If there's one thing you can say about The End Of The World, it doesn't scrimp on the visuals. In fact, it's got more effects shots than any other episode ever, which is quite an achievement given that it's only half the length of the average original series episode. Russell T. Davies has stated his intention to compete with American science-fiction shows in terms of production values, but I have to say this doesn't quite reach those heights - the CGI effects still look slightly glassy and like a 3D cartoon, which is of course exactly what they are. Nevertheless, it's a big step in that direction and if you turn off your cynicism then there's a lot of fun to be had in this episode.

This is arguably not clear from the beginning, as I am uncertain what to make of the opening TARDIS scene. The bells and bicycle pumps on the console are a worrying pointer to the indulgences to come for the rest of Davies's contribution to the series, and also show a misunderstanding of what makes the TARDIS what it is. The sheer spectacle of it being bigger on the inside than outside is good for a point, but once this is accepted the viewers need more, which they got in the original series with the space-age, gleaming white interior which formed a stark visual contrast to the shabby exterior. Now it's shabby on the outside and shabby on the inside; an all round piece of junk, in other words. Did he really get Rose a bicycle (see The Doctor Dances), or did he just cobble together something himself? Ironic is the fact that the Doctor now has near-total control over it, which he shows us by never leaving Earth (yes I know I keep going on about it but it really bugs me). What did make me laugh though, as a hardened Who nerd, is the fact that the Doctor glosses over the middle of the 22nd century as being boring when he knows full well there's a Dalek invasion in full swing.

One thing that strikes me immediately, even from the pre-titles sequence, is how annoying the music is. Murray Gold has got a rough ride, but I generally quite like his work on the series (his score for Dalek I think is excellent, and his version of the theme beats most versions other than the original). He is especially good when you consider the average score by Keff McCulloch, Malcolm Clarke or even, in truth, Dudley Simpson. Here however, he really is annoying. When I was younger I used to play the fantasy battles game Warhammer and there's a figure in that that attacks by shooting you full of little needles and then sending an electric current through them; listening to that tingtingtingting noise as the Doctor and Jabe make their way through the power ducts, I know how that feels. However, he does improve towards the end when he resorts to more conventional orchestral arrangements.

Right from the start we are presented with little Douglas Adams-esque touches, a Davies trademark, like religion being banned aboard Platform One. These though are not presented to enrich the setting but simply as a joke: things like that and the frozen vomit from The Long Game give me the uneasy feeling that a comedy universe is being established for the programme. Also of note early on is the introduction of the psychic paper - a lazy writer's device if ever I saw one, with the additional disadvantage of making no sense at all, not even the pseudo-sense of the sonic screwdriver. In fact, with the paper, the screwdriver and then later Rose's augmented telephone I get the feeling that Davies is removing all those elements that might cause problems for the writers (or tension in the plot), but seeing as the episode lengths are so drastically cut down I'll let it go.

Put these thoughts on hold, because here come the aliens! On the whole they are very good, with the exception of the blue childlike workers on the station, who look like oxygen-starved Oompah Loompahs. The sitar music as the trees arrive is an unimaginative hippy sound (what's the first thing that comes to you mind when I say "nature", Murray?). The Moxx of Balhoon reminds me of Sil from Vengeance On Varos and The Trial Of A Time Lord, a reference reinforced by Lady Cassandra's constant need to be moisturised. This is in fact arguably the new series's most derivative episode: the Steward's death is straight out of Dragonfire, while the spiders are half Cybermat and half Minority Report scanner. Their heads also look a bit like the droids from the dismal Phantom Menace. 

Lady Cassandra is genuinely impressive and well-voiced by Zoe Wanamaker, with her rude bigotry making her an effective presence in terms of substance as well as style. The jukebox though is very annoying - not least because Christopher Eccleston is so clearly playing for laughs, getting his freak on to Soft Cell. The jukebox is an overwhelming indulgence (there's that word again...it just fits so well), not least because of the music on it. I know I'm heading into dangerously subjective territory here, but if it played out a crackly Robert Johnson record from the 1930s I'd be happy but not many others necessarily would. Similarly, if you don't like Britney Spears then frankly you're screwed. More to the point, it's so camp - not just because of it being Britney Spears, but simply because a mainstream pop record is being used as incidental music. The series no longer looks camp because of the budgetary and technological increases, so Davies is compensating by writing it to be camp.

