Just when you thought it couldn't get any better, along comes The Empty Child to raise the bar even higher. They must be putting something into the water in the BBC Production offices, because Doctor Who has to be one of the most consistently entertaining shows on television.

I've always loved Who stories set in the past, because when they're done right, they capture an innocence and offer a glimpse into a world that (to most of us) is long gone and nothing but a memory. The Empty Child does just that.

Rose's subplot had the potential to be more than just a bit silly. Being dragged over half of London by a barrage balloon? It's the Mill's spectacular special effects that save the day. The images of London during the Blitz are absolutely breathtaking. These are big-budget sequences worthy of any Hollywood movie.

Captain Jack (as played by John Barrowman) gives a good first impression. What's interesting is the juxtaposition of Captain Jack versus The Doctor. If this series had been made by Hollywood producers, Captain Jack Harkness would've been the lead heroic character. It's interesting comparing Jack's mercenary attitude with the Doctor's more humanitarian one.

The B-plot (Captain Jack and Rose) is very amusing and entertaining, but the main A-plot is the more interesting. Along with the Gelth (from the Unquiet Dead), I can now count the Empty Child as one of the creepiest creatures that I've ever watched in Doctor Who. And Doctor Constantine's horrifying transformation is definitely the single most disturbing sequence ever put into a pre-watershed timeslot. Yikes, just yikes.

But the best part of the entire episode (for me) was Florence Hoath's performance. She is obviously one of the main protaganists in this story. Part of the reason why this episode worked so well for me was purely through her convincing and deeply sympathetic performance. And I agree with many others, Florence Hoath's would make a perfect companion for the Doctor.

I am a long lapsed Doctor Who fan. We parted ways some time in the Tom Baker era. Nothing personal Tom В– you may well have been the best - but I was getting older and my interests were wandering elsewhere.

Occasionally I crept back for a peek. Each time, each reincarnation, reconfirmed my opinion that the Doctor was no longer worth the candle. I enjoyed the movie. Mr McGann did fine and I was left thinking I may have dismissed poor old Sylvester just a little too lightly. But then the Doctor was gone for good, and I felt no serious loss save for that nostalgic tug we always feel when some piece of our youth disappears forever.

But now, remarkably, the Doctor is back. And even a lapsed devotee like me is going to be curious enough to sit and watch, despite all the hype.

I have endeavoured to maintain a cool and critical view of this unexpected rebirth. But I had to admit to liking some of what I was seeing. Then В“DalekВ” came around and I had to struggle to maintain my glee В– after all what would my wife think. I had never admitted to any kind of Sci-fi weirdness. She knew I watched STNG, but only if there was no washing up to be done.

But now В“The Empty ChildВ” has aired. My wife is figuratively, if not quite literally, behind the sofa and even I might have succumbed to a very uncharacteristic case of the creeps if I had not been overwhelmed by a much stronger emotion of simple joy.

Why had I been so reticent? After nigh on a decade when the broadcasters have seen fit to churn out bilge in place of entertainment on a Saturday evening, why could I not have been quicker in embracing the jewel in its midst?

I had always thought of Steve Moffat as a good comedy writer. Clearly he is simply a good writer. And I can only assume he is a Doctor Who enthusiast. This was a Doctor Who of the old school. You could imagine this story being told thirty years ago. Maybe not so slick back then В– production values are two generations further on and steeped in CGI. Maybe no so graphic either В– eight year olds are two generations further on and horror has suffered from inflationary pressure just as much as cash. But В“The Empty ChildВ” is old fashioned, creepy, claustrophobic, classic Who. The fact that it shines so brightly now is proof that good stories and good storytelling are the ultimate measure of good television.

It was an excellently told story, well directed and well acted. The whole thing was a pleasure form start to finish. This whole series is a triumph, make no mistake.

I see criticisms, but only from those who study episodes like documentaries В– introduce something new by all means, but if you dare create any inconsistency with three hundred previous episodes then a plague on your house. Sorry folks, but this is drama. Invent anything you like В– if it works itВ’s good. If you can please an old Pertwee era enthusiast like me and still show millions of new viewers for the next couple of generations that quality television is not В“Big BrotherВ” or В“Pop IdolВ” then you deserve an unqualified В“Well DoneВ”. Or more to the point В“Encore, EncoreВ”.

