So finally one of the most-talked about stories of the new season is upon us. And on the whole I found it to be pretty good in most areas, not least a successful debut from a new Dr Who writer. Certainly it made for a very promising opening episode of a two-parter, weВ’ll have to wait and see if part two fulfils its promiseВ…

Where to start then? Well in terms of setting, I thought the whole parallel earth concept worked really well, and showed an interesting В“alternativeВ” reality whilst not perhaps portrayed so В“darklyВ” as it might have been. The zeppelins looked quite impressive (although a bit obviously CGI in some scenes) and were a nice metaphor for the rich and privileged, literally living В“aboveВ” the masses. I also liked the idea, mooted by the Doctor, that parallel universes are not necessarily a good thing and to be avoided. MickeyВ’s references to movies and comics, where people can В“hopВ” from one alternative world to another and the DrВ’s subsequent dismissal of this idea, was a nice bit of rubbishing of such science fiction concepts В– fun!

Another excellent and sinister idea was the use of the Cybus corporation ear pieces. Receiving news and other information via personal computer is now such an integral part of our everyday lives, so the concept of having all of this downloaded directly to the human brain instead is actually pretty plausible. The scene where the Doctor and Rose witness all of the people halt robot-fashion on the street, to receive their latest В“downloadВ”, illustrated this in an eerily effective way and the DoctorВ’s remark В“You lot are obsessedВ…anything for the latest upgradeВ” was a suitably wry comment on the way technology is taking us. A real indication of the potential dangers of the ear piece technology was the scene where John Lumic tapped JackieВ’s brain in order to find out about the security arrangements for her party. I hope we get more of this in the next episode and the idea isnВ’t forgotten В– it would be kind of pointless building it up like this otherwise. Could the ear pieces play a major part in the next stage of LumicВ’s plans to brainwash/convert humanity? We shall seeВ…

What about the plot? On this occasion it was quite slow moving but thatВ’s surely to be expected in the first instalment of a two part story. Personally I have a bit of a problem with the one part stories and feel that the 45 minute format doesnВ’t always allow for decent development of ideas or character, as well as plot exposition. В“New EarthВ” was a prime example of this with too many concepts jammed into one episode and too many things going on at once В– the cat people, the return of Cassandra, the sick patients etc. By contrast the pace of В“Rise of the CybermenВ” allowed more than enough time for development of storyline and introduction of characters, themes and ideas and was successful in this respect. For instance, introducing the differences that the alternative version of home brought with it (especially from the point of view of Rose and Mickey); introducing us to the В“newВ” Jackie and Pete and their privileged lifestyle; showing brief glimpses of the Cybermen being constructed under LumicВ’s orders until their final unveiling, and so forth. Now that the Cybermen have finally been unveiled and the cat (monster?) is out of the bag, maybe weВ’ll get a more faster-paced second instalment, no bad thing now that a firm background to whatВ’s going on has been established.

And the characters? The regulars all do a pretty good job. Whilst I still prefer Christopher EcclestonВ’s more serious, darker incarnation, David Tennant is, in my view, slowly improving as the Doctor. He gets some more in depth moments here as opposed to the В“all over the placeВ” flippancy we saw in some of the previous episodes. HeВ’s particularly affective in the scene where he and Mickey talk in the (apparently dead) TARDIS console room.

Billie Piper is excellent in conveying the bewilderment one would feel on being confronted with an alternative version of their own home and family. SheВ’s even better at portraying the emotional turmoil of seeing her (dead) father all over again. RoseВ’s desire to want to see Pete and her pleading with the doctor are genuinely convincing. The scene when she finally sees and meets Pete at the party is very well played В– a normal conversation on the surface but one with a definite undercurrent for Rose, as she (sort of) knows him but he knows nothing about her, making it all the more poignant. For some reason IВ’ve found Rose quite annoying this season which is a shame as on the whole sheВ’s a likeable character, some of her scenes with the Dr in the first two episodes particularly were quite cloying and В“kid-likeВ” but in this episode she came across a lot better.

