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New Earth Format Reviewed: TV Review So, here we are again at the start of another new series of Doctor Who. David Tennant is the Doctor, but continuity is provided through Billie Piper who again will play alongside the Doctor as the assistant Rose. The production staff are also largely the same and there are many of the writers from the previous series too. The big question really is whether this series can live up to the high standards set in the Eccleston era in the previous season. Firstly the regular cast. Semi-regulars Noel Clarke playing Mickey and Camile Coduri playing Jackie appear briefly in the pre-titles sequence, and do exactly what you would expect of them. Billie Piper gives an excellent performance though, her best by a distance. This is largely because this script gives her the license to show a lot of versatility and she really shines here. Largely though, this series will live or die on the performance of David Tennant as the Doctor. This is where I think Doctor Who will go on to another level. Much as I feel Eccleston was probably the right choice for the return series and his dark qualities really brought out the scripts well. Tennant on the other hand is a more enigmatic character, and someone who I think would walk into a room and instantly command the attention of those in the room. This is really what the character of the Doctor is all about in my opinion, so I am very enthusiastic about Tennant being the Doctor. On to the story then, and this is one that again is written by Russel T. Davies. Davies seems to want to write the episodes that are either significant to the continuity of the series, or those that are phsychologicaly important such as the first episode of a new series. This isn't a bd thing necessarily, and it does seem to work really well here. The concept is that the Doctor takes Rose to see New Earth in the aftermath of the events depicted in The End of the World. New Earth is a colony world that Humans have sought out following the destruction of Earth. After arriving, the Doctor receives a message on his psychic paper asking him to visit ward 26 in the local hospital. This they do, and along the way they encounter Cassandra and the Face of Boe, again providing continuity from the first series. The story is quite strong in itself, but it is really brought to life by Tennant and Piper who seem to carry off the comic elements better than Eccleston did. The guest cast does nothing to cause a problem, but the story is so centered on Tennant and Piper that nobody really gets a chance to shine. Zoe Wannamaker again gives the voice for Cassandra whilst in her own skin suit, and gives a good performance as she did before. The other elements of the story are up to the wonderful standards set previously, with the special effects again particularly well realised. The incidental music and sound effects also only serve to add to the tenseness when required, or give a comic twist. Overall, this is a good story but I feel that most of the success is because Billie and David are just so good in their roles. As a concept, the story is probably one of Davies better ideas, and certainly more appealing to me than the Slitheen stories. I always feel though that Davies stories show more about hsi sense of humour than his ability to create a tense and moody adventure. For me personally, I prefer the tense and moody stories to those with too much comedy added in. That said, it was a very enjoyable start to what promises to be a good season with Tennant at the helm of the show. Rating:  |