ItВ’s back!

One ridiculously long wait later, and we have the Doctor and Rose all to ourselves for the next 12 weeks. This time, however, thereВ’s nothing to prove В– only to improve upon. And therein might lie the problem.

I was hoping that Russell T Davis would give us a premiere of delightful proportions, throw us into a new adventure and new arc which would bring all of last yearВ’s fun and excitement back again. I have always admired him as writer and have previously noted that he was by far the best-qualified to bring the Doctor back. The success of the show has proven this to be true. The one issue with last seasonВ’s run, though, was that the Davis-penned episodes (or, at least, those without the built-in enjoyment of a season finale) were a little patchy at times. New Earth, then, was going to be an indication of what we could expect this year.

The verdict? Well, as ever, somewhat mixed.

Rose and the DoctorВ’s relationship, by far the strongest aspect of season 1 (or 27, blah, blah, blah), is present, correct, and just different enough to promise another year of televisual pleasure. The effects are, for the most part, even better than before and work just fine. As ever, the matte painting backgrounds were a little sketchy at times, and the plague CGI was kind of ropey, but this was balanced out by the astonishing New Earth backdrops.

The problem, then? Davis STILL has a problem meshing his excellent character work with the sci-fi adventure yarn that Doctor Who has to be. The premise, cloning beings for medical research, is a good one, with depth and resonance. ItВ’s disappointing, then, that the adventure aspect of the episode is so by-the-numbers. The Doctor is captured, but escapes rather easily, the clones are released and act like dull, plague-ridden zombies, rather superfluous characters that we care little about are endangered. It is the B-plot which is the soul of В‘New EarthВ’. The return of Cassandra is slightly naff, but makes for some great body-swapping comedy and banter (a Davis strength that even his most bitter detractors cannot possibly deny). The episodeВ’s conclusion, where Cassandra gives herself a last moment of pleasure, is bizarrely touching, and much more affecting than the one-dimensional zombies and shallow cat-nuns which had preceded it.

Davis is a self-confessed sci-fi fan and really needs to let loose with that influence, instead of rushing through bog-standard running around scenes in order to get to the next character moment. Still, itВ’s a lot stronger than В‘RoseВ’ as a start to the season.

As far as the cast go, Tennant is still settling in, but has done so a lot more quickly than Chris Ecclestone did В– it wasnВ’t until В‘DalekВ’ that I felt he was really В‘myВ’ Doctor. Tennant is almost there, though, and when completely comfortable will clearly be a wonderful Doctor. A few more opportunities to show the DoctorВ’s power will help.

Next week, Scotland, warrior monks (which IВ’m reserving judgment on until I see their role in the story В– please donВ’t be a meaningless Matrix rip-off!) and a superb-looking werewolf.

WeВ’re off В– and not a sign of a new В‘Bad WolfВ’. Although, what is the Face of BoeВ’s great secret ...

I’ve read many reviews of New Earth, and while I will agree that there is much going on in the episode and it could use a few more minutes of exposition, much of the griping I see as a longing for the past format of the original series.

I say, ‘shut up and enjoy it!’ The “new” Doctor Who is all about rectifying the problems that the original series ran into beginning in the 1980s: taking itself far too seriously. While at times I wish that some of the stories had more depth, all in all they are great entertainment and have an absolutely wonderful feel to them. For the first time in Doctor Who television history one can actually relate to the characters. You can actually put yourself into the shoes of the characters and imagine what it would be like to be there, to feel and sense and be part of these adventures. Russell Davies has done a stupendous job of making Doctor Who fun again to the point where I find it hard sometimes to re-watch the original series due to the heavy-handedness and seriousness it sometimes took.

“New Earth” opponents have claimed that the story has too many ideas left unfulfilled and concepts that need more attention. Some say that the Cassandra body transfer concept needed more flushing out, or that the cat people should have been more thoroughly evolved as characters or the idea of the plague more expertly discussed. But why? That’s not the point of the story. The point of the story is that it is about renewal and humanity – with a dash of mystery as all good Doctor Who stories should be.