Noel Clarke gets a chance to branch out playing two versions of the same person. As one of the dissidents fighting Lumic, В“RickyВ” is a potentially interesting character, but unfortunately as I donВ’t find Noel Clarke to be the most gifted of actors, this is a rather two dimensional, cardboard performance. The evil, sneery expression that Ricky constantly wears on his face is clearly meant to indicate the difference between him and the more familiar Mickey we all know, however this signposting comes across as just corny. As one of my friends said Ricky doesnВ’t look so much nasty as В… constipated. В“NormalВ” Mickey did get some quite decent scenes though, the best of all being the В“reunionВ” with this grandmother which was moving and well acted, Mona Hammond putting in a strong performance. A pity we only got to see her for one scene. And I canВ’t resist mentioning the shot of Mickey in his pants which was an added bonus, just a shame it was a long shot В– couldnВ’t Rickey and the others have given him a full strip and body searchВ…? Okay, IВ’ll stop right thereВ…

Regular characters aside, there are some mixed performances from the guest cast. First and foremost is Roger Lloyd-Pack as John Lumic. ItВ’s clear that heВ’s been written as a new generation Davros В– an evil genius and creator of a new race (incidentally IВ’m not sure how В“newВ” the Cybermen in this story are meant to be, a point I will debate further on). I wasnВ’t really taken with Roger Lloyd-PackВ’s performance though В– all wide eyed, with a very artificial and strained sounding voice, he came across as too OTT, like Davros in his most excruciating moments. Okay, so the character is meant to be suffering from some kind of terminal illness which might partially explain his odd mannerisms, but I still didnВ’t find him the subtlest of villains. Personally I think casting В“TriggerВ” from В“Only Fools and HorsesВ” was not the wisest of moves, surely the production team could have made a better choice of actor for the role?

It was great to see Pete Tyler again and Shaun Dingwall slipped seamlessly back into the role, again playing Pete as a more successful variation on his wide boy persona from В“FatherВ’s DayВ”. I loved the twist that he and Jackie had become rich, thanks to the success of Vitex and the references to the В“Trust me on this thisВ” slogan were amusing. (Although I did think that it was rather too much of a coincidence that the Dr, Rose and Mickey would just happen upon an advert for Vitex within minutes of landing on the alternative Earth, so allowing Rose to find out that her dad was В“aliveВ” and clearly signposting where the story was going). We saw some of the customary Pete Tyler humour again, for example in a conversation between him and Lumic:

Lumic: If the President of Great Britain can make this meeting then so can you.
Peter: I donВ’t know, heВ’s not married to Jackie is he?

It was also nice how we saw a suggestion of the old relationship between Pete and Rose as in В“FatherВ’s DayВ”, when he tells her: В“You seem so rightВ”, obviously feeling an affinity with her, but because in В“thisВ” reality she is not his В“realВ” daughter, heВ’s unable to define why he feels this way.

Camille Corduri was decent enough as the В“alternativeВ” Jackie, although not quite the venomous, super-bitch that DWM made her out to be. Interesting to see what money can do to a person though and an amusing touch having В“herВ” Rose as a pet dog. The scene where Jackie confides in Rose and then wonders why the hell sheВ’s been talking to a servant, was nicely done and highlighted the differences in Pete and JackieВ’s attitudes and snobbery.

Colin Spaull made a good В“right hand manВ”, a seemingly normal fellow who had the job of rounding up and collecting the homeless for conversion. The down to earth casualness of his character contrasted nicely with the sinister aspect of his job.

Don Warrington portrayed the President with appropriate gravity and his concern with Lumic and his work was well conveyed: В“YouВ’re a fine businessman John, but youВ’re not GodВ”. He was good when facing down the Cybermen at the end and his subsequent death all the more horrible because of it.

