Chris Eccleston IS the Doctor. Perfect casting. Such energy...it was like Tom Baker & Pat Troughton rolled together. I think every 8 year old boy is going to want a leather jacket for the birthday or Christmas.

Billie Piper turns in a convincing performance. I wonder how much of Billie is in Rose, because she doesn't appear to be acting, just someone who gets caught in the events happening around her. No screams, or "yes Doctor, no Doctor" here.

The opening scenes work brilliantly. The fast pace sequence was a nice way to show "a day in the life" of Rose. 

The new TARDIS is wonderful. I love how TALL the interior is. The door has always been a tough concept: going from the police box doors to the huge doors of the console room. What a smart idea to borrow the white interior police box doors from the Cushing movies. Being able to see the interior from the exterior perspective really gives the feel that its not just a box. I love it.

Mickie was a mistake. Maybe it was how he was directed, or played, but I found myself wondering what she sees in this guy.

The climatic scene where the Autons are holding the Doctor seemed to drag to me. I was alittle disappointed that the Autons seemed to be a backstory, not the plotting villian we're used to. But then it hit me: the episode is called "Rose" for a reason. RTD was using this as a tool to introduce the companion. Of course the Autons were minor point!

At the end, it left me wanting more, which it should.

When I first heard the show was coming back last year, and that RTD was going to be head writer, I said that I would save my judgement until I saw it, that I would give RTD a chance. I know that some people were concerned that it wouldn't happen, or that it'd be a mix of Queer As Folk and Coupling and so forth. If Russell's a fan, then he'll know how it should be done. I'm pleased to see that I was right. Keep up the great work Russell & Team! Wonderful stuff!

I don't want to be too harsh on the first episode as a doctor's debut is typically not the best you can expect from the actor. I thought Christopher Ecclestone was very good though the fairly obvious and deliberate leaps from Tom Baker-like gurning to Pertwee gravitas will hopefully give way to a more relaxed and personal portrayal over time. Billie Piper lived up to her reputation as a fine actor - I was very impressed with her naturalistic performance and likeable portrayal of Rose.

Overall it was a very good piece of television though it seemed very much aimed at an extremely young audience - perhaps too much as I can imagine 10 year-olds still finding it a bit patronising. It did look a bit too bright and comical throughout and any parts that might have been exciting or make the hairs on the back of you neck stand up were ruined the bouncey up-beat incidental music. The dialogue was pretty witty throughout but really let down by clangers like, 'so all the stories I've heard are true' from Clive before he was shot.

There were some lovely touches like the Doctor's desperate apology to the nestene consciousness for not being able to save their planet in a previous war which we know nothing about, and the fear inspired in the Autons by the 'superior technology' of the TARDIS (wonderfully at odds with the ship's exterior).

However the Autons were terribly under-used - almost written off as not worth being a baddie and more of a joke. It's true that the idea of plastic coming alive and attacking people is very much rooted in the 1970s and the burgeoning environmental movements of that time when Pertwee battled them - but I feel that some fantastic oppourtunities to send shivers down our spines were missed here. In this introductory episode it seems as though the Autons were reduced to a vehicle for the audience to meet Rose and the Doctor - fair enough, but I do find myself feeling a bit bereft of chills.

Perhaps the series creators are aiming to welcome a predominantly young audience at first and when they decide they like the series, to deliver some more thoughtful and darker stories. This is what I remember form watching Doctor who as a child - it made me feel grown up and introduced me to quite advanced political, ethical and scientific ideas at the same time as being wonderfully exciting. As people to whom this series matters a more than any other television (ever) we're going to have to get used to a new stylistic take on the show and a new (almost too pacey) format (where's the story gone?). But in the spirit of optimism, I think we're just being asked to sit back and enjoy the relationship between Rose and the Doctor, and the fun of seeing new places and races over the next 12 weeks and to suppress our nit-picking. That doesn't sound too bad - plus the TARDIS looks very cool.

ps- How could RTD miss the 's' of 'dimensions' in TARDIS?! How could he!?!

