Almost half way into the new series of Doctor Who and the writers have thrown us, to my mind, two stories that will stand out as classics. "Dalek" joins "The Unquiet Dead" as being an episode that not only feels like Doctor Who but which has real suspense and fear, and which brings something new to the programme. Really, this was not only high quality television (so rare these days) but Doctor Who at it's best.

The first thing I noticed, vague similarities to "The Space Museum" excepted, was the reference to "Bad Wolf" again as the helicopter landed. Surely another piece of the jigsaw that is the story arc. I now assume that we'll have to wait until the very last episode of the series to put that jigsaw together.

Of course we'd all seen the bronze Dalek in the newspapers and trailers, and it looks faithful enough to the originals to be acceptable to "old" fans like myself. But what of the promise that we would "cry for the poor Dalek"? Surely this would require some revision of accepted history?

Well no, because the Dalek takes on some of Rose's DNA by tricking her into touching it so we ended up with a genetically modified Dalek that had a range of emotions not seen before and quite appropriate to its situation. Indeed we got something of a role reversal with the Doctor ranting and shouting at the creature, who replied chillingly "You'd make a good Dalek". That was a masterful piece of dialogue and quite true. It makes the viewer and the Doctor think about the situation.

Also important with regard to the story arc, we now know that the mysterious "time war" involved the Time Lords and the Daleks, both ending up destroyed. Clearly the Doctor blames the Daleks for the destruction of his race and world and actually seems to go mad, red mist descending as he looks for the nastiest weapon with which to obliterate his foe.

But what of the poor Dalek? It begins by going on a killing spree, as it hasn't metamorphosised yet or gained feelings. The idea of even a lone Dalek on an isolated base running (hovering!) around picking off the inhabitants ought to frighten today's kids. Then it begins to get feelings, is persuaded by Rose in particular and the Doctor that there may be more to life than taking orders and destroying things. Opening up its casing, it desires only to feel the sunshine before it dies.

Here is my only problem, though the Dalek creature looks much like the innards of the 'old' daleks of days gone by, I don't recall seeing an eye. It's there for us to empathise with the Dalek but I didn't like it. However that is one small quibble in a story otherwise consisting of excellent visuals, dialogue and perfect suspenseful timing.

It was just a little thrilling to see a Cyberman's helmet, reminding us that this really is following on from the previous television Doctors. I was also pleased to notce several references to the past, but these would not in any way have detracted from a new viewer enjoying.

I do wonder how many children are watching this series. I work in a school and the kids don't ever talk about Doctor Who...the staff do! However, when a Dalek made a guest appearance in my local shopping centre late last year it scared the crap out of little children so clearly the nasty pepperpots still do the business. I wonder what those children made of seeing the metal killing machine on their television screens yesterday evening?

I usually like to watch the new episodes a couple of times before I review them but alas, fate has had its way with that idea. Overall, I was pleased and I'm sure new viewers thought it was the best thing ever!

'Jubilee' - pardon me, 'Dalek' - was an episode full of expolsive action; the stuff that really turned me into a Doctor Who fan. The scene where the dalek rises, turns the water on and electrocutes all the troops almost had me literally weeting my pants with glee and surprise. "Oh my God!" was my exact words when I saw that. Great stuff! And the x-ray image and Dalek POV, used sparingly in Remembrance were well used here and really did show the Daleks to be evil killers that they were. Van Statten should have got exterminated though, although his actual fate was probbaly more fitting. Goddard was gorgeous - but I have athing for powerful women.

Christopher Eccleston's portrayal as the Doctor was quite surprising - like Troughton in 'Power' but on speed and red bull! This Doctor is a lot more ruthless than previous, and contrasts with Baker's 'Genesis' speech have already been alluded to by more capable reviewers. Such ruthlessness hasn't been seen since the infamous rock scene from 'An Unearthly Child'. I like it though; we don't want this Doctor to be too like previous ones do we?

As for the emotional Dalek - i wish I hadn't listened to the masterpiece that was 'Jubilee' as I would have enjoyed this episode more. Jubilee, I'm sad to say, literally had me in tears at the end so this 'adaptation' was a bit of a dissappointment. I'm glad I know the Jubilee similarities were intentional, as the whole world should enjoy that story - if only in the truncated auspices of a 45 minute episode. So good, but too much like Jubilee for me to really appreciate it.

And what the hell is the next episode about? I really can't tell from the trailer at all.

Well, what can I say? WOW. This episode is the one that Who fans have eagerly awaited ever since it was announced that the good Doctor was coming back. We've been bombarded with talk of this episode for long before it aired and all I can say is "boy does it live up to expectations and more".

