We are not amused. We are ecstatic!

The big surprise for this second series of Doctor Who is that actually is Event TV. For the screening of New Earth, I was at a barbeque being thrown by a friend. The whole lot of us broke off from our fun and games on a bright sunny day to watch the programme. I did not insist and none of them are fans, but they wanted to see it. They revelled in the performance of Billie Piper (who as Cassandra reminded us of a man-eater we all know). For the screening of Tooth and Claw, I sat down with my Mum and Dad and we watched it as a family. Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, Family viewing is back - and here to stay with any luck.

So, Tooth and Claw - was it any good?

The historicals have indeed been kicked up the arse, so hard in fact they have shot right through the roof and are currently heading for the full mooooooon above our heads. The joy of the new series is that it mixes the traditional storytelling of our beloved show with good old Britishness and modern concepts that we are all familiar with.

There was barely time to draw breath in Tooth and Claw from the outset. We were treated to ninja monks (Crouching Doctor, Hidden Wolf, anyone?), fast-paced drama and a typically erratic TARDIS taking the Doctor and Rose to totally the wrong place yet again. I got the impression that even if there was no chemistry between the new Doctor and the ever-reliable Rose, the story would still have carried it off. Fortuanetly for us, the new pairing is proving to be a joy to behold. David Tennant's turn as the Doctor is delightful manic with bags and bags of personality. Watching his scene in the TARDIS as he endeavours to take Rose to a Blockheads concert in Sheffield in 1979, it was easy to forget that this is only his third episode. Has any Doctor ever settled in as fast as David Tennant? (To which the answer of course is only Tom Baker). The rapport and the respect between our two leads is evident and symptomatic of that the series has now hit its stride. These two time travellers genuinely like each other's company and now the Doctor has thrown off the shackles of his guilt over the Time War following his regeneration, he has been imbued with the boundless wonder and excitement of travelling the universe in the way that we all know and love.

"No wonder you never keep still," said Rose in last year's The Unquiet Dead. Indeed - would you??

The more I learn about the Tenth Doctor, the more I like him (Eccleston who?). He has mad fits of realisation, flips out in rude outbursts, loves Ian Dury, loves adventure and revels in the brilliance of a life that has him meeting historical figures and being held at gunpoint. He is immensley likeable, but having said that, I wouldn't cross him. The thought of the Doctor not giving you a second chance if you mess up still makes me unnerved, and that is a character trait that has been long overdue in returning.

The main plot of the trap set by Father Angelo to assassinate Queen Victoria is wonderful car-crash television - you know what's coming and you don't want to look but you simply can't help it. As the residents of the house are chained in a cellar with the werewolf at the same time the Laird is telling the story of it's legend, we all indeed know what is coming and when it does, there really is no time to draw breath. This is Doctor Who without the padding, a Time Lord with no fat and additives, and it shows in spadefulls. The trap within a trap is a brilliant last-minute turn around that at first I thought was just a cop-out, but if you care to look over the episode again, all the clues are there, disguised not as clues but as throwaway lines. Just brilliant.

The werewolf itself is a wonderful piece of CGI that errs on the side of animation at times and reminded me of the wolf from Box of Delights (or what Box of Delights would love to have created had the technology been around at the time). The lycanthropic transformation itself was gruesome and at one point, I questioned wether or not this would be too scary for little kids before remembering that that is exactly what Doctor Who is designed to do - to scare kiddies behind the sofa or their cushions. Mary Whitehouse will be spinning in her grave. One hopes so, anyway.

Add to this the wonderful central performances from the guest cast. 40 years after her first Doctor Who Adventure in 1966's The Faceless Ones (just think about that - an actress returning to a series almost two generations later...madness), Pauline Collins positively shines as Her Majesty. We get a real sense of grief for her lost husband, of the hierarchy of the time and her expectations of those around her and of her steeliness by carrying a gun in her handbag. This is isn't just a characiture of a very famous historical figure, but a real human being. We will never know if it is an accurate portrayal or not, but from what we know of the monarch, one would think it is.

