The review in this weeks Radio Time stated that some nifty effects and wry one-liners keep things going but you sense the best is yet to come. Rereading that preview after seeing the episode, I can’t help thinking it was right.

The cliff-hanger ending for the previous episode was superb unfortunately the resolution seemed rushed and rather too convenient. The first half of the episode did feel like a typical episode three in that it didn’t really advance the plot too much, just had some traditional corridor acting to pad things out before the climactic finish. Admittedly they were very nice wood-panelled corridors and we did get some tense moments to scare the kids including the Slitheen hunting Rose and Harriet Jones, and Mickey rescuing Jackie.

As the episode progressed, the Slitheen were pushed to the background which I actually didn’t mind. Despite them being well designed I got fed up with the repeating of the admittedly impressive zip effect and the constant farting, a joke which I actually enjoyed in the previous episode but, it wore rather thin after another 45 minutes of it. One scene that really annoyed me was when they squabbled over their human suits as the missile approached, which managed to ruin their credibility far more than their farting. Only Annette Badland and Steve Spiers as The Police Commissioner succeeded in making their human Slitheen characters sinister. In particular, Badland’s showdown with the Doctor was very effective with her evil smile. Other than that, I really didn’t care about how the Slitheen would be stopped, unlike the Autons or The Gelth.

Perhaps wisely then, Russell T Davies instead chose to concentrate on The Doctor, Rose and Harriet, plus the domestic tension between The Doctor, Mickey and Jackie. Davies seems to prefer developing the emotional content of the series, at the expense of the traditional monster action, as for example in The End of The World, with The Moxx of Balhoon and The Face of Boe which look good but get to do bugger all…

Although I appreciate this dumbing up of the series, is it really wise to neglect the monster element of the show and maybe alienate the younger audience? With the advances of CGI and effects technology plus the obvious big budget, keeping the monsters in the background for fear of getting something that looks crap like The Myrka or The Mandrels doesn’t need to happen.

Yet again though, the final scenes proved touching and was sensitively played by all four principal actors. It was nice to see the Doctor finally softening to Mickey with Noel Clarke in this episode being particularly impressive with a character that I didn’t warm to in the first episode. Penelope Wilton was also excellent, managing to avoid making her character just the comic relief.

Despite the strengths of the acting, I believe this episode was the weakest so far in the new series but it was still never less than entertaining. Certainly I’m in no danger of watching Celebrity Wrestling next week and from the preview of next week’s episode, the best is yet to come!

Since the Doctor was taken from our screens in 1989 we all have deliberated over what a new series of the adventures of the Time Lord would be like.. and here it is. How apt that the first episode would be called ‘Rose’, perhaps a telling sign from the pen of Russell T Davies of how the series would pan out. Since then is there not, somewhere deep in the heart of every Who fan, a profound feeling of disappointment? You disagree? Well just take a look at episode five; World War Three...

It is understandable that the new series had become more character driven that previous adventures and a clear instrument for the deployment of such a writing style is a series that is so Earth-centric it could give Jon Pertwee a run for his money. But unlike Pertwee’s Earth bound exploits, the new series seems to be less about the Doctor and more about relating the audience to his character, of which we have seen little. World War Three, in a now predictable trend, is so Human we forget the Doctor is from another planet, never mind the notion that we may one day see him on foreign soil. One could spend hours discussing the Slitheen alien family, their intentions for exploiting Earth and it’s peoples or their baffling flatulence, however, to do so would assume that they mattered at all. Their threat to humanity seems lost in a vapour not emanating from their posteriors but from the clouds of dross flowing from Rose’s tower block home.

The Doctor’s new companion’s domestics were adequately, if not overly, explored throughout the first two episodes, so why oh why are back at the tower block from hell, swallowing down even more home made shepherds pie when we are still too bloated from the previous visit? I care as much for Rose’s family life as I care for Tegan Jovanka’s. Some have argued that the new series suffers at the hands of it’s new 45 mins format. I would argue that it is the 30 mins plus spent per episode on the relationships of the characters that leave little time for the story to develop. Such relationship explorations have, so far, born no fruit; as there has been more death in the past five episodes than in some Doctor’s lifetimes, yet we feel nothing at these incidental character’s passing. And, it seems, nor does the Doctor.

