"Boom"

The new Russell T Davies era promises to be different from the first and it has very much fulfilled this promise. He has stamped his authorial authority on this season as he has never done before; except for one slot which he has reserved for his successor. The Steven Moffat episodes were always a highlight in the first RDT era so the first story the former showrunner has written in nearly 7 years is certainly an event.

There are some hallmarks of his style – the ridiculous, yet profound aphorisms ("Everywhere is a beach eventually") the hyper-compressed world-building, tying into the feeling that Moffat is building an enclave Whoniverse of his own (the church militant, Villengard and the holograms of the deceased, which recall the Data Ghosts from the Doctor's adventures in The Library). There is commentary on war, on those that profit by it and the pros and cons of faith. Yet this is anchored by a plot that is simplicity itself – the Doctor is standing on a landmine and has to deactivate it.

Moffat has his own views on who the Doctor is and here we are shown that in the most basic form – the Doctor can solve a crisis standing on one leg. The lines that Moffat writes could have been said by any Doctor, yet Gatwa takes it to another level, showing compassion, fire, authority and humour, with a touch of Kigali patois gilding the Hibernian lily. Millie Gibson complements this powerhouse performance perfectly. The guest cast is small, but impressive, nontheless. Joe Anderson's character is fractured, as of necessity, but the charisma of the character links it all together. However, Oswinning our hearts is the very wonderful début of Varada Sethu and it's good that we shall be seeing more of her. Director Julie Anne Robinson makes this bottle episode a wide-screen visual feast, without losing sight of the eyeball-to-eyeball tension.

Perhaps the only real criticism is that the twist is a bit obvious. But, like Robert Holmes before him, Moffat has crafted a tale that has the quality of his past stories, without seeming like a throwback. Like "Kerblam!" before it, it seems that onomatopoeic explosive titles might be a winner...

NEXT: "73 Yards"

"The Devil's Chord"

After the relatively easy beginning, we are taken way out there with "The Devil’s Chord" a sidestep into the more fantastical story suggested by the Fifteenth Doctor's first story. We are geared up for a pseudo-historical, in which the Doctor meets the Beatles. However, these Four are far from Fab. There are hints of the recent film Yesterday, in which we are shown a world that the Beatles never existed. Here, they do exist, but in a world that has lost the need for music. It is still produced, but with no aim beyond being a background noise, little better than Aeolian tones. Davies paints a world without the love of music as being a world with a part of its soul missing, which makes humanity even more bellicose than ever. As Davies referenced The Ark in Space last time, here we are given a scene reminiscent of Pyramids of Mars, as the Doctor shows what will happen if he does not intervene.

There are several Doctor Who stories where sound is important, but here sound in general and music in particular has never been more critical. The incidental music is muted, only really starting when the Beatles are on screen. The more smart-alec viewers will think that, perhaps, no soundtrack would have been better – until we realise that all of the soundtrack is diagetic. The powerful scene where Ruby plays her piece on the roof of Abbey Road Studios, awakening feelings that people had forgotten that they had.

But this is an offence to the villain of the piece, the diabolical Maestro, child of the Toymaker. I am not a watcher of RuPaul's Drag Race, so Jinkx Monsoon was a complete unknown to me. Her performance is barnstorming – flamboyant, loud and, at times, genuinely scary. She is perfect for the role. We have been told that once the Toymaker and his kith are involved, reality bends to their rules. The Maestro turns every setting into their stage at will and staves and rogue crotchets erupt from the Maestro's baton, attacking like tentacles. Maestro is a vindictive God and a party-pooper in one – when Ruby's piece inspires one person to play Clair de lune by Debussy, Maestro stops her before those peerless arpeggios are played.

With such a colourful supporting character, there is little room for others, yet each is nicely played. However, the opening scene introduces us to the hapless Mr Tim Drake, who calls the Maestro to Earth with his unappreciated genius. The name could refer to the person responsible for the compiling the music on the Voyager disc or, wonderfully, RDT could be a closet Cardiacs fan. The casting is inspired, as he is played by musician and comedian Jeremy Limb, who has a very personal connection to Doctor Who's music, although not as much as a fleeting cameo, later on. As Mr Drake summoned Maestro through his unsung genius, it will take the first ever Lennon-McCartney collaboration to banish them, in a truly cathartic moment. As said, the Beatles are supporting players in this tale, yet both John and Paul get significant scenes with the Doctor and Ruby. Despite looking only superficially like the greatest song writing team in history, Chris Mason and George Caple give nice, unshowy performances as the brains behind Northern Songs. Only the Beatles could have the mythopoeic heft to make this story work, even though they never used the tritone - mind you a story based around "Purple Haze" or Black Sabbath's eponymous song would have been amusing!

