As if the prospect of Dalek invasion was not frightening enough, RTD offers us the potentially more nightmarish scenario that reality television will be around for the next two hundred thousand years. With shows like В‘Big BrotherВ’ and В‘The Weakest LinkВ’ set to run for the next few geological eras, enslavement by the Daleks looks positively benign in comparison.

Someone has been playing the В‘long gameВ’ indeed, as the Doctor and his companions find to their cost when they are whisked away from the TARDIS by a transmat beam after completing another off-screen adventure in 13th Century Japan. The Doctor ends up in the Big Brother house, whilst Rose and Captain Jack find themselves on В‘The Weakest LinkВ’ and В‘What Not To WearВ’ respectively. Pretty soon they realise that these versions of the shows are not quite what they seem, as homicidal androids and disintegrating beams are deployed on the contestants.

The idea of reality TV gone wrong is of course older than reality TV itself; 1968В’s В‘The Year of the Sex OlympicsВ’ is probably one of the earliest examples. The satire in this episode also seems to owe a lot to В‘Judge DreddВ’ (the comic strip and not that naff film with Sly Stallone), particularly one adventure where DreddВ’s house robot tunes into illegal pirate TV broadcasts.

Talking of robots thereВ’s a fair few of them on this episode, with voices provided by the people they are mimicking. I donВ’t know how well this will go down in the states and other places where they may not have heard of Davina McCool, Trinny and Suzanna and Anne Robinson. Over here it was a hoot.

The robots have more than a little bit of Dalek about them, the Anne Robinson droid being fitted with a death ray that shoots from her mouth. But of course it isnВ’t quite what it seems, as the Doctor as the others realise later on.

Amongst the non-celebrity supporting cast Lynda (Jo Joyner) seems to be one to watch, as well as having the honour of being one of the few people the Doctor has openly flirted with, she also seems potential companion material. Martha Cope also puts in a good performance as the Controller, an unfortunate human female who has been wired up to a computer since the age of five. This seems like a nod in the direction of В‘Remembrance of the DaleksВ’ where a young girl was connected to the Dalek battle computer. It seems that it was she who transmatted the Doctor and his companions to the Game Station (Satellite 5 a century after В‘The Long GameВ’), where she hid them in the stations continual out put of deadly game shows. Apparently the Daleks donВ’t watch reality TV, something very much in their favour it has to be said.

This episode, as one would expect, helps to tie up a number of loose ends from previous episodes, particularly the aforementioned Episode 7. We are also given a flashback sequence for the eponymous Bad Wolf references in a scene that owes a lot to the Brigadier regaining his memory in В‘Mawdryn UndeadВ’. However we are still none the wiser as to the true nature of the Bad Wolf, something that Davies et al have teased us with since В‘The End of the WorldВ’.

What we do learn is that Bad Wolf is the name of a network (something we already knew from В‘The Long GameВ’) that now specialises in reality TV, which it broadcasts to the stupefied population of Earth.

All of this of course is a cunning plan by the Daleks, who are lurking at the edge of the solar system in a giant fleet of saucers. These were very similar in design to the saucers on the rejigged scenes in Dalek Invasion of Earth DVD. Other nods towards past Who were also present in the way in which the Daleks were not revealed until near the end of the show, in true Terry Nation fashion. As if that wasnВ’t enough we had Rose being menaced by a sucker arm in a Dalek POV shot straight out of their first appearance four decades ago. The DaleksВ’ Master Plan is now their В‘stratagemВ’ and they concluded the episode with a traditional chant of В‘exterminate, exterminate.В’

However this wasnВ’t the real cliffhanger, which was provided in the previews for next week, which gave us a mysterious voice telling the Doctor, the Daleks В‘survived through me.В’

So who does this voice belong to? With Who fans being warned to stay away from the Internet this week and a press screening set for Wednesday, its going to be hard not to find out one way or the other before the episode airs next Saturday. Almost everyone from the Master to Davros by way of the Dalek Emperor has been postulated as Bad Wolf. I have my own theories about this and my general feeling is that it will be someone from the continuity established during this series. However, only time will tellВ…

Now.. has there ever been a premise that seemed so loaded for self destruction? Putting Dr Who in futuristic versions of Big Brother and Weakest Link? Not just future versions.. but exactly the same show, complete with Voice of Ann. And written by Russell Davies, whose stories have been amongst the weakest of this season (is this season 1 or season 27? Ah, well..), often with workable ideas but poorer execution and annoying flatulent humour. Yes, it looked like disaster loomed.

