It seems strange reviewing a story that hasn’t reached it’s conclusion but, film critics had to do it with the Lord of The Rings trilogy so why not the latest Doctor Who story?

With a two part story, there’s more time for many different plotlines in comparison to the previous single story episodes. Many fans who’ve complained about the apparent brevity of the single episode storylines, will no doubt be delighted with the complexity of this story.

Some may not be delighted however with farting aliens. But for these fans who have had a sense of humour bypass (no doubt the same ones who vehemently criticised Christopher Eccleston’s departure) may I point out, this is science fiction; aliens may exist and if they do, who knows, maybe they do fart? Anyway it’ll have the kids laughing and help to lessen the impact of the horror…

Once again, the special effects were very special. From the Slitheen to the spaceship crashing into Big Ben, this was a Doctor Who that was light years away from bubble-wrap Wirrn and cannibalised spaceships from old Gerry Anderson series. The superb and rather scary effect of the Slitheen peeling back their foreheads will no doubt cause anyone under the age of eight to be terrified of flatulent fat middle-aged people.

And as for Excuse me, do you mind not farting while I’m trying to save the world? What a wonderful line!

And what about an alien that looks like a pig? Just when you’re all thinking how daft a pig running down a hospital corridor looks, the plot revelation that it really is a pig, albeit genetically engineered to pilot a spacecraft, is one more novel twist in this complex and (so far) clever story.

As well as the sci-fi thrills, Aliens of London deals with a blatantly obvious idea regarding time travel that the series has never approached before. The opening scenes where Rose discovers she’s been missing for twelve months not twelve hours were very well done. Camille Coduri was able to stop being just the comedy mother and allowed to be a real person, coping as any real mother would do; grieving for her lost daughter, then having her grief turn to anger and letting rip by slapping the Doctor. Noel Clarke was also good, showing Mickey’s reaction to Rose’s return while Chris and Billie continue to work so well together, they feel like old mates to the audience as well as themselves…

The rest of the cast were faultless. The human versions of the aliens were extremely sinister as well as funny. Penelope Wilton and Navin Chowdry were both superb, providing the all-important human contrast the aliens, in a believable way.

One complaint, however. What's the point of building up an immensely tense triple cliff-hanger, if you're going to spoil it and show a next time trailer immediately afterwards?

D’oh!!!!

Not the classic story I was hoping for but still very entertaining nonetheless. Aliens of London had the monsters, the destruction of Big Ben, spectacular UFO footage and best of all, some hilarious moments at the start of the episode involving the Doctor, Rose, Rose's Mum and boyfriend.

When the Doctor announced at one point, he doesn't do domestics, it is a great shame because these moments are a delight to watch and add some real character to not just Rose but the Doctor as well. The opening prelude has a hilarious finish and that is before we get to the slap!

Bringing us back to the world of Rose was a good idea, and you certainly felt the human impact on Rose and her surrounding lifestyle given her disapperance from Earth for a year. The dialogue was very fiery, emotional and sometimes funny.

Some great lines from the Doctor including being 900 years old and not being slapped! It was a great funny and frantic start much in keeping with the first episode. However, I felt that the remainder of the story did not live up to the high standards of "Rose". When you have farting monsters, it makes it kind of easier to understand why a serious film actor like Christopher Eccleston probably decided to walk away from the role - it is hardly going to be one of your glowing achievements on your acting C.V.

I thought this was quite infantile and unnecessary. While it may appeal to children, I kind of cringed . Surely there was another more surreptious way of hinting that these government characters were alien? However, on a good point, the slitting open of the foreheads with zips was truly frightening and much more in keeping with the horror element of the show. Perhaps the silly infantile humour and the horror moments ensures a neat balance but I felt it all got rather silly with the pointless laughter of the alien replacement Prime Minister which seemed like something more out of Austin Powers than Who. And as for the pig escaping, it was hardly scary stuff either. A bit of a low for the series so far as far as I am concerned coupled with the farting.

