The DOCTOR just Rules

in the early morning on Thursday, the 31st of March 2005 by Anarchy

I just saw the 1st episode (”Rose”) of the new Doctor Who series… and it was good.

Christopher Eccleston has made a good show of his portrayal of the Doctor. I think he did well at maintaining the integrity of the character, but still managed to make it his own as a kind of cheery, happy-go-lucky-type. Sadly… last night, it was confirmed that Eccleston will NOT be returning for a second season of episodes. Apparently, he fears typecasting… smeg head. Ah well… but there is GOOD NEWS… another article I found informs us that a 2nd season of the new series is being planned!!! Talks are currently in progress to get David Tennant to take up the role of the Doctor.

Anyway… continuing on with my episode review… I must say that Billie Piper is a better actress than I expected her to be. Rose wasn’t exactly a brilliant character, but Billie did a good job portraying her. Finally, the combination of new special effects with the cheesy-goodness of extras in plastic-looking outfits made the whole experience just downright fun!

Many out there have reported that you did not enjoy it. I’m beting that these people are not big Doctor Who fans… and/or that they really don’t know what’s going on in the story.

The one downfall of this episode is that it returns us to the Doctor to continue a plotline that started in the early 1970’s. This is great for those of us who are familiar with the storyline… but has got to be rough on everyone else.

So… to get everyone up to speed, let me fill you in…

The Autons are creatures of animated plastic who’s representations are powered by the consciousness of the Nestene. The Nestene are aliens of pure thought or energy who have seek out to conquer new worlds upon arrival by secretly building plastic armies to unleash upon the unsuspecting planet. Earth is one such target which has (with the help of the Doctor) managed to hold out against the invasion for over 30 years.

If I remember correctly, there was a total of 8 other episodes (from the classic series) that featured the Autons. For those interested, here’s some TV homework for you to get up to speed on the whole Auton Invasion.

Doctor Who - Story # 51 - Spreadhead from Space - (1970, 4-episodes)

Plot: A big mess of meteorites has brought the Nestene to Earth. They impact our planet in Oxley Woods (conveniently, just as the Doctor arrives in the same location… but he collapses and is taken to a nearby hospital soon after arrival… why? Well… the Doctor has just regenerated… this is Jon Pertwee’s first appearance as the Doctor). Anyway, we soon learn that the Nestene have the ability to animate plastics, have taken over a plastics factory, and are working on building an army of plastic bodies to use in thier pursuit of world domination. The alien mannequins start killing off the local population like scythe in a wheat field… until the Doctor comes to the rescue.

Doctor Who - Story # 55 - Terror of the Autons - (1971, 4-episodes)

Plot: The “Master” (another Time Lord) has come to Earth with plans to assist in a 2nd Nestene invastion. The Doctor (our favorite Time Lord) has to match wits with a collection of animated plastic devices… including an evil troll doll and a deadly daffodil. The Doctor is in a race against time to stop the Master and prevent the Nestene from returning to Earth permanently.

Now you know… and knowing is half the battle.