Glorious.

Absolutely glorious.

"Dalek" sweeps away all other contenders, from old and new. It is an absolute triumph of television, conveying drama and emotion in equal measure, and propitious amounts of that. I'm notorious for being cruelly pedantic in my reviews of any sort of media, never permitting the slightest fault to be omitted as I indulge in a malevolent delight in tearing down every edifice. Yet it's genuinely requiring massive effort on my part to find anything that could conceivably construed as a fault in this edition of Doctor Who. My only quarrels with this episode was that Van Statten was something of a one-dimensional entity being your stereotype fresh-out-of-the-box Greedy Business Magnate Mk. I, the "elevating" Dalek looking a little too obviously computer generated, and the armaments of the soldiers still sounding like weedy pop-guns, lacking the throaty, tympanum-rupturing roar and growl of deadly armaments.

Beyond those niggles, however, "Dalek" is a majestic episode. Christopher Eccleston excels himself, spitting venom, rancour and loathing at his great foe as he circles it, each word of reprobation another twist of the knife, another vindictive, steel-capped kick to the stomach as he gives voice to an entire species' worth of resentment, and sheer, unadulterated hatred. The frisson in the atmosphere as Dalek and Doctor circle about each other in a deadly dance of death, every revolution disgorging another convulsing, vomiting spray of disgust, damnation and despair, burns through the air just as much as does the Dalek's own raygun.

Who could imagine that we could ever feel anything for the arch-nemesis of forty-one years of Doctor Who? I never envisaged it - but witnessing the Dalek engage in its final throes brought me, a proud man of eighteen who should have grown out of this, to literal tears. The hollow core of the Dalek's being - the soldier without an army, the warrior without a quest, the killer without a target - is communicated beautifully. Who would have thought that this prop would have been capable of conveying emotion? Yet the drooping eyestalk and the phlegmy, stuttering, electronic grate of its voice are harrowing things to see and hear. I'm not a limp-wristed libertarian who applauds the tired (and frankly embarrasing) plot device of "the evil beast has a nice side really", but the execution of it was superb - and sensibly treated, as well. The Dalek is ultimately a weapon - he can't tolerate emotion.

Although Van Statten himself was rather bland, as I communicated earlier, how his subordinates reacted to his tyrannous employment was well-realised. Adam putting an optimistic gloss on his chances of escaping with his cherished mind intact, and Van Statten's secretary sacrastic and prim way of giving the proprietor a taste of his own medicine, were both marvellously human.

Again, there are pleasing fillips of continuity to keep us "Classic Series" fanboys sated - the Cyberman's decapitated head and the old jokes about stairs and "pepperpots" brought a self-deprecatory smile to my face.

"Dalek" was a marvellously emotive piece of television, superbly acted, and impeccably written, infusing the viewer with as much emotion as the cast. It's a pity really, because I fear no further episode could ever scale above this apogee. Let's hope I'm wrong!

Robert Shearman deserves a peerage for delivering us this script - I await His Grace Duke Shearman of Utah's entrance into the House of Lords eagerly!

Robert Shearman had an epic task in bringing back the daleks but has carried it perfectly. He has made the dalek far more then just a machine or a henchmen to Davros as they had become in the eighties, he has transformed them into entirely convincing genocide obsessed alien. He has also proved how truly powerful one dalek can be as well as being manipulative and calculating.

This episode also began with a humbling nod to the past as one of Von Stratten's exhibits is a cyberman helmet from Revenge of the Cybermen. Parts of the dalek which were mocked in the past were updated in this episode to great effect. For example the plunger having a sinister function and, ofcourse, it could climb stairs and fly. Hopefully this will silence critics who claim that daleks can't climb stairs but they ignored it last time...

Another old aspect which has now been effectively updated is the dalek gun laser which has similarities to the part in Remembrance were the guard is shot and his skeleton is exposed. The dalek in this episode also seems to have a greater manipulative intelligence not seen since Power of the Daleks or Evil of the Daleks. For example it gets Rose to touch it and this results in it's resurrection. It also kills a large amount of guards in one shot as it sets off the sprinklers, the dalek then goes on to blast the water and bathes the guards in electricity.