Well, up until the last second of the preview following В‘Boom TownВ’ В– В‘We have been detectedВ’.. cue shivers! Still.. Big Brother?

Well, jolly god show, Russell, В– can I call you Russ? В– me old mate! Bad Wolf was an excellent show, one of the episodes from the season to show to the unconverted. Excellently written, acted and directed. So, lets break things down in a slightly confused order.

Gotta say, there were several aspects of the episode that reminded one strongly of Doctors past В– of Sylvester McCoy, in particular. There was much in the Weakest Link and Makeover pastiches that brought to mind the old biddies of Paradise Towers, the Kandyman of Happiness Patrol and The Greatest Show in the Galaxy. And the preview from next week with the Daleks advancing on the barrier was strongly reminiscent of В‘Resurrection of the DaleksВ’ (I suspect, though, without the pantomime deaths of station personnel).

Captain Jack В– I like this character. We already have the В‘everyman perspectiveВ’ provided by Rose. Jack provides more of an equal foil to the Doctor - with his own highly advanced technical skills, self sufficiency and combat prowess, heВ’s an excellent complement. And his easy charm and omnisexuality makes him a totally unique, 21st century companion. And he manages it without being sleazy. IВ’m sure there are people who object to this characteristic of his, but I find it most entertaining. IВ’ll draw the line at him, the Doctor and Rose having a mГ©nage-e-TARDIS, but until then В– go, Jack! I wonВ’t comment on his laser up the ass trick. Well, beyond mentioning it. And how В– HOW В– did they get away with him fondling those robot boobies? I guess tis ok if theyВ’re robots В– not that that stopped him from flirting with them! How would he and C3PO get along, I do wonder..

Rose actually didnВ’t have too much at all to do in this episode. Obviously out of her depth at trivia from the year 200,100, all she is in, is danger. And, as she often is, she is responsible for the (this time presumed) deaths of many. I mean, crikey! Who activated van Stattens Dalek? Who brought the Reapers to Earth? Rose, Rose and Rose! Accidents, sure, but she seems to be an even bigger death magnet than the Doctor!

And the Doctor.. well, a bravura performance by Eccleston and some great writing, again! IВ’m a little uncertain about the truly outrageous flirting he was carrying on with Lynda В– itВ’ll be all right if she gets in the way, indeed! But, in all truth, this is probably the first time that DaviesВ’ own writing has captured the essence of the Doctor. Because we all have certain baseline expectations of the Doctor, within the individual variations provided by each actor.

The first 30 minutes of Bad Wolf are pretty good Who. Not just good Who, pretty good television. But the last 10 minutes are sheer brilliance, some of the best Who В– best TV В– IВ’ve seen in absolutely ages. Starting with the Doctor kneeling over RoseВ’s В‘ashesВ’ (say, why does the transmit beam leave ashes behind?), while Jack plunges forward, with the sneaky Roderick hiding behind the game show assistantВ… the Doctors near catatonia as the guards interrogate them.. and then, springing into action with a simple В‘LetВ’s do itВ’. What was especially great was that Jack also reacts instantly В– the two make a good team. Moving on, the very funny exchange between the Doctor and Davitch (?.. Programmer 1!) when he tosses him his gun.. The revelation of what the gameshows have been doing.. В‘Rose is still alive!В’ and the two men embraceВ… the Controllers rebellion and self sacrifice.. the revelation of the Dalek fleet.. the Daleks back in classis threatening mode, the Doctor cheesing them off, and ending with a rousing chorus of В‘ExterminateВ’, only this time from a whole shitload of Daleks and not 3 or 4!!! I know, everyone will have been stunned by the same things, but I just have to recite it.. I must have seen the last 10 minutes of В‘Bad WolfВ’ a half-dozen times already and am STILL not sick of it!

