Now we are talking! I must admit having watched the first two episodes of the new season there was just the slightest niggling feeling that something was missing, something was not quite right, don't get me wrong I certainly wasn't grumbling out loud about it after all we are all watching NEW doctor who episodes something I never thought possible just two short years ago.

I think I'm partly to blame myself, in the run up to the new series I of course worked my way through the season 1 box set and so there I sat watching "The parting of the ways" Chris Ecclestons hologram turns to Rose and tells her to have a good life and I have tears rolling down my cheeks AGAIN I just CANNOT get past that bit no matter how many times I've seen it. Anyway after regaining my manly composure I felt, like many I'm sure "how are they going to top this next year?"

I was very sad to lose Chris Eccleston and my girlfriend (new to who) was reluctant to accept the younger David Tennant but hey I'm one of the "old guard" been through this a few times now "give him a chance" I said. The problem for me with episodes one and two is that they lacked emotional depth, I don't mean thrills and scares but actual emotional drama and I am aware how ridiculous that sounds bearing in mind how light on such things the original series was! But now we've had it in Doctor Who I want more! I know it's totally unfair to compare the dramatic climax of one season to the beginning of the next, after all series one took time to build,but I'm so relieved to have figured out that niggling problem and SO glad that "School reunion" has completely restored my faith.

I don't know why but I always feel a little cheated when we don't get to see the TARDIS arriving at the beginning of a story I suppose its just something we all got so used to but despite that I enjoyed the different opening to this weeks episode, the Doctor and Rose "under cover" was clever not to mention amusing and everything was set up very nicely with the mention of Mickey having called the two of them in (Roses "Doctored" mobile presumably?). I must admit Sarah Jane's entrance was not the grandest but we all new she was in this episode anyway and obviously her first meeting with the Doctor was rather one sided as she didn't know who he was but I loved her wistful expression as she recalled a friend who used the name Smith. For me the magic began a few minutes later as Sarah Jane opens a door only to be confronted by the TARDIS the gape jawed look of realisation on her face was wonderful, beaten only by her then turning to see tho Doctor "it's you" she gasps, absolute goose bumps set in at this point I thought this sequence was handled brilliantly.

Sarah Janes unhappiness with the Doctor took me by surprise I must admit I know her leaving Tom Baker's Doctor was one of the sadder goodbyes in the original series but her realising that he had dropped her in the wrong place (not South Croyden) meant that the episode almost ended on a joke but there lies one of the big differences between the old series and the new and what an important and apparently welcome difference it is.Yet this unhappiness was key to Sarah Janes character in "School reunion" and I found it fascinating- how COULD you go back to a normal existence after life in the TARDIS? Sarah Janes line "did I do something wrong?" was heart breaking and I thought Elizabeth Sladen played it perfectly.

The amazing thing is that "School reunion" actually had a good story in it's own right and a great evil mastermind in the form of Anthony Head who any other week would no doubt have completely stolen the show, the monsters were menacing and very well realised in CGI which I thought surpassed that of many other episodes.Its a testament to Anthony Heads acting ability that in a matter of seconds he can convince a hardened Buffy fan that he is not infact good old Giles but in fact a rather nasty, body part stealing, alien presence.

Then of course there was the return of our four castered friend, given a small but pivotal role and making the ultimate sacrifice for his old master, Sarah Janes reaction to his demise had me welling up.Roses relationship with Sarah Jane was interesting I found her initial bitchiness towards her almost uncomfortable but it was great to see the two of them bond over the course of the story and I thought Sarah Janes suggestion that Rose look her up one day was particularly touching.

The final scene in the sun drenched park was just wonderful to watch and played absolutely perfectly by David Tennant and Elizabeth Sladen, Sarah Jane forcing a "proper" goodbye from a man who hates them so and by doing so giving herself closure after so many years of waiting and wondering, then of course the final happy ending as the TARDIS dematerialises to reveal K9 mark 4!