So - the die has been cast. Queen Victoria founds the Torchwood Institute to defend her realm against outside forces - including the Doctor. Do I sense that this will be the thread throughout the series? Will the descendants of the original Torchwood be prepared for the Doctor? And how will - and if - it fit in with the Cyber climax of the series and the Face of Boe's secret (and fit in with the spin-off series)? It's a nice touch with the werewolf recognising Rose as having "a bit of the wolf" in her (Bad Wolf from Series One) - so have we seen the last of Bad Wolf or was that a red herring?

Only Time will tell, it always does....

(And one of the monks was well fit too. Sorry, but he was).

I had a few issues with New Earth, but expected Tooth and Claw to restore my faith in the belief that В“Series TwoВ” could be the finest in Doctor WhoВ’s rich history, and IВ’m pleased to say Russell T DaviesВ’ second script for the 2006 season did just that.

Firstly, although IВ’m not sure it was terribly essential to the plot, I really enjoyed the pre-titles fight sequence. When you think of some of the staged combats in years gone by (which, relatively speaking, werenВ’t actually that bad) and in other TV shows, particularly low-budget soaps, you can appreciate how awful and false such scenes can look.

But Davies obviously decided if we were going to do it, we might as well do it properly В– and the high-flying monks were as dramatic an opening to an episode as weВ’re likely to see. It was up there with the start to The Unquiet Dead, which I thought would take some topping. IВ’m no film expert, but the fast-moving, inter-cutting of scenes really made this sequence stand out.

There werenВ’t many hugely-original ideas in the script but, as they say, originality is no excuse for mediocrity, and I would rather see a few old ideas woven together intelligently rather than a totally new idea which didnВ’t work. The ingredients for Tooth and Claw did sound promising. Aside from the kung-fu monks, Queen Victoria, a spooky castle and a werewolf were an intriguing mix.

I also enjoyed the TARDIS getting the date wrong again. The omnipotence of the DoctorВ’s ship towards the end of the last series didnВ’t sit too well with me, as you always have the nagging doubt that they can always look into the heart of the TARDIS again to save the Universe. I much prefer the randomness of the TARDISВ’s workings.

Also nice В– not just as a Scot myself! В– to hear David TennantВ’s own accent in the early part of the episode. I was disappointed that Tennant wasnВ’t given the go-ahead to play the Doctor with his Scottish lilt throughout his tenure. I thought it would have followed on neatly from Christopher EcclestonВ’s В“lots of planets have a NorthВ” if the Doctor had a regional accent once again В– and it could have easily been explained away in the script.

After a key role in New Earth, there was a lot less involvement for Rose here, although we tend to take Billie PiperВ’s general excellence for granted now. Tennant was very В“Doctor-ishВ” in places В– indifference at the TARDIS being 100 years out, delight at introducing Queen Victoria to Rose, thrilled by the sight of the werewolf, and the typically-manic piecing together of the method to stop the beast! Tennant doesnВ’t appear to have EcclestonВ’s vulnerability В– this is an altogether more-confident Doctor (akin to his other predecessors) and it will be interesting to see if any chinks develop in his armour.

Pauline Collins was as fantastic as Queen Victoria as we all knew she would be В– that was always going to be a given. The В“bet I can get her to say We Are Not AmusedВ” running gag was a tad predictable, but they just about got away with it.

Best of the rest of the supporting cast for me was Ian HanmoreВ’s Father Angelo. He rather reminded me of Scarman in Pyramids of Mars - very chilling.

Billed as В“one of the scariest-ever episodes of Doctor WhoВ”, Tooth and Claw didnВ’t disappoint in that department. As well as the Menacing Monk, the pre-werewolf incumbent of the cage was one of these moments which could give kids (and a few adults!) nightmares for weeks. As ever, no blood В– but a few close-ups on the beastВ’s gnarling gnashers were genuinely frightening.

