It's with great pleasure that I write this, my enthusiastic review of Christopher Eccleston's final adventure!

What's that, you ask? That isn't right. Surely you're mistaken. This is The Christmas Invasion (TCI), the FIRST adventure for David Tennant!

But no, I disagree - in part at least. You see, something is going on in the story that escapes the eyes of the viewer at first glance. You may choose to differ on this, but I think that after reading my words, you will at the very least understand. Let's go back...

When the Ninth Doctor regenerated, he didn't skip a beat, remaining standing and in command of his situation. Sure he transformed and there was a momentary sense of imbalance, but he continued in his conversation with Rose as though nothing had happened. And for the Doctor, regenerating may not be a personal everyday experience, but he's done it numerous times, so he shakes it off, only realizing a minute later that Rose is quite in the dark. He probably never even expected to make a change so soon after having done it just months ago, so telling Rose all about this aspect of his life wasn't a high priority.

Moving into the story proper of TCI, we see a new-faced Doctor stagger from the TARDIS, joyously greet Jackie and Mickey, then subsequently collapse to the ground. He hasn't even taken time to examine his new features, as we discover much later in the story, having to ask Rose whether he's gotten better looking or not. But this is not David Tennant here. Oh, no! This is still our Christopher, our Ninth Doctor, looking out through the eyes of a new body.

As the story progresses, we see this surface from time to time. He knows there's trouble and wants to do something but he can't. This trait is not exclusive to any one Doctor, certainly, but carrying over from Chris's strong-willed determination and daring (traits that were unquestionably augmented in his ninth life) we see a Doctor who is trying to discover who he is now.

As a side-note here I would say this is thankfully done without a tremendous amount of post-regenerative amnesia, as has been done to death in the past. Particularly with the Eighth Doctor, whom I've personally dubbed, "The Amnesiac Doctor". Really, if you go back and look, Paul McGann's run was beset by multiple plotlines in which the Doctor loses his memory: The TV Movie, the novelizations of The Eight Doctors as well as the whole recent, multi-year story-arc in which he traumatically loses it, and in more than one Big Finish Adventure!

But back to the present... It isn't until our new David Tennant model emerges toward the end of the story, that all of these things are really made apparent, as he strolls idly about the Sycorax ship musing over what the breadths and depths of his personality truly are. Never before has the transformation and recovery been address in such a thoughtful and existential manner. And this is where I make the obligatory and much-deserved nod to Russel T. Davies for crafting the new, modern and intelligent mood of the show.

You see, it's the NINTH Doctor in that dressing gown, ambling around the room. Asking himself what he's all about. And maybe also asking Rose, who knows him better than anybody else in the room. He begins as stated earlier by asking for her appraisal of his new appearance. Then, apologizes after harshly scolding her for losing faith in him, something I think we all wanted to do at one point or another during the story. But of course that would be unfair to Rose, as this is again, all new to her. It was the NINTH Doctor, laying in bed and wishing he could get up and save the world. It was the NINTH Doctor who battled the Sycorax leader, lost his hand and - freaking awesomely - grew himself a new one, adding some more guidelines to the process of regeneration for all us geeks out here. Apparently within the first 15 hours post-regen, you can slice him, dice him (within limits) and he can rebuild himself right before your eyes! Something we've imagined for decades, now made fact right before our eyes.

It isn't until the end of the story that the Ninth Doctor finally gives his nod and moves on. You may think that this takes place in the TARDIS wardrobe, which we finally get to see in all it's comic-book-magnitude glory, but actually, it's at the very end of the story. As the Doctor prepares to leave with Rose, he elicits one of his commentaries on the wonders of the universe and, sidling up to Rose, glances sidelong at her saying, "It's gonna be... Fantastic!" And with that last vestige of his old self bobbing to the surface, you could almost see the Ninth Doctor behind his eyes, turning and walking off.

Goodbye Christopher Eccleston... Thank you for hanging on a bit longer!

Basically, I saw this as David Tennant playing Christopher Eccleston's Doctor coming to terms with his new self. It isn't a Ninth Doctor-esque performance that David is delivering, but that of a Doctor in-bewteen. You may say, Well, of course he is, that's obvious! But really, never has a DW story been written or performed that showcased the sense of the old giving way to the new upon changing Doctors.