The story evokes the common themes of Doctor Who and the character of The Doctor: a love for life, a desire to understand and to explore. The ancillary concepts of the cat people and the virus were merely plot devices to help bring out those themes and having the Face of Boe around was to add some plausible mystery. None of this particularly bothered me as the themes came across clear as crystal and it was all great fun to watch! Great fun!

The original series would have spent the first 20 minutes explaining New Earth, the next 20 minutes with Cassandra and the body transfer, the following 20 minutes on the cat people and the disease and the final 20 minutes on the resolution. No doubt there would have been 40 minutes of unnecessary padding in that 80 minutes of television and the point of the story (renewal and love and enjoyment of life) would have become muddled in self-referential hubris and nonsense. Who needs that when a tightly written 45 minutes of fast paced action gets the message across just as clear with a very heart-warming ending where Cassandra bids goodbye to her future self in a scene one would never have expected from such a deliciously malevolent character.

New Earth is not without its flaws, but all in all, the core audience (which is not the old fanbase, but a 21st century cadre of smart young children) will find it wonderful fun with a solid message: life is important, life is beautiful and most of all, must be respected cherished and revered.

Where to start? It's a new series, a new Doctor, and a new Earth...

First of all, I loved the last series, and couldn't quite understand why Christopher Eccleston left so soon into what promised to be a truly 'fantastic' era of Doctor Who. But then the news broke that David Tennant was to take over the role, and I promptly forgot my complaining. From his very first appearance ("new teeth!") he promised to be the best Doctor yet - or at least, my personal favourite. Then we got "The Christmas Invasion" and I was absolutely certain that this was the case.

Secondly, I think the scripts are wonderful. After all, wonderful acting is only a part of what goes into making a wonderful character - and every person who is saying "David Tennant is a wonderful Doctor" (like I am!) should give at least a little bit of credit to the script-writer - who, in this case, was the very same man who rescued Doctor Who from the realms of nostalgia and brought it into the 21st century bigger and better than ever before. Maybe it's because I've never seen the original series in any great depth, but I really can't find anything to complain about in regards to the script... apart from the fact that so far there have been no episodes scripted by women: it would be nice to show that girls can write sci-fi, too! In fact, I've a few ideas of my own for series three... but that's something else entirely.

My favourite aspect of "New Earth" has got to be the sub-plot involving the Face of Boe. Okay, I know some people found the Face floating in the giant jar a bit pointless, but I think he's great because - unlike every other alien we've met - he is the Doctor's superior, or at least elder. To the Doctor every other alien is just a child, considering his age of (apparently) 900 years, but Boe, it seems, tops that by entering the millions. What is this mysterious secret which he is to impart the Doctor? I have a feeling it may be a series or even several-series' long arc, which makes this series different from the first in that it brings in the 'arc' so early on - Bad Wolf did not appear in the first series until Episode Four, I believe.

Cassandra is a hilarious creation, and will hopefully put any viewers toying with the idea of plastic surgery off such things for life! The 'body-swapping' was very cleverly done, and actually quite funny - "I'm a chav!" - and it let Billie Piper and David Tennant show off a few unexpected talents. And no, by that I did not mean THE kiss, but that was certainly interesting to see - especially the Doctor's reaction to it!

The Cat-People were extremely well made-up, and I liked the way you had different 'characters' of cats - the kind nurse looking after Boe could be ascribed to one of those calm, stay-at-home cats, whilst the Matron-Cat is undoubtedly the cat who goes around getting into scraps with its neighbouring felines...

When I first heard that Billie Piper was to be the Doctor's companion I was rather unimpressed, which shows how much I know. She has been brilliant from start to finish, and the 'chemistry' between Rose and the Doctor has been beautifully done - a friendship which should be a romance but can never be. Unless, that is, the writers decide otherwise... but we'll see. In "New Earth" Rose is still getting used to the 'new' Doctor... shades of which there certainly are, especially in the disinfectant-lift scene, with the Doctor trying to shout to Rose and then eventually getting exasperated. I think Rose should keep a close eye on this Doctor, though... he seems to wander away from her a bit! Though he is, as ever, protective - and in my opinion the Doctor is always at his best when shouting down the villains in righteous anger...