The actual transformation into the werewolf was terrific В– the sort of effect which lingers in the viewerВ’s memory. Another triumph for CGI! And, yet again, we must remember this is achieved on a TV showВ’s budget rather than a movie. There was a hint of American Werewolf In London about it, but thatВ’s the point В– it looked like a film effect.

The werewolfВ’s escape from its cage and its bounding along the corridors were also impressive. Despite the obvious cost restrictions preventing too many screen minutes of the creature, that actually made its appearances all the more memorable. Really loved the scene with the Doctor and the werewolf on either side of the door.

As we often say about these 45-minute episodes, thereВ’s only so much you can cram in В– but this one seemed more evenly-paced than New Earth, and the conclusion seemed perfectly plausible. Enjoyed the suggestion that there remains a hint of the wolf about the Royal Family, and the reference to Torchwood at the conclusion was also reasonable В– and a reminder that we have many treats to come this year!

Following on from the unresolved appearance of the Face of Boe last week, it will be interesting to see if this type of teaser is going to be a regular occurrence В– the danger for casual viewers is there will too many unresolved threads, but exciting titbits for the fans nonetheless.

Summing-up, a thoroughly-enjoyable episode, which will stand frequent rewatching. Likely to figure in the high rank at season end, of all the В“newВ” Doctor Whos so far, Tooth and Claw is probably the episode which would have sat most readily in the В“classicВ” series as well as the 21st-century version. And thatВ’s no bad thing. A wee bit of something for everyone . . .

Much better. Much much better.

Well, that said, episode one was good. The ingredients of a sound story were all there but for me personally just let down a bit by being told too fast and time wasted on the silly camp bits- too much bodyswapping made basically unconvincing by being too fast and silly. This one contained no such letdowns.

We knew from the trailers that the werewolf at least was going to look good.So, as I sat desperately hoping that the football wouldn't overrun too much, I was looking forward to this. Euros Lyn showed his mettle on THE UNQUIET DEAD, the first classic episode of series one. In my view he did even better here. Given another great gothic script, we got another great gothic delivery.....

Starting at the start- fast and furious opening that set things up nicely. Enter the Doctor- some may moan about use of psychic paper to ingratiate him at every turn but it's a decent device for a story that has 45 minutes and it doesn't avoid all trouble. And it is a nice change from all those -doctor-arrives-and promptly-gets-suspected-of-whatever's-just-happened openings that became so predictable in the old series.

The period tone was nicely set with dismay at Rose's attire-shades of Tom Baker's attire. Rose, as a born again history groupie, was clearly desperate to hear her Majesty say "we are not amused" though the joke did wear thin after a while. I hope also she isn't going to get captured every week. Though the way she led the others was effective.....

Cue the build up of the mystery and then the revelation of the wolf. Bog standard horror stuff really, but superbly executed. The Doctor's admiration of the wolf's beauty was classic. And, unlike last year's dismal slitheen chases, as the creature hunted the tension never let up. The stoicism of the various characters was good, and the queen gets to shoot a monk!

And so eventually we get to the end. The handy device was there to resolve things, but unlike some previous ones in ROSE or END OF THE WORLD it was effective because in context with the overall mystery, having been set up in the past by Albert.

I would have liked a little more about the past reasearch, the coming of the alien to the monks, their subsequent relationship over the years, and where the heck all those other monks guarding the house vanished to! They were wearing misletoe, so it can't have killed them all! Where did they go? But enough was given by inference for it all to make sense so it didn't end up like one of those McCoy stories where you had to know what was cut in order to understand the plot.

All in all another of DR WHO's classic horror pastiches. Nice to have a TV werewolf tale after getting them in spin off media. LOUPS GAROUX is in my view one of big finishes' best so nice to see werewolves in the show itself. TOOTH AND CLAW was a prime example of the updated format working well. IN 1985 ROBIN OF SHERWOOD delivered episodes like this that were cracking wilst season 22 presented worthy stories that often dragged due to ill-structured 45 minute episodes. Here the 45 minutes slot works, though I still like the longer stories when they appear.

