Watched the premiere, "Smith and Jones."

Much like last year, I noticed three things:

1) Set in a hospital
2) High camp factor (bendy straw? Identical cousins? Space magic markers?)
3) Overall, kind of a weak story. Why was she trying to fry half the Earth BEFORE the Judoon identified her?

Don't get me wrong, I loved it, but pretty much anything's a letdown after the last season finale. Martha seems nice, though.

Oh, and after wondering for a while how to pronounce "Agyeman" I listened to the commentary track with Freema and Phil Collinson. It shares the first two syllables of "adjective." I guess without the C, though.

Like any good Geordie, I was out with some mates watching my team play desperately badly, then following it up with a few pints and pickled eggs, so I didn't see it until just now.

It was very good. I wasn't as totally enamoured of Rose as other people were, and, entering the stage of life where it is deemed less and less acceptable to fantasise about Dr Who assistants, I must say that Freema Agyeman is properly lush.

Good story, snappy dialogue, the effects budget has been ramped up a little, looks promising.

i think like the previous seasons, theyve started with the weakest episode first.thought Tennant went horribly OTT with the radiation in the shoe bit, but my my 2 nephews loved that bit!

I liked it. I can tell I'm gonna like Martha better than Rose already

my daughter was down on the whole Doctor Who thing after the sad ending with Rose and wasn't even looking forward to "Smith & Jones" but after seeing it, she's back in and well on her way to forgetting Rose. I liked the ep as it was a very good intro/set up for Freema. It's funny, I have so much faith in RTD knowing what he's doing, I don't think I've ever been more comfortable settling in for a new season. No worries what so ever, especially after the last two seasons. He's easily showing that the program can survive Doctor after Doctor and companion after companion, just like the old days. Kudos!

I really liked Martha.

I think that RTD is probably a better scripter than a story writer though. It was all pretty silly really, even if it was a lot of fun to watch.

I could do without the ongoing and not so subtle use of a certain word like they did with the previous seasons "Bad Wolf" and "Torchwood" again though. It's an idea that's getting pretty old, pretty fast now, if the word in question is going to be popping up in every episode through to the season finale.

She was trying to kill the Judoon and half the Earth was just collateral damage. I don't think she was setting out to do it, she just didn't care.

It wasn't brilliant or anything, but it was funny and entertaining.

I think this season we're going to get another Time Lord, perhaps The Doctor's brother, who he mentioned casually this episode (or was this a nod to some previous mention?). If they bring back another Who Big Bad, then it's probably The Master's turn, since he's #3 on a very short list (I think #4 is the Ice Warriors, so there's a pretty big drop-off). Plus, they actually said "Galifrey" in the Holiday Special, and unless they just had a moment of Fanboyism, that might be a harbinger of what's to come.

I loved it, and was so desperate for a decent Who show after the Torchwood debacle that I was extremely entertained, and satisfied.

It was wonderful to have Tennent back in the fold. Moreso after seeing Chris Ecclestone playing in Heroes.

I am very excited to see more, but as ever, not looking forward to the the Period English episodes, like the next one.

T.

Great, great episode this week!

It had the kooky premise of one of the weirder McCoy episodes, but the effects did it justice.

And how many old-time fans cheered when the monsters were revealed to be

More great foreshadowing of the season's Big Bad, which I'm getting really excited about, having really enjoyed Life On Mars.

(Have I said too much?)

loved the Doc talkin about Gallifrey, thought the music was great,loved that it wa the *****.
Face of Bo had something really interesting to say . . .

I thought it was great and the surprise villain was absolutely brilliant! Had to explain it to the kids afterward but wonderful bait and switch, indicating Sontarans yet going for the *****. I'd place well well well above any McCoy ep though since I'd usually never know what the hell was going on in most of those goofy eps. so far, I'd give it the best of the season. They're definitely crankin' it up. Wonderful ending too.

I too prefer Martha to Rose (Much as I admire Billie Piper, not least for her loyalty to the obnoxious Chris Evans) but I can't be doing with all this sexual tension between the Doctor and his assistants - so far as I am concerned the Doctor is above all that sort of thing (it also gives me slightly disturbing private speculations as to what else he might have two of).

I think he should have more than one assistant like in the good ol' days.

And don't talk to me about Torchwood - I know they were trying to give Captain Jack a "dark" side but you need charisma to carry that off - he just came across as an unpleasant nerk -

plus the constantly changing relentlessly unvanilla sexual permutations hinted more at a desperate grab for ratings rather than anything truly erotic

plus heterosexual guy looked like a half boiled frog

plus the charactersiation was so shallow that after watching the entire series I still can't remember anyone's name.

I'm sorry to note also that a lot of the Torchwood nudge nudge double entendre worked its way into the Shakespeare episode - and they didn't even have the decency to give him a Brummie accent!!!

Also very maligning of witches - a most misunderstood bunch of wimmen.!

I don't think we have to worry about The Doctor and Martha getting "seemingly/kinda involved" as he did with Rose. Seems like once in a great while a companion comes along and the Doctor gets too attached and when said companion's gone, he draws back. After Sarah and after Rose he did that and RTD knows what he's doing. Besides, as this season progresses, he's going to be focusing on another person entirely when he finds out he's not alone. Still, the ending where he sits down and talks with Martha, explaining things is just the best of all possible Who moments.

I'd say he did that with Romana II as well, especially given Tom and Lalla's off-camera romance at the time.

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Can you not understand that before Rose came along we didn't have any of that nonsense!
The Doctor is pure I tell you! Pure!

Tell that to Susan.

She (Lalla) married ubber atheist Richard Dawkins in the end though.

Is that a typo for uber or rubber?

Either way I don't think I want to know!