There were always going to be two big episodes-the first episode and the one where the Daleks come back. Neither disappointed, which is what counts.

The focus of the story is course the Dalek-it would have been suicide to do otherwise! And they really did suceed here. The plunger now has effective use, and the scene where the tortured gets 'suckered' is probably one of the scariest the series is ever going to produce. The rotating sections are really showing how mordern technology has benefited Doctor Who and enhances the feeling of the terror the Daleks create-the 'behind the sofa' factor if you will. The extermination scenes are the key points and they are lovely. I could go on for ages, but the bottom line is the Daleks are back and frankly could not have been done better.

Now on to the rest. The opening scene is very nice and retrospective, yet not interfering in the slightest. Its also special to me-the Cybermen were always more important to me than the Daleks, and if I could write for anything, screw te Doctor its these babies I want to write for. But thats another story. The guest cast is worth consideing. The soldiers are precisely what they should be, Von Straten is a complete hadcase and Diane has great potential. Then of course there's Adam, who we can see more of. He looks promising in adding a new dynamic to the TARDIS crew.

The sets are very nice, with the sprinkler sequence showing off the full scale of what they can do.

If you're going to borrow, borrow the best, and this is what Shearman has done. He has taken Power & Evil of the Daleks and melded some of the best sequences from them into a 45-minute crackpot. The downside to this is the rather predictable bit of the piece which allows for the ending. One feels a final climatic battle would have been worth it. The War bits are especially good though f you consider how strong the Daleks were getting as a result of time travel and the inevitable consequences.

This is truely a good dalek story, and a strong gun for this season, as it should have been. Lets hope the Doctor is wrong, and the Daleks will come back in force.

The long wait is over. At last we can finally rid ourselves of the cheap tacky image of the Daleks, evolved over decades of derision by the same old critics. Now they can climb the stairs. Now they can sucker a man to death. Now all the functions of a Dalek do seem to be practical. But does the excellent realisation of New Dalek merely dilute its traditional message of menace, in the same way that New Labour was seen as a dilution of socialism in the late 90s?

Robert Shearman's answer is an emphatic NO. 'Dalek' sees a fantastic rebirth of a televisual icon in every possible way (I couldn't possibly comment on the rebirth of the Labour Party). In many ways this is the best characterisation of the Daleks since their debut in 1963, certainly since Power of the Daleks. The sheer scale of the species' capability is explored far more than it ever was in the original TV series, making one genuninely awestruck at the potential that just one machine could achieve. Everything is covered. Intelligence in its distress calls and downloading, Cunning in its duping of Rose, Pitiless in its destroying of all the militia in the underground facility, Ruthlessness in its holding the Doctor to ransom in order to escape, Confusion in its coming to terms with Rose's emotions. I could go on, but you get the idea. Where could one get this scope in most of the Daleks' previous stories? And yet that was what made them so appealing in the first place, that there was so much more to the obvious fascistic side they presented. Shearman and RTD deserve immense credit for going back to the roots of the Daleks' attraction.

Special credit is also due to the faithful reproduction of Raymond Cusick's original design. Any production team would have be tempted to start afresh, but thankfully RTD and friends have resisted this, appreciating that the original attraction of the design was the key to the Daleks' appeal. The modifications they have made have all improved the effectiveness of the design, in particular the blue eye, and for me, the speech indicators with the poorer lit scenes being highly effective. The classic old ring modulator is also retained, and Roy Skelton has been well and truly left behind in the voicing stakes by Nicholas Briggs, who produces a fantastically emotional performance, highlighting the Dalek's paranoia superbly.

Of course, all the other elements to Dalek ensure that this is a story of the highest quality. The mood is considerably darker than any of the previous tales and suitably so, since we are now beginning to explore in detail the immediate background to the Doctor's present situation, and the painful effects of the Time War. Gone are the inane grins from Eccleston and cheesy jokes (well most of them), to be replaced by an intense performance of the highest order. This is what many would have imagined Christopher's Doctor to be like from Day One, but the contrast from the first 5 episodes lightheartedness makes this even more effective.

