The eleventh Doctor is here at last, debuting properly with his first full episode, ‘The Eleventh Hour’ over the Easter weekend in the UK. The hour-long first episode of Doctor Who series 5 was written by new series runner Steven Moffat, and if it is a good example of things to come with this series, then fans of the longest running science fiction show in history are in for a great ride. Matt Smith is instantly likeable as the Doctor, who, despite his youth, carries with him a great deal of that all-important gravitas and genius that the character always needs.

He’s immediately all over the part, and commands every scene he’s in. Amy Pond, played by Karen Gillan, is going to take a little more getting used to, and I’m already sick of everyone going on about how attractive she is. Hopefully the focus will shift to her acting and the stories once she’s not running around in a kinky policewoman’s outfit. This first story in the new Doctor Who series is a pretty standard earthbound SF tale, but it is in how things are brought to a head that the beauty of Moffat’s script lies.

The way in which the Doctor overcomes the latest threat, and saves the world in just twenty minutes, is excellent. The episode is beautifully put together, and while the effects are a little dodgy here and there, it is possibly the best ‘New Doctor’ episode we’ve had since the show came back in 2005.

The direction and editing are brilliant, but the music lets the episode down in a few places, most notably the horrible new version of the theme tune. I do like the new title sequence though. The new TARDIS is excellent, the new Doctor is very promising and Amy shows potential. In all, it’s a great start to what will hopefully be a momentous series of this true institution of genre television. Geronimo!!!

Doctor Who On Amazon

This episode of Doctor Who is being premiered across the country at a series of special events featuring a Doctor Who bus that is taking Matt Smith and Karen Gillan around the country to show it in cities that don’t get as many big events as some of the bigger places in the country.

I think this is a very cool idea indeed, and is sure to help the eleventh Doctor gain some strong new fans. This new series will also see a brand new TARDIS interior, new titles, new music, and the return of the Daleks, the Weeping Angels and even classic bad guys the Silurians!

I personally am really excited about the new series of Doctor Who, the era of the eleventh Doctor, and the era of Steven Moffatt in the driving seat for this chapter in the Doctor Who saga. Clips and early reports suggest a Patrick Troughton/Tom Baker hybrid with a modern edge, which sounds pretty much perfect to me.

The eleventh Doctor is here, and while it will be a rather different show to the one that David Tennant fronted, but it will certainly, totally and utterly be Doctor Who. Long live the eleventh Doctor!

The first volume of Doctor Who series 5 on DVD (containing the episodes 1. The Eleventh Hour, 2. The Beast Below,  3. Victory of the Daleks) is already available to pre-order! Click on the preliminary cover to pre-order yours!

SPOILERS AHEAD.

The story of the tenth Doctor is complete- David Tennant‘s swansong as the legendary Time Lord has aired, and soon we will be entering the era of the 11th Doctor, Matt Smith. So how was this highly anticipated episode? Part One had its issues, which had made me fear for the remaining episode, but this super-extended episode (73 minutes!) managed not only to tie up all of the loose ends from the first part, but also tie up the entire Russell T Davies era of Doctor Who in magnificent style. I would imagine that, viewed back to back with part two, that shaky first episode will work much better.

We certainly got the epic pay-off that Davies promised. David Tennant played the part perfectly in tonight’s episode, with the right balance of energy and gravitas. Bernard Cribbins was about as perfect a companion we could have hope for, John Simm finally felt like the Master, the return of the Time Lords was stunning (if somewhat less epic than expected), and despite the odd cop out here and there, such as the manner in which the Master’s plan was reversed, ‘The End of Time‘ was one of Doctor Who‘s finest hours since the show returned.

If I may fly my geek flag for a moment, one thing I did take issue with was Timothy Dalton’s Time Lord character being referred to as Rassilon. In the continuity of the series, Rassilon is long dead before the Time War even started (we saw his massive tomb and ghostly consciousness during the special episode ‘The Five Doctors‘ during the eighties). It grated on me that this highly revered character would be shown as a madman. That aside, I was most pleased with Dalton’s powerful delivery and much needed presence as president of Gallifrey.

