And so the mystery is finally revealed - um, or is it?

'Bad Wolf' is an odd episode, by turns cringeworthy and gripping, slow and exhilirating. The words which have haunted the Doctor and Rose throughout their adventures belong to a shady organisation running Satellite Five, last seen in 'The Long Game'. To my knowledge, however, it was never adequately explained how the influence of this organisation manages to extend to all the various places the TARDIS crew have travelled. Perhaps in next week's episode...

The reality TV commentary is initially quite amusing and the everyday experience taken to the extreme is pure classic series. It does grate, however, with at least one scene too many for the Doctor, Rose and Jack in their respective shows before the plot really gets moving.

Rose's 'death', however, is played beautifully, as is the 'gearing up for battle' scene and the Controller (who could have been given more space for development and made a little creepier) reaching out for the Doctor's help. The Doctor's realisation that it is his fault that things have got so bad on earth is a very nice touch, also.

The biggest problem with 'Bad Wolf' is that it relies so completely on its final (spine-tingling) revelation to satisfy viewers that it leaves huge numbers of questions open. What are the Daleks up to? Why their interest in Earth? How much have they been manipulating the Doctor's travels? What do they want with all the humans they are teleporting to their fleet when they 'die' in the games? And why the phrase 'bad wolf'?

It is impossible to rate the episode properly until seeing 'The Parting of the Ways', but there seems a real danger that the season finale will focus so fully on the final battle, Rose's fate and the Doctor's last stand (not to mention what will happen to Jack) that all these 'why's that would justify the season-long build-up will just be left behind. And there is little more disappointing that a season finale which does not live up to its own build-up.

The reality TV idea is a good one, but I can't help but feel that it might have been better if RTD had placed it earlier in the season (instead of World War Three would have been nice, but it could easily have taken the place of The Long Game) and left 'Bad Wolf' to answer all the necessary questions before the final face-off.

That said, it's entirely possible that 'Parting' will answer everything, thus leaving 'Bad Wolf' as yet another solidly entertaining episode in a wonderful season of television. Only one week to find out and a regeneration just around the corner ...

Well............ what do you say? The last time I sat gripped like that with me mouth open and me tea falling out of it, Id just been electrocuted,,,but thats what happened last night.

It started pretty normally, even though we didnt get a totally decent excuse how the three travellers were hi jacked from the TARDIS, but who really cares? The Doctor appears in Big Brother, and considering the current bunch of bizarre and weird sex mad bimbos we have in the genuine Ch4 series at present,,the Doctors housemates could have all been aliens and still seemed more normal. This thread played along fairly as expected, as did Rose on the Weakest Link,,theres been so many leaks and spoilers in the last few weeks that no one was unaware of the general theme of this episode.

Jack and his 'hidden' weopan??? well, it made me smile, but a little crude, even for this series where hes camping it up for Christmas, not that its an issue with me, I love camp humour,,just not sure if DR WHO is the right place for it.

The Androids were fairly basic in design,and followed the general theme of the shows, except with the killings, which werent killings as we found out.

When we discover that the Doctor himself is largely responsible for everything that has happened here, it suddenly becomes much more sinister and with the shows all coming from this present Earth time period, one has to wonder if Adam isnt up to his neck in all this ...he has the oppurtunity, the knowledge, is a genius,is potentially spitefull and very sly..maybe he was kidnapped after the Doctor dumped him and used,,who knows,....well, we will soon and I cant wait.

I cant rid myself of the suspicion that maybe the Doctor isnt who he appears to be either..its a rather elaborate trap dont you think?

All these episodes are nothing more than set ups, scripts and stories for them to play in for the amusement of someone or something else...it brings back memories of The War Games and Carnival of Monsters.Somehow the idea of the Daleks sat sitting, slippers on and sipping a mug of cocoa watching 'the zany adventures of the Doctor' on TV at night after a day of mad exterminations, doesnt feel right...their not interested in TV, plots, humiliation,,they just KILL.

Rose's killing was a shock,I know she doesnt die, i know she does more episodes,,but it was so well done,,that for just a few seconds, I thought 'Oh God'....but once that surprise wore off, it was obvious that she was elsewhere,,,which also beggars the question,,where are all the other humans killed playing these games?

Surely they are not this new breed of Daleks? Have they been first Entertainment and then fodder for the transmutation into a Dalek?

What an irony? Earth being destroyed by what were Humans origionally.

The scenes on the Dalek ship were magical and this where I stopped chewing ...the first thing we hear is that old familiar throbbing sound of so many Dalek episodes ...and then that distorted view of the Dalek gliding up behind the woman. Fabulous....and then to top all that, we have hundreds of ships whith thousands of Daleks, everywhere...goodness,it brings all those comic strips from the 60s suddenly to life, now we have the ability to show on TV what the artists painted decades ago..and wasnt it wonderfull?