Towards the end of the episode we see the inside of the dalek and the kaled is exposed. The kaled looked good but i still prefer the dalek interior as portrayed in the Dalek Book. The dalek self destruct sequence is also very effective. We also learn more and possibly all about the Time War, but i still think this Bad Wolf character will be involved with it somewhere (most likely episode twelve, seeing as it is called Bad Wolf). Adam also joins the Tardis and it will be intersting to see if his character develops to rival Rose.

If feel that Robert Shearman has made one of the most menacing dalek stories which have not been seen for far too long. He should be congratulated in making such an excellent story which i think is possibly the best in the series so far, although its a close call between The Unquiet Dead and Dalek.

On the worldwide interthingy I go by the name “dalekpete”. This was an impulse when looking for an identity almost a decade ago. I use an avatar of Abslom Daak to suggest that my electronic persona is anti-Dalek; after all who could ever have sympathy for that race of destructive killers?

Under the circumstances I awaited the episode “Dalek” with more anticipation than normal. The BBC short trailer where the chained Dalek recognised the Doctor made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Not for a moment was I disappointed.

I never thought that I would end the story feeling sorry for the Doctor’s greatest adversary. That the Timelord might charge around waving a gun and, in deranged way, attempt genocide seemed inconceivable; but for all we recognised the Dalek’s plight, we know he was right. This was a Dalek, the greatest killing machine known to history, and it wreaked havoc within the bunkers that housed a roughly contemporary collection of alien artefacts. However it was a pitiful, tortured being, easily out done in the despicability stakes by some of the humans.

In finding there the last remaining member of that mutant race and recognising that it was a threat the Doctor was surely doing the right thing. We all knew that Tom Baker erred in not destroying the Daleks, didn’t we? It is just that Rose has her doubts and in her few minutes with the creature she sees more than her svengali has learned in 900 years. This was the central premise of an outstanding episode.

I am sure that many will dissect the whole “Time War” aspect and wonder whether this advances the Who concept or not. There was certainly enough to satisfy aficionados of the show with references to the past. What shouldn’t be debated is that this was first rate Doctor Who and brilliant television. It was both gripping and emotional. Not just because it featured a Dalek but because it was complex in the characterisation and it altered our understanding of the Doctor and his current companion.

The Dalek was superbly visualised with the “repairs” sequence looking wonderful. An explanation of some of the finer details about the abilities of the “killing machine” only added to the fascination of the Daleks. It was voiced to perfection by Nicholas Briggs, this was an emotionless being that had to find a soul. Eccleston was outstanding, never more so when beseeching action from the other cast members in the close ups. Piper was also sound, particularly when she had the moral upper-hand. Of the non-regulars Corey Johnson was impressive, while Bruno Langley nicely underplayed his role and in joining the Doctor’s trip might be considered a companion.

While that status of Adam might be disputed, the status of this episode as a classic shouldn’t be open to question.

After the disappointment of the 2-parter, the hype surrounding "Dalek" had me having the same sort of fears as accompanied "Rose" a few weeks back. Was it to be a travesty? Would it belittle the metal meanies? Would CGI overcome plot?

Thankfully, "Dalek" is a return to the high standards set in the first 4 weeks of the series. A clever script, if the opening minutes are a little familiar to anyone who has listened to Shearman's BF audio, "Jubilee". Luckily, the episode veers from that plotline fairly quickly.

There is pace, a battle scene that will have former members of "Havoc" weeping openly, huge emotion, and this week, the subtext remains just that. We start to see elements of the Doctor's darker side emerge, and the back story of the Time War receives its greatest fleshing out to date. Continuity freaks will doubtless use this episode to debate that following events in Resurrection, the Daleks did indeed launch an offensive against Gallifrey, that the 7th Doctor's use of the Omega device was simply an opening salvo, and that ultimately, all-out war was declared. Me, I just loved the NOW.

The new Dalek actually delivers what previous models have said on the tin - that this is a highly technological race, designed for survival, and dedicated to destruction. This Dalek doesn't just fire at everything in sight: it calculates, strategises, and pulls more than one surprise out of its polycarbide armour.

