I knew this would be good. As far as I could tell, only a very small contingent of fans had outright hated The Unquiet Dead. After its UK broadcast, even those who’d sneered at the first two episodes had conceded that this was better quality. I did my usual thing, first watching it with the family then by myself in the dark. On both occasions, I could very quickly tell I was watching something special.

The pre-title sequence blew its predecessor out of the water – the traditional Holmes/Hinchcliffe opening we’ve missed so much. And of course, the BBC keeps up its tradition of making the Victorian era look spot-on, even in the new Millennium. Director Euros Lyn pulled off last week’s The End of the World with panache, but has surpassed himself with The Unquiet Dead. And Mark Gatiss… what a wonderful writer! I’ve heard plenty of shocking things about Russell T. Davies’ writing style, and though I’d defend him to the hilt after The End of the World, in my opinion he still doesn’t come near Gatiss’ clear understanding of how to write for Doctor Who. I mean, he just got it so perfectly right! Let’s have a look at the evidence, shall we?

Well, I’ve already mentioned the pre-titles sequence, haven’t I? Well, in classic Who tradition, we then move the action into the TARDIS, for a bit of Doctor-Rose banter. And of course the ship’s gone off-course, it’s the sodding TARDIS, innit? Some modern thoughts have been injected into the script, such as Rose’s contemplation of turning back the clock, but soon we’re out in Victorian Cardiff… and doesn’t it look superb. Hard to believe this was filmed in Summer. This is the BBC in its element. When we enter Charles Dickens’ dressing room, we are treated to what is possibly the most sober scene in Doctor Who so far. Even the “turn of the Earth” scene in Rose and the plumber scene in The End of the World were faster-paced. And it’s refreshing. Simon Callow as Dickens clearly relishes this role, and is taking his time with his delicious lines.

Then, after a beautiful recital of an excerpt from A Christmas Carol, we’re straight into the action, with a packed theatre terrorised by a gaseous creature. In their own characteristic manner, the Doctor and Rose slip into the action… and Rose is very quickly kidnapped. I let out a cheer – Rose has had her first kidnapping scene! Welcome to the growing family of Who companions, my dear. So the Doctor hijacks Dickens’ carriage – with Dickens inside – and “the chase is on”. What wonderful dialogue Gatiss has written for the two of them. And what wonderful chemistry they have together. Once we’ve reached the undertakers’, we’re treated to a brief reprisal of the previous episode’s “Rose trapped in room with evil thingy” scene. (There was sort of one in Rose, too – is this becoming a running gag?) Once she’s rescued, we have a discussion in the drawing room that immediately evokes memories of Ghost Light. For me, that’s a good thing. Rose’s conversation with Gwyneth expands on her conversation with the plumber in The End of the World… but gives us so much more. Gwyneth is psychic… there’s a darkness inside Rose’s mind… she’s seen the Big Bad Wolf… I suddenly adore Eve Myles.

If you didn’t think this episode could be more Hinchcliffe-esque, check out the sйance, and the first appearance of the Gelth. This scene gives both Eve Myles and Simon Callow another chance to shine. And more references to the “Time War”. I got goosebumps when Rose and the Doctor shared a glance. I thought, they know. So the Gelth need to survive, and Rose can’t grasp the concept of “recycling” dead bodies. Here’s a very interesting moral debate, unheard of in Doctor Who of old. And a very intriguing notion, whatever your stance. Gwyneth, of course, wants to go along with it, and we all cheer, because we can see the Gelth deserve a chance.

When Gwyneth stood beneath the arch, suddenly I got a chill. I had a horrible feeling something was about to go very wrong. I jumped when the Gelth became a demonic creature and began to multiply. This was the most frightened I’d been while watching Doctor Who since the “Ratkin” scene in Ghost Light. And that was a long time ago. When Charles Dickens saved the day, I knew this was exceptional writing – Gatiss had brought this character on a full journey. Rare for a “celebrity cameo” (both cast member and character), especially in Doctor Who. Gwyneth’s sacrifice – and the Doctor’s revelation to Rose that she was already dead – almost brought a tear to my eye, as did the news that Dickens was not long for this world. When we came to Dickens’ closing line, I felt like applauding. Even my cynical Who-hater of a younger brother (sixteen) blurted out, “That was a really good episode.” I know countless people have already mentioned their family and friends saying things like this, but this was the first time my brother had been positive about the show. So that was nice.

Even after only two viewings, The Unquiet Dead definitely goes on my Top Ten list of favourite Who stories. Pretty high too, I’d say. Kudos to the production team – writer, director, cast, crew – for creating such a piece of perfection. Hinchcliffe, Holmes… eat your hearts out.

