Doctor Who ( New )

It was always going to be a risk for the BBC to revamp Doctor Who--few television programmes inspire as much rabid and cultish adoration. With the 2005 series, however, the BBC have really outdone themselves. Their updated Doctor Who is a revelation: a cult science fiction series that has real mass appeal, and works for both children and their parents. Christopher Eccleston is an inspired and charismatic Doctor--he leaps around the sets with an unrestrained glee, like he’s a child running amok in a toy shop. His enthusiasm in downright infectious. His sidekick Rose (Billie Piper) adds a real human touch, particularly as she gradually and believably matures from in-over-her-head city kid to tough-minded interplanetary hero. Much of the credit must go to writer Russell Davies, who has a much-practiced knack for finding popular appeal without dumbing-down his ideas, and who appears to have let his imagination run riot. Even the special effects, whilst not of a big-budget cinematic quality, still manage to strike a balance between cheesiness and realism. Thrilling, funny and thoroughly entertaining, this Doctor Who is a hero for the new millennium.

Most have agreed that the BBC's decision to revive Doctor Who has proven inspired, with the Christopher Ecclestone-led 'first' series proving a critical and ratings success. Yet when Ecclestone announced he was departing the role after just one season, eyebrows were raised. Could the momentum be kept going for a second series?
Absolutely. The seamless casting of David Tennant as Ecclestone's successor in the TARDIS has been equally inspired, and while it's a fair debate as to whether he matches the standards set by his predecessor, the show rarely lets you draw breath to think about it.
This second series collection kicks off with the 2005 Christmas special, which finds the Doctor struggling to overcome the effects of his regeneration, just as the Earth happens to be being invaded. It's a smashing episode, and many of the thirteen that follow manage to match it. Particular highlights? There's "School Reunion", which cleverly works old favourites K-9 and Sarah-Jane back into the mix, while "The Girl In The Fireplace" finds the Doctor in a slightly more romantic frame, "The Idiot's Lantern" is a super, snappy episode set just before Coronation Day, while the two-part "Impossible Planet" and "Satan Pit" shows just how far you can stretch a BBC budget.
Yet the series will ultimately be remembered for different reasons. The triumphant return for the Cybermen for one, and the depature of Billie Piper's Rose Tyler in the superb final two-parter, which also happens to see two of the Doctor's deadliest foes waging war. And while it's not unfair to say that this series of Doctor Who hasn't been without one or two low moments too, the vast majority of it has been really quite brilliant. Fast, energetic, well-written and cracking entertainment, you're only left wondering how they can top all this next time round…

Never underestimate the new Doctor Who. For the back run of series three is as good as anything that’s gone before it, with ingenious plotting, the clever layering of elements it casually--nah, crucially--refers to later on, and some quite superb individual episodes. It not only restores any hint of lost faith, it sets the bar even higher.
Examples? The stunning single story Blink is extremely clever, genuinely scary and has immense rewatch value. While the equally strong double-header of Human Nature and The Family Of Blood is a two-parter in the traditional Doctor Who way, building up its story in a measured and really effectively creepy way.
Then there’s the finale. Presenting the Doctor with one of his finest, most ingenious villains makes for quite brilliant television (albeit with a slightly underwhelming concluding episode), as exciting to long-time fans of Doctor Who as it is for the newcomers.
And that, ultimately, is the brilliance of Doctor Who. It staggers so many levels of viewer enthusiasm, appeals to an extremely broad age demographic, and woos over fans new and old in a manner that no show currently on television can manage. And while the cliché of hiding behind the sofa may not be as accurate as it once was, Doctor Who season three will undoubtedly leave you gripped to the TV.