A new emotion emerges from behind the sofa, too. It may seem strange, but at points you actually start to pity this embodiment of evil, and find yourself doubting some of the motivation behind the Doctor's actions. A Dr Who story that challenges viewers' expectations? Wow!

A strong supporting cast complement sterling performances from Billie and Chris, and Gold's quasi-operatic score adds an atmospheric death that leaves you in no way nostalgic for those plodding Dalek themes of yesteryear.

And finally, the best news of all - for the first time on TV since Death to the Daleks, there's no Davros. Although,there is a cameo from another of the Doctor's nemeses.

All in all, then, a splendid return to form for the show. With the announcement that the final episode is titled Bad Wolf, another reference is dropped in to tonight's episode. It seems that Aliens/WWIII were just abberations.

OK, I will admit it, I didn't want to get my hopes up for this episode. Whilst I have found the new series enjoyable, I haven't quite clicked with it yet, nor have I entirely warmed to Eccleston's blokish portrayal of the Doctor. I will admit to being a long standing fan of the Daleks so the approach of a new Dalek episode filled me with mixed emotions. I wanted this episode to be good so badly indeed, the news that it had been written by Rob Shearman gave me hope but I didn't want to get my hopes up too high.

After 45 minutes of sitting on the edge of my seat, I realised that you can truly a judge a man by the quality of his enemies. "Dalek" didn't just entertain me, it blew me away! For the first time in the new series, I was utterly immersed in the story. I was no longer simply watching Christopher Eccleston playing the Doctor, I was watching the Doctor come face to face with his oldest enemy and loving every minute of it (despite the urge to duck behind my sofa).

RTD may be very good at drama but his writing of the Doctor has been slightly hit-and-miss for me and this is why I have taken a while to get into the new series. Rob Shearmen on the other hand nailed the character precisely. For the first time, I truly accepted that Eccleston was THE Doctor and not just A Doctor. The dialogue is sharp, the character is spot on and the tension is relentless.

The supporting cast are introduced in one of the sharpest 10 minutes of television I have seen. With a few economic scenes, we are introduced to the Dalek's captors and given a handle on their motives. The egotistical billionaire collector, his sycophantic second-in-command and the likable english boffin who catalogues his collection.

Shearmen doesn't mess long-time fans about, like the Doctor, we know that carnage and mahem is waiting the minute the Dalek bursts its chains. The scene where Doctor and Dalek come face-to-face for the first time is electrifying. Eccleston's immeadiate terror is replaced by sardonic mocking that would have made any of the doctor's earlier ascerbic incarnations proud. His diatribe against the Dalek contains the biggest revelation of the series so far. The Daleks were the antagonists of the much-mentioned "Time War", it appears the war ended with the Daleks and the Timelords wiping each other out leaving just the Doctor and this sole surviving Dalek.

From that point on the episode proceeds with relentless inevitability. Rose's compassion and ignorance of what the Dalek trigger's its release. It quickly goes on the rampage and proceeds to slaughter its way through the personel who try to stop it. Desparate to prevent the Dalek getting loose comletely, the Doctor tries to lock down the bunker and trap it. Unfortunately he traps Rose too who quickly comes to regret her earlier pity as she finds herself cornered. The Dalek however fails to exterminate her (to its own suprise as much as Rose) and instead demands its release in return for Rose's life.

Unwilling to see her killed, the Doctor releases both Dalek and hostage before heading off to find something powerful enough to destroy it. The Dalek and Rose reach the surface and Rose comments that she never expected to feel the sunlight again. The Dalek appears curious and shockingly unseals it's casing, allowing the mutated creature within to bask in the sunlight.

The Doctor rushes up with an alien weapon, determined to put an end to the last Dalek once and for all. Rose however refuses to let him simply gun down the creature. The Dalek is increasingly exhibiting human emotions including fear and pity. The Doctor realises that the Dalek has become contaminated by Rose's DNA and is slowly mutating into something new, a fate that is worth than death for the xenophobic creature. Unwilling to become what it despises, the Dalek self-destructs. The Doctor and Rose leave but not before taking the resident boffin with them.

