Doctor Who: Season 1

More than 15 years after "Doctor Who" went off the air, the venerable sci-fi series got a well-received 21st-century makeover, complete with younger actors, modern editing and CGI animation. In the revamped show's first season, the Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) meets his new sidekick, a department store clerk named Rose (British pop star Billie Piper); then, the duo travels to Victorian England to help a beleaguered Charles Dickens.

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» Recommended for 106 people

» Reviewed by 3 people

I am a fan of Doctor Who especially the original series and am able to look past the low tech special effects and the occasional poorly cast actor. This latest incarnation of the good Doctor in the form of the extremely overrated Christopher Eccleston (who should have had the good grace to at least be in the series more than a year, rather than bow out when something better came along) who plays the character as a bit of a git and smart-arse. His sidekick Billie Piper ( who is only famous for starring in the awful Eastenders.) isn't much better as she gabbles in her "Estuary English" accent which has unfortunately pervaded a lot of the Brit imports. Episodes such as the one with the farting aliens and where the Doctor gets hi leg over - sorry dances, are very poor indeed. That coupled with the fact that the series is too Earthbound and set in Cardiff defies belief. I have no plans to watch the second or third series (I'm glad they have dissociated it from the original so as to avoid tarring and feathering it) as I'm sure that like the fisrt series, it is way too reliant on CGI which attempts to mask both poor writing and acting. I realise this review will not be to everyones liking but the Emperor has no clothes.
- MS 1262973

Nice modern reboot of the Dr. Who franchise. The Dr. is a bit better looking and develops a bit of romantic/sexual tension with his current companion, Rose. Some Who purists might find this a bit blasphemous, wanting their Dr. to be all intellect and sexless. I found it somewhat refreshing--hard to believe that the Doc would run around the multiverse with all these attractive companions and not at least once stare longingly in their direction! As with all the Who stories, these on Disc one are very interesting and compelling--we even encounter Charles Dickens! The CGI and better special effects add to the overall look and feel of the series rather than subtract. Classic Dr. Who fans will find that this new Who does not disappoint. Very nice special features as well.
- TH Reviews

Frankly, I was never a fan of the original Doctor Who. The FX were horrid, I had to watch PBS to see the episodes and the British accents were more trouble then I thought they were worth. Still, I always thought the idea was cool: a Time Lord shuffling throughout the ages battling aliens and having grand adventures. For that reason, I thought I'd give the show another shot when the Sci-Fi Channel decided to air this BBC remake of the venerable series. It didn't take me long to realize that this was something special. Still possessing the same spirit of adventure, this remake largely addressed the issues I had with the show as a kid. The FX are CGI but mostly well done, it was now on one of my favorite cable channels and the accents were more tolerable to my adult ear. The acting is typically pretty good too. My only real complaints with this first season are that 1) most episodes don't take place in exotic locations - most are Earth based and 2) the boyfriend Mickey is lame. But beyond those issues, I felt this was a good start with room for improvement. I'll definitely be back for season two.
- Creeper