Eight million people in the UK tuned in on Saturday evening to watch the first episode of the new series of Doctor Who.
The episode, titled "The Eleventh Hour", sees the "new" Doctor (he's actually the same Doctor as he's always been but with a different face) having just 20 minutes to save Earth from alien prison guards who are threatening to destroy the planet unless an escaped prisoner, a shapeshifter known only as Prisoner Zero, is returned.
The adventure starts when, at the beginning of the episode, the Tardis hurtles uncontrollably through the skies - narrowly missing Big Ben - after the Doctor has just regenerated, and crash lands in the garden of seven year old Amelia Pond.
Amelia ventures into the garden, and sees the overturned Tardis.
The new Doctor, who still isn't quite with it, clambers out and utters the words: "“Can I have an apple… maybe I’m having a craving. Never had a craving before.”
Amelia tells the Doctor that a crack has appeared in her bedroom wall, and when they investigate they discover that an alien prison, on a spaceship, is on the "other side" of the wall - and see a giant eye staring back at them.
Apparently, an alien prisoner has escaped and is lurking in Amelia's house!
A voice calls out from the alien prison calling for Prisoner Zero (who disguises himself as a man and his dog and also a woman and her two daughters) to be returned, otherwise Earth would be destroyed.
And it turns out that there are hundreds of these spaceships orbiting the Earth, all of them shaped like starfish but with big eyeballs on their undersides.
Doctor Who is a quintessentially British sci-fi, and this episode was no different, with its quirky, Hitchhiker's-Guide-To-The-Galaxy-style plot and eccentric humour - including the alien prison governor letting the world know of the aliens' intentions to destroy the Earth unless Prisoner Zero was handed over by having the message broadcast over, amongst other things, an ice cream van's loudhailers, and the fact that an alien escaped from prison ended up hiding in a small English hamlet!
The Doctor saved the day by capturing Prisoner Zero and handing back to the aliens, but he wouldn't let them go without telling them that, by threatening Earth, they were contravening the galactic equivalent of the Geneva Convention.
And there were worries over how good the new Doctor, Matt Smith, will be in British television's most iconic role.
But after Saturday's episodes, the internet was awash with fans praising his performance. And the episode itself didn't disappoint - a poll for the Digital Spy website saw 67% rate the show as "very good".
In next week's episode, the Doctor takes Amy to the distant future, where she finds Britain..... in space - as a floating chunk of rock with each county contained in a skyscraper.
Eight million watch new time lord
More than eight million viewers tuned in to watch Matt Smith in the first episode of the new series of Doctor Who, the BBC said.
Doctor Who battled a shapeshifting escaped alien prisoner in the first episode of the new series, which was broadcast on Saturday
In a dramatic opening sequence, the new Time Lord arrived on screen clinging to the open door of the Tardis as it hurtled across the London skyline.
Smith, 27, is the 11th actor to take on the role of the time travelling Doctor and BBC chiefs will be hoping he becomes as popular as his predecessor, David Tennant.
Tennant's first appearance as the Doctor in April 2006 also attracted eight million viewers.
Audience figures for the show last night peaked at 8.4 million and averaged 8 million, an audience share of 36.9%, the BBC said.
A poll for the Digital Spy website saw 67% rate the episode as "very good".
Meanwhile on ITV Harry Hill's TV Burp was watched by an average of just 3.5 million.
BBC1 has enjoyed a good weekend in terms of its audience share, with new Andrew Lloyd Webber show Over The Rainbow attracting 5.5 million viewers.
The channel also featured the Boat Race and Grand Prix.
Phew.. a brilliant new Doctor Who
By Kevin O'Sullivan
4/04/2010
Sunday Mirror
Narrowly missing Big Ben, the Tardis careers wildly over the London skyline...
And plummets straight into the garden of a kid with a crack problem.
A strange-looking man hauls himself out of the wreckage and utters his momentous first words: “Can I have an apple… maybe I’m having a craving. Never had a craving before.”
Is the eleventh Doctor Who pregnant? Now that would be different!
Amy comes face to face with Prisoner Zero
Saturday night… the dawn of a brave new era. David Tennant is but a golden memory.
And unknown newcomer Matt Smith has taken over TV’s most iconic role.
Everyone is nervous.
To millions of fanatical fans, changing the Time Lord is far more important than changing the Prime Minister. Parliaments are temporary… the universe goes on forever.
So the good news is… you can all relax.
