I sat down to watch World War 3 hoping Russell Davies would redeem himself, the question is did he?

Well kind of, lets face it could it have been any worse? The fart gags weren't as cringe enducing as last week, more to do with expecting it than by accepting the need for it. The reason for the farting may have been explained but it doesn't make it any less annoying. Davies can do humour, the weapons of mass destruction that can be deployed in 45 seconds was genuinely funny, though I accept many ten year olds wouldn't have got it.

The Slitheen themselves weren't as menacing as I hoped, though I much preferred them out of their human 'skins' than in them. It was interesting to note that for the second Davies story in a row the motivation for the bad guys was a financial one and I was disappointed because I'm still waiting for the traditional alien invasion - I don't really rate 'Rose' as an invasion story.

To me the best elements in this episode was the interplay between the Doctor, Rose, her mum and Mickey. Davies's best writing is in the interplay between these characters, Jackie's concern over Rose is understandable and it makes it interesting to see the Doctor uncomfortable with the guilt he feels at taking Rose from her mum.

The one problem with adding in all these new elements regarding Rose's life on Earth is that they detract from the traditional elements. As many i have spoken to have said the mix of all these elements is not quite right. I would also point out that the episode so far that has had the most positive reviews is The Unquiet Dead, the only episode with no elements of Rose's home life at all.

My biggest surprise in this episode was Mickey, a character I previously found to be the most annoying thing in Doctor Who since Bonnie Langford's scream. Mickey was actually very good and crucial to the resolution of the story. He never seemed like ridiculous comic relief in this episode, perhaps because he was given something to do at last. My only problem was with him holding the phone to his ear while the Slitheen was breaking through the door. I'm afraid that no matter what was being said to me on that phone I'd be concentrating more on where the first swing of my bat was going to go and would have given the phone to Jackie.

ll in all an improvement on last week, still a bit too sily in places, a lot of corridor chasing, very Scooby Doo-ish and the Doctor seemed to get out of sticky situations with a quick joke and then taking to his heels. Oh and those must be the quickest closing lift doors in the world.

Looking forward to nect week and the first new Dalek story since 1988.

Oh yeah, I was sad that there wasn't any more pigs, I felt so sorry for that poor wee pig.

It improved dramatically from Aliens of London. Once again the Doctor took lead role again and calmed down a bit over his treatment of Micky, realising he's not a bad kinda guy and who knows, might someday end up doing good. Even the Slitheen improved when we found out what their real agenda was. you could say this was Russell T Davies best script so far, but then that's because I appreciate the anti war message that he was saying and the satire on the false Weapons of Mass destruction 45 minute claim but most important of all was how gung ho the humour race can be when faced with war. IE Blow them up, thus bringing the educational factor back into Doctor Who

However I was somewhat surprised that Micky after using his computer skills to save the world didn't want to go with Rose and join the Doctor in his adventures. Mind you though there's always the 2nd series. Perhaps RTD might include Micky as a future companion. On the whole World War Three provided a balance from the silly childish humour seen in Aliens of London. It was good to see the Doctor once again solving a problem and saving the world. Christopher Eccleston was serious for a change and not being his usual patronising self and if he keeps this up he'll be well respected even though he only did one season.

I also appreciated Penelope Wilton's scenes as Harriet Jones MP. You could really feel for the character and hope that in the future British Politics does have a better woman Prime Minister than Margaret Thatcher who ruined the lives of so many people.

Three Cheers for RTD. Let’s hope he gets nominated for the Nobel in 2005.

An intriguing second part to this eventful two parter. Setting predominantly most of the episode inside number ten was a risky idea, one that worked more on dialogue then an explosive finale. However this part was also about the lesser characters building the role of Mickey and his relationship with the Doctor and also Rose’s mother who she is and showing that there are feelings within these characters.

The concept of hacking more into UNIT was a clever move, I was realty glad to see UNIT brought back and was deluged with questions to who they were during the first part, but again it’s a good was of linking back to classic episodes.

Brilliant acting from Ecclestone and Billie Piper and I thought the Penelope Wilton’s role was well cast and preformed by a wonderful actress. Complementating the ac ting was again a good script from Davies, he aloud the story to move at its own pace without forcing it forward who changing it in any way.

