1:2: THE END OF THE WORLD

Where as the first episode sourced from the three big TV introductions of Doctor Who (pre-2005), END OF THE WORLD takes its major conceit from Douglas Adams RESTAURANT AT THE END OF THE UNIVERSE. Adams history with the show as script editor, and the pen behind one of the most highly regarded stories CITY OF DEATH, makes it clear that Davis is laying out both direction posts for fans who would argue the emphasis he places on humour, and sign posting a more personal influence.

Yet Davis' title reflects his dis-interest in the universal scope that the genre offers him, as the episode's focus is planet earth (albeit from space). Aliens with the exceptions of Yasmin Bannerman Jabe's and the cameo character Raffalo (Beccy Armory), are pure primary colour novelty. Yet the effect is muddled, a cartoonish live-action reality shot through with poinent ideas and dialogue, makes for bizarre but engaging and fun viewing.

Into this Davis adds some pointed observations from Roses' argument with Cassandra over her hypocritical pure-human stance in the face of her endless cosmetic surgeries, to the presentation of The Doctor as humorously but persistently critical of the context, such as his correction of "the great and the good" as "the rich" to questioning Jabe's motives for attending the event.

The real purpose of "The end of the world" is revealed, as a parallel to the revelation that The Timelords, tThe Doctor's own people, have died. What makes this interesting is that bringing Rose to this point in her planets own time-line serves as The Doctor's catharsis, and allows his companion to understand him more. This almost makes the episode an inverted point to the 7th Doctor story, Ghostlight, where he forces his companion though catharsis, by misleading her into confronting her fears.

Effects laden with CGI and a variety of alien prosthetics, the episode is reinforcing both the high production values and defining this against the classic series wobbly-set reputation. Grand, glossy and impressive, the only down fall is that in avoiding the potential creatively of future set designs (presumably because it does not want to take the risk and wind up looking tacky and naive), the sets conform to a modern minimalist look, and are bland as a result, or it may just be that since the station is meant to be an empty vessel moved to and serving for different functions, that's the point.

Less disjointed and jarring than ROSE, END OF THE WORLD serves the new single episode story no better. The hyperbolic editing and pace facilitated by Davis' world of broad strokes makes for an entertaining giddy passage through a slender plot, which is serviceable but predictable. The effect is that although the episode is not disposable, for the larger exposition it provides, it leaves little impression.