Ah, for a return to the heady days of 1993...

It was a simpler time, pre-Sky (well, for me at least), pre-disposable income (again, this may not apply to everyone), I was only 13 and guess what? One of my friends received Silver Nemesis for his birthday (I'd received The Keeper of Traken) and he was popping round to put it on. Fantastic, eh?

Not feverish with excitement yet? No? Well let me tell you that it's "extended!" Can you not feel your palms sweating in anticipation?

Oh well, bully to you!

It's easy to forget over a decade later just how exciting it was when new videos were released - this was generally the first time I'd seen the serials in question. No Sky, remember? But what was doubly exciting about Silver Nemesis that it was one of only the 8 serials I'd seen on their original transmission. Happy times and places.

As a result I always think of the extended edition as the proper one - this being the one to which I have been most exposed, and the one on which I shall cast my critical eye in this review. My memories of the original, and of which bits are the added bits are less than accurate, but of the original I will say this - if Remembrance laid the foundations of my fandom then Nemesis filled them with cement.

Now, let me say that Silver Nemesis is sh*te - completely and utterly. It's always best to get that ambiguity out of the way first of all. It does however, have a few redeeming features that I'll mention first so that I can get to the criticism.

There's the Cybermen themselves - all spruced up for the anniversary year. I don't think they've ever looked more solid than this - gone are the jumpsuits and moon-boots and not a piece of vacuum attachment in sight. The ability to see the actors jaw moving is a lovely touch and I defy anyone not to feel a thrill as they exit the Cybership at the end of part one when their shiny new masks reflect the murky green light. Like the Daleks two serials previous, the design teams have made subtle innovations to the design and I think they deserve to be applauded. These were the kind of adaptations that used to go on every time the Cybermen appeared in the Sixties but ground to a halt in Earthshock. Plus ca change?

Lady Peinfort - she's hilarious beyond measure. I sometimes wonder whether it's intentional or not, but there's no denying that it's laugh-out-loud funny. It's always great when guest cast members seem to be really enjoying themselves and we should be grateful that this is an all location serial because the scenery of Television Centre would not have survived this performance. "Twas a slow poison..."

"Who did this to you?" "Social workers." Well I laughed.

Sylvester and Sophie put in another good shift, and I'm particularly fond of the "Am I beautiful?" exchange between Ace and Nemesis. And just how glorious is it to see Sophie and Sylv lying in the grass enjoying some jazz? The rapport between them is lovely - and so far removed from the Saward era bickering that I'm retrospectively sympathetic to Peter Davison for getting lumbered with the man. Never mind.

But that's it, really, isn't it?

From 75 minutes of television these are the only things for which I can find praise - and even then some of you will think I'm being generous. (Although, not as generous as some of the other reviews here.)

Again we have a serial suffering from the fact that the summer of '88 was rather glorious, all told, yet we're being asked again to believe that this is November. I defy anyone to sit on plastic garden furniture in short sleeves in the open air in November and not turn an unhealthy shade of blue. You see, BBC, there's a reason why music festivals are held in the summer months in the UK and it's not because the heating bills are cheaper... but I digress. At least the brief scene set in South America looks nice.

I remember listening to Anton Diffring saying in an interview that he only came over because it meant he could watch Wimbledon at the same time - and you know what, I absolutely believe him. He certainly didn't come over to do any acting. His is the most arse-clenchingly poor performance on display here - say what you like about Delores Gray or those skinheads, their characters are undeveloped comic support, not one of the major antagonists. He's bored; he's clearly got no idea what's going on (although he's hardly alone on this point); he delivers lines like he's reading from a cue card just out of shot with a leadenness that would set off airport alarms. Which begs the question - just HOW was he allowed into the country?

For Doctor Who to work there must be a clear and present threat to the protagonists to drive the drama. Without that threat you end up with a rather empty fantasy with a few jokes thrown in. In fact, you get season 17. And of course you get Silver Nemesis. The ineffective Nazis, coupled with the Cybermen on display here - beautifully designed though they are - who react to gold like it's "anti-plastic" (my first new series reference and oh it felt good) leave the Doctor with little or no threat at all. The Doctor does his best to talk them up and the gun-fight makes them look good but once 17th Century time-travellers start taking them out with arrows then you're on a hiding to nothing. And I swear Sylvester tickles a Cyber-tummy when he's in the ditch by the Nemesis comet.