Meanwhile, Rose has wandered off and met Raphallo before meeting back with the Doctor. Raphallo is a good character, there simply to add detail to the narrative (Davies's strength, but so rarely used to its full effectiveness); we learn nothing from her death as we've already seen the spiders in action. Meanwhile, the Doctor has filled us in on how the TARDIS translates other languages, which was first explained in The Masque Of Mandragora. I'll say this again when I get to reviewing Masque, but it is a good reason to have them all speaking English. Besides, if they didn't then we'd all be inundated with Zygon-English dictionaries and people taking degrees in Raxicoricofallipatorian As A Foreign Language. It did strike me as significant though that what could be passed of as a "Time Lord Gift" in 1976 now needs a proper explanation.

Earlier I mentioned the Steward's death (it's too late at night for me to be thinking about structuring this properly), which leads me to the first of two massive contrivances of the episode, another Davies trademark. The spiders can lower the sun shields with the touch of one button; does this button have "commit suicide" written on it? In fact, why have them able to lower at all, as the only function by doing so is to kill people?

As the Doctor and Jabe the Tree Princess (sounds quite strange when said like that, doesn't it?) investigate the sabotage, we get the first indication that Gallifrey has gone kaboom. This is extremely well acted by Eccleston, and puts at rest any fears of his heart not being in his job...for now, anyway. Now we come to another bone of contention: the air conditioning. It's the year five billion, and the station is kept cool by some whirling blades. Terry Nation once said in an interview that anything you create in you fictional universe is yours to do what you like with; Davies seems to have taken that too literally. Storming back to the plot, Cassandra's threat to moisturise people with acid is straight out of Mars Attacks!. Has anybody noticed that all the life has been totally drained out of the dialogue when it simply concerns the plot? It's as if Davies wants to get it over with as quickly as possible so he can get back to talking about the girl down the post office who looks Greek.

"Sir! One of the machines has gone out of control! We need to find the emergency cut off switch! Where is it!?" "Oh, it's just over on that wall. Watch out for the landmines, though". Yes, now we come to the other massive contrivance: the Doctor is forced into some nifty footwork as some genius has put the emergency override control on the other side of three spinning blades that keep the station cool but don't ruffle a hair on the Doctor's head even though he's right next to one. With Jabe toasted he pulls some grasshopper-zen baloney and spirits himself through the third fan (nice to see the Doctor still has super powers); the fact that he can navigate them himself makes Jabe's sacrifice pointless.

This tells a very simple tale, albeit more didactic than the usual Davies fare, as the end scene shows. This is good for the length of the episodes, something that seems to be lost on Davies in later episodes. Having said that, if it came later I would probably criticise it for being too disposable, but as it's purpose as the second episode is to continue establishing the programme’s credentials then it works well enough in its way.

Whilst the privileged in the U.K. are, at the time of writing this, pouring over last night's Empty Child and anticipating next Saturday's Episode 10, we poor Australians have only made it to Episode 1, Rose.

Actually, what could be better? 12 - not just 4 - more episodes to look forward to, following on from a very promising start.

I probably went through most people's initial reactions when learning, months ago, of the new Doctor's contempory costume and pop star Billie Piper's role as his companion. And what was this "coral" idea inside the TARDIS? And what sort of title is "Rose" for a Doctor Who story anyway?

But even before the series aired there was time to reflect on all these changes. For instance, the Doctor's character would be more important than his costume, not to mention that a low-key leather jacket seems preferable to multi-coloured long coats and question marks! Billie? Well, let's see her act before passing judgement (though it was a relief to read, prior to the show's debut here, a slew of positive reviews posted on this website). Eventually some picture snaps of the TARDIS interior came out, banishing that concern. So it became a case of wait and see, coupled with a growing feeling that just maybe they weren't going to miss the mark (no further mention of 1996!).

Now, with a warm and happy glow, I can talk about the episode itself. First and foremost: it was Doctor Who in both name and character; one can imagine a whole new generation of frightened kiddies, over-protective mothers turning off the TV, and emergent protogeeks (sorry guys - and gal - but we are, to the boring blinkered rest of society), thanks in no small part to a particularly lovely, nasty Auton killing spree at the end. For this show to be true to itself, it must have teeth; I'd be worried if there were no complaints about violence at all.