I'm pleased to say that its difficult to try and find fault with this episode there are always little bits you could "nit-pick"; if the Doctor already had a K9 mk4 in the tardis why hadn't we seen it gliding about or is it something he knocked up quickly? Why hadn't Sarah Jane let her feelings be known to the Doctor before?- I know she spent most of "The five Doctors" with Jon Pertwee's incarnation but she could have grabbed a quick word with Peter Davison's Doctor towards the end and maybe even have grabbed a lift if she had been brave enough to face Teegan! It's interesting to compare Sarah Janes reaction to meeting the Doctor again in "The five Doctors" and "School reunion" the difference in the portrayal of emotional attachment is astounding, Elizabeth Sladen must have been so pleased to finally be able to really flex her acting muscles I had no idea what a great actress she actually is.

So everything looks rosy (no pun intended) Sarah Janes got closure, Elizabeth Sladens deservedly won herself a whole new generation of fans,Mickeys graduated to TARDIS crew member-which is bound to make interesting viewing for us (Rose's reaction when he asked to come along?), David Tennant's got the best job in the world and we've had an absolutely crackin episode of DOCTOR WHO how on earth are they going to top this next week? oops here I go again...

I remember quite clearly holding my breath last year while watching the first 10 minutes of "Dalek" waiting for the first glimpse of the Metaltron locked up in the vault, feeling a real buzz when the lights flickered on and there it was! Part of me expected to have the same feeling when Sarah Jane walked back into the Doctors life, and some small part of me was disappointed that it wasn't all greetings and hugs there and then when Anthony Heads Mr Finch introduced her.

But for me the greatest sensation was when Sarah Jane discovered the TARDIS while searching the school and night, shocked and bewildered she closes the door and look who's behind her! FANTASTIC! I can tell you it sent a shiver down my spine when he spoke to her.

School Reunion has already lept up to the top 3 episodes for me so far (and thats without endless re-watching for all the little things I might have missed) and the main reason for that is the sheer emotional weight of this episode, very much in the line of Fathers Day, less action and more characterisation and thats something that has been missing in the first few episodes.

The plot is wonderful, aliens using children as code breakers by enhancing their intelligence with chips! (I am sure Jamie Oliver would have something to say about that - thank god they didnt use turkey twizlers!) I am sure for the younger viewers, the scenes with the children wired up to the computers was much scarier than i found it, but it was a good story, well handled and was reminiscent of other Doctor Who stories set in schools, going back to the first ever epsiode.

Anthony Head gave a chilling performance as Mr Finch, his dialogue with the Doctor was sparkling and I wished it could have been given more time, especially when he was offering the Doctor the power of a God. The CGI bat creatures were a bit like the reapers from Fathers Day but that can be forgoven after seeing them scuttle along the walls and ceilings to attack the children and the TARDIS Crew.

Without sounding too gushing fan boy, I have to say that all the main cast had some great lines and put in equally great performances, Mickey getting the chance to do a little bit more than mope over Rose and skulk away when things get dangerous. His lines to Rose and the Doctor serve to remind us all that the partnership between them both is only finite, their recent exploits have made them almost cocky and I found that annoying in Tooth And Claw, so enter Sarah Jane to stir things up a bit!!

And thats where the emotion in this episode comes from, her reunion with the Doctor, he feeling of abondonment and the jealous Rose taking pot shots at her "he's never mentioned you" is wonderful as is the scene where they are comparing previous adventures "i met the loch ness monster" ... great stuff.

I have always been a fan of K-9 and thought he was used well in the episode. Having watched later Tom Baker episodes with K-9 sidelined because he was too frequently used to solve everything and help the Doctor out of trouble, it was only proper to give the little pooch a good slice of action shooting down the aliens, and well I won't spoil the ending but proving he is mans and the Doctor's best friend.

The final scenes almost had me in tears, like Fathers Day, it was excellently handled and packed with emotion. Sarah Jane walking away from the TARDIS head held high, having said goodbye (for now - we hope?) to the Doctor and reminding Rose that it wont last forever and to look her up if she needs her, Mickey signing up at last to the Crew and the Doctor leaving Sarah a gift ... I'm welling up again!

Finally Series 2 kicks in for me, after 2 episodes of all action romps, back to the grittier stuff and I love it!

