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“Doctor Who did it better” fans say of new Cats trailer

“Doctor Who did it better” fans say of new Cats trailer

The CGI-furred singers and dancers of Tom Hooper’s new movie aren’t a patch on BBC prosthetics, say viewers

Huw Fullerton

Published: Friday, 19 July 2019 at 12:44 pm

The first trailer for musical adaptation Cats has arrived, and it’s fair to say that reactions have been…mixed, with many unnerved by the digitally furred-up celebrities who are bringing Andrew Lloyd Webber’s smash-hit stage show to life.

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Of course, the counter-argument could be that any human-cat hybrid would look inherently weird, so the problem was unavoidable – but Doctor Who fans aren’t so sure.

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After all, the BBC sci-fi series managed to create cat-human aliens using prosthetics in 2006 and 2007 – specifically for episodes New Earth and Gridlock – and to an awful lot of fans, Doctor Who’s weird cat people still look a lot better than the new Cats movie’s attempts.

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And yes, we mean a LOT of fans. Almost too many. Who knew the Venn diagram of Whovians and Cats-mockers would be so close to a circle?

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And if a 13-year-old practical effect winning over hearts and minds wasn’t enough, some have even pointed out that Doctor Who’s classic years also offered some enviable cat makeup, specifically during a storyline where Ace (Sophie Aldred) was menaced by the Cheetah People.

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Clearly, the fans concluded, the new Cats movie is in need of a great recasting – or should that be re-Cats-ing – and we're sure mid 2000s-era Who prosthetics could pick up the slack.

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Now, if anyone could get cracking on the Starlight Express/Mummy on the Orient Express mash-up, we’ll really have a West End season on our hands.

Cats is released on the 20th December 2019

Authors

Radio Times commissioning editor Huw Fullerton. He sits in front of a shelving unit, looking at the camera and smiling. He wears glasses and has a moustache

Huw FullertonCommissioning editor

Huw Fullerton is a commissioning editor for Radio Times magazine handling comedy, entertainment and specialist drama. In a previous regeneration, he covered all things sci-fi and fantasy for RadioTimes.com.

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