DOCTOR WHO: SEASON-BY-SEASON - SERIES ONE

Doctor Who is back. For real, this time. We're not just getting a quick tease like we did in the mid-90s (that was meant to be taking place in the late 90s). This isn't a quick feature-length TV Special that will never show its face again. It's a full and proper season. And, if enough people like it, we'll get more. 

I was quite excited when news of this came out. It really seemed hopeful that my favorite television program was coming back. I expected that the show would get radically modernized. That most of the conventions we were getting during its initial run would no longer be used. I was certain we wouldn't even get cliffhangers. Stories would be completed in just a single episode. I was both surprised and delighted to learn that there would be the occasional multi-part story in a season. 

Seeing the Ninth Doctor's costume for the first time brutalized me quite badly. I suspected he wouldn't be going for something too Old School. That the outfit would be less eccentric-looking than most (we certainly weren't getting another Sixth Doctor costume!). But I didn't think they were going to alter his look this much! The Doctor almost appeared to be a normal person! I was starting to legitimately wonder if, maybe, Production was taking things just a bit too far in their efforts to modernize the show. Still, I would give New Who a fair chance and watch the season before passing any kind of judgement. 

But I was still a bit apprehensive...

STARTING THINGS OFF 

I talked a bit in my Review of the Eighth Doctor Era (https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2023/08/doctor-who-season-by-season-special.html) about the lesson RTD learnt on how not to re-boot the series. Nine arrives on the scene without a regeneration preceding him (although the comment he makes as he sees his reflection in a mirror lead us to believe one happened shortly before Rose begins). Which is a far smarter way to introduce the character. 

But RTD makes some other good choices. He recognizes that this is a show with a massive amount of backstory to it. There's no way he can reveal all of it to a new audience in just one episode. So he stretches things out over two. Rose lays down quite a few fundamental premises. We learn that the Doctor is a time traveler who likes to fight for good. That he travels in a transdimensional Police Box and uses a sonic screwdriver. That he comes from the North. And, of course, that lots of planets have one. 

But The End of the World continues to explain a few more important elements of the show. We see that the TARDIS has a special translation feature (something we were never actually told in the Original Series but, sort of, suspected). That the Doctor does come from the North - but he is a Time Lord. Most significantly, of course, we discover that a horrible war went on during the Wilderness Years that wiped out the rest of his species. 

Even after two episodes, there's still some elements of Lore that won't get revealed till much later. The Doctor, for instance, doesn't finally admit that he actually stole his TARDIS until several seasons later in Planet of the Dead! 

Both these stories do show nice strong links to Who's past without having to beat you too hard over the head with it. Rose is more obvious. The Nestene Consciousness is making its third attempt to invade the Earth. End of the World is a bit more subtle. But it, basically, displays an event that other stories like The Ark and Frontios make reference to. 

All in all, this has been an absolutely perfect way to re-start the show. Even if Eccleston's outfit is a bit off-putting!   

FIRST FILLER 

With the foundations laid, we move on to Unquiet Dead and the First Part of The Great Slitheen Debacle. 

Something new happens, here. For the first time in the history of the show, we experience filler episodes. In Classic Who, there were stories that had significant things happen in them. The Doctor would regenerate or visit Gallifrey. Or the Daleks would show up. Clearly, such tales get more attention paid to them. But, ultimately, everything did feel of equal importance. It's a major event, for instance, when the Doctor saves the entire Universe from entropy at the end of Season Eighteen. But his visit to Argolis at the beginning of that year feels no less relevant. 

Yet, somehow, as we watch these three episodes, we get the impression they won't matter quite as much as other episodes in the season. We even feel certain that there will be more stories like this later. 

By no means do I consider Unquiet and Those Crazy Slitheens to be inferior to other content in this season. I particularly enjoyed Mark Gatiss' first writing contribution. It tells an interesting story that gives us even more of an insight into the current state of the Doctor's moral compass. It's quite witty when he considers the Gelth's use of corpses to, basically, be "recycling". And the way he tells Rose to just accept what they're doing to corpses or stop travelling with him is actually a bit shocking. 

Simon Callow does a brilliant job of playing Charles Dickens. It's great to see the show already getting Big Names in to play key roles like this. We also see just how much more Doctor Who is going to focus on the emotional beats of a plot. Things do get a tad weepy and depressing towards the conclusion of End of the World. But Dickens' renewal of spirit at the end of this episode has an even stronger impact on the viewer. Doctor Who is definitely going to be a much more sentimental series in its new state. 

