The new series of Doctor Who returns to the screen this weekend, Saturday 3rd April.
The previous series ended on New Year's Day when the 10th Doctor, played by David Tennant, regenerated in the Tardis into the 11th Doctor, played by Matt Smith, after receiving a massive dose of radiation when helping to save his friend Wilfred.
Like James Bond, the Doctor always has a sexy female sidekick. The new one is fiery redhead Amy Pond, played by Karen Gillan.
Also returning in the new series are the scary gargoyle-like monsters the Weeping Angels.
In the first episode on Saturday, titled The Eleventh Hour, the Time Lord travels 14 years back in time where he tries to solve the mystery of a crack in a seven year old girl's (the young Amy Pond) bedroom wall. This crack just happens to connect her house to an alien jail from which a multiform has escaped.
It's an all-action episode, packed with top quality special effects, and is the BBC at its best.
The new series of Doctor Who returns to our screens this weekend
Steven Moffat's new season opener, titled The Eleventh Hour, is a non-stop, adrenaline-fuelled adventure of the highest quality. The opening sequence, which sees the new Doctor struggle to hold on to his Tardis as it spins uncontrollably over the London skyline, finally coming to a sudden stop in a pretty English village, is nothing short of spectacular.
But it's not just the pumped-up action sequences that give this regenerated series its high octane edge.
From the minute Matt Smith climbs out of his wrecked time machine and comes face to face with a seven year old girl named Amelia, demanding that she does "everything I tell you, don't ask stupid questions, and don't wonder off", there's a loony quality reminiscent of, but never emulating, David Tennant's manic style.
The episode begins thus and sees the Time Lord bond, over a disjointed period of 14 years, with the fearless Amelia as he works to solve the mystery of a crack in her bedroom wall. The crack, of course, isn't just any crack - it's a crack in the very fabric of space and time, and just happens to connect Amelia's house to an alien jail from which a multiform, the first monster of the new Doctor Who writer Steven Moffat's era, known as Prisoner Zero, has escaped.
Amelia, for those who need it spelled out, grows up to become Amy Pond (played with aplomb by a perfectly cast Karen Gillan), a feisty kissogram with a "sort of" boyfriend and a BIG thing for the Doctor.
With this story Steven Moffat indulges his penchant for playing on everyday fears, in this case the things we occasionally see out of the corner of our eye, but never pay proper attention to. While not the best we've seen from the new show boss, the episode features plenty of nice nostalgic nods to the past, but more importantly is full of clues, hints and portent. "Silence will fall," the Doctor is ominously told, unsubtly setting us up for a series of speculation and intrigue.
Meanwhile, any concern that Matt Smith might not be the man for the highest profile role in British telly are immediately dispelled as the actor injects a new energy and enthusiasm to the part, so lacking in last year's series of one-off episodes. The newly regenerated Doctor is full of youthful vigour: he's mildly aggressive, unashamedly brazen about his own greatness, has a blatant disregard for punctuality and is more than ever oblivious to those around him (unfortunately for young Amy).
In his own words, this Doctor isn't done cooking, but he'll be a joy to watch while he bakes.
Doctor Who returns to BBC1 / HD on Sat 3 Apr.
Do you want to be reminded as to why the 10th Doctor, played by David Tennant, regenerated into the present 11th Doctor, played by Matt Smith at the end of the last episode of the last series, shown on New Year's Day? Here's why.....
Taking a moment to realise his victory (against the Master and the President of the Time Lords), the Doctor hears four knocks, the sound which always precedes his death. He finds his friend Wilfred, having returned to help the Doctor, still trapped in the Gate's isolation chamber that will be flooded with radiation due to the Master's modifications; only the self-sacrifice of another will free him. The Doctor releases Wilfred, collapsing in agony as he receives a massive dose of radiation.
