I remember back in the latter days of the original series, Doctor Who fans coined a term: ‘oddball’, applied to the sort of Doctor Who stories that featured giant licorice allsort men, Ken Dodd and had the tendency to take the general concept of Doctor Who less than seriously. 

I remember reaction at the time to these particular stories was adverse, although opinion in general seems to have settled down to the notion that they were a brave experiment, but not altogether successful.

What has surprised me most so far in this new run is how much a debt the new series owes to these latter day McCoy stories. With its burping bins and now Britney Spears in space moments, one cant help but question the production team’s motives in evoking (whether intentionally or not) an era of the programme which one would think it would be doing its damnedest to try and bury the memory of.

Like Rose, I have found this story gets better on repeated viewing. On first viewing I thought it was patchy, meandering between brilliance and mediocrity. Preconceptions out of the way however, on the second viewing I could see what Russell was trying to do, the thing succeeds in doing what those McCoy stories tried to do but failed. I do however question its placing in the season, a story this off beat, this experimental could be make or break for many viewers. I personally would have thought it much wiser after the something for everyone approach of ‘Rose’, to ease viewers in with something much more approaching traditional Who, that is assuming any of the future stories fit this mould. Even in the age of Buffy, where silly ideas in series are commonplace, I feel some new viewers may have potentially found the whole thing slightly too weird, much better I would have thought to place it later on after the audience has settled and are less likely to be put off.

That said maybe the production team were planning on hooking viewers caught by Rose with some serious eye candy and certainly on that note the production paid off in spades. The production design on this series so far has been nothing short of excellent, from the brilliant Tardis interior, to the corridors of Platform one the new series has easily shed that image of those white walled studio bound sets. Similarly the effects, while having at times the traditional TV CGI look, were for the most part outstanding. The rendering of the dying sun in particular is something I think will be remembered for many years.

After the first episode I was somewhat undecided on Eccleston, but on this episode he grew on me considerably. Paul McGann was instantly acceptable in the part, but to be fair didn’t have to do anything but play an eccentric fop. Eccleston and Davies are doing what few producers would have the courage to do, making a modern Doctor, taking the core essence of the character and dumping all the frills and I personally think they’re not doing a bad job. Even the notion of the Doctor having a romantic side, didn’t seem as incongruous as when the 8th Doctor decided to get it on with Grace Holloway. Billie Piper gets better and better, in just two episodes her character is on the way to becoming perhaps one of the best companions ever. Her likeable, down to earth style is a breath of fresh air, she could so easily have been Buffy in space, but so far has proved one of this series’ strongest assets. The rest of the performances were variable: the blue guy with the skullcap seemed somewhat camp and over theatrical, while the female plumber with her regional accent and somewhat less than impressive costume I thought brought the whole thing down to that level of Doctor Who blandness which I hoped this series would avoid. Zoe Wanamaker however provided a thoroughly entertaining performance as Cassandra, a very imaginative character both in design and performance. 

I must however admit to being somewhat disappointed in the Moxx of Balhoon and the Face of Boe, two very effectual designs were wasted in their lack of use and in the case of the Moxx, having a rather ineffectual voice. What were hyped up certainly in the press as being the next generation of Who monsters, I think will have left a lot of viewers feeling disappointed. The Moxx in particular with his Mekon like appearnce could have been another Sil, but ended up being about as memorable as the guardian from Colony in Space.

I am currently somewhat confused about Murray Gold’s rather schizophrenic incidental scores, as with the previous week this episode had some killer themes particularly the recurring Doctor choral theme, but also had some bloody awful distracting tunes. How quite the same person can be responsible for the excellent theme tune, but also turn out rather soulless jaunty dittys is a bit mystifying. 

After being entertained for half an hour, but not sure whether all the incessant jokes and pop culture references were what I had been hoping for from this new series, the final ten minutes or so won me over.

From the tense scenes of the Doctor struggling to save everyone from being burnt to a crisp, to the melancholy aftermath of the earths destruction, never has a Doctor Who story been quite so poignant. This was the Doctor Who Russell had promised, but had so far failed to deliver, a Doctor Who with emotional resonance, a Doctor Who that stimulated thought, a Doctor Who that made you believe it could be real and for that I am willing to forgive it most of its shortcomings. As the final scene played out, a simple but flawlessly scripted scene about everyday things, and the scream of the theme cut in , it became clear that this show has the potential be one of the biggest things on tv.