My 1st impression was "wow"! Whilst I can't really comment on how it compares to the classic series' as I've only seen a few random episodes on UKTV Gold if I get up early enough on a Saturday morning, I was really impressed! It's certainly very 21st century and had me engaged from the very start. Whilst the beginning could quite easily have seemed incredibly rushed, I felt that it just showed how Rose's life was so monotonous and that to her life would have just sped by without her noticing. It provided a good contrast to how things were when she met the Doctor- suddenly things were interesting and she actually had a purpose. It was actually possible for her to live a life full of excitement and things very much out of the ordinary.

Christopher Eccleston's portrayal of the Doctor was absolutely superb. He had perfect comic timing and I felt the comedy was suitably understated, making it much funnier. Previous Doctors had their eccentricity in their costume a lot more than Chris, something that he overcame through the sheer watchability of his acting and that infectious smile!

Billie Piper was excellent as Rose. I thought she too shared some of Chris Eccleston's comic timing, though to a lesser extent. Her final lines to her boyfriend, for example, were just classic- exactly the way I'd treat such a wimp of a bloke! It was necessary for Micky to survive- someone had to tell Rose's mum, who would be so much more likely to believe his story considering what she had experienced in her Auton encounter!

I liked the storyline. The script was well written and contained the right balance of humour, seriousness and action.

The special effects were on the whole excellent. Though the wheelie bin was a little cheezy and absolutely hilarious rather than scary- although I can see little children getting a little freaked by their bins at home! I also absolutely love the interior of the TARDIS!

Of course, it wasn't perfect. In fact far from perfect, but that just added to the appeal! I get the feeling that Doctor Who was never meant to be perfect.

My main criticism would be the fact that it's far too obvious that it was filmed in Cardiff and not London. This wasn't helped by the fact that I live in Cardiff and so I recognised every little side street! The London Eye just doesn't suit Cardiff Bay- I kept wondering what happened to the St David's Hotel! But this didn't really distract too much from the story and I'm sure that it wouldn't bother the worldwide audience as much, if at all!

The continuity issue was a little bit of a problem. There was the impression that he had recently regenerated but he still seemed to have had time for a bit of time-travel! 

Apart from that, it was perfect and I just can't wait 'til next week!

"Rose" is wonderful. A fine first episode with huge potential for the rest of the season. RTD's script is fun, witty, hugely imaginative, iconic in part and most interestingly heavily satirical. There are a number of references to the 'compensation culture' which produce some good gags from Rose's mum Jackie. Plenty of in jokes for fans and even a gag about the relative scarcity of female Who fans. I also especially enjoyed the way that RTD subverted the role of the 'male' within the drama. Just look at Mickey, who is effectivly the damsel in distress. I think some people have so far missed the point completly with Mickey's character, which is a shame, but I look forward to seeing more of him and Jackie during the course of the season. Jackie is clearly heavily reliant on Rose, and I look forward to seeing more of there relationship....... It's gonna be fun to see the Doctor interact with them.

The performances from Chris and Billie are just so enjoyable, the childlike wonder and passion of the ninth Doctor and the sassy energy from Rose are really exciting. It's obvious that here are two actors having great fun together........ I know I really enjoyed seeing them spark of each other, a stand out moment being the Doctors facial reaction (profound disappointment) on being turned down by Rose, when intially offering her the chance to go with him in the TARDIS. It genuinely moved me that moment, quite beautifully played by both actors.

Murray Gold's incidental music is also worthy of mention, its brave and for the most part atmospheric. The new remix of the theme tune is magnificent. I look forward to a soundtrack CD from Murray sooner rather than later! 

The plot of 'Rose' is significantly more substantial that some people have given Russell credit for, this is character driven driven drama for everyone, as it should be!!!..... Indeed he has clearly sowen the seeds for some returning characters and ideas.....It's the insightful, contemporary, satirical wit that shines. 

Above all it serves as a fine introduction to the series, wonderful to see the Autons back (living plastic). I've always liked them. I am now fully invigorated with the lust for life that Russell and the team so clearly want us to have! You would have to be incredibly curmudgingly not to have really liked the first episode. A strong start, however I suspect that the best is yet to come, and I for one can't wait!