After a fine performance in an encouragingly expensive and slick special- effects packed opening salvo, it’s crystal clear that Mr Smith is certain to be a sensation.
The Beeb’s best franchise is in safe hands. Phew!
But back to last night’s high drama featuring a little Scottish girl who hears voices behind the crack in her bedroom wall.
“Two parts of space and time that should never have touched,” explains the Doc, unhelpfully.
In the first episode of the new series, Prisoner Zero is a shapeshifter that can change itself into anything it wants, even several creatures at the same time, including a man and his dog....
.... and a woman and two girls
But never mind the nerdy b***ocks. We’re facing total destruction by a bunch of huge hovering eyeballs and, as always, it’s a race against the clock.
“Fantastic,” gasps the Doc. “Twenty minutes to save the world. And all I’ve got is a Post Office. And it’s closed.” Damn those cuts! Anyway, Matt’s dynamic debut is a triumph.
Wisely, he takes the traditional twitchy eccentric route and, after donning his tweed jacket and red braces, announces: “Bow ties are cool.” No they’re not. But nor is Doctor Who. So the crazy clothes are – er – cool.
In his pitched battle against the evil Multi Forms (human look-alikes with piranha teeth), our time-travelling hero is ably assisted by his glamorous sidekick Amy Pond.
Doctor Who travels 12 years back in time and meets a young girl - Amy Pond, who later becomes his new assistant - who has a mysterious crack in her bedroom wall
And this is more good news. Because flame-haired Karen Gillan is the absolute natural they failed to find during Tennant’s tenure. Beautiful but appropriately odd, this girl is destined to be almost as big a star as the guy with the sonic screwdriver.
Naturally, as someone who zones out at the first sign of sci-fi, I can barely understand what the hell is going on.
Ludicrous nonsense about the Pandoric opening – whatever that means – and silence falling.
Which, of course, the Doctor brilliantly averts by warning the big eyeballs that they’re contravening the intergalactic version of the Geneva Convention.
Even in space you have to have rules.
EPISODE 2
18.15, Saturday 10 April, BBC One
The Doctor takes Amy to the distant future, where she finds Britain..... in space.
uk.news.yahoo.com
mirror.co.uk
The episode, titled "The Eleventh Hour", sees the "new" Doctor (he's actually the same Doctor as he's always been but with a different face) having just 20 minutes to save Earth from alien prison guards who are threatening to destroy the planet unless an escaped prisoner, a shapeshifter known only as Prisoner Zero, is returned.
The adventure starts when, at the beginning of the episode, the Tardis hurtles uncontrollably through the skies - narrowly missing Big Ben - after the Doctor has just regenerated, and crash lands in the garden of seven year old Amelia Pond.
Amelia ventures into the garden, and sees the overturned Tardis.
The new Doctor, who still isn't quite with it, clambers out and utters the words: "“Can I have an apple… maybe I’m having a craving. Never had a craving before.”
Amelia tells the Doctor that a crack has appeared in her bedroom wall, and when they investigate they discover that an alien prison, on a spaceship, is on the "other side" of the wall - and see a giant eye staring back at them.
Apparently, an alien prisoner has escaped and is lurking in Amelia's house!
A voice calls out from the alien prison calling for Prisoner Zero (who disguises himself as a man and his dog and also a woman and her two daughters) to be returned, otherwise Earth would be destroyed.
And it turns out that there are hundreds of these spaceships orbiting the Earth, all of them shaped like starfish but with big eyeballs on their undersides.
Doctor Who is a quintessentially British sci-fi, and this episode was no different, with its quirky, Hitchhiker's-Guide-To-The-Galaxy-style plot and eccentric humour - including the alien prison governor letting the world know of the aliens' intentions to destroy the Earth unless Prisoner Zero was handed over by having the message broadcast over, amongst other things, an ice cream van's loudhailers, and the fact that an alien escaped from prison ended up hiding in a small English hamlet!
The Doctor saved the day by capturing Prisoner Zero and handing back to the aliens, but he wouldn't let them go without telling them that, by threatening Earth, they were contravening the galactic equivalent of the Geneva Convention.
And there were worries over how good the new Doctor, Matt Smith, will be in British television's most iconic role.
But after Saturday's episodes, the internet was awash with fans praising his performance. And the episode itself didn't disappoint - a poll for the Digital Spy website saw 67% rate the show as "very good".