I'm glad the village/Army base locations were ditched in favour of a school setting. Not only was this reminiscent of the very first story, AN UNEARTHLY CHILD, it fed into the childhood memories of everyone who was at school during the 70s like myself when Sarah and later K9 were regulars.

It was straight into the story, with The Doctor & Rose already in place at the school where alien intelligence was afoot. In the old days, they'd have taken the whole of the first episode to get there. Sarah Jane's career as an investigative reporter enabled her to get straight to the action. Her cynicism with Finch reminded me of her trip to Thinktank with Jellicoe & Winters in "ROBOT", Tom Baker's first story. Interesting that Ms Sladen attended the first readthrough of the Tennant Doctor with this. I've listened to the commentary where Phil Collinson says he wanted Sarah's first scene to be voice only. Funnily enough, I thought I spotted the back of Sarah's head in one of the scenes where Mickey was at the internet cafe.

And then the scene where The Doctor and Sarah meet. Of course, he can recognise her, but she can't recognise him. The dropping of his alias enabled to reveal she hadn't forgotten her most "uncommon" friend, but she still doesn't know. The scene where she sees the TARDIS again and turns to see the Tennant Doctor, realising who he is, were poetic.

In fact, given this was one 45 minute episode, there was a lot of ground to cover. Sarah felt dumped, waiting out for a visit that hadn't come - at least until the circumstances they now found themselves in.

It's true Sarah did have contact with The Doctor between 1976 & now. In K9 & CO she unwrapped the metal mutt and answered her own hope - "Oh Doctor, you didn't forget". Sarah met The Doctor again in THE FIVE DOCTORS. But it was mostly Jon Pertwee, so she couldn't have her issues out with him because her sudden departure hadn't happened yet. Good job Tom Baker didn't appear then after all - there would've been continuity problems with SCHOOL REUNION, or RTD & Co wouldn't have been able to tell part of the story. However, Sarah did catch a glimpse of the 5th Doctor and seen he'd moved on already with Tegan & Turlough, although she might have been so chuffed seeing Jon Pertwee again, any angry thoughts went out the window. That still leaves 23 years to get used to feeling dumped.

The producers have used the character of Sarah to tell a story about what happens when The Doctor moves on and leaves a travelling companion behind. As such, it applies equally well to all the other assistants and companions who left, voluntarily or involuntarily. And with Sarah & K9 compartmentalised again, this could be it where returning companions are concerned.

The "ex" thing is a metaphor, in that it plays as serious drama that can be applied to all relationships. While confirming the belief of some fans who think The Doctor does sometimes get off with his companions.

In some ways it was a greater link with the old series to feature an actress & actor from the original series in the same roles than it was to bring back or redesign an existing monster. There seems to be a greater acknowledgement this series, now new WHO is an established hit, that it has a history.

Of course Sarah's appearance had implications for the current and future set-up. It's interesting that in the first episode Rose dumped Mickey to join The Doctor, thinking she was the one and only. Now she realises she's the "latest in a long line". One of her predecessors then encourages her ex to join Rose and The Doctor - whom Rose now must realise isn't going to be around forever.

I think the overall journey arc for Rose is going to be of her rediscovering what was at home all the time (especially if Jackie dies, as rumoured elsewhere). A kind of modern day Dorothy from WIZARD OF OZ. Mickey is coming closer to her again and I reckon she'll go back with him at the end of all this.

The trade-off between Sarah & Rose was funny and perfectly understandable and leaves you wondering why they didn't attempt it in the original series. When they share notes on The Doctor stroking the TARDIS, it had me in stitches. In fact the humour was spot-on - Mickey graduating from tin dog (or Tin Man) status by the conclusion.

There was a lot of speculation as to whether Anthony Head was going to play The Master. On the surface, he didn't - although I noticed a close-up where the letters "HEAD" were missing, just leaving "MASTER" in frame.

School dinners are topical. What happened to some of the children doesn't bear dwelling on for a family audience and they didn't - treating these scenes with a lightness of touch found in, for example, THE DEMON HEADMASTER.

The way it ended played like the final curtain for Sarah in DR WHO, which was touching but also sad. But this was always the intended power of the episode. More a case of Friends Reunited, But Then This Really Is It.

