The TARDIS makes its first random landing since 1983. And despite an apparent lack of enthusiasm in the media, the resultant adventure is an unqualified success.

The Long Game owes much to RTD's previous stand-alone episode, The End Of The World. The jolly music that has irritated so many fans (and delighted this one) is present; there's a breathtaking panoramic view of Earth for the Doctor to explain the setting against; a companion makes a phone call back home; and The Face Of Boe shows up for another irrelevant cameo. But this time, the absence of bizarre aliens is relevant to the plot, and it's the Doctor doing the sabotage, not this week's villain.

New companion Adam gets a bit of a raw deal from his fellow travellers, as he is teased for his all-too evident lack of suitability to life aboard the TARDIS. This might have made for an interesting dynamic aboard the TARDIS, but Adam is given his own plot strand for the majority of the episode, and is written out of the show at the end. A pity, perhaps, but given his part in the story's climax, it's hard to imagine this Doctor acting in any other way. Peter Davison he ain't.

If the children who were so scared by The Unquiet Dead's zombies were still watching The Long Game, it's almost certain that the creepy music and frozen corpses of this episode will have the same effect. The effects here are on a par with the top end of the horror genre, and the Jagrafess, whilst a little unconvincing round the edges, is an original, scary and mostly well-realised creation. The biggest triumphs on the CGI front, however, have to be the holes in the guest cast's foreheads...

Despite plot and theme similarities with The Krotons (aliens promoting humans to a place from which they never return) and Vengeance On Varos (a population controlled through the television broadcasts), this story is far more tightly written than either of those serials or the aforementioned The End Of The World, and should dispel the myth that RTD is the least able writer of the current series. The story is well-acted by all, and in particular, Simon Pegg is a joy to behold as The Editor, and he seems to relish every line he's given. Well, except that one.

Niggles are few. The sets - especially on Floor 139 - look somewhat unrealistic, and there's a lack of sparkling wit, or even quotable dialogue. Once again, it's up to a member of the guest cast to save the day. And why exactly is it called "The Long Game"?

Nevertheless, if this is the series at its most "ho-hum" (as one preview put it), the remaining six episodes promise to be something very special indeed.

9/10.

Alanis Morisette are you out there? If so how do you like this for a definition of irony: - A public service broadcaster revives a forty year old television program which, against all the odds, proves a popular move with the Rupert Murdoch owned Sun newspaper, DVDs and merchandise are imminent. One of the episodes of said revived TV show is implicitly about the power of the media and subliminal messages, the result being a intellectual stagnation. Meanwhile on Independent Television channel 1 (ITV1) Chesney Hawkes has just won 'Hit Me Baby One More Time' this is followed by minor celebs making TV comebacks by performing in gladiatorial combat reminiscent of the Roman (human?) empire. I need a piece of paper to work out if this episode is a poor man's 1984, a BBC lead charge against 'I'm a Celebrity...' (but somehow not Strictly Dance Fever) or sombody taking the Mickey. My confusion is not helped by Dr Who Confidential talking about Simon Pegg like HE is the second coming.

Taking this one at face value it had filler written all over it, not that that makes it poor, it was just a bit of a mixed bag. So, what was right, the special effects were on form, Simon Pegg was suitably enjoying himself, although not the Alan Rickman/Sheriff of Nottingham he was made out to be, the sets were great and the script wasn't lacking, embarrassing or silly? Which for me has been a recurring flaw this season. The final scene was like one of the more memorable episodes of the twilight zone, with a grange hillesque wearing clothes in the swimming pool mix of scary, self implicating and also funny and was a refreshing alternativ to the TARDIS dematerialisations were getting used to. I also enjoyed the banter between the Doctor and Rose their relationship being suitably ambiguous to those within, and outside, the diagesis.

So what was wrong? Well not much, more nitpicks than anything else, the year 200,000 seems a bit far in the future for suits to still be in fashion. For that matter the 'future' episodes being set in the year 5 billion and 200, 000 smacks a little of the school playground "lets play Dr Who, lets pretend its the year 50 gazillion, def it lets play conkers". Still its a minor quibble. I also felt that making the episode a crisis threatening all of humanity was a bit ambitious, after all its a bit difficult to contextualise a plan of that magnitude when you can't see its effect, or even the cause for that matter. I also didn't really understand the Jagrophess's plan or how it would make a profit. Like TEOTW, AOL/WW3 the real villain was money which, frankly, is wearing a little thin. Like a bad episode of The Next Generation the moral is plain to see and I prefer my ethical musings to reside in the shades of grey, like a good episode of Deep Space Nine, or Dalek for that matter. I wasn't sure if Adam had had a personality transplant or if his story was a clever cautionary tail? The face of Boe must be a fellow time-traveller or a creature of extraordinary long life, but again intra-series continuity is nice to see.