If the Doctor and Ace had drowned at the beginning of the serial when they fall acrobatically into that river, the combined ineptitude of the other three interested parties would've still seen them all fail. The flaws in the plot are endless and in the hands of the ever-unreliable Chris Clough with his point/shoot mantra it's dull, too. And considering Inferno can take you all the way to part five before your bum starts to twitch then this is surely unforgivable.

"Who did this to you?" "Social workers." While I was laughing two million viewers switched over to watch the end of Corrie.

I consider this to be the nadir of the McCoy era - and I think this is in part due to the fact that my expectations were being raised by the steady upward curve that I felt began with Paradise Towers the previous season. However, with seasons reduced to only fourteen episodes and with a nine-month gestation period between seasons Doctor Who couldn't excuse/afford to be transmitting such substandard fare. This would however prove to be the last time the series seriously misfired, Cartmel by now had a good grip on just how far the budget would stretch and this time it is the script's horrendous lack of ambition that lets him down rather than that of his design teams.

Back in '93 it was great, but even those warm feelings of nostalgia cannot disguise what a shoddy mess this really is.

I’ve been reading some of the reviews here and decided it was time to re-watch the series and offer my take, for what it’s worth. First and foremost, the opening music is electrifying, catching the audience without preamble. This is followed by 2-3 minutes of a day in the life of Rose Tyler. The “desperate soap opera” creates a backdrop to what is otherwise a very ordinary life for a fairly ordinary girl. She has a job, a dip-stick of a boyfriend (if anything can be said by the way he eats a sandwich or dances in the street!) but ultimately she is down to earth and lives like so many other people her age. The fact is brought further to light when Rose is in the basement with the Autons and does not even think there’s anything unearthly going on as mannequins start walking towards her. My only gripe here is that, when she initially thinks she gets locked in the basement, she doesn’t take out her phone to contact help before everyone leaves! Oh, well… bad reception, no doubt!

The Doctor’s arrival is as well-timed as any Time Lord could be. His brief introduction to Rose (“I’m the Doctor… run for your life”) is typical of his age old eccentricity. When next we see him, he is chasing an arm through a cat-flap. Where I take the greatest issues with the episode are here: 1) The Doctor is seen to kneel on the couch to see if Rose has a cat – take careful note fellow Whovians, the couch is against the wall when the Doctor kneels on it: how is there enough of a gap for the arm to come rocketing out? Clearly when the arm comes out, the couch is NOT against the wall; did The Doctor shift the couch in an off-camera moment when he gets up? 2) The Doctor finds a mirror (just before the arm incident) and comments on his ears. This leads us to believe the latest regeneration has happened relatively recently; but according to Clive he has been in that form long enough to get on the Titanic, to visit JFK (an awesome reference to the day that Doctor Who premiered in ‘63), and elsewhere. Now, while in Clive’s past, this could still take place in the Doctor’s future, and unless a book is written, for those who watched the whole of the 2005 season, we know that it doesn’t happen in the televised stories… so this means that the Doctor never got around to looking himself in a mirror since the last regeneration or someone wasn’t paying attention to details. Ho hum…

Incidentally, the pictures Clive had should have been used to reaffirm the series that came before: pictures should have indicated other Doctors (McCoy, McGann, Bakers, etc). That would have been a neat thing for the long time fans and an item of mystery for the newer ones. Moving on…

Jumping forward, who puts an empty garbage bin out on garbage day? But even the dolt who does this, doesn’t think a rubbish bin is more frightening than a daffodil, does he? Back during Terror of the Autons, we had some truly scary notions: frankly, the trash bin was not scary; in fact, courtesy of a “lowest common denominator” moment, the bin becomes a symbol of idiocy. Why did we need a burp? In this day and age, I would think parents would want to discourage such grotesque behavior… It was a ploy to be funny for the kids, no doubt, but it worked against the whole. 