The process of the Doctor coming to terms with his time running out during the episode is played out beautifully, and the revelation of who actually brings about the Doctor’s regeneration was a surprise. I thought I’d got the ending sussed, but no, RTD took me by surprise and did us all proud.

It was those final minutes, in which the Doctor revisits each of his most beloved companions, that was the most wonderful part for me. Seeing Martha and Mickey as freedom fighters, Sarah-Jane Smith and her son, the Captain Jack cameo, Donna’s wedding and finally that trip back to before the Doctor met Rose were gorgeous glimpses at stores we never got to see. The brief exchange between the Doctor and the younger Rose was something special.

The regeneration, when it came, was much more spectacular and moving than we’ve ever seen in the show previously. This was a final goodbye not only to the tenth Doctor and David Tennant, but also this magnificent era that has seen a cancelled and much derided TV show about an odd time traveller in a blue box come back and redefine British family entertainment. There have been a few less than classic episodes along the way, but on the whole it has been exactly what was promised- the ride of a lifetime.

How does Matt Smith seem? From the brief scene following the regeneration and the clips from the teaser, he seems superb. I already love the new catchphrase. He comes across as excitable, odd and distinctly Doctorish from the word go, or rather, “Geronimo!”

The teaser for the next series looks superb too, and carries what I can only describe as a distinctly old school feel to it. While the production values are light years away from those of the classic series, there seems to be a similar energy to those brief shots we saw. After all of the worries that David Tennant leaving the show would spell disaster for it, I am most pleased to report that it looks like the TARDIS is in safe hands.

Goodbye David. Hello Matt.

Today will see the airing of the final episode of Doctor Who to feature David Tennant as the tenth Doctor. The End Of Time Part Two will see the legendary Time Lord dealing with the Master’s diabolical plot along with the return of the Time Lords themselves, but as we all know, he won’t get out of it alive… at least not in this body. We’ll be bringing you a full review of the episode as soon as we can, but until then here’s a couple of things to keep the wait bearable!

Time Capsule: An Unofficial Doctor Who eBook

This is the free ebook we created when the ‘Planet of the Dead’ Doctor Who Special was shown, and it contains full reviews of every episode of series four and more Doctor Who features besides. Written by our resident Doctor Who fanatic, it’s a great overview of the fourth series of the show, which was so very momentous. Check it out below!

Time Capsule: An unofficial Doctor Who Book

A new Doctor Who eBook containing reviews of all of the 2009 specials will be released soon!

Doctor Who: The End of Time Part Two Scene

A special scene was released by the BBC following the first episode being shown, which you can check out here. It takes place at the end of the Time War (before the ninth Doctor met Rose) and sees the high council of Time Lords arguing about how to deal with the Doctor…

Official Doctor Who Merchandise

The BBC Doctor Who Store

And so the final Doctor Who story to feature David Tennant in the TARDIS and Russell T Davies at the keyboard begins, and also welcomes back John Simm as the Master, Bernard Cribbins as Wilf and Catherine Tate as Donna Noble. With Doctor Who: The End of Time, we were promised a tale of epic proportions, so how does the first part of the story hold up? There is much to love about the episode, but there are also plenty of issues with it. Many of those issues can be explained by the simple fact that this is part one of two, but it doesn’t explain some very ham-fisted pacing.

As the start of Tennant’s final story, it feels remarkably low key, which may be down to the episode taking place in such a mundane setting, but there are a bunch of scenbes that are really very good. mainly these are scenes between the Doctor and the Master, which are handled really well. John Simm is a rather different Master to the cheeky maniac from series 3. Here he’s demented, much more murderous and, erm, has mad superpowers. Now the Master can fly, shoot lighting from his hands, and has a visible holographic skull whenever he lets rip with those odd powers. His resurrection is really, really cheesy, but it at least looks very pretty. In some scenes he is genuinely powerful, but in others he’s more like Gollum than an intergalactic super-genius.

My main issue with this episode is that it just feels like a trailer. There’s the repeated voice-overs from Timothy Dalton, which take you out of the action somewhat, and the somewhat disjointed order of events. This is something that has often been an issue with two-part stories, but here it’s really noticeable. It concerns me about just how much will have to be shoehorned into part 2 to tie up the loose ends and end the tenth Doctor’s life.