Billie Piper continues to surprise with her acting, and shows she can equal Chris in the intensity stakes. Corey Johnson is superb as Van Statten, smarminess and ruthlessness incarnate, and pleasingly preserved instead of dying the usual villain's death. Only Bruno Langley fails to impress here, performing with too much innocence and naivety for a self-pronounced genius.

The story's location is another excellent feature, the bleak long corridors echoing all the old classic Dalek stories, and providing those much-cherished moments of suspense. Shearman says that the stairs scene was the first thing he wrote, and it's easy to understand why. This scene is directed and acted to perfection, and is the final put-down to the critics.

From a production point of view only Murray Gold's music disappoints, with a lot of over-playing in certain scenes - the Adam/Rose scene a particular weak point. That said, the choral sequences are highly effective in conveying the awesome potential of the Dalek and the rebirth of its power.

After this revelation, I for one hope that we see more of the Daleks in this series, and despite having zero knowledge of the stories to come (spoiler-free is much better you know), something tells me we will. The series will be all the better for it. It's so gratifying to say that the Daleks haven't been brought back just for the sake of it - the possibilities are endless. When one considers that the Daleks' origins go back 42 years this is truly a special alien.

We know our place in Britain. We make quirky films and television shows, we make intense dramas and, occasionally, we make the odd caper movie. What we do not do, cannot do and should never attempt is flat out, balls to the wall action shows. We are not capable of making shows that fly along at a breathtaking pace while retaining storyline and character. Most importantly of all we cannot allow shades of grey to colour our heroes and villains.

Someone needs to tell this to the Doctor Who crew because at seven o’clock this evening they ripped upped these rules, set fire to them and merrily danced on the ashes.

Dalek was the best episode of Doctor Who ever. Underline, write it up in bold uppercase. The action was intense, the pace was relentless and the effects faultless. Did Joe Ahearne know this was for television? Christopher Eccleston’s scene with the Dalek was intense and his reaction to Rose’s “death” poignant but he is an ensemble actor, generous in his ability to allow his co-star the chance to shine and she took her chance. Billie Piper is officially forgiven for recording “Because we want”. Goddamned this girl has got some acting chops! Here’s hoping that we get another series out of her because she is going to be a star.

But after the action and carnage, the script, direction and acting that we mere mortals do not deserve the thing that will stay in my mind for weeks to come is the Dalek opening up to experience sunshine.

I pity next week’s show because this ain’t gonna be topped!

I was unsure of whether I would enjoy Dalek. My earliest memories of the greatest Doctor Who villain are from the Sylvester McCoy outing, Rememberance. Seven years old, quaking in my armchair as the white Dalek climbed the stairs towards the Doctor. Awesome stuff. On a repeat viewing recently, I was slightly underwhelmed by the whole thing. The story didn't make much sense. The Daleks were not as threatening, they wobbled and looked slightly rickety. They were still good, but only just. The downfall of rose tinted spectacles I guess. No pun intended.

So, did Dalek dissapoint? No.

Of all the episodes of the new series so far, this has been the standout, even more so than The Unquiet Dead. Good humour, dramatic to a tee and scary to boot. The moment the Doctor first meets his old nemesis is thrilling and downright spooky, the single blue light of its eyepiece looming out of the darkness. A moment to stick in the minds of many a young child I hope. I know it'll stay in mine.

Christopher Eccleston's performance was bang on the nail throughout. He displayed none of the gurning weaknesses that let down Aliens of London and WW3. His trademark "fantastic" was less annoying and more a wonderfully unhinged show of relief. He excels with drama and flounders with the humour at times, so it's nice to see this episode played entirely straight. His fear of the chained Dalek, his hatred of it, chilling. I would have objected to the Doctor rifling through guns with the intent on destroying his foe, but the payoff of this was also part of the episodes finest moment. More on that in a while.