These elements aside, it was a pretty spectacular episode cliffhanger. I didn't really think there was a need to have a teaser for next week after that as it kind of makes you realise everything will be okay. While some are saying that Eccleston could be the best Doctor of the lot, I think it is fair to say too that Billie Piper's portrayal of Rose is also a high on the companion front. Sassy, funny and suppportive of the Doctor, she is great to watch and becoming a role model for young children. She has a very expressive face and sometimes she just reduces me to giggles with her uncertain looks as the Doctor is getting reprimanded by her mum!

So for me, the best parts were the scenes involving the Doctor, Rose, Rose's Mum and Mickey. The fact that they were all brought into the cliffhanger was good, and it certainly makes me wonder how the good Dr can escape in time for next week's instalment. After the first three slick episodes which I enjoyed immensely, I felt somewhat short-changed by this episode. While it still hit the heights, particularly with the spectacular UFO crashing off Big Ben, I felt it could have been that bit slicker in terms of the Slitheen. After burping wheelie bins, and farting aliens, I am greatly looking forward to the more safer territory of the deadly Daleks. The episode was still fun to watch though and pleasing to long term fans like myself with the nod to UNIT in the episode. The first three episodes have been brilliant but I feel standards slightly slipped tonight.

This review is almost as much of a review of reviews as it is of the episode in question, Aliens of London. First off, let me start by saying I am American. I have been a fan of Doctor Who for many years and unlike growing up in England, this is out of the ordinary. Just the thought of a Police Box that is rougly the size of an American state like Texas on the inside just fascinated the hell out of me. Tom Baker was my 'first doctor'. I also have fond memories of watching Peter Davidson when he first got broadcast in the States. Then it seemed I moved on to more American fare for awhile, the likes of Star Trek. It took a few years of maturity (and a good job that gave me the money to buy past episodes) but in the 90's I became a super huge fan of DW. I love all Doctors and almost all episodes from Hartnell and "The Space Museum" to Sylvester McCoy and "Rememberence of the Daleks". I start out my review of "Aliens of London" this way because I'm not even English and I saw the complexity of this episode. I have read so many reviews that talk about :

- "The farting". The aliens talk about this after they take over the General and say it is getting ridiculous and needs to be solved. It's better than the trash can belch in "Rose", at least this is explained as something they can't help. To think that RTD put this in here for a laugh is, well, laughable.

- The music. Look I know this is an important issue to alot of people (especially since I read about it in every single review) but seriously, unless you're talking about the use of Britney Spears in "The End of the World", the music is in the background and it at the very least secondary to the episode itself.

- The unrealistic reporting. In reviewers from England's defense, I am not from there and do not see news reports there on a regular basis. Perhaps to someone who lives in England and sees these newscasts on a regular basis this is an important issue of realism what with the music in the background and the "incredible" reaction of the amateur news reporter but as an American, I can tell you that FOX News and other 24 hour news channels report very much like this everyday about the Michael Jackson trial, Scott Peterson (a wife killer here if you don't know who that is), and Terri Schavio ("coma" patient in the States). I very much believe there would be graphics around new logos, amateur and veteran news reporters on the story and maybe even background music accompanying their reports if this were to happen in real life. None of this looked bad to me as an American.

- The Pig. This is up for debate. I thought that the idea of the aliens augmenting a pig to suit its' own purposes was a pretty cool thing. Could have been a dog, could have been a cat, could have even been a brainwashed human (but what fun would that be?). They chose a pig and I believe the "mermaid" analogy the doctor came up with explains it well.

Ok a few complaints I've read that I agree with :

- The Bad Wolf deal. Like another reviewer has said, why mention it several times and then have some kid spray painting it on the TARDIS? Also as this same reviewer said, this had better make sense some day.

- No mention of the Time War. This is forgivable, can't drop words just for the sake of saying them but I'm anxious. I want to know what this is all about damnit!

- Rose's mom taking her daughter being gone for a year so easily. This is just about unforgivable as any parent in the world would have just about gone insane. Is Rose the type to run off without saying anything? If so at least that would be a reason for her "mum" to accept that she is back and 5 minutes later let her and The Doctor into her house to watch the alien ship on TV. (and also like another reviewer has said the fact that she knows the name of the TARDIS without her ever hearing it is annoying. How hard would it have been for him to say something like "Oh great let everyone into the TARDIS" or "Don't bring anything domestic into my TARDIS" but no, she never hears it and knows the name. Sigh.).

