View source for The Doctor's back. Not as we knew him, of course

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| publication = The Independent on Sunday
| file = 2005-03-20 Independent on Sunday ABC p36.jpg
| px = 250
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| date = 2005-03-20
| author = Henrietta Roussoulis
| pages = ABC, p. 36
| language = English 
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The Doctor's back. Not as we knew him, of course - Christopher Eccleston has stepped into the Time Lord's shoes and the first episode sees him rescuing one Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) before eventually taking her on as his assistant.

Scriptwriter Russell T Davies has done a fine job. While knowingly carrying the programme's trademarks from the slightly shoddy special effects to the ridiculous plot and tinny theme tune - he has made it relevant to the "yeah but, no but" generation: Rose uses the internet to search for the man who disappears into a strange blue box (she is later offered an explanation of what the Tardis is, for the benefit of younger viewers) and the Time Lord has a quick flick through Heat magazine just seconds before he is attacked by the enemy, a severed, plastic arm removed from one of the shop dummies intent on taking over the world.

For fans young and old the new Who is as nail-bitingly good as you'd hope it would be. While Piper's acting is at times a little [[wikipedia:Sharon Watts|Letitia Dean]] circa 1985, the chemistry between her and the achingly suave Eccleston (the sexiest Doctor we've seen yet) is effortless. All in all, well worth making room behind the sofa for.

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