Weaknesses? Well, nitpicks, really. Now, I should point out that I still donВ’t know the significance of Bad Wolf В– who or what is it, and how did the reference follow the Doctor and Rose through time? Although a recap of the references was quite unnecessary В– itВ’s not been that long since we saw them, especially the one from last weeks Boom Town! I do wonder how Rose knew van StattenВ’s helicopters call sign, though В– that was.. a weak link. And why was Lynda so happy to see the Doctor appear in the Transmat? ItВ’s not another contestant В– itВ’s another victim! And why, oh why, does everyone in the year 200,100 look like theyВ’ve stepped off the street in 2005? Granted, one wouldnВ’t necessarily want them in one piece spandex outfits, but at least SOME effort could have been made to make them look.. well, different.

But those are minor nitpicks which didnВ’t detract from the enjoyment at all. I could rhapsodize on about the preview but the forums are full of enough of that.. especially the maddening, frustrating question of.. who the hell is that with the last word? Agh!! Russell T Davies will make lifelong friends or lifelong enemies with В‘The Parting of WaysВ’В… donВ’t mess it up, Russ!!!!!!

Oh, and just for the record.. I think Lynda would make a much hotter assistant than Rose. There, IВ’ve said it.

Big Brother. The Weakest Link. The "Anne"-droid. Trinny n thingy...I had a vague feeling beforehand that this episode could've gone either way. Gripping, suprising, satirical and totally "out there"; or "Oh dear, that didn't quite work, did it?"

Oh me of little faith. So apologise to RTD and the production team for such doubts.

Loved it. *Lived* it.

After a brief reminder of events from 'The Long Game', we have a wonderful 'teaser' that disorientates Doctor and audience alike as he falls headlong into the Big Brother House, encountering two (understandably as it turns out!) resentful housemates and one who is merely concerned that he is alright. I loved the look on Chris' face as he sat in the big red 'diary room' chair and said "You have *got* to be kidding." We are off to a flyer...

Now we have The Weakest Link taken to its logical extreme ("Social Darwinsm" as my friend Dave has noted) I liked the way that Rose clearly found the situation bizarre and really funny...until the first death. Again, superb use of light and shade. ("This is sick!")

The 'Annoying One-droid" and "The Other Annoying One-Droid" (my names!) giving Jack a, um, "dressing down" worked for me too. Okay, it was pretty cheeky stuff, and would've been even more 'cheeky' if the beeb hadn't intervened (a wise decision, I think. The scene worked fine withouth a 'full backal' ,new word!, and this is a family show...) but I found it fun and John Barrowman continues to impress throughout the episode. (the highlight for me being his fury when Rose..well, more about that it in a bit.) I did clap my hands when 'Thingy and Whoever' got their heads blown off. (Only because they were androids, I hasten to add!!)

Lynda ("with a Y") was very appealingly played by Jo Joyner, and she seemed to have an immediate rapport with the Doctor; clearly companion material...so at this stage in events, I fear for her. (or has she got something to hide? Is she just too sweet? Hmmm....)

Loved the Doctor pointing at the camera behind the House's mirror and saying "..and then I'm gonna find *you*." You believe him. Chris Eccleston is going from strength to strength, and only 45 minutes to go. Ah well...

The 'Eviction' scene was very well done and I liked the scene where the Doctor holds his hand out to Lynda and she decides to put her trust in him. Might sound silly, but I thought it was a small but strangely iconic moment.We'll see if it was the right decision in due course.

'Bad Wolf' Corporation...the appearance of 'the Controller'...The Doctor's realisation that his actions in 'The Long Game' have had awful consequences (and not just for Adam! Sorry...let it go...) This is already feeling like a rollercoaster ride; and then...

Rose flaming dies! Dies running to protect the Doctor...we fans know that Billie is coming back, but I still found this moment intense and superbly done, and I bet there were some kids and others not "in the know" who's jaws dropped at this point. Maybe some tears too...

Chris Eccleston's acting at this point...wow. I am talking Patrick in 'Tomb...' , Tom in 'Pyramids...' , Peter in 'Caves...' Um, I am talking brilliant, basically. When the guard drags the Doctor to his feet and he is *limp* with shock; you can see it in his face. Very powerful stuff.

