Rose

And so we begin again.

"I'm the doctor. Now run for your life!"

It has been 16 years since the good doctor had a fresh broadcast fr the a person to sit down and enjoy. Certainly I was of those too young to enjoy such a thing and consequently left me on VHS and DVD to explore the past of this wonderful TV show.Thus 'my' doctor was Pat Troughton-the one I loved most.

Enough about the past though-this generation now as a doctor of thier own: Christopher Ecclestone (although this generaions doctor may be the next one). Since September 2003 we have been following the progress of the awaited return, debating the good points (the actors, writers and cast) and the bad (the logo, the jacket, the romance suggestions). Now we get to see the final results.

As was at the beginning, we are introduced with a startling and wonderful title theme. No time is wasted as we are introduced to Rose Tyler, played to perfection by Billie Piper. A hectically paced first few minutes shows us the life she leads: an average one and therefore something to connect us with her thoughts and feelings. 

In only a few minutes we are shown the principle threat of the episode: the plastic autons. If you didn't know, the autons have been in the show before. Did you need to know? No, and thats one of the reasons their use here is so good. The threat of something we see so often also acts in a way as another monster wouldn't have. 

The introduction of the doctor is well handled. The dialogue between him and Rose is emotional and comical, and continues well throughut the episode. The only prblem is the way Chris sometimes garble his lines, resulting in many watchings of certain scenes. The effects are top form for this episode and probably the best produced in an english drama. 

The guest characters here are a very odd bunch for an average setting. Mickey is a little too comical to be taken seriously when he needs to be (although the wheely bin sequence and the plastic replica smashing upth restruant are priceless). Roses mother is a curious but slightly discardable character. The best of all is Clive. His way of revealing the doctor to us is chilling, and his fate is one we care about. 

Roses first view of the TARDIS is a new way of introducing it and a very well worked one; in fact its one of the highlights of the episode. The climax of the episode is curiously effective, although the suggestionof a war we never saw is probably adding the continuity on early (although if we consider The Celestial Toymaker, maybe not). The final freeze frame sets out for the rest of the season.

So, he's back. Did it live up to what we want? Yes, it is certainly what we wanted and sets a promising start for what we hope to be many more years of time travelling.