Which leaves me to mention just one other aspect of the episodeВ…the return of a certain race of cybernetic men. The revival of the Cybermen this season has surely been as eagerly anticipated as that of the Daleks in Season One and consequently, there has been some major hype to live up to. However I feel pretty confident in saying that it has been justified! Rather than hitting us full on with the Cybermen straight away we were treated to a number of brief tantalising scenes throughout the episode. For instance, when LumicВ’s factory began production of the new race of metal men (incidentally I loved the juxtaposition of Tight Fit with the shots of the factory machinery in motion and human screams - some might say this trivialised it but I think it just emphasised further the horror of what was going on - whoВ’d really want to listen to people being butchered?) We also had deliberately out of focus shots of the Cybermen marching in the background, and shots of their feet walking down the gangplank of a lorry В– all of which worked well to establish a sense of mystery and viewer expectation. When they finally arrived properly at the end of the episode it was an impressive and frightening entrance В– striding across the lawn and then breaking their way through the windows into the room to terrorise the humans.

In terms of design the Cybermen also look very impressive and this has been a well thought-out design. Compared to previous Cyber incarnations this generation look much more tough and machine-like, with strong metal bodies and a very В“hardВ”, industrial appearance. I liked the new headpieces and the use of the heavy stomping sound effect whenever they walk really reinforces their strength and power. However the fact that they make such a noise whenever they walk is also a potential disadvantage В– how can they sneak up on someone unawares if they make such an infernal racket?? Mmm.

It was interesting too that the CybermenВ’s form of weaponry has been re-invented again. In previous stories they had hand guns and guns in their heads, now in 2006 they can kill with a touch of the hand. Again maybe thereВ’s a drawback to this idea В– what if they accidentally В“touchВ” someone they shouldnВ’t? Or maybe they have some kind way of В“switching offВ” this function when they need to.

One other thing I mentioned earlier В– how this race of Cybermen fit into their already established history / chronology within the programme. Are we meant to think that Lumic has created an entirely original race of creatures / machines? Surely not, as the Doctor says at one point: В“ItВ’s happening againВ…IВ’ve seen them beforeВ”, so implying these are not the original Cybermen. In which case how did Lumic happen upon the idea of their design? Hopefully more back story and explanation will be given in the next episode.

All in all then I found “Rise of the Cybermen” to be generally successful and very entertaining. Good cliffhanger too, and it will be interesting to see how the Doctor and co get out of being “deleted”…well, they always find a way don’t they?

At Last! somthing a little bit closer to the spirit and excitement of last season's run. Okay, the plot was a little bit Sci-Fi by numbers, but "Rise of the Cyberman" more than made up for this by the quality of the script and by the performance of the majority of actors involved. So far in this series, the only real genuine scare factor was within the Werewolf episode, and all through the run it's lacked any real heart and soul (with the possible exception of the Doc playing the romantic hero in the last episode); this episode had a little bit of soul, but it wasn't as scary as it could have been.

It had a nice beginning, the Tardis dying, and a feeling of hopelesness. The next scene with Mickey discovering that the Tardis had landed in "London" would have been more effective if the trailers hadn't already given away that this was an alternative reality; thankyou BBC for spoiling the fun!

As alternative realities go this was nicely done, giving both Rose and Mickey a chance to explore the importance of their own earthbound relationships, thus injecting some much needed "soul" into this series, (sorry, I know I over use that phrase!). Mickey (Noel) was especially good, playing a dual role which gave him somthing to do for a change. And it was good to be grounded in somthing close to the real world, giving this episode a grittiness and an emotional depth which paid off, but was still oddly lacking.

The main problem, I'm afriaid, was Rodger Lioyd Pack's portrayal of the Cyber Men's creator John Lumic. Pack is a good comic actor, but he was just too "hammy" for this, a bit too "Ming the Merciless", as a result it became difficult to take the threat of the Cybermen particularly seriously. This was a shame, as the Cybermen were nicely designed, and the concept was both classic and scary.

As I said, a bit Sci-Fi by numbers, it lacked the depth of ideas which made last season so special. Good fun, and certainly a high point of the season thus far, but I'm afraid there is still somthing missing. Where are the ideas? Where is the soul? I think I may have said this before...

