RISE OF THE CYBERMEN
First screened, Saturday, 13th May, 2006
7.23pm-7.08pm, on BBC One* 

The return of the Cybermen in 'Doctor Who' saw the steel guys as scary as ever, and their marching through the windows at a party was the definition of gate-crashing!

David Tennant is certainly growing into his role as the Doctor. That affected mockney chirpiness I thought might grate after a few episodes (my pathological dislike of the lamb killing J***e O****r is showing), but it's not been overdone. Though he's not going to be too chirpy when the Cybermen are threatening to delete him, of course.

Rose (Billie Piper) as a waitress may be a male fantasy, but it was an interesting idea, having her in a parallel universe, and it bought a welcome return to 'Doctor Who' for Rose's social climbing mum (Camille Coduri). With this new incarnation of 'Doctor Who' there is a penchant for moving touches, and Rose's father (Shaun Dingwall) not quite recognising her was one such occasion.

Mickey's (Noel Clarke) doppelganger seems much more interesting than Rose's boyfriend. Here being the leader of a frighteningly miniscule freedom fighting force.

Roger Lloyd Pack as the sinister creator of the Cybermen, John Lumic, may have seen an unlikely casting choice, to those of us familiar with his Trigger character from 'Only Fools And Horses', but he's up there with Anthony Head for glowering malevolence. Pack said he played the Lumic character with US Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, in mind!

Don Warrington, as the UK President, seemed just as smug as his 'Rising Damp' character. He really should have taken the Doctor's advice!

The Cybermen themselves have evolved since the early days of 'Doctor Who', but they're still as evil. The crunching sound effects of the Cybermen marching were reminiscent of Nazi stormtroopers, and that was the intention, I suspect.

'Rise of the Cybermen' is certainly the most scary 'Doctor Who' episode since its re-emergence.

* Scheduled for 7.00pm, but was delayed due to that other great British institution, the FA Cup Final, overrunning.

- Paul Rance/booksmusicfilmstv.com.

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