Other enjoyable touches were the lopping off of the Doctor's right hand, on account of the fact that in the mini-adventure last month, he complained about a "slight weakness in the dorsal tubercle". The fact that he affects a Texas accent and proclaims, "This new hand is a FIGHTIN' hand!" suggests that his malady has not only been rectified, but that his new extremity is actually enhanced. Probably like a bone being stronger after having been broken and re-set. And good for him!

Mickey seems to have evolved in accepting Rose's new lifestyle, moaning sadly that she's never going to want to stay home. He knows that the Doctor isn't a threat to whatever relationship he and rose may have. Not in that way. But she's still outside of our dimension with another fellow, and that can't be easy for him. You just want to hug the poor guy. But we know that eventually she'll stop traveling one day. I'm sure we're all hoping that the kids come together in the end.

My only slight criticism (and this is totally unfair to point out, so don't think it actually bothered me beyond the minute I thought of it) is the way in which the Sycorax stand back and let the Doctor run off at the mouth. It felt like all the threat and suspense and tension stopped. Like these guys would just let some human-like creature take over the situation for trivial bantering. But of course, yes, yes, absolutely... this is what Doctor Who is. There have been endless encounters in which the Doctor talked an alien threat stupid with his endless banter. So, I'll say that the moment pressed my suspension of disbelief a bit, but my better sense made me get over it and just enjoy the show.

Oh! And UNIT! Proper UNIT! Total, in-your-face, situation room UNIT, like we've always imagined! Now all we need is for Nick Courtney to do a drop in sometime soon. Please?

And it's got to be said how cool it was for Harriet Jones to put our sometimes arrogant government in it's place by making a statement to keep its nose out of the matter. It was such a disappointment to see her corrupted by her zeal to protect her people. One couldn't help feeling sorry for her, having realized what she has done.

Ah! And the Doctor mocking of the the leader's booming voice was priceless! Perfect Adams-Esque lampooning of the science-fiction genre.

And as for the trailer at the end... I can't wait! I will say this also: Come on! Anthony Head is the Master! Got to be! "Mr. Finch" sounds so like a classic Master cover name! And who isn't anxious the see the new Metropolis-style Cybermen in action?

One might say that the Tenth Doctor's persona has taken a turn for the better in a way. Last season we would see him doing everything possible to avoid spending time with Jackie, calling Rose from the TARDIS and somewhat rudely declining an invitation to dinner. Chris's Doctor was a loner, yet a lonely one. He shunned those he didn't feel that close to, probably due to fear of losing anybody, especially considering he'd just recently lost his entire world. So when he did in fact meet someone worthy of his attentions, it really mattered to him that they would agree to travel with him.

David's attitude is warmer, more receptive, embracing. We actually see the Doctor sitting at table with the Tylers and Mickey, laughing and enjoying himself. And I'd say we're all happy for him to have opened up and allowed the domestics inside finally. He doesn't rush off this time, but stays for dinner and pulls a cracker or two.

It will be a fascinating seeing how the more mature Sarah Jane receives this new, vital Doctor. Will he tell her of the Time Lords' demise? Will she find him dishy? You just can't tell in this new series. Who'd have thought we could actually be this surprised by a show we've watched for decades? Definitely not the reality we ever thought we'd be enjoying a few years ago!

Well, I don't know about Tony Blair but I was certainly making sure that my Christmas dinner was well out of the way in time for Dr Who.

It does seem amazing that in the history of the programme, there was only one episode broadcast on Christmas Day and for the BBC to give it such a huge fanfare this time round was incredible ... I never thought I would see the day!

However, when I first heard about killer Santas and Christmas trees, I think you could be forgiven for fearing the worst.

But the series of clips which we had seen beforehand including the spectacular crash landing of the TARDIS and London under attack certainly put my mind at rest (however there were little in the way of spectacular effect surprises - even the xmas tree was on the Jonathan Ross show but that great clip may well have ensured a bigger audience for the show because it was so good) I do appreciate it is always a delicate balancing act between how much you can give away and how much you should keep secret before it goes out on air.

So did The Christmas Invasion impress? Yes. It was a great hour of fun with some superb lines, impressive graphics and a new Doctor. Comparisons are bound to be made with Christopher Eccleston and whether Tennant was up to the task. I think he was very good, likeable and fun to be with. He actually seems very Doctor-ish! That is probably the highest compliment you can pay to him.