It is ironic that the best episode of the series so far has been the only one not written by Davies (Mark Gatiss’ The Unquiet Dead)? What we all want to see from the series is some classic alien adventures, a bit more time in the TARDIS and a few twists in the plot that lend a kind of selfishness to the Doctor’s advisories to which every human can relate.

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.

Well, it took 5 episodes, but we have now officially reached "Worst Episode Ever" of the new Doctor Who. The last paragraph, incidentally, may contain spoiler material for episode 6, but nothing major.

It all started when last week's cliffhanger had its tension reduced somewhat by the appearance of a fit & healthy Doctor viewed in the "Next Time" teaser. The cliffhanger was further undermined by a far-too-speedy resolution in the last shot of the pre-title sequence for "End Of The World".

Overuse of the farting effect of compression continued to annoy, turning sections of the plot into something akin to the children's shows Pip & Jane Baker turned out in the 1980's. Fears that multiple doors in a corridor during a chase scene might lead to some kind of Keystone Kops sequence were thankfully not realised...

Then the alien plot is revealed - and is actually a bit naff. A bit like the West Lodge's plot for Argolis in Leisure Hive, but with less finesse and imagination. And the plot is resolved a good 10-15 minutes before the end of the episode.

Which brings me to my final gripe for the first two-parter. Last week, I applauded RTD for being the man to write a story that explored the ramifications of a companion's sudden departure into time and space. I still think this is a valid concept to explore, but, as is the case with the 9th Doctor's backstory, something to explore when the plot allows. It should complement rather than replace the action. But with the Slitheen seen off by about the 32nd minute, this subtext (to quote Rupert Giles) rapidly becomes the text.

On the plus side, we have a stirling performance (for once) from Mickey, as he realises his differences with the Doctor are petty in the face of global peril. Jackie turns in a credible performance as Rose's mum, more intent on her daughter's safety than that of the world.

Eccleston's occasional "grinning idiot" approach seems to be lessening in its visibility, and a superb poignancy is reached as the Doctor is faced with a final option, that means saving the world could lead to Rose's death.

Whilst "World War III" represents the worst plotting of the series thus far, the CGI and physical effects are still of a high standard, and the "Next Time" sequence sets the pulse racing as we get our appetites whetted by the re-appearance of the Daleks!

The subsequent episode of Doctor Who Confidential had a sneak preview, including a shot that pays obvious homage to the pepperpots' first ever appearance 40 odd years ago....

See you next week....

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.

Ok, it's hands up time.

Last week I gave a very negative review of AoL .. mainly down to my inability to see past fart gags ... but as the week progressed and I watched the episode a few more times it definately grew on me, so I was curious and eager to see WWIII.

And my, was I wrong last week.

WWIII is a Russell T Davies tour de force. The plotting, the acting, the deliscious, edible dialogue are at their height. The Slitheen - who I was really not convinced by - were wonderful: funny and dangeorus and very, very Doctor Who. The use of UNIT without going into detail, but seeing it lovingly reproduced on Mickey's computer was a lovely nostalgic twang. The whole thing was directed with a buoyancy, a bubbliness and a vigour and the special effects were one hundred percent wonderful.

In the acting front even the Slitheen actors seemed to have calmed down this week, and were all the more dangerous sounding for it. The look on the female Slitheen's face whilst trying to hold the Doctor's gaze was fantastic.

And then we come to the Doctor. My, was this not perfect. Christopher Eccleston should be mourned greatly when he leaves, because this was classic Doctor Who. No actor, even on their best day, could beat this performance. Everything he did oozed "Doctoriness". There was the manicness of Colin, the madness of Tom, the authority of Jon .. everyone was there in his face.. and not a little of McCoy, as Time's Champion rose up again to take control. Amazing, wonderful and intoxicating. Given a few years Eccleston would have been everyones favourite Doctor.

Again, I made a mistake during Rose to criticise Noel Clark .. here Mickey is brilliant and the acting superb. Although I'm not convinced in the soap opera style part of the show, RTD does it withaplomb and the actors are clever and understated and real.

So, a reviewer putting his hands up - not once but twice and saying he was wrong. Is that a first?