On we roll. The Controller dies knowing that she's made a huge difference in seeking out the Doctor...Rose is alive...the Dalek fleet is revealed...the Doctor says "No."...the rousing "Stinking Dalek..." speech....the invasion begins....and I'm exhausted!

Charlie Brooker in the Saturday 'Guardian' wrote "Best. BBC. Family. Drama. Ever." And Charlie's not easily pleased (think sort of a 'Bill Hicks with TV column' if you've never read him!)

I'm including the whole long history of the show when I respond..."Yep."

I might calm down a bit when the series has finished, but it's so nice to get caught up in the moment. Ten out of ten, again, and thanks to all concerned. There are always stories/ moments that you prefer to others in a season of 'Doctor Who' (Was it ever thus) but....we are coming to the end and I just want so to say;

I think this series as a whole has been a Bl**dy triumph!

I suspect next Saturday is going to be rather involving.....

I think RTD needs to look up the word В‘satireВ’ in the dictionary В– somewhere in the definition the word В‘ironyВ’ is mentioned. Now irony doesnВ’t seem to feature much in this episode. Nor does subtlety for that matter. RTD presents us with satire for the under 5s: instead of extrapolating the philistine dross that is Big Brother into a future scenario in which it takes on a different guise with a different name and set but detectably similar theme which the audience can pick up on and compare to their contemporaneous equivalent, RTD decides to simply reproduce exactly the same programme, along with its other cousin reality TV monstrosities, replace its hosts with androids who are obviously modeled on the real life presenters, and place it ludicrously over 200,000 years in the future. What we get then isnВ’t satire at all, but just direct replication of said programmes presumably as a vehicle to further cement New Who in the commercial public consciousness by meshing it with other TV brandnames (no doubt in a further misguided attempt to get teenagers identifying with it) without any notable sense of irony whatsoever. This is laziness of the imagination on a stupendous scale. Robert Holmes provided biting tax-related satire in The Sunmakers with references such as В‘inner retinueВ’ and it is rather despairing to deduce from this episodeВ’s satirical failure just how RTD perceives his modern day audience: incapable of detecting subtext. Either RTD is overly cynical about his audience or society really has degenerated intellectually in the last 15 odd years to a clutch of atavists who need everything literally spelt out in front of their eyes. So we also get The Weakest Link, also with exactly the same sets and an absurd and pitifully written reference to В‘Call My Bluff В– with real gunsВ’. What the hell possessed him to write that line? It is amateur beyond belief. Greatest Show in the Galaxy was the last great Who satire, and, despite some fairly cringeworthy scenes here and there, demonstrated quite consummately how Who really can do this difficult genre to great effect. Happiness Patrol, despite its garishness, was another consummate satire (though it included some incongruous embarrassments script-wise with lines like В‘no more queues at the post officeВ’). For GodВ’s sake, even the fairly staid and lifeless Colin Baker era produced a reasonable satire В– and surprisingly prophetic take on the future of (reality) TV, specifically voting programmes, not properly manifest back in 1985 В– with Vengeance on Varos. One must ask then what exactly RTD was trying to say here? This is not polemical in particularly, only possibly in its rather lazy and unimaginative take on terminal versions of reality game shows, but this is 16 year old stuff. There is no satire here, at least not noticeably, because RTD doesnВ’t seem to be saying anything at all about the nature of reality TV, only reproducing it on a slightly more extreme level В– therefore one can only assume it is yet another symptom of his all-too-blatant obsession with stamping popular culture all over the face of a once truly escapist and eccentric series. RTD missed a brilliant opportunity to truly criticize and comment on the insidious nature of reality TV here В– a massive disappointment.