The domestic scenes were certainly atypical for Doctor Who but thankfully so well handled that one could actually enjoy them. I even liked Jackie - didn't think I would! - and I'll have to watch it again to discern Mickie's terrible acting, for he seemed to serve his role as far as I was concerned first time around. These slice of life elements also serve well to foster a sense of identification for the new viewers, providing them a base from which to start, lending perspective to the stranger concepts and, by contrasting the Doctor's entirely different character, helping to illustrate his vaguely alien presence.

Which leads me to the next most important ingredient: the Doctor, of course. He must be smart, eccentric, sometimes childish, sometimes serious. A sense of humour helps, and he should in no way come across perfect. Christopher Eccleston seems to have created his own indelible character within the broad parameters of this framework and so far I have no complaints. If he improves with "settling in" as every other Doctor has in the past, we're in for a very interesting Time Lord. Similarly, it's great to see, as so many reviewers have so far pointed out, a strong and likeable character in Rose; her decision at the end to join the Doctor after initially declining had one member of our little household audience clapping with delight.

The story itself had admittedly more style than substance, with a two-parter here perhaps being justified. Still, what was in it was generally good. Bringing the Autons back was a smart move, as most fans can readily accept this familiar enemy whilst adjusting to all the new changes. For the uninitiated, it's difficult to imagine a better introduction to the dangerous world of Doctor Who. Setting the drama from the companion's point of view was certainly one of RTD's best ideas, harkening back to the very first story, An Unearthly Child - for Rose, of course, now has to serve the very same purpose as pilot episode for a brand new audience.

And this is a crucial point. However much the aging fans of Doctor Who (such as myself, alas) wish it otherwise, the show is no longer targeted for them and them alone. But a smart show aimed at intelligent youngsters is far better than a dumb show aimed at mindless adults. Doctor Who has always been the former. Let's face it though, it only intermittently lived up to it's potential, and I'm not just referring to poor set design or low budgeting; often the scripts themselves were illogical and contrived. But always imaginative. If this new series does no less, I won't complain. With a little bit of luck we'll be served something even better, if the producers have managed to learn anything from the sophistication of such shows as Star Trek, Babylon 5, Buffy and Angel. My prediction is something in between - there will be improvements and good moments, mixed very probably with ideas better left on the drawing board. I doubt, however, it will every old fan's dream. Doctor Who will be aimed primarily, as it always has been, at the younger generation, but it will have been suitably updated into a style and format it's new audience, raised on a diet of quality American productions such as those just listed, can better appreciate. I see little wrong in that.

For now, here's looking foreword to the End of the World!

They may not have noticed the Nestene Consciousness glooping away under the their Eye, or the first suburban street in ‘sowf’ England where wheelie bins outnumber cars; or even the back of a department store that looks like a Bananarama set; but they will have noticed that Doctor Who was back. If you are going to reintroduce a brand (wistful, irrelevant aside to the Marathon chocolate bar), then you need all the mass marketing you can get so that the audience dusts off the nostalgia and buys into the product. Throw in a faux ratings battle; get the press paralytic at the press launch; and deck the billboards with reams of paper; and before you know it Joe public has an inkling that the only place they should be on Easter Saturday is squared eyed in front of the telly, swirling down the odd vortex, whilst choosing the right Celebration (must be low on sugar).

So, the success of the first Doctor Who TV episode since the millennium bug had us all looking at our Argos watches in shame is one of brand and marketing. Without some unsung hero dashing out the copy; building the profile; marketing the brand, the opening night would have had all the wrong signals.

The BBC Production Team seems to have mirrored this frantic oversell. Rose, as a first episode, has a lot to do in terms of positioning characters, revisiting core components of the series, whilst modernising the experience for a family audience with attention deficit disorder. It succeeds on all these levels, which is why we all shrug our shoulders and ignore the absence of story.

It is nice, therefore, not be given the time to think. One of the terrors of the old Who format was that the audience was given precisely that. Stupid plots ambled away, as some extra hilariously gurned their face off to the sound of someone tapping a teaspoon on the side of a cup. Episode one of the new Doctor Who was a cold water splash of wink, wink; say no more. Those silly Nestenes, always the wheelie bin, never the bride (hang on...).