Let's start with the obvious, the Dalek itself. Hugely impressive, taking the well established history and back story of the Daleks’ themselves and building on it. A lone Dalek causing so much death and destruction, we can now truly believe that a whole army of them could wipe out entire civilisations. Nice touches such as the rotating mid-section allowing all round fire and the now multi-purpose plunger ("What are you going to do? Sucker me to death?") gives us a truly evil and potentially unstoppable enemy. The scene in which the Dalek sets off the fire-sprinkler system and then “elevates” allowing it to electrocute it’s enemies shows just how intelligent and cunning these “pepper pots” actually are. Stairs? What Stairs? The much publicised “the Daleks’ can now fly” stories in the media recently, however they all seem to have forgotten “The Remembrance of the Daleks” in which we see them hovering up a flight of stairs after the Doctor (then Sylvester McCoy).

Which brings me to the little in-jokes throughout this episode. The aforementioned stairs issue is joked upon by Rose and the Doctor insults the Dalek by calling it a Pepper pot. All names and comments that the public has used as derogatory throughout the years, turned back upon us with a little knowing nod and a wink. Again a credit to the writing staff.

We are also given a full load of information on the continually hinted at “time-war”. We now know that it was fought between the Daleks’ and the Time Lords’ and that both races were wiped out as a result, all except the Doctor, who mysteriously claims that it wasn’t by choice he survived. There is certainly more of this back-story to be told.

Finally, I just have to give full credit to Christopher Eccleston, his acting in this episode was absolutely superb. Gone were the silly grins and face-pulling of the previous episodes, instead we are treated to just how great an actor he really is. From the moment he realises that he is sealed in a room with a Dalek; the truly primeval fear he displays, to a few moments later when it becomes apparent that the Dalek is “unarmed” and his fear turns to mockery and then to true hatred. The venom with which he (literally) spits his words was a joy to behold.

I for one hope that this is not the last we see of the Daleks’. Not now we have seen how truly destructive they can be. Just imaging a whole Dalek army rampaging through a city... Bring it on!

It's the moment we've been waiting 17 years to see. The daleks are back, and deadlier than ever.

The storyline is very straightforward. A lone dalek is held captive in a cell, and Rose enables it to break free. Such a simple plot enables the characters to indulge in some incredibly well-written dialogue, and The Doctor in particular gets the best lines, from ordering the dalek to kill itself to the joke about the hairdryer (easily the funniest line in the series so far). His constant verbal battles with Van Statten are wonderful, and his tirades against the dalek show a darker and more vengeful side to the character than we've ever seen before, to the extent where he even takes up arms to commit genocide at the story's conclusion.

There are some truly powerful moments in this episode, with the closing of the bulkhead door being the most nailbiting scene of the series this far. The non-fan I watched this with honestly believed she'd seen the last of Rose at this point, and the magnificent direction both here and throughout the show made this the most exciting new Who episode to date. The dalek POV shot with the Doctor's line "I made it happen" is also worthy of praise, as is the scene where the dalek exterminates an entire platoon with just three shots and the aid of the sprinkler system.

However, as is usual with this programme, the special effects are a real let down. Unusually, though, it's because they're actually too spectacular to be convincing, rather than too cheap. The more outlandish moments, such as the bullet-melting forcefield and the final self-destruct, seem to be written purely to show-off new flashy effects, and the suspension of disbelief is shattered as a result. The far simpler triumphs of the sucker arm, the rotating mid-section and the levitation, on the other hand, were very effective, and the geometric surfaces of the dalek design are ideal for realisation with CGI.

Sadly, there are one or two other flaws with this episode, too. The speed of recovery shown by the dalek with such a small amount of DNA, and the inadequacy of the explanations given to justify it, fail to convince. I also found it very hard to believe the final scenes where the dalek opens up to feel the sunlight, although that opinion may well be informed by the preceeding three decades' worth of utter nastiness shown by the creatures. Perhaps this scene above all gives us a clue as to why the daleks almost didn't return at all - it certainly wouldn't have happened in a Terry Nation script.

Murray Gold's music has veered wildly between superlative (The Unquiet Dead) and grating (Rose), and whilst it is still very heavy-handed in this episode, his borrowing from the themes from The Omen is inspired.

In conclusion, Dalek is a very enjoyable - and not a little scary - forty-five minutes, and despite the overdone effects, is shaping up to be one of the series' highlights.

8/10.

This must have been the strongest story in the series so far and certainly the most anticipated (with the possible exception of “Rose”). Whilst Russell T Davies undisputed genius has revived this series he does sometimes tread a thin and slightly dangerous line with the humour occasionally (alien farting and laughter laid on a bit too thick maybe), which has never the less always been an integral and necessary part of the show, but if overdone can lapse into the self parody seen towards the end of the original series. Done well the humour doesn’t detract from but rather enhances the show (“I like a happy medium” and his put downs of “Ricky”).

However, Rob Shearman in this episode gave us much darker and more adult Dr Who. Christopher Eccleston is up there with the best of the Doctors of all time in my view, again walking a thin line between the humour and the horror, its only right the program should show a wide range of emotions afterall, but this time his acting went up several levels and the mugging, the Baker-esque grinning and the “Fantastic” of previous episodes were replaced by some very adult emotions of fear, hate, anger and sorrow.