Nevertheless, the Trinny and Susannah scenes were actually quite well done and more understated than the clumsier others; their android equivalents were nicely designed and reminiscent of the Kandyman (which isnВ’t necessarily a criticism). Ann RobinsonВ’s robot alter ego was also well realized despite the ludicrous red wig it had on. And a nice touch with the Big Brother eye symbol was the milky way swirling within its pupil on close up. So, the direction of these scenes В– JackВ’s prancing around nude and picking a gun from his arse aside В– just about managed to override the simplicity and satirical barrenness of the scriptorial concepts; the better elements of these scenes reminded me a little of some of the McCoy era В‘oddballsВ’ such as Happiness Patrol and Greatest Show. There was a feeling of menace too, which was a masterful achievement for a director given such embarrassingly one-dimensional material to play with. Of course you may take it as read that I absolutely detest reality TV and regard it as the death of quality programming, and that I cringed at the sound of the Big Brother theme in some of the scenes В– an horrendously sterile and visceral electronic racket of a theme В– and find the only irony in this part of the episode being, unnervingly, the fact that the ultimate in unimaginative television gets a plug in В– what was once and still could be В– the ultimate in imaginative TV: Doctor Who.

Still, letВ’s just say RTD might just about have got away with his soundbite, commercially-preoccupied take on Who this time round В– why? Well, because other aspects to this episode were well-realised and sufficiently intriguing to help the viewer В‘get overВ’ these cringeworthy reality TV intrusions; namely the behind-the-scenes programme riggers and particularly the excellently realized woman wired up rather like the Emperor Dalek in Evil of the Daleks, and the very impressive and vast sets they inhabited; and of course the impressive scale of the cliffhanger. What this episode had over all the other RTD episodes was a genuine energy, sense of menace and suspense, and engaging forward-moving drive to a genuinely thrilling climax. That, and the brilliantly realized What Not To Wear androids, rescue Bad Wolf by a hairВ’s breadth from being taped over on my video recorder (metaphorically speaking) and confined to collecting dust along with Aliens/War III and End of the World, the latter completely ruined by inclusion of a Britney Spears song, which is a pity as otherwise it stood up as a reasonable episode. Bad Wolf is easily RTDВ’s best episode so far, despite the appalling failure at satire by just duplicating contemporary reality programmes down to theme tunes, sets and logos (was RTD saving on the budget or what?) and placing them in a completely unbelievable future date, as usual. I hope this Relative Time Disorder is eclipsed by what promises to be a big climax in the next episode В– letВ’s hope Captain Jack doesnВ’t take a shine to DavrosВ’s nodules!

Bad Wolf is a remarkably strange way of beginning an epic two-part regeneration story, showing the return, en masse, of the Daleks. It consists almost entirely of a pseudo-postmodern reality-TV-satirical run-around, with utterly bizarre imagery; robotic replicas of twenty-first century third-rate personalities menace the Doctor and companions - in the year 200,100! If it wasnВ’t for the setting and recap to В“The Long GameВ”, which tenuously confirms of the internet suspicion that Adam, a person for whom these shows would be current or recent history, is somehow involved in the series climax, I would be complaining vociferously that everybody in 200,100 dresses, acts, talks and has the TV-watching habits of people now. As it is, there is not much to complain vociferously about.

I didnВ’t like it В– donВ’t think that!! I was never excited by this at any point. I just wasnВ’t overly upset or disappointed by it (apart from in one respect В– more later). It is average. 5 out of 10, so to speak. That is if you judge the episode on itВ’s own merits В– as part one of an В“epicВ” two-parter, it is baffling. We spend almost all of this instalment undergoing the aforementioned not-particularly-clever but very valuable and welcome satire of the godless drivel festering on our screens these days, and build up to a cliffhanger that is, in effect, the reveal of the Daleks and their spacefleet В– a fleet that was seen in last weekВ’s trailer (probably В‘cos itВ’s the only even faintly В‘wowВ’ moment in the whole episode). The upshot of it all is, we know where weВ’re going, we know whatВ’s going to happen :В‘Bad WolfВ’ is nothing but filler. That it takes 45 minutes to get there В– half the story В– seems like a very odd choice for RTD to have made, especially considering how many action set pieces, plot threads and revelations they are going to cram into next episode (judging by the trailer).