Again there were small elements of which tailed over from the first part, which I found a little debatable again the flatulence, and I found the mysterious blue light, which appeared inward then, outward when they opened their heads intriguing although that added to the suspense and horror of the story.

The aliens were good, very childish and this came across well and thought the actual concept of them selling Earth was again a striking clever more from Russell T Davies, they were almost an intergalactic homes under the hammer!

However a strong well written episode again showing Davies’s strength in this field, and I look forward to the return of the Dalek on Saturday which looks fantastic.

Not a classic, but a marked improvement on Aliens of London. Unlike the first part of this two part storyline, there wasn't anything in this episode that I felt was "off" (save lifetime backbencher Harriet Jones, MP, Flydale North's constant self-introductions; it may work for William Shatner as Denny Crane, but Penelope Wilton didn't pull it off). Even the Slitheen's rather ridiculous appearence and personalities worked a little better here than in Aliens of London because we were given the explanation that they aren't meant to be scary full-blown invaders, but loathsome businessmen. The twist of them merely being a family instead of a race was moderately clever as well. Bonus points to Davies for managing to make some quite pointed commentary of US foreign policy via the Slitheen; a group of money-hungry monsters creating imaginary weapons of mass destruction in an attempt to hoodwink the UN and seize a valuable asset can't help but be compared to the Bush administration and their misadventures in the Middle East.

One underlying theme of this episode that I found interesting was the evasion of responsibility. Jones "orders" the Doctor to enact his plan even after he says that it could cost Rose her life, thereby sparing him an agonizing moral dilemma. The Doctor lies for Mickey after he essentially tells the Doctor he'd be scared to death to travel in the TARDIS, saving him some face in Rose's eyes. The Doctor can't bring himself to promise Jackie that he'll keep Rose safe. Evading responsibility can have tragic consequences. Coupled with the boatload of corpses that've piled up this season and the theme that the Doctor's only real companion is death, I can't help but wonder how the Doctor's lack of accountability will catch up with him.

I suppose the only serious complaint I have is the dread "buffalo" password. It's marginally plausible that UNIT might have one overriding "skeleton key" password and that the Doctor would know it, but the Royal Navy also having the same exact "skeleton key" is a bit much to swallow. A friend I watched the episode with suggested that the Doctor himself planted the password in every computer on Earth, which is possible, given the "worldwide virus" disc the Doctor gives Mickey at the end, but in the absence of a clear rationalization, we're forced to conclude that it'd ludicriously easy to seize control of England's armed forces (in all fairness, many major motion pictures commit similiar sins).

Ultimately, it looks as if Aliens of London was an aberration rather than the beginning of a downward spiral for the new series. If, as I've heard, Dalek marks the start of a more adult tone for the series, free of the juvenile antics of Aliens of London, I feel reasonably assured that Doctor Who's TV future is very bright indeed

Five minutes after this episode ended, a friend who is also a life-long DW fan called to say how much he had enjoyed it : proper Dr Who was what he called it. And yes - there was, as always, much to enjoy.

For those who think Russell T Davies shouldn't be sending up aspects of our own reality, hallo-o: he's always done that (go watch Casanova inventing the lottery, or buying a mansion with a room specially for wrapping presents in), and for me, it's part of the charm of the whole thing. The Doctor calling You want aliens, you've got 'em - they're here inside Downing St, or I think you'll find the Prime Minister is an alien in disguise followed by blowing up the entire area with a guided missile, should have put broad smiles on the face of any adult watching who isn't running around for the May 5 show-down.

Murray Gold's music, slated by many, has always worked for me.

The direction and technical work is incredible, given the budgets and tight time scheduling.

And in this first two-parter, finally we had the kind of pacing that the classic series had, and which personally I prefer (though as Russell T Davies says, cliff-hangers are best used with care - though the one here worked pretty well).

This episode was slower than the first, and with the Doctor, Rose & Harriet locked up in one room most of the time, the momentum had to be carried by the other actors. After the twists and turns of Episode 4, I found it a bit of an anti-climax, with a fair bit of indeterminate running around. Time for fleshing out relationships, like Mickey and Jackie. And cue lots of cracking one-line dialogue and one-off scenes to compensate. Having the General say to the acting Prime Minister in the lift, Your body is.. magnificent was a cheerful salute to the gay audience too.

What I found less than impressive was the underlying rationale - that the Slitheen are basically interplanetary scrap metal merchants, trying to reduce the Earth to radioactive slag so that they can sell it off in profitable chunks. Wouldn't Mars or Mercury do just as well, if that's all they want? And couldn't they have found weapons elsewhere to do the job, rather than have to concoct an elaborate plan to get humanity to do it with nuclear missles? Was this something to do with their ritualised hunting instinct?

And at the end, the Tardis has obviously become exactly that Number Nine bus that previous Doctors would never have considered. When Rose leaves, it was like watching a family send-off at the local coach or railway station. Is this Doctor that desperate for companionship? Even Mickey or Rose's mother could have climbed aboard without much fuss.

The zips we saw in Episode 4 (surely a CGI oversight, which will hopefully be rectified in the DVD release) were thankfully missing in this episode, too, though the farting was back (but as part of their cheerfully ruthless indifference, it doesn't bother me the way it has done other viewers, especially as it has an explanation. The Gelf changing from silvery-blue into red flaming for no good reason other than to indulge our love of horror staples and a good climax was for me far less impressive).

I can see myself watching this again, and enjoying it.

And although, so far not one episode has hooked me in a way which makes me definitely want to go on watching, I am enjoying the series, and judging by the ratings, so are a lot of other UK viewers. Hopefully as other writers come on board (so far only one episode has not been an RTD one), we will begin to see a broadening of style and some refining of the humour to include the adults watching, as well as the kids of all ages.

Tonight, the story containing the Slitheen seems to have provided the most critique so far and tonight's episode I don't think will bring this to rest.

I must stress to the fans that the programme is designed for a wide audience and that all ages have to enjoy the experience of who. This is how I can forgive very easily the bits I don't enjoy with the fantastic dialogue exchange that I do enjoy. I am not 8 but 28 and all us older rviwers must remember that. 8 million people are watching who weekly now and I think that is fantastic.

The Doctor gets out of his electric shock problem very easily tonight by not being a human. The chain reaction on the slitheen release everyone else from there dilemma. The bit I dont like about the slitheen is that there seems to be 3 formats for them. The human suits which seems to work well at times. The slitheen rubber suit which seems to make there arms ridiculous and they lose there fear and then the Computer Slitheen which for me are the best form but all together this is why it doesn't seem to gel very well.

I do like however the continued theme for children that everyday objects can fight the aliens and pickle eggs , onions and gerkins in vinegar are great things to have in the house in case of an alien attack. The Doctor's knowledge of planets is shown in this episode with his knowledge of UNIT the password buffalo savers the day. Thats 2 f's and 1 l.

Penelope Wilton is well worth a mention of being a great character in this two parter and she would have my vote on May 5th !! Og no she isnt real.

The story arc continues in this episode, the relationship with Mickey , Mom , Rose and the Doctor takes on a new understanding for all characters. This is well written using all characters well and with purpose, no sidelining them from the action but making them all vital to the survival of the human race. The diologue is really good with clever interchanges. I can't help but to keep saying that Billie is giving Rose all she has got and this companion is standing up with the greats of Sarah, Jo and Ace.

I like the fact that Rose's one journey has completed and you feel that she could easily walk away, but no this is really a decision she is making to see the world with the Doctor and it feels like we are only just beggining the adventure she is now fully prepared for.

Chris's Doctor is so breath taking and his style of showing his alieness is very interesting. He is being slated now but I think that his Doctor is very easy to watch and extremely enjoyable.

Overall this two parter has got a major positive , that we can all relate to it, every day emotions that we all feel hug this episode and the characters in this story are very strong. This is all credit to Russell. The only let down is the slitheen themselves and that is because they are in too many formats and this on screen makes there look difficult to like. You cannot fault the other effects the crash landing and the atomic bomb which is handled brilliantly.

And next week the return of the Daleks, let the ratings soar.