Rose

An attractive blonde girl investigates an abandoned basement. She hears a suspicious noise. "Is there someone there?" she asks nervously. So far, so "Scream", but then you realise a shop dummy has started to move behind her. She backs off, questioning if this is someone's idea of a joke, but then other plastic assailants spring to life. They stand before her arms raised...

"Run."

Okay, the mysterious stranger who saved her was always going to be the Doctor, but how wonderful that in an instant, generations who grew up with Doctor Who KNEW that this new, leather jacket Northerner WAS the Doctor.

Fairly obviously much has changed since the Doctor and Ace strode off into the sunset, but I would argue Russell T Davies' "Rose" is very much singing from the same song sheet. First the differences:

Plot and characters aside, the pace of the episode is frankly dizzying, although never off-putting. The time taken in later episodes such as "Curse of the Fenric" just would not be possible for today's "Buffy" fed market. The relentless pace of the first ten minutes does slow when Rose asks the new man in her life who he is and why she has been attacked by a plastic arm, although I feel the pace is an excellent way of demonstrating The Doctor's effect on the mundane life of a normal girl. 

This brings me nicely to Rose. I feel the nicest suprise of the lot. I was a teenager when Billie Piper assaulted the music charts with offensively sugary pop tunes such as "Because We Want To" so was understandably nervous upon hearing her casting. My fears were unfounded, Piper shines as the very human Rose, a character who finds her blinkers removed in the space of two days. She cannot believe the TARDIS yet goes back inside it. She doesn't believe in Living Plastic but follows the Doctor regardless. She phones her Mum before attempting to save herself. Now it's hard to see how we ever cared about the other human companions who were in many cases plot devises. Rose is unique in that she has a life and I very much felt Rose's dilemma at the end of the episode, Piper's performance was charming as she obligingly chose her normal life, ("Because She Had To") and uplifting as she raced towards her new life in the closing seconds ("Because She Wants To").

Of course, Rose's success is down the the obvious chemistry with the new Doctor, another real plus to the episode. We knew Eccleston could act, but I was surprised at how unpredictable he was, very hard to get a handle on and I rather like that. Peter Davison was charming but utterly predictably and in the end even Tom Baker could be relied upon to do something silly. This ninth Doctor seems to find such joy in his vocation but his ready smile often flashes out of darker moments as when Rose questions his morality and before the Nestene Consciousness. An fabulously intriguing start, and I have now forgiven the rather dull costume. Essentially we know Rose, but along with Miss Tyler, I can't wait to travel with our new Doctor.

Other goods? The music is better after a few listens. The TARDIS interior does work and I'm sure as the weeks go on it will grow in "character". The Autons were suitably chilling, especially the junior dummies. Jackie was excellent and for the most part I enjoyed Mickey, especially his "Gansta" face on arriving at Clive's.

Now, no part of the episode really made me cringe or hide from my TV and I never stopped enjoying the experience of having Doctor Who back, although if I could have a whinge it would be on the smallest of plot details. Firstly I'm glad I knew what the Nestene Consciousness was before I started as The Doctor's explanation was a touch brief given the "blink and you'll miss it" nature of the whole episode and I understand the function of the Wheelie Bin totally given the fact I'm a teacher of ten-year-olds, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Further the scene in Clive's shed seemed to quite coldly blank the fact that Clive knew there had been other Doctor's, but wasn't sharing. It seems insane to deny there used to be a series with same name. You don't have to be a big fan to want nods to the past. My Mum for example would have loved some less subtle acknowledgement of the old show. I guess the Dalek show may be the big test of how much RTD is willing to indulge.

All in all, whats not to love? It's Doctor Who! It's the same, but new! The debut has so mush promise...An alien with secrets, a human with the strength to share them? A machine that can take them anywhere, anytime. The next three moths will be a real treat.