"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"