I haven't enjoyed a Doctor Who story this much since The Robots of Death in 1977 when I was 12. What made The Robots Of Death special was that the design was great and it combined horror and science fiction brilliantly. The Empty Child manages to achieve all this and more.

The whole show looked fantastic (I'd better calm down with the superlatives here, I've already used fantastic and great), from Rose hanging from the barrage balloon to the gothic beauty of Albion Hospital. But what about the zombies! The gas masks give them a really freaky appearance and Doctor Constantine's transformation into one of them must be the best special effect I've ever seen on Who.

The two part format has given enough time to flesh out Captain Jack's character a bit and also given us two cliffhangers (Nancy in the house and the rest in the hospital). Superb use of multi layered dialogue gives the show something for adults and children alike. The little boy's reply to the Doctor's question about why they weren't outside London living as evacuees ("There was a man") lent a darker side to the script. So although the special effects were magnificent the script more than matched them, and the acting wasn't bad either.

Richard Wilson gave a fine cameo and keeps up the high standard of guest performances this season. It almost makes up for Beryl Reid in Earthshock (but not quite). The directors have also been able to bring out super performances from the less well known performers. Florence Hoath as Nancy is a moving and believable role. Captain Jack is something of a new direction for male companions on the series and not an unwelcome one. There hasn't been a believable male companion since Troughton's time. Harry Sullivan had all the charisma of a week dead stoat and the only reason that Peter Davidson kept Adric on the Tardis was so that he could slap him if he was feeling bored.

I thought that the director was saving money when Captain Jack explained that his spaceship was invisible (cheap prop) but it looked smart when it actually appeared. There were plenty of nods to popular culture and digs at Star Trek ("Go on do a scan for alien tech") and also some digs at the Doctor's amateurism ("at last a professional"). Rose fell for Captain Jack like a ton of bricks as soon as she saw him, obviously being a war hero and having your own spaceship is something that women find attractive! I will be interested to see how their relationship develops.

Can't wait for the next episode The Doctor Dances, which dance anyway: foxtrot, tango or pogo?

Anyway, enough of this review, I'm off home, Mummy, Mummy, let me in.

The preview promised thrills galore, with SFX coming into their own with stunning imagery. The Blitz backdrop just had to work В– as it is such an extreme time for all involved. BBC would get the period feel spot on. Captain Jack looked sufficiently heroic in an old fashioned way (Doctor Who acknowledging its adventuring roots?). Looked brilliant, expectations very high.

Upon first view those expectations went through the ceiling! What a magnificent episode!

What struck me throughout was mood В– the attention to detail in creating the atmosphere of War torn London. All aspects of production clicked into place to produce excellence. From the shadowy lighting to the SFX blitz bombers В– this just reeked of the period. You felt right there, and as the bombs dropped, you really had no idea who and where would be hit.

Christopher Ecclestons Doctor, in his U-Boat outfit (liked that line) was brilliant here, even though so much was happening all around him. I like this Doctor more and more В– and even though he is only with us for 13 episodes, I look forward to the extra stories that feature him.

Billie Piper was charming as Rose, again! Her lovely attraction to Captain Jack was delightfully played. Captain Jack also put all his credentials on the table, and I for one am intrigued where this new regular Character takes us. The story is also blessed with wondrous supporting players. The lovely Florence Hoath, as Nancy, as especially good В– and it was great to see Child Acting of the highest calibre. Richard Wilson had a fairly brief role, as Dr Constantine, but itВ’s also great to see actors of his calibre joining the fold.

Steven Moffatt has written a peach of a script here, with the assistance of Russell T Davies. Bubbling with humour, yet profoundly horrific too. It is by turns the scariest script, and also the wittiest. The wonderful scene around the dinner table, when Nancy finds a dinner ready and waiting В– and then invites the homeless children in В– was a real stand-out. What a delightful, yet daring, idea! A fully cooked meal mixed with the possibility of devastation any moment. I canВ’t think of one thing wrong with this script В– and the most wonderful thing about is that we get more next week! Out of all the episodes this year this is the one I wanted more of В– and thatВ’s exactly what we are going to get.

