Father's Day

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

Father's Day has been criticized by some fans for having a supposedly absurd premise which would effectively contradict the essence of the show itself. That's not the case. Instead, it's a pretty touching story that centers on Rose and allows the character to be a lot more than just another sidekick.

With the Editor defeated and the "boyfriend" gone, Rose asks the Doctor to take her back to the day her father Pete Tyler (Shaun Dingwall) died, since she never really got to know him and would like to see him one last time. The Time Lord complies, but warns her that if a time traveler alters his or her own life story, a time paradox will be created. Obviously, Rose doesn't pay attention, and so she saves Pete from being run over by a car. The consequence is that strange winged creatures appear and start wreaking havoc. Everyone (including a younger Jackie Tyler and an infant Rose) hide in a church, but that won't solve the problem: the only way to get things back to normal is to restore the original time-line, otherwise they will all die.

The main criticism aimed at the episode is that it's quite ridiculous for the Doctor to talk about paradoxes when he alters events on a daily basis (well, as daily as it gets for someone who constantly leaps through time and space). In reality, it's a widely accepted notion in science fiction literature, cinema and television (and it's fiction, not real science) that time travelers can do whatever they want, as long as they don't try to mess with their own history (case in point: the 2002 film version of H.G. Wells' The Time Machine states pretty clearly that the protagonist can't change his own past, no matter how hard he tries). This is also why the Doctor has never considered going back in time and saving the other Time Lords - he can't do it without possibly destroying the Universe.

That said, does Father's Day qualify as a good episode? Yes, because it does to Rose what the Dalek episode did to the Doctor: it gives the characters an opportunity to show the full extent of their internal tragedy, thus establishing them as real people (in the Doctor's case, as real as a 900-year old alien can get) and not just two goof-balls who use the TARDIS whenever they please. Dingwall, playing a role originally intended for Simon Pegg (who took the part of the Editor in The Long Game because of scheduling conflicts) adds plenty to the dramatic arc, and Camille Coduri gets to do a bit more as well, as opposed to the pure comic relief she was asked to provide in earlier episodes.

Any downsides? Well, there's the usual problem with some of the visual effects (the winged creatures look like video game monsters), but that's about it. Everything else - writing, directing, Eccleston, Piper et al - makes for another 45 minutes of above-average British sci- fi.

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.

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.

This episode has one of the strongest plots in the Doctor Who series. Yes, it is from season one. And the lead actors Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper have good chemistry. The supporting cast does their job well too. The premise of the episode is going back in time to try to save a life. The emotional dialogue and acting made this episode interesting. Rose is really likable and the Doctor is at it again! The Doctor also shows some bravery. Rose's dad is a funny character but he also has some redeemable traits. And Rose's mother is funny too. The monsters in the episode are not too scary for a younger audience to watch. And the special effects were cool.