Aliens of London/World War III is a fun little runaround. It's a two-parter. Which means we get our first cliffhanger of the New Series. Which, somehow, felt very exciting. I know some fans complained about all the fart gags. But, honestly, Doctor Who seems like the sort of show that would have flatulent aliens in it. So I was fine with it. The fact that we, eventually, get a pseudo-science explanation for why they are so gassy makes things all-the-more amusing!  

Our first set of filler episodes are just fine. Even a bit great. Regardless of the fact that they are not really all that necessary to the bigger story Series One is trying to tell. 

THE PEPPERPOTS ARE BACK 

And then we get to a really important episode. Quite possibly, the most significant episode in the whole history of New Who. 

It was inevitable that the Daleks would have to return at some point. They are a crucial element of Doctor Who. You knew that, no matter what, the BBC was going to work out some sort of deal with the Estate of Terry Nation. 

What was far more instrumental to the success of the show was how the Daleks were brought back. They had to make a strong first impression. They needed a great introductory tale. Getting Rob Shearman to adapt his Jubilee script was a great call on RTD's behalf. It "stripped back" the Daleks to their basest level. We saw how dangerous and fanatical a single Dalek could be. Which struck just the right level of menace into the hearts of a whole new generation of British children. Production also chose to keep the silly salt shaker design. Which was totally the right thing to do. They're too damned iconic and you can't really mess with that image.  Even if egg whisks and plungers look a little ridiculous! 

A new layer also gets added to the Lore. We learn a bit more about what happened in the Time Wars. We now know that the Daleks were the key combatants. And that, somehow, the Doctor ended the war by committing some serious levels of superweapon damage. 

This is a pivotal story in the season. Definitely not filler. But, more significantly, it's really well-written, performed and directed. A brilliant episode that I might even call a Classic.     

AND THEN A FEW MORE FILLERS 

And back we go to stories of lesser consequence. 

Although you can't call The Long Game total filler. It is setting some important things up for later in the season. But, overall, it has the same inconsequential feeling that earlier filler episodes had. 

We are also starting to see one of the great limitations of most of the seasons of New Who. Telling a whole story in the span of just one 46-minute episode feels a bit too "light". In the Classic Days, the standard four-parter that we got most of the time had double the run-time of what we are now receiving. Thus creating plenty of time for character development or deeper explorations of a story's theme. That's just not really happening anymore with most of the tales in a season. An adventure, oftentimes, flies by too quickly. On some levels, I get it. Viewers don't have the patience they once had. Things need to move at a cracking pace to keep them engaged. Still, it does make it much harder to accept that what we're seeing really is Doctor Who. It does often feel like another show entirely. 

I know there's a certain segment of people out there who feel they must moan about every single alteration Chibnall made to the show, but I was so thankful he decided to change the length of an episode to around an hour. Stories now had more time to "breathe". Which made us feel much more like we were getting real Doctor Who. 

Still, let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. Ultimately, I still quite like The Long Game. It seems to be the one fans dislike in Series One. I'm not sure why. It's a pretty tight plot that explores some interesting ideas about news media and how it affects us. And it's got another Big Name giving us a great turn. Simon Pegg continues to be one of the great Hollywood actors that I envy most. He gets parts in every single sci-fi franchise that I adore! 

And then there's Father's Day. The story I was anticipating the most this season. I loved all the books Paul Cornell wrote during the Wilderness Years. They were always brilliant. And so is this episode. Once more, there's a ton of emotional resonance going on. I've never been able to make it through this story without shedding, at least, a few tears. It hits me all-the-harder, now, because my own Dad is gone. But it's also another very tight plot that gets us to nearly forget that it has little or nothing to do with the bigger narrative that the season is telling. Paul Cornell should have written another twenty episodes, by now. I'm not sure why they haven't commissioned him more often. My only guess is that everyone is just too savagely jealous of his talent. 

"ARE YOU MY MUMMY?"  

Our second two-parter of the season introduces us to some more incredible writing talent. Unlike Cornell, this particular author would write another 20 episodes over the the years. Even more than that! 

But it all starts with The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances. His first impression is a strong one. Many, in fact, consider this to be the best story of the season. 

If I'm being honest, the first part only impresses me so much. It's off to a very awkward start. Rose ends up hanging off of a barrage balloon in the most preposterous of ways. Like there's almost a "Part One Cliffhanger to Dragonfire" vibe going on. Essentially, someone finds a highly-unlikely manner to put themselves in danger. 

Fortunately, Captain Jack Harkness comes along and the story really starts to spice up. He's a very charming and devilish rogue. I'm quite glad that he becomes a companion. I even wish he'd hung around longer during his initial run (at least he comes back a lot). The whole weird thing that's going on with the Empty Child is also grabbing my attention. I was a bit put off, at first. But, by the end of the episode, I'm interested.  