However, I hope both Sarah (investigative reporter with experience of alien phenomena) & K9 (alien artefact) make it to TORCHWOOD.

School Reunion was a thoroughly enjoyable episode, but not IВ’m afraid due to the rather hurried plot(the fact that the Who team are already in place and investigating from the start speaks volumes for the time constraints the programme is under these days) but for Anthony HeadВ’s sinister and memorable portrayal of Mr Finch, the return of K9 and most significantly of all the return of Sarah Jane Smith.

I cannot commend Elisabeth Sladen highly enough really for this performance. She has always been my favourite companion anyway, so to speak, and set against that rather lofty background you always wonder, and worry, how older characters will fare when placed in the modern era. Sladen however is so competent, so professional, so obviously caring and protective towards her character that her scenes are a genuine pleasure to watch. Yes this was an unashamed nostalgia trip for us oldies but I hope younger viewers will be able at least in part to glean why Sarah holds such a special place in our affections and wonВ’t be too upset that Sarah won the little bitch war with Rose!The scenes between the Doctor and Sarah in the sun-drenched park at the end were too much for me IВ’m afraid and this soppy old git wept a little.

IВ’ve always been slightly bemused by the latter day close association of Sarah with K9 because K9 featured in precisely none of SarahВ’s stories in the 70В’s. They did of course appear very briefly in the Five Doctors and prior to that in the one-off K9 and Company. And what of the old robot dog?I loved the fact that John Leeson was asked to do the voice as only he can, and that the dog itself was only used sparingly and to maximum effect when he was, mustering just enough energy to zap a Krillitane or two and then to zap the vat at the crucial moment, much to FinchВ’s disgust!

Given the longevity of SarahВ’s travels with the Doctor and the close rapport between the two, particularly with the Fourth Doctor- the departure scenes between Tom Baker and Elizabeth Sladen at the end of the Hand of Fear were particularly well handled as I recall-I have no problem with the suggestion that Sarah has suffered, despite a brief meeting with the Doctor subsequently, a good deal of emotional turmoil both in relation to the realisation that she has been dumped and the need to re-adjust to mundane Earth life after witnessing so many amazing things. She urges Rose to seek her out one day if she needs to-admirable advice. So yes despite the fact that SarahВ’s tenure on the programme was pre-RTD and therefore pre the kind of emotional intensity that people either love or loath about the show these days, of course Sarah will have questions that need answering and will need closure by urging the Doctor to bid her a proper farewell. And that is the ingredient, plus SladenВ’s incredible performance, that lifts this story from being mildly enjoyable to being memorable and-dare I say it-tear В–jerking. After such a fitting finale, I hope in the nicest way that Sarah isnВ’t brought back, except perhaps if we see Rose seeking her out when her time on the show is done, though IВ’m sure Elisabeth Sladen is more than capable of deciding whatВ’s best for her rightly cherished character.

School Reunion is a pretty rubbish Doctor Who story. It is, however, also a great episode of Doctor Who.

ItВ’s a rubbish story becauseВ… Well, come on. Oh, itВ’s the oil all of a sudden! TheyВ’re actually allergic to it! Oh, theyВ’re trying to crack the daft-sounding sci-fi equation thing, oh no! Oh look, the ugly fat kid has set off the fire alarm and managed to save everybody! Aw, the cute tin dog is going to trundle in with his laser beam and save the day too.

ItВ’s ChildrenВ’s BBC territory, and compared to Tooth and Claw, the plot of which seemed to flow naturally and easily В– or even to New Earth В– it appeared distinctly amateurish in new series terms, and Toby Whithouse is going to have to buck his ideas up if he gets the chance to write for the show again, when he is unprotected by being able to use two of its icons to cover the damage. LetВ’s hope his forthcoming episode of Torchwood В– the organisation which got another throwaway mention here В– allows him to flex his plotting muscles a little more effectively.

Perhaps the CBBC feel was added to by the school setting, which given the use of computers to control the students particularly evoked memories of his 1991 CBBC serial Dark Season. Not that thatВ’s a bad thing, as a bit of nostalgia and evocation of other productions has never hurt the series, and the school setting probably also worked well for the current child and teenage audience, who would have enjoyed the identification factor of seeing the Doctor at work in a school just like theirs. Mind you, thatВ’s no excuse for В“Kenny blew up the school!В” Yeuch.