Although he survives initially as his body absorbs the radiation, the healing of the Doctor's wounds shows his regeneration has started. He returns Wilfred home, and visits several of his past companions. Martha Jones is married to Mickey Smith; the Doctor saves them from a Sontaran. The Doctor prevents Luke Smith from being hit by a car. Luke points him out to Sarah Jane; she and the Doctor silently say their goodbyes. At an extraterrestrial bar, the Doctor passes a note to Jack Harkness, encouraging him to start a conversation with Midshipman Alonso Frame (in the episode "Voyage of the Damned"), seated next to him. The Doctor attends a book-signing by Verity Newman, the great-granddaughter of Joan Redfern (in the episodes "Human Nature" and "The Family of Blood"), for her book A Journal of Impossible Things based on Joan's diaries; the Doctor asks Verity if Joan lived a good life. The Doctor attends Donna's wedding, giving Wilf and Sylvia Noble a winning lottery ticket for Donna, bought with money borrowed from Sylvia's deceased husband Geoff in the past, to allow Donna and Shaun to live happily. The Doctor finally visits Rose Tyler on New Year's Day 2005, the year where she meets him as the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston), and tells her she will have "a great year".
The Doctor collapses near the TARDIS. Ood Sigma appears and says the universe will sing him to sleep. He remarks that "this song is ending, but the story never ends". The Doctor reaches the TARDIS and flies away from Earth. He completes his regeneration as the TARDIS windows shatter and the console room bursts into flames and partially collapses.
The newly-regenerated Eleventh Doctor explores his new body before recognising that the TARDIS is hurtling back to Earth. He takes the controls, shouting, "Geronimo!"
DOCTOR WHO MONSTER GUIDE
Weeping Angels
Other Names: The Lonely Assassins
Home Planet: Unknown
Appearance: Winged Humanoid Statue
Weaknesses: If they see each other they turn into stone
First Appearance: Blink
Doctor: Tenth Doctor
Last Appearance: Blink
Possessing a natural and unique defence mechanism, the Angels are quantum locked.
This means that they can only move when no other living creature, including their own kind, is looking at them. As soon as they are observed, they instantly turn to stone and cannot be killed.
The Angels have the ability to send other beings into the past. This allows the Angels to feed on the potential time energy of what would have been the rest of their victim's lives.
But if you think you've seen the last of the Weeping Angels, think again! The Lonely Assassins return in the new series of Doctor Who in the episode The Time of Angels... you have been warned!
Doctor Who First Episode Review: The Eleventh Hour - Sky TV
The previous series ended on New Year's Day when the 10th Doctor, played by David Tennant, regenerated in the Tardis into the 11th Doctor, played by Matt Smith, after receiving a massive dose of radiation when helping to save his friend Wilfred.
Like James Bond, the Doctor always has a sexy female sidekick. The new one is fiery redhead Amy Pond, played by Karen Gillan.
Also returning in the new series are the scary gargoyle-like monsters the Weeping Angels.
In the first episode on Saturday, titled The Eleventh Hour, the Time Lord travels 14 years back in time where he tries to solve the mystery of a crack in a seven year old girl's (the young Amy Pond) bedroom wall. This crack just happens to connect her house to an alien jail from which a multiform has escaped.
It's an all-action episode, packed with top quality special effects, and is the BBC at its best.
The new series of Doctor Who returns to our screens this weekend
Steven Moffat's new season opener, titled The Eleventh Hour, is a non-stop, adrenaline-fuelled adventure of the highest quality. The opening sequence, which sees the new Doctor struggle to hold on to his Tardis as it spins uncontrollably over the London skyline, finally coming to a sudden stop in a pretty English village, is nothing short of spectacular.
But it's not just the pumped-up action sequences that give this regenerated series its high octane edge.
From the minute Matt Smith climbs out of his wrecked time machine and comes face to face with a seven year old girl named Amelia, demanding that she does "everything I tell you, don't ask stupid questions, and don't wonder off", there's a loony quality reminiscent of, but never emulating, David Tennant's manic style.
The episode begins thus and sees the Time Lord bond, over a disjointed period of 14 years, with the fearless Amelia as he works to solve the mystery of a crack in her bedroom wall. The crack, of course, isn't just any crack - it's a crack in the very fabric of space and time, and just happens to connect Amelia's house to an alien jail from which a multiform, the first monster of the new Doctor Who writer Steven Moffat's era, known as Prisoner Zero, has escaped.
Amelia, for those who need it spelled out, grows up to become Amy Pond (played with aplomb by a perfectly cast Karen Gillan), a feisty kissogram with a "sort of" boyfriend and a BIG thing for the Doctor.