- The metal zipper being soooo obvious on the policeman. That looked horrible and since every other zipper was invisible what the hell was the point?!

- The Slitheen. Hmmm... this one is up for debate too. They almost look like Mr. Ed, little clay puppets bouncing around. Some shots looked ok, some did not but overall they aren't the most impressive looking aliens ever.

- U.N.I.T. Very underused. Also, am I the only ones who wonder why the simple words "Attack plan Delta" allow these soldiers to take orders from The Doctor? Who the hell is he anyway? It would be like me walking into an attack in the Pentagon and ordering soldiers around with Attack plan words. This has been done in the past in Doctor Who and done much better with just a simple security clearance statement. This would have made much more sense in my opinion. Also what would have been the harm in getting Benton, Yates or even The Brigadier in on the action even if it was a small part in the background. People new to Doctor who wouldn't know who that man in charge was and old fans of the show would have cheered. I know they are trying to get away from the old show entirely but I honestly would see no harm in it.

-The trailer for the next episode. Why oh why have a "cliffhanger" that is resolved in the previews for the next episode? Seems so obvious that this defeats the purpose of a cliffhanger (even though we all know the Doctor wouldn't die or anything).

Some good stuff about the episode that has mostly been mentioned in other reviews...12 months instead of 12 hours. Very very good. Acted well, TARDIS is not 100% under control, all done very well. Alien ship taking out Big Ben....looked good cool effects, very good. Still not sure about this TARDIS design though. Hitting it with a hammer... hmmm. It looks pretty cool, and maybe we will find out that the TARDIS was damaged in the Time War and is in a little worse shape than we are used to. Amusing though and also well acted by CE.

All in all Doctor Who is an excellent show to be watching and if you love the show as a whole as much as I do, there's a good chance you have enjoyed all four episodes and can overlook some small problems for the excitement you feel when you hear and see the TARDIS materialize. Time for World War III!

For a season with budgets unparalleled by anything that proceeds it (and that includes the TV Movie) this episode was played out on a very small stage. Despite the grandiose title, and the gravity of the ultimate threat- here we are presented with a (small) handful of sets, a mocked up Number 10 exterior and some garages. Now let me put this into context; through necessity the programme has in its past had to make the most of a very limited number of sets and locations, but has in turn succeeded in being epic, dramatic and convincing (e.g. Inferno). Here, however, the limited scope of the production (and lets be fair- the narrative too!) looks very amateur. It all looked a bit CBBC.

I'm not a fan of CGI, however you may be- if so, skip this paragraph. But lets be honest about it, in the main it's really not that good is it? I think CGI bears all the hallmarks of a technique very much in it's infancy. In the same way that CSO (ground breaking in the early 70's) always looked like CSO; CGI always looks like CGI. So what does this episode make of it? Well, in the main it's OK. The emergence of the Slitheen however from inside the (rubber?) disguises was rubbish. It looked like something out of a PC game from the early 90s. They only become convincing when we move into men in costumes/animatronics, but by this point the damage has been done. It's interesting that the best effect (the much trailed Big Ben crash) is actually a model shot. You get the feeling from the new show that The Mill are really pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved on a TV budget with CGI, and I salute this as it's very much in keeping of the show's traditions.

Although intriguing and at points, mesmerising in his portrayal of the Doctor thus far, CE seems to have lost his way a little in this episode. I'm not the first to say this I know, but the Doctor's... lets be kind... enthusiasm....is now becoming a little bit tiresome. This is characterised by the toothy grin and the constant cry's of 'Brilliant!'. 'Ace!' anyone? It's old hat to show the Doctor frustrated by the ignorance of mere mortals (i.e. Mickey), but here it's played with such venom that one wonders why the Doc doesn't just sod off and leave the Earth to its fate. Some ropey acting doesn't help CE either, most notably when he interrupts the briefing at Number 10 (the radar blip etc etc). He trys to be Tom Baker, and to be fair the moment is clearly written for Tom Baker's doctor (circa 'Seeds of Doom')- but CE isn't Tom Baker. So the soliloquy seems stagy and strangely alienating. Basically, it's a pants execution of a potentially dramatic plot point. I'm sure though it's nothing a bit of coaching from the Director could not have solved. Billy of course continues to act CE off the screen.

