School Reunion was everything it promised to be and more. This was emotion on the scale of "Father's Day", a beautifully written episode, exploring the dynamics of what happens to the Doctor's companions after they have left. Sarah Jane was a perfect ex-companion with whom to explore this, as she was one of the most popular with fans, most dear to the Doctor, and one of the few who left the Tardis unwillingly, being unceremoniously shovelled out by Tom Bakers Doctor after he was called to his home world.

The Doctor looked absolutely cockahoop upon seeing Sarah Jane, and it was interesting and emotional to see Rose's reaction to the revelation that a time might come when the Doctor might have to leave her behind, to get on with normal life. The bitching between Rose and Sarah Jane about who had seen the biggest/greatest/most dangerous monsters and robots e.t.c. was hilarious, and probably totally what you could expect in a relationship triangle. The story could well have turned out to be a necessary add on, but in fact was a well thought out plot really. Anthony Stewart Head played the Headmaster quite convincingly, and I couldn't help thinking that if the "Master" was ever to return that Head would be brilliant for the role.

The Krilitanes were quite convincing, if slightly comicbook, but that is quite ok, ‘cos this is Doctor Who, and in Doctor Who anything is possible.

K9 is a character I have never known much about, as I stopped watching Doctor Who years ago when K9 was first introduced, thinking it to be a rather silly concept. However, I eat my words, because K9 here was so great, that I was shedding tears for him at the sacrifice scene in the school, in the same way that I did when Rose thought the Doctor had been eaten by the reapers in Father's Day; or the same way that I felt sorry for the dalek in Van-Statten's underground bunker last year. The effect of K9s demise on Sarah Jane was really heart tugging stuff.

The scenes inside and outside the Tardis at the end were sublime, the reaction of Sarah Jane on the "redecorated" Tardis, the conversation between Sarah Jane and Rose, the request that Mickey made to join the crew in order that he should cease to be their "tin dog", and the farewell hug at the end.

Then, as the Tardis dematerialises, a surprie for Sarah Jane, a perfect farewell present from the Doctor in the shape of a rebuilt - or mark four - K9. Oh and the kids were great too, especially Kenny, who became an unlikely hero to all his schoolmates for "blowing up the school". 10 out of 10.

Goodbye my Sarah Jane Smith – wow, what an emotional rollercoaster Toby Whitehouse has given us. The quality of each episode just seems to get better in this season two. This episode for me is definitely a real winner though due to some old element’s I loved growing up with Sarah Jane Smith and K9. When I knew that Elizabeth Sladen and John Leeson were returning I felt that Russell had something special lined up and boy did he deliver.

The credit for writing such a good script has to go to Toby Whitehouse. The opening was pure evil eating the child as they have no parents not to be missed. This element of putting it on a child’s level, a setting in a school with stuff that kids can identify with is sure to have had them chilled tonight. The great thing about new who is there really is something in it for the adults to and that’s in the emotion behind the monsters and the incredible acting. I really like the imaginative stuff to, Russell is right you don’t have to do the guts and gore to get the story over and this is well worked in 3 parts in this story with the right effect every time.

Another good pre credits opener, Rose and the Doctor already being in the school for 2 days accelerates the script and moves the action on quickly. Then enter Sarah reporting on the school for the Times or so she says. The first meeting with the Doctor was enchanting as the Doctor has the recognition but Sarah is oblivious commenting on I knew a John Smith before acquainting herself with the teachers.

The Doctor allows Sarah to walk away, why we wonder? The Doctor is then properly reunited when he and Rose and Mickey investigate the school at night at the same time that Sarah decides to. A point to note is Mickey involvement im still not 100% sure on the character but I am still hesitant to judge. I feel from an adult perspective he isn’t necessary but from a children’s I can see that he is valuable to the show and dynamics. So everyone hears creaks in the school spooky, Sarah runs from the headmaster’s office to find the Tardis great moment, and then Sarah slowly comes face to face with the Doctor. This exchange of dialogue is played just right without slowing things down and then moving the action on. The chemistry that Liz had with John and Tom is the same with David it shows how true Liz is to the character as she displays the right emotions for Sarah all the way through the episode.