Overall I enjoyed it but I didn't feel compelled to watch it again on Sunday, Dr Who confidential provided a worrying insight though, Davies seemed to imply that this episode was part of the/a story arc, this completely passed me by and I had no unresolved questions (that I didn't think were attributable to flaws in the script the script) by the episode's end, perhaps all will be revealed and the episode will improve when placed in context? The real twist ending is that despite any criticisms I've made out of all 7 episodes which have aired I'd probably place this one third behing Dalek and TUD in order of preference. I can't decide if that says something good about this episode, something bad about the overall series quality or is a manifestation of my own intellectual stagnation following too much crap telly, wouldn't that be ironic?

From the outset I must admit that I came to the end of "Dalek" thinking that the following week's episode had a near-impossible task in topping the return of our "pepperpot" friend, however I did expect rather better than we got.

First things first. It seems to be integral to the new series that the Ninth Doctor is not the saviour in all situations that his predecessors tended to be. As has been pointed out, he has only really saved the day in "The End of the World", and in "The Long Game" both the Doctor and Rose seem to be merely bystanders. I am not suggesting that the Doctor SHOULD always be Superman in a police box, but I feel he should provide the answer more than he does thus far, otherwise he comes across as somewhat impotent, possibly even too human...

Unfortunately Satellite Five does look suspiciously like the platform in "The End of the World", and causing the Jagrafess to overheat and explode was exactly how Cassandra was vanquished. It does suggest a certain famine of imagination on RTD's part.

I wasn't at all sorry to see the back of Bruno Langley's Adam, more as I find him irritating than that his crime deserved the punishment it received. The latter was far too ruthless on the part of the Ninth Doctor, I felt, and seemed to be motivated by jealousy over Rose more than anything else. Tom Baker's Doctor and Sarah Jane were close, but you can't imagine him doing the same to Harry Sullivan as Ecclestone behaves here. One could argue he ultimately showed more sympathy for the Dalek.

Perhaps I am being over-harsh, but I found little in this episode from three viewings to make me think other than that it is the weakest of the series so far. Simon Pegg's Editor was predictably excellent and stole the show, and I found myself hoping he would survive to fight another day. Tamsin Greig also shone as the Nurse, gently comic but clearly motivated by money rather than patient care.

In fairness "The Long Game" was weak in comparison with an otherwise fine series so far, and it did keep me watching, disappointed as I was in the end. Next week's episode, however, looks a cracker...

I thought this was a good, solid episode witha few salient points to make about the manipulation of the media and how clever distortion of language can lead to overgeneralisation and people not thinking too much as they are bombared with information (All together now, "weapons of mass destruction"....as opposed to "pretty harmless weapons that don't hurt anybody" perhaps?) Things didn't get too preachy and I think Simon Pegg gave an absolutely terrific performance which was the best thing in the story. So, not up there with 'Dalek' or 'The Unquiet Dead' but not at all bad...

BUT, and it's (ahem) a big but.....

I'm a tad worried about how the Doctor is coming across at present. This is no criticism of Chris (he was SUPERB in 'Dalek') . This stems from the writing....

Basically, my worry is that the Ninth Doctor is in danger of becoming far too unsympathetic in his treatment of supposedly "lesser mortals" which is beginning to risk him seeming far too judgemental and, well, that can lead to seeming positively smug! Not an attractive trait in anybody, let alone our favourite time-lord. Adam may have been foolish in his actions, but come on.....he's a young chap who's been thrust into a ridiculously alien environment and not adapted at all well. But the final scene with the Doctor and Rose leaving him behind (with a massive hole in his head!) left me feeling genuinely uncomfortable. Their behaviour just seemed too, well, smug? Callous? I just didn't *feel* right.

I mean, the Doctor didn't exactly cover himself in glory during 'Dalek' and it was terrifically handled. As a big Fifth Doctor fan I have no problem with fallibility in our hero, but a consistant lack of understanding of the fallibility of others? Yes, I do have a problem with that. (Contrast the 5th Doctors treatment of the would-be assassin Turlough. He came good when the chips were down *because* of the Doctors' inherent goodness, y'know?)

Maybe all this is going somewhere and I'll have to eat my words, but whilst I have no problem at all with a "darker" Doctor, it will be a problem for me if these traits continue without being challenged and I end up not liking the Ninth Doctor very much!

Thinking on, it has been the "stupid apes" that have saved the day in most of the stories so far. Rose, Gwynedd, Mickey and now the promotion-obsessed girl in this episode all helped to save his (and many others) ar*e!!! Shouldn't he have twigged that by now?