With this story Steven Moffat indulges his penchant for playing on everyday fears, in this case the things we occasionally see out of the corner of our eye, but never pay proper attention to. While not the best we've seen from the new show boss, the episode features plenty of nice nostalgic nods to the past, but more importantly is full of clues, hints and portent. "Silence will fall," the Doctor is ominously told, unsubtly setting us up for a series of speculation and intrigue.
Meanwhile, any concern that Matt Smith might not be the man for the highest profile role in British telly are immediately dispelled as the actor injects a new energy and enthusiasm to the part, so lacking in last year's series of one-off episodes. The newly regenerated Doctor is full of youthful vigour: he's mildly aggressive, unashamedly brazen about his own greatness, has a blatant disregard for punctuality and is more than ever oblivious to those around him (unfortunately for young Amy).
In his own words, this Doctor isn't done cooking, but he'll be a joy to watch while he bakes.
Doctor Who returns to BBC1 / HD on Sat 3 Apr.
Do you want to be reminded as to why the 10th Doctor, played by David Tennant, regenerated into the present 11th Doctor, played by Matt Smith at the end of the last episode of the last series, shown on New Year's Day? Here's why.....
Taking a moment to realise his victory (against the Master and the President of the Time Lords), the Doctor hears four knocks, the sound which always precedes his death. He finds his friend Wilfred, having returned to help the Doctor, still trapped in the Gate's isolation chamber that will be flooded with radiation due to the Master's modifications; only the self-sacrifice of another will free him. The Doctor releases Wilfred, collapsing in agony as he receives a massive dose of radiation.
Although he survives initially as his body absorbs the radiation, the healing of the Doctor's wounds shows his regeneration has started. He returns Wilfred home, and visits several of his past companions. Martha Jones is married to Mickey Smith; the Doctor saves them from a Sontaran. The Doctor prevents Luke Smith from being hit by a car. Luke points him out to Sarah Jane; she and the Doctor silently say their goodbyes. At an extraterrestrial bar, the Doctor passes a note to Jack Harkness, encouraging him to start a conversation with Midshipman Alonso Frame (in the episode "Voyage of the Damned"), seated next to him. The Doctor attends a book-signing by Verity Newman, the great-granddaughter of Joan Redfern (in the episodes "Human Nature" and "The Family of Blood"), for her book A Journal of Impossible Things based on Joan's diaries; the Doctor asks Verity if Joan lived a good life. The Doctor attends Donna's wedding, giving Wilf and Sylvia Noble a winning lottery ticket for Donna, bought with money borrowed from Sylvia's deceased husband Geoff in the past, to allow Donna and Shaun to live happily. The Doctor finally visits Rose Tyler on New Year's Day 2005, the year where she meets him as the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston), and tells her she will have "a great year".
The Doctor collapses near the TARDIS. Ood Sigma appears and says the universe will sing him to sleep. He remarks that "this song is ending, but the story never ends". The Doctor reaches the TARDIS and flies away from Earth. He completes his regeneration as the TARDIS windows shatter and the console room bursts into flames and partially collapses.
The newly-regenerated Eleventh Doctor explores his new body before recognising that the TARDIS is hurtling back to Earth. He takes the controls, shouting, "Geronimo!"
DOCTOR WHO MONSTER GUIDE
Weeping Angels
Other Names: The Lonely Assassins
Home Planet: Unknown
Appearance: Winged Humanoid Statue
Weaknesses: If they see each other they turn into stone
First Appearance: Blink
Doctor: Tenth Doctor
Last Appearance: Blink
Possessing a natural and unique defence mechanism, the Angels are quantum locked.
This means that they can only move when no other living creature, including their own kind, is looking at them. As soon as they are observed, they instantly turn to stone and cannot be killed.
The Angels have the ability to send other beings into the past. This allows the Angels to feed on the potential time energy of what would have been the rest of their victim's lives.
But if you think you've seen the last of the Weeping Angels, think again! The Lonely Assassins return in the new series of Doctor Who in the episode The Time of Angels... you have been warned!
Doctor Who First Episode Review: The Eleventh Hour - Sky TV
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