoning. Piper and Tennant remain an engaging pair together, there's more comedy again, with Rose trying to get Queen Victoria to say that she's "not amused". I really liked the turn at the end, we're so used to characters saying thank you and goodbye to the Doctor after he saves them, that seeing Queen Victoria turn on him and banish him from the Empire, as well as trying to exhort her own control of the world she's now aware of, seems like a logical way to go - as well as seeding much of the arc of this season, and laying the foundations for the "Torchwood" spin off.

Good episode.

Queen Victoria and the Werewolf

[A_Kind_Of_CineMagic · 10/10 · 29 November 2018]

This episode reminds me in a very good way of the greatest era of the show in the early seasons of Tom Baker's era as the 4th Doctor in that it has gothic horror themes and is properly creepy, atmospheric, exciting and scary as well as having some great witty humour.

The story has the TARDIS taking the 10th Doctor and Rose to Victorian era Scotland where they actually meet Queen Victoria. Meanwhile a werewolf type creature appears and the Doctor has to try to save the day whilst dealing with the Queen and her entourage at the same time.

The humour is great, the scares are great and Tennant well and truly shines in the role of the Doctor . Pauline Collins (who appeared in a 2nd Doctor story in the 1960s called The Faceless Ones) is marvelous as Queen Victoria and the acting and production all round are impressive.

It is not, for me, an absolute all time great 10/10 but is very close so I rate it 9.5/10.

Absolutely phenomenal

[ametaphysicalshark · 20 June 2007]

"Tooth and Claw" is simply put, one of the finest episodes of Doctor Who in either of its incarnations. It is a spectacular feast for the eyes, featuring excellent production values and oft inventive direction and cinematography, for television anyhow. I realize I am in a distinct minority when saying this, but "Tooth and Claw" to me was an example of just how exhilarating and utterly captivating Doctor Who can be at its absolute best. The '12' rating bestowed upon this by the BBFC will give you an idea of the oft risqué content, especially for a program that should be 'family-oriented'. In many ways, this is a traditional Doctor Who tale, creepy and well-written with sharp, witty dialogue to boot.

Another thing is, I never found Werewolves creepy or scary at all, with a couple of notable exceptions (An American Werewolf in London), but this episode makes it work with very little violence at all. It's one of the creepiest Doctor Who episodes I've ever seen. Kudos to Euros Lyn for this stunning visual feast. His direction is often inventive and quite surprisingly excellent by the standards often expected from television, and his pacing is also excellent. He would go on to direct "The Girl in the Fireplace" and "The Idiot's Lantern", both of which were also superb visually.

Letter Grade: A+

A taste of things to come?

[movieman_kev · 9/10 · 25 April 2006]

Wishing to use the TARDIS to travel to 1979 for a bit of fun, instead Rose and the Doctor find themselves in 1879, where they have to deal with protecting Queen Victoria from warrior monks, and werewolves. David Tennet gets to use his normal Scottish accent which is enjoyable, and the episode on a whole is immensely watchable and thrilling. I didn't really fancy Rose's constant attempts to get the Queen to say "we are not amused", but that's just one little nitpick in a otherwise brilliant episode. One that I believe will have some repercussions on further episodes (well and the Doctor Who spin-off "Torchwood" obviously). Next week it seems we'll finally see the (and some would say,long overdue) return of previous Doctor companions, Sarah Jane and the canine K-9. I, for one, can't wait.

My Grade: A

A Far From Timorous Beastie...

[Xstal · 6/10 · 4 December 2021]

It is 1879, although the TARDIS rhythm stick is stuck and it should be 1979, either way the Doctor and Rose find themselves in deepest, darkest Scotland. They hitch a lift with Queen Victoria (as you do) and her rerouted entourage, before stopping at the Torchwood Estate not long after sabotage, where they're about to encounter a beast who is not in camouflage - no sheep's clothing here. There's a bit of cat and mouse, round the besieged highland house, but no need to give up hope with Prince Albert's telescope, it's not long before they're back to shooting grouse (not a lot else to do in that part of the world in all fairness).

The Doctor and his Companion

[wetmars · 10/10 · 5 August 2020]

Tennant is very likeable at the start, just a great Doctor. Everything worked out on this episode, bravo!