Those moments that best capture the episode, and the show on a whole, are the moment when Rose enters the TARDIS and the dialog that follows: “… are you alien?” coupled with the music. Why they have not released a soundtrack is anyone’s guess, but the music in this moment, and the earlier talk when the Doctor explains who he is (“Now forget me Rose Tyler…”) is just, to coin a phrase, FANTASTIC. Chris maybe inadvertently flashes back to Tom Bakers “What’s the use in being grown up if you can’t be childish sometimes…” outside the TARDIS thus once again showing the alien-ness of the Doctor. (Don’t get me started on the McGann episode!) His moods are not like our own. His excited, Baker-eqsue “Fantastic” when he finally realizes the wheel is the transmitter… he is a product of his past! The Davison-esque “I’m not here to kill it…” mentality once again gives long time fans a chance to see the other Doctor’s still present in this incarnation. 

Lastly, the departure with Rose at the end has sent a chill through my spine since the first time I’ve watched it. This episode is not perfect. But it does lay the groundwork: it sets the players on the board. It needs polishing in some areas while others could not have been better. Eccleston is fantastic. Even his attire, which I was initially against as it lacks the eccentricity of his former selves, eventually grew on me. Piper is amazing. I love the fact that when she hugs Mickey, she does not look stick thin; she’s REAL! The chemistry between the two rivals that of McCoy and Aldred, Baker and Liz Sladen… it’s amazing! Perhaps 5 stars is a little lofty, but how can you not give it high marks when the last image is of Rose in a slow motion dash for the TARDIS, with a gigantic smile beaming all the way???? 

Welcome back, Doctor!

Before any retrospective of the opening episode of “Series One” of “Doctor Who” can take place, it’s important to realise that, traditionally, the first adventure of ANY new Doctor’s tenure usually leaves a lot to be desired.

For instance, had “An Unearthly Child” not been followed by an iconic serial such as “The Dead Planet”, would the series ever have caught the public’s imagination in the first place? Are there many weaker Pertwee serials than “Spearhead From Space”? How out of place was “Robot” in arguably the best season in the show’s history? Did anyone really understand “Castrovalva” apart from its esteemed writer? And how hard were “The Twin Dilemma” and “Time and the Rani” to love? Also, if this theory holds true, what a big problem for Paul McGann, who needed his first episode to buck that trend to even have a second episode. And, of course, it didn’t . . . although I believe McGann could have been (and still could be) a great Doctor.

So, despite my delight at the end of the nine-year wait for the return of the legend, I did wonder if “Rose” would follow in this rather-inglorious tradition? And you could say it did – but only in comparison with a series which must have exceeded everyone’s expectations. Mr Russell T Davies did “exactly what he said on the tin” – and masterminded a 21st-century “Doctor Who”, sitting comfortably alongside the classic series, while creating a dynamic new era of its own. And perhaps the latter is more significant, which is why it should call itself “Series One” rather than “Season 27”.

And, if “Rose” won’t be many people’s favourite episode from “Series One”, that doesn’t mean it was without appeal. Far from it. There was so much to pack into that 45 minutes to ensure enough viewers were hooked enough to come back the following weeks, there was always a chance it could be accused of being “style over substance”.

However, who wants to dwell on that suggestion when there were so many positives to accentuate? Pre-“Rose”, the “givens” for me would be the quality of Davies’s writing and Mr Christopher Eccleston being a wonderful choice as The Doctor. And those predictions were quickly realised. Davies’s opening story structure – and indeed his treatment for the whole series – was excellent, and his dialogue of the highest order, executed superbly by the cast, headed by Eccleston. At the risk of being ungracious, one expected nothing less from a writer of Davies’s calibre.

Even from the pre-series teaser trailers, Eccleston was, for me, The Doctor. Romantics may – and I’m sure have – suggested that, within “Rose”, he wove elements of all his predecessors into his characterisation, and I’m sure he paid more than a cursory glance to those who came before, but he was more his own man, or Time Lord. He grasped the nettle of what was required in the role from his opening scene and grasped the viewer at the same time as he grasped Rose’s hand and took her away from the pursuing Autons. This was a character worth getting to know, full of dynamism, full of intrigue, full of humour, full of life.

And talking of dynamism, intrigue, humour and life brings me to Rose herself. I have to say I wasn’t too familiar with Ms Billie Piper’s acting work – but she more than lived up to the daunting challenge of playing a character who actually had such an important episode named after her.

I think Davies wrote an amazing part for a young actress, but Piper’s the one who breathed life into Rose, and how impressively she did just that.

