Rose

Well it’s finally arrived. It’s taken years to get here but at last Doctor Who is back with its first full series in 16 years. Anyway, for those of you who have been hidden under a rock for the last 18 months, here’s the plotline…

Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) works in a dead-end job at Henriks Department Store in London. At the end of her shift she has to take this week’s lottery money to a member of staff in the basement. A nasty surprise awaits her for when she leaves the lift the shop dummies come alive and attack her. Luckily a stranger calling himself The Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) saves her life. From here they battle Autons and a fight to save the Earth.

OK, so this sounds a bit familiar shop dummies coming alive, plastic things crawling around (AAA anyone?), but apart from that what we do have here is one of the smartest pieces of television in years. It’s fast and has little time for deep character development but this doesn’t matter as I expect the next few episodes to gently shed light on all main players. It’s beautifully shot in a cinematic style and has bags of energy. Director Keith Boak directs with confidence, never shying away from long takes or trendy jump cuts, which work nearly all of the time.

The special effects are surprising with the Autons looking very creepy and the many explosions that occur happen with the as much noise and fire as possible. The Conscience at then end looks superb and FX artists should be applauded for it.

But what about the performers? Well for starters Piper lights up every moment she’s on screen increasing her strong reputation as a serious actress in just 45 minutes. Rose is an excellent character, a sort of Ace but without the daft attitude problem.

The supporting cast too add to the piece more than you’d expect. Mark Benton as internet nerd Clive helps provide some back-story and also one of the best cameos seen in a Doctor Who adventure. He’s not here just because he’s famous (unlike the John Cleese kind of cameos the Classic Series suffered from). Clive is instantly interesting thus makes what happens later in the adventure even more poignant.

Noel Clarke who plays Rose’s boyfriend Mickey is given little to do but be daft and wimpy and he doesn’t seem to grasp the idea fully, but this is only a slight niggle.

As for Eccleston himself, well all I can say is that he could power a TARDIS with the amount of energy that bursts from his characterisation of the Doctor. He’s funny one moment and deadly serious the next with a grin that’s infectious and unseen since the days of Tom Baker. He doesn’t put on a posh accent or have any airs or graces, so when he comes out with technical jargon it’s a bit of a shock. He's like a normal bloke until Rose questions him about time travel and his alieness peaks through. It’s a marvellous piece full of thought and heart and will bring lumps to many throats.

Shame there’s no regeneration sequence but his change in appearance is subtly hinted at. And for those of you who worried about his costume, well let me just say you worried over nothing, it fits him and the story perfectly.

For hardcore fans you can rest easy about valued treasures such as the theme. Composer Murray Gold has returned to the classic version, but added an eeriness to it. It’s not over orchestrated like the TV Movie version, nor as radical as the McCoy era one.

The interior of the TARDIS is wonderfully organic and more compact than I was expecting. Gone is the grandiose of the TV Movie and the blandness of the Classic Series, now we have subtle earthy shades and plenty of shadows. And yes it makes the right noise when landing and taking off. Even the sonic screwdriver gets a good outing, helping The Doctor more times in ten minutes the he did the whole of the Classic Series!

Even the much-debated new logo looks good spinning around in 3D.

Russell T Davis has hacked and stripped away the mythos that was choking the series and given us back the show we loved when we were kids. His script is witty, well observed and sharp but never condescends to the young audience it’s aimed at. The opening ten minutes are a huge adrenaline rush for all ages. Davis also paces the plot perfectly, one minute you’re laughing at burping bins, the next you’re watching in horror as people begin to be slaughtered in the streets.

On my review copy was a 5 minute preview for the next 12 episodes; let’s just say that the idea of people hiding behind the sofa again isn’t as daft as it sounds.

Don’t waste your time downloading the show, wait for Saturday night and watch with the curtains closed. For those who may have to wait longer for their TV Stations to buy the show then let me assure you that the wait is well worth it.

This is Doctor Who for the 21st Century; this is instant classic Doctor Who, this is cool television and one of the best pieces of drama I’ve seen in a very long time. All the promises that were made at the start of production seem to have been met, fingers crossed the viewing public agree.

The Doctor is back and has never been better.