However I think next week is make or break, we still need a story that makes the connection between the to coin a phrase ‘spooky escapism’ of the original and Davies bold new Doctor Who with heart. Unfortunately if the Unquiet Dead gives us another dose of camp, overly referential humour I feel this series may by its own design be neutralising the very effect it is trying to achieve.

I have to admit that although I enjoyed 'Rose' thoroughly, I did find it a little bewildering at first and in retrospect could not help but criticise the extremely fast-paced story, the rather overbearing incidental music and the fact that it really should have been at least half-an hour longer. That said I still had high hopes for the series and knew that the first episode was always going to be difficult to pull off, and so it would be prudent to allow it to find it's feet before launching into a debate over every little niggle. It did not help matters when the news of Christopher Eccelston's untimely departure was leaked a couple of days before the second episode aired and I found myself in a whirlwind of mixed emotions regarding the series' future and Eccelston himself. But thankfully come Saturday evening I had managed to overcome my doubts and see fit to give the show a deserved chance by attempting to judge both it and Eccelston's performance fairly, whilst not letting my expectations get too high.

I was then taken very much aback when I found myself completely enthralled by forty five minutes of truly superb television drama. I almost managed to regain the sense of child-like wonder which had now become so elusive in my rather torrid adult life. 'The End of the World' completely re-instated my faith in the series in a matter of minutes, as soon as I saw The Doctor inform Rose "Welcome to the End of the World" and Murray Gold's brilliant re-invention of the theme kicked-in, I was hooked. 

Never has Doctor Who looked so beautiful. Despite the apparent consensus that the special effects still aren't good enough, I thought they were pitch-perfect, with the opening shot of Platform 1 being just as impressive and memorable as that famous shot of the Star Destroyer looming into view in the original 'Star Wars', and let's remember this isn't Battlestar Galactica - this is Doctor Who. 

Gold's incidental music has also very much improved, with the subtle piano-led score playing perfectly alongside the lush visuals and emotionally-driven moments. 

The pacing - although still fast and exiting is also much better, allowing time for many dialogue heavy scenes to be played out in a much more thoughtful fashion and allowing the audience to have a 'breather" whilst they assimilate what's going on. 

I loved the array of intriguing new aliens on display, with the character of Cassandra being a particularly impressive creation but would liked to have seen more of The Moxx Of Balhoon and The Face of Boe, although I'm led to believe that they shall re-appear at some point later in the series. I can't wait. 

The episode was filled with poignant moments some of which I have to admit brought a lump to my throat - the scene where Jabe confronts The Doctor with his past (Beautifullly played by Eccelston and Bannerman), Rose's phone call to her mother and the ending in which The Doctor reveals a little about his troubled origins to Rose and there is a magical shared moment between the two time travellers. I finally felt like I was watching Doctor Who again. 

Both Eccelston and Piper have managed to get to grips with their characters remarkably quickly, and any doubts I had about Chris' interpretation of the role or indeed Billie's acting ability were immediately dispelled after viewing this story. 

I'm sure the episode has it's faults, but I just didn't care - Doctor Who is back! 

I heartily agree with Danny Sabres' observation that The Doctor is now more akin to Batman - being a fan of both characters I can easily see the parallels - the revelation concerning Gallifrey, somehow gives The Doctor a more interesting slant, he is a hero but like Batman there is a good reason for his choice of lifestyle, essentially it is all he has, it is his reason for being and now like Bruce Wayne, The Doctor cannot go back. 

This is his life and his curse, (the death of Jabe obviously had a profound effect on him). He's got a job to do, after all who else is there? 

By the conclusion of 'End of The World' I was entranced, and became genuinely exited at the thought of next week's thrilling adventure!, Chris may be leaving prematurely but the shows' future looks bright if the rest of the season is as assured and well-realised as this.

After the 'kitchen sink' settings of Rose, The End of the World - with its far future setting and strange alien creatures - was an ideal choice for episode 2 (if only to demonstrate the incredibly flexible format of the programme to new viewers). It was a refreshing contrast. Apart from Rose's phonecall to her mum and a visit to the chip shop, Earth only appears in The End of the World to be destroyed by the sun and the themes of death and apocalypse run right through the script from beginning to end.

The realisation of the setting, and the characters within it, was remarkable, and probably the best that Doctor Who has ever seen. In this respect it felt like a much, much better Curse of Peladon! The script was highly ambitious, however the production team pulled it off with greatness. The effects were marvellous and the 'creatures' and costumes fantastic. Of particular note was the costume of Jabe, which, with it's regal splendour, enhanced our understanding of the character. Also the realisation of the Moxx and Cassandra were wonderful. Even the little blue people were good.