Billie Piper was, as always, good. Not much more I can say. It was great to see her feeling sorry for the chained and tortured Dalek. I'll even admit to feeling sorry for the thing as the scientist was going at it with the drill. The shrieks were another thing that left a lasting impression on me.

I shall be interested to see how Bruno Langley fares. For the first time since the Peter Davison era, the Doctor is now travelling with more than one companion, so it will be nice to see how this dynamic works and if it lasts. Adam has not really had enough time to settle in this episode, so we shall see.

Henry Van Statton was superbly slimy. Perhaps the character was a little cliche, but nicely played.

But of course, what of the Dalek itself? After all these years, is it scary? Yes, and then some. I got cold shivers as it broke free whilst screaming "that" catchphrase. You know the one. Begins and ends with an E. The resulting chaos and slaughter was both shocking and exciting.

More than the action, the emotional content was a sharp slap in the face... In a good way. To see a Dalek in such turmoil is strange. And the high point of the story, the climax, that finest moment I mentioned... Breathtaking. I nearly cried for the Dalek, with its pitiful fading voice and single tired eye. As the Doctor runs in, intent on gunning the poor creature down, and Rose defends it. The roles are suddenly reversed. It is the Doctor who is intolerant and hateful, quite ready to murder as the Dalek is finding itself unable to do the same, vulnerable, alone and confused. A great twist and a great bit of writing. Gravitas, y'know?

This week the tone was just perfect. After the farting, camp and rather pathetic Slitheen, this is truly welcome. This is what Doctor Who should be. A perfect balance of humour, action, suspense and drama. Murray Gold even outdid himself in places. For all the excitement this episode had built up, I did not find my expectations so cruelly shattered.

I would put this right up there with the best of any other Dalek episode, Genesis included. There can be no higher praise surely?

Oh yeah, hooray for the Cyberman head.

LetВ’s face it... Put a Dalek in a Doctor Who story and you are going to get peoples interest. We have waited for over a decade to get these things back on our screens, and by God, did they do it with style!

What we have been treated to is something so much greater than just the return of the Daleks. This story had real body and soul. This is an episode from which all the Doctor Who fans the world over can say, В‘We told you soВ’ with a grin firmly planted from ear to ear.

From the offset itВ’s quite clear that this isnВ’t the script of RTD. No slapstick humour, no grafting on of pointless jokes, no cringe worthy lines of dialogue, just pure and simple sci-fi drama. This was a great flight of fantasy. After all, Doctor Who was not meant to be too intelligent at the end of the day, thatВ’s what В“Sapphire and SteelВ” was about (please can someone bring that back too?). But while it was nail biting edge of your seat stuff (and I assure you I was on the edge of my seat) it had real heart.

In В“DalekВ” we had elements of AsimovВ’s В“RobotВ” and Philip K DickВ’s В“Do Androids Dream of electric SheepВ”. Yes, it really was that good! A Dalek all-alone dealing with emotions for the first time. Long time fans will be amazed how beautiful and emotional tonightВ’s episode has been. New fans will just see why we have all wanted to see the return of this show for so long!

I really must say this. Thanks RTD for bringing back В“Doctor WhoВ”, but there is a big difference between writing for В“Doctor WhoВ” as a fan and writing for В“Doctor WhoВ” for the fans.

The last Dalek television story was ‘Remembrance of the Daleks’ in 1988; a story which, like many earlier stories featuring the famous monsters, ended with the total annihilation of the Dalek species. Unsurprisingly, this is overlooked in ‘Dalek’ and yet the story begins with Skaro’s inhabitants having already suffered a calamity which has left only one surviving example of its malevolent species. This individual soldier is being held captive at an exhibit in a privately owned museum in a Utah of the near future. Initially, the creature is in an sorry state of extreme decrepitude, unable even to exterminate the Doctor when the chance presents itself. However, thanks to the clumsy intervention of Rose the Dalek is able to regenerate itself, recover the power to activate its’ laser and go on the rampage. What then follows are some of the best sequences of the new series so far, with the Dalek doing what is does best and single headedly wiping out several groups of heavily armed soldiers.