The regulars are on top form, with Ruby doing some challenging work. Gatwa is in control throughout, even when the Doctor feels that he isn't. Ben Chessell helms all of this brilliantly, especially in the unforgettable "Twist at the End", where Doctor Who goes full musical with those irresistible 60s shimmy dances. This has all the unreality of any musical sequence, but it seems that Maestro's influence lingers, as their father's did.

"The Devil’s Chord" is a little gem that rewards multiple viewings. It shows how Davies is differing his second run from his first; his attitude has taken into account how Doctor Who has changed since he left and there are clear hints of his successor's attitude, in the concepts...

NEXT: "Boom"

"Space Babies"

If there was any type of story that would be made in the event of  a stereotypical Disney takeover of Doctor Who, it would be one about space babies. What better way to make a family show more kid-friendly than by having the vast majority of the guest cast be talking babies? It does appear that this opening story is a bit too cutesy for its own good which, combined with certain plot points – the constitution of the monster of the week, the propulsion of the space station – seems to indicate that Doctor Who is heading into a more juvenile direction.

However, beneath the juvenile veneer there is some very clever use of the concepts. Digs are made at the recent backsliding in reproductive rights in America, the ethics of commercial interests in healthcare. The production is incredibly detailed, with expansive sets, moody lighting and little details such as the baby scribbles on the walls. The Bogeyman has a perfect blend of the Slitheen's ridiculousness, combined with sinister touches of the Alien and Shin Godzilla. It has to be said, however, that putting CGI lip movements on real babies has never been convincing. With so many of the supporting cast being unable to read their own lines, it is left to the incredibly versatile Golda Rosheuvel to give a great little performance as the nanny. Millie Gibson continues to delight as Ruby, but it is our leading man who transfixes us. It hits the viewer immediately that dialogue about genocide packs an extra punch when delivered by someone with Gatwa's background and the deftness of the writing and the skilfulness of the performance sell this 100%. Director Julie Anne Robinson keeps the sense of fun, whilst maintaining an aura of unease, a very tricky balance that is in line with the tightrope walk of a story that is teetering on the edge of bathos.

RTD has often said that The Ark in Space is his favourite Doctor Who story and, only a few months on from "Wild Blue Yonder", he does another take on it. Yet such is his skill in using the same frame to paint a different picture, that this is all but forgotten. Silly and lightweight on the surface, "Space Babies" has a good deal more to offer. Whilst it is a tale of talking babies, snot-monsters and farting space stations it is a very well-told tale of talking babies, snot-monsters and farting space stations!

NEXT: "The Devil's Chord"

"The Church on Ruby Road"

 The fourth iteration of 21st Century Doctor Who gets going with many similarities to the first, Russell T Davies is back at the helm, and we are brought into the chaotic family life of someone who seems ordinary from the outside, but whose actual experience is anything but, to them. Contrivance and coincidence is what makes a plot work, but here it is vital to the story. Although RTD's stories have a feel of their own, if any other writer could have written this story, it would be the late, great Terry Pratchett, who would have had a blast creating the goblin ship with its rope and knot-based technology (techknotogy?) We're told that it's a different type of science, but this tale of babies, goblin kings, Davina McCall, with a musical number thrown in, goes further into the realm of fantasy than the programme has done for a long time. It is the type of magic that is perfect for Christmas, which is now, thankfully, a Doctor Who tradition, again!

One returnee from the Chibnall era is Mark Tonderai and he is a perfect match for this heady brew, selling everything from the show stopping Goblin Baby song, to the subdued timeline without Ruby in it. The guest cast is superb, but a very special mention must be made of Michelle Greenidge as Ruby's adopted mother Carla, who effortlessly makes the loving mother and uncaring foster mother from different timelines into recognisably the same person.

What RDT had over his successors was his absolute mastery of making every single character seem wholly real and Ruby Sunday is wholly believable in whatever the story throws at us, which is a good thing. Millie Gibson makes an immediate impact as Ruby – unlike Billie Piper, nearly two decades ago, she actually is nineteen, but she has a charisma that makes it hard to believe that she has only a few years acting experience in her short life. However, bounding, spinning and climbing into view is the force of nature that is Ncuti Gatwa, who dominates the screen. His statement to the friendly policeman is one that could have easily have been made by David Tennant's Doctor(s). And yet, Ncuti makes those words his own. It's a blinding performance that promises a great deal more to come.

Davies is back with a bang, yet he has not ignored the past. All may not be what it seems with Ruby, as it was with Steven Moffat's companions. I eagerly await what's ahead of us...

NEXT: "Space Babies"