This episode was undoubtedly the best in the series so far. The scripting, pacing, acting and story were excellent. However there were a few minor quibbles. The redesigned Dalek was a masterpiece. Without changing the basic design, the new-look Dalek looks considerably more sophisticated and dangerous than its plywood predeccessors. Unfortunately this good work is largely wasted in the second half of the episode when this menacing metal monster is inexplicably replaced by a sloightly dodgy looking CGI Dalek. The purpose of this appears to be to show off the Dalek's ability to hover to negotiate stairs. This is a total waste as the CGI work is nowhere near as good as the physical Dalek. A single scene with the Dalek climbing the stairs would have been adequate and then they should have switched back to the real Dalek. The poor CGI work mars the last 15 minutes of the episode unecessarily.

The other problem with the story is that it borrows heavily from Shearman's own Big Finish story "Jubilee". The premise of the last surviving Dalek being imprisoned and tortured by humans before forming a strange bond with the Doctor's companion will be very familiar to any fans of the audio series. I cannot entirely fault Shearman for this however since Jubilee was such an excellent story and deserved to be enjoyed by a wider audience.

The last few points are niggles but bothered me anyway. It is never explained how Rose's touch managed to regenerate the dying Dalek, nor how her DNA became mixed with it's own. Also the revelation that the Daleks are responsible for the destruction of Gallifrey and the Time Lords shocked me somewhat. The Daleks are powerful and deservedly a threat to the cosmos but the idea that they could go toe-to-toe with the Lords of Time just feels wrong to me.

Still an excellent episode and the trailer for next week has Simon Pegg in it so I finished the story on a positive note.

Wow. It could be a one word review and it would probably sum up how I feel about the slice of Doctor Who that I have just been served up but unfortunately the review guidelines indicate that no short reviews will be entertained. OK. I admit it. I had doubts. Well, you know how it is, you get all excited, you can't help it. You don't really want to because you fear disappointment but the inner child in jumping up and down inside of you and it won't be stilled. You count the days. Dr Who is coming back. It's gonna be bigger, the sets won't wobble, some of the production stills look magnificent, you think the lead actor is brilliant, and then you get the TV Movie. Been there, done that. So, a new TV series. Great lead actor, gorgeous looking stills, a genuine fan at the helm and one of the most talented men in TV Drama, to boot. It's got to be good this time hasn't it? Well, hasn't it?

So, for me Episode One didn't really gel for me. The Auton threat wrapped up in a few minutes. Solved by brute force rather than brainpower. A LOT of smirking. Burping wheely bins. I enjoyed it. A few, well quoted, good one liners. It was OK but it wasn't great. It did not inspire awe and wonder. I *thought* we would end up with a series that looked good and wasn't bad but that it would never be great. But it got better. I wouldn' t say much better but better. The second story was more interesting and then we got the The Unquiet Dead. Well, now that is more like it. Dickensian London, gothic ghost story. A smattering of Weng Chiang with a dusting of Sapphire and Steel much more like it. Then we had a cliffhanger! Hurrah for that. Been missing those. Things are warming up nicely. I am still not blown over but I am considerable impressed. I am excited about the next episode. I am feeling positive about the series. Proud of it. Able to defend my dirty secret Who habit. Able to discuss the episode with collegues in the staff room who are also enthusiastic.

Then Dalek. This IS Doctor Who and it ain't average. It is great. It is real, I feel it beginning to connect with the Doctor Who of the past. I can hear Tom Baker intone, 'have I the right?' The story is moving. Cerebral. Well acted. Genuinely edge of the seat stuff. It is top notch. It isn't a pale reflection of what has come before, it is vital and it is beginning to add to our mythology. It is not merely Doctor Who, I mean Trial of the Timelord was Doctor Who, it is the programme at it's best and it is more than capable of holding it head up in the company of the old series, Dalek has the hallmarks of the best of the best.

I can't wait to see what we are going to get next. I see Simon Pegg is in the next episode. He's great. This programme is becoming better with each airing. I think there is more to come. I was upset Eccleston had decided to call it quits but anyone who had the pleasure of watching the fabulous 'Casanova' is probably getting quite excited about seeing Tennant in the role. I know I am. I think he may add a touch more subtlety to the portrayal than the current incumbent. Better and better. Wow!