"School Reunion"

"School Reunion" has a perfectly respectable plot. A school in London has been infiltrated by the Krillitanes, a race who take physical characteristics of the races they conquer and add them to their own. They are using the children of the school as an organic computer to crack the ‘Skasis Paradigm’, apparently a formula that is the key to everything in creation. Mickey has noted something odd going on and has summoned the Doctor and Rose back to Earth. However, Mickey is not the only one who has noticed something odd, because there is also a freelance journalist who may look familiar to some of those viewing, together with something in her car boot…

Toby Whithouse creates a very entertaining story that seems, at first glance, to be aimed squarely at kids. The school setting and the use of the children in the adversaries’ dastardly plan is reminiscent of the Demon Headmaster books and TV series. However, the presence of Sarah Jane adds a different dimension altogether. Sarah Jane does not live in the past, but it is clear that her time with the Doctor will be with her forever. This also has an effect on Rose as she says, ‘I’ve been to the year 5,000,000, but this is really looking at the future’. The initial tension between Rose and Sarah Jane is written with wit and real understanding of the characters and their eventual reconciliation is joyful to behold. Just as interesting, if not more so, is the Doctor’s reaction to this, giving us insights into how he views the all-too mortal humans he travels with and his reluctance to ever say goodbye. The farewell scene between the Doctor and Sarah Jane is utterly beautiful- the line ‘I think it will be someone else’s grandchildren’ is heartbreaking and the Doctor finally saying goodbye shouldn’t leave a dry eye in the house. James Hawes makes another impressive show in the director’s chair, mounting scenes with expert shooting (although some of the editing is a bit off) but paying attention to the little things- I love the scene where Rose reaches out, expecting to get the Sonic Screwdriver, only for the Doctor to hand it to Sarah Jane. In Hawes’s hands, K9 is not just the lovable tin mutt of the past- the scene where he shoots down the Krillitane is completely awesome and K9’s apparent death genuinely left me shocked. The special effects are great, with the Krillitanes being very memorable.

The Doctor is written with more depth than in David Tennant’s previous stories and Tennant proves that Russell T Davies was fully justified in the risk he took in employing him. From his physics lesson at the start to his joyful reunion with K9, to his grim face-off with Mr Finch, Tennant is brilliant. Billie Piper is great in a performance that sometimes highlights one of Rose’s less laudable characteristics- her occasional selfishness. Noel Clarke is again utterly wonderful, with his realisation that he is the ‘tin dog’ leading him to join the TARDIS crew. The tin dog himself is obviously ace, with John Leeson returning. Then there is Elisabeth Sladen, who effortlessly gives a more mature, yet still recognisable Sarah Jane. Despite all these headlining performances, Anthony Head still manages to be fantastic as Mr Finch/ Brother Lassar, which would have satisfied Buffy fans as much as Sladen and Leeson satisfied Doctor Who fans. In smaller roles, Joe Pickley is great as Kenny and the Krillitane staff are also memorable but still very much ‘teacherly’.

"School Reunion" could have been fan-pleasing rubbish, but we are in skilled hands. It can be watched by those who don’t know who Sarah Jane is, without them losing anything, for it is a great paean to living one’s life with the belief that the best is yet to come.

NEXT: "The Girl in the Fireplace"

"New Earth"

The new Doctor Who finally takes us to an alien planet even though (as the title of the episode says) it’s not radically different from Earth. The episode is built on an intriguing premise- using genetically engineered humans as lab-rats to cure diseases. It has to be said, however, that the plot is half-baked in places and a doughy mess at the end. Although it is great to see Cassandra again, her motivation isn’t as convincing as it could be. And the dénouement, where the Doctor makes the diseased humans pass to each other the cure he has concocted doesn’t quite justify its symbolic resonance as it is obvious that too many plot short-cuts have been taken- how can an intravenous cure suddenly be an external one? The body-swapping, though amusing, is also a bit arbitrary. However, the dialogue is still great, as is Russell T Davies’s talent for world-building- ‘apple grass’, feline nuns, the nostalgia that created the need for a New Earth. The parts with the Face of Boe are excellent, giving the new series a mythos of its own, to add to that of the past.

It looks fantastic, as usual. The location filming at the Wales Millennium Centre gives a real sense of scale and the shots of the myriad pods containing the ‘lab rats’ are breath taking. The make-up for the cats is also first rate as is the work on minor characters, such as the Duke of Manhattan. James Hawes creates some very memorable scenes such as the break-out of the infected (basically a zombie attack) and is helped by some exquisite cinematography. The guest cast is excellent, with Zoe Wanamaker again being memorable as Cassandra. Doña Croll and Adjoa Andoh exude a disquieting sense of menace with their performances as the Matron and Sister Jatt and Anna Hope is rather sweet as Novice Hame.

The best performances, however, are from the regulars. The body-swapping might be a bit excessive, plotwise, but this is more than compensated for by the performances. Billie Piper is priceless as Cassandra, giving a wonderfully catty (sorry) performance. David Tennant is in full force as the Doctor here and is instantly appealing with a mix of blokiness and real steel. Tennant also gives his take on Cassandra which has to be seen to be believed!

"New Earth" is probably the least successful script that Davies has written so far. However, it contains much else that is commendable and is certainly worth watching.