With the narrative scope of say...'Timeflight' and the subtle comedy of say...' The Creature from the Pit' I have to say this is the worst outing so far for the new Doctor. Even it's strongest moment (the execution of the tragic mutant-pig and the Doctor's subsequent reprimand of the guard) is ripped off from 'Full Circle'.

I'll sit through the concluding part of this story because I'm a fan for my sins, but I know I'm treading water until the Daleks come back. Just like old times then! Five out of ten- must try harder.

Expectations were high for episode 4 of this historic new series of Doctor Who, after the exciting trailer shown at the end of episode 3. Just seeing Big Ben destroyed by an alien spaceship crash-landing is enough to get any viewer's attention.

So the stakes were high at 7pm, as the nation gathered on or behind their sofas to see the first two-part episode of the new series.

Aliens of London began with a traditionally disastrous materialisation of the TARDIS in the wrong time, meaning Rose was not back home 12 hours after she left, but 12 MONTHS!!! Of course the Doctor doesn't realise this until he sees a poster about Rose Tyler being missing. After a lengthy discussion (or argument) about where Rose had been for 12 months, the Doctor and Rose see a spaceship land directly in the centre of London in the Thames. Being unable see anything due to the crowds, Rose suggests they watch it on TV.

After the Doctor gives Rose a TARDIS key, he materialises in the hospital, where the alien is being, just as the alien is banging on the door to the horror of the supervisor. After a bit of lock picking, the Doctor opens the door to find a room full of military soldiers, who promptly point their large guns at him. At this point, the supervisor opens the door to the alien and screams. On hearing the noise, the Doctor, in typical fashion, goes straight from being the prisoner to being the commander and leads them to the source of the scream. As the soldiers check out the rest of the building, the Doctor finds out the escapee is still in the room. He chases the creature, which looks just like a pig, into the corridor only to see it shot in the head by one of the soldiers. He realises it is a normal pig with wires in its head.

Meanwhile, at 10 Downing Street, it turns out that the Prime Minister has gone missing and another minister is taking the reins. It turns out however, that this MP is one of the aliens and kills the General in the room in full view of another MP hiding in the cupboard. The Doctor returns to Roses estate to find (well start) a row between Rose and her mum because of Mickey revealing a few secrets, after which Roses mum phones the police. The Doctor tells Rose of his intention to keep a low profile, then walks out of his TARDIS, only to be surrounded by troops and helicopters and police. Mickey makes a run for it, as the Doctor and Rose get into luxury car to 10 Downing street. After waving to the press, the Doctor makes his way to a briefing while Rose is taken to one side the MP who saw the Aliens earlier. One of the aliens that the MP saw earlier, walks in just after one of the PM's staff. The Doctor interrupts the briefing to give his own analysis that this is all a trap. He is of course right and so the aliens at the front of the room start to unzip their heads and transmogrifying and promptly start electrocuting the Experts in the briefing room. The alien in the room with Rose has also transmogrified in her true form and is now throwing the member of staff against the wall. The Doctor and the Experts are still being electrocuted and the episode ends in the first cliff-hanger in the new series.

Wow, is one of many words that spring to mind. This was undoubtedly the best episode so far. But what made it the best episode so far and (wait for it...) was it worthy of Doctor Who?

Well, the short answer is the Story, the Graphics, the Direction and yes it's Doctor Who alright. The longer version is a bit more interesting though.

The Story was much better than previous episodes; it had all the ingredients of a good Doctor Who. Aliens, multiple storylines, mystery, twists, humour, the Doctor's habit of stumbling into trouble and the all-important cliff-hanger. We have yet to see how it ends of course, but this was a great beginning. The Doctor is back in his usual swing with aliens invading Earth, but with state-of-the-arts graphics and visuals.

It seem that no expense has been spared on this episode with the Graphics so much more realistic, real moving solid aliens and military and civilian vehicles galore and all of it used so well. As if that wasn't enough, you also see Big Ben destroyed, a spaceship land in the Thames and full BBC news reports, complete with Andrew Marr.

