Doctor Who grows up and enters its second childhood all at once.
For the first time we see the emotional impact of a companion returning home after some time spent away with the Doctor. And in the same episode we get a bunch of fart gags.
It was the closest so far to traditional Doctor Who – a cliffhanger, an alien running around a hospital, something creepy going on in the corridors of power. And it reintroduces UNIT in a way that will, fingers crossed, please old fans whilst not overwhelming new ones. Likewise the concept of regeneration was subtly alluded to for the first time (handy that, considering).
My one gripe is with the visual aspects of the aliens – dodgy CGI as they emerged from their “suits” and then dodgy rubber costumes. But the Big Ben crash was excellently put together, and the pig alien was so cute.
9/10
Ah, and David Tennant? I think he’ll be good. I’m not worried about him being “too young” (some people are feeling old ‘cos he’s the first Doctor to be younger than them, but I’m safe until next time at least 😉 and he’s five years older than Peter Davison was when he took over) and on the evidence of Casanova and Quatermass he can act well enough.