Doctor Who: Series 1

ROSE ★★

Short on plot, big on characters... Well, some of them.  Where the episode succeeds is in introducing a new generation of viewers to the Doctor, and Christopher Eccleston excels in the role. Also superb is Billie Piper as new companion Rose Tyler, effectively serving as the gateway drug to Doctor Who.  Of the peripheal characters around them, Clive—the conspiracy theroist—is the most successful, and it's really quite a shame he's killed off. Strangely, the ones closest to Rose are the characters least defined. Her mother Jackie is a self-absorbed, promiscous horror, while Rose's boyfriend Mickey Smith is, to quote Rose herself, a useless lump. Questionable directorial decisions are another downside, while the Autons are nowhere near as scary when they appeared in the Classic Series.

THE END OF THE WORLD ★★★★

Now this is more like it. A rather wonderful whodunnit set against the backdrop of an Earth about to vaporise. The culture shock of time travel and meeting aliens is beautifully played by Billie Piper. One of my favorite things about the Ninth Doctor and Rose is that the characters challenge each other. They both call one another out on things, but are still best friends. There are some great otherworldly creatures on display, particularly the tree people of Cheem. Cassandra, the baddie of the piece, is a work of genius, taking plastic surgery to the extreme and more than willing to sacrifice anyone and anything to fund even more operations. Zoe Wannamaker is a hoot, clearly having a blast voicing the vain "last human". My favorite thing about the whole episode is its epilogue where the Doctor returns Rose to present-day Earth. It's a beautiful little scene which solidifies their friendship in a heartwarming way.

THE UNQUIET DEAD ★★★★★

The first episode of the revival to feel like a genuine installment of the Classic Series. It's a wonderful little tale, filled with ghosts, the walking dead, and Simon Callow's superb Charles Dickens. Rose stepping out the TARDIS and into the past ranks as one of my favorite moments of the revived series. It's pure magic, and the expression of wonder on Billie Piper's face really sells it. The real star of the piece is Eve Myles as Gwyneth, believing she's been communing with angels all her life due to her psychic abilities granted from being raised near a time rift. It's a beautiful, sensitive portrayal, and it's all the more heartbreaking when Gwyneth sacrifices herself to prevent the Gelth from entering the world.

ALIENS OF LONDON / WORLD WAR III ★★

Oh, dear. There's so many things wrong with this story I hardly know where to begin. Let's focus on the good points first. Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper are wonderful, while Penelope Wilton gives an endearing performance as Harriet Jones ("Yes, we know who you are.") The special effect of the spaceship crashing into Big Ben is still spectacular. And... erm, that's about it. A paper thin plot borrowed from 'The Dominators'—reducing a planet to a fuel source—and aliens disguised in human body suits—nicked from 'The Leisure Hive'—and there's a been there, done that feel to the proceedings. With their unique design, the Slitheen should have been terrific and memorable villains. Unfortunately, the potty humor grows old fast and any menace the Slitheen might have had is destroyed. They're nothing more than lumbering fart jokes. It's a shame Russel T. Davies didn't stick with his original Quatermass and the Pit homage of a story treatment. It sounded a lot better than what ended up on screen.

DALEK ★★★★★

From the ridiculous to the sublime. Partially based on the Doctor Who audio drama 'Jubilee', this episode expands on The Time War mythology introduced earlier in the season by pitting the Doctor against one of its survivors: a Dalek. Christopher Eccleston gives an electrifying performance of a man haunted by the memory of the devastating conflict between his people and the Daleks. The Doctor is at his most desperate and dangerous, especially when the Dalek absorbs Rose's time traveler DNA, breaks loose from its shackles and goes on a killing rampage. "One Dalek is capable of exterminating all," is a line from 'The Daleks' Master Plan' and proves to be more than true here.

THE LONG GAME ★★★

Better than its reputation, there's a lot to enjoy in this "Doctor-lite" installment. It might seem inconsequential, but it's a nice little setup for the season finale.  Simon Pegg gives a just-this-side-of-camp guest turn as the Editor. The whole exercise of this episode is what makes a great companion and what doesn't. Rose only brought Adam along because she fancied him, and the first thing he does after exiting the TARDIS is faint. He's not off to a good start; it only goes downhill from there.  What surprised me about rewatching the episode is how much of Adam's failure is the Doctor's fault. He allows Adam to wander off on his own with an unlimited credit chip, and then doesn't spare another thought for him. A recipe for disaster. Adam's motives are driven by greed... Or are they? Deleted scenes would have explained that Adam was trying to acquire funds to pay for his ailing father's care. So, there was a method to his madness. Also irresponsible of the Doctor is leaving Adam on Earth with future technology in his head. All for the sake of a cheap joke at the end. If there had been a consequence from the Doctor's action explored in a later episode, I could forgive the episode for going there.

FATHER'S DAY ★★★

More bad decisions on the Doctor's part leads to chaos. His agreeing to Rose's request to be on the scene of her father's death—not once but twice!—is mind boggling. Of course something awful was bound to happen. Rose actually screws up worse than Adam, and it's a wonder the Doctor didn't dump her back at the Powell Estate by the story's end. Shaun Dingwall's lovable Pete Tyler steals the show, which overall affords the revived series one of its most powerful character pieces. Even if Pete had lived, I simply cannot imagine Rose's parents ever lasting as a couple given what a shrew Jackie was even in her younger days.

THE EMPTY CHILD / THE DOCTOR DANCES ★★★★★

Superb. This story deserves all the praise it's been lavished with since it first aired. It's a gorgeous two-parter with real emotion and genuine chills. If you were going to initiate someone to the New Series, then this would be a terrific choice to get them started. Christopher Eccleston gives one of his best ever performances, while the introduction of John Barrowman's Captain Jack Harkness works a treat as a major game changer. Florence Hoath is simply phenomenal as Nancy, and the twist of why the gasmasked child keeps hounding her works incredibly well. Incorporating a child as being the one responsible for the strange goings-on was inspired. There's nothing creepier than a seemingly innocent kid... Well, there's clowns but that's another story.

BOOM TOWN ★★★

As with 'The Long Game', 'Boom Town' is actually pretty good. The Ninth Doctor, Rose and Jack dynamic makes for a hell of a lot of fun. I wish the idea of Adam Mitchell had been nixed and Jack introduced earlier on instead. Annette Badland is a delight throughout, with the lone Slitheen being far more impressive here than in 'Aliens of London'. There's a lot of thought put into the moral questions raised, even though you know Margaret will revert to her murderous ways at the first opportunity. The only downside for me is the Rose/Mickey relationship, which leaves me cold as both characters are not shown in the best light. Rose comes across as selfish, while Mickey's a doormat for always being at her beck and call. You actually feel bad for Mickey until he starts whining on about how Rose will always choose the Doctor over him. It's like watching a bad telenovella.

BAD WOLF / THE PARTING OF THE WAYS ★★★★★

Still reigning as the most successful of the revived series' finales, all the events beginning in Rose has led up to this. It feels like a blockbuster feature film at times, with the stakes raised against the Doctor and his friends continually building. The various reality game shows have dated worse than I imagined, and that's the only negative aspect in an otherwise spectacular story. By far, Billie Piper's best outing as Rose for me. She's truly wonderful throughout, particularly her determination in fighting to return and help the Doctor. Seeing the Daleks on such a grand scale was every fan's dream. They're proper scary and relentless, sweeping through the station and wiping out all in their path. How heartbreaking to say farewell to Christopher Eccleston's Doctor after only one season. He did a marvelous job and I really would have loved to have seen at least another run with him.