The Director, Keith Boak, has done a great job with this episode and his directing compliments Davies’s first great script for the new series. The way in which the shots were taken was completely appropriate to the script and Boak really captures the important and exciting moments in the episode like the Doctor being surrounded by soldiers and police and helicopters and the particularly tense moment where the Doctor crawls round the corner to see the alien (or pig in this case) for the first time.

So the verdict? Brilliant. This episode really captures what Doctor Who is all about, Danger, Mystery, Adventure and that is what made it special and not just like your average sci-fi churned out of the production machine by force. Doctor Who is back.

There was, in fairness, a lot that I loved in this episode, but I'm going to start complaining...

I think RTD delights in winding people up! The pig in a space suit was initially a bit of a shock (though we had been warned about it in various interviews with Ecclestone). The explanation that followed, that aliens had grafted the pigs head onto a bipedal body and the comparison to constructing fake mermaid bodies was wonderfully creepy, disturbing and - for me - satisfying.

However - the MPs farting and chortling (another slightly more obvious wind up) was a bit too much. Like burping bins, I think it's too much to expect people to believe that aliens disguised as humans would behave like that especially when they clearly don't behave similarly out of their disguises. I think the problem is that they didn't look like aliens disguised as MPs laughing and apparently farting, they looked like actors performing for a childrens programme.

This I think is the chief problem with many aspects of the series - Christopher Ecclestone, in his worser moments, looks like an actor trying to playing a part, whereas Billy Piper (one of the best things about the series) comes over as a real and believable character. It's a little unsettling really that the performance of the companion is so much better than Doctor. There is a lot to like about the portrayal of the ninth doctor (especially the child-like excitement he sometimes gives off) but overall it misses the mark. Alot was made of Christopher Ecclestone's reputation for darker, brooding and moody roles and whether or not he'd be able to demonstrate a lighter side as the Doctor. And I think, to and extent, this concern has been justified - he looks to me like an actor to whom this kind of role doesn't come naturally and he's having to REALLY work at it. And to be honest he doesn't come anywhere near Troughton or Tom Baker - it's a completely different league.

The episode featured a lot of emotional drama, frank exchanges and even had the Doctor warning Rose not to defile the TARDIS with domestic issues. I'm all for this - I think it makes fantastic and moving drama to bring the companion back a year later and to have to face the fact opting out of your own life in that way has massive consequences for others. However (here I go) it occasionally got a bit too pedestrian and predictable, as though we were watching a thinly concealed soap opera. Much of the 'domestic' element was brilliantly woven into the narrative but occasionally it grated in that the point RTD was trying to make became a bit overdone and preachy.

'Overdone and preachy' nicely sums up another gripe of mine. The first news presenter was so ridiculously over the top, he sounded like he was reading some dramatic ancient prophesy. No BBC news reader would EVER speak like that - he sensationalised the space ship in a cringingly amateur tone of voice such that it was completely unbelievable. Andrew Marr however was very good.

The Slitheen do look wonderful though - I got twinges of that 10 year-old thrill of fear when they emerged and advanced on various parties. Their innocent baby faces contrast wonderfully with their huge frame and clawed hands making them visually jarring and really quite disturbing.

Lastly the incidental music... I've complained about this before and it was so bad this time I will again. WHY do we need puerile clarinet 'speed reading' music when the Doctor reads through the information handed out to the alien experts towards the end of the episode? It was clear from the performance what was happening - it's patronising and undermining to any seriousness on the part of the actors when the music describes what's happening on screen in the same way it does in a circus ring or on toddlers' television. I don't think children need chirpy twiddles to aid their understanding - I rather think they'd appreciate a show that treats them more like adults.

In summary, a rather harrowing episode for a nit-picker like me. The very contemporary feel and use of realistic news reports are very refreshing and lend an immediacy that's quite exciting.

Asides from the above complaints I'm obviously enjoying the series otherwise I wouldn't be watching and then ranting after every episode. I am however looking forward to some other writer's work - Mark Gatiss's contribution was by far and away the best so far and I'm very curious about Rob Shearman's 'Dalek'. Onwards!