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.


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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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