The Doctor is back!!!

Rose:	"If you are an alien, how comes you sound like you're from the north?"
The Doctor:	"Lots of planets have a north..."

Woo-hoo! The Doctor is back! Well... I gotta admit Christopher Eccleston reminds me a little of German comedian Otto Waalkes, but this show is a perfect mix of traditional Dr. Who elements while subtly updating the dated elements that need it. The CGI is a little reminiscent of the live-action Inspector Gadget movies from a few years ago but that's already the worst of it. Can't wait to see the rest of the episodes...

Update: One DVD into the Dr. Who series, it's not disappointing at all. It's smart scifi with that special touch of horror that always made Dr. Who work so well, while the production values of the sets (you gotta see the 1800's sets ... they're more realistic than those of Star Trek, and that with a lower budget) and the CGI is just gorgeous (and noticeably improved over the pilot). Not to mention it's very refreshing to see aliens starting their invasion of the world in London instead of New York for a change.

The price of the episodes is a little high compared to other box sets on the market right now (especially considering a season is only 13 episodes long), but then again the quality ranks up there with the best of them, and theres oodles of extras (like commentaries for every episode). Not to mention it's a UK import, so if I they ever do German or US versions, those countries will get it noticeable cheaper.

Another nice aspect is that the general themes and moods of the original shows are picked up again, with the return of the Autons, they're again trapped on a space station, a while later the Daleks will return, ... but it never feels like a remake or in any way derivative. It's simply continuity that is expanded upon. And the Doctor's companion has story-wise moved up almost to the status of a co-lead. It could be a little more, but then I've only seen three episodes so far. I'll update this one as I find out more.

Update 2: One of the things most said by people who grew up with Dr. Who was that they watched the show from behind the couch. I think I just had that experience. I can't say I remember whether the old show had this, but the new show has an incredible level of psychological tension. Yes, you know it's a mid-season episode and thus the Doctor can't die, but still, they have a story that is actually worth telling, and they manage to give such depth to the characters that you root even for the annoying and exasperating ones. In particular, the episode that impressed me the most so far is Father's day. And that after I'd already thought The End of the World was going to be my favorite.

And it's also astonishing that I overlooked some of the good old hidden hints right in the pilot episode. They pretty much did it exactly the same way they'd done it in some of the Sylverster McCoy episodes (well, without the camp...), but hid it so beautifully in a nice little scene that I completely overlooked it. I really hope this show will be on in Germany this year (as rumors have it Pro7 has the rights) and people will notice it. This is a show that really deserves it.

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