It's Part Two that really gets me. So much happens in it that is an absolute delight to watch. The mad chase through the hospital where sonic devices become double-entendres. Rose and the Doctor having a moment together listening to Glen Miller and they cause "dancing" to also become a double-entendre (this is the same man who wrote Coupling - so there's bound to be a lot of this!). The absolutely gorgeous conclusion where, just this once, everybody lives. Moff very competently changes the tone of the story from saucy to something genuinely touching in a heartbeat. It's a very impressive feat. Once more, I'm tearing up as I watch Doctor Who. Not something that happened this often during the Classic Series.  

And then there's the great little coda where Jack thinks he's about to die and the Doctor and Rose ever-so-casually rescue him. The whole little final speech that he delivers when he thinks he's done for is a great moment. But the slow pan back that reveals the TARDIS has latched on to his ship is truly awesome. Jack becomes a companion in the coolest of ways. 

As ridiculous as the whole barrage balloon sequence was, it's completely forgotten by this point! 

This probably is the best story of the season. It's very difficult to gauge, though. Because it does have a substantial amount of competition. 

MORE SLITHEEN (CAUSE THE FANS WANTED THEM BACK SO BADLY!)

While most seem to dislike The Long Game, Boomtown is probably my least favorite of the season. Overall, it's still quite good. I quite like how it really changes the tempo of things. Its more contemplative nature almost gives us a bit of a rest before the season finale kicks in. 

I've already remarked that I quite like the Slitheen. So I'm fine with the fact that Margaret (or Blon) has survived and is, once more, causing trouble. The plot is fairly light. But there's just enough to sustain the episode. We're definitely seeing that RTD  wrote soaps. Following the rocky relationship between Mickey and Rose is a crucial subplot that is propelling the whole story along. This is not really the sort of thing you normally see on Doctor Who. But it's actually quite engaging, nonetheless. 

The thing that really works against the story is this weird trend that starts developing in RTD's writing. He seems to like to have villains try to call the Doctor out on some of his personal flaws. We see this for the first time during the Doctor and Margaret's dinner. They discuss several things. But for a few minutes, the Slitheen goes out of her way to criticize the Doctor. Which is a silly thing to do when someone else is holding your life in their hands. Personally, if I was in that situation, I'd be paying them every compliment I could! 

That moment seems ever sillier, though, because Margaret is an absolutely wretched creature who has done all sorts of horrible things to others. But now she's pointing out a minor blemish on the Doctor's record. It's a bit like a severe alcoholic telling a friend who drinks a bit here and there that they seem to have a problem. The alcoholic might even have a valid point, but he still really doesn't have the right to make it. So the whole argument feels dramatically ineffective. When Harriet Jones does something similar only a few episodes later, it works. Because we now have one high-principled character criticizing another. The remarks are legitimately scathing. But, here, it all just seems rather flat. Margaret and the Doctor debate any number of other things during that dinner. I wish they had just explored one of those other topics more deeply rather than go into the accusations she launches against him. 

Other than this issue, however, I do quite like Boomtown. I'd even say I enjoyed it better until RTD started having all kinds of other villains in future stories suddenly start trying to tell the Doctor how much of a jerk he is!    

AN ARMY OF DALEKS 

At last, we reach the Season Finale. What a finale it is! 

There's some amazing stuff, here, that works brilliantly: Lethal Reality Shows. The Daleks secretly behind it all (even though the "Next Week" trailer at the end of the previous episode already told us!) A wicked cliffhanger. An army of Daleks that actually looks like one rather than a massive collection of Dapol toys. A gorgeous tear-jerking holographic message. And so much else! 

But the real beauty of these two episodes is more than just the spectacle we're witnessing. What really makes all of this great is the absolutely splendid character development that is reaching its fruition 

On the supporting cast front: we have Mickey and Jackie. Both have a somewhat selfish relationship with Rose. Which is why, of course, they want her to stay. Both, in their own way, realize that if they truly love her, they should help her to find the Doctor again. It's great to watch them come to terms with the fact that unconditional love means you help someone to do something that may cause you to lose them. A great evolution for both their characters.

On a slightly more significant scale is Captain Jack Harkness. He's been behaving himself better since he climbed aboard the TARDIS. But he develops into a true hero, here. I love the speech he delivers as he tries to gain more support against the Daleks. He's, basically, saying: "I've stopped being a scoundrel. Now it's time to do what's right." I'm also really impressed with Barrowman's delivery of the "Wish I'd never met you" line. It's clear he means the opposite. He knows he's about to die, but he's glad of the death he's chosen. 