So Rose meets Sarah and the jealously starts, this is well played by Billie as always, her progression through this season is great to and Billie is on top form again in this episode. The friction and reality of the Sarah situation is fast and truthful and again is what the adults will be enjoying. Sarah then introduces K9 into the proceedings, visually just the same which was great to see. John gives a good solid performance as K9. There is only one flaw in the script when K9 is left in the car that smashes the window only to somehow jump out and save the day questionable but only noticed on repeated watching which for many of the millions of viewers this won’t happen.

Then we come to Mr Finch played by Anthony Stewart wow what a performance. The subtle but excellent delivery of the pool scene was so enthralling and David really gets to shine here. This is an excellent showdown which underlines the cost of what is going on and how this doctor is different now and makes different decisions. David is really showing his acting strengths and giving us a fabulous doctor. I have to say that I prefer him to Chris as he so eccentric and I prefer this portrayal the many facial expressions the changing in voice pattern and speed at the delivery of dialogue. This is not to take away anything from Chris who delivered a human Doctor that was so full of life, but I hope we get to keep David for more than one season.

Again the visual effects department have worked hard at creating a great monster in fact one of the best we have seen so far and the transformations were fantastic so much better than the slitheen. The climax of the story was great too emotional with us losing K9 as self sacrifice which was just awesome a real sobbing moment. The reaction of Sarah was enough to carry this emotion until the end. So then the finale scene and what a glorious summers day and what a lovely setting. Sarah comes into the Tardis and exchanges words with Rose, stay with him he’s worth the heartache and look me up if you need me when he has left your life, just wonderful. Mickey joins the gang, im as enthusiastic as Rose at the moment im hoping this will change. Then im back to where I began the goodbye to Sarah, A real crying moment for me this emotional punch is fantastic and what as a fan makes me so proud to be a Dr Who fan I just love this show.

One final note I just want to congratulate Elizabeth Sladen for a wonderful character portrayal of Sarah. Liz looks amazing and it was a fitting end on screen for one of the most loved companions, thank you Russell for bringing Sarah back another stroke of genius.

Expectations were high, perhaps unrealistically so. The return of Sarah Jane Smith, the Doctor's companion when I first watched (and in fact my earliest memory of television) and K9 were always in danger of overshadowing the story. Especially in the one episode format. After first viewing I am unsure what to think.

The story centres around a school which has experienced massive improvements in behvaiour and exam results since a mysterious new headmaster took over. Curiously, the area around the school has been subject to UFO activity, and it transpires that Mickey has called Rose and the Doctor to investigate. Somehow the Doctor has become a new physics teacher and Rose a dinner lady.

Also on the scene is journalist (and 70's Doctor Who companion) Sarah Jane Smith. At this point the story splits into two. We learn that Sarah never really got on with her life after the Doctor was called back to Gallifrey. She stayed behind, waiting for him to return. Initially Sarah is angry, things not helped by a strained relationship with the 'new model', Rose.

During the adventure, Rose and Sarah eventually bond and work together. Rose realises for the first time the implications of the Doctor's likely lifespan, that he's had many companions before and will have more after herself. We also see K9, who is given his usual stop-start role in the adventure.

Back to the story! The Doctor, Sarah, Rose and Mickey all investigate the school after hours. We already know that there is something strange about the oil used to cook the chips for school meals. Mickey finds a store cupbard full of vacuum packed rats which makes for a good comedy moment but is never explained. The four eventually locate the teachers apparently sleeping in the headmaster's office, hanging like bats.

Then the story begins to race, pacing was perhaps not so strong in this episode. The following day the students are all sat at computers apparently learning...or are they?

It transpires the alien teachers are a race that has ambitions to crack a code that will set them up as gods, rulers of the galaxy. The headmaster offers the Doctor the chance to join them, in effect creating a new race not unlike the Time Lords. Thankfully, partially persuaded by Sarah, the Doctor refuses eventually destroying the aliens with their own cooking oil - which Rose earlier noticed causes them to be burned.