‘The Unquiet Dead' is the first episode of the new Doctor Who series not written by Russell T. Davies, instead penned by League of Gentlemen star and Doctor Who fan extraordinaire Mark Gatiss. Gatiss has, in my view, a fairly good track record with Doctor Who, having written the excellent ‘Nightshade', the hugely enjoyable ‘Last of the Gaderene', ‘Phantasmagoria' and ‘Invaders from Mars', and the flawed but entertaining ‘The Roundheads'. He also wrote the dire ‘St Anthony's Fire', but mercifully that isn't relevant here, since ‘The Unquiet Dead' is really rather good.

I'm coming to the unfortunate conclusion that Doctor Who is not suited to the forty-five minute individual episode format, since it seems to suffer from the same slightness of plot that has blighted two twenty-five minute part Doctor Who episodes right back to ‘Inside the Spaceship'. Thus far, we've had a glimpse at the defeat of an alien invasion of Earth already in progress, and a whodunit with no real suspects, and the references to the Time War, which so far has been mentioned in every episode including this one, suggest that the real agenda of the season is to unfold subplots leading to an almighty climax. Which is fine, and the characterisation has been great, but I'd like a bit more plot on a week-by-week basis. I hadn't fully realised this until I watched ‘The Unquiet Dead', which fills its running time rather well. The plot is distinctly linear, from the opening as zombies run amok in nineteenth century Cardiff, to the climax which involves a big explosion, but it develops nicely over the course of its allotted running time. 

The BBC is famous for being good at period dramas, and Doctor Who has exploited this fact many times during the past. It works just as well here as it did back then, and Gatiss script exploits the details of the period nicely, with the Gelth hiding in the gas pipes that feed the ubiquitous gas lamps of the era. Director Euros Lyn does a fine job of the episode, making good use of the horror delivered by Gatiss' script in a way that makes me keen to find out what the younger audience members made of it all; we get zombies, ghosts, and two on-screen deaths, not to mention all the eldritch screaming. Interestingly, having kept the Steward's and Jabe's demise off camera in ‘The End of the World', here Lyn shows us Sneed's neck being snapped, and the scene is quite creepy as a Gelth immediately enters the freshly cadaverous undertaker. Perhaps what is most striking about ‘The Unquiet Dead' is that all of this makes it feel more traditional than the preceding two episodes, with Gatiss tapping into how everyone remembers the Hinchcliffe era to be. There is much that is familiar here (most notably Rose being trapped in a room with two animated corpses and screaming at the top of her lungs until the Doctor rescues her) but it all works so well. It is easy to predict where the plot is going, and it comes as no surprise whatsoever when the Gelth prove to be hostile. It also comes as no surprise when the story ends with a big fireball, something I was expecting from the moment that the Doctor realises that the Gelth are made of gas. Nevertheless, the journey is tremendous fun and the story unfolds at a cracking pace. 

Gatiss once again proves adept at handling characterisation, and continues to develop the relationship between the Doctor and Rose. There are moments that might make long time fans uncomfortable, such as when the Doctor tells the freshly changed Rose, "Blimey, you look beautiful, considering." She asks, "Considering what?" and he replies, "Considering you're human." Later he tells her, "I'm glad I met you", and she replies, "Me too", and there's a frisson to these scenes that suggest this might end with the Doctor taking Rose on the console. This is not helped by the fact that the TARDIS now seems to buck and shudder during flight, since when it first materialises in Cardiff, there is a cut to the interior, where the Doctor and Rose are lying on their backs on the floor, looking exhausted but happy. Draw your own conclusions. Eccleston is very good here, and I've got used to him in the role now, so much so that lines such as the appalling pun "I love a happy medium" and his worried "I think it's gone a little bit wrong" both just sound to me like the Doctor I know. 

This aside, ‘The Unquiet Dead' sees Rose further subjected to culture shock, as she shares a charming scene with Gwyneth in which she is stunned at the servant's wages, schooling, and reticence in discussing bottoms. This is actually a great scene, as Rose gets to reach out to another human being and talk about everyday life in a way that she probably can't with the Doctor, and it takes on a more dramatic edge as Gwyneth uses her gift of second sight to see Rose's world; she's both fascinated and terrified by the vision. Most notable however is the discussion of the Gelth following the sйance. Rose is appalled by the idea of giving the dead to the Gelth, prompting the Doctor to sternly tell her, "it could save their lives." When she objects further, he tells her that it is "just like recycling" and asks her, "do you carry a donor card?" Failing to articulate exactly why she objects, she annoys him to the point where he snaps, "It's a different morality, get used to it or go home." It's the sort of reminder that the Doctor isn't human that has cropped up in the first two episodes of the series and harks back to the "Sometimes you don't seem…" "…human?" scene in ‘Pyramids of Mars', and Christopher Eccleston brings an intensity to these moments that is highly effective. But there is also plenty of wit, such as when they first arrive, and the Doctor tells Rose that he's got the time and date wrong. She doesn't care, until he tells her "It's Cardiff" and she looks disappointed. For which I can't blame her. Later, the Doctor, facing death, indignantly notes, "I've seen the fall of Troy, World War Five… I've pushed boxers at the Boston tea party. Now I'm going to die in a dungeon. In Cardiff!" This is of course part of the series' tradition of mocking the Welsh, which dates right back to ‘The Web of Fear', and which I am most impressed that Russell T. Davies and BBC Wales have decided to continue. 

