Doctor Who at 10 - Bad Wolf (S1E12)

And so begins the end of the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) as we begin to say goodbye to the martyr of the show's resurrection. As being a semi-sequel to The Long Game a mere five weeks ago, and its title referencing the ongoing story arc of the mysterious two words which have followed the Doctor and Rose (Billie Piper) since the very beginning of their travels, Bad Wolf has a lot to set up ahead of what's sure to be a momentous conclusion to the series - and the Doctor himself. And whilst the Next Time trailer following Boom Town ruined what was sure to be a massive surprise, it's a question of whether or not it can prepare the audience for the end of Nine.

When the Doctor, Rose and Captain Jack (John Barrowman, as seen in the flattering image above) all wake up in futuristic versions of modern day game shows with no recollection of how they got there, the separated trio have to discover themselves and some of the other contestants with them how they got there and why they're there. With Jack's ego being boosted by robotic versions of Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine - known instead as Trine-E & Zu-Zana - Rose's lack of general knowledge put to the test against the Anne Droid (voiced by Anne Robinson) in a game of the Weakest Link and the Doctor trapped in one of dozens of Big Brother houses where the contestants are evicted from life, they each have a number of issues to face before they discover who exactly has been playing a long game...

For the time, this episode is a great satirical look at television's overabundance of reality television programmes - an aspect of the medium which sadly has only grown to new heights in the decade since - but unfortunately suffers from the fact that much has changed. Trinny & Susannah have since been shelved, The Weakest Link axed and Big Brother trudging on with a new broadcaster and presenter. The only show mentioned which is still going on without any major changes is Countdown, which comes across only by name and explanation of its new graphic approach. That said, it's a lot of fun seeing these shows in new lights, with the highlight being the new way to be crowned the Weakest Link via death ray - how else can you make an already terrifying presenter scarier? And whilst a good proportion of the episode focuses on these shows and how the characters react to these scenarios, it does a good job at balancing it with the main story at hand - who is responsible for this and where are they. When it comes to the actual reveal of the space station, it's made all the more gratifying, leading to some stunning scenes and a cliffhanger which makes you want to watch the next episode right away. 

Following from a rather lacklustre set of performances in Boom Town last week, the TARDIS trio return to form as they prepare to give their all. Eccleston is astounding as the Doctor as he manages to mix the pushy and alien side of his incarnation with the hard-hitting human-like side of him that's grown so much since his first appearance all those weeks ago; Piper is having the time of her life on the Weakest Link set but really plays on the emotions of being in a life-or-death scenario strongly; but Barrowman may be the star of it all solely for his interactions on the fashion show. His side is for comedy and comedy alone, and brings about the biggest laughs in what could have been a serious episode. Also present is future Eastenders star Jo Joyner as the "dead sweet" Lynda, a rather conniving Patterson Joseph as a rival Link contestant, and the slightly dull will they/won't they double act of Nisha Nayar and Jo Stone-Fewings. There's also Martha Cope in a chilling performance of a person stripped from their life and forced to carry out orders from an unknown source, and her later sacrifice is devastating as a result.

Bad Wolf is the perfect start to a grand finale, with the best mix of comedy and high-octane emotional depth that the series hasn't had since Father's Day. It's rich with drama and its satirical approach - whilst unfortunately outdated in today's world - is something which the show can revel in as it enters its final stages. With performances being superb all round, you have a strong beginning to the last moments of the Doctor. And as for that cliffhanger, oh boy...it's one for the Doctor Who history books. 10/10.