A lot has changed in these past four years. Cast members have left, the behind-the-scenes crew has changed and even The Doctor himself has made an appearance. But in 2010 the show faced one of the most significant changes affecting it since its inception: the alteration in mood and tone of Doctor Who itself, under the guidance of new showrunner Steven Moffat. However, The Nightmare Man eschews that formula and, rather than pussy-foot around the changes in tone in the wider Who universe, writer Joe Lidster engages with them head on. Going straight for the jugular, he plunges the audience into a world far removed from the Rentaghost-style pantomime that was last season’s opener (Prisoner Of The Judoon, if you’re keeping score) and instead roots the show in a milieu more in keeping with Simon Nye’srecent Who episode Amy’s Choice or the creepier SJA episodes penned by both Gareth Roberts and Phil Ford. Having previously made a huge impact with his brilliant and deranged turn as Davros in 2008’s Who finale, The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End, Bleach once again delivers a memorable and magnetic performance as the eponymous Nightmare Man. Bleach is at once playful, pathetic, enigmatic and downright creepy with a funeral pallor that gives him an almost carnival freak quality. This is full-blooded stuff for a kids tea-time show, but the production team keep the balance of taste and restraint just right and proceedings never slide over the edge of being too scary for the timeslot. Aside from being a top notch adventure in its own right, the conclusion of The Nightmare Man also establishes a new status quo for the show and leaves you with the nagging feeling that things just might not be as predictable or safe on Bannerman Road from here on out.