Now, one cannot have style and no substance without some decent characters popping up, or popping off (screen), to ride us through the romp blindly. The entire better if they are grounded in reality by way of the better Carry On films. Some of the fun sequences in the opener belonged to Jackie Tyler and Mickey as they quickly reminded the audience how good comedy was in the Seventies. For a moment, in Rose's flat, it looked as though Christopher Eccleston was about to join in (Carry On Shameless, anyone?), but, no, this was a tease; just one of many in the opening script to conjure up the collected experience, and stop the eyes from drifting to the land of long sewer sequences filmed with daylight effect bulbs. As it turned out this new Doctor (soon to be old) was a bit of a fruit loop, desperately trying not to be Tom Baker. He succeeds here (not without fighting the urge to flash his pearly whites all over town), because, below the line, he is complex and alien. His also totty, which, in this age of living plastic (holds sides) is going to get bums on seats in the same way that a starved monkey will blank the banana if shown female monkey porn.

Billie Piper is also totty, but one that squints in lifts to indicate that the scene is going to change, and that she is going to have to wander in to a dark warehouse clutching the Lottery money, rather than go to the shop and buy the ticket . Rose is an intelligent Vicky Pollard; family friendly tinkers at social policy are off the cuff and quickly zipped along so there is not too much explanation around why her black boyfriend is a useless, cheating (?) git. One can only hope that the guy she gave up her education for had a bit more going for him; otherwise one seriously has to question her taste in men. Oh yes, that’s right, she goes off with the Doctor in the end to film a Timotei advert. Still, think of all those parents sagely rattling off the benefits of education as a prompt after the first episode, completely decimating the audience for Doctor Who Confidential looking at work behind the scenes.

Speaking of which, perhaps one of the production team can shed some light on why much of the ‘human’ drama was filmed using techniques more akin to Danielle Steele’s ‘Secrets’. Did someone borrow the soft focus from a Cosmopolitan shoot? Boak’s direction was similar to that used in NY: LON, until there were more than three words of dialogue when by all accounts he panicked and just left the camera running, or had some poor guy walk backwards with a steadicam at pace. At times there were breathtaking movements where the direction aided narrative simplicity (93 seconds of Rose huffing and folding jumpers as synapses connect for the viewing public), and the big set pieces were, well, big; but there just wasn’t much time for Boak to imprint this episode with much identity. Such a monster piece of television, with the cry for more monsters, promoted as a monster hit.

Which, of course, it was. A huge hit, and there is none more excited than licensing division of the BBC; or Russell T Davies; or all those lovely creative folk that brought Doctor Who back into the mind set of a nation who were more surprised it was coming back , but could tell that it had been away. Chip-eaters up and down the country suddenly found themselves thrown into a world of fantasy, romp, camp idiocy, thrills and sugar rush. They could pretend for 45 minutes that they were not the dysfunctional unit they knew themselves to be, but a family screwed up in front of the telly in a rare vacuum of shared experience. Fake and artificial, maybe, but not at all dissatisfying.

Well. That was quite good, wasn't it?

Watched it first with my parents and my sixteen-year-old brother, then again alone in the dark. Enjoyed it far more the second time, and thus this short review draws from my second experience of Rose ...

The opening sting and title sequence were perfect, and I loved the mad rush down to Earth and through London. Music seems very Eighties, very Keff... but I think that's perfect. Billie is adorable, and even her opening shots with Mickey were very sweet. How cute did Billie look when she was in the lift trying to keep her eyes open! The first Autons sequence works beautifully when you're on your own in the dark, and I'm sure it'd scare the hell out of many a young 'un. (Did I hear some Graham Norton??? Someone, please check again... I'm sure of it!)

Then someone grabs Rose's hand, tells her to run, and BAM! We've got a new Doctor. And from the word go, he's our Doctor. Surprisingly, I loved his arrogance and his accent. Why? It's different. Refreshing. And all that. When the department store blew up, I immediately relaxed about the effects in this series.

Okay. Next morning. Billie is looking adorable again, even first thing in the sodding morning. (My girlfriend somehow manages to do this too... ah, women.) Sadly, Jackie is a little over-the-top... didn't have to be. The news report... the building blew up, so all Central London was closed off? Isn't that over-reacting a little? I loved it, actually... to me, it's a nice subtle little "kiss" to the Seventies Pertwee era, when they went to such extremes on the show.

Ooh! Scratching at the door... scary music... is it the monsters? Nope. Our Doctor. We have a nice little tete-a-tete at the catflap, reminiscent of the TV movie (I prefer the latter sequence), and the Doctor bursts in. And, of course, we have the (now) oft-quoted Jackie/Doctor meeting moment. Huh. Jackie even seems quite attractive when trying to seduce him! (Pretend I didn't say that.) I enjoyed Billie's ignoring of the Doctor's antics in the living room, though Eccleston seems to be rushing through these antics a little. Things pick up when the Auton hand smothers him, though. Yay, the sonic screwdriver!!!