It was therefore a shame that there was not enough time for more from these characters. Even the villain of the piece - the Lady Cassandra - is only on screen during the episode for about five minutes. Jabe is used well, however the Moxx of Balhoon and the Face of Boe (aside from looking very good) don't add much to the story at all (and, given that he was fried at the end of the episode, I doubt we're going to see the Moxx again). Obviously a lot of time and money had to be spent on the aliens in order to make the whole thing look effective, however it felt a little wasted and I was aching to hear something from those three intergalactic monks. Maybe another time...

Apart from it's zoo of characters, this episode may well also be remembered for it's humour. Davies's script is genuinely funny and there is a confidence and ease about the humour that has not been a part of Doctor Who since Douglas Adams's days. Not once did it detract from the serious moments of the story and we should all welcome the return of 'fun' to Doctor Who after so long. The iPod joke, Britney Spears, the Ipswich gag - these will all go down as the funniest moments in Doctor Who. Never should Doctor Who be so earnest and dull that it cannot have a laugh.

Some of the funniest lines go to Billie Piper who was again on top form (all the stuff about the Doctor and Jabe 'polinating' and being back by midnight was great). She is an incredibly effective actress and brings a wonderfully natural air to the character of Rose. This is helped of course by Davies's writing, and Rose's reaction to the aliens is so true and genuine that you begin to realise how often this aspect of the companion's character was neglected in the old series. Tucked in amongst the frenetic pacing, I really liked her quiet little scene with the plumber.

Chistopher Ecclestone's Doctor was again good - apart from a couple of duff 'comedy' moments (namely his constant grinning as the delegates were being introduced and his painful 'dancing' to music). I found his lack of compassion towards Cassandra quite shocking at first, however, on thinking further about this, I realised that it fits perfectly into the mood and theme of the episode (of which more later). However the third thing that will make this a remembered episode is the layer upon layer added to the Doctor's character. As well as learning all of the stuff about Gallifrey being destroyed in a war (I have no problems with any of this), the scene where Jabe talks to the Doctor about it is truly remarkable (for Doctor Who) and profoundly moving. Even if Ecclestone is sometimes a little too over the top at playing the fool, his 'serious' acting in that scene, and in the final moments of the episode, was wonderful. It goes to show that having such an accomplished actor in the role does pay off and it is sad that he wont be returning next year. I think that this is he first time that we have seen the Doctor shed a tear on screen - and it worked so well. His reaction to Jabe's death was also well done.

There was more of a plot here than was evident in Rose, however the limitations of the 45 minute format are beginning to show in this respect. Just as the speedy resolution to last week's plot was to throw a vial of antiplastic into the Nestene Consciousness, this week the solution was to pull a lever (albeit the scene was a lot better, with the death of Jabe and the whole shutting his eyes to walk through the rotor bit). The whodunnit theme was over so quickly. It would have been so much nicer to have just a little more time - however it wasn't too detrimental to the episode. I have high hopes for the three 2 parters.

Finally the overall feeling of the episode worked well. Its title is apt given that the themes of death, the passing of time and apocalypse were so prominent. The scene where Rose phones her 'dead' mother, the Doctor's line about "everything having its time", the destruction of Gallifrey and of Earth, the sacrifice of Jabe, the grotesquely extended lifespan of Cassandra. Nothing is constant and everything must pass in time. Underneath the jokes there was great pathos and sadness and the chip shop line at the end topped it all off magnificently.

For my review of "The End of the World," I'm going to start at the end of the story. Specifically, the Doctor's revelations that Gallifrey was destroyed in a war and that he is the last of the Time Lords. Personally, that bit of news didn't shock me, because I've been following the BBC book series and already knew that it had happened. What surprised me was that Russell Davies decided to incorporate something from the book series into the TV series. Of course, it remains to be seen whether he keeps the same details of how Gallifrey was destroyed and who did it, but he's already embraced the big picture, and I never would have expected that.

And really, I think it's a smart move. Any TV show with an ongoing storyline and an enthusiastic fan base can get tied up by its own continuity if it runs for long enough, and no show has run longer than Doctor Who. From a business perspective, if the show is going to grow a new generation of fans, it's got to do something to clear out the big back story tangle. We who have followed the show for decades may enjoy its rich history, but new viewers - especially children - aren't going to sit still for it. Those who want to know more have plenty of resources, especially those here at Outpost Gallifrey, where they can find out all they want. Those who simply want to enjoy what's on their screens now are able to do so. Meanwhile, from an artistic perspective, I can see how Russell Davies, Christopher Eccleston and the rest of the new Doctor Who team would want more of a free hand to tell their stories their way. Getting rid of Gallifrey does that for them.