The fact that the Daleks are not in it much is not half so disappointing as what happens when they do appear (see, told you В‘more laterВ’). Because, with these shiny Daleks, we are back В– ironically В– to bog-standard normality. After the shocking, bold and brilliant experiment that was Dalek, that showed 8 million people just how dangerous and capable even one of these mighty machines is, this feels like the unwelcome bump at the end of a long fall back to Earth. The lead Dalek shakes when it talks; despite making the cool heartbeat noise, the inside of the Dalek spacecraft looks absolutely dismal; when informed by the Doctor, in a melodramatic monologue which sadly falls down a little bit, that he intends to defeat them, the Daleks react in panic (hmm, perhaps they didnВ’t expect that cunning twist), apparently to the extent that they decide to proceed with their plans even though they are not ready; and the Daleks say they will kill Rose if the Doctor does not co-operate, only when the Doctor does not co-operate, they scatter in all directions В– and THEY DONВ’T KILL ROSE. In the teaser for next week I also saw Jack being surrounded by Daleks, who clearly had him in their gunsights В– but they werenВ’t shooting him, either. Not good, not good at all. TheyВ’d better have a good reason for that.

It is not unusual for the Daleks to come off worst in stories that feature other monsters and villains В– the groaning, shuffling, dark-wasteland-haunting Exxilons were much scarier than the comedy Daleks in В‘Death toВ…В’, for example, as were the... wait, thatВ’s the only good example. But you know where IВ’m coming from. You presumably also know where IВ’m going, but IВ’ll say it anyway В– the robotic Anne Robinson was rather scarier than the off-colour Daleks were. The callous way in which it disposed of people was quite unnerving, although the В“GoodbyeВ” was an indulgence too far, and the terrified and nervous reactions of some of the contestants was good, particularly the first woman to go В– at that time there was no reason to think she hadnВ’t been vaporised, which made her tears and begging rather upsetting. The only bad thing about that is that none of the others seem to be that concerned, or even angry that they are being swept to their deaths totally at random, at any other time В– I suppose they mustВ’ve got used to it. Maybe Russell was trying to make that disturbing in itself; maybe for some viewers, he succeeded. Not me though В– but equally, it didnВ’t detract from my enjoyment.

In conclusion, this was an uninspired and unambitious, but solid, reasonably entertaining episode of Doctor Who, better than all other offerings from RTD except Boom Town (some of the themes of which it developed, with some limited success). Whether or not it was a waste of 45 minutes we will have to decide on next weekВ’s success or failure.

ThereВ’s an old interview with BlakeВ’s 7 star Paul Darrow, in which the actor talks about a certain scene he filmed for an episode of that series, in which his character had to suddenly produce a gun. Simple enough, you might think, but evidently the costume the production team had seen fit to furnish Darrow with for this particular episode was rather tight-fitting and had no pockets, meaning that there was nowhere on him he could carry the prop. As the script necessitated its appearance, there was no way around it, and a solution was sought. The problem was solved by having a scene hand crouch behind Darrow, just out of shot, and pass the gun into his hands behind his back. This В– while undoubtedly a neat solution В– had the unfortunate effect of, as Darrow put it, В“making it look as if I had plucked the thing from out of my backside!В”

I have no idea whether Russell T Davies has ever read that interview, but if he hasnВ’t then Captain JackВ’s novel way of dealing with the year 200,100В’s robotic equivalents of What Not to WearВ’s Trinny and Susannah is certainly something of a coincidence. It ought to be an utterly ludicrous moment, but somehow it works, in no small part to because of the manner in which it is played by John Barrowman. The actor has been a real treat ever since he was added to the new seriesВ’ line-up, and heВ’s at his best here В– whether it be flirting with anybody who comes into his path, playing the action-adventure type role for which he was devised, or В– in one of the finest moments of a fine episode В– screaming with rage, anger and indignation В“DonВ’t you touch him!В” to the Game Station guards as the take hold of the Doctor after RoseВ’s shocking В‘deathВ’.

Barrowman is merely one of the beneficiaries of what is without a shadow of a doubt DaviesВ’ finest script for Doctor Who to date. I do not mind admitting that when news of some of the elements of this episode leaked out В– mainly the inclusion of mocked-up versions of various contemporary reality / quiz shows В– I was less than convinced. It all sounded a bitВ… WellВ… Silly. However, perhaps that helped В– I wasnВ’t expecting a great deal, so when the episode turned out to not only be decent but excellent, I was even more pleased than I otherwise might have been. There is perhaps an issue of whether the references to various current shows will date the episode В– never mind why these shows are still going in 200,100 В– but then all TV sci-fi has a tendency to date very quickly, and the shows are very easy to make sense of in the internal context of the episode. IВ’ve never watched a full episode of Big Brother, The Weakest Link or What Not to Wear, but I didnВ’t have any trouble understanding the basic concepts and following what was going on.