The thing I liked about Eccleston was that he actually brought something to the role which I don't think the original show had. But Tennant right from his introduction was on excellent form. The thrilling spinning Christmas tree was fantastic and the fight sequence was well coordinated. He made a terrific arrival actually against these dastardly villains. The Dr has carried out a sword duel before (was it The Kings Demons? The Sea Devils?) so this is in keeping with Who and Hartnell was involved in a few physical battles. The destruction of the spacecraft at the end and the Dr's angry reaction to Harriet Jones was reminiscent of Dr Who having a go at the Brigadier at the end of Dr Who and The Silurians - I am sure that is where Russell T Davies drew the inspiration from. It was a bit like The Belgrano.

I thought the mass signal to all the humans with blood group A+ was very well handled and quite scary. Russell did very well to draw out the emotion as mums were horror-struck, crying at their children to stop. That part of it was very dramatic and I would imagine quite scary for kids watching, especially as it looked that humans were going to walk off roofs to their death.

One minor gripe about the stories is that Cardiff and London seem to be the same place? Am I the only person who notices this? Continuity? Pah!

I have to say I really like Rose's Mum - I think she is a great character and a good foil for the Dr. I am still not sure about Mickey. I just can't really warm to him and while that is the point, he sometimes seems to be more of a hindrance than anything else. His character just doesn't seem to be developing any further but just seems to be going in circles with Rose.

For me though, the highlight of the programme was the good old British cup of tea waking up the Dr in the Tardis. What a brilliant and funny touch by Russell!

The clip montage was terrific at the end and the clips of K9 and the Cybermen were thrilling. I think David Tennant will be a very good Doctor and clearly seems to revel in the character. He was hilarious when replying to the Sycorax with a big deep throaty response! I loved that bit!!! The villains seemed a bit Lord of the Rings inspired.

So The Christmas Invasion - the highest rated Dr Who story probably since The City of Death - pressed all the right buttons, provided a very festive feel, and Dr No.10 made a terrific entrance. The show was sprinkled with some great humour and very wittily written by Russell. All round a great production. Roll on the next series!

That was the most spectacularly executed transition from one doctor to another - RTD in his brilliant understanding of Doctor Who used Rose not only to express the viewpoint and feelings of the audience but to direct it and give it a big shove. Rose's distress at losing 'her doctor', suspicion, feelings of being abandoned and cheated with something less that what she had are familiar to any one who saw 'their' doctor go away and be replaced by some weirdo imposter. Billie Piper's role (and that of all the other returning cast members) was to nudge the audience into accepting the new doctor and to sanction our approval when it came... not that we needed any help!

David Tennant is truly wonderful and clearly has a very good idea of what the Doctor should be like without trotting out an imitation of anything that has gone before (a frequent mistake or anyone after Tom Baker). He also comes across as though he is having a whale of a time which makes everything he does all the more watchable. Personally I am over the moon- my kind of Doctor is back... he's witty, quick, fun, has masses of gravitas and huge piercing eyes (and isn't telling everyone to shut-up nor is he wearing a self-consciously modern or macho leather coat).

So much of the special harked back to those parts of the series that made it wonderful...

...a flawed friend in Harriet Jones making the same mistakes that the Brigadier would made every four weeks. Though with RTD's writing and Penelope Wilton's endearing performance the character is so much more understandable - making her divergence from the Doctor's moral stance even more troubling. And what a brilliant and almost chilling demonstration of the power of rumour in the Doctor's 'don't you think she looks tired' term-ending technique - this is great pen vs sword stuff for kids wilst being anything but patronising to adults.

We had the wonderful wierdness of a skinny bloke in jim-jams crossing broad-swords with a caped fleshy fiend miles above London - but played with the same conviction and professionalism that the series started with -before pantomime and camp took over. Great quirky ideas like bood-control and pilot fish designed to enthuse children about biology and the idea that a monster could even be your own race 'defending' itself against a retreating ship.

Mind-expanding, cheerful, fun but without farting or burping (and hopefully none heading our way) and the cybermen, baroque androids and K9 are coming.

A fantastic episode which really set the scene for the oncoming series. The highlights for me included: Discovering Torchwood; Seeing UNIT in action; Harriet Jones, who was one of my favourite characters, destroying herself and being traitorous. This was a FANTASTIC plot twist.

However, I cannot help but feel some things really did not work in the favour of the series. The Father Christmases had very little explanation around them, and could have worked a lot more in favour of the script, especially after the hype. The series seemed to be going a lot more star trek orientated with random teleportations moving the storyline along, which shouldn’t be encouraged too often.