So now we're outside. Great lighting and photography. (Do I sound savvy yet? Didn't think so.) And here comes some wonderful chemistry between our two leads. I could get very used to seeing these two together. But (as my father pointed out in the first viewing) why do we have fast music here? It's not needed. The Doctor's "world turning" speech... I nearly wept, it was so good. And there was the original TARDIS noise! (In the first viewing, my brother cheered!)

Rose comes to see Mickey... a great line nobody's mentioned: "Don't read my emails!" I let out a huge guffaw. Wow... Mickey, an almost unanimously reviled character (at least in this ep), made me laugh! This is good. So she goes to see Clive... and Mickey tries to look hard while sitting in the car. (Don't make that dirty, guys.) Another big guffaw from me. Clive surprised me too - loved his characterisation. Those photos of Doctor-sightings, especially the JFK ones... they could've tried a bit harder! Yes, the wheelie-bin looked vaguely cartoonish, but I still enjoyed it. Cute. But then Rose comes back to Mickey, who's all plastic and... well, to me, hilarious. "Pizzaaaa!!! Pph! Pph!" Like some demented Ninja Turtle.

In the restaurant, I laughed out loud again at the clone-Mickey's terms-of-endearment malfunction. And "doesn't anyone want my champagne?" You know, I had no idea that'd turn out to be the Doctor in that reveal. That was my "hero moment". I got scared when the disembodied head opened its eyes. And I'm 22!! Loved the mallets aswell. (For the record, I'm still vehemently anti-CGI. But hey, this worked.)

So we're running away from the Mickey-Auton, and the Doctor casually strolls into the TARDIS. Oh, to be young and unknowledgeable! When Rose steps in, steps out, then runs in again... it's a breathtaking moment, even for someone who knows what she's going to find. I loved the Doctor's "No no no no no!!!" as the TARDIS did silly things - very Doctorish. Now we're on the Embankment for a bit of necessary exposition for those who aren't familiar with the whole "aliens-from-dying-world-need-our-well-everything" plot from old sci-fi. ("The Invaders", anyone?) Loved the triple-take London Eye gag. And the one about the breast implants.

But then... suddenly... we're in the Nestene lair. Er... that was a little... quick. Oh well. Wasn't so concerned the second time round, to be honest. But still jarred a bit with me. Anyway, the Doctor talks to the Consciousness... a bit of Doctorishness, a bit of exposition, a bit of reference to the oncoming story arc... and the TARDIS is revealed. Again, I didn't know this was going to happen (and I'm a spoiler FREAK!). Meanwhile, in Central London, the dummies are coming alive again. Which, to me, doesn't get frightening until they're out in the street. And then it is QUITE freaky. Love the brides. And the atmospheric FX stuff with the London Eye - very TV movie, and very effective.

Billie saves the day in very Buffy-ish style, but I'm not complaining. All is well, and Rose declines the Doctor's offer to come with him. The TARDIS fades away, then of course reappears. The Doctor forgot to mention something... and as someone who's been enamoured of the whole concept of time-travel since I was quite, quite young, I shared Rose's excitement - and her huge grin - as she ran towards her future in slow-mo, accompanied by our favourite sting. And how about that voice-over at the end! I love my ABC.

So, Rose has dumped her plastic life and joined the Doctor on his "anti-plastic" adventures. (Nice allegory - was I the only one to notice?) A very good introduction to the characters and - to a lesser extent - the set up of the series, Rose achieves in forty-five minutes what the TV movie tried very hard and ultimately failed to achieve in over twice that length of time. I love this Doctor, this companion, this team, this TARDIS... I know the next few months are going to be the trip of a...

See? Didn't say it.

When the announcement came through that a new series of "Doctor Who" was going into production, ready for a 2005 transmission, I have to admit, my first response was: "oh, no!" Not, I must add, because I was afraid it would be rubbish, but because 2005 was scheduled to be my year abroad from university. I was to spend the first half of the year in Germany, and wouldn't be able to see it! Typical - I became a fan in 1996 (yes, the movie did convert some of us) and they have had almost a decade to bring it back; when they do, I have to miss it!

Still, thanks to the delights of a friend's DVD recorder (she was home for episodes 1 and 2 only) and BBC DVD's quick work, I have now had the pleasure of episodes 1, 2 and 3. I've read all sorts of reviews, and really, some fans will moan about anything, won't they?

