Rose

The opening titles set the scene for the whole programme. They broke with tradition, yet they kept it.The break was in not using the Doctor's face in the sequence. The kept elements were much greater; the tunnel effect, the TARDIS, and the title coming at you from the back. This was very well realised and had a lot in common with the 1996 version. I couldn't see many Doctor Who fans fretting about the absence of a face when the result was as appealing as this.

The music was also very cleverly done, using (we are told, but I am suspicious) samples of the original Delia Darbyshire recording of the theme but with new backing. The essence of the 1963 version was kept, but it manages to sound quite contemporary. Composer Murray Gold has also worked in a small fantasia, which keeps it different.

From a great opening we go to a toned down, quiet few opening scenes, but these serve to build up the tension. Gold's incidental music here is a little too powerful in the mix, but it is so good, that it seems churlish to complain. A couple of bad sound problems mar opening sequences, but these may have been transmission errors.

Billie's performance is spot-on, and very easy on the eye. Rose, her character, is very much like Ace, in fact, except you are given a lot of her back-story straight away. This is a good contrast with the Doctor's mysteriousness. She didn't scream, nor twist her ankle, and proves to be a valuable resource for the Doctor.

Christopher Eccleston justifies everyone's faith and proves not only a capable Doctor but also a very likeable one. His performance is so full of humour and feels as fresh as Paul McGann's did back in 1996. Only this time you know he isn't going to be here for just one story. I like this Doctor, and I think I have taken to him quicker than almost any other. He DOES have a northern accent, but previous Doctors have changed their pronunciation with each regeneration - just remember how Troughton pronounced 'stabiliser'.

The story does what it is supposed to (re-introduces the character, concept, and ideas behind Doctor Who) without being clumsy, and manages to entertain at the same time. It was a good idea to bring back the Autons; so much so that you wonder why it was only done once before. The regeneration is swiftly dealt with by Eccleston examining his ears in a mirror - leading us to believe that this is his first adventure since re-generating (or he may have re-generated part way through this encounter as we come in half way through the story). This is a good way to deal with this problem. The fans can fill in the gaps, and the casual or new viewers aren't bothered by it. Did the Doctor really mean to say that ALL plastic was controlled by the Nestene consciousness? I don't really care - it was such a good adventure it doesn't need to be nit-picked by the likes of me.

The effects were well above par. I was worried that the CGI in particular might be rushed (see the Mill's work on The Mummy Returns), but they turned in a good showcase for the rest of the season, as did the Visual effects boys. Prosthetics and make-up were all up to standard, and gave the impression of a quality classy production. The set design was also in this category except for one really outstanding piece - the TARDIS. This control room has a lot in common with the TV Movie version but also with the Cushing films' interior in that you can see directly from outside to the inside. Some nifty video manipulation achieved this result but the trick wasn't over-used, so it kept its impact. The console looks partly organic and partly mechanical. Gone is the contemporary look of Mike Kelt's (very pretty but unconvincing) 1980s re-vamp, and for that we should be grateful.

All in all, a spellbinding show. My 73 year old father loved it as much as my 3 year old son, and that has to be good for the future of Doctor Who.