Effective But Flawed Traditional Story

[Theo Robertson · 7/10 · 30 April 2008]

DOCTOR WHO is a show perceived to be something similar to a horror movie . We can all look back over the decades and talk about the stories that gave us nightmares . The Pertwee era really terrified me with stories that featured inanimate objects coming to life in stories like Spearhead From Space , Terror Of The Autons and The Deamons . It should be remembered however that the show's creator didn't envisage this and concepts like human beings being killed one by one by creepy monsters didn't really start until the early Troughton era . Still monsters that caused generations of children to go running behind the sofa is probably what the show should be remembered for and it's this type of story that can be described as " traditional " and Tooth And Claw is a good example

The episode gets off to a great start as a bunch of monks turn up at a Scottish estate demanding the use of the house . When the staff refuse their request WHALLOP they show off their martial art skills in a scene borrowed from THE MATRIX . Say what you like about RTD but he knows how to draw the audience in to a story and this is a very good example of a story hook . Director Euros Lynn also deserves great credit for making a very atmospheric story work , especially in the scenes where the werewolf stalks the humans . Unfortunately there's one very obvious flaw to the story and that's down to the script - The kung-fu monks disappear without any mention what so ever as to how and why and this is a fundamental problem with RTD scripts . I also disliked the ending which is resolved far too easily which is yet another problem of the writing

Not too be totally negative however this is a highly enjoyable piece of television and no doubt many children who saw it will remember it for years to come . If the writing had been a little more thought out then this would have been an instant classic . As it stands it's merely a very good example of a traditional DOCTOR WHO story

I am amused.

[MrFilmAndTelevisionShow · 9/10 · 18 March 2021]

This was a very funny, well made episode for the new Doctor I thought it was great, there was comedy, mixed in with horror and mystery and it all made for one great episode easilly in my view 9/10 perhaps 9.5.

Tooth and Claw has no teeth

[dkiliane · 6/10 · 12 February 2019]

I wish I could say this episode was a howling good time (werewolf pun intended), but I'm afraid it wasn't. David Tennant, again, a joy to watch as the Doctor, but he's not really given much opportunity to shine in this episode. And I understand Billie Piper wanted to incorporate more comedy into her role for the second season but..the humor for her character falls flat in this episode, reduced to somewhat irritating running gags trying to get the queen to say "I am not amused" and complaining Rose is naked (for the time period) since she just wearing a t-shirt and overalls. Also, she wears a t-shirt and overalls.

But the real problem with the episode is that it doesn't feel like a Doctor Who episode. Perhaps an interesting Doctor Who and werewolf crossover could be had but this wasn't it. Aside from the cool martial arts scene at the very beginning (which basically had no purpose) the rest of the episode is just a mildly entertaining werewolf story. 6/10

The histroical forshadowing of Torchwood

[The-Last-Prydonian · 9/10 · 12 February 2023]

The Doctor intends to take Rose to 1979, but the TARDIS due to its typical erratic nature takes them to 1879, where the pair of them meet Queen Victoria in Scotland. The Doctor poses as the Queen's protector under the pseudonym of Dr. James McCrimmon, and the Time Lord and his companion travel along with her Majesty and her entourage to the home of Sir Robert MacLeish. Unknown to them, Sir Robert's wife and his servants have been kidnapped, and imprisoned in his own home by a group of monks who have fallen from grace, and want to bring about the rise of "The Empire of the Wolf." A new order ruled over by an alien creature, resembling a Werewolf, whose bite or scratch can essentially transform the recipient of said bite, into a wolfish creature. The intention is that it will kill Queen Victoria, and bring about its existence.

The Second episode of Series 2, of NuWho, "Tooth and Claw" is one of the better episodes of Russell T. Davies's run not only as Showrunner but as a writer. It's a simple concept, but one delivered with some considerable verve. David Tennant is on solid form as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor, as is Billie Piper, who continues to impress as his companion Rose, who proves that acting was always going to be her true calling, rather than her brief stint as a teen princess pop-singer. Many balked at her casting and were too quick to make assumptions about her abilities as an actress. But she proved the naysayers wrong, winning two British television Awards for her work on the series.

Guest appearing is veteran actress, Pauline Collins of Shirley Valentine and Upstairs Downstairs fame, who provides reliable and solid support as Queen Victoria, and brings the required amount of sovereignty and dignity to the role. The rest of the supporting cast for the most part equals her considerable talents. That said Michelle Duncan who plays Sir. Roberts's Wife, Lady Isobell proves to be a weak link, who proves to be lifeless as a corpse, although given the relative smallness of her role proves to be a minor flaw that doesn't impact too much on the overall quality of this outing.

What makes the story all that bit enjoyable, and brings an ounce of nostalgic Whoish, fan-boy joy to it, is the Doctor using the alias of James McCrimmon, an obvious reference to his former Jacobite rebel companion, Jamie (as once played by veteran actor Frazer Hines) from the late 1960s run of the series.