However, I am being picky and pedantic, I know, because when it comes down to it School Reunion was no more about the Krillitane plot to crack the thingamajig paradigm than Rose was about the third invasion of Earth by the Nestene Consciousness. Like Rose, this was a vehicle for bringing a companion aboard, albeit only for one episode, but unlike the new series debut she wasnВ’t somebody new being introduced to both the Doctor and the audience.

This was the return of Sarah Jane Smith. Hurrah!

We all knew it was coming, of course. WeВ’d seen the previews and the press features and the magazine articles. WeВ’d seen various clips in the trailers and support shows, but still, that scene where the Doctor was introduced to Sarah in the staff room, and the look on his face as he recognises herВ… It was magical. TennantВ’s portrayal of the DoctorВ’s delight as he speaks to Sarah В– В“Good for you, Sarah Jane Smith!В” В– is utterly infectious, and this is why itВ’s a great episode of Doctor Who.

Toby Whithouse has been very keen to point out in just about every interview heВ’s done about the series that unlike most of the other writers working on the show, heВ’s not a huge fan of the original Doctor Who. He thinks that this helped when he was given the Sarah В– K9 episode, as he was less intimidated by having to write for the icons of the series. Now firstly, I think this is bollocks В– Shearman managed to write for the Daleks without collapsing into a puddle on the floor, and everyone else has managed to pen effective episodes featuring the Doctor, the TARDIS etc without having nervous breakdowns at the sheer excitement of it all.

Secondly, it seems odd because there are so many little fanboy touches, В“kisses to the pastВ” as our old friend Philip Segal used to call them, that it seems impossible to believe Russell T Davies didnВ’t have a hand in penning many of the scenes featuring the Doctor and Sarah. ItВ’s insulting, I know, to suggest that any of the good bits in the guest writersВ’ episodes were written by the showrunner, but it does seem that last year the only scripts Davies left pretty much untouched were MoffatВ’s episodes, and Elisabeth Sladen herself has said in interviews that Davies В“sprinkled his gold dustВ” across the episode.

But whoever wrote the thing, which is pretty unimportant at the end of the day when you simply have to consider what ended up on screen, did a bloody good job with SarahВ’s scenes. Nearly all of them bring a lump to the throat in some way or another В– В“I thought youВ’d died!В” В“Did I do something wrong?В” В“Say goodbye this timeВ…В” ItВ’s pretty damn affecting stuff, and not the kind of emotional punch you usually expect from an episode of Doctor Who, even in the new series. The ending, as Sarah turns down another spin in the TARDIS and gets a final farewell hug from the Doctor before trundling off with her new K9 was justВ… Aw!

I donВ’t know how much all of this would have registered with new fans, although on Saturday evening I did by chance watch the episode for a second time in the company of some other people, one of whom was a woman who said sheВ’d never seen any of the classic series and thus didnВ’t know who Sarah was. She seemed to find it pretty moving, so it does perhaps work on that level for new viewers as well as old, which has to be commended as there must have been a worry that this episode would do nothing for purely new series followers.

I do have to say though that the one aspect of SarahВ’s return I didnВ’t think fired on all cylinders was her initially antagonistic relationship with Rose. It seemed a bit forced, especially the shouting match of monsters theyВ’d encountered which had looked so good in the BBCi three-minute preview, and their making up all seemed a bit rapid, although the sheer speed at which everything went by was a factor across the episode. You also have to wonder why Rose was so keen to offer Sarah a place back aboard the TARDIS at the end of the episode, but seemed a bit pissed off when Mickey finally decided to join up.

Sarah wasnВ’t the only character returning though, as we also got the reappearance of K9. IВ’m not a massive fan of the silly tin dog, although then again I donВ’t despise the creature as others do either. IВ’m fairly ambivalent towards him, although I will accept he got some nice moments in his brief appearances in the episode, and his final В– or not so final, depending on how you look at it В– sacrifice to destroy the Krillitane was nicely handled and doubtless spilled some tears amongst the younger viewers.