Let's cover the good point first: the Cybermen looked good. Beyond that, this episode, other than the last few minutes, was a massive disappointment. Dull, unexciting, low on drama, excessive and inappropriate background music with overacting by Roger LLoyd Pack and his cockney henchman. At no stage did any of it seem remotely real. Was this really directed by Graeme Harper?

Why did the production team feel the need to try and be clever by seeking to draw a parallel between advancing mobile phone and other technology and the Cybermen? Even if it were an OK idea, writing wise (which I doubt), its realisation on screen just didn't work and came across as childish.

Even the emotional quotient, of which this production team are so enamoured, was poorly handled. There was none of the depth of Father's Day in the scenes between Rose and her father.

Sadly, I found this really juvenile rubbish. On the postiive side, hopefully episode 2 can't get any worse! (Famous last words).

I'm a big comic book fan. One of the first comic books I ever read was called What If?. What if The Hulk had the brain of Bruce Banner...What if the Fantastic Four never got their powers...What if the X-Men were vampires. One of my favorite shows for awhile was called "Sliders" where four people travelled to different dimensions and saw what would have happened it America lost the cold war or if men were almost extinct or if the world was a little slow to develop technology. I love What If style stories. Sure it's a little bit of a throwaway because anyone can die and nothing really matters because it's not "our" Earth, but it's cool to see different realities nonetheless. The possiblities are endless.

That being said, it actually does bother me that this is on a parallel world. I look back at the days of the Cybermen having a hand in the death of the first Doctor, Patrick Troughton watching the Cybermen awaken and come out of the walls, Tom Baker telling the Cyber-leader that they are nothing, a race without a home and without a cause. Earthshock where they had a hand in the death of Adric, and even in the Big Finish audios, the Cybermen almost always knew they were dealing with one of their greatest adversaries when they came up against the Doctor. That is part of what makes the villians in Doctor Who so interesting. They almost always fail but the history of these races and their relation with the Doctor is what makes them so deadly and fun to watch. The Master never did anything so bad that it couldn't be rectified by the end of the episode or at least in a small arc. Same for Daleks, Cybermen or anyone The Doctor faced. But the commentary and the interaction between them was always excellent. Same as when Christopher Eccelston first faced a Dalek. Just a rogue dalek with no memory would have been cool but not near as cool as one that knew who "The oncoming storm" was and what he had done to their race over the years.

So here comes the new race of Cybermen. Homeless people who just wanted something to eat. Well, the original Cybermen were good people who got forced to be upgraded as well so that's ok. Ricky/Mickey is becoming more and more tolerable each episode, and it's cool how he pointed out that the Doctor forgot about his pressing the button, and in the last episode when he realized he's "the tin dog". I sort of wish The Doctor would have gone after Mickey instead of Rose just to prove him wrong but what did Mickey expect? The ninth Doctor could hardly stand him Mickey's lucky he's even able to go with the tenth and that he tolerates him.

As far as the actual episode goes, it's done very well. It's highly believable that everyone has ear pieces that beam information directly into their brains (I'm actually surprised we don't have that now!). It's also highly believable that a genius who is slowly dying needs this program to work so he can live on. It's good to see Pete Tyler again and he is very likable in this episode with hints of what he was on "our" Earth. I only wish that the writers of Doctor Who wouldn't end with a "cliffhanger" where they are about to kill The Doctor. We get it, ok? The Doctor is not going to die. It's sort of like when an episode of Star Trek Voyager would start with a possiblity of going home or someone in the main cast was going to die. It's obviously not going to happen and in the year 2006 we've seen it all before. I think we as television and especially Science Fiction fans, we've evolved past that point. Same with the constant...CONSTANT references to Torchwood. Ok we get it there's a spin-off coming....sheesh! Still, an enjoyable episode with plenty to explore next episode. Will gold work against these new Cybermen? Will Mickey decide to stay? Will alternate Jackie be turned into a Cyberman (That would be awesome!)? Will the Cybermen somehow live on in our universe (that too would be awesome!)? Will we get a Tardis interior re-design since it was damaged so badly? All of these questions will be answered in a week (hopefully!) and as always I can't wait to see!