NEXT: "Tooth and Claw"

"The Christmas Invasion"

"The Christmas Invasion" was the first episode produced by a production team that knew that the relaunch of Doctor Who had succeeded beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. However, they also had to contend with the fact that the lead role had just been vacated by one of the foremost British actors of our generation. For a whole generation of viewers, this was the equivalent of William Hartnell being replaced by Patrick Troughton. As I said, many moons ago, this required a special sort of story- and again, this is precisely what we got. Russell T Davies takes the bold step of taking the Doctor out of the action for a good portion of the episode. This may, at first glance, seem like madness, but as one watches the episode, the soundness of this thinking is all too evident. At the start, the characters and the viewers want the new Doctor. By the time of the final act, they need him. We are given an invasion crisis that seems hopelessly insoluble without the Doctor. We are even told that the Doctor is ‘broken’- the alien Sycorax cannot be understood, because the Doctor is an integral part of the translation circuits of the TARDIS. The Sycorax invasion itself is shown with a refreshing degree of ‘realism’- without the Doctor holding their hands, the programme shows the government reacting in a plausible way. There are some intriguing concepts, such as ‘blood control’ and the robot ‘pilot fish’ who travel in the wake of another alien force. The Sycorax are a well thought-out alien race, with them treating their science as a form of magic. Davies manages to mix in his trademark witty dialogue with the plot and his skewering of Christmas iconography is funny without seeming ridiculous. In 2009, it is impossible to ignore the fact that this is an antecedent of the outstanding Torchwood: Children of Earth, especially the scene where the A-positives are controlled into standing on the edge of tall buildings and, of course, the sting the story has in its tail- again courtesy of Torchwood. It is testament to the formidable writing on both this and Children of Earth that neither is diminished by the other.

The production is epic, with a giant ship made out of an asteroid floating above London and is expertly helmed by James Hawes. Scenes such as the hypnosis of the A positives are realised excellently, symptomatic of a show that knew that it was a success and resolutely refused to rest on its laurels. Even when it refers to other things (Harriet Jones's television plea to the Doctor recalls Superman II, Torchwood's weapon is like the Death Star) the story manages to make these things its own. Hawes brings a more cinematic feel that is excellently done, making this truly a 'special'. The cast is also superlative. Penelope Wilton effortlessly makes Harriet Jones a credible leader of a major power as well as the slightly batty figure we all know and love and she is ably supported by Daniel Evans and Chu Omambala. Noel Clarke and Camille Coduri again play their parts to perfection- we care about these characters deeply, now, and their inclusion is always welcome.

Now, we come to the Doctor. It is hard to believe nowadays how much trepidation there was over the comparatively unknown David Tennant. However, it was soon clear that we were in good hands. Even in his incapacitated state, Tennant shines and in the utterly glorious revelation of the Doctor in full working order, Tennant grabs our affections and never lets go, from quoting The Lion King to sword-fighting for the planet, Tennant astonishes in every frame he is on screen. However, we must not forget Billie Piper's contribution- it is Rose who must accept this stranger as the Doctor and Piper brilliantly portrays the faith amid confusion that the character must have.

This is a wondrous story that proved that, not only was Doctor Who back, it was here to stay.

NEXT: "New Earth"

"The Empty Child"/"The Doctor Dances"

It seems weird now that a few eyebrows were raised when it was announced that Steven Moffat would be one of the writers for the revived series. He had, of course, written the excellent Curse of Fatal Death, but he was most famous for his then most recent work, the sitcom Coupling. Many people of a certain age, however, remembered that he was the writer of Press Gang, one of the best series of all time, so they weren't surprised when they were left utterly stunned by the quality of "The Empty Child" and were utterly thrilled by "The Doctor Dances". The characterisation is superb, from the plucky Nancy, who feeds starving kids during the Blitz ('I'm not sure if it's Marxism in action or a West End musical!') to Jack- a wonderful creation which shows how far attitudes have come without rubbing our noses in it. The Blitz is brought to life excellently- it is easy to forget that Londoners really feared that the Luftwaffe were going to pulverise England and then descend to rule the smoking remains. Moffat creates a very intriguing plot, but bolsters it with pitch-perfect dialogue that ranges from the funny to the poignant- compare the 'length comparison' between the Sonic Screwdriver and Jack's sonic blaster with the poignancy of the conversation between the Doctor and Dr Constantine: 'Before this war began, I was a father and a grandfather. Now I'm neither; but I'm still a doctor'. The skill with which he balances comedy and drama is equal to what he displayed in Press Gang- in the middle of a terrifying attack by the gas-mask creatures is thrown in a wonderful there is some farcical prestidigitation with a banana. Most wonderfully, in a story that is more terrifying and more adult than any in the series so far, this is a story where there is no actual villain, the Doctor saves everyone and nobody dies. The way in which this is done is perfect and we never feel that we have been cheated.

There have been some outstanding directorial contributions in the series so far, and James Hawes is no exception. The strengths of Moffat's writing are reinforced throughout, with Hawes taking full advantage of a story set entirely at night and creates many scenes that will be remembered for decades to come- the central image of a sinister child in a gas mask saying 'Are you my mummy?', the utterly terrifying transformation of Dr Constantine, Rose's flight through an air raid. Hawes gets great performances from everyone, even the child actors. Florence Hoath is wonderful as Nancy and Richard Wilson effortlessly effective as Dr Constantine. John Barrowman makes Jack instantly memorable in a very likeable turn and his joining of the TARDIS crew is very welcome. Billie Piper is wonderfully sparky and flirty as Rose, but Christopher Eccleston manages to improve, yet again, on his previous performance- the moment where he triumphantly shouts 'Everybody lives!' sends a shiver down my spine, even on the nth viewing. It goes without saying that the production is brilliantly, effortlessly giving us wartime London and stunning us with some of the best special effects the programme has yet seen, from the impressive bombing sequence to the truly horrific transformation of Dr Constantine.

Make no mistake, "The Empty Child"/"The Doctor Dances" is fantastic television, easily up there with the best Doctor Who stories of all time.

NEXT: "Boomtown"