And so, though not a massive K9 fan, SCHOOL REUNION looks good. Onwards.....

Hmmmm….well I should admit that I've never cared for the Russell T. Davis episodes and so was pleasantly surprised at how much I found myself enjoying the first half of Tooth and Claw. And then it all went so wrong - unsurprisingly, around about the same time that the characters stopped running from the wolf and started talking. Why was the diamond constantly re-cut if its only purpose was to be thrown on the floor at the last minute as opposed to, oh I don't know, say, forming an intricate part of the telescope; where did the monks go when they still had the house surrounded with guns; why did Queen Victoria knight the Doctor and Rose only to banish them from the kingdom immediately afterwards; why did we have to listen to the world's worst, most blatant and completely unnecessary plug for Torchwood (incidentally, if Torchwood has been around for 100 years, how come we've never heard of it before, despite the Doctor working for UNIT both in the old and NEW series); why did Russell think 'we are not amused'' was a funny running gag; how was the house supposed to be a trap for the werewolf when nobody knew about it; and where did the monks get their matrix-like kung-fu abilities from?

On the plus side, the direction by Euros Lyn was fantastic and led to some genuinely tense and scary moment (really looking forward to his upcoming episodes), the production values were amazing and even the CGI looked very good, the acting from the guest cast was of a high standard and the opening banter between the Doctor and Rose was genuinely funny.

I'm still finding it hard to get used to David Tennant as the Doctor as he occasionally comes across as too manic and/or smug but I suspect this is more to do with the script than David's abilities as an actor. Hopefully he'll mellow out a little as the series progresses, much like Christopher Eccleston. It was a shame that after last week's performance Billie Piper returned to being the annoying giggling schoolgirl. If nothing else, New Earth showed she had a much broader range than many have given her credit for, and it was disappointing to see her being given little more than the annoying companion role again (though in the effective 'escape from the wolf in the cellar' scene she did get to be far more proactive).

Ultimately this was an episode carried by atmosphere and taut direction, not by a marked improvement in RTD's ability to write actual Doctor Who as opposed to his ultra-fast paced, sexed-up, over the top, pantomime version. I'd like to quote RTD from the series one boxed set booklet: "…And I had nothing to do with the show's return. That was decided in some as-yet-undocumented discussion between Lorraine Heggessey, the controller of BBC ONE, and Jane Tranter, Controller of Drama Commissioning". So, thank you Lorraine and Jane for bringing back such an amazing, imaginative and exciting show. Now if you could just stop Russell from writing any more episodes you'd make a lot of fans very happy indeed.

В‘Tooth and ClawВ’ is an exceptional piece of drama. The direction is virtually perfect, the atmosphere is oozing and the acting is top notch. You canВ’t fault the flawless production and the story has a confident depth which shows Russell T Davies doing what some fans suspected he couldnВ’t; good old fashioned suspense and terror.

Overall, this Scotland based Victorian tale has close associations with Series 1В’s В‘The Unquiet DeadВ’; itВ’s style, historical context and pacing are slightly similar. В‘Tooth and ClawВ’ is a little more dynamic than GatissВ’ tale. This doesnВ’t mean the dynamic is to the detriment of the stories historical depth. In fact, this story has even more confidence in itВ’s depiction of the Realm of Queen Victoria than perhaps the Dickensian scene of В‘The Unquiet DeadВ’.

The opening however, certain betrays the the episodes general ambience; a very slick brawl akin to В‘Crouching Tiger Hidden DragonВ’. Some may find this a little jarring with the rest of the story, I personally had no problem with such. Doctor Who is, in itВ’s essence, a very eclectic show which borrows, twists and parodies from a variety of styles. The fight scene makes for a confident and aggressive opening which certainly peaks the adrenaline and curiousity. The following sceneВ’s monster tease makes for a good introduction cliff-hanger as the show moves into the theme sequence.

