A Doctor Who a Day - Day 16 - Review: New Earth
- Matty James
- Jan 9
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 10
Doctor Who Series 2, Episode 1, New Earth
Original Air Date: 15th April 2006
"Oh my God! I'm a chav!"
The main thing that will bug me throughout this series is the Doctor and Rose’s relationship. I never fully boarded the TenRose train I’m afraid, and I always thought Rose made a better team with the Ninth Doctor. One thing that bugged me about this series was the Doctors and Rose's relationship. I never got on that train I am afraid, and I always thought Rose worked better with Nine. This may be a me thing though? I feel completely the same about Clara - she was so much better with Twelve than she was with Eleven. Does this mean I don’t like a more romantic relationship? I am not sure that is the case, but there will be a lot of people that argue that Clara and Twelve and Rose and Nine were romantic.
I am jumping the gun a bit, as it really doesn't fully develop until later in the series, but the signs are there in this episode.
The Sisters of Plenitude still look amazing to this day, and I firmly believe the cat nuns would tear the Bridgeton birds to shreads, in looks and literally.
"It’s the city of New New York. Strictly speaking, it’s the fifteenth New York since the original. So that makes it New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York."
Am I the only one who didn't know that this episode was named as part of the New Earth Trilogy? I know that New Earth was revisited a few times, but I never made the connection with Boe and New Earth before. I am now trying to count how many times a hospital played a major part in an opening episode as well - New Earth, Smith & Jones, The Eleventh Hour, The Robot Revolution - is that all? Not that important a point to be honest!
Credit to David Tennant here, he makes the scenes with a great big old head emotional. That must be so hard to do as an actor. He really is jolly good at his job!
"The lady’s moving on. It’s goodbye trampoline and hello Blondie!"
There are so many great moments in this episode. Billie Piper plays Lady Cassandra so well, I love her checking herself out, enjoying her curves and her rear bumper. There are signs in this episode, and the Christmas one before, that this Doctor will not fuck about, you get one chance to do what he wants or you are in a whole heap of shit. David Tennant plays a more happy-go-lucky Doctor than Nine, but he definitely has a darker side.
Some people may question how the human flesh is even moving if they have every disease ever - not me though, it would be a bit of a rubbish story if they were asleep the whole time. I guess I am lucky in that respect, things like this don't cross my mind in the heat of the episode, unless it is very, very obvious, and that is usually visual things for me. A certain upcoming episode had a moment where I had my head in my hands cringing. I won't tell you what it was, but let's just say it involved the Olympics!
"That is enigmatic. That is textbook enigmatic."
I don't know why, but the ending gets me emotional every time. Zoe Wanamaker and Sean Gallagher must be doing a great job as I don't know why it does it to me? I don't think many shows have endings like this, if any. It is pure Doctor Who I guess.
All in all I really enjoyed this one, and it was a fun series opener. I actually think pretty much every opening episode of the modern show has something going for it (perhaps Space Babies has something to say about that).
What did you think of this episode? Let me know in the comments below.
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