I really enjoyed seeing Sarah and K9 again. they worked well as part of the story and were not out of place. Pacing was the problem, if Tooth & Claw might have benefitted somewhat from being longer, then School Reunion definately should have been. The Doctor's moral dilemma, where clearly he is considering joining in with the aliens, could have been presented so much more dramatically.

The bulk of the time is spent examining how Sarah has been affected by her past travels with the Doctor, both positively and negatively and with the implications for Rose. This doesn't leave enough space for what seems like a worthy story to be fleshed out properly.

It was good to see that all four companions (yes, even Mickey and K9!) had a part in saving the day, as well as the Doctor who actually worked out the solution. At the story's conclusion both Mickey and Sarah are given the opportunity to stay on board the Tardis. Sarah declines, Mickey accepts, and tellingly we see that perhaps Rose isn't so thrilled at the two parts of her life being combined.

All in all a lot happened in those 45 minutes. I am tempted to say too much, and to give School Reunion 6.5 out of 10. In saying this I hope it doesn't discourage RTD and Co from reintroducing old characters from time to time.

A word for Tony Head, who was superb as the headmaster. Casting of one-off characters thus far this year has been excellent.

Recently, I finally sat down for two weeks and hammered out the story of my life - all the trials and tribulations, the scrapes and the dangers and the countries I've been to along the way, and of course, the people I have met. It never really struck me until writing it all down how many good friends I have had over the years and places I have lived. I wonder where they are now...

The Doctor must feel like this at times. He is a man with a very, very long life who has befriended and parted with many friends along the way and he too - in between adventures - must wonder where his beloved confidantes are from time to time.

So, one day, Sarah-Jane Smith and K9 appear from out of the blue. The sheer sense of pathos between the Doctor and Sarah was overwhelming to the point at which I was biting back the tears. Here were two friends who had shared something so special to each other, barely a thing had surpassed it ever since. Of course, in times like this, difficult questions are asked like - Why didn't you come back for me? The answer was our first proper glimpse into the soul of the Tenth Doctor, in that he lives virtually forever and to watch someone you love (like a human with a short life span) grow old and die would be too much to bare. So you move on. Forever moving on.

Rose, in this episode, gets a sense of mortality too. Sure, she's stared death in the face every time the TARDIS has landed, but the sense of mortality that the time of her life will one day end... and what will happen then? Will she wait on like Sarah and she herself couldn't bare to do in Parting of the Ways? Will she move on and put that poor boy Mickey out of his misery by finally having respect for him? Or will she fall to pieces? I think some interesting questions are raised here about as and when Rose will leave the TARDIS. Russel, I can tell you're gonna make me cry when it comes.

The sense of closure that Sarah Jane gets at the end with her insisting that this time the Doctor really did say Goodbye and the surprise of K9 being lovingly restored (his self - sacrifice was wonderful) really did make me blub for real. It's a shame that Sarah never had a family, and yes, the Doctor would be a hard act to follow...

Oh, I forgot - the plot. Well realised CGI aliens that made me think that that was what the Tetraps should have looked like. An all-too-side-lined wonderful performance from Anthony Head which was delightfully creepy in the teaser. Chilling. Oh who cares! The wonderful thing about Doctor Who nowadays is that a whole episode can go by and you couldn't give a flying Krillitane about the latest alien invasion when something in the foreground is making you cry or whoop with joy. The spectacle is there, the alien threat is there, the pathos and the humour and the nostalgia - check, check, check. My only complaint is that it was too damn short. Make it an hour next time, please.

And so Mickey realises he is the Tin Dog and decides to join the TARDIS crew. Mickey you ARE the Tin Dog. But we love Tin Dogs so that's OK.

School Reunion is the episode every fan has been waiting for. The fans have sat back patiently (well, as patiently as any fan can sit) while the story of the Doctor has slowly unfolded for the new viewers, and now we have an episode which very much indulges the old school in a slice of nostalgia. If you thought the Daleks were a whiff of Doctor Who’s past glory, then prepare for a full blown taste of retro sensations!

Sarah Jane Smith, the fan favourite companion of yesterday returns along with possibly the oddest TARDIS traveller the Doctor has ever had: K-9. Yes the robot dog is back and this time, he’s actually rather good.