His fear of the Dalek and what it represented; the death of his people and the destruction of his planet was real and palpable as was his panic at being locked in the same room as the Dalek.

His complete hatred of the creature was almost xenophobic. Whilst the Dalek absorbs Roses DNA and mutates, becomes almost human with human emotions that are completely new to it, the Doctor becomes the thing he hates. He becomes the executioner; the judge, jury and exterminator. Only Rose stops him from blasting the Dalek.

It is here we see probably Ecclestons best acting in the series so far. His deep hatred and anger for the Dalek; ranting, with spittle flying from his mouth, to the part where he puts the gun down, shocked at what he has become; the exterminator of the last of the Daleks.

When the Dalek says that as they are both the last of their race and that they are the same, angrily he denies this, but then he agrees with the Dalek. Maybe they are the same. Maybe the Doctor IS capable of genocide, of racial cleansing of the Daleks, which apparently he caused in the Time War. Eccleston warned that his Doctor would have a dark side and he has not disappointed. “You would make a good Dalek” is the Daleks ultimate comendation.

The moral of this episode is simply that we become the things we hate; we are reduced to their level; we lose our “humanity”, whilst the Dalek ironically gains humanity. The Daleks new found emotions were as touching as was the Doctors hatred appalling.

The Dalek itself was a revelation. Shearman was correct that the 1960’s pepper pots would today be laughable; especially to an audience brought up on Alien and Predator and there were elements of both with the stalked becoming the stalker. Taking all of the original Dalek weak points and making them terrifying, such as the sink plunger being dexterous enough to punch keys at high speed on a keypad on a wall; sucker a persons face off, and absorb the contents of the internet makes for a rather hi-tech sink plunger! I was a bit disappointed the Dalek didn’t have 360 degree vision but how you would show that on a TV screen without distracting and detracting from the action? All in all a very impressive hi tech flying and killing machine that can hack into any computer security system. The “Omen” style music was ideal for the demonic nature of this beast!

Nit picking? The exterior of the Tardifs looks like it was knocked up at B&Q yesterday, the paint looks too new, not the battered old police box we remember of old. When are we going to see some of the other parts of the Tardis? And Ecclestons departure, badly mistimed, is seen as selfish by many; but remember what this top class actor has given to the show before you slate him! I like his “dark side” and gravitas.

This series seems to get better and better. I like my Who a bit serious, deep and with gravitas. If this is what they can do with one Dalek just think what they can do with a whole army. Somehow I don’t think we have seen the last of the Daleks! 9/10

"You would make a good Dalek".

Wow! This was, in so many respects, the best episode so far. For the first time that I can remember, we have a Dalek that actually has some depth, and could seriously be taken as a threat. The interplay between the Doctor and the Dalek was superb, with some great one-liners, and Christopher was on top form; he really managed to convey the anger, hate, remorse, guilt and loneliness of a man who is the last of his race. Incidentally, this is the second story not to be written by RTD, both of which are demonstratively the best yet.

In the opening scene, there is a great shot of an alien facehugger egg in the background, a mechanoid and seeing the cyberman again was nostalgic, not only for us but for the doctor as well.

The first scene with the Doctor and the Dalek alone in the cage is a classic; so many gems here. The anger of the Doctor is real as well as the guilt. He implies he carries the burden of destroying the entire Dalek race as well as the Time-Lords, they share the fact that they are both alone in the universe. There is a nice parallel here with 'Genesis'; Tom Baker's Doctor agonised over the decision to end the Dalek race, but here we see a vengeful Doctor who does not give it a second thought.

On the downside, the beauty and the beast sub-plot with Rose and the Dalek was predictable and tedious, but their first scene was useful in that it showed the physiological manipulation the Dalek is capable of, was unexpected, and it was also interesting that the Dalek can regenerate using the DNA of a time traveller. The Dalek killing the guards, showed for the first time, it is a force to be reckoned with; the forcefield was an inspired innovation, though the levitation did not have the same punch, as its been seen before.

The Dalek killing using the combination of the sprinklers and gun showed its intelligence and ruthlessness, but its desperation evident when asking the Doctor what to do. Nick Briggs deserves special mention for his performance as the Dalek, particularly the scene with Rose in the lift. I loved the Dalek armour opening to reveal the Kaled mutant, as well as the admission that both the Dalek and Doctor have changed. Christopher's performance here is his best yet; the Doctor carries the guilt of not being able to save his people (and possibly the Daleks?). I will admit that I did actually feel sad and sorry for the Dalek as it self-destructed; great writing. My only real quibble is that with the limitations of the 45 minute one episode format, the secondary characters are never able to develop, so you never feel any great empathy with them. Overall though, a classic episode.