I ended up in a quite a foul mood after enduring the witless dross that was 'The Runaway Bride', so I approached the new series of Doctor Who with caution, especially since the opening episodes of the two previous seasons haven't been terribly good and were also written by Russell T. Davies. This being the case, 'Smith and Jones' was a very pleasant surprise, an enormously fun, solidly written romp, with which to introduce the new companion. ?

There isn't a great deal of subtext or social commentary going in 'Smith and Jones'; it's simply a straightforwardly told efficient and entertaining story, which given Davies' frequent lack of subtlety when it comes to such things is more than welcome. Beginning the new series with a hospital on the Moon makes for visually striking and novel episode, and it also makes the series feel refreshingly less Earthbound, even if in Doctor Who terms the Moon isn't actually very far away. We get monsters too, in the imposing shape of the Judoon, who are utterly two-dimensional as alien species go, but effective nonetheless. The fact that they are policemen for hire who just happen space rhinos is actually quite nice. They aren't exactly villains, although their "justice is swift" stance and execution of the man who attacks one of them with a vase gives them a dangerous edge (especially when the Doctor suggests that they might find the hospital guilty of harbouring a fugitive and sentence it to execution), as does their imposing physical presence. The special effects team does a good job on them too, and they look great, albeit a bit like Sontarans from behind when they've got their helmets on. The story's actual villain, the Plasmavore, is just as two-dimensional and ends up ranting in an embarrassingly over the top fashion at the end, but since this is primarily Martha's story anyway she, like the Judoon, fulfils her role within the plot reasonably well. Actress Anne Reid makes her sufficiently nasty when the script calls for it, and the fact that she is a diminutive old lady juxtaposes nicely with her murderous tendencies. The straw however is a mistake, suggesting that Davies thinks he's still writing for Sarah Jane Adventures. ?

Davies also gives us some strong supporting characters, which he seems to have struggled with in previous single-episode stories, presumably due to time constraints. The gently sarcastic and patronising Mr. Stoker is quite likeable, especially when he's standing stunned in his office and trying to cope with what's going on, noting that his daughter is still at university and that he'll never see her again. Roy Marsden is a great actor and gets the most out of his dialogue, especially when Stoker reflects, "Two more years I thought, and then retire to Florida." The young doctor who nervously tries to help the Judoon and stop everyone else in the hospital panicking, is also very believable, especially when he ends up self-importantly telling a policeman about his role. The general panic of all the hospital staff and patients also convinces without veering into the realm of annoying histrionics?

The big question here of course is how does Martha Jones fare? Rose was enormously popular with the viewing public and the media critics, so stepping into Billie Piper's shoes was always going to be a challenge for actress Freema Agyeman, and her short role in 'Army of Ghosts' and 'Doomsday' didn't really give her enough screen time for me to form a strong opinion about her acting abilities. Happily, Agyeman is great: she immediately establishes a rapport with David Tennant and is immensely likeable as Martha. Her delivery of two lines ("It's beautiful" and "That was nothing?") sounds stilted, but that is a very, very trivial criticism that at worst suggests that she is still settling in to the role at this point. Even better from my point of view however, is the actual character of Martha herself.?

I rather liked Rose, in general, during series one, but her transition from companion to groupie during series two began to be come spectacularly grating and it didn't help that I'm not predisposed to tolerate a companion who is a pig-shit thick chav. Martha by contrast has a brain and uses it, whether working out that the air supply will be limited, or realising that the Plasmavore has unwisely assimilated the Doctor's blood and exposing her to the Judoon. Basically, her character works very, very well: she seems genuinely excited to be on the Moon, whilst everyone else panics, and deals level-headedly with Judoon, Slabs, and Plasmavore alike. There are some great moments when she first starts getting to know the Doctor, such as when he warns her, "We could die!" and she calmly replies, "We might not", and when she tries to reassure him by telling him, "I promise you Mr Smith, we will find a way out." This being Russell T. Davies' Doctor Who, we inevitably get some flirting with the Doctor, but at this stage it seems more playful than puppy-eyed and therefore is less irritating. I only have two criticisms relating to Martha: the first is that revealing that Adeola was her cousin seems horribly contrived, a fan boy means of justifying recasting Agyeman so soon which frankly isn't necessary, although since I read 'Made of Steel' before 'Smith and Jones' was broadcast I was already expecting it. The second is that given that she's obviously intelligent and has already discovered the Doctor's double heartbeat, and refers to the Slitheen spaceship, the Sycorax spaceship, Cybermen, and the fact that she's surrounded by Judoon on the Moon, it takes her a long time to accept that the Doctor is an alien.

