New Earth is the first story of David Tennant’s first season as the Doctor. This is where Tennant would be judged and the future of the show would also be looked at. The opening moments of the show were a clear indication to its audience that this is a new era in the shows history. It was nice and understated but unfortunately the episode descended into a comedy which it shouldn’t have been. The story sees the return of Cassandra who was last seen bursting into bits over the should of the ninth Doctor in The End of the World.
The Doctor takes Rose to New Earth and after a message on the Psychic Paper they go to the hospital where in the basement of the hospital is Cassandra and her servant Chip. As Cassandra is after a body she takes Rose’s and then there is a series of tooing and froing in terms of body swapping. The hospital is full of people suffering from some of the weirdest diseases that have ever graced a Sci-Fi show. One of the patients is the Face of Boe who was seen briefly in The Long Game the previous year. We are told he is dyeing at that the Doctor will meet him one more time. The hospital seems to be nice and pristine but actually hides a secret. It is hold infected people with diseases and this seems to be their purpose in life which obviously annoys the Doctor. This leads to him saving the day by mixing all the potions and medicines and pouring them into a big container and curing some who then help to cure others. This happens just before Cassandra jumps from Rose to Chip. Unfortunately its not a permanent thing because Chip has a short life span and he’s reaching the end of it. There’s enough time for the Doctor to take him to when Cassandra was a human and tell her that she is beautiful. Chip then collapses and dies with the Doctor and Rose sloping off into the TARDIS.
The problem with New Earth is that it is way too comedic for my likening. Compared to the other series openers it is by far the weakest offering. I also wondered how appropriate it was for Rose to be sexed up the way she way. I don’t want to come across all Mary Whitehouse but I just thought it was a bit too much. I did chuckle when the Doctor and Rose kissed. It reminded me of the furore that arose form the Eighth Doctor and Grace’s kiss in the TV Movie. This seemed to pass without much drama. The whole relationship between Rose and the Doctor has definitely changed since the regeneration. Tennant is obviously younger than Eccleston so the love story is more believable than it was between Rose and the Ninth Doctor.
It was good that they got Zoe Wanamaker in this in the flesh. I like her in My Family and thought that she was very good in this. Though her best bit was at the end when Chip arrives with Rose and the Doctor. She was like the Cassandra we all know and love but the way she was dressed make her look like she come from the set of a Miss Marple story. Its just a shame that we will never het to see her again because I do think that the character had more to give and she was slightly wasted in this because she could have and perhaps should have had more screen time.
David Tennant and Billie Piper did seem to enjoy themselves in this when they were playing their characters being possessed by Cassandra unfortunately they weren’t given more time for serious stuff. They do have a good on screen chemistry which bodes well for the rest of the series. New Earth is not the story it should have been. I think that there is nothing wrong with a bit of humour in Doctor Who but in the first episode and to this degree is not the place to do it. New Earth is an episode to forget.
The Doctor takes Rose to New Earth and after a message on the Psychic Paper they go to the hospital where in the basement of the hospital is Cassandra and her servant Chip. As Cassandra is after a body she takes Rose’s and then there is a series of tooing and froing in terms of body swapping. The hospital is full of people suffering from some of the weirdest diseases that have ever graced a Sci-Fi show. One of the patients is the Face of Boe who was seen briefly in The Long Game the previous year. We are told he is dyeing at that the Doctor will meet him one more time. The hospital seems to be nice and pristine but actually hides a secret. It is hold infected people with diseases and this seems to be their purpose in life which obviously annoys the Doctor. This leads to him saving the day by mixing all the potions and medicines and pouring them into a big container and curing some who then help to cure others. This happens just before Cassandra jumps from Rose to Chip. Unfortunately its not a permanent thing because Chip has a short life span and he’s reaching the end of it. There’s enough time for the Doctor to take him to when Cassandra was a human and tell her that she is beautiful. Chip then collapses and dies with the Doctor and Rose sloping off into the TARDIS.
The problem with New Earth is that it is way too comedic for my likening. Compared to the other series openers it is by far the weakest offering. I also wondered how appropriate it was for Rose to be sexed up the way she way. I don’t want to come across all Mary Whitehouse but I just thought it was a bit too much. I did chuckle when the Doctor and Rose kissed. It reminded me of the furore that arose form the Eighth Doctor and Grace’s kiss in the TV Movie. This seemed to pass without much drama. The whole relationship between Rose and the Doctor has definitely changed since the regeneration. Tennant is obviously younger than Eccleston so the love story is more believable than it was between Rose and the Ninth Doctor.
It was good that they got Zoe Wanamaker in this in the flesh. I like her in My Family and thought that she was very good in this. Though her best bit was at the end when Chip arrives with Rose and the Doctor. She was like the Cassandra we all know and love but the way she was dressed make her look like she come from the set of a Miss Marple story. Its just a shame that we will never het to see her again because I do think that the character had more to give and she was slightly wasted in this because she could have and perhaps should have had more screen time.
David Tennant and Billie Piper did seem to enjoy themselves in this when they were playing their characters being possessed by Cassandra unfortunately they weren’t given more time for serious stuff. They do have a good on screen chemistry which bodes well for the rest of the series. New Earth is not the story it should have been. I think that there is nothing wrong with a bit of humour in Doctor Who but in the first episode and to this degree is not the place to do it. New Earth is an episode to forget.
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