There are one or two differences between this Dalek and the more familiar predecessors, but they are mainly in the form of new tricks which it is capable of performing rather than radical re-imaginings of the creature’s character. We all know that the Daleks could fly in the old series, as they did so clearly in ‘Remembrance’ and it was inferred that they did so in ’Revelation of the Daleks’ also (how else did that Dalek fire from such an elevated position in episode two?). The Dalek in this story also flies, doing so at several points in the story. It is also capable of rotating not only the dome on top of its shell, but the central area at which the arm and gun are mounted. The suction cup on the end of the arm is now capable of moulding itself into different shapes—firstly to crush the skull of a scientist and then to hack an electronic keypad. The laser blasts look less like the thunderbolt-look from ‘Remembrance of the Daleks’ and ‘The Five Doctors’ special edition and more like the tradition blue beam of energy from the earlier stories. When the targets die though we are now treated to a stunning x-ray death akin to those seen in the Doctor Who comic strips. Towards the end of the story the bonded polycarbide armour of the Dalek opens up to reveal the mutant inside, probably the longest and most generous footage ever allowed of the actual mutant but very much in keeping with earlier appearances. Finally the Dalek commits suicide using the half-spheres around its base. How exactly these worked is never explained, but they seemed to create some kind of destructive field around the Dalek which completely wiped it out. Other tricks the Dalek displayed in the episode include drawing energy from a television monitor whilst simultaneously downloading every piece of information available on the internet, using it’s casing to set fire to or extrapolate DNA from whomever touches it, and generating a defensive shield around itself which caused all bullets to disappear before making contact.

The writing for this episode was unlike anything yet seen in this series so far. It avoided the irritatingly facetious levity of Russell T Davies’ episodes and allowed for the most dramatic exchanges of dialogue we’ve yet had from the 9th Doctor. The scenes in which he verbally spars with the Dalek are mesmerising and powerful, and even the Dalek’s perspective is given an convincing angle. There are also several surprises thrown in, including the Cyberman head on display in the museum, the reference to Davros and the acquisition of a new assistant in Adam, something I really wasn’t expecting.

One aspect of the story which narrowly avoided being disappointing was the emotional baggage that seems to be passed from one episode of this new series to the next. Like earlier stories, there were gratuitously soppy scenes of Rose and the Doctor facing death and once again telling one another how they’re glad they met each other. I’m getting a little tired of these scenes and am hoping they wont carry on into the 10th Doctor’s era, but clearly the production team think they are necessary. One genuinely moving aspect of the story was the Dalek itself. True, it kills lots of people and shouts exterminate in the voice we all love, but it also demands the sympathies of the viewer. The suicide of the Dalek at the end of the episode could so easily have been derived from the same sentimental trash as that seen in ‘The End of the World’, and indeed I can imagine a Russell T Davies version of this story ending with the Dalek killing itself because it was lonely (as in ‘Remembrance of the Daleks). Thankfully though, writer Robert Shearman comes up with a much better justification of the self destruction: because of Rose’s DNA the Dalek is mutating into something other than a Dalek, therefore it considers itself to be impure and can’t face a none-Dalek future. In short, it is killed by it’s own xenophobia. This theme of ethnic cleansing it one that lingers at the heart of the Dalek legend, featuring prominently in stories like ‘Genesis of the Daleks’ and ‘Evil of the Daleks’ as well as many others. In fact, ‘Dalek’ draws many comparisons to ‘Evil of the Daleks’ in its treatment of the idea of Dalek nature contaminated by humanity. Being about twenty years too young to have seen ‘Evil of the Daleks’ and having only experienced it through the soundtrack and single remaining episode, it was a wonderful opportunity for me to see this adventure—a story which promises great potential for future episodes. Lets hope the next story is just as dramatic.