And as for the trailer for the rest of the series... well, the Beeb are certainly pushing the new series an awful lot - one trailer I saw was almost five minutes long, and as my Dad said seemed to 'show the whole series'. Hopefully, unlike some films nowadays, they aren't showing all the good bits in the trailers... though the next episode, complete with Queen Victoria, Scottish accents and werewolves galore, promises to be brilliant... not to mention scary!

Hmm... 8/10 for New Earth, but only because I'm hoping the rest will be even better.

Like some other fans, knowing this was written by RTD did little for my pre-broadcast expectations. But I bore it in mind that the Christmas Invasion suggested that RTD had, perhaps, listened and learned.

New Earth shows that RTD has learned a lot. My only criticism of this story is that it would have been better had it been longer. The tension could have built up, the secrets kept a little longer if it had been in the older format of three 25 minute installments. But in modern TV we probably can't have that so let's deal with what we do have.

Some of the ideas here are straight out of 70's Doctor Who...the Doctor and his companion visit a place that is apparently a benevolant hospital in a happy city, where cures for terrible diseases have been found and are routinely administered to patients who would otherwise die. But we find something is wrong, and not what it seems. That is central to "old style" Doctor Who, but RTD has cleverly made it all seem so contemporary.

We also have Cassandra, who has survived "The End Of The World" along with a servant, and is hiding in the basement of the mysterious hospital. She too wants to know what's so sinister and secret about the intensive care section. Crucially she is used as a character essential to the plot, not merely returning to guarantee ratings. And we learn more about her, fleshing out her character and even allowing some sympathy.

I won't give any more plot details away, but I will say it seemed illogical that Cassandra initially needed a machine to transfer herself into Rose's brain...but thereafter could move from person to person at will. This seemed silly at first, but served a great purpose later in the story.

Thankfully there is no deus ex machina ending. The Doctor himself (with help from Casandra, in Rose's body) saves the day. It may seem an all too simple solution but no more so than previous Doctor Who stories. Again, more time would have allowed for greater explanation. Nonetheless it was exciting.

So we have a good story, with Billie Piper putting in perhaps her best performance to date. Tennant is settling nicely into the role. The story, while quite contemporary in many ways, could have been acted just as successfully by Trouhgton or Tom Baker.

I thought all the ships flying overhead in the opening scenes were too much, amost FX for FX sake, but otherwise the visuals were of a high standard. Incidental music generally added to the atmosphere and was appropriate to the pacing of the direction.

Not one of the very best, but highly enjoyable and one I shall watch again. If this is the benchmark standard then we have a fantastic season to look forward to. My personal rating, 7.5/10

Ok. I've never submitted a review before, as I've always thought that I would just end up rehashing what others have said. But the time has come.....

As a massive fan of series old and new I feel that I should come to the defense of New Earth, as from what I've read in the reviews so far is that it wasn't loved as much as i think it should be!

Firstly let's deal with the story. Fantastic! Russell T always has so many ideas, and I for one don't see this as a bad thing. As RTD has often said, he wants new Who to be fast paced and packed with adventure. Remember this is a FAMILY show, attention spans are short, and Doctor Who needs to grab by the throat and not let go! If the action stops for a moment, there go the kids. Do we need to know how long the Sisters Of Plenitude have been growing the 'flesh'? Not really - does it make a difference whether they've been experimenting for months, years, decades? Of course not - the point is that they're doing it, it's wrong and the Doctor's going to stop it. Cassandra's back and we get all the explanation that we need about it. On with the show! The Face of Boe drops hints about a secret that he'll tell the Doctor about next time they meet. Goody! We all like a bit of a mystery and I'm sure the resulting information will be shocking (and a very clever progression for the show come season 3). Zombies, Cats, a new planet and the 2 main characters having fun? Bring it on! The Doctor and Rose are friends. Friends have fun. Friendships ALWAYS have their problems (and if you read the Radio Times, RTD alludes to the fact that the Doctor and Rose start to get over-confident "which could be their downfall"). Russell T Davis is a very clever man who does all these thing for a reason. As for zombies dressed in clothes - it's a FAMILY show - we can't have them running around naked now can we?!