I have watched this three times now and sadly multiple viewings didn't improve it.

After the quite brilliant "Girl in the Fireplace" I was expecting something packing the emotional punch of that. Obviously we have been spoilt by Mr Davies because up until now each week of the season has topped the last one so expectations for the return of the Cybermen were sky high so New boy Tom Macrae had to deliver a story to justify the hype. Sadly he didn't.

Firstly call me precious however DOCTOR WHO should not be dealing with the issue of alternative realities. It works in other Sci fi shows however the very concept of this one precludes it especially since the loss of the time lords. It just cannot work.

How the heck can the TARDIS fall out of the time vortex?. I hope in part 2 Tom Macrae has an explanation for this happening because unless this is part of some overall story arc re the loss of the Time Lords this just does not fit into Who mythology.

Mind you Mr Macrae has obviously decided to play fast and loose with the concept with this reinvention of the Cybermen. What ever happened to the Cybermen planet Mondas?. Do previous stories have no relevance to this episode?. Listen I can cope with the Doctor kissing and "falling in love". In fact I love the concept of the doctor as the lonely angel/god wandering through the universe it fulfils "the need for an entourage" concept proposed in "School reunion". However I cannot accept the rewriting of the history of the Cybermen. No Mondras was not another earth and certainly not a parallel one. What next maybe the Tardis crew will be stuck on this alternative earth for the rest of the season. Perhaps the Doctor will encounter a mad inventor geezer called Dave Ross who creates the Daleks in his lock up in South London.

So putting the above reservations aside. I did love the new look Cybermen. Full marks to the design team for that one.

I suppose if I were able to overlook my gripes it is a good story with a fabulous climax in the great tradition etc. It was such a shame it was so silly and a major let down to those of us who have been waiting for the return of the Cybermen for so long. Next week’s episode better be good to redeem this one.

A mad wheelchair bound scientist creates a terrifying Robotic killing machine. No it is not Genesis of the Daleks, it is Genesis of the Cybermen! - Sorry 'Rise of the Cybermen'. In a strange new world everything seems the same, but things are not quite right. No, I do not mean the TARDIS landing on a parallel Earth at the beginning of this episode. I am talking about being a thirty something year old Doctor Who fan, trying to adapt to the new series.

The familiar theme tune and reassuring sight of the TARDIS are ever present and the return of the Daleks last year was most welcome. owever, rather like Sarah Jane Smith commenting on the new console room in School Reunion, I think that I prefer the old one. (Series that is!) Until now!

In my humble opinion, Rise of the Cybermen is the first new series episode to actually add to the mythology of the old series. Russell T Davis & co would no doubt frown at my stuck in the past attitude, claiming that the new series should establish its own mythology.

I however, make no excuses for my own selfish reasons for watching. Rise of the Cybermen was classic Doctor Who for the 21st Century and it was Fantastic. Finally we know how the Cybermen were created. (At least in this version of Earth.)

The Cybermen are back and at their most impressive. I will not mention, the Doctor, Rose and Mickey. There was nothing wrong with their performances, but they were over shadowed by the mighty Cybermen. No longer vulnerable to bullets or Catapults as in the dire Silver Nemesis and not bogged down in their own tired history as in Attack of the Cybermen.

The writer 'Tom Macrae' has obviously used the Invasion for inspiration, as the similarities are plain to see. It would however be unfair not to praise his brilliance. He has created a terrifying version of Earth where peoples thoughts are regulated by corporate down loads, curfews are in place and the Rich travel safely in the sky in Zeppelins.

John Lumic is more suited as a villain for James Bond, than Doctor Who. Indeed the entire episode had a James Bond feel about it, as did the Invasion and many of Jon Pertwee's episodes.

Suddenly an oldie like me feels right at home!

Mention must also go to John Lumic's henchmen, Mr Crane who callously rounds up homeless people, before upgrading them into Cybermen in his abattoir like factory.

This is the stuff of nightmares.

A good plot, brilliant effects, superb villains, and all set in a believable alternative Earth - I can't wait for the next episode...