They story premise is fairly simple: While investigating one of Mickey’s UFO sightings at a nearby school, the Doctor and Rose encounter a malevolent Headteacher, bats aplenty and a lady who will bring emotional turmoil to the Doctor and his current companion.

The episode starts with a child being eaten. Even on modern television, this is a rare sight and makes for a good opener. The story is a little reminiscent of Virgin’s New Adventures; in so far as we are dropped right into the centre of the story - in this case, with the Doctor already at the school and teaching a class. This certainly makes for a refreshing and intriguing opener.

Anthony Steward Head is wonderful as the Headmaster, Mr Finch. Fondly remembered for his slightly eccentric school Librarian in “Buffy The Vampire Slayer”, Head returns to education with an entirely wicked persona. If anyone should play The Master in Doctor Who, it should be Head. His presence is commanding and an asset to the story, particularly a tale already dominated by the show’s guest stars.

This story works in everyone’s favour, especially Tennant. Both “New Earth” and “Tooth And Claw” demanded the Doctor’s role to be slightly less central, simple for the requirements of both stories. This is very much the Doctor’s tale, both in the emotive drama and the action based plot. Tennant rolls off a wonderful performance as a school teacher, moving onto a spellbinding reunion with Sarah Jane and then an implosive encounter with the Head. The scene with Head and Tennant working a stand-off at the school swimming pool is a gravity-well of tension. The two actors play off each other so well in this scene.

The script has some lovely touches and to know surprise, much of the strength of episode comes from it’s script. The reunion with Sarah Jane is written with the perfect balance of word to action, indeed the very essence of any great scene. The writer knows when to insert dialogue and when to simply let the actions speak for themselves. The scene is written with just enough bite that the moment becomes touching rather than saccharine.

Where School Reunion truly excels is in it’s examination of the Doctor and his companions. Just how do these exciting journeys in time affect the TARDIS crew and more importantly, what’s left when they part company?

It seems fitting Sarah Jane is the companion to ask these question since she was indeed kicked out of the TARDIS and back into reality. Where do you go when you come back from a trip of a lifetime? This is a theme never explored in Doctor Who although it was briefly touched upon by Rose in “Parting Of The Ways”.

This inability to reintegrate into society has always been a problem for those who have lived in unusual and often deadly circumstances. Those who return from war suffer similar disassociation; no one else can understand or appreciate the journey one has taken and with no real connection to that life, one is left feeling stranded. How many companions of the Doctor may suffer from such disassociation? It’s a chilling thought.

The other question posed is why the Doctor doesn’t go back to his old companions? His answer is a rationale one and delivered by Tennant with such conviction. What man wants to watch his friends die?

The tension and jealousy between Sarah Jane and Rose is an interesting one. Certainly “School Reunion” brings out a side of Sarah Jane we’ve not seen before. Again it makes one wonder how many other companions are caught so firmly by the Doctor’s charisma? How many have been so overwhelmed by his character and actions that no one else dare compare? There is an interesting beat between Rose and the Doctor in “School Reunion” which does show how Rose’s feelings are very entrenched in human love while the Doctor’s are not. She thinks there is “something” there which he doesn’t seem to connect with. The question of how Rose views her relationship with the Doctor still isn’t really clear, or if Sarah Jane’s was or is the same. This ambiguity seems to suit the dynamic. The Doctor is literally out of this world, so perhaps that means any close friendship with the Doctor takes on a dynamic different to any other male/female bond.

Piper and Sladen have some excellent chemistry, in fact the whole cast shines. Mickey’s request to join the crew in the last moments is very welcome, which if we compare the reaction to his existence in “Aliens Of London” last year, we can see the character and audience’s empathy for Mickey has come away.

So that leaves us with our and every man’s best friend: K-9. His role was a little less intrusive than I expected - especially as Doctor Who has a very child orientated mandate. I - for the first time since I myself was a child - loved his presence here. It’s not overstated, he isn’t silly and his role plays relevance to the plot and the emotional drama. Mickey and Rose’s reaction to this odd machine serves as a perfect bridge for new viewers and I wouldn’t mind seeing the mutt again.