How authentic did it all look? Extremely authentic. From Bomb Shelters through to dining room/kitchen utensils, this was totally World War Two. Then thereВ’s the magnificent contrast with the TARDIS and Captain Jacks ship. Both time ships are lovely designed pieces of technology.

Where this story panned out was glorious. The dark alleyways the Doctor and Nancy roamed. The smoky nightclub where the Doctor puts his foot in it. Captain Jacks time ship attached to Big Ben В– how iconic are the images being used in this series В– how British is this series turning out to be! I also loved the gloomy Albion Hospital В– a marvellously creepy place.

Of all the different aspects of production though, it has to be the SFX that stands top of the pile here. How brilliant was the scene where Rose is carried on a rope from the dirigible! How brilliant was Captain Jacks and Rose smooching near Big Ben! How fascinating was Dr Constantines change! How scary were the Gas-Masked people/aliens (we still donВ’t know).

There are a good many questions here too, particularly concerning Captain Jack. I donВ’t recall many Time Agents in Doctor Who before, they usually pop up in Star Trek. Typical of DW to knock Star Trek to the floor, in making this Time Agent so fascinating and personable. We donВ’t really see how the Doctor will react to this fellow Time Traveller, and just what is Jacks agenda? Who are the gas-masked creatures В– they appear human, yet I reckon they are something very different. The line that has stuck with me is fascinating В“They just donВ’t dieВ”.

I really thought Unquiet Dead couldnВ’t be bettered, I said as much in my review of that story. I was wrong, gloriously wrong В– Empty Child is the best episode this series has produced. Right up there with the very best Who has ever produced. I canВ’t wait for next Saturday! 10/10

Holy Moly! I was out on Saturday (we went to see a film about a man who got his face changed into a gas mask, "Revenge of the Slith" or something like that) hence I have only just watched the tape. I'm sure it wasn't planned this way, but the earlier start time can only have created a mini-generation of toddlers who will forever be traumatised by even the briefest glimpse of a gas mask. Having taped the BBC3 repeat I then got to see RTD in "Confidential", waving his arms and stating that the over-arching theme for this story would be "romance". Romance? If your idea of romance is meeting your loved one at 1 a.m. in a foggy graveyard and then moving onto an abandoned morgue for some "action" then, yes, this was romantic. RTD wasn't joking when he said that this episode was pushing the limit as to what could be shown to children. A colleague of mine is having to deal with his distressed 5 year-old who hasn't slept a full night since Saturday. He's weighing up whether to let the child view part 2, it might 'cure' him to see the resolution and reassure him that "everything turns out right in the end ...". It doesn't help that the child's mother is away at the moment ... "Mummy ... Mummy ... where is my Mummy?"

Anyway, to the actual story. I'm sure somebody will contradict me, but I cannot recall anything to equal the pure "creepiness" of the horror portrayed here. Sure, the Dalek tentacle from under the Thal cape, the Yetis wandering through London (ditto Cybermen), Autons crashing through shop windows (the first time around) and Sea Devils striding from the ocean; these are all classic images that had the power to terrify. But those were terrifying on a gentler scale, somehow offset by the fantastic elements involved. Here "The Empty Child" gives us an image that will rank "gas mask and shoulders" above those that have gone before ... I speak of the child reaching through the letter box. We don't even get to see the mutated head, just a silhouette through the frosted glass in the door ... the grasping hand, the plaintive cry ... "I'm looking for my Mummy". These unsettling elements are topped off by the simple "unknown threat" that is personified by an anonymous small boy in short trousers.

The writer, Steven Moffat, has added so many themes and references to the В“Midwich CuckoosВ”/В”Invasion of the Body SnatchersВ” threads that you hardly know which way to turn. We have the kids from В“Oliver TwistВ” looking out for themselves (and each other), the spooky abandoned hospital (a horror film stalwart, right up to В“28 Days LaterВ”), the gas masks (1980s pop video short-hand for В“we are all faceless zombiesВ”), the monkey toy that repeated the В“whereВ’s my MummyВ” line (a la В“Close EncountersВ”) В… all of these elements are mixed brilliantly (brilliant in a dark way, that is) and they only felt like clichГ© when the undead moved in on the Doctor, Rose and the Captain for the cliff-hanger (and cliff-hangers are always clichГ©d, so even thatВ’s ok). And I could even overlook the smarmy Captain Jack and his leery brand of romance (although it was good line about living his ship tethered to Big Ben).