ItВ’s all dispensed of fairly quickly anyway, as the Doctor and Jack make their way out with new pseudo-companion Jo Joyner in tow as Lynda, В“with a yВ”. Lynda is, as the Doctor says В“sweetВ”, and in the old series you could have imagined such a character joining up with the TARDIS crew at the end of the story. However, the modern series has been somewhat less traditional with its TARDIS crew, and as Lynda is nice, endearing and the Doctor has already promised sheВ’ll get out of Game Station alive, I am rather afraid that this has marked her down for death before the end of the next episode В– an episode I suspect is going to be something of a blood bath all round.

Doubtless soon to join that body count is Jo Stone-Fewings as the male controller, another excellent performance, although Fewings does seem to be basically playing the same character he did in DaviesВ’ 2004 ITV serial Mine All Mine. HeВ’s also made surprisingly likeable for a man whoВ’s been overseeing the deaths of thousands of people in the Game StationВ’s deadly programmes, but I suppose as the Doctor said to Rose back in The Unquiet Dead, itВ’s a different morality.

Speaking of The Unquiet Dead, we get to see a snatch of that episode as well as the various other instances of the В‘Bad WolfВ’ theme present throughout the season, finally brought to some sort of conclusion in this eponymous episode. ItВ’s perhaps not quite what we expected, but it has led somewhere В– indeed, that would be a neat description of this episode as a whole. And boy, does Bad Wolf really lead somewhere. The last ten minutes or so of this episode have an electric tension to them В– you know whatВ’s coming, and when it finally arrives you can only sit there caught up in the excitement and the tension as the whole series is cranked up a notch ready for the apocalyptic battle to end all battles that weВ’re going to get next week, if the trailer is anything to go by.

The unveiling of the Daleks as the main threat near the end of the episode is one of those fantastic, В“Yes!В” kind of Earthshock moments, both for new and old fans alike, although of course neither set of fans will have had the true Earthshock experience as we all knew it was coming. Not, just for once, simply because we old school fans always know too much from message boards and the like, but because the production team rather oddly decided to give the game away in the preview at the end of Boom Town.

Even had you not seen that, Ahearne unveils the Daleks a little early, not once but twice В– the eyestalk view with the plunger coming into shot as the Dalek approached Rose was just about okay, especially given its nice resonance with the very first view we ever had of them in The Dead Planet, but then he goes and really spoils things by showing the reflection of the Dalek which exterminates the Controller. AhearneВ’s previous reflection-based shot В– the CybermanВ’s head over the Doctor in Dalek В– went down really well with fans, but I canВ’t see this one being a similar hit. Why not save the pepperpots for maximum impact in the wonderful closing minutes, instead of emulating Peter MoffatВ’s similarly unimpressive revelation of the Sontarans back in The Two Doctors?

Really though thatВ’s a minor quibble, of course, but I need to pick holes in something as on the whole it was such an excellent episode. Elsewhere AhearneВ’s direction is well up to the standards he set previously in Dalek and FatherВ’s Day, and once again this appears to be an instance of everybody really giving it their all as they build up towards the cliff-hanger, setting up the episode to end all episodes В– well, for this season, anyway. Christopher Eccleston deserves particular praise В– we all know now how difficult the many months of shooting on Doctor Who was for him, but right to the end here heВ’s really putting everything into the character, with some terrific material to work with. As with Barrowman, his high point in the episode perhaps comes with the В‘deathВ’ of Rose in The Weakest Link game, as he runs his hand through the dust on the floor that appears to be all that is left of his best friend, shocked into silence. His confrontation with the Daleks at the end of the episode is also worthy of a mention, and he proves equally adept at the lighter material В– not that thereВ’s much of it in the episode В– in the Big Brother house near the beginning.

All in all then, another stunning effort from all concerned, making brilliant what could so easily have been embarrassing. The final battle is just around the corner В– and IВ’m thrilled to say I have absolutely no idea what happens nextВ…