And then, of course, there are the leads. They will show significant progress because we've been following them the most closely. Rose's development took a very interesting path. In her first story, she has a conversation with Auton Mickey about her future now that she has lost her job. Clearly, she lacks direction in her life. The most obvious outcome at the end of the season would be for her character to figure out what she wants to do with herself. 

"Thanks Doctor." Rose might say just before the credits roll for the final time that year, "Traveling with you has made me realize I want to be an orthodontist." 

Or something to that effect...

But RTD does something better with the character. Rose still doesn't know what she wants to do by the season's end. But she has made a more important resolution. She might not have chosen a career path yet, but she does want to make a difference. Doesn't matter what she ends up doing for a living, so long as she is helping those who can't help themselves. This is best exemplified, of course, by her need to get back to Satellite Five and save the Doctor. That scene in the restaurant with Mickey and Jackie is where she truly makes the all-important choice. And it's a beautiful moment. Her character arc reaches its completion and we are truly in love with Rose, now. She may have nearly destroyed the world when she rescued her Dad, but we've forgiven her!

And then, at last, we come to the Doctor. Some of you will, no doubt, get upset with me over the next few Reviews. I am not the largest fan of RTD's writing and I will be voicing some of that disdain in future posts. 

But not here. In this season, I can only marvel at what he's done. And one of the best examples of his talent is the redemption arc he puts Nine through. We don't actually witness what it is he's trying to redeem himself from till the 50th anniversary! But we see the pain the act created in him. Partly through Eccleston's brilliant acting. But RTD's writing had a big roll to play in it too.

When Nine declares: "Coward. Every time.", we see clearly that he has moved on and laid his guilt to rest. Even though we never saw the atrocity he was forced to commit. It's an amazing piece of work on the Head Writer's behalf. 

But even without all the great character development, Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways is an absolute masterpiece. A great plot with some excellent set pieces. But what makes us want to desperately see a second season of the show is all the wonderful growth. Jackie, Mickey, the Captain, Rose and the Doctor have gone through on this wonderful journey. Because of this madly brilliant season finale - we absolutely need to see where it goes next...

THE SEASON WAS FANTASTIC

Often with these Reviews, when I come to a season I love, I proclaim my affections for it in the opening paragraphs. I decided to take a different tact with Series One and wait till my Conclusion to really start harping on about how great it is. So I'll start: 

This is still the best season of New Who. And, of course, one of the best seasons of Doctor Who, ever. 

The writing is one of the strongest contributing factors. There was a lot to sort out in the show's first year. RTD and his gang couldn't just re-create where the show had left off 16 years previously (trying bring to back the Doctor Who we got 9 years ago didn't seem like a great idea, either!). The four 23-minute-episodes-per-story formula was definitely too clunky and unwieldy for a modern-day audience. The authors had to strip the show down and build it back up into something new and different that would still pay respect to the past. They did a magnificent job of it and gave us a set of adventures that were, at the very least, above-average. Many of them were excellent. 

Or should I say: "Fantastic"?!  

Much can also be said about the two leads. Billie Piper surprised everyone by showing us that pop stars can, sometimes, also act. She made Rose feel very real and 3-dimensional. There's not a moment where I don't believe she's a 19-year-old girl from 2005 who's been whisked off into space by a mysterious stranger in a gorgeous leather jacket. She also does a great job of portraying Rose's personal growth throughout the season. It's a perfect performance all the way through. 

But I really do think the best thing about Series One is Eccleston, himself. His acting was brilliant. He gave us an emotional trait we'd never seen in the Doctor before: angst. He pitched it perfectly. We always feel sympathy for the Doctor as he mourns the loss of his people. At no point, does he make us cringe. Which is an extremely tricky thing to do with a character like the Doctor. Being angsty shouldn't work for a role like this at all. But Eccleston pulls it off magnificently. 

In many ways, Nine is highly distinct from all the incarnations that would come after him. Even Capaldi's moodier interpretation still comes across as a high-energy fanboy who spews out 500 words per minute. Whereas Nine is much more understated than the rest. Even when he's in "fanboy mode" with Charles Dickens, he approaches it with a very different kind of vibe than Tennant-Onwards. 

I think we can safely attribute the difference in the portrayal to the actual actor. While he didn't know how generic the character would become, he still puts in a distinct effort to truly make this version of the Doctor his own. Which causes him to shine all-the-brighter during his very short time in the role. 

Thank you, Christopher Eccleston. I actually count you as being the biggest reason Doctor Who returned to us and became, once more, the institution that it is. 

We owe you a lot. Sorry the BBC were such jerks to you!     

My Review of the "Eighth Doctor Season":  

https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2023/08/doctor-who-season-by-season-special.html