Father's Day

Pterodactyl Bat Witch Scorpions are unleashed on the unsuspecting after Rose interferes with an event that even the most cavalier of Doctors could not prevent. Salvation is found within a building that pays homage to a character who is less likely to exist than the scorpionlike creatures flying around the structures anterior (and posterior). Thankfully a sacrifice is made (as all religions require), the debt is repaid, and a body can be re-laid or laid (take your pick, but will it rise again?) and the sky stops falling down. All praise the lord (of time), although he was not much help on this occasion but we should still raise a few halleluiahs just to be safe.

It's strange how perception can change over time. My recollection was that the episode "Dalek" was the standout from the first season, though I was underwhelmed watching it again, and also that "Father's Day" was a bit of a filler episode, with bad visual effects - so I was surprised about how well written and considered it was.

Rose (Billie Piper) and The Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) travel to 1987, to the day that Rose's father, Pete (Shaun Dingwall) was killed by a hit and run driver. Initially intending just to comfort Pete as he died, instead Rose saves his life, pushing him out of the way of the car and in doing so changing her own history and rips a hole in the fabric of space/time. Through this hole appear Reapers, winged creatures who devour humans.

So yes, there are some negatives. The show is a little inconsistent on what the Reapers actually are, they're supposedly there to fix the rip, but are clearly attacking humans only tangentially linked to the change in history. Whilst we're on the subject of the Reapers, they are one of the first season's poorest effects. Cartoonishly drawn and lacking in depth, they remind me of characters from an augmented reality game.

But the plotting of the episode is excellent. The Doctors anger at Rose's decision, coupled with the call back to the first episode when he said that Rose only becomes interested in leaving when he says his machine can travel through time, is a great moment. You understand his betrayal and genuinely feel like he might leave her. The scenes between Rose and Pete are really nicely done, once they're over the early "Back to the Future" moment it's a genuinely touching relationship as Pete works out who he is to her, what it must mean and what he needs to do.

Genuinely much better than I anticipated.

What's with the bad reviews on this episode? The idea and concept of this episode were cool. The execution of said ideas and concept was pretty good. The monster is amazing and the episode was good. I liked it.

He may have only had ownership of the TARDIS for one series but I thought Christopher Eccleston's Doctor was great, and never better than in this smart and heartfelt episode.

It's a simple "what happens if you alter something in time?" premise, but the performances given by Shaun Digwell and Billie Piper elevate it to being so much more.

For his part Eccleston may not have to carry the drama, but everything he does say, every little facial expression speaks volumes.

Since these early 'new who' episodes the show has got increasingly complicated, over dramatic and dull. These early series episodes were accessible and enjoyable.

I think this was one of the best episodes from his one series as the Doctor.

After the tedious Long Game the new series picks up again and it's at this point you realise you're not only watching a new series but an entirely new show . The Doctor takes Rose through time to 1987 on the day her father died and lets her witness the event , but Rose is overcome by emotion and intervenes causing the laws of time to be enforced

Russell T Davies and Paul Cornell have conspired to write a tale that no one else thought about in the classic series , one that revolves totally around the depth of the companion . It's true that Rose Tyler is the most thought out , most multi layered companion there has ever been in the show and one complaint that can be levelled with some justification with the first season is that we're watching a show called ROSE TYLER and in the hands of a lesser actress this wouldn't be so well received but Piper does not disappoint in her performance

Praise too for the great Christopher Eccleston . I was shocked when it was announced he was going to be The Doctor since despite being an outstanding actor I thought he was wrong for the part , but then I had no idea he was going to be playing it in the style that he's best known for - An angry , brooding , introspective man . Watching the scene where he scowls Rose for being " another stupid ape " is one of the great moments of 2005 television and there's no way you could envisage a scene like this taking place in the old series

The older audience will be able to recognise these dramatic strengths and enjoy them while the younger fans are very well catered for by the appearance of The Reapers , demonic space bats that have arrived to sterilize the wounds in time caused by Rose's actions . If you've seen the original series 1963 -89 and didn't think much of it then watch this episode and don't tell me you didn't enjoy it