Doctor Who: The Woman Who Fell to Earth

'The Woman Who Lived' marks the third big reinvention of Doctor Who. We have a new showrunner, Chris Chibnall and it is also the first time that the Doctor has ever been played by the woman. It is also the first time since the 1980s that there have been three companions in the Tardis and the first time there has been a new music composer for the show since 2005. Fortunately, the production team have done well enough here to prove that those things show promise,.

Chibnall begins this story, as his two predecessors did, by introducing the new companions first. These are Ryan, Graham and Yasmin as well as supporting character Grace. We get all of the companions' motivations laid out very clearly. Ryan has dyspraxia and difficulty with co-ordination. Graham is trying to be a grandfather to Ryan. Yasmin is a police officer who wants more. It's quite a way into the story that we are introduced to the new Doctor and the monster of the week. It's a risky ploy, as some younger members may find the talking scenes boring, but in this case, it works out.

When she appears, we see that Jodie Whittaker is going to be really good as the Doctor. While I initially thought of her as Beth Lattimer, the interviews with her in the months following her casting revealed that she has a very quirky personality and that shines through here. As in The Eleventh Hour, she is up and about but there is less time spent on her having regeneration problems other than having a bit of a nap.  She gets several great moments in the episode. These include the moment, she builds her new sonic screwdriver from bis of metal and alien technology, the moment she jumps from a crane to confront an enemy and then at the end when she eulogises on her family in a speech reminiscent to the Troughton's Doctor gave in Tomb of the Cybermen. She exactly the same as a male Doctor which is as it should be. She's also very good at physical comedy and the scene where she sticks her fingers up her nose is the sort of thing you don't usually see with female tv characters. When she apolgises to her friends for seeing what Tim Shaw is doing to his victims, she deliverse those lines with more earnestness than I would have expected. Perhaps I've gotten too used to the Twelfth Doctor's snark

As with the other episodes that introduce a new Doctor or companions, the threat faced by the Doctor in The Woman Who Fell to Earth fairly straightforward. Tzim-Shaw, a member of the Stenza warrior race, has come to Earth in order to hunt a random human. This will prove himself worthy of becoming leader of his species.  A man called Karl has been tagged so the Doctor and her new friends have to work together to rescue Karl and stop Tim Shaw. The creature, Tim Shaw, is remniscent of predator and the idea that he has teeth in his face and that he collects the teeth of his victims is suitably scary for teatime viewing. Tim Shaw is also assisted by the Relay Coil, an effective tentacle monter which is a well done bit of CGI.

One way in which this episodes differs is that the defeat of the monster ends on a downbeat note. Grace sacrifices herself to stop the relay coil. Throughout she is a sort of Doctor surrogate, encouraging the others. Sharon D. Clarke is likeable in the role and part of me would have liked her to stay alive and fulfil the Jackie Tyler role. Here, she has a similar role to Danny Lattimer in Broadchurch, whose death triggers he events of the story. The scene at her funeral feels very similarly like something from Broadchurch. It is new and interesting territory for Doctor Who to explore.

Another way in which this episode differs from previous introduction episodes is that it holds off from introducing all of the Doctor Who elements. There is no title sequence this time around and we do not get a Tardis. The episode ends on a cliffhanger wit the Doctor following the trace of the Tardis and accidentally beaming herself and her friends into deep space.

The cast are all very good. Ryan is the first friend we're introduced to and pretty much the main focus for this episode. I wasn't sure about Tosin Cole's acting at first but as the episode progressed I saw his talent. He has dyspraxia which is a good way of showing the representation. As someone diagnosed with mild dyspraxia it was surprisingly nice to see it on a prime time tv show. Him learning to ride the bike was good.

Bradley Walsh is fantastic as Graham. He reminds me of Wilfred Mott in that he is the every man of the series.The reveal that he is in remission from cancer is, like Ryan's dyspraxia, an issue for him.  A very likeable character with a lot of promise.

Yasmin Khan gets the least development and I'm sure that will improve. As a Police Officer who wants to do more, you can see that companion thing of wanting to fulfil their potential. There are nine more episodes to get to know her.

One of the most obvious thing to point out about the show is the new visual look. The anamorpic lenses that are used int he cameras give the whole experience a very filmic look. Sheffield, the main setting for this adventure, looks gorgeous as do scenes set on the peaks. It feels like as much of a visual leap for the show as The Eleventh Hour in 2010. The CGI team should be happy with their realisation of the relay coil monster and the electrical storms around it are effective.

The tone of the episode was interesting. The teasers gave the impression that this series would have a lighter tone but there was a surprising lack of humour in this episode. The Doctor was the only really funny person int he episode, that and Karl with his self-help tapes. There is none of the quippy dialogue that would be found in Steven Moffat's stories. Your mileage will vary in how you felt about this. Some may find the dialogue a little flatter now but I feel that it works for giving the series a more grounded feel.

One undoubted success in the episode was the music by the new composer Segun Akinola.  His music here appears to be more about mood and creating atmosphere. It was less about the bombast as Murray Gold's was. Both are good but it's nice to have a change. The new theme music was only heard at the end of the episode but it sounded very good.

The episode held off from introducing the Tardis or the new opening titles. This is an interesting way to hook viewers to come back. It will be interesting to see if it pays off.

The only minor niggle was the guest star list shown at the end of the episode. It was an odd way of promoting the show. I'm not the biggest TV watcher so I didn't recognize many of the names and faces  Perhaps it's because Chibnall wouldn't let them show monsters.

I have to say I enjoyed this episode. Despite some pacing issues it is a compelling watch. While I never went off Steven Moffat I have felt the show has needed to change for some time. With more grounding in reality and better visuals, this works. The Woman Who Fell t Earth is not quite as good as The Eleventh Hour, it is definitely a better first episode than some. A good start to the new era.

My Rating = 8/10