The Star Beast

While it is good seeing David Tennant's Doctor and my personal favorite companion back together, hearing Murray Gold's beautiful score, and enjoying some wonderfully composed shots from director Rachel Talalay, the episode unfortunately commits many of the missteps I was hoping they would avoid, but suspected they wouldn't. Despite still having a talent for writing excellent prose, and being able to write characters who (mostly) talk like normal people, the writer of this episode was saddled with having to establish a great deal in fifty odd minutes, leading to a quite clunky opener to this anniversary three-parter. This is, of course, excusable. What is less excusable is the treatment of the main character by the other characters. The Doctor, fresh from regenerating from his previous, female self, is openly mocked by several of the supporting characters for no other reason than his gender. While I have no issue with the Doctor having been a woman, and I have no problem with Donna insulting the Doctor to a degree (her argumentative nature being a core part of their prior relationship), the Doctor is made to feel degraded and humiliated for not understanding the frankly unintelligible ending of the story, which is, of course, put down to him being a man instead of a woman.

While the Doctor should never be portrayed as perfect, something most incarnations have no issue with achieving, he should also not be told to his face that he is stupid and it is because of his physical makeup, for the sake of a cheap laugh. The Doctor, after all he has done for the universe, deserves a lot more respect. Apart from that, the general messaging throughout the episode still evokes much of the eye rolling moral-lessons-without-substance-to-cushion-it that pushed many fans away from the franchise during Capaldi's era. While it is not wrong to have messaging, indeed, morals and messages have always been an important part of Doctor Who, the story should never work it so hard as to be inescapable, or integral to the plot. Doctor Who has always been at it's best when the message is secondary to the main story.

To that point, I have hopes that the second episode, without the baggage of reintroductions and establishing, very clearly, it's virtues, will be a better experience. We''ll see if that instinct is correct. Doctor Who has a lot of bad will to overcome from the fanbase, here's hoping there is more to it's supposed "return to form" than some familiar faces and unearned lectures.

Was it perfect? Of course not. But it was a breath of fresh air after the previous era, carried heavily by the chemistry between David and Catherine. Tennant fits back into the doctor as if he never left, ultimately a really great and fun episode.

On another note I'd like to praise the production quality, you can clearly see where the budget went. In recent seasons the CGI was becoming very jarring, there's still some iffy stuff in keeping with what we love but it ties everything together so nicely. I especially enjoyed the cinematic framing of the episode, it's doctor who as we've never seen it before.

Doctor Who has always been a big part of my life, ever since it returned to screens when I was a wee nipper. I've since watched the original show and delved into the world of the novels and audio dramas and despite loving (almost) every second of it, I've always held Russell's era very closely to my hearts. I was both extremely excited and extremely worried about this fresh run of things: would it be able to capture the charm and atmosphere that made the Davies' era so wonderful? Would it feel like a soulless nostalgia grab? So many questions! But I'm glad to report that I LOVED this first episode. It was everything I had hoped for and more! Brilliant effects, wonderful performances, a tight script, music that hits all the right notes... I could go on. I'm not going to spoil it because it's got more twists and turns than a twisty turny thing but you should go and watch it right now! I imagine that I'll be seeing you back here this time next week, so until then, allons-y!

Adapting the 4th Doctor comic of the same name was a bold choice to kickstart Russell T Davies' new era of Doctor Who, it beings back that feeling of child-like imagination and wonder that makes the future of the Whoniverse look brighter than ever before.

The Doctor is caught in a fight to the death as a spaceship crash-lands in London. But as the battle wreaks havoc, destiny is converging on the Doctor's old friend, Donna...

After the past 5 years, getting a coherent and beautifully directed episode feels like a godsend. Bringing back Rachel Talalay was a stroke of genius on Russell's behalf, she cooked here, bringing to life the art of Dave Gibbons. The episode wastes no time getting stuck into the action, just when you think it's going to be a quiet little character building start, a spaceship crash-lands and it's all business as usual.

Tennant and Tate slip effortlessly back into their old routine, mile-a-minute chatter and wounding one-liners matching each other all the way. Tennant absolutely steals the show but Tate isn't very far behind, their enthusiasm and chemistry never wavers leaving me with a goofy smile I couldn't wipe from my face.

Granted there's a really badly timed joke on behalf of the late Bernard Cribbins but he gets a loving little tribute and cameo by journey's end which really made me well up with happiness. On the other hand though, Yasmin Finney's Rose adds nothing to the story that couldn't have been filled by Sharon in the original source material, but then again we wouldn't have gotten to experience such extremely lukewarm acting from Finney... Beep the Meep, however, is brilliantly realised. The genocidal fluffball has always been a fan favourite and he's done a great service by Miriam Margolyes' understated brilliance.

Murray Gold's return left me with mixed feelings but he brings back many of his classic themes from his last tenure while adding something new giving the story the dramatic weight it needed.

Despite my misgivings, with plenty of narrative hand-waving, goofy dialogue and telegraphed twists you can spot a mile off, The Star Beast is real return to form that we deserved. Silly, sincere and jam-packed with plenty of wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey shenanigans that lays loving tribute to 60 years of Doctor Who whilst teasing a tantalising new era for the show... and the best part? It feels like the best is left to come. Allons-y!

He's back, and so is Donna, they're brought together to help The Meep, a creature that's landed on Earth.

Fair play, you have to credit Doctor Who fans, we've all waited a long time for this, and I'm sure millions will tune in for nostalgia and curiosity, wanting to see if the show has changed.

Tennant and Tate, it's almost as though a Genie answered my wishes, and brought the two of them back to us, but the question was always going to be whether this episode was as good as the hype, everything possible has been done to rejuvenate the show.

Bonkers good fun, I really did enjoy it, it was like stepping back fifteen years. I can't say it's a classic, but it was an entertaining, action packed sci fi romp, and it was great to see so many familiar faces, and some new.

The story was decent, the character play was magical. I think there's more to come in the next few episodes.

I liked Rose, I liked the way the character was introduced and the way in which Russell handled the trans issue, no preaching.

Miriam Margolyes was a joy as The Meep, about time she featured on the show, I really liked The Meep.

Two questions I had going in, why is this incarnation of The Doctor back, and would Donna suffer coming back into contact with her old travelling companion? I exit this episode with more questions than answers, who's the boss?

Tennant, what can you say, The Doctor is back, he's lost none of the energy, none of the polish, none of the presence, great to have him back.

Donna Noble, I adore you! Tate stepped straight back in with ease, please let her return in years to come.

8/10.