Rose

For those of you not currently in the UK, and have so far resisted the urge to watch the downloaded copy - Nya-nya nya-nya-nya. We've just seen a totally awesome, 2005 version of a timeless classic. And we'll have seen several more before you lot do!

Sorry, had to get that out of the way. But I guess the reason you're reading this is to find out if its any good. The short answer is no. This is not good. Russell T Davies, a respected TV writer, and Dr Who fan, has taken our classic show and done something that is just not good. Because good does not even begin to describe what happened on BBC One at 7pm.

Let's take it in order: The titles. I'm still not sure about the new logo, and the names are displayed in a style reminiscent of the Superman movies but the graphics are superb. They seem to some how encapsulate the best bits of all the previous title sequences since 1963. And of course the music! Far better than the slightly pompous version on the TVM, this time we stay true to the Darbyshire classic, but with a fuller, cleaner sound.

Onto the drama. This is where Who 2k5 really scores. It out with a montage of a fairly typical day for Rose - which automatically gives it the gritty, realistic grounding we were, let's face it, we expected from RTD. However, its not Eastenders gritty - with misery surrounding our heroine at every corner. It shows a side of working-class Britain not often revealed in TV; the poor are often very happy with their lot - with enough love, and small bits of joy in their life. 

Bearing in mind that a lot of the old 25 minute Who eps seemed to drag, the 45 minute format could have worsened this problem. Oh contrare! Rose is almost instantly propelled into the thick of the plot - as is the Doctor. Considering the mass audience has not seen the Doctor since 1996, we waste no time re-introducing him. That is left to little clues dotted throughout the piece.

Eccleston is superb, if a little too over the top in this first episode. However, this may be down to a combination of needing time to settle into the role, and the fact that the Doctor exhibits a different kind of intensity and mania than the darker roles the actor is famous for. There are some overdone pieces in the story that take the comedy a smidgen too far, but that amounts to about 30seconds in the whole episode.

As for the Autons, we have a dilemma here. Whilst they do look a lot more realistic, and therefore less naff than the originals, in some ways this detracts from their innate creepiness. Some of the CGI effects with them adapting or reacting are more Roger Rabbit than Terminator, but again these are small gripes. The already legendary Wheelie Bin sequence could possibly have done without the burp - but I defy ANYONE to write a scene where someone is eaten by a wheelie bin where it doesn't burp!

Of the other characters, only Mickey fails to engage our emotions - he's a bit wet, cowardly, and too self-absorbed. In a way, his only purpose is to be the catalyst behind Rose's departure with the Doctor. 

There are those who posted reviews about the downloaded version that complained about the "cheap" look of the show being shot on video. Whilst its true that it makes the show look a little cheaper than the TVM, it is in keeping with the style of shows aimed at Doctor Who's target audience. Shot on film, the show would have been darker in film, and ended up in later slot more in keeping with Sea of Souls.

Wobbly sets have indeed gone, but there are points where the use of Green Screen techniques are obvious, as CSO overbleed used to be in early 70's Who. 

However, none of these criticisms and little niggles are enough to overcome the fact that Doctor Who is back - and on the basis of Rose, could be around for quite a while.