I don’t quite hold with the view that The Doctor having an intelligent and “ballsy” companion is a new concept. What was Ace? Peri? Tegan? Leela? Sarah? Hardly shrinking violets – and I think Rose follows in the tradition of good companions rather than being out on her own.

Admittedly, Davies gives her a bigger piece of the action than her predecessors – saving The Doctor and the world in her first episode is quite a starting point (but, as we discover in Episode 13, you ain’t seen nuffin’ yet!) and, even at this early stage, Rose and the Doctor are more of a pair than the teacher/pupil relationships favoured by the past.

But the relationship worked from the off. Love at first sight? Of sorts. We won’t find out, and we shouldn’t find out where it could go. Davies had a great unrequited love story between his two principal characters in “Queer as Folk”, and elements of the depth of Stuart and Vince’s unspoken affections are there in Rose and The Doctor – if you look closely enough! And if you want to.

Having to establish Rose and The Doctor – plus the TARDIS (just one of the many stunning special effects which really marked this show as being from the 21st century) in this opening episode did mean the plot would almost have to take a back seat. This was always the problem of the two-episode (in old money) serials in the past. Pleasant enough, but no-one ever marks them down as classics (there is an exception to this rule and it’s called Episode Six of Series One!).

And, in “Rose”, destroying a creature which controls all things plastic with a phial of anti-plastic does rather confirm the assertion that plot was of secondary importance. It was just a bit too convenient. But understandable. And probably unavoidable. Poor old Nestene Consciousness, I didn’t think it got much of a deal plot-wise in “Spearhead From Space” either!

But minor gripe about the actual story aside (and it did hang together quite well) there’s no doubt “Rose” marked a triumphant return for the series. It was well-written. The lead characters were quickly established as being worthy of the importance attached to them. The back-up characters were also beautifully crafted by writer and actors (I really enjoyed Clive – but you know characters like him have to die!). The effects were stunning throughout, and now I know what the phrase “high production values” means – you splash the cash, and the rewards are there for all to see. And the whole thing crackled along at a breakneck pace, enhanced by the ever-excellent incidental music.

“Rose” did what it had to do – established “Doctor Who” was back, and was back for good. And, as I know now, it was the tasty hors d’oeuvres for the feast to come.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, no? It is so easy to now say that there was never any doubt that Series One of ‘Doctor Who’ would be as successful as many of the previous Seasons. Looking back now after the thirteen Episodes have been and gone, I feel now is the best time to review them; the trouble with going ahead and reviewing them smack bang after transmission is that you are not giving yourself enough time to calm down after the excitement of watching new ‘Who’ on television (it feels so good to be able to type that), but now that Series One has been and gone, it is time to reflect on what was transmitted, and of course the best place to begin is at the beginning. 

‘Rose’. The first story of the new series was wonderful, brilliant and exhilarating back when it was first transmitted, but now, with the remainder of Eccleston’s tenure as The Doctor known to the world, does it still stand up? Thankfully, the answer to this is yes. Perhaps it’s the way that everything seems so innocent throughout, but ‘Rose’ succeeds in making the world of ‘Doctor Who’ every bit as enjoyable as we know it to be. From the frankly terrific opening shot of a camera hurtling towards the planet Earth, only to reach an alarm clock, to the ending with Rose running towards the TARDIS in slow motion, everything here stinks of excitement. For a forty-five minute long piece of television the pace is exhausting, rushing as it does from one scene to another, from one life-threatening scene to yet another one. One of the main successes with ‘Rose’ though is not its pace or its directing- more on that later- but its sheer number of iconic moments. We have (among others) the explosion of a Department Store, a killer Wheelie Bin, Rose entering the TARDIS for the first time, murderous Shop Window dummies and an evil Plastic Mickey. Many ‘Doctor Who’ stories struggle to have one defining moment; ‘Rose’ has several.