The story is fanciful enough, although its final code foreshadows the introduction of the Torchwood Institute that would be introduced at the end of the series, as it would the spin-off show. A TV series that had an all-too-short run, and would give, former traveling companion, the dashing Captain Jack Harkness (as played by the charismatic and handsome John Barrowman) his own TV series. It does however feel a bit too phoned in its delivery. Not to mention that the martial-artistic abilities of the Monks, although it does make for an entertaining hook, are somewhat anachronistic, it's something I can forgive because, what can I say, it still looks goddamn cool. Hell, this is Doctor Who after all. Tooth and Claw is immense fun, with minor flaws that I am willing to look over, because of its steady breakneck pace, embracing characters, and the discernibly palpable chemistry between David Tennant and Billie Piper. In short, don't give this one a miss.

A guilty pleasure for me!

[rohanumpleby-34057 · 7/10 · 23 February 2023]

Care for me to explain why?, you ready for this review then let's get started with ofcourse the positives

Pauline Collins as the Queen was a great casting choice, probably one of the best casting choices in any show. When she spoke she had so much expression on her face and you could see she was trying to put on a good performance, and she succeeded in that. Her facial expressions really made her performance that much better and her line of delivery was absolutely perfect. This is good because of her on screen presence, and her performance is Solid. A supernatural tale about Nuns and the hostile women really made this one a threat, being with the Supernatural Wearwolf with no help really adds to the threat of this story. The design for 2006 standards is pretty good in my eyes. I also love anything that deals with Supernatural spirits and stuff like that so that is probably why it gets a 7 and not a 6, bummed the rating up a bit because of my love for Wearwolfs and the Supernatural. The Set up for Torchwood right at the end is good as well because we got set up and then got pay off, so it felt like a completed story by the end. 'Enuff' twists and turns to keep the audience engaged and interesting. The new entirier design for the TARDIS is also really cool, and maybe even better then the first Siries.

The Negatives

The Doctor and Rose aren't as good of a duo as Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper's on screen chemistry was so well crafted within the stories making Siries 1 a completed siries, this could be to do with the writing. The story did brush aside some elements it could of touched on, like why the Nuns were there and why they wanted to kill the Queen. The Nuns seemed to really only be there to trap people and let the Wearwolf out, which was a bit of a shame. They don't really get much to do. How the Doctor Kills of the Wearwolf seemed unsatisfying with the fact it was killed off via a Telescope, it just seemed rushed. One of RTD worst written Episodes.

So now time for my Verdict,

Rating:7.5/10,Fresh Score:75% Certified fresh.

Doesn't quite work.

[W011y4m5 · 5/10 · 29 March 2020]

It brings me absolutely no pleasure to say this but "Tooth & Claw" is really bad, isn't it?

Feels like Russell wrote it for the sole purpose of setting up "Torchwood" - hence, the story itself isn't interesting as it's a forced, formulaic, obligatory backstory - with every creative decision hinging on building up to something we don't actually see in this episode.

You just get the impression throughout that he penned the scene describing the formation of the institute & then worked backwards from there... Crafting the narrative in service of a greater overarching arc at the expense of this individual outing in the season.

Hugely entertaining stuff...

[stevenjlowe82 · 9/10 · 18 October 2023]

I thoroughly enjoyed this outing with the Doctor and Rose joining Queen Victoria to fend off ninja monks and a Werewolf.

The banter between the Doctor and Rose flows very naturally and I enjoy their scenes together immensely. It's actually easy to see why Rose falls for this particular incarnation. Tenant brings buckets of charm and charisma to the role. Pauline Collins was also very enjoyable as the pompous and stuffy royal but she had a softness that was nice to round out her character more.

The opening scene with the ninja monks or werewolf cultists is probably more fitting was very entertaining. The CGI wolf was a bit meh but still worked as an effective threat coupled with the menacing cultists. Overall a fun episode made all the better by terrific performances from the cast.

A Victorian Romp with Bite

[hwiltshire-06889 · 8/10 · 3 April 2024]

Tooth and Claw delivers an atmospheric and exciting blend of Gothic horror and historical adventure. Introducing the origins of the Torchwood Institute, it marks a crucial chapter in the new Doctor Who mythos as well as a thrilling standalone story.

The Scottish Highlands setting is gorgeous and lends itself perfectly to the werewolf tale. Queen Victoria, portrayed brilliantly by Pauline Collins, is a delightful addition, both regal and surprisingly down-to-earth. Billie Piper shines as Rose, but this is truly David Tennant's episode. His Tenth Doctor is bursting with energy, wit, and hints of underlying darkness.

The plot's central threat - a psychic, alien werewolf - might seem over-the-top, but the execution is superb. The tension builds skillfully alongside witty banter, creating a genuinely enjoyable romp. The episode doesn't shy away from its horror roots, with some well-done scares and a surprising amount of gore for Doctor Who.