Think of Gallifrey's destruction as being like a forest fire - it's terrible to see all that beautiful old growth go, but that's the only way for any new growth to take root and blossom.

(By the way, if you want to catch up on the war and Gallifrey's destruction, reading the books, "Alien Bodies," "Interference" (parts 1 and 2), "The Shadows of Avalon" and "The Ancestor Cell" will give you the essential points of the story.)

Now, on to the episode itself:

I do believe the second new Doctor Who episode spent more on special effects than the entire 26 original years of the series combined. With more CGI than the movie Gladiator (or so I'm told) and aliens galore, "The End of the World" is a visual extravaganza - just the thing to keep people watching after the initial excitement of the premiere.

And unlike a lot of other SF/F shows, there's actually some story to go with it.

Just like the premiere, we see much of "The End of the World" from the perspective of the Doctor's companion, Rose Tyler. We get to see something I don't remember seeing in a previous companion - second thoughts. Rose ran into the TARDIS rather impulsively at the end of the premiere, and now she's wondering just what the heck she's gotten into. Fortunately for her, the new Doctor is cellphone-savvy, giving her the ability to call home to her mum from five billion years away (although he does warn her, "Wait 'till you see the bill.").

We get to see more sides to the Ninth Doctor, and the way he interacts not just with Rose, but with some of the aliens they meet, too. I liked Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor even more than I did last week, which in a way only made me more ticked off at him for leaving the show so quickly. We're just getting to know him, and there are already no more than a dozen of his stories left to go. We'll probably never hear him do a "past Doctor" story for Big Finish, and the BBC might not want to go on publishing books about his Doctor after he's gone. So much potential wasted. It's a shame.

The episode does have a few cheesy bits. The "last member of the human race" has some interesting taste in "classical music." (Personally, I thought it would have been funnier if the jukebox had played one of Billie Piper's old hits, but I guess Britney will do.) The space station where the story takes place has been invaded by refugees from the movie Minority Report, and in order to save the day, the Doctor has to run through these spinning fan blades that made me think of Galaxy Quest. But it's all just part of the fun. The rest of the story more than makes up for it.

So all in all, it's a fun romp with a touch of sadness, both onscreen and behind the scenes. The new Doctor Who is off to a great start. Now, bring on Charles Dickens!

This second episode of the new Doctor Who had a lot riding on it. In many ways a more important episode than Rose, this is the one that had to retain the casual viewer who watched the first episode out of curiosity, this is the episode that could actually make or break the new series; at least until the undoubted viewing figure boost of the Dalek in episode 6.

This review does contain spoilers, so if you haven’t seen the episode I would suggest you read no further.

Whilst we will have to wait a few days for the viewing figures, it seems to me that The End of The World was another very good piece of television drama and very good Doctor Who.

Christopher Eccleston has once again given us a magnificent portrayal of the Doctor, giving the character an emotional depth and range we have seldom seen before and making his departure from the role all the more a matter of regret. The infectious enthusiasm from Rose was still present, along with the infectious grin and cries of ‘fantastic’. There was also an underlying cagey anger and sadness, very ably portrayed by Eccleston, concerning the destruction of Gallifrey and the fact that he is, so far as he is aware, the last Time Lord. There is also very convincing grief and a tear (which I do not for one minute believe was added using CGI afterwards) following Jabe’s comments about his origins.

Billie Piper continues to impress as Rose and here proves conclusively what a good actress she really is; much, I suspect, to the surprise of nearly everybody. Like her co-star she convincingly conveys a wide range of emotions and I was particularly impressed with her bewilderment at the various alien races and her confusion / fear over her realisation that she had run off with an alien she knew nothing about.

As a Doctor Who tale The End of The World was superficially lightweight, but with hidden depths that are perhaps only appreciated on repeated viewing. There is comedy, to be sure, but comedy that is never overdone to the point where it becomes camp. The Moxx of Balhoun’s gift of bodily fluid had both myself and my nine-year-old daughter laughing out loud. The Steward was the perfect officious functionary to be found the universe over and his stuffiness was a further cause of amusement. The Lady Cassandra was also, initially, comical and not entirely unbelievable given the present unhealthy obsession with cosmetic surgery.