I hope part 2 doesnВ’t go in for any easy explanations and that the story manages to grip in the unprecedented manner of part 1 (i.e. gripping by the throat). And hopefully the writing team as a whole havenВ’t blown too many good ideas in this series; I can imagine that they thought there was a strong chance that the whole enterprise (no Spock pun intended) was only going to get one series and hence have decided to hit us with both barrels while they can. Happily, Doctor Who returning for only the one season seems like an absurd idea (a bit like George Lucas leaving things at just the one В“Star WarsВ” film).

I can only close by quoting those young sages on the Fear Factor page (at the BBC site); В“As the episode ends, Samuel asks his mum: "Can we watch the next episode in the daytime? When it's light? Adam has been taking lessons from his grandma about avoiding nightmares: "This is so scary - people shouldn't eat cheese before watching it."

A mysterious bomb-like object no one is allowed to approach; an eerie child clad in a gas mask calling out for mummy; German air raids; a dashing confidence trickster with his own spaceship tethered to Big Ben. As with last week, "The Empty Child" found our heroes once more back in London, but that was where all similarity ended.

I was half-preparing myself for a repeat of "The Long Game/Dalek" factor, i.e. a mediocre follow-up to a series classic. However, "The Empty Child", whilst a very different beast to the scintillating "Father's Day", is nevertheless fine, absorbing Who, and certainly the most frightening of the new series so far, if a little uneven occasionally.

First, the good points. The recreation of Blitz-era London was quite wonderful, and shots of Heinkel 111 bombers were spectacular, not something the old series had the tools to recreate. As in "The Unquiet Dead", the BBC gets a chance to flex its period drama muscles, and the results are excellent.

Ecclestone continues to impress, here showing compassion for the 'little people' once again in his interactions with the homeless children, and getting one or two neat comic lines such as the "has anything fallen from the sky?" line in the nightclub. Apart from the odd blip, such as "Aliens of London" and "The Long Game", he has been compelling to watch and as the series' conclusion draws nearer this viewer is coming to regret his departure more and more. Here he is also a bit more proactive than before, which can only be a good thing.

I must confess I was dreading the introduction of Captain Jack, but he was surprising engaging, and I loved his description of the Doctor and Rose as "flag girl" and "U-boat captain". The supporting characters were also well presented in the form of the haunted Nancy and the dying Dr Constantine, caring for the victims of the mystery plague alone in a darkened, quarantined old hospital. Was it me or was this the same hospital used in "Aliens of London"?

True horror returned to Doctor Who this week; my partner had to watch something else light afterwards as she was quite disturbed by the child, from its first appearance as a silhouette calling out "Are you my mummy?" Hopefully this will not be over-used next week however as it could grow irritating.

I had high hopes for the script, penned as it is by Steven Moffat, writer of the excellent Coupling. For the most part it delivers, although this viewer did wince when the tired old "Doctor Who?" gag was wheeled out. Overall however Moffat did continue the trend of the best scripts being produced by writers other than RTD.

Gripes? Only a minor one, but I was a little disappointed with Billie Piper this week, mainly as I found her schoolgirl-like crush and responses to Captain Jack a bit out of character; although the scenes are well-written in comic fashion, it did seem to clash a little with the overall feel of the episode, which was very much the darkest and most traditionally horrific of the new series so far in my book. And I'm still unsure about Captain Jack as a recurring character, although this could produce some good needle between him and Ecclestone, and perhaps better Harkness than Adam or Mickey. Meanwhile I found the incidental music rather anonymous after Murray Gold's marvellous contribution to "Father's Day". On the other hand, anonymous is better than intrusive.

Good to have a proper cliffhanger, and well done to the BBC for learning from the mistake of "Aliens of London" by giving a spoiler warning before showing the preview of next week's episode. Bet most of us watched the preview anyway though, eh?

Overall, a fine and chilling episode, with plenty of horror and enough unanswered questions to make next week must-see TV. And, for all my misgivings about two or three of the episodes hitherto screened, Doctor Who 2005 has remained compelling watching, and who could ask for more than that?