With a lovely musical score, some very solid cast direction and a great pace, this is an awesome episode.

Down points? All episodes have them. Mr Finch’s Krillitane hoard were rather too reminiscent of the Reapers from “Father’s Day” and that did take a lot away from their presence. Their head shape was a little too comic caricature and seemed more fitting in comic book than a TV show - certainly didn’t make them feel very real or scary. Nevertheless, the actual animation and fusion between film and CG was good enough not to really question their existence. The only other dodgy effect in the whole show was the open TARDIS at the end. The interior console backdrop, looked like just that, a backdrop. You could even see the floor space before the hanging image. Perhaps this patchy bit of prop work was intended to add to the nostalgia factor.

Other than that, the story worked, the characters worked and the show.. worked. I can honestly say this is one school reunion all the fans will want to be a part of.

Episode 4? Come on, I challenge you to top this.

Thoughtful. Intelligent. Touching. Fun.

I must admit I wasn't sure what I'd make of an episode with a 'Demon Headmaster'-type scenario that was to reintroduce two iconic characters from the programme's past. Well, thanks to an excellent script and cast and crew on top form, I think we were treated to another superb piece of television.

We start with the Headmaster, Mr Finch (an absolutely *barnstorming* performance fro the great Anthony Head) getting, um, tucked into the part immediately and then we cut to the new supply teacher. Yep, the Doctor's on the case and smilingly addresses the children with the wonderfully apt "Are we sitting comfortably?" Cue credits; and we begin...

And I'll begin with the Doctor. Ever since his casting was announced, I thought David Tennant had the potential to be one of the great Doctors, and nothing I have seen so far has disuaded me. I thought he was quite brilliant throughout this episode, showing a wide range of characteristics, including the funny (his supply teacher routine; "Correctamundo!") the dramatic (eyeball to eyeball with Mr Finch) the joyous ("K9!!!") the touching (pretty much every scene with Sarah-Jane) and the positively heart-rending (the chance to resurrect the timelords dangled before him; the sublime "...wither and then die" speech where he is unable to use the word "love") I could go on, but'll engage 'understatement' mode;

I was rather impressed by Mr Tennant.

How good was Elisabeth Sladen? Sarah-Jane pretty much exactly how I'd imagined her to be...I'd expect nothing less from this actress, but it was still a lovely performance; and her relationship with Rose was very believable and played so well. I've sensed a bit of a Billie Piper backlash brewing in certain circles; not here. Rose is still learning and these 45-minutes saw quite a steep learning curve. Jealousy, bitchiness, vulnerability, sulkiness...we're seeing some of Roses less attractive traits, yeah, but they're pulled off with aplomb by Ms Piper. The danger that the Doctor and Rose's relationship was gonna start to grate in its potential smugness? Blown out of the water! (especially now Mickey is aboard) Intriguing, and further proof that this programme is being produced by very smart cookies.

Noel Clarke gave a fine comic performance, nailing some plum lines/ moments...the line "Oh my god...I'm the tin dog!" being a laugh out loud moment. He might scream occasionally (causing another bit of "rude" from the Doctor) but the character is brave when required and fully deserves his place on board as a bona fide companian.

The 'tin dog' himself? Very well utillised and and another nostalgaic treat for us more, er, 'chronologically challenged'! Mind, I think he'll be a hit with the kids this time around too.

So...a success. Enough plot to keep one interested, whilst really being at heart a fantastic 'character' piece.

The last scene was *glorious*, and I really liked Murray Gold's score throughout; using motifs from 'Song for Ten' (the song from Christmas that I thought was the Beach Boys! Still, that's a compliment coming from me) to great effect. And some of the lead guitar lines took me back to 'Mawdryn Undead'; another story set in a school with sinister staff, a male companian joining at the end and a be-trainered (Sic!) , young looking and marvellous Doctor!!

How I 'mark' a story can change once I've seen a whole season, but today this gets a resounding 9 from me.

So...next up an episode from the writer of last year's masterpiece, then here come the Cybermen. Happy days.