'The Woman Who Fell to Earth' is, unquestionably, the most highly-anticipated episode of Doctor Who for over a decade. Not since the long-dormant series returned to BBC One 13 years ago have there been so many eyes on the first episode of a new series – even the last big restart, 2011's Moffat-era kickstarter 'The Eleventh Hour', didn't feel like quite such an occasion as this.

Even without new boss Chris Chibnall promoting this new series as the perfect jumping-on point for newbies who don't know their TARDIS from their Terileptils, the casting of Jodie Whittaker as the show's first female Doctor has thrust the show firmly back into the spotlight, while also amping up the hype to heady new levels for long-time fans.

But now, after all the buzz, all the anticipation, all the tabloid inches, does Whittaker's debut adventure – airing on Sunday, October 7 on BBC One – deliver?

The answer is yes. Mostly.

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'The Woman Who Fell to Earth' is not perfect. It is, however, a promising start to a new era of Doctor Who that, if this first episode is anything to go on, is going to feel fresh and modern without losing the key components that have made the 55-year-old sci-fi show such an enduring success.

Let's get this out of the way, right off: Jodie Whittaker is terrific. She makes an incredibly assured debut, with a performance that's, quite literally, fizzing with energy. So much of the conversation about her casting, both positive and negative, has been about Whittaker's gender, but within seconds of her appearing on screen, it becomes clear just how little it matters.

Whittaker just is the Doctor. You don't question it, even for a moment.

BBC

Her new friends also have bags of potential. Though it's a misconception that the Moffat era was all convoluted continuity and no heart, working with an almost completely clean slate means that this new Doctor Who is refreshingly free of backstory and features a renewed focus on everyday dynamics.

There are characters and relationships easy to identify with, and themes – like the importance of family – that we can all relate to. Crucially, this is a show that you can imagine playing to a wide audience on a Sunday evening. (That the episode looks terrific also helps with that – on the evidence of this opener, no longer will dodgy effects serve as a stumbling block for new audiences.)

That being said, with Chibnall introducing a trio of companions and a more "ensemble" feel, not all of the new regulars get adequate opportunity to show us what they're really capable of. It might run to 65 minutes, but even with that extended run-time, 'The Woman Who Fell to Earth' has a lot to accomplish, and doesn't get the balance right all of the time.

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As Ryan, Tosin Cole gets to play a wide variety of material – comedy, peril, heartbreak – while Bradley Walsh, whose Graham serves as comic relief for much of the episode, also gets a belter of a scene towards its climax that he absolutely nails.

Mandip Gill, though immediately engaging, isn't provided for so well. With rumblings that the series will make different characters the focal point of each episode, here's hoping that we dig a little deeper into Yaz from episode two onwards, because here she mostly has to make do with generic 'Companion 101' fodder.

The episode's only other real shortfall, if you can call it that, is that – much like 'Rose' back in 2005 – the monster-of-the-week story is the least interesting thing about it. That's not especially a slight on the episode's chief menace, which is actually pleasingly scary, or the antics that ensue as the Doctor and her gang pursue it, it's just that it's these aspects of 'The Woman Who Fell to Earth' which feel the most run-of-the-mill.

Where this series opener really sings is in the moments where it dares to be different. In particular, there's an epilogue of sorts – a stirring and highly emotional sequence – that feels like nothing Doctor Who has ever done before, and it's easily the best part of the whole thing.

BBC

It's encouraging that the new regular fixtures – the new cast, of course, but also a revamped look and feel – are what really work about 'The Woman Who Fell to Earth', while the elements that are less effective (certain set-pieces, how it divides up screen-time among the leads) are those that, within the ever-changing tapestry that is Doctor Who, can change from week-to-week.

Does this first episode get everything right, all of the time? No – and neither did 'Rose', or 'The Eleventh Hour'. But it scores where it really counts, showing more than enough wit and flair to convince us that we're entering into a new era that'll be every bit as bold and, yes, brilliant as we'd hoped.

(Oh, and the new version of the theme is a corker!)

Doctor Who: 'The Woman Who Fell to Earth' airs on Sunday, October 7 at 6.45pm on BBC One.

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