Rose

So, after so long, so many novellos, audio adventures and hiatus, the Eight Doctor whose first adventure involved a motorcycle chase through San Fransisco and shouting in a cupboard for 30 minutes has arrived in modern day London with a very different appearance and a very different dynamic ethos. Welcome to Doctor Number 9, Christopher Eccleston. 

Of course, with all the older episodes and nostalgic look backs during the lead-up, it is inevitable that comparing "Ghost Light" and "City of Death" and "Dragonfire" with "Rose" is like comparing apples with pears. This is glossy and modern, with the investment and computer technology that all previous Doctors so desparately needed. "Rose" is just as much a Doctor Who experience as any previous serial, but this looked and behaved as any 40 minute drama serial would; short, sharp and sexy. A new era indeed. And when this episode was over, apart from feeling giddy and exhausted, the feeling was of relief that finally Doctor Who has all the right elements together to make a new series work. 

Christopher Eccleston is perfectly cast, and acts fantastically, as the Ninth regeneration. Almost everything he did seemed right on the nail, with perfect interaction with Rose and flawless behaviour within the well realised story. There will be countless reviews which suggest that Eccleston has elements of each and every Doctor before him; they are right. You can sense all from Hartnell to McGann in the eccentricities, humour and stature. The "regeneration mirror shot" - such a small little tradition - was done with great humour. 

Billie Piper is the natural sucessor to Sophie Aldred; Ace is now Rose and there are so many possibilities for Rose's character it is a certain bet that novello writers are already penning idea for her. She was able to put across the stunned bemusement and attracted curiousness in good measure, and distanced herself from the "scream and gleam" companions along whom she strides as a confident and classy young woman. 

As those who saw the TV Movie will testifty, narrative is all. Good actors can try all they can but a narrative has to be a sound structure. The return of the Autons and the conclusion was breathlessly rapid; perhaps a little too short and sweet. The "anti-plastic" solution seemed to be introduced and executed quickly with an element of "fake tension" between cutting shots that didn't quite have the desired effect. As an introduction to the two main characters, the story did work well. Rose was very quickly in a situation she could not control, the Doctor was very quickly introduced and importantly did not automatically sweep the shop assistant of her feet and into the TARDIS. With time to develop, the relationship seems more real and the script really helped here. How many times are we going to see quoted "Nice to meet you Rose, now run for your life!". 

Maybe die-hard 'Whovians' are going to groan at the idea of a glossy, CGI-aided version of Doctor Who. But with all the possibilities that the new era holds, this new series could be the start of a relationship taking the concept well into the 21st Century. Paul McGann's Doctor could have been everything and more Christopher Eccleston is promising; let us take the journey with him and find out.