Unfortunately, Davies' insistence that Doctor Who needs kitchen sink soap opera garbage to appeal to the lowest common denominator in the audience means that, like Rose, Martha comes with dysfunctional family in tow. However, at this stage, whilst Martha's father, a comic buffoon who is renowned for dating much young blonde women, is a ridiculous clich?, none of her family members seem especially irritating, and none of them are played by Camille Coduri. In fact, although both are very specific character types and therefore not remotely original or interesting per se, I do quite like both of Martha's parents, largely due to the performances of the actors involved. I've no doubt that we'll be seeing Martha's family again, so we'll see which way this goes later in the series, but for now at least none of them are as annoying as Jackie Tyler and at least two of them provide genuine amusement ("No I didn't, I said "orange"").?

After an occasionally uneven performance during his first season, David Tennant starts the new series on fine form, with a performance that is slightly more restrained than in previous episodes and therefore much, much better. He gets the eccentricity right, especially when he's casually discussing helping Benjamin Franklin. The scene of the Doctor shedding his shoes unfortunately reeks of ham, but this is more the fault of the script than of Tennant. Best of all, here we get a Doctor who outwits the villain with guile and cunning, rather than standing around issuing ultimatums via pompous speeches, and who risks sacrificing himself to save the world. The Doctor playing with time for the sake of "cheap tricks" to convince Martha that he can travel in time is also quite nice. ?

Overall then, 'Smith and Jones' is a strong start to series three and a promising introduction for Martha. Davies seems to be improving his game, and there is some nice humour on display throughout, such as when the Judoon Captain gives Martha "compensation". It is disappointing that the loss of the Davis ex Machine was temporary, although as it transpired the Doctor saving the day by unplugging the MRI scanner was acceptable, given that the Plasmavore had quickly rigged it up anyway. There are occasional lapses of logic: it doesn't occur to either the Doctor or the Plasmavore that they could hide from the Judoon by finding a black marker pen and drawing a cross on the back of their hand, and whilst hospitals do have emergency generators, the smooth running of lights and computers even after the hospital has been transported to the Moon is deeply impressive.?

Finally, we also get a reference to someone named "Mr. Saxon". The endless Bad Wolf and Torchwood references in series one and two rapidly became deeply irritating: however, if the rumours about who Mr. Saxon actually is are true, I'm likely to be far more tolerant of this series' story arc?

I thought it started really well and that it was going to better Army Of Ghosts (4/5), which I loved and rate as RTD's finest work to date. But alas Smith And Jones just went further and further downhill as it progressed.

Positives:
+ Superb dialogue at the beginning with the junior doctors and patients
+ Very good introduction to Martha, the Doctor and the TARDIS
+ Martha appears to be an intelligent companion who can look after herself (something good that RTD has brought to Doctor Who)
+ Fabulous effects (although this is something RTD appears to rate more over storyline. One american critic wrote that the new Who has great effects but the old Who had the great storylines)

Negatives
- More of that annoyingly cheesy, 'operatic' music
- Over the top screaming by people when the hospital lands on the moon (and some dreadful acting by extras), which is just a poor device by RTD to make us like the non-screaming Martha and Doc more
- Aliens that just happen to look like rhinos. Does the new Who team have any imagination?
- The straw - leave it in Red Dwarf please, where it would be funny
- David Tennants stupid dance, as if he could send all the radiation into his shoe. I'm sure an intelligent child would find this embarrassing aswell
- The colossal power required for the plasmavore's device at the end (how?)
- The continual use, by RTD, of major alien happenings on Earth (like the battle of Canary Wharf). Doctor Who is supposed to be on our Earth and in our time (I'm sure RTD would agree) yet such monumental things would change our culture, society - did you see a huge alien ship over London last christmas on the news(The Christmas Invasion - set in 2006)? I didn't - this is why Earth invasions in the classic Doctor Who were mainly covert operations, so that it was feasible
- Martha's family appears to be trash straight off of a Trisha show (not again!)
- Worst season opener to date
- David Tennants stupid dance, as if he could send all the radiation into his shoe. Have I put this one in twice? And rightly so

I have finally lost faith in the new Doctor Who. Even last season had some good episodes but I fear this one wont have any at all. It isn't even Doctor Who anymore, he doesn't appear alien. The only way we know he is alien is because he mentions it often ("I'm a Time Lord", "E's got twin 'earts!"). I'm quite angry as well and I hope RTD leaves as soon as possible to let someone in who has quality control (and doesn't rate soap operas and big brother - and isn't scared of critics. Hmm I wonder why that is Russell?).