By the way, why did Mickey and Harriet understand the english being spoken by the Sycorax? They aren’t involved with the TARDIS.

Also, the Doctor throwing the satsuma at the button to kill off the Sycorax leader was ridiculous. Again, no more deus ex machine, please.

All in all, despite the downfalls I think that this really helped to push along the next slice of Dr Who. The character development for some characters was really good - not (in my opinion) for the Doctor, whose script was embarrassing due to its attempts to be random. This really just doesn’t work as eccentric, which is more how the Doctor needs to come across.

"The Christmas Invasion" was a home-grown "Independence Day"-esque adventure with more brain to it.

A great way to introduce the tenth doctor, though it waould have been nice to see more of him. Generally I find post regeration trauma something a bit old hat now, and something to be got through as a necessity, so that a new era can properly get going. However, it's all new to the new fans I suppose......

Generally the episode had good pace and built up well. The Christams menace bits worked well though it would have ben nice to have had a bit more of them. They seemed to do their bit and then go too soon. The build up of the alien menace was good, with Penelope Wilton a strong presence- let's hope this character gets used again. It was, I suppose, predictable that the doctor would stagger from his sickbed to save the day but Tennant did it with such quirky style that it was wonderful. He's going to be excellent. Not quite such a domianting presence as Eccleston, but commanding in a different way nevertheless. A new man with a new enthusiasm for life, the time war-scarred brooding doctor laid to rest.

Plenty of good doctorish moments in evidence here- particularly at the end when, having routed the aliens, he breates the PM for an unnecessary (maybe) attack on them. Lovely stuff. And for me the best "scre moment" was the hypnotised people climbing onto the roof. Would they jump? Probably not on Christmas day, but it worked.

This episode was bursting with great ideas like this, and an extra chunk of time would have been nice to let them all swim around a bit more. Nontheless a good shot, dramatic and funny, and gets the "new doctor" out of the way so next series can begin in full swing.

Won't it be good to have a doctor with some longevity again? With two seasons and two specials under his belt Tennant will, in terms of screen time, be the longest doctor since Davison. If he does a third season he'll be the longest since Tom Baker. At last- an era that will be a proper era. Roll on season 28!

Like last seasonВ’s В‘The End of the WorldВ’, Russell T. Davis has delved into the Douglas Adams ideas box and reshaped the Vogon destruction of Earth into В‘The Christmas InvasionВ’ complete with a new Doctor in the guise of Arthur Dent. So far, so familiar.

Since this episode is being broadcast as the Big Christmas Hit, it is carefully В– if not cynically - constructed to engage an audience who might not necessarily be watching. The first twenty minutes or so concentrate on Rose TylerВ’s (Billie Piper) hapless family as they battle with their mundane Christmas and a host of festive horrors. The new Doctor sensibly stays in bed. We wouldnВ’t want to alienate the audience too soon. Stick with the folks we can relate to.

The next twenty minutes or so are culled straight from В‘QuatermassВ’ and are delivered with thrilling special effects and a dramatic score. After that, itВ’s Christmas pantomime time as David Tennant В– revived by a cup of tea - strides out of the TARDIS (В“HeВ’s behind you!В”) to confront the kind of highly camp, over-blown and two-dimensional villan that so typified В‘Doctor WhoВ’ of old. To write the Doctor as EarthВ’s legendary saviour demands a powerful performance. This wasnВ’t it.

ThereВ’s a big plastic button that mustnВ’t be pressed, a gallant swordfight that weВ’ve seen in many adventure yarns normally scheduled for this time of year, and a big explosion. Oh, and thereВ’s lots of London landmarks and union flags just to remind us all that the Doctor is British. Please!

As for the new Doctor, I kept yearning for the gravitas of previous incumbent, Christopher Eccleston. TennantВ’s performance was overly enthusiastic and steeped in comedy (saving the day by throwing a satsuma). I never thought IВ’d see an episode of the current В‘Doctor WhoВ’ which would remind me of Colin BakerВ’s overblown and clownish debut in В‘The Twin DilemmaВ’ В– right down to the hackneyed scene of Tennant in the TARDIS wardrobe with a scarf around his neck.

Now that В‘Only Fools and HorsesВ’ has shuffled off to the TV archives, I imagine we can look forward to annual festive adventures of the Tyler family. However, just what the production team will do, when Billie Piper finally departs (as indeed, she must) is anyoneВ’s guess. Sending В‘Doctor WhoВ’ away from the council estate and back into space seems highly unlikely.