Rose always had an impossible task - introducing the whole concept of Doctor Who to a new audience, introducing a new Doctor and a new companion, and establishing a relationship between them, as well as telling an exciting adventure to hook that whole new audience.

On the establishing side of things, I think 'Rose' did a very good job. Both Rose and the Doctor are very likeable and very easy to empathise with, and their relationship is set up with the minimum amount of fuss, and develops well through the forty-five minutes. Both characters are given moments to demonstrate their characters (I love the moment when the Doctor rejects Mrs Tyler's clumsy advances) and they are well acted too.

The series' concept is effortlessly painted in. No Gallifrey, no regeneration (though it is alluded to), no pointless continuity references (strangely not even to the Autons, which was refreshing) and none of the unnecessary baggage that so hamptered the TV Movie.

The exciting story part is where the episode suffers, I think. Setting up the above points so well means there's precious little time for a plot, and the whole thing seemed rushed and lacking in genuine danger and excitement. There are no plot twists, and the whole story feels rather shallow and one-dimensional. That the Doctor has a phial of anti-plastic would be fine if it didn't work or he didn't get a chance to use it, but for him to produce this gimmick and then use that gimmick to resolve the plot is frankly poor story-telling.

The element of danger and atmosphere was undercut throughout, first by Graham Norton feeding in from BBC3 (!), then by scenes being played for (I assume) comedy - the arm, the burping wheelie bin, the plasticised Mickey (couldn't Rose tell the difference?!), and the plasticised Mickey losing his head and growing big comedy hammers (which reminded me of 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit', though it was curiously less disturbing than similar moments in this film).

I hope this doesn't matter. I hope the audience will fall in love with the concept and the characters and the relationship between them. I hope with all the exposition out of the way, the series can settle down now to tell real stories filled with real danger, real atmosphere and real excitement.

I liked Rose. Despite its vacuity and slender, brainless plotting, I liked it a lot. The rest of the series should be better, though. Roll on episode 2...

So it’s finally arrived? Is it any good? Well, it’s certainly not like any other Doctor Who I’ve seen and that’s definitely for the better…

Lets get the Bad points out of the way first, such as they are. The music was a bit poor, leaning towards Keff McCulloch rather than Dudley Simpson. Some of the action was rather too fast and hectic. Some of the effects were superb, others not so and I’m still undecided on the Auton wheely bin, especially the burp!

Good points? The rest of the show basically. 

Initially I was a bit unsure of Christopher Eccleston, with him coming over rather too jokey to begin with. But my fears disappeared as the on-screen rapport with his new companion developed into something special and yet so traditional. He is definitely recognisable as the Doctor and has the right mix of humour, seriousness and mystery.

The revelation was Billie Piper. Never has a companion seemed so assured and real. Vulnerable but not wimpy, Billie’s performance was the focal point of the episode, dealing as it did with discovering the Doctor from her point of view and she nailed it right from the word go! Like the DWM interviewer, I am smitten…

And did you notice when swinging into action to save the Doctor, Rose says she’s got the gymnastics bronze. In shows like Star Trek, she would have to have had won the gold. Fortunately, this is Doctor Who, where even a robot can be told that even though he’s failed, it doesn’t matter because failures one of the basic freedoms. With Rose we can rejoice in a character who seems to know she isn’t perfect but isn’t bothered by it. Just like the Doctor himself. I thought that was a nice touch and perfectly in keeping with one of the series more human ethics; Do your best and don’t worry…

Making Rose the focal point of the episode was pure genius, as new viewers would be just as in the dark about the Doctor as she was, while us old fans could delight in her discovery of the character of the Doctor.

While the actual plot was a bit thin, the script was real, witty and fast. The supporting characters well-drawn, especially Mark Benton as Clive, a role which could have descended into the obvious caricature of a nerdy Doctor Who fan.

The reaction to the new series has been unbelievable. The series is fast becoming water-cooler TV and everyone but everyone has an opinion on it for me, largely positive as well.

All in all though, an enthralling start to the new series.