There is humour, to be sure, but there are also dark undertones; not least the murder of several members of the observation platform’s crew and visitors. Perhaps the most horrific murder is that of the plumber, a character we quickly come to identify with and become sympathetic to, only to see her die as she tries to do her job. The death of the steward affects the viewer less, perhaps because he is an almost entirely unsympathetic character, but his death does serve to illustrate the fate awaiting Rose immediately and, subsequently, the rest of the observation platforms temporary inhabitants should the Doctor fail.

The death that affected myself, and those watching with me, the most was that of Jabe. Somehow I expected that she would survive, that her heroism deserved reward and her death brought genuine feelings of sadness and regret. It was a truly poignant moment in the new series and one that left a lasting impression.

Even darker, perhaps, than the immediate deaths are the revelations about Gallifrey, though the planet is never actually named. The Doctor’s anguish at the destruction of his home planet and the deaths of his fellow Gallifreyans is clear; indeed it is obvious at the end of The End of The World that the Doctor has taken Rose to see the end of her planet so that she can understand how he feels about the end of his world. So that she can understand him, a little better and thus to strengthen the bond between them.

One controversial aspect of The End of The World has been the death of Cassandra, with some even suggesting that the Doctor is guilty of murder. Personally I think that this is going too far. The only way that the Doctor could ensure that Cassandra was brought to justice was to reverse the transmit device. He may not have realised her skin would dry out as quickly as it did. True, he made no move to help her, but a failure to act to preserve life does not equate with murder, at least as it is currently defined by British law.

Was The End of The World one of the best Doctor Who stories ever made? Possibly not, but it was great family entertainment and promised much for the rest of this first season of new Doctor Who.

There are no expletives in existence which could accurately tell you how sad I was to hear Christopher Eccleston would not be continuing and so I watched this episode with some forlorness. (I mean, would one more season really be that bad? He's already typecast - as a moany northerner!) However, I shall put this behind me as I come to review what was a vast improvement plot-wise and in suspense terms from 'Rose'. While 'Rose' was enjoyable and fast-paced, this episode is more gently paced giving the viewer time to breathe.

Its main strengths were the very human aspects of the show. Rose's freaking out about being in a room full of aliens was inspired. That is how we would all react. Companions in the past have landed on planets, and when they've met an alien they usually act as though they lived with aliens all their lives! That was very enjoyable - shows Russell T Davies knows us human beings so well. The argument between Rose and the Doctor was skillfully done and I really loved the 'designated driver' line. Rose's call to her mother also emphasised that even though she was light years away from Earth, she was still one of us. And the scene at the end, when she takes a look at the Earth as she knows it - full of people, talking, walking, eating was arguably more spine-tingling than the "spinning through time" piece in 'Rose'. That was probably my favourite part in the whole episode. It brought home the series' message; the planet won't be here forever, so let's make the most of life. Brilliant. And I've had many a time when I've confessed to a girl that I've "no money" in the same nonchalant way as the Doctor did. However, is he the only Time Lord left? What about the Master? The Rani? Will they be making an appearance? The Physic ID was a neat little idea too - very Doctor Who.

The plot of the story was simple enough for kids to understand and a nice laugh for adults. It was certainly more suspenseful and there was more of a build-up to a climax. Watching the end of the world was a clever plot-line and without cliches, although there were some general nods to 'The Curse of Peladon'. Cassandra was a delightfully horrid villain and I was one with the Doctor in allowing her to splat her thin remains across the room. I did feel sorry for the Moxx of Balhoon though. Poor dear. The Doctor's "bristling with ideas" scene was brilliantly straight to the point and a competent denouement to the episode. You really were rooting for the Doc there and happy to be in his company. Jabe the Tree was gorgeous although the scene where she lights on fire could have been quite harrowing for kids watching at that particular time.

So what did I dislike? Well, there was nothing I really disliked specifically. I just think, so far, we haven't seen many modern classics. (By classics, I would be refering to the top 20 Who stories of the past as voted in the last DWM poll) I've certainly enjoyed the last two episodes but they're more on the scale of adventures you're not realy bothered with, but have to own on video/DVD all the same. 'The Curse of Peladon' is a good example of one of these type of stories. While being witty and suspenseful, I doubt there will be many having nightmares after watching this episode. 

I'm beginning to think that Russell T Davies knows strong characters and emotional plots but doesn't know good science fiction/fantasy all that well. However, I'm still enjoying myself and we are only two episodes into a long run so I shall hopefully be eating my words! It was just something that crossed my mind. The next episode, written by someone other than RTD, looks very good and I cannot wait for Steven Moffat's Blitz story!!!