You have to feel a bit sorry for Anthony Head as Mr Finch, as in any other week heВ’d be the major guest star of the episode, but here he and his character rather got buried under the return of Sladen as Sarah Jane. He was perfectly fine as the smooth villain, and his scenes with Tennant were very good, but on the whole he was pretty much overshadowed by everything else that was going on. Tennant himself was on sparkling form in most of the episode, with only his embarrassing В“correct-a-mundoВ” scene in the classroom bringing the DoctorВ’s character down a notch this week for me. He more than made up for it though both with his scenes with Sarah, and with his explanation to Rose of why he had to leave his companions behind, because they age and die and he just regenerates. ItВ’s an issue weВ’ve not seen the show confront before, and Tennant delivered the lines excellently.

You wouldnВ’t want them to sacrifice plot and other supporting characters purely to bring back old series elements every week, but as a one-off emotional and nostalgic punch it worked very well indeed, and I certainly wouldnВ’t lose this episode from the run for anything. ItВ’s so sad to finally say goodbye to Sarah Jane Smith from the DoctorВ’s life, but nice that he finally got to fulfil that long-ago made promise of В“until we meet again.В” Wonderful stuff.

But no, I didnВ’t cry. That would be silly. This is, at the end of the day, only Doctor Who, and itВ’s not that type of series.

This was the episode I was dreading the most of the ones I know about so far. This one had all the makings of a clinical example of the worst excesses of fanwankery. Old companions meeting new Doctor/companion team + cult actor from another cult genre show = ... well, let's face it, the worst fanfic and New Adventure novels have all done it before (Hell, sometimes even the BEST novels couldn't help themselves), and that Big Finish hasn't done it more often defies belief. After the sheer mediocrity of "New Earth," and the gigantic letdown of "Tooth and Claw," which I was REALLY looking forward to, how low was the new season of Doctor Who going to sink in only its third episode?

Well, not low enough apparently, because this episode redeemed the season so far and then some. The inclusion of Sarah Jane Smith and K9 back to the fold didn't seem tacked on for fan reasons (tho let's face it, they were), they served a dual purpose. First, of course, to show that the Doctor isn't the only one investigating paranormal events in the UK, and second, and most important, the compare/contrast between Sarah Jane and Rose.

And LORD was this episode just positively DRIPPING with the shippiness. I'm not usually one to call out the ship, or non-ship, or whatever in this series, but good GOD, if anyone thinks that the Doctor and Sarah Jane didn't have a romantic/sexual THING going on after this episode you are positively DELUSIONAL.

That's right, I said it, DELUSIONAL. The ending of "The Hand of Fear" was a lover's spat if ever there was one, Sarah Jane getting K9 to begin with was a backhanded apology after Romana dissed HIM in "Warrior's Gate," and she was happy to see the Third Doctor in "The Five Doctors" because it wasn't the one she had an affair with.

The implication of Sarah Jane being a faithfully waiting but nevertheless jilted lover all these years sits right (even if it does go against what Lawrence Miles had written in Interference ... hmm, wonder if THAT'S why he's ragging against this episode, it contradicts his novel), and furthermore, look what it's done to Rose. She's seeing there's more than what's on the surface with the Doctor now. She's special, but not THAT special anymore. She's not the only one and never has been. And awwww look at the Doctor not being able to say he loved Rose OR Sarah Jane. Rivers in Egypt...

Ah, poor K9, clunky as ever, yet faithful to the end. Just like a good little robot. Same as Mickey. Oh, whoops, he's figured it out. And now he wants in on the real TARDIS action. Rose ain't too pleased for some reason. Both men in her life are pissing her off now it seems. Aw.

Anthony Stewart Head, of course, was fanservice, but he does have a Who pedigree, with that Excelis trilogy of audios, and the cameo as St. Valentine in Death Comes to Time. And in a plot whose McGuffin was right out of "Remembrance of the Daleks," he played the smarmy villain to a T. Not bad, but really anyone could have filled the part. The plot, eh, take it or leave it. The real story here was the Missus meeting the Ex, as Mickey so aptly put it. And it made for a damn fine episode.

Plus, you know, K9 blowing shit up always helps too.