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

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.

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.

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.

Peter Alan Tyler , Rose's dad died in 1987, during the wedding of Sarah Clarke and Stewart Hoskins. Rose decides she wants to travel back to that time to meet her him. We discover he's dies alone because of a hit and run driver and Rose wants to be there for him. After a failed attempt, the pair return and the second Rose breaks all the rules of time by saving him. The Doctor gives Rose a glare that we've not seen the like of before and indicates that changes to the time line can have huge consequences. How right he was, Rose's meddling has indeed wreaked havoc, giant creatures are appearing all over the skies and eradicating everyone. The Doctor, Rose and surviving wedding guests retreat into the Church (which boasts a stunning Stained glass window.) Rose realises that her parents didn't perhaps have the dream marriage she thought, Pete is a bit of a letch. We get to see the monsters that have taken advantage of the change in time, they attack and drive everyone into the locked church. The monsters try but fail to gain entry, but all goes wrong when Rose touches her junior self, causing another crack in time enabling one of the creatures to appear inside the church and destroy the Doctor. Only Pete can save the day by resigning himself to his original fate in a heartbreaking scene.

Filmed in Cardiff, it looks very much of the time period, with no obvious goofs I can spot (maybe an out of place BMW 3 Series and Ford Fiesta.) It has some lighter moments, Peter and Jackie's wedding is hilarious as is Jackie's 80's hairdo and peach bridesmaid's outfit. The fashions were meticulously selected, totally 80's. This really tugs on the heart strings when Pete realises Rose is his daughter, the pair play out a beautiful and highly moving scene, it's amazingly well done.

The scenes of abandoned cars, bikes and shoes etc are very reminiscent of the opening scenes from Invasion of the Dinosaurs, very nicely done.

Without a shadow of a doubt my favourite episode of Series 1, Paul Cornell's script is glorious, the acting is first rate, as a viewer I totally connected with the characters. Father's Day is an emotional roller-coaster and will bring a tear to the eye. The best from Series 1, and one of Nu Who's best too. A stonking 10/10