Radio Times: Review by:; Mark Braxton

Following an episode that tested Rory and Amy's relationship to the limit, Doctor Who returns to the serious business of scaring. And in the hands of Being Human creator Toby Whithouse, the terrors in question are distinctly dark and perplexing.

The time trekkers arrive in a seedy hotel with garish 80s decor and cheesy muzak, and meet a motley clientele including clued-up medic Rita (a very promising turn from Amara Karan) and a timorous mole-man (played by David Walliams). But the outer doors lead only to brick walls, and the rooms harbour vivid personal nightmares. One guest, for instance, is tied up next to a cackling horde of ventriloquist dummies. What can it all mean? It’s as if the Tardis has landed in The Shining and every room is numbered 101.

The God Complex opens in jolting fashion (possibly too disturbing for the very young), and has a properly imposing monster – all shaggy fur and rattly breath. But Matt Smith, in radiantly comic form, is a wonderfully reassuring presence, as a good Doctor should be. And just when you think you’ve got the story pegged, it evolves into something altogether more moving. And surprising. Can the series sustain this rich seam of form?

About this programme

11/13. The Tardis lands in a kitsch 1980s-style hotel where all is not quite what it seems. As the Doctor, Amy and Rory explore, they discover moving walls, twisting corridors and rooms containing deadly nightmares tailored to fit each visitor. David Walliams guest stars in an episode written by Being Human creator Toby Whithouse.