I have always loved Doctor Who.

I was 5 when it started in 1963, and it has just celebrated its 60th Anniversary. Over the years I have watched just about every episode that aired in both the Classic and Modern incarnations.

What I have loved about Doctor Who is the sheer imagination, creativity and story-telling skills of the writers, producers and actors. The Doctor has had many faces, many companions and many producers in its time, but it has always known how to tell big stories.

I lost all faith during the Chris Chibnall/ Jodie Whittaker years. I wanted to like Jodie as the Doctor but the stories were just boring. She really lost me when she did a long monologue about how climate change had produced these wild monsters and it was all our fault. I tried a few weeks later, but the story was so forgettable that I decided it wasn’t worth the effort. With Chibnall only producing a season every second year, it was all too easy to not be bothered.

But a year or so ago, rumours started to emerge that Russell T Davies was coming back to the Whoniverse (an era christened RTD2). A new bountiful human empire was promised in which all the wrongs of the past would be overturned and Doctor Who would return to its previous era of brilliance.

They have resurrected David Tenant as a kind of bridge into the new era before Ncuti Gatwa takes over next year.

The downside amongst all the good news is that the international streaming rights have been sold to Disney Plus. I am guessing that Disney are paying huge bucks for this which can be invested into the production of the series.So everybody outside the UK who wants to watch the latest Doctor Who has to subscribe to Disney Plus, or a VPN or use Pirate Bay.

I decided to do the proper thing and subscribe to Disney Plus. For $13.99 I can see the 3 60th Anniversary specials plus the Christmas Special. Then I can cancel my subscription until the next season releases next year.. unless I find something compelling on Disney.

So what was the first Special “The Star Beast” like?

The Doctor finds himself in London and runs into his old friend Donna Noble. Donna was quite the character- very outspoken and loud. In her last appearance in the show, Donna had absorbed all the knowledge of the Time Lords, and if she ever recognised the Doctor again she would surely die.

An alien space ship crashes, carrying The Meep, a cute looking furry creature. Donna’s daughter, Rose, takes him/her/it home. It turns out that The Meep is actually a very ferocious and cruel creature intent on galactic domination. The Doctor, Donna and Rose are able to save the planet and everything is good.

Overall, it wasn’t a bad episode of Doctor Who. Not in the top 10 best ever, but mostly a pretty solid story. I thought the bad guy form of the Meep was a bit cheesy, but overall the story was good.

The Star Beast is a good return for Davies and sets the stage for some good stories in the future.

The Doctor is back!