Being a hardcore fan from way way back, I know roughly whats happening,so we know the Dr croaks, we know theres a mega battle,,but I suspect theres going to be so so so much more,,,maybe our little Dalek friend from earlier in the series reappears and helps Rose,,who knows,,,but whats for sure,is that next weeks episode is going to be amazing, with all the questions answered , some amazing effects which we just arent used to in this show and some more fabulous acting...

Finally,,,the acting,,cant ignore that,,Chris is just so good, and those final moments when he addresses the Daleks, you can see them back off a little,,this man has absolutely nothing to lose, and thats when people are at their very most dangerous.God I wish he wasnt leaving, these 3 just work so well together and this new Doctor due at Xmas,,well, he may be a fabulous actor,,but hes too young and pretty for me, and I find it hard to take that seriously.

Jack is Jack, charming, camp and very amusing, Im assuming some answers about his memory loss are answered too,,,but he just seems to thrive aboard the TARDIS, loving every single minute of it,which is portrayed to the audience watching...and then theres Billie,,Oh she is such a find,,thank god, we had these three actors to launch this series, its success is down to them,,obviously the Production team and all the Technicians too, but its They that we watch each week. Im very sorry Chris is going, despite the daft grins, hes a joy to watch, I only hope the new guy can follow his lead. We owe a lot to RTD, theres a huge amount of critism of him too, the camp, gay references especially,,,well I dont mind those,,thats a fact of life whether we like them or not,,,people dont like the Kitchen sink drama,,,I do,,it makes it more real, makes it easier for the new generations to associate with it, I do think however, maybe RTDs scripts havent been up to scratch with the other writers in this series, and thats a personal view,,Im not overly happy with endless farting monsters etc..but without him, we wouldnt be watching this series now..so credit and thanks where they are due.

Roll on next week..............

If there has ever been a better acting performance in the history of Doctor Who, feel free to exterminate this posting!

I think Christopher Eccleston's performance reached a peak which has never been seen before in Dr Who. The stunned realisation of the loss of Rose, almost appearing pschologically damaged to the extent that he was mentally gone for one brief moment, was brilliant. Then, to follow that, his almost spitting mad shouting at the Daleks as he boldly promises to save Rose from their clutches was breathtakingly awesome. I was just watching in sheer shock - and wow! Expect a certificate 12 when this DVD comes out again!

"Bad Wolf" was sublime Who mixing the quiz game show of the current into a horrific world of the future gone wrong where one wrong answer to a question could spell death. The dawn of realisation for Rose that it was more than just a gameshow was also superby acted out by Billie Piper and her scene when she realises that she is for execution was almost tear-jerking for this hardened Who viewer!!

I loved the starting trailer with the Dr realising he had been brought into a Big Brother household of the future. His response as he sat in the diary room was hilarious. Investigating the power and grip of quiz shows and the use of some of the original sets really grabbed the viewer and the Dr putting the pieces together and realising he could be evicted was also a stunning moment. His escape with a fellow contestant was wonderful as he persuades her to come and survive. Again, superb acting.

The story neatly interweaves previous stories and it was a neat touch to bring in the space station from "The Long Game". The Bad Wolf references and the title to the episode still provides more questions than answers. Captain Jack's makeover brought a neat touch of humour amid all the killing and he is really becoming a great character on the show and quite a match for the Doctor. He has really added some glamour to the role and I hope he continues h next season as he is a strong part of the show.

It was actually very difficult to find fault with Bad Wolf which maybe just goes to show what a fine piece of television it was. Some of the dialogue was of a very high standard and the interaction between Captain Jack and the Doctor is always highly amusing. There is a time and place for that certainly!

But forgive me for lapsing back to the finale which was simply superb and expertly created. This is what Dr Who has always been about ever since you were a kid. The Evil of the Daleks and Planet of the Daleks always tried out the army of Daleks but on a limited budget , lack of computer effects, and a bit of imagination, the show provided us with some decent mass Dalek scenesin the past. But try it with a big budget all singing and all dancing Dr Who production and the results are absolutely thrilling. "Exterminate the Dr!" reasonating from every Dalek at the end was truly astonishing. Again the dialogue between the Dr and the daleks was absolutely captivating, and like the early scenes of "Dalek", are among some of the best moments of the series.

It is wonderful that this new re-launched series of Dr Who is actually finishing with the Daleks. The time war has been lurking since the second episode and has been a constant thread throughout the new series which has added some real intrigue.

An amazing penultimate episode as the series builds up to a crescendo of excitement, danger and all out adventure. And ultimately it is the Bad Wolf that is behind it all.Roll on next week after another absolute classic.

When I first found out that The Weakest Link and Big Brother were going to be in this episode I thought that Russell T Davies had lost the plot. However I have to say that after seeing the episode I am impressed at the way it was done. I am glad that Anne and Davina were willing to do the voices for the Anne and Davina Droids, I somehow don’t think it would have been the same if they hadn’t done them.