Yes, kids, we've finally made it. After months of rumor, speculation, spin-offs of varying degrees of success, and HYPE HYPE HYPE, we're at SEASON 3 and thus, by default, the return of the ONLY REVIEW THAT MATTERS.

So. Martha Jones. Well, right off the bat we know we're not going to be having chummyish visits to the family like we did with the Tyler clan. Or at the very least there's going to be a lot more kvetching and sniping. But enough of that. What we have here is a strong female character, a little bit more take-charge than Rose. Maybe more like Ace or perhaps even Liz Shaw? Hard to tell from just one episode, of course, but then she seemed more than just a little unfazed by two hearts, ending up on the moon, the TARDIS... Sure, she was a little taken aback, but she wasn't screaming in a fit of despair and madness unlike most of the hospital. Which was, incidentally, a pretty reasonable reaction to suddenly being relocated to the moon. But now we have a companion who was a bystander to the Slitheen hoax, the Sycorax, Canary Wharf... her society is becoming a stranger one, and she's trying to embrace it. Or at least, not let it freak her out.

Meanwhile, contrary to popular fan belief, I don't think the Judoon were "supposed" to be the Sontarans, despite some visual similarities. Mind you, my first thought, when seeing the publicity pics, were the Pnihr from the EDA novel Trading Futures by Lance Parkin. But no, their biggest influence is even in the name, kids. These were Judges, the dredd-ful kind if y'all catch my meaning. "Justice is swift" indeed. Maybe a bit one-dimensional, but then, they didn't really need to be much else.

Hey, wow, ANOTHER euphemism for vampire! Well, it was an interesting twist, although not sure about the whole straw thing. And it was nice that they didn't muddy the Doctor's waters further by adding some big Vampire/Time Lord backstory thing. I think going psychotic at the sight of ONE set of villains is good enough.

And just how batshit WAS Tennant in this episode? Definitely a lot more...quirky now than Eccleston's, or even from last season. But hey, he's been through a lot lately. And what was with the circa-2002 Beckham hair anyway? Like the new suit tho. He's still a horrible liar tho. "I prefer to work alone" my arse.

A much steadier, and better, season opener than last one, for sure. And as for next episode, well, I'm calling it now: the Shakespeare + witches episode will make SOME reference, before the ending credits, about how this inspires Macbeth. LOCK IT, YO.

Series 3 had so much to prove. The astonishing departure of Rose, played so emotionally and brilliantly by David Tennant and Billie Piper, and an OK Christmas special meant that the stakes were really high for Series 3: especially with the arrival of a new companion.

So - where to begin? Well how about with the new baddies, the Judoon. Surely these Rhino Police have to be one of the best costume effects ever produced on Doctor Who: with a great voice provided by Nick Briggs (who also makes the Dalek and Cybermen voices: though you wouldn't have known from this performance!). The creatures were imaginative and scary, with just a dash of absurdity - just enough to make me hope that we haven't seen the last of them.

And David Tennant seems to have grown into The Doctor's shoes now. I have to confess I never really liked Chris Ecclestone that much: he seemed to take the whole thing (and himself) far too seriously. I've loved David Tennant from the moment he first spoke: he seemed to have pitched The Doctor's voice exactly write: RP but without the stuffiness. David seems more sure of himself in the role, and seems to know where the boundary is from gurning at the camera to being twinkly-eyed. For me he is probably now my second favourite Doctor (Tom Baker, of course, being the favourite!). This episode wasn't really about The Doctor in any case, but there was enough for me to just feel very happy that we have David Tennant in the role.

And so to Martha Jones. Freema Agyeman is absolutely superb as Martha Jones, a feisty, funny and far more intelligent companion than Rose. I love her warmth (both with her family and to The Doctor) and her sense of adventure and wide-open view of the world. Russell T Davies has done a great job over the last series of letting chinks of light through to the 'Earth' characters, so that we don't have to waste any time getting over their disbelief in Aliens. They've seen spaceships crashing through Parliament, so humans know Aliens exist. Thank God! I miss Rose enormously, but Martha is clearly going to make a great companion for the Doctor, and I like very much that Russell has managed to write a very different dynamic between the Doctor and Martha.