Where Tooth and Claw falters slightly is in the occasional pacing hiccup and the somewhat convenient resolution that undercuts the buildup of the threat. However, these are minor nitpicks in an otherwise exceptionally fun episode.

Whether you love a good monster story, the Victorian aesthetic, or just want a glimpse of David Tennant at his charismatic best, Tooth and Claw offers a delightful mix of classic Doctor Who excitement and macabre charm. It's a solid 8 out of 10 and remains a standout of the Tenth Doctor's first season.

Solid but rushed

[zuyuuu · 9/10 · 5 October 2023]

Tooth and Claw begins lighthearted and comedic with a few running jokes. As the episode progressed, it took a very horror-esque turn. I think a werewolf is a nice change for the usual sci fi monsters the show usually displays. The main issue I have with the episode is I think it's a bit rushed. I believe it could've been much improved by being made into a two parter. It just tries to shove too many things into too short an episode.

Overall a well above average episode, helped by its moody atmosphere and comedic timing, but hurt by its issues with timing and being too jam packed. I would give it an 8.7/10, rounding to a 9.

Doesn't work as a Doctor Who episode

[warlordartos · 1/10 · 9 March 2021]

This would have worked better if it were a different TV show but this kind of supernatural does not belong on doctor who, However I am actually rating this 1 compared to most reviews that I rate 1 that are actually worth 0 but you cant rate 0. Needs to be watched to understand why the Royals hate The Doctor but that is about it

Falls under its own weight. Too much going on for just 45 minutes.

[zacpetch · 3/10 · 9 February 2015]

It's Doctor Who with a werewolf as the primary villain! It's going to be awesome! Or maybe not. It's actually going to be a forgettable 45 minutes with too much going on so that it fails to do justice by any of its plot strands and falls under its own weight.

You get a cult of monks that want to unleash a werewolf to kill Queen Victoria. You have the owner of a manor house under threat from them with his wife captured. You have a story in the past being told about Prince Albert and the landowner's father preparing for events they could not have possibly known would ever occur. None of these stories really has the time needed to develop properly, especially as they all take place against the backdrop of a monster chasing people through corridors. You get the feeling watching this that it should have maybe slowed down a bit and done things as a two-parter. It would be a classic then, as it is in reality it is a forgettable disposable filler episode good for nothing more than just making up the numbers.

The 10th is still a good Doctor at this point, probably Rose hasn't yet fully developed into the bi}c4 she'd turn into later, as such David Tennant and Billie Piper are great in this. Pauline Collins is good as the Queen. Heck, everyone is good in this episode, a rarity for any TV show! Shame that the script (RTD has begun his decent into bad writing now) doesn't reach its potential, RTD doesn't hit the right mark with it, biting off more than he can chew with too many plot elements going on that don't stand up to scrutiny or repeat viewings. Wasted opportunity for awesomeness that just fails. Shame. 3/10

Tooth and Bore

[cybermansec · 4/10 · 25 April 2007]

Tooth And Claw was an intelligent idea. It had Queen Victoria, historical facts and a computer-generated werewolf. What went wrong? Throughout this review I shall tell you why. Are you sitting comfortably? Good, then we'll begin… The werewolf was an obvious idea that probably took the Mill months of gruelling work to make, but it was overly used. Too many shots of that werewolf were used in this episode, including that POV shot where it killed people. Meanwhile the doctor and Rose are yet again in the past. This time they meet Queen Victoria, played wonderfully by Pauline Collins. A great booming voice and excellent costume design, that was the character that really was the most believable. The new doctor, David Tennant, is still not a good strong character. He is too over the top, one minute in this he is talking about the Koh-I-Noor diamond and the next he is shouting and messing up his hair. Billie Piper, what a wonderful actress, tries to stay as her usual self in this episode but eventually isn't. She is boring at times, useless at times and moody at times in this episode.

Of course out of 100 the story takes up about 75% so did that Russell write really good? Did he write horribly like he sometimes has in the past? Well this was one of the very few weak stories of Doctor Who. If you have purchased The Shooting Scripts lately then you will read Rose and probably enjoy it more on paper then on screen. It certainly worked with The End Of The World. So not only was this bad on screen it was also bad on paper. It's not like the doctor to kill a villain especially with something so simple as a telescope. The dialogue was mediocre at best and the monks were not used. That was very disappointing as the monks were actually better than the Host itself. That beginning was so brilliant. This story went nowhere at all, mistletoe destroys werewolf. That's something new.

Tooth and Claw was below average.