So, on to the actual plot: is it any good? Well, yes, again, it is. ‘Rose’ decides to focus upon, well, Rose, rather than The Doctor or the Nestene Consciousness, and it is much better due to this. By following Rose and her reactions to everything that is happening, we are thus introduced to all the elements of ‘Doctor Who’- the TARDIS is bigger in the inside than on the outside; The Doctor is an alien who saves the day, fighting injustice and alien beings up to no good; you can go anywhere in time or space when you join him. We are also given the main points which need to be known concerning Rose- she lives on an Estate; she has a boyfriend named Mickey; she has a Mother, who she still lives with, but there is no sign of a Father; and she has left school with, as we are told directly, no A-Levels. The score as it were is set up for us to take a liking or disliking to.

The main story- aliens invade, and it’s up to The Doctor and Rose to save the world- plays second fiddle to setting up the premise of ‘Doctor Who’, but the very threat is always lurking around the corner, and by directly involving Rose it pulls off its subservient position with aplomb.

Russell T. Davies’ writing here is above and beyond great; from throwaway one-liners, such as the attack of the breast implants, to the death of Clive, everything here gels. In fact, the decision to not show any on screen deaths was a great one. It eases the viewer into the world of The Doctor without being unnecessarily gratuitous about the destruction he leaves in his path; later scenes in Series One that show death on a wider and more horrific scale would have undoubtedly lost much of their impact if such slaughter was witnessed on-screen from the word go. As it stands, the later deaths are shocking due to their visual depiction, and full credit must go to Davies for being daring enough to attempt this.

The directing by Keith Boak is very impressive; from the chaotic swinging to and fro in moments of confusion (the explosion of Hendrick’s being a prime example of this) to the shot of The Doctor and Rose simply walking forward and talking to one another, Boak has given ‘Rose’ a certain visual flair which compliments the excitement of the actual story.

The incidental music by Murray Gold has come under a lot of criticism but again I must say that I felt it complimented the visuals perfectly- it was nippy, exciting and fast, just as everything else was.

Visually, the story was great too, really making a good impression for ‘Doctor Who’ in terms of putting a stamp on its overall look for the New Series. The dark is moody and sinister, the light is bright and friendly; everything is as it should be.

The acting throughout ‘Rose’ is superb, with only Noel Clarke’s turn as Mickey leaving a bit of a sour taste in the mouth. That is not to say that he is bad, on the contrary he is not, but her appears to be somewhat finding his feet throughout and does not give as good a performance as that which he turns in during later Episodes. Mark Benton as Clive is simply incredible, and the shock and sorrow felt when he is killed is a tribute to both his acting and Davies’ writing. Camille Coduri as Rose’s Mum also impresses, and her failed seduction of The Doctor provides ‘Rose’ with its biggest and best laugh out loud moment.

Christopher Eccleston instantly shines as The Doctor, and his on-screen chemistry with Billie Piper- who plays Rose was such ease that it is impossible to imagine anyone else doing so- is a thrill to watch. More so here than in any other Episode in Series One, Eccleston appears to be like the eccentric, fun-loving and adventurous Time Lord from the past; whilst I immensely enjoyed his turn as The Doctor, he was less eccentric than pervious incarnations have been, harkening back more to William Hartnell than anyone else, but here, for one night only, he played it odd, quirky and a bit unsettling.

So, what are the flaws then? Well, I suppose the never-named Autons could have been given more screen presence- certainly, their threat is never seen to be too huge as they start invading only minutes before ‘Rose’ is due to conclude. Also, the capture of The Doctor by two Autons whilst the invasion is going on is arguably a little too long, and it makes The Doctor look less heroic and more useless, but this is meant to be the case as ‘Rose’ has to prove that not only is The Doctor vulnerable, but that Rose herself is a worthy companion for his travels. For me though, the biggest flaw of all is the truly awful continuity error with the Killer Brides and there hands- first we see three brides; then one hand open, then three, then two… hang on a moment, who can’t count? Seriously, it’s a small moment but one which, once noticed, forever grates.

Overall though, ‘Rose’ is superb as an introduction to Series One and the whole format of ‘Doctor Who’, and it also succeeds in being a great story in its own right. Things here seem innocent- people die, but you do not see it, but not for too long; there are threats abound but they may not be real, but not for too long; The Doctor is relatively happy, with only the passing reference to a War threatening to show us otherwise, but not for too long. On March 26th, the theme tune and title sequence to ‘Doctor Who’ blasted out of my widescreen television and I shed a tear or two; looking back now, I know they were worth shedding.