"Rose" is, as far as I am concerned, the perfect way to bring the show back. We meet the Doctor through the eyes of Rose, played so very well by Billie Piper. I remember being impressed with her in "Canterbury Tales" but here she is something else. 

I showed this episode to a non-fan friend who sat through it, all the while gasping in surprise at how "cool" it was. "Doctor Who" is cool. Believe it. 

So, why do I love Rose so much? Well, firstly, there's the Doctor. Wild, manic and very very funny, this is the Doctor as he should be, showing up, saving the world and leaving again. Eccleston nails it from his first word - "Run!" and is the star of every scene he is in. Somehow, despite his everyman look, everything about him feels right - I believe in this Doctor, I want to spend time with him, to get to know him. His "I can feel it" speech adds much more mystery to the character than any of the Cartmel stories ever did.

Next up, Rose herself. She balances initial disbelief with a growing realisation of what she is encountering so well, and her first scene in the TARDIS is brilliant. 

Thirdly, the TARDIS. Just what I'd hoped for, the designers haven't simply ignored either the original design or the TV Movie version, and have come up with a cracking set.

Fourth - the Autons are back. Though not named, we know who they are. The plot is a little non existent, but it's fast, it's fun, it's an adventure and it's "Doctor Who", people. rejoice.

There are many magic moments in "Rose". The first time you see the Doctor. The lovely scene where he looks in the mirror. Clive's menacing summary of our hero. The beautiful, haunting scene where the Doctor tells Rose who he is, and the arguably even better bit just afterwards where he walks back to THAT BOX and you hear THAT SOUND over a haunting score as Rose runs back to see the dematerialisation. Rose's first trip in the TARDIS. The Doctor pleading for humanity, suddenly very serious and very scary - "I am talking!" The Doctor and Rose leaving together at the end.

Oh, it has faults, but you know what, I don't care. "Rose" marks the welcome return of a hero who should never have been away for so long. Christopher Eccleston is Doctor Who. Believe it. Watch it. Love it.

My first impressions of 'Rose' are very mixed. I got the feeling that Christopher Eccleston was playing The Doctor as a bit of a smug goof. I can only think this was a gimmick for his initial performance, because there were moments of intensity which made me think, yeah, this is The Doctor after all. These being the skin of the Planet speech, and the regret in his voice for worlds he was unable to save. From the things I've heard I get the impression that these undercurrents are going to slowly accumulate. So, for now, I'm reserving judgement on Christopher, because I think he can be a great Doctor if the script is permitting.

Rose herself, well I knew Billie Piper could act, and she does a good job of making Rose a character who is very self-aware. I thik that's her strength, she has no illusions and also she is very curious. There is one point in the episode where her boyfriend holds her back from helping the Doctor. This seems typical man on the street mind your own business stuff. She isn't like that though, she 's like the Doctor and will not mind her own business, she will get involved. For me Billie was the best thing in it, there being a real sense of her joy as she rushed for the Tardis door at then end.

Supporting characters, well Clive was just Mr Exposition, who met with a tragic end and I didn't care at all. The boyfriend was annoying, cowardly, and the actor who played him was far better as the Auton. Nice body movements and menacing smile, all subtlety was lost, however, when he started speaking too fast. Oh and Rose's mum I simply found annoying, like she wondered in from a certain East London soap with her talk of benefits and shopping. She was a caricature, so again, fear for her safety or caring for her character, nill. Social realism, matter of opinion, yes annoying people like that do exist. IFor me Rose was the only member of the human race who made any emotional impact. The episode sorely missed a human authority figure, who goes through the stages of suspecting, threatening and then trusting the Doctor.

Being a Doctor Who fan I suppose I'm used to a slower buildup of facts, and I even like the padding. There was no padding in this, and as I said, no subtlety, no real buildup of darkness or threat. I'm going to hear things like, this is tv for the 21st century and needs to be fast and sharp, but for me it was missing something. I understand though, that's it's a first episode, and it's going to take a little time. I was very pleased to see the dummies break through the shop windows, nice throwback to Spearhead in Space.

So... mixed bag, but I haven't given up. This was my first taste, and it may take a few weeks to get into. It's good to have the Doctor back and the title sequence was very Tom Bakerish. Shame about the BBC3 audio bleed, as Rose enters a darkened room filled with dummies there is riotous applause.