David Tennant actually comes off really well with the script, though. The character of the Doctor has had some interesting changes over the course of the Doctor Who specials, with him becoming more and more unpredictable and unhinged. One scene in particular that must be praised is the exchange between Wilf and the Doctor while sat in a cafe. There’s real pathos at work there when the two old timers are pondering their own deaths.

As an episode in its own right, it doesn’t work all that well, but I’m hoping that the conclusion will be much tighter in terms of pace, and much more epic, as we were promised. I think I’ve figured out how the Doctor will die, and I hope I’m wrong as it would be such a let-down. However, I’m really looking forward to seeing how THAT cliffhanger is expanded on. Part one on the whole is fun, if a bit dull, and the Master’s plan is ludicrous, but I’m looking forward to seeing how it all ends, and will be welcoming the new creative team and Matt Smith with open arms. It’s been a brilliant ride since Doctor Who returned to our TV screens, and as a fan of twenty years’ viewing of the show, I hope this era gets the send-off that it deserves.

Official Doctor Who merchandise from the BBC

Okay, so technically it’s seasons 27, 28, 29 and 30 rather than 1-4, but with TV this good, who cares? The first four series of Doctor Who’s triumphant return to our TV screens have been captured in this frankly awesome box set.

While it’s missing the last 2009 specials, The Waters of Mars and the two part finale The End of Time, it’s otherwise pretty comprehensive, and stuffed with all of the new classics that the show has brought us since it came back. With the Doctor Who series 1-4 box set you can relive the pinnacle of modern British science fiction in stories such as the Empty Child/The Doctor Dances, Army of Ghosts/Doomsday, Blink, Human Nature/The Family of Blood, The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End and all the rest.

The Doctor Who 1-4 box set really is a spectacular idea for a Christmas gift for the Doctor Who fans in your life, and perfect for reliving the events leading up to the momentous end of the tenth Doctor’s era! Click on the image above to order your copy!

You can find more Doctor Who merchandise at the official Doctor Who BBC Shop

The penultimate Doctor Who story to feature David Tennant as the tenth Doctor has now aired, and all that remains is the two part finale to his era, is this episode treading water to the big ending? Not in the slightest. In fact, as we head to the downfall of the tenth Doctor, we have been given one of the best episodes in a long time. The tension is definitely building towards his final episodes, and the character takes a rather stunning turn with Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars.

While the plot of this special episode isn’t particularly new, i.e. the Doctor trapped on a research station (this time on Mars) with a bunch of scientists and pioneers, who then start getting picked off one by one by an alien entity. The beauty of this episode centres around David Tennant’s performance and the moral dilemma that the Doctor finds himself trapped in. Without giving too much away for those of you that are yet to see the episode, the Doctor is placed in a situation where he must decide between what he has been taught since his first incarnation and what he feels in his heart(s).

The alien entities, essentially water-spewing zombies, look fantastically scary, and I am sure there were a fair few nightmares had by kids up and down the country, especially if there was a tap running in the house at the time. The new Doctor Who special is well written, beautifully shot and briskly paced, and the visuals give it a suitably epic feeling, which is much needed if it’s to be seen as more than just an extended regular episode.

There are a few things that didn’t work completely though, such as the inhabitants of the station weren’t really given much in the way of characterization beyond some rather standard deep space SF stereotypes. Then again, SF stereotypes can be fun, which they are for the most part here. It is the script itself and the nature of the Doctor’s dilemma that are the most compelling thing with this special, along with a very, very strong performance from David Tennant. The tenth Doctor really does surprise you towards the end of the episode, which sets up what is to come very nicely indeed.

The links to earlier events in Doctor Who series four are a nice touch, keeping it in continuity with the larger DW universe. Lindsay Duncan is on fine form as the main companion of the Doctor for the episode, but she is more a partner than a companion, really, and heads up a fine supporting cast who are sadly not given a great deal to do other than run around and shout.