The Doctor also gets to meet Charles Dickens, which is possibly the best thing about the episode. Gatiss provides some sparkling dialogue, including the great moment when Dickens' driver asks his employer, "You want me to get rid of him?" just as the Doctor tells Dickens he's a genius, and Dickens quickly reconsiders, "No, I think he can stay." Amusingly, the Doctor criticizes Dickens, prompting the rebuke, "I thought you were fan", to which the Doctor replies, "Oh well, if you can't take criticism", which is almost certainly a nod to Doctor Who fans everywhere. Speaking of which, Gatiss gives Dickens the line, "Doctor? You look more like a navvy!" which nicely sums up my reservations about the Ninth Doctor's wardrobe, as is presumably the intention. Aside from providing comic relief, however, Dickens is a superbly written character in his own right, and Simon Callow's performance is exemplary. Dickens goes through real character development as the sights he witnesses forcibly open his mind, and he goes from trying to find rational explanations and becoming depressed early on, to taking a great joy in what he's learned by the end. Callow and Eccleston work very well together, and get some great scenes. One of the best is in the funeral parlour, as Dickens plaintively asks, "Can it be that I have the world entirely wrong?" and the Doctor gently tells him, "Not wrong, there's just more to learn." In fact it is Dickens who gets to save the day, reasoning that an excess of gas will draw the Gelth out of their hosts and having the courage to return to the morgue and thus save the Doctor and Rose. His farewell scene is extremely touching, as he cheerfully announces, "This morning I thought I knew everything in the world, now I know that I'm only just starting." Poignantly, the Doctor reminds Rose that Charles Dickens died in 1870, and by this point we've got to know the character well enough that the moment is genuinely saddening. However, his obvious delight when the Doctor tells him that his books will last forever is touching. 

The two other main supporting characters also work well. Alan David is perfectly cast as Gabriel Sneed, a man who chloroforms and kidnaps Rose but is by no means a bad man, just someone striving to cope with unusual challenges. As for Eve Myles' Gwyneth, she is both well written and acted, and again we get to know her enough during the episode that her sacrifice has some emotional weight behind it. The fact that she keeps going beyond death in order to save the day is an effective touch, giving Dickens the chance to point out to the Doctor that he too has things to learn. Overall, ‘The Unquiet Dead' is very successful, and easily my favourite episode of the new series thus far.

Now that Doctor Who in his present incarnation is well and truly established in the Saturday evening schedules (this story would be the equivelent to a Visitation or (dare I say it) Genesis of the Daleks in the running order) we can begin to accept the characters and have fun watching them reacte to certain situations.

With Mark Gatiss we know we are getting very faithful Doctor Who - one presumes he was held back a bit from over-continuity in the first instance by RTD - and not a little dark and scary humour for which his books and, more paricularly, The League of Gentlemen is famous for, and he doesn't disappoint. 

Without meaning to deride the story in anyway The Unquiet Dead is Doctor Who by numbers. Scary Aliens, check. Wonky TARDIS, check. Famous person from the past, check. Victoriana, check. It's all there, but, in Gatiss's tale takes on a much more adult and chilling tale. Shades of Horror of Fang Rock abound with possessed humans and blustering Victorian gentlemen allowed Gatiss to push the boundaries of Saturday tea-time telly to the max, and some of the scenes would, surely, have had children scurrying behind their parents in fear. 

As the main guest star, Simon Callow was wonderful as Dickens, and, in what could have been a twee character (HG Wells, anyone?) brought a gravitas, realism and gravitas to the character. 

Again, Billie Piper was spellbinding ... you could turn down the volume and just watch her reactions .. the missed beat and then the accepting "OK" echoing her elder cousin, Sarah Jane Smith. Eccleston is well in his stride here as the Doctor, firing ahead with the power of Tom Baker, but with, sometimes, the dialogue of his namesake Colin, giving him a desperate edge. What are these Time Wars? How is the Doctor responsible? How far will he go to make amends? 

For the first time we get the feeling that this story didn't follow directly on from The End of The World, and that the Doctor and Rose have had at least one adventure in between them. I hope so, because soon, gaps in Eccleston's time are tragically going to be premium real estate. 

For continuity buffs the clues are there... the Time Wars, Rose's comments to the Doctor, and, for the second time the reference to The Bad Wolf. 