If this is a subtle 'character' arc and such potential hypocisy is addressed, I'll have my words served with chips, please. But I'm not sure this is the case!

Whole episode...six out of ten.

With The Long Game ready to be dismissed as a re-hash of Vengeance on Varos I was simply struck dumb by yet another mind blowing episode, both literally and figuratively.

The TARDIS arrives on the seemingly cosmopolitan Satellite 5 with new companion, the slightly shifty Adam. It all seems like a bustling cornucopia of human achievement, however both Rose and the Doctor feel something is amiss. Why does the technology feel wrong, where are the aliens and why is floor 139 so uncomfortably hot.

The sets first off were (to coin a phrase) fantastic and had a real feel of solidity and age about them. The acting was superb, everyone from the coldly sinister Editor to the Kronk Burger Van Man played the action as so without knowing winks or playing down to their audience.

Everything seemed to slot into place with events happening for a reason and every character acting within believable parameters. The most innocuous of plot details bore on all aspects of the denouement which the better of these one-off 45 minute episodes do so well.

Revealing many elements alongside characters who are seeing them for the first time worked even better than in 'Rose' not least because the entire audience were experiencing for the first time as well that character. The most effective of these being both Suki and Kaffika's separate arrivals on floor 500. Despite having seen it on several occasions the character's response, actions and in particular the incidental music relayed the feelings of fear and suspicion which grew in their minds. You could almost feel their apprehension as each character felt their way around the sinister surroundings.

Simon Pegg, cameoing in a similar fashion to many comics in eighties Who, excelled as the sinister editor believing to have control but really being a puppet for the true master of the station.

The Doctor seems to have settled down after his harrowing confrontation last week and his grin/gurn quotient appears to have dropped considerally, and this is a good thing. Billie Piper unfortunately is still not convincing me, particularly as her character is imprisioned in a mockney accent more at home in the mouth of Eliza Doolittle or Dick Van Dyke.

Bruno Langley also shone as the dodgy Adam seeking to better himself financially through foreknowledge, but with a role model like James Statton you can hardly expect him to act any different. His slightly comical fate brings the program back to earth (so to speak) and allows the audience to come back to reality after an engaging and exciting adventure in the far flung future.

After the high of last weeks 'Dalek' I sat down to watch 'The Long Game' with much less expectation and a feeling that I just wouldn't enjoy this as much.

I was half right, it wasn't as good as 'Dalek' but I enjoyed it a lot better than I thought I would, considering the last offering from Russell T Davies.

'The Long Game' was Easily as good as 'The End of the World', which had been my favourite Davies script so far. It was quite a nice (but obvious) take on the media and how they can manipulate the public and our beliefs and opinions.

It looked good and the acting from guest as well as regulars was fantastic. The lighting was suitably creepy and the corpses genuinely chilling, which I'm sure will result in a few complaints to the BBC - and as any Who fan knows if parents are complaining then the series is doing something right.

Christopher and Billie shined yet again, I just hope that Billie Piper can generate the same on screen chemistry with David Tennant, though I'm sure the relationship will be different.

Bruno Langley as Adam was far better here than in 'Dalek', chancing his luck for personal profit and being caught out. I feel the only reason for his inclusion in this episode was for us to see that the Doc will not tolerate a companion that tries to manipulate time travel for their own ends. It will be interesting to see if he is so quick to throw Rose out next week as she obviously saves her father and changes history.

Tamsin Greig was very good in this episode, gently, but greedily, encouraging Adam to go for the more expensive surgery.

What a performance from Simon Pegg, easily stealing the show, which is not an easy task with Chris and Billie on form. The Editor was such a fantastically calculating villain. Pegg's performance just reeked of smugness, I was really hoping this arrogant business man he would be a recurring villain. I also hoped for a brief while that he was another Time Lord, though, to be honest, I didn't really hold out much hope for that.

The Editor in Chief (I will not even attempt to spell the full name) looked horrific with some very good CGI, this monster was only let down by my one major disappointment with the episode: The length!

I'm sure I will not be the only one that thought this episode was a fantastic episode 1 & 2 of a classic series 4 parter. The end was wrapped up far too quickly, this episode (like most, if not all of the one parters) could have benefited from a second part. I am so frustrated that the only two parter so far was that pathetic pile of crap 'Aliens of London' and 'World War III', what a damn waste. Davies has written three good single episodes which could have benefitted from a second part and the one that does get two parts is the one that should have been shortened, very frustrating, but at least Davies is back on form.

All in all not the best episode so far - the best two being 'Dalek' and 'The Unquiet Dead' but 'The Long Game' certainly has a good shot at third place.

Oh, and over half way through the series already, time flies when you're having fun.