The monster is - as the title suggests - a Wolf, or more specifically, a Werewolf. Doctor Who has stepped into the classic monster genre on several occasions. This is nothing new in that respect, however the focus of the plot remains closer to the monsterВ’s myth than any science fiction twist. The science fiction is there, just not too prominent.

The Werewolf is well realised, both as a wolf and as the human host. In fact, the scenes leading up to itВ’s transformation are as spellbinding as the revelation of the beast itself. The use of sound is also very powerful. Indeed the most atmospheric moment is the sound of the beast hunting for a way into the room in which the DoctorВ’s trapped in. I can almost guarantee a room of silent, spellbound viewers as that particular scene plays out.

The other В‘monsterВ’ or В‘heroineВ’ (take your pick) is Queen Victoria. SheВ’s played by Pauline Collins, a lady who the elderly fan may remember from the Troughton adventure В‘The Faceless OnesВ’. Collins is a versatile actress and barely recognizable in the role. As well as being well acted, the character is indeed well written. IВ’m not particularly versed in the character of Queen Victoria, so I canВ’t attest to the writerВ’s skill at capturing her historically, but she comes across as a deep and unpredictable character within the story.

IВ’m afraid some of the episodes weakest elements come from the two leads. IВ’m sorry to say after a previously strong episode for Miss Piper and Rose, В‘Tooth and ClawВ’ proves to be her most annoying outing ever. This is by no means an attack on BillieВ’s acting; sheВ’s as solid as ever, nor is it an attack on the writing of Rose who remains equally believable. But thatВ’s the problem; she is too real, and real people are often annoying. Few would argue that as a person, Rose is perfect. She is both cocky, rude and occasionally manipulative. In this story, some of these negative characteristics are used for story humour that results in Rose becoming distractingly annoying.

If there is a blame finger to point, it invariably has to be at writer Russell T Davies. Davies seems to overuse her in the initial set up to this story. Her constant attempts to get Queen Victoria to declare В“We are not amusedВ” (for a bet with the Doctor) is not only tiring, but intrusive. Comedy is indeed subjective so IВ’m sure some viewers found it funny, but I just found the gag did not warm me to Rose at all. Queen Victoria is a great historical character and to have the companion constantly mock her seems to belittle the QueenВ’s dignity irrelevantly. We donВ’t see too many versions of Victoria played on the small screen, so I was curious to see how she was portrayed. VictoriaВ’s introduction and continuing scenes felt as if they were being constantly interrupted by what I can only call В‘companion heckleВ’. It wouldnВ’t be so annoying if it was once, but itВ’s almost continual for the entire first act. So while I can picture the character of Rose behaving just like this, within the narrative it feels way too intrusive. Humour is subjective, and in В‘Tooth and ClarВ’ itВ’s laid on a little too thick as it sours the story for those who were not so easily amused by RoseВ’s hilarious antics.

Furthermore, as viewers are still keen to quantify this new Doctor, this continual gag keeps pushing Rose into the spotlight and the Doctor into the background. At this early stage of the tenth DoctorВ’s career, I think viewers are more keen to watch him than Rose, who dominated much of the last series - and rightly so as that was her introduction season. We now have a new Doctor and for the second episode in a row, Rose is very much at the forefront.

Thankfully, this balance alters as the pace kicks up a notch. The Doctor moves to center stage and we get to see Tennant in action. Well, sort of. As with В“New EarthВ”, TennantВ’s Doctor seems surprisingly inactive, in a way similar to Davison. There is no doubt you feel his presence, but you donВ’t feel the control that Eccleston had. In the context of this story, this works to В‘itВ’s advantageВ’; you donВ’t want the Doctor in too much control as you risk diminishing the hack and slash power of the werewolf. I am, however, looking forward to an episode in which the Doctor is a little more in the spotlight and a little more proactive, as he was in В‘The Christmas InvasionВ’.

