If anything, I was more pumped up for this episode than I was for "Rose", which seems like such a very long time ago. The last scene of "Bad Wolf " and the two specials were enough to have me thoroughly convinced that David Tennant can go on to be one of the definitive Doctors. My main reservation was still going to be the vicelike grip of Russell T. Davies and all that entails for the scripting of the series.

My fears were both confirmed and denied in what felt very much like a transitional episode in some ways. I practically cheered when it was clear we wouldn't be seeing much of Jackie and Mickey. While both characters have developed (or I've become more prepared for them) over the last few stories, they often bring out the worst from Davies, so that was a good start.

His trademark sloppy innuendo is still there, with things like the "little/bit rich" scene change. It's a bit childish, and it doesn't help that you can see Davies thinks he's being quite smart "sneaking in" swearing. But against that, beyond the obligatory fatty, there's very little cheap scatological humour. And even the fat bloke's not some cartoon capitalist who meets some sticky end. There are also a few cheesy jokes, and New New York fits into that category. It also has a couple of characteristics of the previous year - the fast pace seems like an attempt to rush everything past the audience so it won't be scrutinised, though this one actually just about holds together.

The whole thing did seem somewhat constructed to allow a return for the deeply irritating Cassanda, but as she spent much of the episode possessing someone else, she didn't ruin the thing. Tennant's performance was marvellous from start to finish, especially the moment when he reveals he noticed something was wrong with Rose all along, ambushing everyone, having disguised his actual intelligence.

The plot was 'about' animal testing, but for once subtext was just that, and the thing didn't get too preachy. The only scenes which didn't really gel for me was Cassandra being able to go back and complement herself before her death felt a bit cheap - a deathbed repentance gives someone of who's led a life of narcissism and crime a chance that wasn't afforded to, say, all the people in the hospital who die as a result of her actions.

It was a bit of a shame that so much of the budget seemed to have gone on the background shots of New New York, which contrasted poorly with the Spartan hospital, and there was a sense of wanting to get an awful lot done, but it didn't feel as poorly planned as most of RTD's Who scripts, even if the idea of using the medicines lying around on the diseases wasn't exactly an Earth-shattering one. Overall, RTD's best story yet, and a fine start to a new season that promises great things.

Review written: 18/04/2006
Series 2 Vol. 1 ("The Christmas Invasion" & "New Earth") @ Amazon.co.uk