In next week's episode, the Doctor takes Amy to the distant future, where she finds Britain..... in space - as a floating chunk of rock with each county contained in a skyscraper.
Eight million watch new time lord
More than eight million viewers tuned in to watch Matt Smith in the first episode of the new series of Doctor Who, the BBC said.
Doctor Who battled a shapeshifting escaped alien prisoner in the first episode of the new series, which was broadcast on Saturday
In a dramatic opening sequence, the new Time Lord arrived on screen clinging to the open door of the Tardis as it hurtled across the London skyline.
Smith, 27, is the 11th actor to take on the role of the time travelling Doctor and BBC chiefs will be hoping he becomes as popular as his predecessor, David Tennant.
Tennant's first appearance as the Doctor in April 2006 also attracted eight million viewers.
Audience figures for the show last night peaked at 8.4 million and averaged 8 million, an audience share of 36.9%, the BBC said.
A poll for the Digital Spy website saw 67% rate the episode as "very good".
Meanwhile on ITV Harry Hill's TV Burp was watched by an average of just 3.5 million.
BBC1 has enjoyed a good weekend in terms of its audience share, with new Andrew Lloyd Webber show Over The Rainbow attracting 5.5 million viewers.
The channel also featured the Boat Race and Grand Prix.
Phew.. a brilliant new Doctor Who
By Kevin O'Sullivan
4/04/2010
Sunday Mirror
Narrowly missing Big Ben, the Tardis careers wildly over the London skyline...
And plummets straight into the garden of a kid with a crack problem.
A strange-looking man hauls himself out of the wreckage and utters his momentous first words: “Can I have an apple… maybe I’m having a craving. Never had a craving before.”
Is the eleventh Doctor Who pregnant? Now that would be different!
Amy comes face to face with Prisoner Zero
Saturday night… the dawn of a brave new era. David Tennant is but a golden memory.
And unknown newcomer Matt Smith has taken over TV’s most iconic role.
Everyone is nervous.
To millions of fanatical fans, changing the Time Lord is far more important than changing the Prime Minister. Parliaments are temporary… the universe goes on forever.
So the good news is… you can all relax.
Hit: Matt Smith and his sidekick Karen Gillan (who, it turns out, isn't really a policewoman) in their debut Doctor Who
After a fine performance in an encouragingly expensive and slick special- effects packed opening salvo, it’s crystal clear that Mr Smith is certain to be a sensation.
The Beeb’s best franchise is in safe hands. Phew!
But back to last night’s high drama featuring a little Scottish girl who hears voices behind the crack in her bedroom wall.
“Two parts of space and time that should never have touched,” explains the Doc, unhelpfully.
In the first episode of the new series, Prisoner Zero is a shapeshifter that can change itself into anything it wants, even several creatures at the same time, including a man and his dog....
.... and a woman and two girls
But never mind the nerdy b***ocks. We’re facing total destruction by a bunch of huge hovering eyeballs and, as always, it’s a race against the clock.
“Fantastic,” gasps the Doc. “Twenty minutes to save the world. And all I’ve got is a Post Office. And it’s closed.” Damn those cuts! Anyway, Matt’s dynamic debut is a triumph.
Wisely, he takes the traditional twitchy eccentric route and, after donning his tweed jacket and red braces, announces: “Bow ties are cool.” No they’re not. But nor is Doctor Who. So the crazy clothes are – er – cool.
In his pitched battle against the evil Multi Forms (human look-alikes with piranha teeth), our time-travelling hero is ably assisted by his glamorous sidekick Amy Pond.
Doctor Who travels 12 years back in time and meets a young girl - Amy Pond, who later becomes his new assistant - who has a mysterious crack in her bedroom wall
And this is more good news. Because flame-haired Karen Gillan is the absolute natural they failed to find during Tennant’s tenure. Beautiful but appropriately odd, this girl is destined to be almost as big a star as the guy with the sonic screwdriver.
Naturally, as someone who zones out at the first sign of sci-fi, I can barely understand what the hell is going on.
Ludicrous nonsense about the Pandoric opening – whatever that means – and silence falling.
Which, of course, the Doctor brilliantly averts by warning the big eyeballs that they’re contravening the intergalactic version of the Geneva Convention.
Even in space you have to have rules.
EPISODE 2
18.15, Saturday 10 April, BBC One
The Doctor takes Amy to the distant future, where she finds Britain..... in space.
uk.news.yahoo.com
mirror.co.uk
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