There are some great character touches, such as the videos from home, but the special would have needed another twenty minutes or so to fully flesh these characters out. A fine special episode indeed, and certainly the best so far after The Next Doctor and Planet Of the Dead. The teaser trailer of ‘The End of Time’ looks amazing, and what’s going on with the Master’s head turning invisible, revealing his skull? We shall soon find out…

Pretty much everyone here is a huge fan of Doctor Who. Some of us prefer the new era, some of us are of more of an old-school kick. This is why the latest series, (series 5 to some, series 1 to others, series 31 to yet others) is getting to be so interesting. The new Doctor Who logo, as you see, melds the past with the future very well.

That’s the whole feel we’re getting from the new Doctor Who series so far. With the look of the eleventh Doctor, the refurbished TARDIS exterior, the new version of the console room and now this new logo, it feels like Doctor Who is finally settling into the right combination of the classic era and the new one.

While simple, this new logo is much more in keeping with the classic logos of the Patrick Troughton era and the Paul McGann TV movie. The blue glow and sheen to the logo suggests a new title sequence entirely, which is most welcome after four series and many specials of essentially the same thing.

Here’s hoping this is accompanied by a new arrangement of the theme tune, the previous incarnation of which has long since been an issue for some fans.

You can find a wallpaper sized version of the image over at the BBC’s official Doctor Who site.

Find the latest new series and classic Doctor Who DVDs on Amazon!

Sunday was more aimed at kids, with the Children’s Film festival, Nickelodeon, the premiere of the new Scooby Doo movie and more being the main attractions for youngsters. Aside from those shenanigans, there was still plenty going on for older fans to enjoy.

Doctor Who and Torchwood panel

Russell T Davies, David Tennant, John Barrowman and Julie Gardner were on hand to talk about the future of the two shows (This was wrongly reported as taking place on saturday-oops!). According to Tennant, the tenth Doctor’s final episodes are ‘very emotional indeed’. Russell T Davies said that new Doctor Who series boss Steven Moffatt probably wouldn’t be using the established Davies-era characters such as Martha, Mickey, etc in favour of building his own new characters. The Lucy Saxon character will be returning in the finale (makes sense when you think about who the villain is…). Torchwood series 4 will be made, but it is not clear as yet what form it will continue in. Intriguing…

Ghost Whisperer

The next season of the Ghost Whisperer, starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, was previewed to an appreciative audience. The cast and executive producers teased fans with clips that gave clues as to the new direction the series is taking. New characters are changing everything in the show, and it looks like fans are in for quite a ride.

There was also a very popular Harry Potter fan panel featuring prominent figures in the world of HP fandom and a showing of the latest installment of Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight. The event closed with a huge singalong screening of the famous Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical episode ‘Once More With Feeling’.

As ever, the San Diego Comic Con has left the fan world brimming with excitement for the delights to come, and people are already looking forward to the 2010 event. Who knows what SDCC 2010 will have in store? We’ll let you know as soon as we do…

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Check out the new items from Sideshow Collectibles unveiled at SDCC 2009!

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The new series of Doctor Who has started production today! The first photo of eleventh Doctor Matt Smith and Karen Gillan (as new companion Amy Pond) in costume has been released online, as you can see here. The reaction online has been mixed, with some fans unimpressed and others loving the new look.

Personally I think it is a bold move to put the Doctor in a rather traditional outfit (which actually reminds me of Peter Cushing’s outfit from the Doctor Who big screen movies from the 1960s) instead of a trendy outfit more akin to the tenth Doctor. Many of us were fearing some awful emo/goth outfit, but the geography teacher/hobo look is very much in keeping with the character of the Doctor.

In a press release from the BBC, new show runner Steven Moffat tells fans: “And here it is, the big moment – the new Doctor, and his new best friend. And here’s me, with the job I wanted since I was seven. 40 years to here! If I could go back in time and tell that little boy that one day all this would happen, he’d scream, call for his Mum and I’d be talking to you now from a prison cell in 1969. So probably best not then. Matt and Karen are going to be incredible, and Doctor Who is going to come alive on Saturday nights in a whole new way – and best of all, somewhere out there, a seven-year-old is going to see them, fall in love, and start making a forty year plan…”

So then, welcome to Matt Smith as the eleventh Doctor Who! Good luck mate. The universe is counting on you.

Until the eleventh Doctor arrives onscreen, there are galaxies of Doctor Who DVDs and Merchandise to enjoy!

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