If Episode 1 is anything to go by, Doctor Who seems somehow bigger, better and more confident in itself. After the big, dramatic, emotional ending of Series 2, Russell T Davies seems to have continued confidence: the script for his last few episodes have all been excellent (ever since those last two episodes of Series 2) and I just can't wait for more. No more going out on Saturday nights: Doctor Who is back -bigger and better than ever.

Well that was a long wait over! I've been looking forward to David Tennant's second series with the eager anticipation of my inner (earthly) child. This time the wife and I hooked up with one of my oldest friends to watch Smith & Jones, and had a stimulating conversation beforehand about how we believe Tennant to be the best Doctor since Tom Baker...and how we dislike Michael Grade etc...

But to Ms Jones, and I have to say that while the episode will not go down in my lists of classics it nevertheless did its job. Although we started with the soap element, RTD wisely toned things down compared to "Rose" and we were given just enough to glimpse into Martha's life and why she might prefer travelling in the Tardis to staying earthbound. Martha has a family, and like many families they squabble over the everyday issues...she has grown tired of it all.

So what of the story? It seemed quite light, which is perhaps not a bad idea for the series opener. However I preferred last year's "New Earth". I thought the plot was only worthy of one 45 minute episode, although more details of the alien's crime might have been of interest. I did enjoy the glee on her face whenever she brought out her drinking straw!

I liked the Juddoon, and was pleasantly surprised to find out that they are intergalactic police rather than evil monsters. It lends the otherwise two-dimensional species some character and would also make future appearances more interesting. Indeed of all the new alien races we've seen since Doctor Who's reincarnation, the Juddoon are the one I would most like to see again. I'd imagine a writer on good form could hang a really interesting story on the whole intergalactic law and police operation.

I'm getting used to RTD's brand of humour, and I suspect he's restraining himself a little too. I actually found myself chuckling at times, though I was afraid that the Doctor might fart away the radiation in the x-ray room. I wonder what shoes he'll be wearing next week?

Martha and the Doctor seem to have hit it off well, I do like that Martha is a thinker. I loved the Rose character but Martha is necessarily different and that should ensure her success.

Overall it was light, tea time family entertainment with enough Doctor Who to just about satisfy...perhaps the most satisfying parts were in the detail such as Tennant miming "its bigger on the inside"...I am hoping for better stories in the coming weeks.

6.5/10

The Doctor's back, just in time to combat 'a platoon of Judoon on the moon.'

There was very little I didn't enjoy about 'Smith and Jones'. It didn't overload the real-life portion of the story like 'Rose' or overindulge in camp like 'New Earth'. What we got instead was a solid, rip-roaring adventure that barely stopped for breath and still mananged to warm a potentially sceptical public to new-girl, Martha Jones.

The Judoon were maybe slightly too rubbery-looking, but Nick Briggs' forceful voice work covered that nicely and where others might find the idea of a baddie with a straw a little ridiculous, I felt it was a nice way to sell a vampire at 7pm on a Saturday. The hospital on the moon, air running out ... there was just enough spectacle and danger to keep things ticking along nicely.

As for Martha, well, we got a great sense of her family life without having it rammed down our throats and she seems to be a sparky, confident woman who will question as much as react to the Doctor's ramblings. Definitely not just Rose mark 2. Freema Agyeman does a great job of giving us a woman who stays cool in a crisis (I don't believe I saw her scream once in the entire episode) but who needs an adventure as much as Rose did, not because she has nothing in her life, but because she has rather too much and needs a break. It all helps that Agyeman oozes charm and has a smile that would light up the Satan Pit ...

Tennant settles back in well but seems to pare back some of the manic energy which becamse a bit cumbersome last season. And he still does the 'mysterious Tom Baker stance' against the TARDIS very effectively.

Other little gems were the fact that Marth'a theme certainly echoes Rose's but suggests something new, the repetition of the 'Run!' line coupled with a close-up of the Doctor grabbing Martha's hand (just as he did when he first met Rose) and the Doctor's casual reference to a brother he once had (and that'll be the season baddie setup then ...I wonder who it could be?).

Season 3, while the production crew might rubbish any notion of 'darkening it down', seems to have a fresh, edgier feel to it and I'm really excited about what's to come.

Vote Saxon, indeed.