Whatever RTD has in store for the Doctor, I for one am salivating like Pavlov's dog in anticipation. Mark Gatiss claims to have waited all his life for THIS moment. He did himself proud.

I enjoyed "Rose" and "The End of the World", really I did. "Rose" was about as good as we could have expected, given that it had to introduce the series' main characters and concepts as well as tell a story, but its breakneck pace and slightly self-conscious "modern"-ness made it a bit hard to warm to for me. "The End of the World" was jolly good fun - sometimes likeably daft, sometimes effectively dramatic - but again it had a pretty slender story that made me wonder if this 45-minute slot was going to work. (And I wasn't hostile to the format - the old series was guilty of some outrageous padding.) 

So I was hoping for a lot from episode three. I was hoping that the pace might settle down a bit - wacky fast-paced fun is all very well, but please, not every week. Similarly, I was hoping for a bit more atmosphere. Oh, and maybe a slightly more involved story. And perhaps most importantly, I was hoping for a few more scares!

Thankfully "The Unquiet Dead" achieved all this in pretty spectacular style. The Victorian nighttime setting took care of the atmosphere; the brilliant script took care of the pacing; the monsters took care of the scares; and the servant girl's psychic gifts, the house's history, the aliens' double-crossing and the character of Dickens gave the story a lot more depth than either of its predecessors.

I thought the Gelth were terrific monsters, too - a great, original idea brilliantly realised. Both the zombies and the gaseous forms were very effective. I hope we see them again.

Simon Callow was great fun as Dickens, but the real star of this one has got to be Mark Gatiss. He has written exactly the sort of Who story I have been hoping for ever since the new series was announced - well-paced, atmospheric, scary, funny, original, the works. He deserves to feel every bit as chuffed as he no doubt does, because this was almost as much of a dream come true to watch as it must have been to write. The jammy swine.

With two excellent episodes under our belt, I sat down with a little trepidation to watch The Unquiet Dead, because it was written by Mr. Gatiss. I am not a fan of League of Gentlemen, or most of his other works, but found myself happily surprised by the presented episode.

The story itself was less scary than the trailers had conveyed, but it was neatly put together all the same. The running theme about the Time War is there, and so is a good example of the Doctor's different morality values - even if they turn out to be wrong in this instance! Simon Callow plays Dickens wonderfully, and the twist at the end of the story where the Doctor informs Rose that he will die shortly and so not get to write the story is slightly numbed by the fact that they are encapsulated inside the TARDIS - set aside from the time outside.

My only criticism of the episode is not concerning the story at all - but the way the Doctor's 'northern' accent seems to have also acquired stupid, dumb-sounding northern slang as well! The scene between him and Dickens in the carriage made me squirm - not because it was a slight dig at Doctor Who fans, that sort of criticism/humour I can take after being a dedicated fan for twenty-odd years - the Doctor's use of "Your Brilliant" over and over again, like a mindless dimwit just lost respect from me in the scene. It must also be noted that "fantastic" is becoming decidedly irritating - I'm hoping that he is not going to be bursting out with it in EVERY episode in the season.

I think that the pacing is slightly off with the episodes, there seems to be not much happen at the start - or it is a lecture session for Rose - followed by slightly more active part and then the resolution gets belted out in five minutes near the end! That said, overall the series is shaping up well, and I'm looking forward to next week's episode as the first part of a two-parter! Maybe the pacing will be more traditional, so we have a feel of an un-rushed story climax.

So, we've had a trip to the present, a trip to the future, and its all been good. Really good. But a trip through the archives shows that no era of Doctor Who has managed to do past, present and future to the same standard. So, it was with a little trepidation that I sat down for The Unquiet Dead. 

I needn't have worried. The standard has been set, and its obvious the series is going to stick to it. My chief concern was that the League of Gentlemen stalwart would overdo the humour, and that Callow's performance would be a tad camp.

Neither fear was justified. Some nice little touches, such as Charles Dickens using the phrase "What the Shakespeare...?", and the Doctor's new classic, "I love a happy medium".

The attention to period detail is superb (after all, isn't period drama what the BBC does best?). The characterisation of Dickens is well-observed, and played with integrity, and the supporting cast is strong enough to suck you into 19th century Cardiff. Excellent make up and CGI work well with the atmospheric lighting to complete the piece.

Again, mention is made of the Time War, with some concerned looks between the Doctor and Rose - subtle enough reference to the backstory of the ninth Doctor, continuing hints from Rose and End of the World, without bogging the show down in a constraining arc-story.

My only complaint for this story is that apart from the historical setting, its a little too similar to Image of the Fendahl for me. That said, had the likes of RTD, Gatiss and Cornell not been influenced by Dr Who in the 60's and 70's, I wouldn't be writing this now.