The Captain Jack makeover was quite amusing to, this is a character that I like and will be sad to see go. The reminder of all the Bad Wolf references was a nice touch. Then for the 1st time that I can remember this series, The Doctor looked distraught and lost; when he thought that Rose had been disintegrated. The panning out on the fleet of Dalek ships added to the drama and the way they showed the hundreds of Daleks on the ship was a great touch to I felt, complete with a couple of Daleks in hover mode.

I must confess that overall I have not been a great fan of the Russell T Davies episodes to much, but with this episode I have to give credit where credit is due. If someone had told me a year ago, that in the new Doctor Who series, the Daleks would be controlling TV Stations broadcasting The Weakest Link and Big Brother amongst other things, I would have laughed at them. Indeed last week when I saw the trailer for this week’s episode I still wasn’t sure. But in my opinion Russell has done a fantastic job on this episode and I am looking forward to next week’s episode.

Well, what can I say? Words can scarse compel me to begin describing the brilliance of what I've seen today.

Picture this, the psychotic Ann Robinson droid, with Rose before her, laughing as if it is all a joke but then sensing the sinister truth behind the gameshow facade. Rose soon begins to quake as the Add droid disintegrates a contestant.

The Doctor on the other hand finds himself in the Big Brother house and I can tell you, it's not as bad as you may all think. I began watching this episode with dread for what the BB content was going to do to it, but let me tell you, everything in the episode was put together brilliantly.

Captain Jack naked...mmm rather tasty if I do say so myself. After blasting the Trinny and Susanna bots head off our sexy hero makes a dash for it and finds the Doctor with a new friend, Lynda with a Y not an I.

Things get heated as the Doctor witnesses Rose disintegrated herself, turned to a mere pile of ash (pity though, the resiliant cow escapes death aboard a Dalek saucer).

As the episode draws to a climatic cliffhanger, the Controller, a human linked to the Game Station computers is beamed off the ship where she is exterminated by the Daleks after completeing whatever ghastly plan the Daleks had set her to.

The Doctor is told by Jack that Rose is still alive and uncovering the Dalek saucers, he engages them in conversation.

The Daleks and their saucers...wow! Excellently done, a true homage to the sixties designs. Rose is held as hostage to force the Doctor to whatever plan the metal meanies have in mind. He tells them 'No'.

So the episode ended. But what of next week?

Doctor "But how did you survive the Time War?" he asks the Daleks onboard their ship.

Unknown voice "They survived through me" a familiar Dalek-like voice come from behind the Doctor. Is this Bad Wolf?

Overall, I would give this episode ten out of ten. Russell. T. Davis, you're a genius!

No, No, NO!!! Doctor Who is SF not fantasy and therefore needs a plausible reality extrapolated universe to inhabit otherwise all plausibility is lost. The success of the Star-Trek franchise is because they take it seriously and make the viewer believe. Personally I do not believe that:

1) a so called 'transmat beam' could pluck him and his companions out of the previously impregnable TARDIS.

2) the Doctor would yet again arrive on Space Station 5 - perhaps the most tedious place in the universe unless the sets and CGI had to be reused for budgetary reasons: expect Maureen to turn up at any moment...

3) 200+ years in the future the occupants of Earth will still be watching late 20th Century TV shows ('Ground Force?!!) whether they involve termination or not. If you want to make a point about the current state of TV then you're going to have to be a lot more artful and inventive than this to pull it off - sixth form rubbish. Robotic Trinny & Susannah/Anne Robinson? Candyman anyone?

4) the Doctor would make a scientific howler of the first magnitude: when describing the Dalek's stealth technology he says (and I paraphrase): "... nothing can reveal them: not radar, .... or sonar.." SONAR?! Hardly surprising that a sound based ranging system won't work in a vacuum right? This is typical of the pseudo-scientific rubbish that infests the series. It just shows that the writers are not of a sufficient quality to handle SF. At least the pseudo-science in Star_Trek is plausible within its own context even if it is based on zero fact: Dr Who is just plain ignorant and it ruins the series for anyone with a brain.

5) The 'Ultimate Killing Cyborgs' (tm) capture Rose and threaten to kill her unless the Doctor does what they ask. He says 'no' and they are so surprised that they get flummoxed, forget about Rose and trundle off in a panic to finish their dastardly scheme in a hurry just in case... For heaven's sake... :-(

6) If the Daleks wanted the Doctor dead then they had endless opportunities and logically the power to implement any of them (this may become a plot point so with this point I'm on shaky ground). It does have a whiff of Dr Evil about it: explain how the Doctor is going to die long enough for him to escape.

In summary what I'm really saying is that the creators of the series are out of their depth. They got it right with 'Empty Child' and 'Father's Day' but that only serves to highlight the deficiencies in the rest of the series. Poor writing for kids instead of quality writing of a winning SF series. A terrible wasted opportunity and typical of the BBC.