Next we'll move on to David and Billie. All I can say is FANTASTIC!! David brings a new spin to the role, which fans should be used to now. He is Doctor 10 after all. He has a fabulous energy that kids will love (much easier to play-act than Eccleston!) and because of this, his moments of fury at wrong-doing are all the more engaging. Billie continues to be brilliant in her portrayal of Rose, and clearly enjoying having Zoe Wanamaker make use of her mind!! The comedy aspects are perfect for a FAMILY show (that's the third time I've said FAMILY isn't it?!) and who really cares if Cassandra would never use the word "chav"? How does anyone know she wouldn't? Again the chemisty between the Doctor and Rose is great, and this is obvoiusly down to David and Billie getting on so well, and in response to those who feel that the relationship is a bit tacky, would we really want our 2 main characters bickering? Surely we've got the 6th Doctor and Peri for that (or Eastenders).

On to the special effects. Pretty damn good! Loving New New York, was great to see Cassandra's spider again, and the lift shaft - wow! No complaints from this man.

Murray Gold's music was again in turns beautiful, exciting and haunting.

On the whole I'm one very happy (30 year old) man, who believes that the show is most definately on the right track. New Earth may not be the best story ever, but we can't expect to have the best story ever, every week! My friends 8 year old loves it. And surely if the kids are happy, us old timers should be happy too. New Who was never intended as a "treat" for the fans. It's for this generations kids and their families (that word again) and I for one feel all the younger for it. Doctor who has always been my little sanctuary, my secret fantasy, where that strange man and his time machine are always close by and keeping thing safe. It never once bothered me if I didn't get a complete history of a bit player in one adventure or another, and it doesn't bother me now. It's a weekly escape from reality and I love it!

Doctor Who has had its fair share of poor season openers over the years, but fortunately New Earth will not be remembered as one of them. The episode featured an enjoyable story, some good set pieces, and high quality acting and was visually colourful and brilliant. Some plot elements may not have been that original (i.e. the living dead, murderous goings on at a hospital and body swaps), but these elements – along with a few twists – were made interesting enough to keep the show entertaining for 45 minutes. The Face of Boe storyline was also clever as it hints at something interesting to come in the future, which should keep viewers watching.

The highlight among a series of good performances was undoubtedly Billie Piper’s portrayal of the Cassandra possessed Rose, which was frighteningly like the Zoл Wannamaker original. David Tennant’s performance was also very encouraging. He looked comfortable in the role of a Tenth Doctor who seems more eccentric than his immediate predecessor. Yet, Doctor Ten is a complex character who can be just as passionate about injustice as his forebears as his reactions to the Sister’s treatment of their ‘patients’ in ‘intensive care’ showed. The episode also proved the ‘new new Doctor’ is funny and retains the traditional mix of serious and humorous personality traits that have made the character so endurable. Tennant did well to so convincingly convey such a rounded character in his full adventure.

The design and effects work in the story must rank as some of the best in Doctor Who history. The futuristic landscape looked really impressive and showed a lot of imagination and creative talent. The Sisters were also well realised and it is clear that a lot of time and effort went into creating them. The make up used on the disease victims was very convincing and they looked like they were genuinely the victims of some horrific condition. It is also worth noting that the Face of Boe and Cassandra (the trampoline version) looked even better than they did last year. Even the music seemed to work well and fit in with the mood of the story. This is all indicative of the high production values established last season being raised even further.

All in all New Earth represents a solid start to the new season.