After the draining Rose and The End of the World (2005), we’re presented with an awkwardly-titled ‘period drama’ piece: The Unquiet Dead. It benefits from comparatively slower pacing, and a satisfying linear plot – a pleasant change, indeed. Now traveling into Earth’s past, The Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) and Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) meet a world-weary Charles Dickens (an excellent Simon Callow); and the ethereal Gelth (chillingly voiced by Zoe Thorne), engrossed in their newfound habit: body-snatching. 

Although the hero-of-the-title is reduced to secondary character status again, - a suspiciously-recurring plot device… - it works. Callow’s character is the more developed – by the story’s end, he’s a changed man; psychologically reborn. He still has a promising future ahead, though we’re told it’ll be short-lived. His ‘co-star’, however, is annoying this time round. Eccleston’s dialogue is too on-the-nose, and his performance more over-the-top than previously. The Doctor – all of them - is usually the only character I completely devote my attentional resources to. I watch Doctor Who for The Doctor first and foremost. In counter-argument, we can now draw conclusions on the intriguing traits writers have enthused Doctor #9 with up to this point. He’s fallible - he was “useless” in Rose’s finale. He’s vulnerable – his troubled past manifests itself in End of the World. Here, he’s both, and with a darker, morally ambiguous side: fueled by an erroneous (optimistic?) presumption, he treads in ethically dubious water in dealings with the Gelth. Furthermore, after Gwenyth’s (Eve Myles) exit, he could – dare I say – actually be interpreted as lying to Rose’s point-blank questioning. A grey and unresolved moral dilemma: do the ends truly justify the means?

Rose’s journey continues. Again, she’s confronted by a cross-generational interpersonal culture shock in her exchanges with Gwenyth. Coyness is obviously exempt or non-existent from her semantic memory… This cathartic outburst suggests she’s relieved to be able to talk to someone her own age and gender – not demographics The Doctor encapsulates this incarnation.

Gabriel Sneed (Alan David) is well cast: an amusing individual, who isn’t essentially a bad egg. His interchangeable use of the word “stiffs” and euphemism in “the dear departed” still makes me smile!

The dialogue is lovely in places. I’ve always loved exchanges that roll pleasantly off the tongue. Mark Gatiss writes well. Good to see the precarious TARDIS on form, too. 

No review of Unquiet would be complete without at least an allusion to the impressive atmosphere and special effects – cracking stuff. This is effectively a period drama; it’s a BBC production; the BBC is renowned for its period dramas. You do the deductive reasoning. Effects-wise, The Gelth are well-visualized, and this is probably the grizzliest entry to date: zombies, ghosts, bone-breaking, neck-snapping, a generally eerie atmosphere… The pre-title sequence alone sums it up, with Redpath (Huw Phys) and his ‘unquiet’ grandmother, Mrs. Peace (Jennifer Hill). Unsettling to the unhardened, I’m sure.

In honesty, I didn’t enjoy TUD on first viewing, – namely because I was unprepared for the significant reduction in pace – but repeated viewing has done this near-masterpiece justice in my eye, although The Doctor himself lets us down. Sadly, next episode will arguably ‘restore’ the status quo… ***[/5]

Well, THAT was excellent.

The Slitheen aren't an alien species, but their last name. Their LAST NAME for cryin' out loud! That's awesome.

The Doctor sure knows a lot about 10 Downing Street.

Mickey hacking into UNIT's website. With the Doctor walking him through it. Ohhh that's just beautiful. Totally 2000s.

And, er, this Doctor likes to blow shit up, doesn't he?

And that last sequence, "I'll be back in 10 seconds"...that was about tear-jerking. You knew the TARDIS wasn't going to reappear right then, you just KNEW...but you still wanted it to. Mickey's reasoning for not coming along is some of the best I ever heard. And the Doctor reaffirms atheism for millions -- "You believe in something invisible, but it's right in front of you, 'Oh, no, can't see it!'" The Doctor is equally dark, goofy, manipulative, and deeply caring. "I could save the world but lose you." I don't think he's ever said anything of the sort to any other companion (on TV, anyway). Maybe that comes close, but even the McCoy era, with the focus on Ace in Season 26, never got that personal.

Absolutely lovely television.

Oh, and, er, have I mentioned I REALLY can't wait for next week's? DALEKS SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE