В‘Boom TownВ’ is a curious episode - gone are the thrills and spills of В‘The Empty ChildВ’ and В‘The Doctor DancesВ’; gone is the notion that В‘Doctor WhoВ’ is about monsters and screaming companions; gone, even, is the way that Series One was set up to be, or at least this is the case come the end of it.

For forty-five minutes, Russell T. Davies presents us with a В‘Doctor WhoВ’ story concerned with questioning who the Doctor is and why he does what he does; it also addresses the strains on everyday lives which arise due to the Doctor whisking someone off the planet. For the first time in Series One as well, it hints at something greater building up- the question of what the words В‘bad wolfВ’ actually signify. However, this tone lends itself to a more character based episode than an all-action one as we have seen previously in Series One, so how does it work?

The plot itself concerns the TARDIS landing on top of the Rift in Cardiff so it can refuel- however, things soon take a turn for the worse as a member of the Slitheen family has become the new Mayor Of Cardiff. Soon, she is captured by the Doctor and put inside the TARDIS, where he shall take her back to Raxacoricofallapatorius the next day, However, she requests a final meal before being taken to her death (back home, she will be executed) and whilst this is happening, the Rift begins to open. Added to this, any possible reconciliation between Rose and her estranged boyfriend Mickey is looking unlikely as the full impact of RoseВ’s travelling takes its tollВ….

The overall ambience of the story reminded me in many ways of some of the earlier William Hartnell В‘Doctor WhoВ’ stories. Back then, viewers had no idea who the Doctor was, why he was motivated or where he came from. In years to come, we would be told that he was a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey who ran away because he was bored (and later still, in the В‘New AdventuresВ’ range of novels, we learn about В‘The OtherВ’В…)

В‘Boom TownВ’ is in many ways a real case of going back-to-basics, and at this is succeeds admirably. One of the best things about Series One is how it has gradually introduced different elements of В‘Doctor WhoВ’ at a relaxed pace, rather than spit it all out in a garbled rush of continuity, as per В‘The TV MovieВ’. In В‘RoseВ’, we are told he is an alien who has a spaceship that travels in time and space, named the TARDIS; in В‘The End Of The WorldВ’, we find out that the Doctor is a Time Lord whose planet was destroyed in a war; in В‘The Unquiet DeadВ’, we find out that the war was a Time War; in В‘Aliens Of LondonВ’, we find out that he is 900 years of age and used to work on Earth for a group named UNITВ… and so on, and so forth. It takes until В‘Boom TownВ’- episode Eleven- to even give an explanation of why it is that the TARDIS actually looks like a Police Box; previously, we have been informed that it is a disguise, and that was a good enough explanation- we did not need to know anything else until now, and so adding details about the Chameleon Circuit to the knowledge fresh viewers have been steadily acquiring is a nice move. Also rather nice was the fact that the Chameleon Circuit it is also referred to as a cloaking device, nicely bridging the gap between В‘The TV MovieВ’ and the old seasons of В‘Doctor WhoВ’.

There are also references to other В‘Doctor WhoВ’ stories in the episode; notably mention of the Venom Grubs for В‘The Web PlanetВ’, mention of the planet Justicia from the novel В‘The Monsters InsideВ’ and, of course, the rift from В‘The Unquiet DeadВ’ and the Slitheen from В‘Aliens Of LondonВ’, В‘World War ThreeВ’ and the aforementioned В‘The Monsters InsideВ’ (in that order).

The Slitheen were a bone of content for many viewers, and it is hard not to see why. They laugh a lot for no real reason (I hear distant cries of В“Padding!В”), they fart (ahem), and they generally spend most of their time zipping and unzipping, rather than doing anything actually constructive. At least, this is how it seemed from their first appearance, but deep down there was something better, something more intelligent. These are the family of Raxacoricofallapatorians who correctly deduce that the Doctor is making it up when he says that heВ’ll triplicate the flammability of a bottle of port, a line which made me laugh more than any other in the episode in question (В‘World War ThreeВ’); they are also the only alien race to make an appearance both on television and in print in the NDA range thus far, and it is in В‘The Monsters InsideВ’ that they really came into there own, in my opinion. However, for those solely concerned with the television series, those ignoring the novels, I cannot help but feel that they were in for a shock as the Slitheen are finally exploited to all they are worth and show off just what a good creation they actually are. The Slitheen in question (Margaret Blaine, or to give her real name, Blon Fel Fotch Pasameer-Day Slitheen) is handled really well here; Davies gives her all the best lines (including a rather risquГ© one involving bondage and dinner), and her actual dinner with the Doctor is wonderfully handled.

The plotВ’s major failing is in its conclusion- the main bulk of the episode is a study of the DoctorВ’s actions, and his conversations with В‘Margaret SlitheenВ’ are well-written and interesting. However, the main question raised by all this- will the Doctor really take her to her death?- is dashed by its ending, where В‘Margaret SlitheenВ’ is turned into an egg and given a new lease of life after she gazes into the heart of the TARDIS. Now, I can just about accept the idea of this as an ending, and the fact she thanks the Doctor before her regression implies a sign of redemption of her behalf, but the trouble is that this is not a good ending for this story. It could have been worse- she could have just become a totally reformed character and they all live happily ever after- but it does rather stop the question being asked dead in its trail, and I would have preferred to have explored this avenue further.

Another flaw, though more minor, is the small on-screen presence of Captain Jack, who is great when on-screen but forgotten about by all bar the viewer when he is relegated to the TARDIS for the most part of the story. It is a pity that this is the case, as he is a great character that screams out for more time on screen.

The acting in В‘Boom TownВ’ is universally great, with the regulars impressing as much as usual and the guest cast being above and beyond brilliant. Christopher Eccleston, Billie Piper and John Barrowman have a wonderful on-screen rapport, as seen so perfectly in an early scene in the TARDIS where they quickly explain to Mickey what has been going on in Series One thus far: they slap hands, they smile, they slap Mickey- itВ’s a brilliant moment, and for me one of the highlights of Series One.

As Mickey, Noel Clarke puts in his best performance to date and really makes you care about the character. At the end of В‘Boom TownВ’, when he walks off alone, you cannot help but feel very sorry for him, and it hits home just how arguably selfish Rose has been to travel with the Doctor. Also, Clarke blends in just as well with the cast members other then Piper; an early scene in a cafГ© with them all listening to an anecdote by Captain Jack is handled rather nicely, and his new friendly relationship with the Doctor comes as a pleasant and rewarding progression following the events in В‘World War ThreeВ’.

Unsurprisingly though, the highest praises from me must go to Annette Badland, who makes В‘Margaret SlitheenВ’ as memorable as they come. From pleading to the Doctor in a bid to save her own skin, to smiling after gazing into the heart of the TARDIS, to threatening to kill Rose (quipping В“SurfВ’s up!В” in a very vicious manner), she brings every scene to life, with perhaps only her comic reaction to having her tongue spayed by the Doctor seeming a little out of place.

The Directing by Joe Ahearne is quite simply excellent. There is a wonderful moment early on where В‘MargaretВ’ in speaking to the TARDIS crew, gazing slightly off camera. She stops speaking and there is an agonising silence before she resumes; a lesser Director would have shortened this, but Ahearne milks it for all its worth and is rewarded with a captivating moment. Only one part of В‘Boom TownВ’ lets him down, and that is with the escape of В‘MargaretВ’, and her subsequent recapture by the Doctor via his Sonic Screwdriver. For me, the joke just wears thin soon enough- we are treated to no less than three shots of her attempting to run away, and it is just one shot too many to prevent it from being funny; instead, it just seems a tad unnecessary. Other moments easily stop this one from being any real problem though; all the scenes in the MayorВ’s office are great, from the reveal of the mobile phones held by all the TARDIS crew plus Mickey, to the great exchange of dialogue between a clerk and the Doctor regarding В‘MargaretВ’ jumping out of a window. Even Mickey getting his foot caught in a bucket did not make me cringe like perhaps it should have, though as visual gags go, this one could be seen a mile off.

Another brilliant moment is the revelation of В‘bad wolfВ’, where the Doctor and Rose realise that the two words have been following them- everything suddenly gets a sinister undertone, and it sets the scene nicely for next weekВ’s episode.

The music by Murray Gold is his best score yet, showing off his chameleonic nature by providing some nice music to accompany the happier moments at the start of the episode, and then neatly contrasting them by its conclusion, where everything gets moodier.

In all, I really enjoyed В‘Boom TownВ’. It is undeniably different to the rest of Series One, but for me this struck as a welcome break. ThatВ’s not to say that any such break was necessary, but it was certainly a pleasant thing to experience.

Not everyone I know was as happy- my Sister remarked that the best thing about it was the В‘Next WeekВ’ trailer showing glimpses of В‘Bad WolfВ’, and my Dad nearly fell asleep during it. However, for me at least it hit all the right buttons, despite the episodeВ’s slightly silly name.

There are flaws- jokes running of there humour, an out of character moment from В‘MargaretВ’, an ending which betrays that which has been set up, but in all it is a breath of fresh air, and a very enjoyable one at that.

Aside from the very silly name - this is an episode that doesn't seem to upset me half as much as it does alot of you. As an individual episode - it's easilly the weakest story of the season. But I do think it's trying to help accentuate a bigger picture that RTD is painting. And that's where it shines a bit better, I think. You have to view it in context of the entire season to really appreciate some of its nuances.

I do feel I need to digress for a paragraph or two in order to explain this point. This will even involve me explaining a bit of my personal life to you all.

You see, I'm also a producer. Mainly of live theatre though I am dabbling more and more in T.V. One of the things I produce is an annual playfest featuring one act plays written by local playwrights. It's a two-night affair where we put on anywhere from seven to nine one act plays. It's a lot of work, but it's becoming quite the popular event in my city.

As the producer of this is event, I need to select the plays that will be mounted. It can be a tricky process as I am getting flooded with more and more submissions every year that I do this event. But then, I also put in a play or two that I've written myself. And I put them in, not so much to showcase my talents (my own work gets produced quite frequently in other contexts besides this playfest) but to help "balance out" the overall feel of the event. For instance, one year the playwrights were all submitting very "straight" material so I made sure to put in some stuff that was "fringier" so that we would appeal to a wider demographic. This caused a chain reaction of "fringier" plays the next year so my submissions had to actually be "straighter" this time around.

Do you see what I'm getting at?

Poor old RTD is lumbered with a similiar responsibility in this season. He can write more traditionally "Who adventurish" stuff like THE LONG GAME or the BAD WOLF/PARTING OF WAYS saga - but he also has to do some stuff to help balance things out in the season. To show off the series' sense of diversity. Which means, writing something a bit more simplistic to introduce the whole series like ROSE. Or even a bit more "pedestrian" like THE END OF THE WORLD or, more appropriately, BOOM TOWN.

We had just been given four really rivetting stories in a row and I think what Russell wanted to do was serve up something a little lighter. To give the TARDIS crew (which is now just absolutely fantastic with Captain Jack Harkness aboard!) a little bit of a rest. He also wanted to re-inject some comedy into the series since it had been missing quite a bit in the last four stories. And BOOM TOWN does that quite well. The actual plot conflict is very minor to the whole thing. But there's a lot of fun - especially with Mickey coming back to help in yet another adventure. Whenever Mickey's back in the mix, we know there's going to be, at least, a few cheap visual gags! This time, we get him running around with the traditional "foot stuck in the bucket" joke. A good laugh! Which is what RTD wants us to have again after five weeks of dieing fathers, menacing Daleks, morbid World War II settings and other such things.

This nice thing about BOOM TOWN though, is that it doesn't just turn into an episode of "Scoody Doo". Full of silly hijinx and comical mayhem. There's some nice "meat" to the tale too if you're willing to look for it. The aforementionned Mickey gets a great dramatic moment later as he and Rose go off for the night to get re-aquainted. The moment where he reveals he's finally started seeing someone else is great timing. We can see how tired he's getting of Rose's stories of how much better her life is now that she's with the Doctor (and, of course, not with him) and he feels the need to drop a bomb on her. So he does. And this turns the whole moment between them on its ear. It's probably the best scene of the episode and another great example of how this new series is as humanistic as it is exciting. We care as much about the problems of Rose and Mickey as we do about the fate of the world. And the fact that, through it all, Mickey is still willing to wait for Rose if she can just promise him she will come back for him when she's done adventuring added yet another gorgeous "layer" to him. Like when he admits privately to the Doctor of his cowardice in the previous Slytheen story, we see that Mickey is complex in his own right. He's not just a two-dimensional comic relief device. And I love how well RTD has used this character throughout the series. Another testament to his writing skills that so many of you seem to miss because you're so quick to jump on the "bash the current producer" bandwagon.

The scenes set against this moment with Rose and Mickey, to me, are almost but not quite as effective. We have a debate between the Doctor and the Slitheen woman about some of the Doctor's morals. Yes, the Slitheen really has no right to attack the Doctor on such points since she's so much more rotten - but that's what makes her arguments with him all the more succinct. Only someone so merciless and callous can see into your soul that well and make the points she makes about his weaknesses. That's why the confrontation makes sense. And I can see why RTD brought the character back. If it had been a "new" villain doing this, it would have been even less dramatically effective. It needed to be someone who has tangoed with the Doctor before and been burnt by him. Our familiarity with her also helped in keeping the audience's attention. The drama unfolding with Rose and Mickey at the same time would've outweighed the poignancy of this moment too greatly if this scene had been done with the Doctor and a villain we hadn't met before. This way, we're pretty well equally interested in both "dates" going on. Another great example of how RTD "balances things" in this tale.

Of course, some of the plot elements in this story are also there to help with the overall themes of the season. We needed Rose to get a glimpse of the "heart of the TARDIS" so that she can try accessing it again a few more episodes down the road. And, the "Bad Wolf" references are now really starting to get noticed by everyone. Also an important factor to the season. Again, another illustration of "the bigger picture" RTD is trying to paint for us through this story.

I also think, from the standpoint of a hardcore fan, that some of the sequences towards the end were very bold. As soon as I saw energy crackling from the TARDIS and storm clouds brewing I immediately thought: "Looks like the old 96 telemovie". The fact that we then go inside and see the heart of the TARDIS being accessed to manipulate time reminded me all the more of that particular story. After all the niggling fans have done about that plot device in the telemovie - I was amazed that RTD would go anywhere near those images. It almost seemed like he wanted to expand just a bit more on those ideas from that story without getting too deeply into it. In short, he used that device just a tad more effectively than the telemovie did. As if he were trying to balance things out on an even grander scale by getting us to see and understand this aspect to the TARDIS a bit better without getting too carried away with the idea like the telemovie did.

So, lots of nice points to this story, I think, especially when you look at it a bit more hollistically. Still, I will admit that it sticks out just a bit too much like a sore thumb in the context of the episodes around it. And that, perhaps, the storyline is a tad weak and even a bit prepostorous. But, overall, even if we view it out of context, it's really not as bad as all that. It is, in fact, a lot of fun. With a bit of nice drama thrown in between the leads and some supporting cast. And we also get a nice resolution as we see time travel giving someone a second chance at her life. All the elements a good Who story needs, if you ask me!

Sure, it's a bit weak compared to the rest of the season. But it does provide some nice "window dressing" for that season and, by no means, is it the herrendously awful story some of you are trying to make it out to be.

For me, this was the second best episode of the series so far, after the iconic "Dalek." The Slitheen showed unexpected emotional depth, while cunningly questioning the doctors moral authority, in a way once again reminescent of the Dalek in the earlier episode. The actors seem more at ease than in previous episodes of the series, and Davies writing is pitch-perfect.

Eccleston certainly has grown into the role of the Doctor, and it is a source of regret in many ways that hes not staying longer in the roll. However, the series has established a new tone for the Doctor, both more worldly than his predecessors while also retaining the best aspects of Tom Baker et al. The Doctor in this episode seemed happy with himself and his place in the universe, while at the same time demonstrating the sense of humour which has marked out the new series.

All in all then, I give Boom Town an enthusiastic top rating. The Slitheen came across as a more complex villain than had been suggested in the previous story, making the Doctor justify his philosophy and role in the universe. I fervently hope they make a later appearance! And so, roll on next week, and the next series! I can only hope David Tennant excels in the role as much as Christopher Eccleston.

Of the 3 Slitheen episodes to date, this is far and away the best, but it still lacked enough action to be wholly satisfying.

It was, like FATHER'S DAY, too preoccupied with its concept of exploring the consequences of the Doctor's lifestyle. This meant that the potentially exciting plot of Cardiff succumbing to pan-dimensional nuclear destruction was allowed to go out with a whimper.

Having said that, it went a long way towards making the Slitheen's race a slightly more rounded one than before - we learned a lot in our 45 minutes about the race's social structure, life cycle, and morality than a single episode should really have time for. As in DALEK, we even find a moment that allows a little empathy with the bad guy.

Some nice touches include the Doctor and Rose commenting on the appearance of the Bad Wolf motif, a cameo by the guy who played the undertaker in Remembrance of the Daleks, and some good lines.

Ultimately, though, the episode suffered mainly from coming directly after the sublime THE DOCTOR DANCES. However, anyone who thought the series would slope away from that peak can be heartened by the teaser for Episode 12. It would seem that BOOM TOWN! serves the role of a pause for breath. Because lets face it, dear reader, the next episode looks like one hell of a roller coaster...

Next Time, folks...

Episodes of Doctor Who in 2005 are too precious to waste, but Boom Town! was a missed opportunity to re-invent Inferno, one of the best stories of the Pertwee era.

What was the point of this episode? Seemingly, it was to provide more 'domestic' and further pick away at the moral credibility of the Doctor's character.

The 'domestic' is presumably meant to provide continuity through a season of (mostly) single episode stories, but I sense that most fans would rather this continuity came in the form of multi-episode stories like the excellent Empty Child duo.

Grounding Rose's character in the present day (her ongoing relationship with Mickey and, in previous episodes, her phone calls home to Mum) goes a long way towards undermining the premise of the new season, namely that to have an adventure and live her life to the full she was prepared to leave all that behind. It surely dampens the sense of adventure if you are never further than a ring-tone away from home. Doctor Who in 2005 is just too safe.

Would any previous Doctor have complied in the execution of the last Slitheen? Why did RTD devote an entire episode to this moral dilemma, which can only leave us feeling less sure of the central character? Admittedly, the scene in which 'Margaret' challenged the Doctor about his always moving on and leaving destruction in his wake was intelligent, but this theme is the stuff of self-reflexive moments, not whole 45 minute episodes. We haven't waited 16 years for a new Doctor Who just to see the concept deconstructed, however cleverly.

Combined with his smugness (seemingly infectious in this episode) and emotional insecurity, the Doctor's vindictive moral grandstanding is very off-putting.

Am I the only one who felt that the unsatisfactory and unexplained ending, in which the TARDIS literally provided the 'dues ex machina', did more to undermine the mystery and wonder of that machine than to enhance it?

Reference to Venom Grub was amusing, though - would Bill Strutton have imagined it in 1965? And Mickey got the best lines.

So after the sublime horror of 'The Empty Child' and 'The Doctor Dances', the series takes a bit of a nose dive.

First of all...and with apologies to any Welsh readers...why Cardiff again? Okay, so there was a link to the rift of 'the Unquiet Dead' and RTD is from Swansea. But basically it looked like an opportunity to highlight some of the tourist attractions of the redeveloped dockland area. And just who thinks that a story based on the idea of a nuclear power station being built in the centre of any city has any credibility? Yes, yes, yes...Doctor Who is all about suspension of belief but that is a suspension too far.

All hail the return of Slitheen - not. Still annoying in appearance with the unnecessary combination of big doe-eyed innocence and unpleasantly large claws. What's with the face of ET meets Bambi approach? Just not scary, just not cute. Thankfully, however, there was less of the toilet humour burping etc of 'World War III'.

And Annette Badman did her character real credit when in human guise plus a wonderful bit of repartee between her and the Doctor when he takes her our for a meal....'hmm dinner and bondage..'.

Captain Jack...yes, well what was the point of him this week? Indeed, what is the point of him at all? Why has the Doctor taken him on board as a redeemed baddie when he dumped Adam at his mother's with a socket in his head. There would have been at least as much potential for Adam's character to develop, and there was sense in that he was a much more realistic chancer than comic-book square-jawed Jack. Jack's double entendre dialogue should not save him

Rose and Mickey...some nice development there and a real sense of Rose being caught between the desire to explore the wonders of the Universe on one hand hand and be back in South London with her boyfriend (and a decent hairdresser - drop the pigtails please) on the other. Aahh, love will eventually win the day, but presumably not till the second series. Or perhaps Mickey - who was looking decidely mean and moody when he walked off into the night - will develop into an evil, yet clumsy, mastermind set on destroying the Doctor and all his works

The Doctor...yet more dark shading of his character during the conversation with Margaret as they talked about the pathology of killers. Christopher Eccleston is at his very best when the focus is on the harder, unpleasant aspects of his character. And only one annoying outbreak of unsolicited grinning early on in this episode - so perhaps that gurning will be gone by the end of the series.

TARDIS...thanks for the explanation of the chameleon circuit for any new viewers wondering why it is as it is. But what was this business about the living heart? And how did it make Margaret regress? If TARDIS is a living being - shades of Moya from Farscape surely - perhaps more could be made of the relationship between her and the Doctor in the future?

So, what was the point of this episode?

Not scary. Not funny. It did move Rose and Mickey's relationship along. And it highlighted yet more darkness in the character of the Doctor.

Lame story though, and weakest of the series so far.