Nevertheless, TennantВ’s acting and dialogue are spot on. ItВ’s this reviewerВ’s hope he gets a little more proactive screen time in future episodes. He does a great deal of running away in В‘Tooth and ClawВ’, which again, is good for the suspense, but one feels an urge to see the Doctor get a story in which he has a more central dynamic. ThatВ’s not to underplay some great moments in this story, from his first encounter with the Werewolf to the scene in which he runs for the books, Tennant IS the Doctor.

The ending is particularly worth a mention. We have a strong scene for Queen Victoria that almost makes up for all the hassle she and the audience suffered from Rose earlier. It is also an audience reminder that in victory, not all necessarily ends well. The Doctor and RoseВ’s banishment from the realm was a surprise and a superb character turn for Victoria. Furthermore, the walk back to the TARDIS has a great nostalgic feel to it, very reminiscent of the end of one of my other favourite (Scottish) Who tales, Terror Of The Zygons.

So overall, aside from some slightly in-your-face Rose Tyler moments and a rather inactive Doctor, this is another solid and enjoyable romp for Series 2. A good script, some well implemented genre bites (watch out for the tiny but fun homage to Alien 3) and a story brimming with tension, В‘Tooth and ClawВ’ is the perfect journey into Who horror.

One question:

Just where did those monks pop off to?

This episode oozed sheer quality. The opening teaser was perhaps one of the best since the show has returned to our screens; anyone who turned over after seeing it needs their pulse checked. From then on, Tooth and Claw demonstrated what a superb writer Russell T Davies really is. The script crackled with wit and energy, and the all of the performances were up to the task.

Pauline Collins was brilliant as Queen Victoria, and her exile of the Doctor was a neat twist at the end of the show, as opposed to a somewhat cheesy back slapping sequence which could easily have taken place. I never fail to be surprised at the twists RTD's scripts take; what can seem a light and fluffy piece - such as New Earth - can suddenly take a serious and moving turn. Victoria's influence in regards to Torchwood was well done and I'm quite intrigued by the possible "anti-Doctor" stance the organisation may well take.

Billie Piper as Rose didn't really have much to do here, though the mention of "the wolf in her" is interesting; is the Bad Wolf storyline truly over? Despite this, as usual she displays

Of course, then there is the Doctor himself. David Tennant really seems to have found his feet by this story, even though the Doctor himself is still feeling out the elements of his new personality ("am I rude?"). His mercurial performance as our favourite Time Lord builds on what was shown in last week's New Earth, and surely must cement him as one of the best actors to take on the role (and yes, I love them all!). There seems to be general complaint that the Tenth Doctor is too flawless and perfect. The theory seems to be that this is deliberate on the part of the writers, and that he Doctor is being set up for a fall. Whether it's true or not, David Tennant's interpretation of the character seems far less vulnerable and more "Doctorish" than his immediate predecessor. I'll be eager to see how his version of the Doctor develops as the series goes on.

The werewolf itself was an incredible piece of work by The Mill; it easily rivals anything seen in similar genre films or television shows. Not once did I recall thinking "that's a good piece of CGI", but rather "look at the werewolf!". The saying that if a special effect is good, you won't even realise it's a special effect, really came into effect here; I thought of the werewolf as a character, not as a collection of pixels - the suspension of disbelief was quite easy to accomplish in this episode.

Speaking of which, Tooth and Claw really pushed the boundary in what has been seen so far in terms of actual horror in the series; the transformation sequence in particular seemed quite disturbing (but in a good way!), and scenes with Rose and the other prisoners trapped with the "host" also had an unsettling quality. I found it interesting that we had the sound effects of victims being ripped apart by the wolf, yet last year a similar such sound effect in The Empty Child (when Richard Wilson's character succumbed to the nanogenes, and his face deformed into a gas mask) was cut from the transmitted show.

Frightening, thrilling, funny, stylish and moving; only in our dreams did we believe that Doctor Who could have returned in such an amazing way. Any minor plot holes really aren't worth thinking about; the Doctor is back! Tooth and Claw demonstrated everything that's right about the new series and I have a feeling the best is yet to come.